Saturday, August 30, 2014

Welcome to 3S!


         I am excited to introduce myself to you!  I, Miss Schmelinsky have the pleasure of being a part of your child’s life as his or her Grade 3 teacher for the next 10 months.  I am somewhat new to Yorkdale, as I have spent my career teaching in Melville, however I was a student at this school myself! At Davison School in Melville, I taught primarily in grades 5 and 6, and I cannot wait to dive into Grade 3 with a new group of students this September! 

I convocated from the University of Regina receiving a B.Ed. in Elementary Education in 2011.  I am a Yorkton Regional High School graduate initially from Springside with a keen passion for music and technology.  My hope is to complete my Masters in Educational Technology within the next several years. 

The transition between grade 2 and 3 is a major step in terms of academics and social growth.  I will be challenging your child to be the best student, friend, and scholar he or she can be.  If at any point during this school year I have a concern with your child, I will not hesitate to let you know early on.  My number one priority is your child’s well-being.  With that being said, I ask that you, the parent, also contact me as early as possible if you foresee any problems or have any concerns with your child.  At the school, I have access to many resources and supports that I will use to ensure all students are as successful as possible and feel safe and welcomed in my classroom.

Like many teachers in this school, I will ask students to copy a daily message in their agendas to take home and have you sign. This is to ensure you are aware of important dates, assignments and other happenings in this classroom.  Although I understand that it may become monotonous to initial this book every day, I fully believe that this communication between you and I is a crucial part of your child’s developing organizational skills and also to alleviate stress, miscommunication and missed assignments or deadlines. I will be looking at these agendas on a daily basis, so please feel free to leave me a note at any time.

During the first few days of school the students of 3S will be deciding upon some rules we will follow throughout the school year.  I will let your child explain these to you once they have been determined.  I will be keeping track of student behaviour on a web based program called Class Dojo which you will be able to view once everything has been set up; keep an eye out for an invitation!
         I sincerely look forward to getting to you know you and your child and cannot wait to start learning together this year!  If you have any questions or concerns at all, please do not hesitate to contact me.  I check my e-mail on a regular basis and is probably the most reliable form of contact. I can get back to you via phone most days by 5:00.  You can reach me at christa.schmelinsky@gssd.ca or by phoning YCS directly at 306- 783-5412. 

Yours in Education,
Miss Schmelinsky