Some day, I will be a teacher...

Dear Explorer,

Welcome to the Laboratory of Life, Expedition Jumping Off Point, Team Training Grounds. Some people would call this a classroom. If they are talking about a room where people learn what it means to be classy, then it could be called a classroom. If they are talking about some place where school happens, then it could not be considered a classroom. This is a place where learning happens, not school.

I'm not sure yet who you are, whether you like socks with purple stripes, or socks that are brown, or socks that have athletic company logos on them. I don't know if you have ever heard of Mr. William Shakespeare or Socrates or Florence Nightingale. I don't know if you are good at painting or building things or communicating ideas in ways that help people understand. I don't know if you've lived here all your life or if you've just arrived from halfway around the world. Maybe you have ten sisters, or maybe you have no family at all and live with your pet zebra.

What I do know is you have a brain that is capable of extraordinary things. I also know that this year will not be easy, but it will be fun. I will ask you to try things you might never have thought about trying, or to think about things you've never thought about. I know that I'm glad you're a part of this expedition discovery exploration adventure.

This year, we will be doing things like throwing dinner parties, building rockets, and memorizing poetry. It's ok if you've never done any of these things before. There's a first time for everything. Also, this year, we will be learning a lot about our team. If you don't like someone on the team, that's ok. I'll probably have you work together on a project so that you can find some reasons to like them. I love projects, but only fun ones, so we'll be doing some of those this year.

If your mom or dad or Aunt Lucy wants a supply list of things you'll need, you can give them this list. If they can't find these at WalMart, that's ok.

1. Good attitude

2. Willingness to participate

3. Sense of adventure

I will see you bright and early on adventure trek day 1. Don't be late, or I might feed you to the crocodiles I brought back from Australia.

Your Adventure Trek Expedition Leader, which some people might call a "3rd grade teacher"

Little Miss Sunshine