September 5, 2007

Dear Parents / Guardians,

I am very excited to be joining the Granite Falls School District and to be working with your child. I am coming from the Marysville School District where I taught ninth and tenth grade students for eight years and worked with a wide range of students, from special education to honors and gifted. My experience has taught me the importance of making connections with my students, getting to know their strengths and weaknesses, and creating a safe and welcoming place where students can take risks and make mistakes. My experience has also shown me the importance of parent involvement and good communication. I will always do my best to communicate with you through our on-line grading system, our classroom website, emails, and phone calls. Please be proactive and use these systems to find out how your child is doing and to contact me for updates about your child’s progress. I am very open to your feedback and would love to hear from you.

Here are a few helpful tips that will help your child be successful in my class…

o        Look over your child’s composition book often. The calendar will tell you what we are working on in class and alert you of upcoming tests, projects, assignments, etc. The Reader’s Response Journal needs to be completed every week, and students should have a writing journal entry and a learning log entry once a week as well.

o        Ever hear “I don’t have any homework” or “I finished all my work at school”? There is always something to do! Even if it is not “due” tomorrow, kids can be reading their required two hours a week, studying vocabulary words, or revising or editing written assignments. When you hear “I don’t have anything to do” I would encourage you to again check your child’s composition book for any incomplete or missing work.

o        Check Family Access, our online grading system, often! This is a wonderful new system that enables us to communicate about your child’s progress in my class. Every time an assignment is entered in my grade book you can access that information instantly. I will also include occasional notes for parents, so please check in regularly.  (Family Access information will be sent home within the first couple weeks of school. For more information contact Ginny Coe, GFHS counselor, at (360) 283-4397.)

o        Our classroom website has a wealth of information for you and your child. Everything from weekly calendars of class activities and due dates, lists of vocabulary words, printable handouts, book lists and recommendations, parent newsletters, etc. Please check it out! (http://reistad-schwartz.tripod.com)

o         Read over the attached checklist for ideas on how you can help your child with his/her homework.

o        Don’t hesitate to send me a brief email (“Hey, how’s my Johnny doing?”).  I am VERY quick to respond and will give you an update. Please don’t wait until I contact you! I am assuming you are checking Family Access, looking over your child’s composition book, and logging on to the website. If you have any concerns or just simply want an update, contact me!

o        If for some reason you cannot access email or internet, please let me know and I will be sure you receive hard copies of important information and updates.

Thank you in advance for your support at home and for helping your child understand the importance of his/her education.  I am looking forward to a great year!

Stefanie Reistad-Schwartz