Classroom staff: I hope you had a wonderful summer break. I want to take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Michelle Hill and I will be your child's Special Education Teacher. This will be my 2nd year teaching at Rolesville and my nineteenth year teaching special education. I have worked with children and adults with special needs for twenty-eight years in a variety of settings, including the classroom, community, residential programs, and day treatment facilities. I hold a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and communications/journalism and a teaching license in Mentally Disabled K-12. We live in Wake Forest with our two girls and have a son at East Carolina University. Rochelle DeSpain will return this year! This will be her 2nd year our classroom. Previously she was a substitute teacher at Rolesville for 11 years. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Math Education. This is have given her the opportunity to teach many different age groups in a variety of settings, including special needs. She loves the positive atmosphere at Rolesville Elementary! On a personal note, she has lived in Wake Forest since 2003 and has two children, both in college. When she's not at school she enjoys being outside camping or at a rink watching a hockey game. Go Canes! Cathy S. will also return to our class this year! Prior to working in our classroom she was a substitute teacher. She is a parent and also the PTA VP of school services. She is originally from New York and New Jersey and she attended William Paterson University. She has been living in the south for 8 years and is currently furthering her education by taking classes at Wake Tech. She loves being around children and has been working with kids for over 20 years. She also works part-time for her town's Park and Recreation department. She has a 18 year old son and two daughters, ages 11 and 8. She is very excited for the opportunity to work with your children! Rachel Upchurch has also joined our class this year! She is originally from Eastern Virginia and moved to the area to attend Campbell university. She lives in wake forest with her husband, two children and a sweet, but lazy jack russell. She joined the Rolesville ES team in 2015. she is thankful for the blessing of working with kids who have special needs and having the unique opportunity to get to know their personalities and strengths. When she is not at school you can find her at her church or home with her family. she likes to create, sew, read and explore nature.
We look forward to partnering with you for a fantastic year!
Arrival and Dismissal: Students may begin arriving to school at 8:45. Parents can access the parking spaces along the bend in the drive. Classroom staff will be there to meet the students. The instructional day begins at 9:15 and dismissal is at 3:45.
Lunch & Snacks: Students have lunch from 11:00-11:30 am. Please let us know if your child has any food allergies or special feeding instructions. Please send in snack for your child labeled with his/her name. We have access to a refrigerator if items need to be refrigerated. We also ask that students bring in a water bottle to use for recess labeled with their name. **Sanitation guidelines no longer permit us to provide and wash student dishes in our instructional kitchen. Therefore, students will need to bring in all needed utensils, plates, cups, etc. and will be returned on a daily basis. We are also unable to heat up food. Please send items in a thermos if needed. We will have snack each day at 1:05. We will have recess and specials daily.
Personal Supplies: Each student will need a complete change of clothes including socks labeled with his/her name or initials. If your child wears diapers/pull-ups please send in a minimum of a weeks supply along with wipes. We do not have a classroom supply to draw from.
Medical: If your child will be taking medication at school his/her physician will need to complete a 1702 medical sheet that must be signed by the parent and physician. All medication labels should match the doctors’ order.
Your child will bring home a communication folder daily that will give information on: special class, related services received, self-care needs including lunch. Weekly Rolesville ES folders will be sent home on Tuesdays. Our classroom website can be found at www.hillshappenings.weebly.com and will be updated on a monthly basis. Please sign and return the folder on the following day. Thank You!
Special Olympics: Our special education classroom will participate in Special Olympics again this year. We hope to send some students to basketball skills in addition to Spring Games (track & field events). You will receive physical forms if your child is new to Special Olympics or is due for a physical. Please complete and return it promptly. We hope to have 100% Rolesville participation!
Thank you in advance for providing this helpful information! Please feel free to contact me at (919) 554-8686 or email me at [email protected] with any questions, comments or concerns.
I look forward to a very successful 2019-2020 school year!
Classroom Rules 1) Listen to your Teacher 2) Use quiet hands 3) Use a quiet voice 4) Make good, green choices