David Galchutt

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Preschool, Prekindergarten & Kindergarten

952-466-3379

[email protected]

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About Mr. Galchutt: 
Hello, I'm David Galchutt but many students call me, "Mr. G."  I'm a product of LCMS parochial schools myself. Kindergarten through 2nd Grade, I went to Our Savior's LCMS School in Hutchinson, MN. 3rd through 8th Grade, I went to Prince of Peace LCMS School in Spring Lake Park, MN.  High school, I went to Concordia Academy in Roseville, MN.  I would often play (football, basketball, & baseball) against Mayer Lutheran High School as (back in the day) we were conference rivals.  My Dad was a LCMS Pastor and my Mom was a LCMS Grade School teacher.  I have one brother and brother-in-law who are LCMS Pastors as well and one sister who is a college professor at a LCMS University.

I met my wife, Keri, who at Concordia University, St. Paul where I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree.  She is also a LCMS teacher.  Our daughters are Averi and Addison. Keri loves creating and teaching art. Averi enjoys basketball and volleyball. Addison enjoys dance and swimming. I enjoy coaching basketball and volleyball.  I also enjoy jogging, hiking and mountain biking. Our family likes serving at church and volunteering at Feed My Starving Children.  

Favorite Thing About Zion:
After teaching in the Public Schools of Minnesota for 20 years, I truly enjoy being able to openly share my faith and talk about the love and forgiveness that we all can receive which is a free gift from God, through His One and Only Son, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the World.  Another favorite is dancing and singing to "Bible Praise Songs" every day at Zion! ​

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Preschool Curriculum

Religion

• Preschoolers learn about God’s grace and love through reading the Bible, singing songs, and participating in various activities, including weekly all-school chapel. Children repeatedly hear and learn that God loves them and all people. Also, that God sent Jesus to take away their sins, as well as the sins of others. Children are encouraged to share the news of his love!

Art

• Preschoolers will participate in weekly art activities. During these activities they will be learning, colors, shapes, step by step directions, and fine motor skills. The students will participate in student led art activities as well as teacher led activities.

Health/Physical Education

• The students get to practice gross and fine motor skills everyday in either a gym or outdoor setting. The students will participate in free play, games, gross motor STEM activities such as skipping, hopping, galloping, and crab walking. 

Social Studies

• In preschool, Social Studies focuses on the students' everyday communities. Over the course of the year the students will learn about community workers, church community, classroom community, and what it means to be a good citizen. The goal is to build their knowledge of what it means to be a strong Christian and to understand how others live in the world around them.​

Literacy

• Preschool students use literacy in every center and activity throughout the day. The activities are student led as well as teacher directed. They are allowed space to naturally grow and learn at their own pace while still receiving help and guidance from the teacher. With the small classes, each student is challenged and grows developmentally as they are ready. Students participate in hands on letter and writing activities, small class discussions, large group lessons, and center based play.

​Math

• Preschool students are taught math concepts with the use of hands on manipulatives and play based learning. They focus on numbers and number relationships, as well as colors and shapes. They learn about patterns and how to create them.

Music

• Music is used daily to expand upon the preschoolers lessons and understand their daily routine. The students will be taught about musical instruments as well as use music everyday to learn letters, numbers and reinforce the class theme of the month.

Science

• The preschool science curriculum ties in with the weekly/monthly themes. It is a hands-on curriculum that focuses on the world around them. Over the course of a year, they will learn about their senses, plants, bugs, colors, and seasons . They will get to test their engineering skills with many STEM activities.  The students also have access to a science center during their free play activity time. This allows for student led observations and experimenting.

Technology

• ​Preschoolers will get the chance to use the smart board during large group activities. The smart board is used to expand upon already introduced ideas and concepts. The students work on thematic based learning games created by the teacher.

Kindergarten curriculum

Religion

• ​​Kindergarteners learn about God’s grace and love through reading the Bible, singing songs, and participating in various activities, including weekly all-school chapel. Children repeatedly hear and learn that God loves them and all people. Also, that God sent Jesus to take away their sins, as well as the sins of others. Children are encouraged to share the news of his love!

Art

• Young students will explore and create with a wide variety of media, such as painting, drawing, and collages. The focus is to allow the students to create using imagination while being introduced to the basic elementary elements of art.

Drama

• Students have the opportunity to participate in two dramatic activities yearly. The first is our Christmas Eve program which is presented by students in kindergarten through 8th grade. The second is our spring play presented by the Kindergarten through 4th grades. ​

Health/Physical Education​

• Students learn gross motor skills in dynamic ways. Each month is a different unit with age appropriate drills and activities. The units are as follows:  running, volleyball, basketball, dance, cooperative games, gymnastics, jump rope, soccer, badminton, and parachute games.

Social Studies

• Kindergarteners learn about themselves, their families, and the world around them. Social studies focuses on students' everyday communities.

Literacy

• Children are given many opportunities to attach meaning to the letters and words around them. They learn the names of all the uppercase and lowercase letters and their sounds. By using correct handwriting strokes, children learn to form each letter. Children learn to recognize sight words and sound out words by reading simple stories and discussing letters and words. Stories are also read to the children.

Math

• Kindergarten students practice and learn a variety of math concepts. These concepts include numeral identification, time, estimating, counting, patterning, sorting, measuring, spatial concepts, and the identification and counting of coins.

Science

• Science is experienced in daily activities as the students discuss and learn about the weather, seasons, and the world around them. Throughout the year, kindergarteners are involved in processes that promote scientific understanding such as observing, comparing, predicting, classifying, measuring, and graphing.

Technology

• ​Kindergarteners will get the chance to use the smart board during large group activities. The smart board is used to expand upon already introduced ideas and concepts. The students work on thematic based learning games created by the teacher. They will also learn computer components and basic computer operations as well as learning that the internet is a source for information and communication.