I guess I should tell you a little bit about myself first. The most important thing you should know is that I love being a teacher. I truly look forward to coming to school every day. I have been a teacher in the Newport school district for 13 years and have taught in every school except Sullivan, which is now the site for the new Pell School. Some of my favorite hobbies include sailing, skiing, hiking, running, biking and camping. In case you haven’t noticed I really like to spend time outdoors. Reading is also a favorite of mine, especially when I am relaxing on the beach. Exercising, like teaching, is a passion of mine. It is so important to take care of your body and your mind to live a healthy, happy life.

            Another thing that is very important to me is my family. I have two boys named Ian and Cameron. Ian is 18 years old and is a freshman in college. He loves playing baseball and basketball. Cameron is 15 and started 9th grade last week. Cam is into photography, surfing and loves animals. Especially their Golden Retriever named Cooper. We all have one thing in common, that is that we are all very adventurous. One of our best trips was when we went on a camping and canoeing trip in the Adirondacks. We had to paddle across three lakes and set up camp in the woods and had to cook all of our meals over the campfire. Another one of my favorite adventures was doing a long distance sailing race. It started in Newport, went to Long Island, Martha’s Vineyard and back to Newport. We sailed all day and night and it lasted 24 hours. That was really cool. There were even dolphins swimming next to our boat in the moonlight.

            This past Fall, I coached the Thompson Cross Country Team and I’m looking forward to coaching again next year! I am also an assistant coach for the Thompson Boys' Baseball Team.      

Like spending time with my family, I am looking forward to a enjoying a wonderful adventure with you this year. Hopefully we can help each other grow, make new friends that will last a life time and accomplish great things. Welcome to fifth grade!