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Name: Mr. Michael Melanson
Role: 5th Grade Teacher
Education: I earned my teaching certification from UMSL in 2000. Then, I earned my Master's Degree in Elementary Education and continued my studies in elementary education through 30+ hours, focusing on social/emotional needs of children and differentiation of instruction, among other disciplines.
Family & Hobbies:
Besides spending time with friends and family, I love to travel (one of the pictures below is from a trip I took to Ireland), paint, hang out in my backyard garden in the City (picture below), and go sailing on my boat, Delaney, at Lake Carlyle in Illinois.
Share a little known fact about yourself:
I'm not a native of St. Louis. I was actually born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and moved to a very small farming town in Illinois when I was in elementary school. I also lived for a short time in Omaha, Nebraska, before coming to St. Louis. In addition, I've traveled to many, many cities and small towns all over America. This is all to say that I feel I have a variety of perspectives regarding where we all call "home". It may not be exactly what we want it to be, but it can become better when we all strive to make it so.
What are you looking forward to the most as we open up as a Neighborhood School: I'm looking forward to so many things, it's difficult to choose just one. But, to summarize my thinking into one statement, I'm most looking forward to the opportunities we'll have to build a community with our students, families, and members of the surrounding area that meets everyone's needs in supportive and innovative ways.
Share your Favorite Quote:
"Whoever is happy will make others happy too." -Anne Frank
Name: Mrs. Ashley Spencer
Role: 5th Grade Teacher (2021-2022 School Year)
Education I have a Bachelor's in Elementary Education from UMSL and two Master's Degrees, one in K-12 Special Reading from UMSL and a second one in Teaching English as a Second Language from Webster University. I am also one year into my Doctoral Studies at Webster University. I am studying Transformative Learning in the Global Community. I love to learn!
Share Information about your Family or Hobbies:
I live with my husband, Cade, and our two cats, Maxwell Bobby and Benjamin Eddie. Maxwell is a nine-year-old Maine Coon cat, and Benjamin is a one-year-old American Shorthair rescue.
Cade and I absolutely love to travel; it's our very favorite thing. There's nothing like wandering around a new place and experiencing a new culture! We have visited 19 countries since we got married in 2016. We also love to try new foods, watch movies, play games, and build puzzles.
I come from a small family, with my mom, dad, and older brother, Bob. He got married in 2018, and now I have a sister-in-law, Erin, two nieces, Maddie and Nora, and a nephew, Kaiden. Their picture, with my Mom, Dad, Cade, and I is below. My husband's family is really big. He is one of five kids, so I have several brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, and lots of nieces and nephews on that side. We really enjoy spending time with our family.
My favorite hobby, besides travel, is scrapbooking. I love to take pictures and turn those pictures into scrapbooks that tell stories. I also love making crafts, reading, drinking coffee, and yoga.
A Little Known Fact About Me:
I have visited all 48 continental United States on road trips with my Mom! I set this goal when I was young, and I achieved it before I turned 30. We only have the states of Alaska and Hawaii left to visit.
What are you looking forward to the most as we open up as a Neighborhood School: I can't wait to get to know the students and families of Givens and be immersed in the many cultures that are a part of our community and will be brought to our school!
Share your Favorite Quote:
"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." -Maya Angelou
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