Emily, Shannon and Felicia's 3rd Grade Class

Families,

We're so excited to be your children's teachers this year! Having two teachers is a great opportunity for all of our students. Sometimes we’ll teach together, and sometimes we’ll work with groups of students, either in our classroom or in a smaller room. This will give us the chance to better support all of the children. We’d like to introduce ourselves:

Emily: Before joining this wonderful community seven years ago, I taught for fifteen years in San Francisco, Venezuela and the Bronx. I’ve been teaching third grade since I started at The Earth School. I especially enjoy doing messy art projects that connect to our areas of study, teaching multiplication and seeing the kids have new experiences at camp. This summer, I’ll be spending time with my family, including my daughter, Annabelle, who will be a fifth grader at the Earth School this fall. We’ll spend some time with my parents in Woodstock, and look forward to having fun at museums, beaches and parks in the city.

Amy: I am thrilled to co-teaching third grade with Emily for a second year. Prior to making the Earth School my home, I worked for twelve years at another school in District One, where I taught kindergarten, second and third grade ICT, as well as SETSS. I received my Masters in special education from Bank Street College. Not only do I love teaching children, but I have also enjoyed teaching at the graduate level at Sarah Lawrence College. ThIs summer, I'll be traveling through the Southwest visiting the national parks along the way, spending time with family, and taking a couple of courses!

We’ll be in regular contact with you throughout the school year to let you know what’s happening in the classroom. Here are some ways you can get ready over the summer:

Look at maps: We have an exciting year ahead, which will include a core study of the land and people around the world. The children will learn to research information independently, and will create projects connected to our studies. Our Art, Cooking and Earth Studies classes may at times relate to our core study, as will many of our field trips. If you travel anywhere outside of the city this summer, please look at a map with your kids and show them where you’re going. Whether or not you travel, taking the time to look at a map of the world will give your kids a great way to start thinking about this topic. They usually find maps very interesting.

Collect special items: In September, we will write about the experiences we had this

summer. Please have your children collect photos, ticket stubs, shells, and other special items that remind them of their summer activities. Your children can bring in one or two of these souvenirs during the second week of school. They will show them to their classmates, talk about their summer memories, and use them to generate ideas for their writing.

Help us set up the classroom: Because school starts on a Wednesday instead of a Thursday this year, we won’t have time for our usual Lemonade Social, a time when families come in to meet the teachers and see the room. If your child is particularly nervous about starting school, we have a great way to get more comfortable: come help us out! We would really appreciate help with a few projects, such as repainting our meeting area benches. If you and your children can come for an hour or two sometime on August 29 or 30, please let us know at amy@theearthschool.org and emily@theearthschool.org (please always send emails to both of us). Thanks in advance to anyone who can help.

Amy & Emily Supply List 2018/2019:

Buy supplies: Please try to bring the following items on the first day of school. These supplies will be shared by all of the children, so please don’t label them with your child’s name. Thank you!

• • 2 black composition notebooks

  • 24 pencils

  • 2 boxes of Crayola markers

  • 1 bottle of white glue

  • 2 rolls of paper towels

  • 1 box of tissues

For Earth Studies:

• • 1 more box of markers

  • 1 pack of glue sticks

There are a few other items that would be helpful, if you are able to get something extra:

• • more glue

  • unscented hand sanitizer

  • clear packing tape

  • masking tape

  • large (12x18) construction paper

  • cardstock

  • loose leaf paper

We have plenty of erasers, colored pencils, and crayons, and do NOT need any more of those items.

Please also save empty toilet paper rolls, paper towel rolls and small cardboard boxes (shoebox size or smaller). We can make wonderful creations out of them!

Enjoy the rest of your summer, and we look forward to seeing you in September!

Sincerely, Amy and Emily