Ms. Patty Janish grew up in the Scotland area as she spent most of her elementary and high school years there. Her favorite subject during her elementary and high school years was Math. After high school she attended Black Hills State for two years and later returned to USD to finish her Bacelor's degree in Elementary Education.

One of the most surprising things about Patty is that before teaching, she had a variety of different jobs. She ran her own at-home daycare, spent time as an aide in a convent infirmary, and dedicated long hours on the road as a long distance semi driver. Now she has found her place as a Kindergarten teacher and loves multiple parts of the job from her co-workers or the kids themselves. One of the things that brings her the most joy is seeing all the excitement that the children have as they learn new things. She also enjoys spending time with her co-workers and loves that the time they have spent together has made them life-long friends.

Outside of school Patty enjoys spending time with her family and other fun activities such as reading, camping, riding horses, and golfing. One of her favorite things to do with her family is attend her children and grandchildren's events.

Patty's finds that her most favorite snacks have both a sweet and salty flavor combination. One of her top picks being chocolate followed up with popcorn! A motto that helps Patty stay motivated to keep pushing herself is, 'Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn'.