1) This letter welcomes 4th grade students and families to a new school year and introduces Mr. O'Brien as their teacher. It highlights that this is the last year at their current school and the year they will attend Wolf Ridge. 2) It provides information about class blogs to stay updated on class happenings and homework assignments. It also lists important first day details like class being divided into specials groups and recess/lunch time. 3) The teacher shares that he had a busy summer teaching, playing sports, and coaching but is looking forward to meeting the students and having an excellent school year.

1. August 31st, 2011
Dear 4th Graders and Families,
Welcome to a new school year! I am excited to be your teacher! We have
so many interesting things to learn and lots of technology to make it engaging and
fun. Fourth grade is a big year- it is your last year at Shirley Hills and the year you
get to go to Wolf Ridge. It is going to be a great year!
To stay up to date with happenings in our classroom, check out our class
blog (classroom209.blogspot.com). It contains student videos and pictures,
homework assignments, the class schedule, and more. Also, check out our fourth
grade blog (shirleyhills4th.blogspot.com). This site is full of links and video we
use to support learning. Please call or e-mail with any questions or concerns that
may arise.
Here are a few important things to know for the first day:
1. Our class is divided into three groups for specials. One-third of the class
will go to specials with Mrs.Henkels, another with Mr. Piccioli, and another
third with Mrs. Loomis.
2. Recess and Lunch is late- 12:50. Bring a healthy snack for our daily snack
break at 10:45.
3. Planners are used daily. They go home each night and come back to school
each morning. Please check it each day for assignments and
announcements. It should return to school signed by a parent each day.
I hope you all had a great summer! I kept busy teaching a summer math
class, playing softball with some friends in Waconia, coaching my two sons’ and
their baseball teams, along with spending a lot of time with my wife and daughter.
It was a fantastic summer.
I am looking forward to meeting all of you and having an excellent school
year.
Sincerely,
Mr. O’Brien
Phone: 491-8422
E-mail: obriend@westonka.k12.mn.us