I’m thrilled to hear that I’ll be working with your family this school year. This will be my tenth year teaching at Stratton. I have taught first, kindergarten, fourth and second grade. Before that, I ran the library at Dallin for two years. I have enjoyed many learning experiences across the elementary grades.
On a more personal note, I live in Arlington with my husband Bobby. I have two daughters that recently graduated college! I feel the experiences I have had with my own children have enhanced my vision for what students can do and be supported to do in order to be successful in their learning. We all enjoy seeing Stratton families around town and in our neighborhood!
During the first weeks of school we will spend many moments getting to know each other and creating a classroom community that fosters a safe and academically stimulating environment that reaches every child. Three years ago, I was trained in and part of a cohort of Stratton teachers that have implemented the Responsive Classroom approach to teaching. One of the main goals is to spend time at the beginning of the year building strong routines and a safe community for all learners. Last year, I focused my professional goal on deepening my practice around supporting students socially and emotionally with an emphasis on cultural awareness. We are fortunate to have a diverse population and it is important to be inclusive and understanding of differences.
I am excited to learn about what your family and individual student learning goals are. To help me get a head start, I have attached a Family Questionnaire and a Student Questionnaire. This feedback will help facilitate early connections to you and your child. You can email these questionnaires back to me, drop them off at the front office or send them with your child the first day of school. These documents are just a template. Feel free to pass along information, in any format you prefer, that you think would be helpful. Please send back the Family Contact Sheet as well.
Communication is a very important part of our developing relationship. I will create a group e-mail list for communication from me. As soon as possible, please send an e-mail to [email protected] from any addresses you would like included. Please state: “Add me to the group list.” I usually communicate on-line, so let me know if you would rather paper correspondence. Additional information is also available on my website.
At this point, you should have heard about the school supply program organized by the PTO. Therefore, I am not sending a supply list. Children may bring their own labeled home/school folder; otherwise, I will provide one. The only other important item is headphones. If possible, please send labeled headphones for your child’s personal use.
Please email me any time after you receive this letter if you have questions or concerns. I am also happy to meet in person. I’m looking forward to a spectacular year!
summer_mailing_2018-19.pdf |