Mr. Hanna - Social Studies

Greetings!  I am the social studies teacher for Team 6R. This is my fourth year teaching at Ichabod Crane Middle School, but I have taught for several years in other districts.  I have had a variety of rewarding experiences in my career in education and I am looking forward to the new experiences, relationships and challenges that this year will bring.

I am a very approachable and open-minded teacher so don’t be afraid to ask me questions or tell me how you feel.  I am a good listener so feel free to come to me with any issues that you might be having inside the classroom or out.  We can work together to figure out the best course of action to take for any situation that arises.

Let me tell you a little bit of background about myself.  I have a wonderful and understanding wife named Elizabeth, a very energetic and humorous 5 year old son named Jonathan, a silly but stubborn 1 year old daughter named Katie and ,as they say in the sports world, a child to be named later (around 1/9/10) so we are very excited about that.  I grew up in East Northport, NY which is on Long Island, where I went to a school district that is very similar to Ichabod Crane.  I received my B.A. in History from Siena College and my Master0s in Secondary Education from Queens College.  I started teaching in 1999 in  N.Y.C. intermediate school 61 in Corona, Queens where I taught 6th and 7th grade social studies and coordinated an after school sports program.  I also taught 8th grade
social studies at Central Park Middle School in Schenectady.

Some of my hobbies include reading, traveling, watching movies, playing almost any sport and watching the Mets, Jets, Knicks, and Rangers win.  I haven’t had much to cheer about recently but every year I am painfully optimistic.

I am looking forward to this school year very much.  I am lucky enough to have the best team of teachers in the business on Team 6R.  We are going to have a lot of fun learning about the world this year, so good luck and I will see you soon.

Mrs. Ireland - Math

Welcome to Grade 6 Math.  I am starting my 19th year at Ichabod Crane and am really excited about this school year.  I have been at the Middle School for the past 13 years, first as a Grade 5 teacher and now as a Grade 6 teacher.  Before I came to the Middle School I taught Special Education, Grade 4 and Grade 5 at Martin H. Glynn.  I started teaching after spending 15 years working in Human Services.

Although I don't live in the community I really like teaching at Ichabod Crane.  I like working in a smaller school district where you can get to know the students better.  I am often after school working with students through the peer partners program or other special programs.

I live in Glenmont and have a son who graduated from SUNY Oneonta after studying the music industry.  He also has his own band and they often practice at my house so I do still know some of the current music hits.  When not working I enjoy spending time at the beach or at Lake Champlain with my husband's family.  We also enjoy golfing, gardening and traveling.

My goals for this year are to have the students enjoy math, connect math to the world around them, and appreciate the importance of gaining knowledge.  This year we will be working with a new curriculum which New York State has implemented.  This will bring challenges for both the students and myself as we learn together.  I am very excited to be learning along with my students.

Mrs. Purificato - Consultant Teacher

Hi!  My name is Jackie Purificato.  The students refer to me as Mrs. P.  I am the consultant teacher for team 6R.  This is my  26th year of teaching and I have been with Ichabod Crane for 19 years.  I love working in the middle school, and am always looking for strategies that will help different learners be more successful in school.  I am an avid reader and enjoy keeping up with the current adolescent literature.  I am involved with the teachers' adolescent book club, a teacher and student mentor, and a member of the language arts committee.

I live in Castleton with my husband, two sons, and several pets.  My older son is at St. Rose studying to be a Special Education Teacher.  My younger son is in the tenth grade at Maple Hill High School.

I am looking forward to spending the year with the students on 6R. 

Mrs. Rickert - Language Arts

I am the Language Arts teacher on Team 6R.  I have been teaching at ICC for 16 years, and this is my tenth year teaching at this level.  I  am looking forward to my 6th year as Team Leader. I love it here at the Middle School because of the students, faculty, and all of the great opportunities at this building.  The greatest aspect of teaching at the Middle School is being able to watch our students grow and have successes all the way through eighth grade.  I am looking forward to my sixth year as team leader and my forth adventure being curriculum liaison for the Middle School Language Arts Department.  I will also participate in the teachers' adolescent book club for the forth year.

To give you some background about myself, I am the mother of three beautiful girls who are ages 12, 9, and 2.  They are as unique as can be, just like each of you!  My husband and I live with our daughters in Chatham Center.  We also have one dog, a cat, and many fish. 

My training includes a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s Degree in Educational Psychology, both earned at the College of Saint Rose, along with many in-service and conference courses.  Along with keeping up on the most innovative and proven instructional strategies, I really enjoying reading about how the brain functions, particularly the adolescent brain.  This research is truly interesting and provides an understanding of and a basis for teaching our students.

Mr. Valentine - Science

Mr. Valentine graduated from the State University of New York at Potsdam in May 1972.  He began his teaching career that September as a 5th grade teacher at Ichabod Crane's Martin H. Glynn School in Valatie.  In 1982, he moved permanently to the Middle School, and began teaching 6th grade in 1986.

This is Mr. V's 38th year at Ichabod Crane, and all but one has been in the field of science.  During this time, he has also taught many computer courses and loves to build and refurbish computers in his spare time.  Mr. Valentine is an avid golfer and coin collector.  He has 3 grown children, all of whom graduated from Ichabod Crane.  He has 2 granddaughters, Rachel 6 and Jessica 3.