6th Grade

Welcome to MAELS Guide - 6th Grade - Marsh Avenue Expeditionary Learning School

6th Grade Information

Welcome to Greenbrier 6th Grade

Welcome to 6th grade at Greenbrier for the upcoming school year! We are excited to start a
new year and cannot wait to meet everyone who will join us on our academic journey this year.
Our primary method of keeping families informed is through emails, so please look for emails
about our Meet the Teacher and other events. We also each send a weekly email.
Please contact the appropriate one of us when questions or concerns arise. The contact
information is:

Casey Gellings and Steve Hrovat
602-467-5572 602-467-5574
casey.gellings@dvusd.org steve.hrovat@dvusd.org
We look forward to a great year!

6th Grade Supply List

6th Grade
RECOMMENDED SUPPLIES
2 Pocket folders
1- 3 ring, 1” Binder OR Accordion Notebook
1- Package of glue sticks
Headphones/Earbuds
College lined notebook paper, as needed
Index Cards, as needed
1-Red pen
#2 pencils, as needed
1-Package color pencils
1-Ruler, prefer 6” w/metric & U.S. Standard Measurements
1-Box tissues
1-Roll of paper towels
1-Package of copy paper

6th Grade Readiness

Dear Sixth Grade Families,

We hope this message finds you well. We are excited about moving up to sixth grade and wanted to share our thoughts on what we are looking forward to and the skills we will be working on.

Reading Comprehension: skills in analyzing texts and citing evidence.

Math Concepts: fractions, decimals, and basic geometry.

Writing Skills: persuasive, and informative essays or conducting research for reports

Independent Study and Time Management: Sixth grade will bring more opportunities for independent study, and we will be working on managing time effectively to balance schoolwork and other activities.

Social and Emotional Development: We look forward to building positive relationships with new peers and teachers and developing self-advocacy skills.

Thank you for your support as we prepare for this exciting new chapter.We are looking forward to all the learning and growth that sixth grade will bring.

Meet the Teachers

Hi. My name is Steve Hrovat. I have been teaching sixth grade at Greenbrier since 1991 and truly feel fortunate that I have been a part of such a great school and community.

I grew up in the Phoenix area with my six brothers and sisters, including one who teaches at a middle school just a few miles away. I went to Manzanita Elementary School and then Cortez High School. After high school, I joined the Army Reserve as a Military Police Correctional Specialist. While in the Army I was also trained as a Cook (they needed Prison Guards with a cooking background to oversee the prisoner cooks - can't have prisoners sneaking out with the knives....) and Intelligence Analyst. It was all interesting and, more importantly, helped me get through college financially.

I attended Glendale Community College and Arizona State University's West Campus to attain my Bachelor's Degree and teaching certification. I then acquired my Master's Degree in Counseling from Northern Arizona University's local classes. It was there that I met my wife in 1996.

My wife works for Banner Health as a Clinical Program Manager for Telebehavioral Health. Prior to that job, she was a Crisis Therapist in the Emergency Department at Banner Thunderbird Medical Center.

We have two kids, a daughter and a son, both of whom went to Greenbrier from kindergarten through sixth grade and then Highland Lakes for middle school.

Our daughter graduated from ASU in December 2014 (Go Devils!). She has two kids, so we are grandparents.Her husband is in the Navy as an Independent Duty Corpsman currently stationed in Virginia. Seeing the sacrifices their whole family has made for the Navy has strengthened my appreciation for the military.

Our son graduated from Barrett, The Honors College at ASU in May 2019 with a degree in Biological Medicine. During his college years he worked at The Mayo Clinic doing research, and he continued that after he graduated. Prior to that, he did volunteer work at Banner Thunderbird Hospital, Children's First Leadership Academy (a school for the homeless), and a homeless shelter in downtown Phoenix, where he prescreened those needing medical assistance. He recently finished his second year of medical school (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) at Midwestern University.

I spend my free time hiking and running with my wife. We have completed many races, from smaller 5k's up to a full marathon and even several Ragnars, both road running and trail running. We often hike on local trails like Sunrise Mountain, Deem Hills, and Thunderbird. Other notable hikes we have completed include Humphrey's Peak, Bear Mountain, Flatiron, Kendrick Peak, Mount Elden, O'Leary Peak, and Groom Creek. We also love the Grand Canyon and have hiked down to the Colorado River and back up several times, including doing rim to rim twice, once north to south and once south to north.

I love my job and appreciate the time I get to spend with America's future. It always amazes me how much they grow up in one school year and I really take joy seeing them years after sixth grade and hearing about how their life has turned out.

Classroom phone number: 602-467-5574

Email address: Steve.Hrovat@dvusd.org

Please be aware that phone calls will go right to voice mail during school hours. I'll get your message, so please don't hesitate to leave one.

You can email me anytime. I have my email up throughout the day and will respond as soon as I have the chance.

Ms. Casey Gellings

Welcome to the new school year!! I am so excited about being your sixth-grade teacher. I am looking forward to meeting each and every one of you. It is going to be a fantastic year!

Please visit our classroom website often. I will be sending frequent emails about classroom information. Any student who has his/her own personal email can be included in the group emails.

Please do not hesitate to contact me with any comments, questions, or concerns.
Phone: 602-467-5572
Email: casey.gellings@dvusd.org