Mrs. Rackliff
Mrs. Debbie Rackliff – 7th grade
Tell us about yourself.
I grew up in Rockland, Maine and have lived in Spruce Head for the past thirty-five years with my husband, Paul. Our two sons, Eric and Nick, have graduated from college and live in Massachusetts. Pete and Zeke, our two labs, have helped us handle becoming “empty-nesters.” I first put on my “teacher” hat in 1990, when I began working as an Ed Tech at Owls Head Central School and realized right away that teaching was my passion. I spent the next nine years attending the University of Maine in Orono, part time, to earn my Bachelor’s degree. After working for one year teaching 1st graders at Gilford Butler School, I made the move to RDMS to work with 8th graders for the next seven. I am very excited to join the staff at TGS as part of the 7th grade team.
Why do you like to teach 7th grade?
I thoroughly enjoyed working with students in the lower elementary grades as an Ed Tech, but I find working with middle level students even more fulfilling. This is such an exciting age as students develop into self-sufficient young adults. I look forward to helping each of them gain the skills they will need to become an independent learner.
What are your favorite units?
A favorite unit of mine is my Paper Clips unit, which teaches students what can happen when intolerance goes unchecked. Our 7th graders learned this lesson through the eyes of 8th graders at Whitwell Middle School in Tennessee as they collected a paper clip for every person killed during the Holocaust and built a museum to house them. Another favorite unit for the past three years has been my Community Service Project and I hope to continue promoting volunteerism with our 7th graders at TGS.
What is your parent contact plan?
The 7th grade team is available for scheduled parent meetings most Friday mornings. If you would like to contact me personally for any reason, email is the best way to do that. Finding a few minutes throughout the day to read and respond to an email is easier than connecting via telephone. Please don’t hesitate to email me with any questions or concerns you might have.
What are your homework guidelines?
All 7th grade students should be reading a book of their choice for 30 minutes each night, 5 times a week. Their reading record sheet is checked each Monday and counts as a homework grade. There is spelling homework each night as well, with a quiz every Friday. Writing assignments and social studies homework will vary from week to week. If any student has 3 or more assignments overdue, I will contact parents to set up an academic tutorial after school.