NAME:
Betsy Wood, M.Ed.
SCHOOL:
Central Tree Middle School
CLASS:
THE BEST!
SCHOOL PHONE:
508-886-0073
This is my thirteenth year at CTMS and my twenty-sixth year as an educator -
how could I have possibly gotten to be that old? Old? That's just a state of
mind - my students help keep me young-at-heart!
Prior to moving to this area fourteen years ago, I taught at a private high
school alternative program in Weston (Basic Math up through and including
Trigonometry). I continue to help high school students to prepare for SATs
and occasionally do private tutoring. I have also held some other math-
related positions throughout the years: a brokerage assistant at Merrill
Lynch (fascinating!) and Structural Industrial Engineer Trainee for General
Dynamics (enlightening!), and a professional graphic artist.
I have come to love Central Massachusetts - just the right proximity to
mountains and ocean (after growing up in Newport, RI). My own children
are fourteen and nineteen. My son is a sophomore at Wentworth Institute of
Technology in Boston majoring in Civil Engineering. He graduated from
Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical High School in June (top 10 of his
class, selected Most Outstanding Carpentry Student, competed at the state and
national levels for SkillsUSA). My daughter is a freshman at Wachusett
Regional High School. Between both of their schedules, we have been involved
with soccer, field hockey, ice hockey, golf, horseback riding, dance, and
lacrosse (and love to ski during that season). During my own down time
(which is rare), I help to run one of Worcester's emergency food pantries. I
also enjoy quilting, knitting, tennis, biking, reading (especially mysteries,
medical and legal thrillers, and science fiction) and calligraphy (which I do
professionally).
At CTMS, I have served as Yearbook advisor, the Mathlete's assistant advisor,
Field Hockey Team's equipment manager and administrative manager. I started
the FIRST Lego League Team in 2005, and served as the club's advisor for
three years. In 2010, I introduced the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented
Youth Program to ten advanced seventh graders!
My Summer Reading included the following (for pleasure!):
Cradle and All, James Patterson
Split Second, David Baldacci
The Titan's Curse(third of Percy Jackson series)
The Shack,
Post Mortem, Patricia Cornwell
To see even the most math-phobic students learn to make connections and
applications with mathematics (math is everywhere and part of everything).
To role-model the, "YES-YOU-CAN ATTITUDE!" in all areas of academics. To
show my students that it's great to get FIRED UP about school... and lastly,
to give them the best possible preparation for their high school experience!