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August/September 2020
Dear Families,
Welcome to 3rd grade. As we embark on this new, exciting, and interesting learning experience together this year, I am writing to introduce myself a bit, as well as ask you to help me become a partner with you in your child’s education. I will only have your child for a short time in this trip through life – just one fleeting school year – and I want to make a contribution that will last a lifetime.
A little about myself...this is my 19th year teaching at Ox Ridge School. I taught 4th grade for 16 years, and this is my third year in 3rd grade. I graduated from the Neag School of Education at UConn with a Master’s in Elementary Education in 2002. I grew up in Darien and attended Holmes School, Ox Ridge, and Royle School before heading to MMS and DHS. I currently live in Darien with my husband, Nick, and my two children, Ava (8) and Nick (6). Ava and Nick both attend Ox Ridge, as well. Ava will be in Mrs. Collins's 3rd grade class, and Nick will be in Miss Dineen’s 1st grade class. Ox Ridge is truly our home away from home!
As your child’s teacher this year, I know this year must begin with making him/her feel at home in my classroom, and with helping all the children come together into a learning community made up of particular, unique individuals, each with his or her own learning style, interests, history, and hopes. I’m hoping to enlist your help before we start school on Thursday and Friday. I would like to create a bulletin board in our classroom with bright, happy photos of everyone- without their masks on. I want everyone to always see their smiles. If you could please email me a photo of your child that I may print by Wednesday morning, September 2nd, I would really appreciate it! I may also use the photo for a variety of getting to know you activities for the beginning of this year.
Additionally, would you help me teach well by taking a quiet moment to write to me about your child? What is he/she like? What are the things you, as a parent, know that would be important for me to know? What are his/her interests? I want to know how he/she thinks and plays and how you see him./her as a learner and a person. Connections are going to be more important than ever before, and one of my goals is to make sure each child feels safe, comfortable and loved in my classroom. You can email me your letter at trongoe@darienps.org at your earliest convenience.
I know this year will bring with it its variety of challenges, but I’m confident that we will get through whatever may come our way as a team. I’m excited to welcome your children. Our arrival procedures will be different than usual- students will go directly to their classrooms upon arrival. This is often stressful, so please let them know how to find me: go to the library- walk past it towards the door to the playground and take a left down the back hallway. Our classroom is the fourth room on the right - room 110!
I look forward to meeting all of you virtually in the near future, and I am so excited to welcome your children to school. Stay tuned for more information later this week!
Respectfully yours,
Toni-Ann Rongoe