Welcome Letter        page 1

Weekly Newsletter     page 2  **Personal Spelling Choice**

Curriculum              page 3

Other                   page 4 

August 2008

Dear Parents,

I am very excited to be your child’s Second Grade teacher!  Second Grade is an important year, and I hope to make it a challenging and enjoyable time in your son’s or daughter’s life.  I have been at St. Patrick since the school opened in 1993.  I taught First Grade for eight years, and Second Grade for the past seven years.  Teaching Second Grade is a real privilege since we work throughout the year to prepare for the sacrament of First Eucharist.  Mrs. Perryman, Ms. Murphy and I will be working very closely together in preparation for this special event.  Two years ago, Reconciliation was moved to Fourth Grade.  The clergy and DRE believe your children will have a better understanding of the catechism, as well as the meaning of the sacrament, when they are older.  This Fall, we will teach the parts of the Mass in the “Joy Joy The Mass” books, and will celebrate special feast days, learn about the beatitudes, and the various liturgical seasons. 

Before moving on to the curriculum, I would like to tell you a little about myself.  I grew up in Louisville and was educated in Catholic schools.  I am the oldest of eight children – seven girls and one boy – and I can honestly say that my parents were my greatest teachers.  They taught by example, faith and high moral standards, as well as with the greatest of all – love.  I have the utmost of admiration for both of them.  I lost my dear father ten years ago, but his unselfish love for others will always remain with me.

I have been married to my husband, Bob for the past 29 years, and we have one son, Jason, who is a student at the University of Louisville.  I am a 1978 graduate of the University of Louisville, where I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English.  I hold a Master of Arts in Teaching from Spalding University, where I finished my graduate studies in 1992.  Prior to becoming a teacher, I worked for a local company where I was an editorial assistant.  I was also a stay-at-home Mom for five years, as well as a preschool teacher for three years.  I experienced many things before finding what I truly love – that is being the best teacher and mentor I can be to your kids.  My hobbies include gardening, reading, and keeping up with the demands of both home and job.  I also enjoy times with friends and family, and I am a rabid U of L sports fan (particularly basketball).

I share the same educational philosophies with my partner teachers – that is, every child can learn, but that every child does it differently.  I believe that the best way to reach every child is to employ a variety of learning activities.  I believe that children must feel safe, loved and valued before they can begin to learn.  I believe that children need appropriate behavioral and social boundaries to help them learn to function within a group.  And I believe that parents and teachers must communicate openly and with respect.  I believe that a teamwork approach between school and home is the most productive way for a child to be successful and to accomplish the goals set forth at this next level.

In the accompanying pages, the curriculum expectations are outlined for your second grader.  These expectations are based on archdiocesan, state and national standards for education.  I will also explain such policies as grading, tests, homework requirements, the discipline policies and classroom incentives.  Please take the time to read these over carefully before Open House on August 29.  These policies and procedures are adopted from the St. Patrick Parent/Student Handbook, and approved by the School Board.  Please familiarize yourself and your child with the school wide handbook before the start of school.

If you have any questions throughout the year, please E-mail me at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it .  If you need to schedule an appointment, please leave a voice mail and I will return your call as soon as possible.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to teach your child this year.  I’m looking forward to a challenging and wonderful year.

Sincerely,

Diane M. McGrew

Teacher – 2A

St. Patrick School