Parents & Guardians

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Welcome to the 8th Grade ELA team!

I am excited to teach your child in my ELA class this year. We all have a unique opportunity to grow and learn as part of the Virtual Academy, and I assure you that I'll do my best to be the best teacher I can be. One thing I always say is that I'm a bit of a mama bear; I'll protect your child, but I will also push your child to be their best in all aspects of life. As a former high school teacher, I know that 8th graders need to learn to be independent, to think critically, to listen to other perspectives, and to develop and support their opinions.

I hope to work with each of you closely as we support your child in learning and growing this year. Together, we can prepare your child for high school and life. Please help me out by completing the Google Form linked below; this will give me some insight into your child. Some previous students have told me that I'm a tough teacher, and I embrace that because my goal is to help students. When your child goes into English I next year, I hope they'll say, "It's easy because Ms. Drake really prepared me." With that in mind, I've included lists of books that students can choose from for independent reading. Some of these books may be available through the Lufkin Road Media Center while others will need to be checked out from your local library or purchased from a bookstore. Feel free to look through the lists to help your child find a book to read. You can find the list by clicking the Books tab under the Parents tab.

Thank you so much for allowing me to work with your child this year! If you need to contact me, email is the best and easiest way: cddrake@wcpss.net.

Christy Drake