Sept 1, 2022

Dear Sixth Grade Families,

Hello! My name is Matt Black and I will be your child’s math and science teacher this year. This will be my third year teaching at the Intermediate School, but my history at this school goes back much further--I attended school here back when it was Oak Harbor Middle School and graduated from OHHS in 2000. After teaching middle school math on the East Coast for 12 years I moved back to Whidbey with my 4-year-old son Michael to live closer to family. Both of my parents worked for the school district--my mom as a paraprofessional and my dad as the NJROTC instructor at the high school. So, I am continuing a family tradition here in Oak Harbor! 

I believe my primary job as a teacher will be to create a community this year where your child feels safe, supported, and positive about school. During the beginning of the year we will take time to get to know each other and develop consistent routines and practices to help us get off to a successful start as a supportive community.

I have always loved math and science and feel very lucky to teach those subjects each day. I consider it my job to help your son or daughter continue to foster their own love of learning while becoming a more independent person and thinker. Both the science and math curriculum we will work with this year allow students to investigate new topics and take ownership for their own learning. It is my hope that students will feel confident to take academic risks and view mistakes as a natural and positive part of learning new topics.   

Thank you in advance for your support. I plan to be in touch through weekly emails and I will also do my best to reach out via phone or email to share your child’s successes or express any concerns I have. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions. The best way to contact me is via email at mablack@ohsd.net   I am also hoping you will take the time to complete the enclosed survey and send it back to school with your child on our first day of school on Tuesday.. My hope is that it will give me a chance to learn a little about your child and how to best support them as we start working together. 

Sincerely,

Matt Black