September 1, 2007

Dear Parents,

I am really looking forward to this year. I am excited because I have such a great group of kids. I know you are proud of your child. I always feel such a huge responsibility each year because I know that parents like you trust me with one of the most precious gifts in your life—your child. My greatest hope is that your child will not only learn the things second graders need to know, but also that they will feel loved and safe in my classroom.

I have been teaching school for 32 years. My husband, Ray and I have been married for 37 years. We have four children—Jodie, Jamie, and twins, Jeff and Julie. We have a seven-year-old granddaughter named Kenzie, a 4 year old grandson named Rhett, a 3 year old grandson named Kolsen, and a 1 year old named Caleb. Hopefully, my years of teaching experience and raising my own children will help me be a better teacher.

In second grade, we have chosen a discipline system that we feel will reinforce positive behavior. Each child is given a Life Skill Slip of paper at the first of each week. At the end of the week, they will bring it home for you to sign. If they have good behavior, they will receive a dime in play money for each day they do not get in trouble. On Fridays, I will pay them for their behavior as well as for the books they read for AR. Our hope is that we can combine discipline with counting money skills and responsibility skills. The money they earn can be spent in the Kelleyville store.