August 10, 2015 Dear Multiage PAL (Partners Actively Learning) Families, Welcome to a new school year and the Multiage PALs program! We’d like to provide a little background information. The program was started in 1992 with the intent of allowing parents, students and teachers to work together for more than one year. The program philosophy statement (below) tells a little bit more about our mission as teachers. While many students begin the program as they enter first grade, additional students are placed in the program at various grade levels each year. Due to larger class sizes at 4th and 5th grade at Stoner Prairie, students are added to the 4/5 classrooms annually. We are looking forward to the new school year and the upcoming 24th Annual PALs Picnic, which will be held on Thursday, August 27, in the Stoner Prairie multipurpose room. This is our chance to start the upcoming school year with a warm welcome to the new families joining the program and a welcome back to returning PALs. As reflected in our program philosophy, the social time for families to get to know one another is fundamental to the sense of community we’re trying to foster through the PALs program. After eating, we’ll include all children and adults in a group activity to demonstrate learning strategies we use in our classrooms. The evening will start with “school supply drop off” for PALs students and a chance to meet teachers and take a look at classrooms from 5:30-5:45. Please bring along any school supplies that you’ve gathered by that time. See the agenda below for our scheduled activities. Please also bring a picnic dinner if your family is staying for the picnic and group activity. There will be tables set up in the multipurpose room for eating. Agenda 5:30-5:45 Supply drop off and meet with teachers in the classrooms. 5:45-6:10 Families bring a picnic dinner with them to eat in the multi-purpose room. 6:10-7:00 Group activity Thank you for your support. We look forward to seeing you and your family on Thursday, August 27, at Stoner Prairie. Sincerely, 1-3 Teachers Liz Buerger, room 218, 845-4268 Jodi Moll, room 219, 845-4269 Jennie Johnson-Corless, room 220, 845-4270 4/5 Teachers Sue Cook, room 221, 845-4271 Paula Wick, room 222, 845-4272 If you are unable to join us for the picnic, please call 845-4269 (Mrs. Moll’s extension) and leave a message or send an email to [email protected]. Thanks! Within our community of learners, children engage in handson, developmentally appropriate activities and are given numerous opportunities to interact with peers and adults. Teachers and parents are partners in facilitating and fostering each child’s education. Our approach is integrated, inquiry-based, and process-driven. Teachers and children work together to select, plan, and assess learning activities that build upon district standards along with students’ experiences, strengths, needs, and interests. Each child is viewed as a unique person with individual learning styles and growth patterns. We honor the development of the whole child in our multiage classrooms by providing a safe and nurturing environment that promotes the physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development of our children. (revised 2012)
|