Ms. Devoe lives in Lanesborough, MA with her husband (Lyndon Moors) and her cat (Karma). She graduated with a Master’s Degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Syracuse University. She is certified by the National American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (A.S.H.A), and she has MA State Professional Licensure. She also holds dual MA Educational certification in Speech-Language-Hearing Disorders (All Levels) and in Special Education in the area of Intensive Special Needs (All Levels). Over the past 35 years, she has provided speech-language therapy to children and adults in New York, Vermont and Massachusetts. After working for 20 years as the speech-language pathologist at Mount Greylock Regional School District, she retired in June 2011. However, since she loves teaching, she is thrilled to have the opportunity to work as a part-time SLP at Hancock Elementary School. Ms. Devoe is a lifelong learner who enjoys reading, cooking, music, yoga, and archeology.

Students in the Diamond Room had a very successful Invention Convention! They all created prototypes of simple machines and educated the school and community members on their inventions.

Great job Diamond Room!

Social Studies: We begin the year by working on building community and character. Students learn and practice honesty, courage, responsibility, friendship, and respect. We will also be learning about location (home, classroom, school, state). Careers are explored and their impact discussed, as well as discussing the reasons people work.

Science: This year in science, students will be taking an active, inquiring role as they explore the world around them. Through different activities and experiments, students will be learning about plants, the weather, their senses, basic properties of objects, as well as tools.

Language: Vocabularies will certainly grow this year. Students will participate during group discussions and practice the appropriate listening and talking behaviors. Students will practice using spatial language through different activities.

Reading: The literature we will be working with this year will be rhymes, fairytales, fables, fiction, and non-fiction. Students will understand the different aspects of books and how to use books. Main events will be discussed, retold, and dramatized. Poems will be set to music and/or dance. Students will learn how to connect books that are read to themselves and to the world around them.

Writing: This year, students will begin to learn how to write their letters. We will look for common words that are found in print. We will explore periods and question marks. Also, students will create their own letter stories, skits, and poems.

Math: We will follow the Houghton Mifflin Math program for Kindergarteners. Students will work on sorting, patterns, numbers, shapes, money, length, time, and beginning algebra. Through this program, we will use song, games, and stories to learn about these concepts.

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

Mrs. Filiault grew up in North Adams, Massachusetts and attended Kindergarten through eighth grade at the Notre Dame School there. Mrs. Filiault is a certified school principal.  She graduated from Buxton School, a private high school in Williamstown. She earned a BS degree in Business Administration with a concentration in marketing and a minor in mathematics; and a BS in Elementary Education from North Adams State College, received her masters degree in education from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts where she graduated Suma Cum Laude. Mrs. Filiault is a Highly Qualified Teacher in Elementary Education and Reading and Language Arts Specialist K-8. She holds a K-6 Elementary Education license in Massachusetts and Vermont, with a Vermont K-8 endorsement in Reading and Language Arts. Her husband (Dennis) passed away in 2003. They have three sons (Chad, Justin, and Tyler) who are grown and have left the nest. She continues to live in North Adams with her German Shepherd (Madison), dachshund (Dewey), and two cats (Willybean and Doodlebug). Mrs. Filiault enjoys teaching, swimming, four-wheeling, and as of August 20, 2011 spending time with her new grandson, Ryan Dennis Filiault.  He lives with his parents Chad and Erica Filiault.

Contact: 738-5676 or e-mail jfiliault@hancockschool.org

Phonics Games

Comic Strip

Between the Lions

National Geographic Kids

Crank it Up

Star Fall

Raz-Kids

Math Activities

Animal Design

This year our library focus is to expand the library’s science book selection across all grade levels.  There was a donation from a Hancock family to make this possible.  Joan’s selections include earth science to biography to a classic science dictionary for kids.

Joan lives in South Williamstown with her corgi Bingo.

Contact: 738-5676 or email lburdick@hancockschool.org

Diamond Room Curriculum

Reading: Students will be exposed to great literature this year! Both fiction and non- fiction with be studied. Students will have the opportunity to be involved in read aloud and well as guided reading groups. Students will also be reading independently each night and will be asked to complete several “book projects” throughout the year.

Language Arts: Students will participate in spelling and grammar lessons as well as begin learning, or maybe even perfecting their cursive writing skills. We will write each day and in all content areas. Students will learn the major components of good writing. The frequent writing will allow them to put their newly learned talents in to practice. Students will take part in “Writing Workshop” several times a week. This exposes them to mini lessons that focus on a particular skill, allows them to confer with me, as well as with each other, and it allows them to learn to critique their own work.

Math: Students will explore topics such as money, place value to one million, multiplication and division. Students will develop their critical thinking skills and the thought processes needed as we begin to explore multi step word problems.

Science: My goal to get students excited about the world around us! Students will learn about the scientific method and data collection. Through hands-on experiments as well as gathering information, students will study units such as the human body, nutrition, the solar system, electricity, and the 3 phases of matter.

Social Studies: Students will study different topics dealing with Massachusetts state history, beginning with the arrival of the Pilgrims. We will also take a deep look at immigration, Ellis Island, and the family dynamics that resulted as the population grew and jobs were more readily available. Geography and map skills with also be covered.

Classroom Links

National Atlas

National Geographic Kids

Time For Kids

A Plus Math

4th Grade Geography

I am excited to have received training in the Wilson Fundations Reading and Language Program and feel strongly that the implementation of this program will successfully transition students from learning to read to reading to learn which is essential as students progress through Elementary School and transition to Middle School.

I received Bachelor of Science degree from Northeastern University’s Boston Bouve’s College of Allied Health Professions and a Master’s Degree in Special Education from North Carolina State in Raleigh, North Carolina.  Please feel free to contact me at any time at school if you feel your child is having difficulty with their classroom curriculum.

Contact: 738-5676 or email clperalta@hancockschool.org