Mrs. Kate Bragg is the Saint Cols elementary science teacher. She works with Grades 1-5 to help students find a love of nature and exploration. She has a degree in animal science from Cornell University and a master’s in special education from Boston University. She taught special education before having her own children, who are in Grades 8 and 5 at Saint Cols. Mrs. Bragg started at STCPS as a K2 paraprofessional, transitioned to the K2 - Grade 2 remote teacher during COVID and now teaches elementary science.
Mrs. Bragg has always had a passion for science, saying that she’s a “nature person.” She tries to find ways to weave science into the school day so it’s applicable to what’s going on around her students. She aims to help answer some of their questions about how the world works.
“Younger kids are curious in a fun way,” says Mrs. Bragg. “They’re willing to take risks, like picking up worms and digging in the mud. I taught nature-based outdoor science to toddlers when my son was young and I loved it!”
Her goal is to bring an appreciation for the natural world. For example, when recently a group of girls were screaming and running away from some honey bees, she explained that all bees are girls.
Specifically, Mrs. Bragg teaches life sciences, where she focuses on conservation and stewardship of the Earth, specifically being good stewards of all of God’s creatures. Her curriculum also shares lessons on energy, where she discusses clean and renewable energy, as well as sound, where she utilizes fun projects to demonstrate the unit.
Her teaching style is very hands-on. She has a Curiosity Corner where she brings in exciting things that she finds outside in nature, such as a horseshoe crab, milkweed pods, pinecones, cicada molt, bird nests, etc. Mrs. Bragg also enjoys taking her students outside to explore.
Mrs. Bragg shares that science is a big part of her family. Her husband works for the Department of Environmental Protection for the state and they live near the Arnold Arboretum, where they explore and spend time on weekends and after school. Both of her children attended nature-based preschools.
Last spring, Mrs. Bragg led an after-school club called Little Naturalists. The group allowed for K2 and Grade 1 students to get outside, ask questions and learn about the world around them.
“I hope my students develop a curiosity for the world around them,” says Mrs. Bragg. “I want them to see themselves as scientists and grab onto the part of science that interests them the most.”
