Dear Parents,

We are in the process of planning for the upcoming school year.  Included in the preparation is the placement of students into class groups.  This is one of our most important planning tasks.

Throughout the year, we have come to know your child as a learner and as an individual.  Based upon this information, the staff spends considerable time and effort placing children into classrooms.  As placement teams work on class lists for the upcoming school year, they consider the many facets of each child – maturity level, independent work habits, ability, achievement, motivation, etc.  Our goal is to create balanced, cohesive class groups.

We know that parents also have good insights into how their children learn.  Attached to this letter is the student profile form.  The student profile form is an opportunity for you, the parent, to share information about your child that may not be known or that you feel is very important.  While completion of this form is optional, please know that our staff will review all completed forms.  Please submit all completed forms to the school office.

Knowing that our staff is beginning work on class lists, it may be tempting to suggest the name of the teacher that you would like best for your child or the names of other friends who you would like to see in your child’s class.  Although well intentioned, this puts the teacher in a very uncomfortable position.  The teacher wants to please you, but also has to represent the best interests of all the students in the classroom.  Additionally, we strongly discourage asking your child which teacher he/she wants for the upcoming school year.  If an adult asks the child what teacher he/she wants, this creates an expectation that may or may not come to fruition.  This expectation could lead to disappointment and a negative outlook about the next school year if the child does not get the “chosen” teacher.  Further, the child may think he/she has a voice in selecting his/her teacher.  Of course, this is not true.  The school staff places the children into classes.

Thank you for your continued partnership in your child’s education.  Teacher assignments will be mailed out the first Friday in August.

Sincerely,

Principal

Reviewed:  May 15, 2006
Adopted: June 26, 2006