Mrs. Gilfenbaum
Mrs. Gilfenbaum – 6th Grade
Tell us about yourself.
Thirty- one years ago I moved to an old cape on the Medomak River. I still live there and never tire of the view. I spend time reading, gardening, knitting and playing with my black lab Phoebe. My children are grown, my daughter lives and works in Portland and my son is about to start a job in Rockland.
I grew up in Boston and attended college there. I went to Graduate School at the University of Maine in Orono. Except for a brief stint in northern New Hampshire I have lived in Maine ever since. I love living in the quiet of my country life.
I have been teaching since 1989. After my children had grown up a little I took my first job teaching kindergarten in Bremen, where Mrs. Stilwell was also teaching! After the Bremen Grade School closed I taught kindergarten and first grade at St George and first and second grade at Lura Libby. I loved teaching little kids but now feel my place is in middle school.
What is your parent contact plan?
I am a strong believer that school and parents should work as a team. Please feel free to contact me at school by phone or at sgilfenbaum@rsu13.org. I check my email at home and try to respond in a timely fashion.
What are your homework guidelines?
Students should plan on twenty minutes of homework a night, Monday-Thursday. Homework is given to reinforce concepts learned in class. I accept late work but feel it is more beneficial to stay current. If a child is truly struggling with an assignment, just sign off that they have attempted the assignment and they will not be penalized. This helps lessen the pressure on parents and students and I will reteach the information in class the next day. Each student has been registered on a math computer program called ALEKS. This is an excellent way for students to spend time at home. They have their own password and login name and they can access the program from any computer. Please feel free to contact me with any questions about ALEKS.