Welcome!

A new school year, a new school and a brand new class offer up all the necessary ingredients for a new blog. So welcome to the Room 503 blog! I am writing this first entry as Mrs. Veenstra introduces the students to their first day of math.

Our first morning is going well. We had nineteen out of our twenty enrolled students show up and everyone seems to be excited about the school year. We have spent time at our lockers - two times so far - and while some students have aced their locker combination skills, others are still working hard to get theirs open. I have a feeling that by the end of the week we will all be pros in that area.

Today is a day of introductions: to one another, the school itself, classroom rules, the Academic Honor Code, the dress code and what we will be doing this year in school.

I am encouraging the students to think of this year as a grand experiement. Our classroom is our laboratory, and, as we are the very first sixth grade class, we are going to experiment to see what works well and what could use some changing. The students input will be an integral part of shaping our classroom experience this year, and will be the foundation for those Sixth Graders joining us in the 2009-2010 school year as well.

Parents, your input will be invaluable as well. Mrs. Veenstra and I welcome constructive feedback by way of email, telephone and in person.

We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with your children and are excited to be engaged in the collaborative efforts of growing this group of Sixth Grade Students.

Cheers,
Ms. Pitman