Letter to the new teacher?

[Anonymous]

Agree with everyone else: If the school/teacher asked for it, or if you have some specific situation that you think the teacher needs to know about, then go ahead.

if it's just to say or whatever... don't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'll be sending a letter to the new teacher for my rising 5th grader. He was released from his IEP in June; therefore, his new teacher will not be required to read his file. He still has ADHD/very slow processing speed/low working memory. I will encourage the new teacher to read his file, so that he/she is aware of his challenges, but will keep challenging him to the fullest extent possible based upon his past academic performance. Yes, the teacher may eventually figure this out but why not lift the burden up front?

When my kids were new to the area, I also let the teachers know. I made them aware of whether or not they were adjusting to the move or not. Under normal circumstances I wouldn't introduce my kids unless the teacher asked.

Totally reasonable.

I appreciated the parents who told me they were mid-divorce or a grandparent had end-stage cancer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Advised at the K info session for the school district we lived in last winter. (We’ve moved since.)

If you are not going into the school district which advised you to do it, then do not feel obligated.

I know in our MCPS elementary, the principal asks at the end of every year to submit a letter informing them about our child's particular learning needs and how their placement next year will be affected. This is obviously optional. We have filled one out every year for each of our kid, and they are taken into consideration -- within reason.

[Anonymous]

Teacher here with a totally different opinion. I always find emails/letters about students to be incredibly helpful; granted, at back to school night I request parents send me a quick note about their child(ren) as their "homework," but every year a few families send in info before this, and I see absolutely no harm in it. Children are multi-faceted, and learning about them from several sources is important to me. Of course I form my own picture of each student based on my observations and interactions, and these additional pieces of data make it more rich.

Every kid has something going on that is helpful for me to know about, whether its something major (death in the family, undocumented special needs I should be aware of, new to the school/area) or seemingly more minor (hearing that Larla plays soccer three nights a week and dances competitively might help me understand why she is extra quiet when I see her in the mornings). No need to write a novel, overly praise, or expect a lengthy response in return, but a note meant to be helpful and create an introduction with your child's teacher should be welcomed.

[Anonymous]

HS teacher and we have moved to online an online course syllabus and signature for students and parents. I include an optional blank text box where they can write in anything they would like to tell me. I agree with PP that it is incredibly helpful. Most parents leave them blank in HS but the some students write one sentence telling me what they like, sports or interests, family or medical situations. Sometimes parents tell me one or two lines of important info.

I wrote an email once to my own child’s teachers at the beginning of the year when he was going through a medical issue. I explained how long it would last and the effects on school.

[Anonymous]

Dear Teacher,
Larla is a very gifted and talented little girl. You will love having her in your kindergarten class this year. Let me tell you all about her. It was a very normal pregnancy, except I had heartburn and odd dreams that I’ve been told mean the baby will be very smart. Sure enough, when she was born, the doctor said her APGAR scores were the best he’d ever seen, so she was advanced even at 3 minutes old!
I’ve attached all of her old growth charts and a list of her milestones, including every word she knows and when she first said it or recognized it from the nightly flash cards. Feel free to look those over and give me a call any time between now and the day before school starts so we can discuss your plans for enrichment.

[Anonymous]

Our school had a form with questions for kindergarten parents. I assumed that the space allotted per question was an indicator of the responses expected. I live in fear of being That Mom.

[Anonymous]

My favorite day of the school year is Day 2. That is the day my students turn in their PARENT'S questionnaire that asks 1) What do you want me to know about your child? 2) What is your child best at? 3) What is your child's favorite food? 4) What is your favorite memory of your child?

I usually get 100% completion because there is a reward (an eraser or pencil or sticker). The cost is minimal but the knowledge is priceless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dear Teacher,
Larla is a very gifted and talented little girl. You will love having her in your kindergarten class this year. Let me tell you all about her. It was a very normal pregnancy, except I had heartburn and odd dreams that I’ve been told mean the baby will be very smart. Sure enough, when she was born, the doctor said her APGAR scores were the best he’d ever seen, so she was advanced even at 3 minutes old!
I’ve attached all of her old growth charts and a list of her milestones, including every word she knows and when she first said it or recognized it from the nightly flash cards. Feel free to look those over and give me a call any time between now and the day before school starts so we can discuss your plans for enrichment.

Also, please note that I send Larla to school every day looking nice, in case any pictures are taken of the students or you need a student to model studying or learning, and I would appreciate if she comes home the same way I send her. Last year we had a disaster one day - Larla came home and had water color on her skirt AND one of her pigtails had been braided. I would also like you to be aware that Larla's birthday is October 14th. I will come in that day with cornbread for the class and special cupcakes for Larla's bestest friends, so if you would bring lowfat milk that would be great. In addition, we are quite wealthy and as such take several vacations throughout the year. To avoid traffic at the private airport we use, we often leave a day or two before the school's official break, but since Larla is so smart I'm sure that won't be a problem.

Lastly, we prefer that Larla always be given first choice for anything you're handing out to the whole class. We had an incident four years ago where she almost cried when her older brother was asked what color car he wanted before she was asked, and we've found that to keep Larla from crying she just needs to get first choice all the time. Thank you, and we look forward to a wonderful year together.

P.S. Please send me your home email address, cell number, home address, and parents address. It's important to have open communication.

[Anonymous]

I am a teacher and really appreciate brief notes, like “Looking forward to a great year! Thanks for all your hard work in getting ready for what is sure to be a terrific school year!” On a nice card. I have even gotten a bottle of wine and occasionally $5-$10 gift cards or some chocolates, as a “I know the first month is really tough, we appreciate you.” I love it, but know others might see it as seeking preferential treatment.

[Anonymous]

I am a teacher and really appreciate brief notes, like “Looking forward to a great year! Thanks for all your hard work in getting ready for what is sure to be a terrific school year!” On a nice card. I have even gotten a bottle of wine and occasionally $5-$10 gift cards or some chocolates, as a “I know the first month is really tough, we appreciate you.” I love it, but know others might see it as seeking preferential treatment.

[Anonymous]

I'm a kindergarten teacher and happy to hear anything a parent wants to tell me. Seriously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a teacher and really appreciate brief notes, like “Looking forward to a great year! Thanks for all your hard work in getting ready for what is sure to be a terrific school year!” On a nice card. I have even gotten a bottle of wine and occasionally $5-$10 gift cards or some chocolates, as a “I know the first month is really tough, we appreciate you.” I love it, but know others might see it as seeking preferential treatment.

Isn't a fluff note like that just more shit for you to wade through? I mean, aren't you busy enough getting ready? You really need a note from a parent you've never met saying they're looking forward to what is sure to be a great year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a teacher and really appreciate brief notes, like “Looking forward to a great year! Thanks for all your hard work in getting ready for what is sure to be a terrific school year!” On a nice card. I have even gotten a bottle of wine and occasionally $5-$10 gift cards or some chocolates, as a “I know the first month is really tough, we appreciate you.” I love it, but know others might see it as seeking preferential treatment.

Isn't a fluff note like that just more shit for you to wade through? I mean, aren't you busy enough getting ready? You really need a note from a parent you've never met saying they're looking forward to what is sure to be a great year?

Absolutely. Teaching is usually a thankless job. A note like that is refreshing and tells me that parents don’t see me as someone who works for them/their kids, but as a hard working professional who has a demanding and important job. Don’t knock it until you try it.

[Anonymous]

All of my kids' teachers in elementary school gave us a sheet to fill out at the beginning of the year to get at this information. They asked for my kid's favorite subject, least favorite, best way they learned, what excites them, etc.