A Letter to Parents

Dear Parents,

I am so excited to be teaching 5th grade this year at Elsa England.

This is my 16th year as a teacher. I am state-certified to teach K-8, English as a Second Language, Gifted and Talented, and Special Education. I also have my Principal certification. I taught at Forest North for three years and at Patsy Sommer for 10 years before joining Elsa England. This will be my fourth year here.

I will urge your children to do their best, to take pride in their work and to be flexible in their thinking when things don't go their way. This includes responsible risk-taking and out-of-the-box thinking with the possibility of failure, thereby building resilience. To that effect, I will present situations in the classroom that are rigorous, relevant and collaborative. I will work towards providing the best learning environment for your child where I will celebrate the process more than the end-product.

In my off-campus time, I advocate for education in my capacity as the 2016 Texas Teacher of the Year. I also enjoy reading, surfing the web and hanging out with family and friends.

I received my master's degree in Economics at Northeastern University and worked as a systems analyst for 12 years before I switched careers. I have never regretted this decision. Two years ago, I received a master's degree in Educational Leadership.

My primary means of communication with you will be through email. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions. I love listening to, and working with children, each of whom are unique individuals. Your child's successful academic growth is also dependent on a good partnership between you and me. I will do my best to address your concerns without sacrificing best practices or district/school goals.

Here's to a successful and fun-filled school year.

Mrs. Balakrishnan

Email: Revathi_Balakrishnan@RoundRockISD.org