This is my 21st year teaching at Lagrange Middle School. I've taught both sixth and seventh grade. Originally from Staten Island, NY, I attended C.W. Post/Long Island University on a full softball scholarship, and then got my Master of Science degree in Teaching from Iona College (no scholarship there. I paid for that one!) In between, though, I worked five wonderful years for ABC News in NYC in their radio news network engineering division. A professional writer, I have five published stage plays being performed around the world, and lots of stories in newspapers and magazines. I have written two middle grade novels and two screenplays and my agent is shopping for a publisher. I was the director of drama and musicals here at LMS for nine years, and produced five of my own original plays. I have also taught English and writing at Dutchess Community College, am a member of The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. I love sharing my love of writing with my students of any age. I've lived right here in Lagrangeville with my family for the past 30 years. We are all waiting for the Mets to win the World Series again. (We're very patient.)

We will read a lot, write a lot and use all kinds of media to practice analyzing and interpreting messages. We will watch everything from Spongebob Squarepants to Disney's Mulan and The Twilight Zone to The Iron Giant. We will read everything from Dr. Seuss to award-winning middle grade novels like The War that Saved My Life and Finding Langston. Please trust that anything we do has a sound educational purpose, and my goal is to teach the kids that stories are everywhere and ELA helps them understand themselves and their world better.