Welcome to our 4th grade school year! You can't imagine how excited I am about teaching your children! We are going to have a great time in our class, and we are going to learn so much together...your child, you, and me.

Remember we are a family. We will be working together as a team with a common goal. That goal is to educate and nurture your son or daughter. Please be involved in your child's studies this year.

4th grade will be a challenging year requiring much more independence and rigor from your child. The rewards for active participation in your child's education are hard to see on a day to day basis, but they will manifest themselves down the road, I assure you. I am looking forward to a stimulating year filled with many successes and rewarding learning experiences! In order to facilitate this goal, it is essential for all of us to work together to ensure that your child reaches his/her full potential and continues to stay challenged throughout this school year.

This website was created with you, the parent, in mind. I want you to be informed as to what my expectations are, as well as what is going on in our classroom. I will update this website as often as I can and as often as I find something new, creative, informative, or helpful to add to it.

Our class will be one with a nurturing and safe learning environment. Each child will wonder, question, criticize, and critique ideas. Together we will learn the importance of being a responsible, sensitive, well-prepared citizen. 4th grade is a year where you will notice your child become an avid writer. They will impress you with their skill, style and sophistication in writing essays. They will be astounded themselves with their ability and reach for goals they thought were once unobtainable. I am very excited for our 4th grade year and plan to make it unforgettable!

Parents, I am here for you and your child should you have any questions or concerns. Please contact me at school during school hours or via e-mail.  It is my hope that your child has an extremely positive year filled, not only with tremendous academic growth, but a lot of joy and laughter as well! I will do everything I can to make this possible!

Thank you so much for your help and support! Please do not hesitate to contact me at any time! My door is always open.

- Mrs. Downs