Welcome Back!

Welcome to the 2009-2010 School Year! I would like to take a little of your time to introduce myself, let you know about some of the exciting things that will be happening this year, and ask for your help in making this a wonderful year.

It is amazing for me to realize that I have spent six of the last seven years deeply involved with the Sunnyside Environmental School (SES) community. This will be my fifth year as a Core teacher at SES. After completing my student teaching at the Environmental Middle School (pre-SES), I taught at SES for two years and then, after the 2005-2006 Year of the Mountain, I joined the Peace Corps and moved to Guinea, West Africa. As a Peace Corps Volunteer, I was placed by myself in a small village and taught mathematics at the local middle school. Some immediate differences were that I taught in French and my class sizes ranged from 85 to 100 students! Unfortunately, political unrest and forceful military response caused the evacuation of all Peace Corps Volunteers in Guinea and the eventual suspension of the program. At that point, I embarked on an extensive trip through West Africa before returning to Portland and Sunnyside.

The Year of the Forest is filled with interesting projects and activities. The fall will primarily focus on ecology, botany and the native tribes who lived here. The Pacific Northwest is beautifully situated in the temperate rain forest and an excellent place to learn these topics. A highlight will be an overnight trip to Eagle Fern.

The many activities that take place at Sunnyside require a lot of help from you, the parents. Most Tuesdays, our class will take a trip within the greater Portland area. In order to make this possible, at least one additional adult must be available to travel with me or the class will be unable to go. Volunteering on field studies will be greatly appreciated by this class and is a great way to participate in your child’s education while meeting their friends. If you (or a family friend) have a special expertise even remotely related to the topics of this year, please contact me as it is wonderful when outside community members visit the class.
There are also many ways to showcase your skills and abilities while helping out in the classroom. Just let me know what you would like to do to help!

In addition to the curriculum taught during the year, I feel that it is extremely important to build a strong community within the classroom that fosters respect for all members and a curiosity in learning. Please let me know if there are any needs that your child requires as the year progresses.

I am very excited to be working with your children and am looking forward to a wonderful year.