Dear Parents and Guardians,

            Let me begin by expressing my excitement to have your child in my classroom, where we will take a journey of curious discovery to expand our minds. Our classroom will be a safe, supportive space for your students to be intellectually challenged and stretched. My overarching theme for my classroom is respect. Your child will learn what it means to respect self, to respect others (peers and teachers), and to respect the environment (classroom and school). Our classroom norms revolve around the importance and practice of respect.

            I have two passions: educating children and swimming. At a young age I knew I wanted to work with children and make a difference in the world. One day in high school, I decided I am going to be a teacher. That decision changed my life forever. I received my Bachelor of Arts in Education and teaching credential from Westmont College. I have had the privilege of working with students in a variety of locations and capacities; including San Francisco, Santa Barbara, South Bay, and Kathmandu, Nepal. In addition to teaching school, I use to teach and coach swimming. I have been swimming since I was nine years old and cannot imagine life without a pool, cap, and goggles. Swimming has taught me discipline and the importance of teamwork. Room 9 will be a team striving to do everything to the best of our ability through discipline and hard work.

            I am honored to have your child in Room 9 for third grade. Your child and I cannot venture through the year alone. We need you! Research shows that the key predictor to a student’s success in school is parent involvement. You can support your child’s education by speaking highly of the value of education, talking with your son/daughter about what they are learning, making sure your son/daughter is on-time for school, and reading with your child. Studies have shown if a child reads an hour a day their comprehension, vocabulary, and writing abilities increase substantially. Be on the look out for updates from Room 9, by subscribing to our classroom website! If you have any questions, comments or concerns, the best way to communicate with me is through e-mail [email protected]

Let’s sail on this journey together as a team!

                                    Warmly,

                                                Amy Bray