Mrs. Natalie VanDerWal

Hi! My name is Natalie VanDerWal. I am thrilled to be joining the St. Raphael School team! I grew up in Jackson and received my bachelor’s degree at Gustavus Adolphus college in 2018. I got married to my husband Evan at the end of the summer! Following the wedding, I moved from my hometown of Jackson to his farm in Sanborn. I graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in 2018. This will be my sixth year of teaching and I’m looking forward to another year of leading a kindergarten classroom.
 Previously, I taught pre-kindergarten in Brewster and Jackson, and kindergarten at Immanuel Lutheran School in Lakefield. I’m excited to return to kindergarten again this year! It is such a joy to see the progress that each child makes throughout the year. In the classroom, I particularly enjoy literacy instruction. I also work to incorporate Spanish language skills whenever I can. 
A few fun facts… * Following my college graduation, I moved to Spain for three months to work as an au pair. I took care of a little boy who was 2 and a half at the time and lived with his family during my time abroad. While I got a great opportunity to use my Spanish language skills every day, I also got to learn a lot of new things as I was in El País Vasco where the Basque language is spoken. * My family won a trip to Hawaii off a Spaghetti-o’s can when I was five weeks old. My parents forgot to ask for a porta-crib when they checked in. When bedtime came and they called down to the front desk, we were out of luck! All the cribs had been spoken for. So, my clever dad pulled a drawer out from the dresser, lined it with pillows and a blanket, and I spent my very first vacation sleeping in a drawer!
 In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my husband, singing and playing my guitar, helping out on the farm with the cattle, and doing DIY projects and crafts. I have a passion for traveling, and hope to continue adding to my list of places I’ve visited. Here’s to a great school year full of learning and laughter! God’s blessings!