Leanna Leek of Du Quoin joins well-respected St. Bruno Pre-K program
Leanna Leek of Du Quoin has joined the faculty at St. Bruno School in Pinckneyville. Leek will teach Pre-K students five days a week.
The program is open to three and four-year-olds. Three-year-olds attend half a day on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Four-year-olds attend in the morning Monday through Friday with the option of a full day on Tuesday and Thursday.
Hiring Leek allowed St. Bruno to elevate the class to an accelerated Pre-K program with a dedicated curriculum. Leek says that will mean a greater focus on academics and Kindergarten readiness.
There are several computers in the Pre-K classroom and students will work on iPads part of the time. Leek said she plans to set up learning centers where students can work on math, science and writing.
Phonics will be a major part of the curriculum, as will reading aloud to the students.
Leek, who is a parishioner at Sacred Heart, taught the Pre-K program at Sacred Heart School for six years, until it closed. She then taught in the Elverado School District for five years.
Field trips were an important part of the program at Sacred Heart and Leek hopes to continue that in Pinckneyville. Sacred Heart Pre-K students visited the library, fire station and post office. As a member of the Perry County Historical Society, Leek said she hopes to take her students to the Perry County Jail Museum, located just a few blocks from St. Bruno.
History and genealogy are Leek's passions. She also belongs to the Historic Preservation Commission in Du Quoin, Daughters of the American Revolution and serves on the Du Quoin Public Library Board.
Leek is a graduate of Du Quoin High School and John A. Logan College. After taking a break to raise her children who are now grown, Leek returned to college and earned both Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. Her BS is in Elementary Education and MS in Reading. She also has endorsements in Language Arts, Social Science and Reading.
There are still a few spots open for both three and four-year-olds. Children from Du Quoin can take a bus to St. Bruno each morning and ride the bus home if they stay all day at no additional cost. Pick-up is necessary for half-day students.