Dear Parent/Guardian:

Welcome to British Literature! My name is Paula Sattler, and I am a student teacher from Grand
Valley State University. This semester, I am working with Sheryl Swainston here at Oakridge
High School, and am excited to be working with your student. I am in the last semester of the
education program at Grand Valley and look forward to graduation in December. My husband
and I have 2 children, Taylor (age 6) and Evelyn (age 2) and are excited to welcome a third next
March. I enjoy reading, playing the piano, and spending summer weekends boating with my
family.
I have set several goals for this semester, both for myself and for my students. My personal goal
is to uphold our social contract by being responsible and prepared to teach every day, to be
empathetic and sensitive to the needs of each individual student, and to learn as I teach. My goal
for my students is that they expand their ability to communicate with and participate in our
society, through the development of their literacy skills.
In British Literature, we will be studying primarily British texts, beginning with the epic
Beowulf, followed by The Canterbury Tales, and The Lord of the Flies. Students will be
challenged to read and write about different topics, to discuss what they read in class, and to
demonstrate their learning through the use of journals, quizzes, and common assessments.
We have provided each student with a textbook, folder, composition notebook (for their journals)
and a pencil. It is the students responsibility to come to class prepared, with all of their
materials, every day. The grading system is as follows:
Daily Work
25%
Tests and Quizzes
25%
Common Assessments
50%
Your child will have homework every night. The best way for students to improve their reading
is to practice daily, so every student should be reading 20-30 minutes daily. Students select a
novel each marking period to read and take a test on. In addition to reading, there will be
textbook or writing assignments intended to enhance the classroom learning. Please encourage
your student to be consistent and responsible for their learning at home!
If you have questions or would like to discuss your childs learning progress, please contact me
in Mrs. Swainstons classroom, 231-788-7348 or via email, sswainst@oakridgeschools.org.

Respectfully yours,

Paula Sattler