6th grade 2020-2021 Remote Learning
Mrs. Houle, Ms. Romberg, Mr. Werrbach, & Mrs. Wicks
Welcome, Cougars!
6th Grade Daily Schedule (Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays) (as of 3/1)
6th Grade Daily Schedule (Wednesdays) (as of 3/1)
About mrs. houle
I have been teaching at Canty since 2012 and feel so lucky to be a part of this amazing community! I absolutely love our sixth grade team with Ms. Wicks (math) Mr. Werrbach (ELA), and Ms. Romberg (diverse learners)!
I always knew I wanted to be a teacher (due to my love for learning and children), but I didn't always think that I would teach middle school science. It wasn't until I became a college level swimmer at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign when I realized that being involved with sports my whole life meant that I was not only an athlete, but a scientist. Everything about sports includes science: physics of movement, chemistry of food & nutrition, biology through anatomy, metabolism, and muscle composition, etc. This realization led me to pursue additional science courses so I could become a certified science teacher.
As someone who loves to travel, I have always been interested in history. I have been fortunate enough to travel to a dozen countries where I love seeing the link between history and culture. However, social science is much more than history- it's learning the skills, knowledge, and habits necessary to effectively contribute to and participate in the social, political, and economic life of your communities (CPS Vision). I love having the opportunity to give my students a voice as I am constantly impressed by their unique ideas.
I cannot wait to share my passions of science and social science (and sports/travel) with my students to bring them engaging content! I truly believe students are communities' most precious gifts. My hope is that my students find real-world connections between their studies and can apply them to their daily lives so they will become lifelong learners who are productive members of their communities.
In addition to teaching 6th grade, I also coach women's high school swimming at Von Steuben Metropolitan Science Center. I live in Chicago with my husband Tom, a professional engineer, and my black lab, Hudson.
About mS. Romberg
This is my second year teaching at Canty, and I am extremely excited to be working with the 6th grade team this year!
Like Mrs. Houle, I always knew I wanted to be a teacher, but it took me a while to figure out what role best suited me. During high school I began volunteering with people from all different kids of backgrounds and realized my passion was working with diverse learners. I enjoyed the challenges of finding ways to accommodate various learning styles and ensuring all students can participate in their education to the maximum extent possible.
After graduating from Illinois State University, I taught science and math at Chicago Academy High School in the Portage Park neighborhood. At the end of my second year teaching, I was offered the opportunity to coach Special Olympics full time at the Chicago Park District. While this was an amazing and rewarding experience, I knew I belonged back in the classroom and was fortunate enough to join the Canty Community in fall of 2019!
As a teacher, my goal is to create a learning environment where students feel comfortable being themselves and know they are heard. I hope to be able to engage students in learning that will connect to their lives outside the classroom and teach them learning strategies that they can use throughout their education in the years to come.
In addition to teaching at Canty, I continue to coach Special Olympics at the Chicago Park District and enjoy spending time being active, especially when outdoors!
About ms. WICKS
I have been teaching for 21 years...wow, that makes me feel old! Every year, I am learning, growing and trying new approaches to teaching. I am lucky enough to teach with some of the most amazing people I know. Mr. Werrbach (ELA), Mrs. Houle (Science & Social Studies), Ms. Romberg (Diverse Learners) and I are constantly pushing each other to be the best we can be. We are dedicated to this community, our city and the children of Chicago. In addition to teaching in Chicago, I have also taught in England and Spain. Exploring the education systems in other countries is fascinating, and I hope to teach overseas again soon.
I always knew that my career would be math-centered, but I I did not always know that I wanted to be a math teacher. In fact, I would bet most of my former teachers would be shocked to learn I went into education. My own middle school years were difficult. My home life was hard, and I would seek out attention at school. This is a nice way of saying that I got into A LOT of trouble. What I went through as a young adult has helped me understand that I am teaching the WHOLE child, not just the student.
I love my job more than almost anyone else I know. I get to talk about math all day! I love analyzing statistics and exploring the math behind the algorithms. Hopefully, some of my love and excitement for Math will rub off on my students.
When I am not teaching, I like to read, walk, exploring different cultures, traveI, try new foods, discuss unsolved mathematical problems and laugh with loved ones. I also attend classes every Saturday on sewing and quilting.
I am really looking forward to sharing my passion for Mathematics. I believe that being open to new ideas, exploring one's passions and challenging our brains to persevere through what we think might be difficult is the key to learning...and maybe life?!?!?
About Mr. Werrbach
This year will be my lucky number 13 as a teacher at Canty!!! Makes sense if you think of the craziness of starting this year remotely. Every year, I get excited to meet the new students that I will get to know well through our endless conversations about literature. I work with like minded people which makes the job that much more fun and also easier. Ms. Wicks (Math), Mrs. Houle (Science & Social Studies), and Ms. Romberg (Diverse Learners) simply want what is truly best for our students and are always looking for ways to improve as educators.
I knew that I wanted to work with kids, but I absolutely struggled as a student. I hated reading and had teachers that did not listen to ideas and thought that there was only one answer for open ended questions...When I decided to be a reading teacher, my thought was that I would never put a child through what I went through. I thought to myself...I can make this fun....I can make voices and opinions heard...even the voices that are often overlooked. In my class, everyone will have a voice and it will be heard. I try my best to keep my students engaged and have fun while teaching lessons that will get them through tests as well as being useful in everyday life.
When not teaching, I love hanging out with my wife of 13 years and daughters Lily (10) and Gretchen (7), I love watching horror movies, biking, backpacking, hiking, traveling, trying new foods, and listening to music and reading lyrics.
I am super excited to start this year off with a new group of students and hope that reading is not as painful as what I went through as a kid. I want to challenge my students, but allow them to have fun while doing it. I want to show them that if they put their full attention and effort forward, they will be successful.
