Welcome to the 4th grade classroom of Mr. McIlquham at Ashley Academy - you can call me Mr. Mac, but I hope that, by the year-end, you’ll be comfortable saying (and even spelling) my last name! While my name is Scottish, I was born and raised in Canada and then travelled the world with my family - we lived in England and Australia before settling in the US and becoming American citizens. Mrs. Mac and I have been married for almost 38 years and have two adult children, both graduates of Ashley Academy; our son Cameron works locally in cellular phone sales, and daughter Tori is in her final year at ETSU en route to becoming a middle grades teacher herself!
I am very excited to be teaching 4th grade again at Ashley Academy this year, and I have to say that this is my favorite grade to teach. My first degree many years ago was in business and computer science, but in my global wanderings I also developed a keen interest in geography, history, science and literature – and a corresponding desire to encourage the same curiosity and passion for learning in my students. |
Our classroom will be a beehive of experiential activity. We’ll read and write about many books, including newly published works eligible for the 2020 Newbery Awards. We’ll do research projects covering family stories, colonial life, explorers, and the science fair. We’ll take loads of field trips – some of those I’m investigating include Tipton Haynes, the Clyde Austin 4-H Center in Greeneville, the Barter Theatre, ETSU and Roan Mountain. And we’ll participate in competitions such as the Scripps National Spelling Bee, the National Geographic Bee, the Upper East Tennessee Science Fair, and the Upper East Tennessee Early Mathematics Tournament.
To encourage your curiosity and get those mental juices flowing, check out my first challenge under the "Classroom" tab. Email me with your thoughts on this question (or any other) at [email protected].
You may submit as many entries as you like, and all correct answers will receive very special attention on the first day of school!
To encourage your curiosity and get those mental juices flowing, check out my first challenge under the "Classroom" tab. Email me with your thoughts on this question (or any other) at [email protected].
You may submit as many entries as you like, and all correct answers will receive very special attention on the first day of school!