Welcome (Almost) to Kindergarten!

Dear Kindergarten Parents,

Welcome to your child’s Kindergarten year... almost! While school doesn’t officially start until Monday, August 29th, I want to take this opportunity to formally introduce myself to your family and tell you a few things about the upcoming school year.

Your Child’s New Teacher

I grew up in Northern California, close to the Santa Cruz mountains. I have been involved in education for the last twenty years. I began as an assistant to a Kindergarten teacher and during the late 90’s, I taught first grade for three years. When I graduated from San Jose State University with a BA in Anthropology and a minor in Fine Arts, we moved to Southern California. I decided to step away from teaching for a few years and explore other fields, namely in construction and insurance. It wasn’t long before I went back to the field I was most comfortable. My last “office” job was with the California State University, Office of the Chancellor in Long Beach. I worked closely with the CSU Foundation Board of Governors, donors, and students to promote academic excellence. I’d still be there today if it weren’t for my overwhelming desire to be back in the classroom. 

After leaving the Chancellor’s Office, I obtained my Master’s in Education and Multiple Subject Teaching Credential from Pepperdine University and readied myself to go get a teaching job!  ... And, then we decided to have Navah (as you might know, we have a three-year old daughter who also attends TCFS).  I stayed at home with her, and planned to stay with her until she was ready for Kindergarten, but then an amazing opportunity became available at TCFS. Last year I taught 1st/2nd grade and this year I am honored to be teaching Kindergarten!

For August 15th - 26th

During these next two weeks, I will be busy setting up Room 7 (our classroom) for the year. I ask that your child come to school everyday with a backpack, lunch, and rest-time accouterments (blanket and pillow).   In the morning we will be doing art projects and reading. In between those, I will be conducting preliminary assessments on your child. I will be looking for the things learned last year so that I can plan our curriculum accordingly. 

Contact

Starting today, our classroom Blog and email are up and running! Our weekly activities will be posted on http://www.room7scholars.blogspot.com (beginning the week of August 29th).  I can be reached daily via email at rm7scholars@gmail.com. Weekly school updates are also posted on our TCFS Facebook page, so if you haven’t already “liked” us, please do so.  And just so you know... I have a strict OPEN DOOR policy! If you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns I encourage you visit our blog, email me, talk to Ms. Diane, and/or stop by the classroom for a chat.  

Room 7 Scholars

Most importantly, I want you to know how much I value education and how much I respect the act of educating children. I feel very fortunate to be a teacher! Because of that, every child who enters my classroom is a scholar.  I strongly believe that every child is unique and every child should be given the opportunity to succeed. Every child deserves an education. Your child is no exception and, therefore in my mind, merits a more befitting title than simply “student.”

I look forward to working with your family as the year progresses. I’ll be sending home a Welcome Packet the first week of school so that you have an opportunity to tell me about yourselves (it will also include more specific information about the entire school year and what to expect academically and socially). 

Cheers (almost) to the beginning of something special!

Sincerely,

Rebecca Stuhr