Greetings Parents and Guardians!
¡Salidos Padres y Guardiantes!
My name is Emma Shaffer and I want to welcome you and your child to LHS! This is my sixth year teaching. I love teaching and am looking forward to getting to know your kids and working with them this year! I graduated from the University of Nevada Reno in 2014 with a B.A. in English and a minor in Anthropology. I love teaching all subjects, but I am particularly fond of English, Writing, Reading, History, and Science! I received my Multiple Subject Credential from Fresno State December of 2018. I look forward to growing and learning alongside your students. If you ever have any concerns or questions, please don't hesitate to contact me. I love to hear from parents.
I am a Truckee native and attended TTUSD schools from Kindergarten through 12th grade, but have lived in the Sierra Valley on and off since 2010. I graduated from Truckee High in 2006. I have an 8 year old son who is attending Loyalton Elementary as well. When I am not in the classroom, I like to be cooking, knitting or crafting. I also love to spend time outside and enjoy camping and hiking. I love coffee, owls and the color purple. I studied abroad in Alicante, Spain in high school through AFS. I do speak Spanish, but I am a bit rusty. I understand and read Spanish better than I can speak it.
I am looking forward to working with you to make sure that we move your students along as far as we can academically and emotionally. It is of the utmost importance to me that I provide a safe and encouraging learning environment for your student. I can't wait to share with you what we will be learning about this year and answer any questions you have about me or the curriculum. I look forward to meeting you and working with you throughout the year!
Gratefully,
Emma Shaffer
From Ms. Shaffer:
My Goal: Provide a safe, caring, and productive learning environment for each student, every day!
Your Child/Teen: Please keep in touch with your child. Middle and High Schoolers are at a critical developmental stage. Limits, boundaries, guidelines, patience, and consistency are key, along with good modeling. Your child is learning. You can help by allowing your student to take on challenges and responsibilities and to guide them toward independence.
Report Cards: Please check the school calendar for end of semester and report card dates.
Homework: Homework will be assigned for the purpose of preparing for class (ie: pre-assigned reading material for a lesson or task) or for practice/study of concepts learned. All homework is expected to be completed on time in order to be better prepared for each day’s assigned work. Homework should never be so difficult that a student struggles; it is supposed to be practice. If you find your child struggling with homework please contact me, their teacher. The only homework assigned this year will be reading practice, missing or late work, or finishing work that should have been done in class. High schoolers WILL receive regular reading assignments and WILL be expected to write outside of class time.
Late Work Policy: Homework and classwork is expected to be completed on time, before class. Missing or incomplete assignments are expected to be completed promptly and will receive credit at teacher's discretion. Typically Ms. Shaffer accepts all late work for full credit if it is done well with a few exceptions: 1 - the grading period has ended or 2 - the unit has ended or students have already been tested on the material. WHY? Ms. Shaffer believes that if you can show that you know the material you deserve the credit. If you turn in work late please be patient - I grade on time work first. Your late work is NOT my first priority.
What to do if you are absent: Please notify the teacher if you will be absent beforehand if possible. I understand that this is not always possible. Upon return, the student needs to ask for the work they missed at an appropriate time (not while Ms. Shaffer is teaching or trying to take roll - right before class or lunch is a great time). The student gets the same amount of days they missed to make up the work.
How to contact me: I check my email and phone messages before and after school daily. I do not check either during the school day and do not answer the phone during class time. Please feel free to email me or leave a message at any time and I will get back to you within 24 hours. Email is the best way to reach me.