In Sunrise Elementary’s Classroom 119, classroom routines meet purposeful play as kindergarten teacher Mandy Simacek prepares her students for an active year of learning. Mrs. Simacek’s lively teaching style combines daily classroom fun with the district’s research-based literacy program.
Pictured: Mandy Simacek, Sunrise Elementary School kindergarten teacher
“I find kindergarten exciting,” said Mrs. Simacek, who has been teaching in Enumclaw for 19 years. “This is when kids become real learners. Unless we make it fun, they won't stay engaged!”
Rather than relying only on basic memory drills or word lists, Mrs. Simacek uses interactive games to teach phonics. Through step-by-step practice, her students learn how letter sounds connect to form full words. Targeted small-group activities give students the chance to practice reading out loud, ask questions, learn from one another, and build self-reliance at their own pace.
Her energetic approach gets real results. At the start of the 2025-2026 school year, assessment results showed only 35 percent of her incoming kindergarten students on track to be ready for first grade by the end of the year. By May, 91 percent of the class reached key literacy benchmarks.
Because of her dedicated work, Mrs. Simacek’s students leave kindergarten with the solid reading skills, focus, and confidence they need for first grade and beyond.
