Dear Parents and Students,

            It is my pleasure to welcome you and your son or daughter to the fifth grade.  In an effort to make next year as beneficial as possible, I want to take this opportunity to introduce myself and the expectations I have for my students.

My name is Mrs. Kelly Callahan. I am looking forward to starting my eleventh year of teaching. My previous teaching experience includes teaching in California where I taught a variety of grades including Kindergarten, fourth, and fifth grade. When I moved to Bend, I taught third grade at Bear Creek. For the past five years, I have taught fifth grade in the Redmond School District. I am looking forward to returning to Tumalo to teach fifth grade.

I have a Masters in Technology in Education through Lesley University. I have a teaching credential for Oregon as well as California. In addition to my credential, I have an ESOL endorsement. I originally received my teaching credential from California State University, Monterey Bay. Prior to that, I graduated from University of California, Davis with a degree in Human Development and minors in Sociology and Education.

            I work hard and expect the same from my students.  I am sure some things I do in my classroom will be similar to programs your child has done with other teachers.  Some of my methods will be different and I hope they will work for your child.  I will be modifying the curriculum to best meet the needs of my students.

            According to the State Standards, the fifth grade curriculum is quite demanding.  We will learn many skills, concepts and strategies across all subject areas.  Homework will be assigned daily.  I expect all homework to be completed and turned in the following day. 

            The parent/teacher partnership is a powerful combination.  I hope that we can work together to help your child meet his/her goals and have a successful year.  If you are interested in volunteering, please let me know.