Kishami Academy, LLC

About Kishami Academy

Our Curriculum

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Our school is designed on a 3-year repeating cycle that ensures a broader world-view rather than an American-centric world view. Each unit is 6 weeks long. Each time a student revisits a unit, the material becomes more in depth for them. We use composition notebooks, and make table of contents pages so that everything they learn is handy and available for them as they progress through their academic life. 

YEAR 1 (2018-19; 2021-2022)

 

Unit 1: The Beginning--solar system, chemistry, physics

Unit 2: Mesopotamia/Middle East--engineering, nutrition

Unit 3: North Africa--environment, wetlands, desertification

Unit 4: U.S. Presidents--space race, engineering

Unit 5: Middle Ages/Renaissance--architecture, biology, virus’

Unit 6: WWI/1900-1930--chemistry, physics

Unit 7: Russia--electricity, magnetism

YEAR 2 (2019-20; 2022-23)

 

Unit 8: Paleontology--geology, caves, volcanoes, plants

Unit 9: MesoAmerica--biology, biodiversity, America’s animals

Unit 10: Greece/Rome--biology, human systems

Unit 11: N/NW Asia--rise of technology, computers, nuclear age

Unit 12: Colonialism/Imperialism--plagues & people, microbiology

Unit 13: WWII/1930-1950--biowarfare, ethics

Unit 14: Oceania--oceanography, islands

YEAR 3 (2020-21; 2023-24)

 

Unit 15: Evolution/MesoAfrica--archaeology, earthquakes

Unit 16: Southern Africa--anthropology, brain/gut science, epigenetics

Unit 17: India/SE Asia--asian beliefs, weather, energy

Unit 18: Europe--heredity, biology

Unit 19: World Geography--fossil fuels, borders

Unit 20: 1950-Present--global warming, insects, economics

Unit 21: Central/South America--anthropology, ecology, rainforest

Our Staff

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Head Teacher Rachel Widgren

Head Teacher

Rachel Widgren

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WELCOME!  My name is Rachel Widgren. I am the head-teacher, owner, and founder of Kishami Academy, LLC.

OUR MISSION is to see all students succeed by addressing their needs individually. Each student is empowered as we fill in knowledge gaps, allowing them to learn at their pace, and aid in physical balancing of mind and body by bridging disruptive connections within the brain.

About Rachel

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I love reading and research, especially with the goal to find techniques that may help a student more efficiently.

I embrace the opportunity that arises when I find I have to say, “I don’t know” because that means I get to learn something new.

I enjoy applying the things I learn and seeing the resulting change in the students I work with.

I think the most amazing moments are when students discover something on their own or make a new connection to the material.

I am not afraid to try new things when the old are not working to my expectations.

My Certification

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Colorado Professional Teaching License #213400

ENDORSEMENTS
Social Studies Education (7-12)
Elementary Education (K-6)
Special Education, Generalist (5-21 years)
Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Education (K-12)

Professional Education

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B.A. History, Minor in Anthropology. California State University – Bakersfield

M.A. Education, emphasis on CLDE. Colorado State University – Pueblo

My personal educational experience comes as being a Mother of a son with Autism and a daughter with ADD. Through raising my children, I discovered I was high-functioning autistic, and have been able to use the experiences I had learning to survive without a diagnosis to help my son, and my students, understand their own internal workings.

Teaching Experiences

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I have been teaching in one form or other since Kindergarten when I assisted my teachers with lower reading groups before running down the hall to my own reading group. Since then, I have studied with my mom, home-schooled my brother, tutored my friends, used my ability to read and understand directions to tutor those in classes I had never taken before. I like to learn!

These experiences have given me insight into practices that do and do not work, politics that hinder education, and ideas that I can apply freely in my classroom as needed to address the needs of each student.

I HAVE TAUGHT

  • Sunday school, 2-3 year olds (4 years)
  • AWANA, 3-4th grade (2 years)
  • Pioneer Girls, 5-6th grade (3 years)
  • Home-Scholar group, preschool-11th grade (2 years)
  • Substitute Teacher, 5 districts in California (2 years)
  • Substitute Teacher, 5 districts in Colorado (4 years)
  • ELD teacher, 4th grade + Intervention (1 year)
Sarah Setterlind

Sciences Instructor & Tutor

Sarah Setterlind

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Working with students has been my passion and focus since my very first job working in public schools. I feel very fortunate to be able to help the students who need it most in a setting where I and my colleagues have the freedom to create new and innovative methods of instruction. One of the most rewarding parts of working with special needs students has been helping identify exactly where they are at, collaborating on a plan of action with my colleagues and then seeing the growth that results.

I also love the outdoors, exploring the world with my husband and daughter, and laughing as
much as possible.

My Certification

  • Board-Certified Behavior Therapist specializing in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Therapy
  • “Highly-Qualified” in Special Education via CO PLACE Exam
  • Professional Education
  • BA in Biology & BA in Zoology, Colorado State University

Teaching Experiences

  • Special Education Paraprofessional, Rifle High School, Rifle, CO
  • Title 1 Paraprofessional, Monterey Elementary School, Colo. Springs, CO
  • ABA Therapist, ACES
  • ABA Therapist, Alpine Autism Center
  • Tutor, Kishami Academy
  • Sciences Instructor, Kishami Academy