Welcome Letter
August 2, 2017
Hello 4th Grade Families!
Welcome to Archway Lincoln Academy! My name is Jennifer King and
I am honored to be your child’s classroom teacher. I’m so excited to be working
with your students this year; we’re going to have a wonderful time!
I can’t wait to get to know you all, but first, let me tell you
a little about myself. I was born in Virginia and my family spent some years in
California before finally settling down in western Michigan. Our cross-country
adventures inspired in me a love for history and travel (and an appreciation
for nearly every kind of food). My parents homeschooled both my sister and me,
which enabled us to explore the many museums and natural beauties of the East
Coast, West Coast, and Midwest, enriching our education and spurring us toward
a greater love of learning.
Music has always been an integral part of my life. I started
playing violin at 6 and began piano just a few years later. In junior high, I
decided to switch to the viola, an instrument I love for its richness and
depth. I attended Hillsdale College, where I earned a B.A. in Music Performance
in viola. In college, I was able to deepen my love of music as well as develop a
passion for the Western Tradition through my classes, conversations with my
fellow students, and especially through a summer trip to Turkey with the
school’s Honors Program. Though my understanding is still far from perfect, my
passion for learning only grows as I get older.
After college, I earned an M.M. in Viola Performance at Southern
Illinois University. There, I relished the opportunity to develop my musical
skills as well as stretch my teaching abilities as I worked as a graduate T.A.
and taught an elementary school after-school orchestra. In 2015, I got married
and moved with my husband to Gilbert. I was thrilled to be hired for Archway
Lincoln’s first year and I have enjoyed watching the school grow and thrive
over the past two years. I truly believe in the Great Hearts model of classical
education and I love being able to watch students grow not only in knowledge
but in character, as we work together to instill a deep love for learning in
these students, while encouraging them to recognize the strength in the truth,
the beauty in the surrounding world, and the potential for goodness in each
person.
I am honored to be working with your children this year. I look
forward with joy to a new year with this outstanding community of learning. If
you ever have any questions for me, please don’t hesitate to email me at jking@archwaylincoln.org.
Thank you so much for your support; I know we will have a marvelous year
together.
All the best,
Jennifer King
