Meet Mrs. Menke - Mrs. Jane Menke - Winona Area Catholic Schools

Welcome!

Thank you for stopping by! I am Mrs. Menke and I feel very blessed to teach fourth grade at Winona Area Catholic Schools for a seventh year. What bright & magnificent students we have, as they are full of positive energy and more than eager to learn. The students have proven themselves to be real troopers as we prepare ourselves for a new school year. Way to go, kids!

Grace, Audrey & Brian

As for me, I grew-up in Iowa City, Iowa with my folks, Kay & Harold, older sister, & older brother. I simply adore my family, as they provide me with such unconditional love and friendship. They are a fun bunch as they're always planning their next practical joke for some unsuspecting family member! I graduated with a degree in Elementary Education from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, where I originally enrolled to obtain a degree in Veterinary Medicine. My love for education & children lead me down the path of teaching. I am forever grateful because I truly enjoy the sweet spirit of my students. In addition, I have taught third & fifth grades in Iowa before moving to Winona when I married my husband, Kevin. He has worked at Fastenal for 25 years as the Director of Engineers. We have 3 children, Audrey, Brian & Grace, and 2 horses named “Benny & Ginger”, a large collie named “Winnie”, a scruffy golden-doodle named "Henry", and a fuzzy cat named “Smudge”. We are fortunate to have a farm, tucked behind rows of pine trees, where we have horses, pastures, and a barn for our kids to maintain. I like how the country lifestyle instills a strong work ethic; a quality I require in my students as well. Last year, we moved to Garvin Heights and that has kept us very busy in addition to caring for the animals on our farm. Grace is a junior at Cotter High School, Brian recently graduated Cotter High School and he is attending college, and my oldest daughter, Audrey, volunteers for St. Stan's from time to time and runs the farm. It is genuinely hard to believe where that time has gone since they were young, but I am sure you can relate as your children grow & change as well. I have substitute taught & volunteered for WACS on many occasions over the past 16 years, and I have always enjoyed the students, faith based education, and the talented staff who genuinely care for each & every child. We truly are a WACS family!

Grace & Ginger

As a teacher, I absolutely enjoy the age of fourth grade students because they are inquisitive, kind, and very fun! I am working closely with Mrs. Skeels & Mrs. Donahue who teach the other fourth grade classes. We will work together to enrich and challenge our core curriculum subjects of reading, writing, science, social studies, and math.  Mrs. Skeels & Mrs. Donahue are absolute fabulous teachers to collaborate with, as they are always positive, hard-working & thinking of new ways to make learning intrinsically inspiring for our students. I am happy they share these qualities with me. During math class, Mr. Jewison will join us to break-up the fourth grade class into four small groups. This will reduce class-size to maximize individual instruction time for each child. All other core curriculum subjects are taught by the homeroom teacher. My particular group of fourth grade students consist of 17 hard-working kiddos who are bright & creative. I feel so blessed to be able to teach these wonderful kids!

I welcome you to contact me at any time! The door to my classroom (room #114) is always open, so please feel free to join us for some reading, writing & math fun! The children simply beam with pride to have a parent visit our class.

As I close this introduction, and most importantly, I want to thank you for your strong partnership.   You are your child’s most important teacher and I support you! I will work hard to instill your good moral character throughout the school year. We will have a super time working together in the best interest of your family!

Warm Wishes Always,

Mrs. Jane Menke