Kelly McHugh joins the Delaware Valley Friends School community as the middle school math teacher. She comes to us most recently from the CHOP hospital school program where she taught students in grades K- 12. Kelly brings a passion for math and experience teaching students with a range of learning differences to our middle school program. She is also sharing her love of music with DVFS students by assisting with the newly formed Middle School Singers. Read a brief interview with Kelly below:
Q: What drew you to Delaware Valley Friends School?
Having spent time in both traditional and non-traditional classrooms, DVFS provided the opportunity for a really nice blend of my experience and expertise.
Q: What do you enjoy most about teaching math?
Math is so concrete, but then you can play with abstracts as well. You get the satisfaction of having a final answer, but the challenge of being able to take it to another level of applying the same principles in more theoretical and creative ways.
Q: What appeals to you about teaching middle school students?
I like empowering adolescents - to partner with them to show them what they can do. To be able to support kids when they are trying to figure out so many things and still have a chance to impact how they view the world is both a great opportunity and a great responsibility - and I appreciate and understand that.
Q: What are you most enjoying about your new role at DVFS?
The supportive community, energetic students and cooperative parents and families. This is a great place.
Q: What is your vision for middle school math at DVFS?
I want middle school students to feel as empowered and supported in their computational skills as they do in their reading and literacy skills. In general terms, my focus is on reinforcing for the kids that they really can do the basic math, and, armed with that, take them to a higher level than they thought they could achieve.
Q: What did you do before coming to DVFS?
I spent the last 15 years in the hospital school program at CHOP teaching K-12th grades in a wide range of content areas. In this role, I had a lot of experience with students who had learning differences. Before that, I taught middle school science and math at Nazareth Academy Grade School.
Q: What do you like to do when you’re not teaching at DVFS?
I tie in my love of math with some of my hobbies of sewing, cooking and music. I am also enjoying helping with the DVFS Middle School Singers during Friday lunch periods.
