28 August 2017

Hello Middle and High school Social Studies Students and Parents/Guardians:

Welcome back! My name is Ian Hale and I will be co-teaching and interning with Mr. Laufenberg, Mr.
Simpkins, and Mrs. Glynn in middle and high school Social Studies classes this year. I am participating in
the Teacher Preparation Collaborative through Winona State University, and am fortunate to be
spending the entire year in a classroom at Grand Meadow.

To begin the year, Mr. Laufenberg and I will be co-teaching and presenting the material cooperatively.
As we move into second semester, I will take over the majority of the responsibilities and Mr.
Laufenberg will remain accessible as a valuable resource for both the students and myself. I will spend
the middle portion of the year co-teaching with Mrs. Glynn and finish the year with Mr. Simpkins.

I would like to encourage all students to feel free to approach either myself or any of my intern coaches
(Mr. Laufenberg, Mrs. Glynn or Mr. Simpkins) with any questions or concerns you have. Our door is
always open and we will be happy to talk to you or schedule a time when we can meet. I would also like
to encourage all parents/guardians to feel free to contact us anytime with any questions or concerns
that may arise. You can find all of our emails listed at the bottom of this letter.

I am looking forward to a great year and getting to know each of you as the year progresses.

Sincerely,

Ian Hale, Scott Laufenberg, Lisa Glynn, Bill Simpkins

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ian Hale – ihale@gm.k12.mn.us

Scott Laufenberg – slaufenberg@gm.k12.mn.us

Lisa Glynn – LGlynn@gm.k12.mn.us

Bill Simpkins – bsimpkins@gm.k12.mn.us

Dear Parent/Guardian

Your student is enrolled in a Middle or High School Social Studies course where Ian Hale is serving as an
Intern Teacher under the supervision of Scott Laufenberg, Lisa Glynn, and Bill Simpkins. Mr. Laufenberg,
Mrs. Glynn, and Mr. Simpkins were selected as Intern Coaches by Winona State University (WSU) and
the Grand Meadow Public School.

WSU and the Rochester Public Schools are joint participants in a Teacher Preparation Collaborative at
the secondary level. The program is currently designed to provide individuals who hold a minimum of a
bachelor’s degree in an appropriate content area with an opportunity to complete the requirements for
a secondary teaching license. This teacher preparation program requires intensive coursework and field
experience at the Rochester WSU Campus. This is followed by a yearlong internship in a middle or high
school.

Ian Hale has a Bachelor’s Degree in Interdisciplinary Social Science from the University of South Florida.
It is believed that Grand Meadow students will benefit from having an Intern Teacher as a co-teacher in
their classes along with the experienced regular teachers. The Intern Teacher and the Intern Coaches
will team teach the course. When the Intern Coach is out of the classroom, there will be a designated
supervisor present in the building.

If you have any questions, please contact Scott Laufenberg, Lisa Glynn, Bill Simpkins or Ian Hale.

Contact information:

Scott Laufenberg- slaufenberg@gm.k12.mn.us

Lisa Glynn- LGlynn@gm.k12.mn.us

Bill Simpkins- bsimpkins@gm.k12.mn.us

Ian Hale- ihale@gm.k12.us

Sincerely,

Jacob J. Schwarz

5-12 Principal Grand Meadow I.S.D. #495

FIRST OF ALL, SAVE THIS TO YOUR COMPUTER BEFORE STARTING TO FILL IT OUT. After you’re done,
then attach it to your return email.

PUT YOUR ANSWER DIRECTLY AFTER EACH QUESTION, using ALL CAPS or a different color, or bold – so it
stands out from my original question.

If you have any questions, email me or give me a call (754-5554)

THANKS!!

*****

1. Please put your name and what grade/subject you’re teaching. If team teaching name the other
teacher. Ian Hale, 5-12 Social Studies. Student teaching with Scott Laufenberg, Lisa Glynn and
Bill Simpkins
2. Background - Tell where you were raised, graduated high school, and a bit about your family
(raised on a farm? Maybe what your parents did for a living, how many brothers/sisters you
had…were you oldest/youngest… any other teachers in the family? – things like that – as much
as you are comfortable with) Raised in Sarasota, Florida. Graduated Riverview High (1993).
Mother a singer and music store owner, Father a contractor. Oldest of three brothers. No
teachers in my family (grandfather taught briefly after WWII).
3. Current family info – Single? Or…Married? How long? Spouse’s name… any kids? their ages?
Engaged to Belinda Galeano (together 5 years), no kids (hopefully soon).
4. Please give some education background – college(s) you attended/graduated from, what you
majored in and degrees earned, etc. Bachelor degree from University of South Florida in
Interdisciplinary Social Science. Currently in Graduate teaching program at Winona State.
5. Teaching background - How long have you been teaching, and where did you teach before
Grand Meadow? This is my first year teaching. Had a swimming pool business in Florida, sold it
and moved up to Minnesota to be with my fiancé, an MD PHD student at Mayo.
6. Why did you choose to become a teacher? Was there someone who influenced you to become
a teacher (relative, mentor, etc)? Passion for the content. Wish to share my knowledge and
love for social studies to others.
7. What do you hope “your kids” will learn or get from this coming school year – both academically
and maybe other experiences not necessarily taught in books? Obviously, I hope they “get” the
content and I hope that the content can be made relevant and personal to their own lives. I
also hope that they learn valuable life skills as well as gaining a comfort level and sense that I,
and others on the GM staff care about them and their success and they can talk to us when
they need help.
8. What excites you most about teaching, or what are you most excited to bring to the classroom
this year? The fact that it is something completely different from anything I’ve ever done
before and that it is a career that can actually make a difference. I have lived a lot of places
and had a lot of travels and unique life experiences and hopefully sharing some of this diverse
background can add to the classroom.
9. What do you like to do when not working—pastimes/interests/hobbies? Tennis, basketball,
hiking, softball, travel. I go on long backpacking trips whenever I get a chance.
10. I see a couple of you are GMHS grads… how do you feel about being back on the “home turf,”
and it’s probably too soon to tell, but does it feel a lot different to be on the “other” side of the
classroom now, as a teacher? Or even relating to your old teachers now as a peer rather than a
student? A few comments on that, please. N/A
11. 10. Any other comments? No