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August 2014
Dear Parents and Families,

My name is Mary Stang and I am very excited to be student teaching in Mrs. Kluesners
classroom for the next eight weeks. I am currently a senior at Drake University and pursuing a major in
elementary education, with certifications in special education, English as a second language, reading,
and math. I have spent a lot of time at a wide variety of schools in the Des Moines area, but I am thrilled
about getting to spend time and student teach at Crossroads Park!
Throughout my time at Drake, I have had a wide variety of opportunities that have helped me
prepare for this experience. I have worked and spent time in kindergarten, second, third, fourth, fifth,
and sixth grade classrooms. In addition to these placements, I have served as a summer camp
counselor for the past six years and absolutely love spending time around and teaching kids!
In order for you to get to know me, I thought I would share a few things about me. I grew up in
Sycamore, Illinois where I lived with my mom, dad, older brother, Matt, younger sister, Rachel, and dog,
Mauer. I enjoy watching sports, playing tennis and basketball, reading a good book, and traveling. In my
three years at Drake, I have been fortunate enough to travel and teach in Africa on three different
occasions and I will be doing a portion of my student teaching in Belfast, Northern Ireland. I feel as
though these experiences of working with a wide range of students have helped prepared me to be an
effective teacher.
I am ecstatic to get to know and learn from you and your child. If you have any questions
throughout the semester please direct them to Mrs. Kluesner. I am truly looking forward to a great
semester! Thank you.
~Miss Stang~