North Adams is where Mrs. Dix lived through her childhood.  She attended Brayton Elementary School, Greylock Elementary School, and Drury High School.

Mrs. Dix graduated cum laude from North Adams State College in 1997 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics.  She has continued her education while teaching and has taken several other courses to further increase her knowledge so that she can meet the needs of all of the students.

First and Second Grade Curriculum in the Ruby Room:

This is a brief outline of the year’s curriculum. It covers the main topics of study and some of the skills which I will be addressing.

Reading–Phonetic skills will be taught using a program called “Fundations”. The class will also be reading a great variety of fiction and nonfiction books. Reading activities will take place individually, in small groups and as a whole class. Having students enjoy what they read is very important to me.

Language Arts–First and second graders will participate in penmanship, spelling and beginning grammar lessons. We will write a great deal. My hope is to emphasize writing frequently across all content areas. In addition, a major emphasis of mine will be on correct sentence and paragraph structure The children will write using a process which allows them to conference with each other and with me. During creative writing, the children will generally choose their own topics.

Math–Our school uses the Houghton Mifflin math program. The children will be involved in strategy games, critical thinking, and problem solving activities. Major skill areas for first and second graders are number sense, addition and subtraction facts, place value, time, measurement, and money.  It is very important for the children to memorize the basic addition and subtraction facts through twelve.  As they move ahead in grade levels, the math concepts will become more difficult and if they are struggling with their basic facts, they will have a much harder time understanding the new concepts.

The primary goal for mathematics is to have students develop strategies and to be able to communicate their mathematical thinking. Your children will be involved in mathematical investigations that encourage them to develop their mathematical ideas. Your children will be counting, sorting, ordering, measuring, and manipulating shapes as well as talking, drawing, and writing about their ideas.

Science–The hope is to get children excited about thinking and experimenting with elements in the world around them. First and second graders need to be good observers and data recorders. Major units in science during a two-year cycle will be space (sun, moon and earth), life cycles,(of plants, apple trees, and ocean life) and a unit on simple machines.  We will also conduct many different hands-on experiments.

Social Studies—First and second graders will study communities, geography, and current events. We will also develop a timeline so that we can begin to understand some important events in history. We also talk a great deal about caring for one another and accepting differences.

*Feel free to contact the school by telephone (413-738-5676) or send me an email at mdix@hancockschool.org