Welcome Back August 2019

Welcome Back August 2019
Posted on 08/28/2019

Dear Families,


I hope you are well and enjoying the final days of summer. We are very excited about the year ahead of us. This week, teachers will arrive to set up their classrooms and attend numerous meetings. Of course, the truth is that our teachers have been in communication all summer planning the school year ahead. This is an amazing group of talented, dedicated, educators. We are ready!


One important area of our school focus this year is strengthening our relationships. We want to ensure that each child feels safe, respected, and valued. We want families to feel as a partner in their child’s learning. This is a huge guiding light in our work. As Maya Angelou once wrote “I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself.” 


In the spirit of strengthening old relationships and building new ones, I extend to you the opportunity to ask us questions when you have them and take the opportunity to build on our relationships and trust. Here are some starters that you (and your children) can ask us:

  • What are you excited about this year?

  • How was your summer?

  • What is culturally responsive teaching?


Our school has families from all over the world that live all over our city. There is a wide breadth of cultures, languages, beliefs, and experiences that enrich our classrooms each and every day. Our teachers and staff are also reflective of this diversity. We each have so much to share and celebrate. Our aim is to be a school that is less about “fitting in” and more about “learning from each other.” From Muslim origin comes the saying, “A lot of different flowers make a bouquet.” 


If you are new or feeling anxious about the start of school, here are a few helpful suggestions:

  • Visit our playground. Enjoy spending time on our numerous play structures.

  • Remind your child that the first few weeks of school will focus on relationships and routines. Our teachers have wonderful plans in place to build positive classroom relationships and will dedicate time each morning for relationship-building meetings/activities.

  • Join us for a New Family Tour on Thursday, August 29th from 5-6PM.

  • Feel free to contact our Family Liaison Marguerite at [email protected]. If you would like a parent perspective, contact our MLK Parent Group at [email protected]. MLK Friends is a super-dedicated and hardworking group of parents that go the extra mile to invest in our community. 


Classroom assignments will be arriving in the mail. You may also call our main office at 617.349.6562. For the first day, please proceed directly to the cafeteria using the entrance on Magee Street. Teachers will meet their students inside the cafeteria at 7:55AM. Please make sure your child is on time.


Please join me in welcoming our new teachers. 


Grade 3 Teacher: Ciera Taufiq

I am so excited to join the community at the King School! This coming school year will be my sixth year as an educator. For two years I taught at a private preschool, and for the past three years I have been a Teaching Assistant and a long-term Substitute in Needham. My classroom will be an inclusive community where students have fun while learning. I’m looking forward to getting to know all of the wonderful students and families at the King School this fall!

 

Grade JK/K Chinese Immersion Teacher (English): Alexandria Grant

My name is Alexandria Grant and I am so excited to join the Chinese Mandarin Immersion Program at the King. I am coming from the first and second grade team at the Cambridgeport School, where I taught a student-centered  project-based learning curriculum for the past three years. I am looking forward to building strong relationships and community in my classroom and with my new colleagues. I love to play, and when I'm not in the classroom you can find me experimenting in the kitchen or planning a trip to a new place.

 

Physical Education Teacher: Katelyn Greene

I am very excited to be joining the MLK school family! I have been a PE teacher at the Amigos School since 2010 after finishing my undergraduate degree at Castleton University in Castleton, VT. I played hockey and lacrosse through college and developed a love for the outdoors and outdoor activities while living in Vermont.  I have a passion for teaching elementary students and reinforcing other subject areas such as nutrition, science, math, and ELA through physical activity. During my physical education classes we focus on social emotional learning and developing a love for movement. I strive for every student to enjoy movement enough to carry it out into their lives outside of school; whether it be through traditional sports, dance, drumming, parkour, orienteering, or many other activities!  I am looking forward to becoming a member of a new school and community next year!

 

Special Education Teacher: Anna Dominesey

Hello, King School community! I'm joining the King as a special education teacher next year, working primarily with students in grades JK-2 and 5. I am coming from the Amigos School, where I taught third grade for the past five years on the English side of this dual-language immersion program. I have a passion for supporting students with disabilities in the general education setting, and since graduating with my Master’s in Moderate Disabilities this spring, am looking forward to using my skills in a new way. As King's newest special education teacher, I am excited to stay within Cambridge Public Schools and spend more time developing individualized instruction for my students. When not at school, I love running around Cambridge and Boston and exploring what the city has to offer. I look forward to meeting you soon! 

 

Extended Term Substitute for Ms. Healy’s Maternity Leave (5th Grade): Kai DiRamio 
Mr. DiRamio will start the year as the lead teacher until Ms. Healy returns in late November. 
I am grateful to have the opportunity to teach fifth grade this year at the MLK school! I joined the community and MLK school family last March as a paraprofessional helping out the fourth grade teachers: Ms.Morey and Mrs.Fetter. I have been working with children for about six years now and obtained my undergraduate degree from Boston University. I am looking to further my experience and education and become an elementary teacher in the near future! I look forward to meeting you all this year and working together to create a fun, safe, and collaborative environment!  

 

Extended Term Substitute for Ms. V’s Maternity Leave (CI 1&2 Grade): Lucy Connor

Ms. Conor will start the year as a lead teacher until Ms. V’s return in December.

I am thrilled to be working with your students at the King School! I have 10 years experience working with children in various capacities, including as a research assistant, after-school teacher, tutor, and of course as a teacher. This past year I taught 1st grade at the Baldwin School in Cambridge as an extended-term substitute. I spent the summer teaching rising 2nd and 3rd graders as part of a study at MIT. I look forward to collaborating with the families and educators at the King School to provide an enriching and supportive classroom learning experience for our students! 

 

Principal Intern (Fall): Ms. Morgan Best

Hi, my name is Morgan Best. I am currently a student at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. I am coming from Raleigh, North Carolina where I taught for six years as a second and fifth grade teacher. I graduated from Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina in 2013 with a bachelor's degree in elementary education and psychology. In my free time I enjoy traveling and spending time with family and friends. I am eager and excited to get started and work with you all this semester at MLK.  


Please enjoy the remaining days of summer and we will see you soon!


Yours truly,

Gerald Yung


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