Dear Families,

I cannot remember a year when I have been so excited for school to start! I want to welcome our former third graders and their families back to our classroom, welcome to those who are joining us from other classes, and welcome to Discovery for those of you who are new this year.

This will be my seventeenth year at Discovery Elementary. I am so glad to be returning to 4^th grade this year. My own education is something that is very important to me. I earned my Bachelor’s degree at Western Washington University and my Master’s at Walden University. In addition I have endorsements in K-8 education, Early Childhood Education, Psychology, and a Master’s of Science in Literacy. Since then, I have continued my professional growth by taking a variety of workshops and classes and reading education literature. The last class I took was on teaching mathematics and helping students of all levels including those who learn very quickly. I am excited to put into practice what I learned

My life is also quite full outside of the classroom. I have a daughter who is starting high school this year (I’m not ready), and her dance life keeps me busy. I of course like reading, but I have also enjoyed working out and took up kicking boxing about six years ago. I’ve been on a break from both, but I keep telling myself that I’m looking forward to getting back into it. Hiking is another activity that I enjoy, and I love spending time with my husband, dog Jasper, and naughty cat, Misty.

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I am truly looking forward to this year. Fourth grade is such a fun age. Children are starting to grow up and understand the world around them. They enjoy deep discussions, science, and history, but the world of magic and fantasy is still there. We will go on more field trips this year and continue to have interesting speakers in our classroom.

Sincerely,

Shelley Santti           

santtisgr@mukilteo.wednet.edu