Dear Students and Parents of the Sixth Grade,
Welcome to the 2011-2012 school year! I hope your summer has been restful and you have had an opportunity to recharge and rest up for the busy year ahead. I have been busy this summer investigating Reader's Workshop and working with the National Paideia Center and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to improve my practice, and I am so excited about the possibilities.
Students, if I have my way, this year will be one in which you discover something wonderful about your self as a learner. Maybe you will find a new genre you love to read…or maybe you will discover you have a real gift for using descriptive words in your writing…or maybe you will discover that you find history incredibly fascinating! Who knows? All I ask is that you remain open to becoming the best learner you can be.
Let’s all get the most out of our year together and work hard to get your middle school years off to a fantastic start!
Looking forward to a great year,
Amy Freeman
6th Grade Language Arts and Social Studies
About Amy Freeman
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Interior Design from the University of Georgia; master’s degree in Elementary Education from University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Why are you at CSAS? I first came to CSAS as a student teacher in Ms. Baker’s second grade class. I met incredibly wonderful students and teachers and learned about this thing they called Paideia. I had no idea before that fall that children as young as second grade could have enlightened conversations about literature and walk down the hall on their own without being told to keep their hands on their head or their hands behind their back. Eleven years later, I am still here…and I am still amazed at what our children are capable of in our building.
Family: One husband, Myles. One daughter, Isabella. Two cats, Mimi and Gilbert. Mimi is an excessively vocal, black beauty and Gilbert is a rusted metal guy who lives in the backyard next to the concrete dog, UGA.
Hobbies: Every day--Running several miles. Most days—reading, cooking, being silly. Really good days that rarely ever happen—rock climbing, mountaineering, canoeing…
Favorite sports team: I default to the University of Georgia since I was born in Athens, Georgia, and graduated from the school. However, I don’t really pay that much attention...GO DAWGS!
Favorite book:Poisonwood Bible, wonderful characters; Auntie Mame, completely irreverent; A Confederacy of Dunces, so wrong, yet so funny;Ice Master, an amazing story and so well written.
Favorite quote: “And the day came when the effort it took to remain tight inside the bud was more painful than the risk it took to bloom.” Anais Nin
Favorite subject when you were a student: I always loved English and lunch (square fish and chocolate milk!).
What's Happening?
This week(August 22) in Language Arts/Humanities we have been taking Lexile tests. This test will give us a good idea of where your child reads comfortably, which will enable us to help them find books that are just the right level for them. I am planning on sending home each student's Lexile number and a list of appropriate books for them as a way of your supporting our work with good book choices at home.
We are having Open House tomorrow night and I hope that everyone will join us. After the PTSA meeting, the sixth grade families will meet in the big gym for a talk focused on our sixthgrade curriculum, expectations, etc.
I am compiling a list of book-donation opportunities for my families. I continue to add books to my classroom library myself and the school system has said they would contribute as well, but I am going to ask you to contribute books as well. I am attempting to get a list of authors, series, and specific books together before Open House, but if it doesn't come together by tomorrow, I will send a letter home soon. The more options I have in my classroom library, the more options for "just right" reading our kids will have this year.
Please make sure the office has a phone number at which you can be reached. I have attempted to call several parents already this year, and the number supplied is either out--of-order or incorrect. Please let us reach you when we need your help!
