Educating the Whole Child:
Mind, Body and Spirit.
Personal Education:
Graduating from Uxbridge High School, Mrs. McElreath attended North Adams State College (now Mass College of Liberal Arts). She started there with an education major, but dabbled in other things like Psychology, Business, and Athletic Training. Realizing she really wanted to be a Physical Education teacher, she transferred to Springfield College where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education with a minor in Health and a concentration in coaching. After a couple of years of thinking what she wanted her Master’s degree to be in, she went back to Springfield College to receive her Master’s in Recreation Management with a concentration in Outdoor Recreation.
Teaching Experience:
In her sixth year teaching at Assumption, Mrs. McElreath has 19 years teaching experience starting out as a part-time Physical Education teacher and now as a full-time teacher, teaching P.E. to grades PK-8, Health to grades 6-8, and Science to grades 6 and 7. She points out "the beauty of being a specials teacher is that I get to know each and every one of the students."
As a P.E. teacher she brings her love of kids, teaching, and playing games together to especially work with kids who are not "athletes" and who P.E. is not their favorite subject, encouraging them to get out there and try and be part of something they thought they would never try, learn, or understand.
Family and Interests:
Mrs. McElreath and her husband John have been married for 19 years with two "amazingly awesome" children who both attend Assumption School. As a family, they enjoy doing things together like hiking, or a Spartan race, a campfire, or a family movie or game night. Her and her husband are Highland Games athletes (tossing stones and cabers for fun!) and enjoy competing in obstacle course racing. Mrs. McElreath loves to travel, bake and cook, craft and construct, and does much to raise awareness and money for cancer research.
"One of my favorite quotes has always been the African proverb - 'A person is a person because of people.' We at Assumption want to be the people who make our little people the best person they can be in spirit, mind and body."
Mrs. Melissa McElreath