August 11, 2017

Dear Parents and 4th Graders:

Hello, my name is Ms. Levonne Gigger and I will be your childs educational facilitator for this
upcoming year. I am excited to share this school year with you and your child.

Academic Classroom
I believe that in order for a classroom to function smoothly we must feel connected. In order
to achieve this I will focus a lot on building a community. In my classroom community the
goal is to provide an atmosphere that fosters
1. Learners validated in their own learning style (auditory, visual, kinesthetic)
2. Subjects are taught in an interconnected manner (not in isolation)
3. Students are guided towards critical thinking and networking.

No man is an island and neither is knowledge across the subjects. Math, music, science, artsits all connected. My
lessons will connect the content of these traditional subject content areas so that my students will be at an advantage
later in life when it comes to practical application of ideas later in life.

Social Classroom
Socially speaking, I would like to have a classroom community of young intellectuals. Students will be encouraged to
think and refer to their peers and themselves as an intellectualdefined as a person who is always progressively
thinking. This community of intellectuals will operate in the 4Rs

Respectful-people who think about how others feel, and treat people how they want to be treated
Responsible-people who are accountable for themselves: behaviors and words
Resourceful-people who know where to seek knowledge they do not yet have
Refined-people constantly in process of becoming a better person from moment to moment

My community of intellectual learners, based on the 4Rs, will be achieved through the community building system of
morning meeting, attention to language and modeling from the top down of expected behaviors.

A little bit about me

I am originally from Topeka, Kansas. I studied Elementary Education and Music at Kansas State University in Manhattan,
Kansas, and graduated in 2007. I graduated with a Masters in Early Childhood Education from the UACM program at
Georgia State University May 2015. I am a mother of 3 boys. I love children, education and music.

My thoughts on education
I believe that culture is one of the most essential factors of how we function daily. Therefore, I believe that as a teacher I
must consider cultural factors and their influence on a childs perception of education. Two key factors of culture that I
am an avid believer in as relevant when it comes to teaching is an incorporation of technology and music.

I look forward to spending this school year with you and your child helping to lay the foundational knowledge and
principles in the learning of the basic skills your child will need to function as a productive student and citizen of society.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.