Meet the Teacher!

_________________________________Stone Scholastic Academy_______________________________

 Looking Forward to a Great New Year!

Dear Parents,

My name is Jennifer Garcia (McFarland) and I will be your child’s sixth grade teacher.  Our co-teacher will be Ms. Stephanie Gonzalez. We will be spending a great deal of time with your child in the upcoming school year.  Because of this, I’d like to take this opportunity to tell you a few things about myself-both personally and professionally.

I was born and raised in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago.  Yes, this means I am a huge Cubs fan. ☺  In my free time I enjoy spending time with my family.  My 6-yr-old daughter Scarlett keeps me super busy - who knew I could master the art of slime making?! LOL!  We also have a dog named Murphy.  This is my 12th year at Stone Scholastic Academy and 22nd year in Chicago Public Schools.  I’m honored to be a part of the Stone family and look forward to a great year! 

Being your child’s English Language Arts (ELA) teacher, this year I will be using the new and improved CPS curriculum titled Skyline.  The goal is to blend what I’ve done in the past with new and exciting ideas and texts.  Our block of time will start with whole group instruction, lead into guided practice and conclude with individual application.  Students will also practice matching texts with their reading level- we call these “just-right” texts.  Independent reading, responding to reading and applying critical thinking skills are just some components to your child’s reading success!  We will also use the curriculum Wordly Wise to boost student vocabulary. 

I will also be your child’s Social Studies teacher.  We will begin the year with discussions around history and our culture.  We will then move into our units of Early Humans/Stone Ages, Ancient Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece (coupled with our reading in ELA class) as well as a specified Civil Rights Movement unit in February.  One day a week we will watch CNN10 to keep up with current events.

As a parent, you are the most important person in your child’s life, and we need to work together for your child’s benefit.  I will need your guidance with supporting homework assignments, encouraging academic goals, and maintaining responsible behavior.  I will keep you informed about your child’s progress using the Chicago Public Schools Parent Portal.  With school and home working together, I know your child can have a successful year!

Please feel free to email me anytime with questions or concerns at [email protected]

Sincerely,

Ms. Jennifer Garcia and Ms. Stephanie Gonzalez

6th Grade ELA/SS 

Stone Scholastic Academy