Dear Parents,

             My name is Jacquelyn Slay, and I am happy to be your son or daughter’s 7^th grade math teacher. This letter is to share with you some of my objectives for the year. Of course I will be teaching your child the district math curriculum, but my larger mission is to help your child value learning and see that education is the path to reaching their potential.

            You can expect me to treat your child with respect and compassion. I have high behavior and academic expectations for them, which we will be discussing in class. Those expectations will be posted in the room and in your student’s binder. However, I will remember that my students are still kids. Although I won’t baby them, I will enforce policies with kindness and empathy. Finally, I will expect that they treat me and each other with the same respect and kindness that I expect from myself.

            My hope for this year is that your son or daughter leaves my class with all of the tools that he or she needs to be successful in 8^th grade and beyond. Most importantly I want every child to leave my class knowing that I value and care about them as a person.

            What I am asking you to do to help me reach my mission is to be a participant in your child’s school experience. You can do this by asking your child to tell you what we are doing in math, requiring him or her to show you a completed planner and homework assignment every evening, and communicating with me any time you have a concern that your child cannot answer for you.

            Together you, your child, and I can make this a wonderful, productive school year.

Stinson Middle School Math