Welcome to
Sycamore Ridge School

My Educational Philosophy

The natural curiosity of students is at the heart of my approach to teaching in the upper grades at Sycamore Ridge.  Children crave opportunities for exploration and discovery, which is vital to their retention of knowledge. I value the importance of problem solving & critical thinking, building resilience through challenging thinking tasks, and uncovering student interests and passions in the classroom. I believe the classroom is a place where students should experience engaging learning opportunities, master grade level skills, and learn the social emotional skills that foster healthy relationships in life.

What to Expect in 6th Grade

Sixth grade is unique in that it is the year that students are becoming more independent and are preparing for middle school.  Students in sixth grade are ENGAGED readers.  This year, students will be reading and analyzing rich literary and informational texts.  Students in sixth grade are THOUGHTFUL writers.  We will be writing (many) narrative, argumentative, and informational pieces this year.  My hope is that students will leave sixth grade as excellent communicators!  In sixth grade, students will engage in a variety of thinking routines where their thoughts will be voiced, heard, and valued by others.  Students in sixth grade are PROBLEM-SOLVERS.  Our mathematicians will practice reasoning abstractly and quantitatively through our studies of ratios, fractions, percents, statistics, and geometry. Students will also be learning about ancient civilizations in Social Studies.  In Science, students will be engaging in topics including, genetics, body systems, and the environment.