Mel Leach, Principal ________________________________________________Green Hope Elementary August 6, 2012 Hello Green Hope Falcons! I hope you are having a great summer vacation. The staff and I are very excited about the upcoming school year. We have already been working hard to prepare for another great year together! Our goal this year is to expand on those programs that have been successful and look to create even better ones to meet more student needs. On behalf of all the staff I want to thank you for sending us such wonderful students to work with and for your fantastic support. You are a critical component to making Green Hope Elementary a successful school and we thank you for your dedication to your children and to our school. I am writing this to share some important information about upcoming events and to provide some details about the upcoming school year. Please mark your calendar for the events and dates listed below: Student Classroom Assignments Class assignments will be posted on the front doors of the school by 5pm on Friday, August 17th I am confident that every child will benefit from being taught by the excellent staff at Green Hope Elementary. Please recognize that a great deal of time, energy and professional judgment went into the final placement process. Meet the Teacher Friday August 24, 2012 10:00-11:30- Families with last names that begin with A thru L 1:30-3:00- Families with last names that begin with M thru Z 1st Day of School Monday August 27, 2012 for 1st thru 5th grade students Monday August 27, 2012- staggered entry for kindergarten students starts. Those with a rising kindergarten child will receive a postcard in the mail indicating their staggered entry day. All kindergarten students will begin full day instruction on Tuesday, September 4, 2012. Your children are amazing and truly make GHE a special and unique school. I am honored to be serving as the Principal of Green Hope Elementary School and look forward to working together with you to provide a quality educational experience for your children in a safe, supportive, and caring environment. It is my pleasure to introduce you to a few new/changed staff members. I am excited to say that our vision continues to bring a wealth of talent and enthusiasm to GHE and it will only enhance our continued efforts toward excellence. Welcome to Jina Brundage and Rebecca Tyne-Zimmerman (Mrs. T-Z) as our new grade 3rd teachers. Ms. Brundage is moving from Maryland and has 10 years experience teaching 3rd and 4th graders in both public and private schools. Mrs. T-Z has 8 years of experience in Manhattan teaching 3rd grade and special education in the New York City public school system. Welcome back to Sue Murray-Perry who will be rejoining the Green Hope family after a 5 year absence as a 1st grade teacher. We are also excited that a long term substitute, Jennie Billings, is returning in a full time CCR Teacher Assistant position. At Green Hope we plan to enhance our Academically Gifted program this year by adding Lee De’Alberdi to our team. She will come to us from Olive Chapel. Also, two key positions at our school will be held by Annmarie Devlin and Jackie Siegel. Annmarie will serve as our Instructional Resource Teacher (IRT), while Jackie will take the position as Media Specialist for GHE. I am also thrilled to welcome Katie Caggia who will be our Administrative Intern for the 2012-2013 school year. Katie is taking a leave from Olive Chapel to join us for her internship. Some grade level changes include: Shannon Hickman is moving up to 4th grade, Lori Dubin and Mykel Denman are moving to 2nd grade, and Sue Crabtree and Marian Cregger are moving to 1st grade this year. One name change that is important to mention...Kindergarten teacher Ms. Carl is now Mrs. Blasko. Through the continued commitment of the administrative staff, teachers, parents, and community members, we will no doubt meet or exceed the goals we set for our students and our school. We have a 2012-2013 School Improvement Plan in place to ensure academic growth for all students. As we keep the best interest of the students in mind, our combined efforts will ensure a successful, memorable school year. Sincerely, Mel Leach Principal