Welcome to First Grade!  My name is Rachel Haedge and this will be my third year teaching first grade at Longview.  I am very excited to learn about your child and your family this school year. Here is a little background about me to get us started:

I am originally from Arkansas. I was born and raised in the small delta town of West Helena.  My parents are both teachers and still teach in my hometown.  After high school I went to college at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas.  That is where I met my husband Ryan.  We were married in May of 2001 and we then moved to Minnesota.  I completed my elementary education degree at Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota.  After graduation, I begin teaching at Mendota Elementary school and taught there for three years.  After our first child, Kayla, was born in 2005 we decided to move back south.  That is how we came to live in Spring Hill.  I taught pre-k for one year at The Gardner School, in Brentwood before accepting a job teaching first Grade at Chapman’s Retreat.  I taught at Chapman’s Retreat for one year before moving to  Longview when it  opened in 2007 .  In July of 2007, we had our second child, Carson.  Kayla is now 4 and likes to draw and play soccer.  Carson is 2 and loves to ride around outside on his motorized John Deer tractor.  

                I love teaching because it allows me to do two of my favorite things, be with children and read.   I love being able to pass my love for reading onto my students.  Reading is a big part of first grade and my goal is to help your child be the best reader he or she can be by the end of the school year.  Thank you for allowing me to opportunity to work with your child this year.  I hope that it will be a very blessed year for us all.