Teacher Bios

ELA with Ms. Nadreau

Hello. My name is Kim Nadreau and I am your student’s 7th grade English teacher this year. I have a BA in Psychology from Drew University and my Masters in Teaching from Monmouth University, both in New Jersey. Prior to coming to Franklin, I worked in social work and the health and education fields; this included teaching both preschool and adults, I have also owned and operated my own business. This will be my twenty second year teaching English, and I am happy to be here at Horace Mann. Reaching beyond Franklin Public Schools, in the past I have served for several years on the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s MCAS Assessment Development Committee for English / Language Arts. Some of my outside interests include music, playing the piano, health and wellness, and yes, reading.

In English class, I have often tried to use the phrase “English is life” as an anchor to help the students make connections between what they already know and new ELA concepts or ways of thinking critically, I repeat and explain it throughout the year - where it’s most relevant - to tie ideas together and build their understanding. Early in the year, I also introduce the word "delve" and use the word to help show students a strategy to develop conversation skills and to build details to their writing.

I greatly enjoy working here in Franklin and am looking forward to this upcoming year with your students. If you find you have questions or would like some clarification on anything, please feel free to reach out to me at the following email: nadreauk@franklinps.net.

MATH with Mrs Redmond

Hi I am Samantha Redmond and I am the 7th grade Math teacher on the Weihenmayer Cluster! I am looking forward to getting to know each student individually and learning how to work best with them throughout the year. A little about myself, I am a 2013 graduate from Saint Anselm College where I dual majored in Mathematics and Secondary Education and I completed my Masters in Secondary Education at Endicott College. I love being outdoors and spent most of the summer hiking or at the beach with my puppy Lexi. I am also the new Head Volleyball Coach at Franklin High School!

I love working in the 7th grade, the topics that we cover are interesting and some of my personal favorites. We cover positive and negative operations, percentages, probability, and 3d Geometry. The reason I love it so much is because every topic we learn has a direct relation to the real world, and this I believe is the best way to internalize the material.

I am aware that not every student loves math. My goal is to make this year as rewarding and exciting as possible. I want the students to enjoy coming to class and mastering new material.

There is a quote by Albert Einstein it says, “It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer.” this is so important for the students, as they will be learning difficult new concepts this year. They will make mistakes but the mistakes are okay, it is how we learn and grow from the mistakes that matter!

You can reach me at elliotts@franklinps.net.

SCIENCE with Mrs. Polucha

Hello - I am Mrs. Polucha and I will lead your child through an exciting year of science!

I am excited to begin my sixth year teaching at HMMS. I came to Franklin after teaching math and science in Natick, MA for ten years. I graduated from Westfield State College with a bachelor’s degree in education and received my Master’s degree in education from Walden University. I love spending time outdoors, whether it is on a beach or hiking in the mountains. My favorite Saturday activity is going to the local coffee shop and taking my kids to the playground. I have an *almost* 3 year old daughter and a 1 year old son. They definitely keep life interesting and keep me busy!

This year, science will look a little different than past years. FPS has adopted a new program that we will begin to implement over the next three years. Open Sci Ed (OSE) places the students in the drivers seat. They direct the class as they investigate anchoring phenomena. This year, students will experience two of these units - Contact Forces & Thermal Energy. I am so excited to dive into these units!

In addition to the OSE units listed above, students will also look at the topics of "Changes to Earth's Surface", "Ecosystem Dynamics" & "Human Impacts on Earth."

Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have: polucham@franklinps.net

SOCIAL STUDIES with Mr. d'E

I’m Mr. d’Entremont, and I’ll investigate social studies with your students this year. My teaching career began at Horace Mann in 1993 when I was hired as social studies and ELA teacher. I have taught both seventh grade and eighth grade social studies.

I graduated from Assumption College and earned my M.Ed from Notre Dame College. In 2017, I was recognized as a PBS LearningMedia Digital Innovator, and I was once named a Massachusetts History Day Teacher of the Year for my efforts in exposing students to rigorous research and use of primary sources. I have been trained as a National Geographic Teacher Consultant. In the past, I have coached the Franklin High School Boys Junior Varsity soccer team as well as FYSA.

I have three children who have all attended Franklin High School. My family has two dogs named Luna and Zeke. I enjoy Prince Edward Island, reading, listening to music, and playing basketball. Sometimes I draw mazes and labyrinths, carve wood spirits, create cosplay masks/props, write poetry, and carve jack-o-lanterns.

Even though the 7th grade social studies focuses on Ancient History (a continuation of different topics from 6th grade), I think those topics are secondary. My class is really about the students: developing their capacity for leadership, self sufficiency, innovation, and compassion. So they will be working on making their mark in a positive way and creating new and better things.

Together, I expect we will have a great year. Please feel free to call me with questions or concerns at dentremontj@franklinps.net. Daily information about my class can be found at this link: http://mrdesclass.blogspot.com. You can also follow the class on Twitter at @Mr_dEsClass #MrdEsClass.

MATH with Ms. Donahue

I am Colleen Donahue and the students in my class will be working on topics such as rational number operations, solving equations, probability, linear, exponential and quadratic functions to name a few. ! I am looking forward to a great year!

I am a 1987 graduate from Providence College where I dual majored in Secondary and Special Education with a minor in mathematics. I enjoy hiking, skiing, golfing and being with my family.

I believe that students benefit from understanding mathematical concepts before applying the concepts. Students will be given the opportunity to use patterns in order to discover and generalize math algorithms and rules.

You can reach me at donahuec@franklinps.net.

Educational Support with Ms. Winrich