February 3^rd, 2010

Dear parents and guardians:

Welcome to the new semester at Canyon Crest Academy!  I am very pleased to be teaching your son or daughter’s English 9 College Preparatory course.  I look forward to getting to know your student and you; as for me, this is my first year at CCA.  I formerly taught at La Costa Canyon, and before that in northern California.  During that time I completed my master’s degree in education at UC Davis, where I previously received my undergraduate degree and teaching credential.

As you might assume, I am passionate about literature and writing (I even love grammar!), but I am even more passionate about guiding my students in discovering and developing their abilities to navigate literature and nonfiction, to construct coherent, powerful writing, and to understand and use the power of various forms of communication.  Through the literature we read, students will listen to different human voices and cultivate their own; they will explore the stories and issues of our texts and develop their own perspective on them.  In their first year of high school, students will learn various strategies to support their reading and writing abilities and will engage in practice through a variety of methods to strengthen these skills and prepare for the future.  English 9 College Prep will be a rigorous course aimed at supporting all levels of learners, meeting each of their needs to drive their development of language arts skills.  The expectations are high, but my level of support for students will be correspondingly high. 

Please take some time to read the course syllabus that has been provided to each student and sign it, indicating that you have read and understand the course expectations and policies.  Please do the same for the “Academic Honesty” handout, as well.  This is a great time to have discussions with your child about the course policies, his or her goals for the semester, and the organizational system, time management plan, and study skills that will be most useful to him or her.  I look forward to working with you to ensure a successful spring term for your student.  Please feel free to email (typically the best way to get in touch) or call with any questions or concerns, or just to chat, anytime.   I teach part-time, 2^nd and 4^th period, so I am mostly available during 3^rd period and lunch, but if I have enough notice, I can schedule conferences after school as well (otherwise I’m rushing home to my 2-year-old!). You can also visit my Web site (always a work in progress but a valuable resource, with a link to posted grades) at http://teachers.sduhsd.k12.ca.us/lschwartz.  Again, welcome to a new school term and thank you ahead of time for your support.

Sincerely,

Leanne Schwartz

leanne.schwartz@sduhsh.net