Saturday, August 30, 2014

Welcome Letter

Dear families,

I am excited to jump in to this new school year as your child's teacher.  We have so much important, joyous work to do. 

I know these first weeks of school are filled with paperwork and forms for you to fill out, so I will keep this introduction brief.  This will be my first year teaching at Lewis but I have been teaching for PPS since I got my Masters from Lewis and Clark College in 2001.  I am a co-Director of the Oregon Writing Project at Lewis and Clark, a national teacher-led network that collects and spreads strong teaching practices.  My partner is also a teacher and I have a rising 4th grader, so school is a very big part of my life. I still make time for biking, building things, and a lot of cooking. 

I take the meaning of elementary in elementary school very much to heart: we are here to provide students with the building blocks for lifelong learning — not just skills and knowledge, but an active stance toward learning and life.  At root I want students to know that the most profound and lasting satisfaction in life comes from broad curiosity, deep engagement and serious effort on meaningful work.  I also believe that we learn best when we feel safe, respected and known.  We will put a lot of effort these first weeks to learn about each other, what we hope for, and what we can do to move along together. 

Please take time to stop by or contact me when you can.  My door is always open and I love family visitors and helpers.  I will be contacting you soon and will send out a handy sheet with the various ways to get in touch me and how to follow our class’ work on social media.  For now, please feel free to contact me by phone or email.  I am thrilled to be doing this work with you.

Best,


Mark Hansen
Me, my mom and my son at the Exploratorium in San Francisco.