Transitional Kindergarten

Transitional Kindergarten (TK)

Call Donna Hawkins at (509)852-4831

UPDATE 10/15/2025

Transitional Kindergarten Program is full for the 25/26 School Year

Our Transitional Kindergarten Team

TK

Racheal Palo Teacher

palor@cersd.org

Racheal brings a wealth of experience and a love for early learning to our Transitional Kindergarten program. She earned her BA in Education with a minor in Early Childhood Education from Central Washington University and later completed her master’s degree in Reading. After teaching preschool for one year, she joined the Cle Elum-Roslyn School District, where she taught Kindergarten for an incredible 33 years before moving into her current role in TK.

What she loves most about teaching TK is that every day feels like a new adventure — you never know what a 4-year-old will say or do, and it keeps the classroom full of joy and surprises!

Tk palo

Nikki Dearing, Teacher

dearingn@cersd.org

We are so excited to welcome Nikki back to our team as the teacher for our Transitional Kindergarten/Kindergarten split class! Nikki was born and raised in Roslyn and brings 24 years of teaching experience to her classroom. She and her husband, Jay, have two children, Max (19) and Sam (17), and their family enjoys camping, fishing, and hiking together. Nikki also loves getting creative with crafts and projects. She looks forward to partnering with our TK and Kindergarten families to help each child start their school journey with confidence and joy!

Benavides

Welcome new TK Teacher: Hadley Cuevas

Hi there! I’m Hadley Cuevas, and I’m so excited to begin my first year teaching Transitional Kindergarten at Cle Elum-Roslyn Elementary.

A little bit about my education is that I graduated from Central Washington University with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education with an emphasis on special education. Following that, I earned a Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction from Western Governors University. During my student teaching experience, I had the pleasure of working in a kindergarten classroom at Valley View Elementary in Ellensburg. Last year, while completing my master’s degree, I worked as a paraeducator in the Zen Den at Cle Elum-Roslyn Elementary. This role gave me valuable experience supporting social and emotional learning with individual students and small groups, as well as helping to de-escalate behaviors throughout the day.

I am passionate about creating a nurturing and inclusive classroom environment where every child feels valued and inspired to learn. I believe that early childhood education lays the foundation for lifelong learning, and I’m committed to making this year full of discovery, creativity, and joy for your children.

When I’m not teaching, I love spending time with family and friends, playing with my pets, and crafting. I’m also thrilled to share that I recently got married! My husband and I enjoy exploring the outdoors together, which is one of the many reasons I’m so happy to be part of this wonderful community.

I can’t wait to get to know each of your children, celebrate their unique strengths, and support their growth throughout the year. Together, we’ll create wonderful memories and build a strong foundation for their educational journey.

I’m looking forward to all the growth and happiness this year will bring—both inside and outside the classroom.

Warm wishes,
Hadley Cuevas


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