August 6, 2012 Mel Leach, Principal ________________________________________________Green Hope Elementary

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