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         To my new students and their families ... Welcome to second grade! I am looking forward to getting to know you in the months ahead! In the meantime, I thought you might like to learn some facts about me too. 

         Hmmm ... where should I start? Well, first of all, I live in Connecticut, not New York State. However, I grew up in New Paltz and went to the New Paltz schools. (Lenape was not built back then, so I attended Duzine for grades kindergarten through fourth grade.) I live with my husband, Marty. Our only son, Thomas, is leaving this summer for his first year at Arizona State University. We are so excited for him, but also sad. We will miss him. 
     
         I went to college in New Paltz as well. My first degree is in journalism. Do you know what journalism is? Journalism is the kind of true-fact writing you read in magazines and newspapers. It is informational (nonfiction) writing. Journalists are the people who research events or issues and then explain them to the rest of us in magazines and newspapers or on the computer, television or radio. I worked as a journalist for a time -- including as assistant editor at Hudson Valley Magazine. For that job, I had to make sure all the information printed in the magazine was correct. Although I enjoyed journalism, I decided to go back to school ... I decided I wanted to be a teacher!
     
        This year will be my 27th year teaching in the New Paltz schools and my second year teaching second grade. Most of my teaching years have been in third grade, but I have also taught fourth and fifth grades. I am loving second grade!
     
         Some of the things I love to do besides teaching are reading, gardening, taking photos, biking, cooking and spending time with my family, including my 6 siblings and nine nieces and nephews. I also loved spending time with my Jack Russell terrier rescue named Stanley (see picture below) who sadly passed away this summer after a long battle with cancer and meningitis. We miss him a lot. :(
     
         Below is a picture of our garden. My husband and I wanted a hummingbird and butterfly garden, which we definitely have. (We love hummingbirds!) However, these days I call it a bee garden. We have more varieties of them than anything else!
     
     
    garden
     
     
     
         Here is a picture of Stanley and me on one of our walks. Wasn't he the cutest?  
     
     
     
    Stanley and Ms. Harris
     
     
         
         I am looking forward to a wonderful school year, and I hope you are too!  
     
     
    Fondly,
     
    Ms. Harris
     
     
Last Modified on Tuesday at 5:07 PM