Dear Parents and Guardians, My name is Tara Stegall and I will be working with Mrs.

Huchel this spring as I complete my Ed.M. in Elementary Education. I came to elementary education after working several years as a substitute teacher in rural Champaign Co. schools. I have also worked for BCBS of VA, Chesterfield County, VA Adult Education, and Mississippi State University College of Agriculture while receiving my M.S. in Agricultural Education. With a background in animal science, agriculture and education, I look forward to sharing my love for science and technology with your children. My husband and I have three children. Our daughter is a freshman at Mississippi State University and is studying secondary education; she wants to be a high school biology teacher. Our older son is a freshman at St. Joseph-Odgen High School; he is a great student, participates in athletics and plays the alto saxophone. Our younger son is in 4th grade at Prairieview-Ogden; he is also a great student, plans to participate in athletics starting next year, and wants to play the violin. Both boys have played baseball for the Royal Youth League for several years. Our family likes to travel and camp; Kickapoo is one of our favorite local campgrounds for canoeing and biking. Our family worships with the church of Christ in Rantoul. As a military child, I had the opportunity to live in North Dakota, Ohio, Washington D.C., Alabama, and Colorado. I attended a small private college in Florida my freshman year before moving to Mississippi where I met my husband while working at the MSU research dairy farm. His job took us to Virginia and eventually to Illinois. This is the flattest place I have ever lived. I am excited about working with your children this semester. I know I will learn a lot from them, which will help me become a better teacher. I love working with this age group because they tend to ask thoughtful questions; and when given the opportunity to think about a problem, they produce logical solutions. I also like to encourage this age group to problem-solve together; more ideas are generated, different points-of-view are shared, and where another child might struggle your child might share a strategy that helps their peer learn and grow. I am excited about working with Mrs. Huchel I have seen great things happen in her classroom already, we have similar teaching styles and she will help me grow as an educator. I look forward to meeting you throughout the year; you can contact me at stegall2@illinois.edu or through the office at Oakwood. I am excited to be at Oakwood as I finish this last semester towards my certification.

U.S.S. North Carolina Wilmington, NC 2012