As
a new school year begins for your child as one of my fourth grade students, I
felt it was important to introduce myself. My journey with the Alaska Gateway
School District began in the fall of 2012. For the first two years, I was
teaching the Kindergarten through 2nd grade groups in Tetlin. For the last two
years, I have been teaching the same ages at another village school in
Northway. This fall, I am very excited to be teaching at the Tok School!
Before
moving to Tok, my background consisted of four years living in Botswana,
Africa, with my husband where I taught mostly English as second language
learners in grades Kindergarten through fourth. Previously, we were long time
Alaska residents. Most of our years in Alaska were spent living in the interior
bush community of Galena, where I taught an alternative program for teens, 7th
and 8th grades, Title 1 reading, and Kindergarten. For a number of
years before obtaining my teacher certificate, I was part of the classified
support staff in addition to serving on the local school board. My husband and
I also ran a small air taxi service from our home. For over 30 years, we were
very happy living in a rural community among the Athabascan people of the
region. It has been great to be back in Alaska, and Tok has been a good fit for
us.
In
the classroom, I have a genuine passion to teach children of any age, and I
honestly do, "whatever it takes" to see my students succeed. It is my
belief that every child is precious and deserving of a quality education in a
culturally relevant and a secure surrounding in which knowledge can increase. I
feel that all children are capable of learning, but do not always learn in the
same way or at the same rate. Individuals learn in a variety of ways, and
children deserve equal opportunities to learn through educational approaches
that blend and stimulate all multiple intelligences found in the classroom
population. It is my goal to provide an atmosphere where students feel comfortable
to take risks by testing new ideas in a safe classroom environment, and develop
to their fullest potential.
I
am confident that with your support, we can make this an exciting and
successful year for your child! Please take a few minutes to look at the
following information with my contact details and some procedural information.
Please feel free to call me
if you have any questions about the start of school.
My
cell is: (907) 378-3515
Weekly Communication: At the beginning of each
week, I will be sending home a letter informing you of our weekly goals. As a
result of this information, I am hoping we will become a team in your child’s
education. The letter will also be posted in an online blog at:
mrsbrownsfourth.blogspot.com
Homework: To give the class some time to settle back
into a school routine, I will start sending weekly homework beginning the first
week in September, Monday through Thursday nights. It will be practice and
enrichment assignments to reinforce concepts presented in class. Also, home
reading will be encouraged nightly and a reading log will be sent home on
Friday to be returned the following Thursday.
Field Trips: I have a number of ideas for field trips, but it is
my understanding that the class must raise the money. I have some ideas, but will be looking for
parent support in this area. If you have ideas, or would like to help start the
year with a yard sale, please contact me.
Class Supply List:
1.
Three ring notebook (Please, DO NOT
bring a Trapper/Keeper style notebook)
2. Package of tabbed dividers (8 tabs) for the
three-ring notebook
3.
Three packages (approximately 450 sheets) of wide-lined notebook paper
4. Box of colored pencils
5. Set of watercolor paints
6. Scissors
7. Six glue sticks
8.
#2 Pencils (about 36 will last through
the school year)
9.
Ear buds (that can be left at school)
10. Gym shoes (that remain at school)
No comments:
Post a Comment