Dear Parents,

Welcome to Grade Six! My name is Andrea Phillips and I am pleased to be your children’s new teacher. I have enjoyed getting to know your children in these first days of school and I look forward to learning more about them as the year progresses. From what I have already seen, I think we are going to have an excellent year! While I will see all of you in person on Meet the Teacher Night next week, I would like to take a moment now to introduce myself.

I am originally from Abbotsford and come from a family of teachers. My mother taught high school for over thirty years and was a vice principal for five years before retiring. In my ten-year career as a teacher, I have taught kindergarten through Grade Six. While most of my teaching has been in Catholic schools in Vancouver, I recently spent three years teaching at an international school in Monterrey, Mexico. If your children come home with a few Spanish phrases, you will know why!

My educational background includes a degree in English Literature from UBC. Language Arts is one of my favourite subjects to teach and I look forward to bringing some exciting novels to Grade Six this year. During my Education degree, I took a specialization in Art, Drama and Music. I enjoy bringing these elements into many areas of my teaching. I am always impressed to see how children respond when allowed to express their creativity.

Many years ago, while studying to become a teacher, I worked at the Vancouver Aquarium. This year, I am excited to bring my interest in the ocean to our Science program. As one of our first units, we will be studying biodiversity with a focus on sea life. A field trip to the aquarium will bring this exciting subject into focus.

In closing, I want to let you know I welcome your input and help as parents. I encourage you to contact me whenever you have a question or concern. Simply put, your communication helps me do my job better. Knowing this, I welcome any information you would like to share with me. I see you as vital partners in the education of your children. With that said, I want to thank you in advance for your support and cooperation. I look forward to working with you to make this year one of your child’s best!

Attached, please find a tentative class schedule.

Warm regards,

Ms. Andrea Phillips

Grade Six Schedule 2013-2014 (June)