Dear Families,

    Welcome to room 43 at Lingle Avenue Elementary School! I am looking forward to working with you this school year as your child’s third-grade teacher. Third grade is a very pivotal year full of excitement and challenges, through which your child will grow and learn. This is the year that students transition from learning to read, to reading to learn. I am very excited to be part of this vital year in which we will see your child develop academic confidence. My goal, as an educator, is to facilitate learning in an exciting and fun way to see that your child becomes a lifelong learner. As a team, you, your child, and I will work together to ensure that your child is working to his/her potential in a successful and meaningful way at home and at school. We will be emphasizing good work habits, study skills, responsibility, respect, and independence – all of which will allow your child to achieve success in their educational journey.

    To give you a brief background of myself, I graduated from Slippery Rock University with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and Special Education.  I went on to teach for six years before staying home to raise our three sons.  When I’m not at school or enjoying time with my family, I enjoy spending time with friends, exercising, shopping, and reading.

    I began my teaching career teaching 7th & 8th-grade learning support for a year before going on to teach 1st grade in Lebanon School District for four years.  My experience also includes a year of teaching in a K-3rd grade learning support classroom in the Central Dauphin School District.  During these initial years of teaching, I completed my master's degree in Language Arts with a Reading Specialist Certificate from Millersville University.  During my years at home, I continued my love of learning by taking online courses and tutoring.  Once our youngest son reached school age, I began to reintroduce myself to my teaching career through day-to-day substituting as well as long-term substitute positions both in Annville-Cleona and here in Palmyra.  I have thoroughly enjoyed teaching 3rd grade.  Having known Palmyra Area School District as a parent, it has been an honor to get to know PASD from the perspective of a teacher as well.  I look forward to being your child's guide on his or her journey through 3rd grade!    
   
    The purpose of my website (http://mrskepler3.weebly.com) is to familiarize you with my educational expectations for the upcoming school year. I also have a Google Classroom we will be utilizing which has a "Home" page with lots of important information.  You can access this through your child's account.  Please be sure to read all of the information thoroughly and keep up-to-date, as these resources may answer many of the questions that come up throughout the school year.

    I strongly encourage and welcome open communication between parents and the teacher. We are a team.  I enjoy calling home with good news, so please don’t be alarmed if you hear my voice on the phone. Likewise, please don’t hesitate to contact me at any time if you have questions or concerns about your child. I can be reached via email (sandy_kepler@pasd.us) or voice mail (838-1331 option 4 for Lingle) during the day or you may send in a note. During school hours Mrs. Gottshall will put you through to my voicemail. If you call before 8:00 a.m. or after 4:00 p.m. you can dial my extension (4443) and reach my voicemail as well. Email works great for little questions, however, if you happen to have a concern that needs to be discussed in-depth, then I am always willing to speak over the phone or meet with you before or after school. Depending on my schedule, I may not be able to get back to you right away, but I will make every effort to contact you as soon as possible. Having said that, please do not email regarding urgent issues, as I often don’t get to the computer until after the children leave. If you have a matter that needs to be addressed before the end of the day (i.e. change in dismissal) please call the office directly.  Mrs. Gottshall will be sure I get the message.

    Thank you for entrusting your child with me. I feel very privileged, honored, and excited to become your child’s companion and guide in learning. I look forward to working together in a cooperative partnership of support for your child’s third-grade experience.  I am looking forward to an amazing year! Thank you for sharing your child with me.

Sincerely,

Sandy Kepler

https://mrskepler3.weebly.com/

3rd Grade

Lingle Avenue Elementary