Dear Mark Twain Families,

I am thrilled to have been selected as your new Principal. In my short time here I have learned that Mark Twain Elementary is a wonderfully diverse school with dedicated teachers who love students and hard-working students who love to learn. I am really looking forward to being a part of this close-knit school community.

First, a little about me: I am committed to ensuring equitable opportunitues for every student. I've served for 19 years as an educator, with 12 of those years as an administrator. My principal preparation and doctoral degree programs at the University of Washington have helped me to understand the forces behind the achievement gap, and startegies for closing it.

As educators, it is our responsibility to eliminate the achievement gap so that every student graduates ready for college or a career. This can only be done by ensuring every student consistently experiences effective lessons from highly trained teachers. Here are some of the things our staff is working on this year:

* Positive behavior strategies

* Learning how to use i-Ready, a new computer based benchmark assessment

*Using data to improve reading achievement

*Improving communication with families and increasing parent involvement

For students to be successful, a school must be an environment that is appropriate for learning. Students must feel they are cared about.They must work hard. And they must feel safe to take risks and make mistakes. That's the kind of school that Mark Twain is and I'm extremely proud to be a part of it! As parents, you are a critical part of your child's success. Because you know your child best, there will be times that you have questions or concerns that we don't know about. Please do not hesitate to contact me for any reason. I welcome parent feedback and I am always willing to talk with you.

Sincerely,

Shelley Habenicht, Ed.D.