Welcome to Carpenter and to First Grade!
My name is Tracy Armstrong and I will be your child’s teacher
this year! We have an exciting year ahead that will be filled with
lots to explore, experience, and learn. I hope to be a guide and
mentor to your child this year as they embark on a learning journey
filled with excitement, challenges, and many learning opportunities.
Let me first start by sharing some information about myself
professionally and personally. This is my 19 th year of teaching and I
am very excited about what the school year holds! This is my fifth
year here at Carpenter and in the Ann Arbor School District. I
started teaching first grade in September 2006 at Estabrook
Elementary School in Ypsilanti. There I continued my teaching
career in grades: second, third and fourth. I graduated 2005 from
Eastern Michigan with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Science
and from there I graduated from Walden University with my
Master’s in Reading. In my spare time I’m planning for my wedding,
as I will be getting married this October, spending time with my
family and friends, traveling up north to our cottage, and trail
riding. I am starting out this school year with my married name:
Mrs. Kirkpatrick as it will be an easier transition for my students.
One reason that I love first grade so much is that students
develop and grow a lot over the course of one year.  It is a joy to
watch them as they expand their knowledge and learn new things! 
As your child continues to grow and learn this year, I hope that you
will view me as someone you can count on to care for your child
and their academic progress.  I believe that children learn best
when the teacher and parents work together to achieve the same
goals with a child.  I love to have open communication with families
since my students are my top priority.  This year, you can be certain
that I will work diligently to help them in any way possible.  
Here’s to an AMAZING school year!!