Chelsea Branch » Ms. Branch's Biography

Ms. Branch's Biography

Chelsea Branch is from Fort Wayne, Indiana. She attended Hope College in Holland, MI and graduated with a BA in Dance Education K-12 and a minor in English Education. Chelsea worked at Hamilton Elementary School as the dance and yoga teacher. During her years at Hamilton, she designed and implemented a PK-8 dance curriculum centered around National Arts Standards that created opportunities for student creativity and voices. Chelsea worked closely with classroom teachers to build arts integrated units in literacy, math, and science. Additionally, she assisted in leading SEL initiatives that greatly improved the climate and culture for students. Mindfulness is a core value in Chelsea‘s work with students and she was trained by Mindful Schools. Chelsea is passionate about sharing yoga and is certified in Yoga Calm, Rainbow Kids Yoga, and became a RYT 200 yoga teacher through Marianne Wells Yoga School in Costa Rica. 

In her free time, Chelsea loves to read fiction and memoirs, cook (although she’s not very skilled yet), and is a professional dancer and choreographer. Chelsea co-owns The Rooted Space, a dance studio in North Center and serves as the Kids' Business Coach for Guppy Tank, a grant and mentorship program for young entrepreneurs.  

 
 

Posts

Report Card Pickup Announcement

Visit each of the Essentials teachers during Report Card Pickup by dropping in to our spaces listed below.


PE (Cherry) - Gymnasium | [email protected]

Dance (Branch) - Dance Studio 101 | [email protected]

Music (Schmittle) - Music Room 114 | [email protected]

Art (Koreman) - Art Room 111

Makerspace (Petropoulos) - Please reach out if a conference is needed | [email protected]

Latin (Loris) - Room 111


The Latin room will be occupied with voting, so you can find the Ms. Loris in the Art room, 111. Ms. Branch and Ms. Schmittle will be working with students until 2:30pm. Ms. Petropoulos is conferencing with her homeroom so you can email for a conference for a different time. If you'd like to make an appointment for any of the Essentials teachers outside of the conference day, please send them an email. We look forward to connecting with you!

THANK YOU to our PTA and Rekha S. Rajan for visiting our K, 1, and 2 grades to read your book "Can You Dance Like a Peacock?" Our students had the most energizing time dancing with you in our studio and appreciate that you took the time to sign our books! 
Primary took some time to decorate our studio entrance so that when our Author, Rekha Rajan, visited, she would feel welcomed by our beautiful artwork! 
Thank you to our wonderful audience members who came to watch the culmination of the students' learning in our Winter Show: The Shape of Our Dreams. 
5-8th grade yoga classes have been designing their own yoga sequences. Some of the students have chosen to lead their sequence with the whole class. It's been inspiring to see such young leaders!
After studying the dance company Pilobolus, we had a chance to make letters just like them! Can you guess which letter this is?!
5th Grade 105 is working on our breaking skills for the Winter Show. We can't wait to show you the strength and coordination we have gained! 
Each classroom took the time to set our dance studio values for the year. Some examples include: 
  • judgement free zone 
  • kind words 
  • informal feeling
  • respect
  • fun
  • excited and positive
  • relaxed
  • accepting
  • full of imagination
  • peaceful 
I look forward to facilitating the studio into the space they want to create!
Our new fifth graders are jumping right into the dance curriculum with two new genres of dance they have never done before: hip-hop and tap! 107 is kicking of the year studying rhythm tap and the rich tap history that they now get to be a part of. 105 completed their first breaking battle this week in our new hip-hop unit and their moves were impressive! These hard working kids are going to improve so quickly and I look forward to their journey.