From Margaret Light: I am delighted to be working at Pelham School as the new 6th grade teacher. Many of you know me from years of working part-time at the school and in the library, and as a Pelham parent from 1996-2007. My classroom teaching career began in 1988 at the middle school level. After my three sons were born, I juggled graduate school and various part-time jobs, including substitute teaching and working in remedial programs at the elementary and high school levels. I started working at Pelham School in 2000, and over the years have substituted in every grade, phys. ed., art, After School, and the library. Two years ago I was hired for two long term sub positions in the 5th and 6th grades and enjoyed those experiences so much, I decided to return to full-time teaching. I am honored to be working in such a fine school. and am doing my best to ensure that your child will have as rich an experience as mine did at Pelham School.

 

 

September  

We've started the sixth grade curriculum with the Real Me unit, a focus on who we are and how to take care of ourselves. We've already talked about our learning styles, and will learn more about nutrition, exercise, and stress management through various projects, including building ourselves three dimensionally in paper, reading novels, and visiting the Norman Rockwell Museum. We'll start weekly spelling and vocabulary groups on September 8th. Our writing program has begun with sentence work, to be followed by writing paragraphs, and then various process pieces. Our math curriculum is ready to start with a review of place value. This year we'll tackle many topics, including algebra, ratio and proportion, percent, geometry, and probability, and we also have on-going problem solving books. The reading program includes both fiction and nonfiction work, sometimes in groups and other times individually, as we build reading and comprehension skills. We will read biographies and write reports during the Election Unit, which will start at the end of September. After the election in November we'll study Maps and Globes for several weeks, to be followed by our first science unit, Measuring Time, in January. In February we'll grow plants and conduct various experiments, and this will coincide with writing research reports. In the spring we'll read and write poetry, and learn about health and safe behavior. In June, I expect we'll perform the annual 6th grade play, and visit Nature's Classroom in Rhode Island. In addition to the subjects we study, we address organizational and social skills. Our sixth graders are training for the greater independence that will be required of them in the following years. Our goal is that each Pelham student is a successful learner, with the skills and knowledge they need for the next step in their education.

 

 

  I look forward to working with you and your child during this pivotal transition year.      Margaret Light

 

 

 

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