Cheryl’s Biography
This is my seventh year at Honey Creek! I have a varied background; undergraduate degree in Animal Sciences from MSU, five years managing catering facilities, including the Michigan League and Kellogg Eye Center, a master's degree in General Science from EMU to name a few. I have taught in Virginia, Colorado and Michigan, as well as running educational programs for the Armed Services YMCA in Alameda, California and Dayton, Ohio. I spent 3 years living in western Germany, right on the Dutch border town of Sittard, while my own children were young. I brought my own children to Honey Creek ten years ago, and didn't waste a minute getting involved as a volunteer, substitute and now as a teacher. I enjoy teaching all subjects. That said, I especially love teaching science! It is my pleasure to be able to spend my days learning alongside your children! Go State!!
A bit about monthly compositions. You will see a graphic organizer come home along with a template letter attached. The monthly composition is a letter to me, at least three paragraphs, that follows the template. It is about a "current" event (I'm not too concerned about how current...) and how the students relate to it. Normally, they will be picking a topic that is interesting to them. The work can be based on a magazine article, a documentary, an audio documentary, one that is appropriate for school. News ELA is a great website that has current event articles that you can "level" for your child's reading level. Think more along science and social studies themes. (I've asked them to avoid war, violence and bad happenings.)
Each page of the organizer moves students through one of the paragraphs on the template. Once the organizer is complete, students will use these materials to write their paragraphs. While it takes time to plan, the organizer will help students write without having to juggle "what comes next" as well. Once students have a rough draft of the letter, they should be asking you to help them edit. Edit and make revisions right on the rough draft, together. Afterward, the student should rewrite the final copy. Please have them turn in both the final copy as well as the edited draft. The final copy may be either handwritten or typed. I'd like a hard copy; if they need to print here, we will accommodate that. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to send them along in the planner, or e-mail me. I can't wait to see what your student is interested in!! PLEASE SEE MORE COMPLETE INFORMATION IN THE TEMPLATE and RESOURCES SECTION!