Catamount Times
June, 2016
Ms. Ingram has been Inspiring Students for Four Decades
Ms. Ingram is the 6 th-grade literacy teacher for the Trailblazers. She always taught French at our school, but when the budget no longer supported foreign language, she switched to literacy.
Her favorite grade to teach is 6 th, and she loves teaching French. What she enjoys most about teaching is how it is seasonal: there are beginning, middle and end activities, which provides a constant progression of students’ skills.
Ms. Ingram graduated from Woburn Memorial High School in Woburn, Mass. in 1970, and earned her Bachelor’ s degree from Upsala College in New Jersey in 1974, with a major in French and minors in Swedish and secondary education.
Next year will be her 40 th year of teaching, which is an amazing accomplishment. Ms. Ingram said she plans to retire in five years, to enjoy time with her family, read a lot, volunteer in the community and do other interesting things.
Other interests she pursues outside of the classroom include reading, writing and walking. She is currently reading“ The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History,” by Elizabeth Kolbert.
Her favorite food is steamed lobster with sides of steamed clams and coleslaw. For personal enjoyment, she listens to NPR and likes the music of Warren Zevon, Orchestra Baobab and Youssou N’ Dour, among others.
By Lily S. Catamount Staff Reporter
Mr. Wurzburg: Sharing His Love of Science for 35 Years
Mr. Wurzburg is the 6 th-grade science teacher for the Trailblazers. He has been teaching for 35 years; some of that was 5 th / 6 th grade, and he also spent one year teaching 8 th grade. Following are some excerpts from my interview with Mr. Wurzburg.
Q: Who was your favorite teacher when you were a kid? A: I had a number of teachers I really enjoyed when I was in elementary school( K-8), but my favorite was my 7 th and 8 th grade teacher, Mr. Clerkin. He shared his love of science with his students through the different activities we did, and to this day I still remember the lessons I learned during those activities! Q: What inspired you to become a science teacher? A: After getting my college degree in history, I worked for two years for an environmental organization teaching elementary students. That experience, along with my interest in science and
Maple Sugaring at the Wurzburg Farm
The 6 th-grade Trailblazers team learned about maple sugaring at Mr. Wurzburg’ s farm in St. Johnsbury.
The first step to tapping a tree is to find the last tapping hole and go over three inches, then go down about three inches. Point the drill in an upward direction and start drilling until you can’ t see the drill bit. It should be about 1.5-2 inches deep.( The drill bit should be 7 / 16 inches.) Then drill it back out.
When the hole is drilled, blow the sawdust out because it will plug up the tap hole so the sap can’ t get in the bucket. If the sawdust is dark brown, it is not a good spot because the tree is dead in that spot, so you’ ll have to try a different spot. You want the sawdust to be light brown.
Line the
4 history, was part of my inspiration – along with working with some wonderful college professors in botany, biology and geology. I should mention that, for many years, I taught all subjects, not just science. Q: What is your favorite thing to do with your students? A: I love getting outdoors to learn about science. The 6 th-grade AMC trip and our trips to the Northern Forest are some of my favorites. Q: What place would you most like to
spot up with the hole, then take a hammer and lightly hammer the tap into the hole. Make sure you line it up because if you don’ t, the bucket will not fit on the tap. When you get the tap in, you hang the bucket on the hook. Put the cover on the bucket, so rainwater does not get in the bucket.
Congratulations! You’ ve learned how to tap a tree. You can now move on to your next tree and start over.
By Adriana L. 6th Grade visit in the future? A: I’ d like to visit Iceland. I spent 24 hours there two years ago. The landscape there is like nothing else on Earth. It’ s a place that is very new in terms of geologic history, and contains volcanoes, glaciers and incredible waterfalls. Q: What is your dream car? A: An electric all-wheel-drive car or truck. Zero carbon dioxide emissions! Q: What are you currently reading for enjoyment? A:“ The Forest Unseen” by David Haskell and“ The Lobster Chronicles” by Linda Greenlaw, which is a story about life on Isle Au Haut, an island off the coast of Maine. Q: Who is your favorite author? A: I have many writers whose work I enjoy, but Kenneth Roberts is one that I keep going back to- historical fiction about the times in America around the Revolutionary War.
By Lily S. Catamount Staff Reporter
Art Show Slideshow
Click the above image to view a slideshow of this year’ s art show.
Check out www. stjsd. org for interactive PDF versions of the Catamount Times.
Have a great summer!