Lakes Middle School

Welcome 8th graders and parents!

My name is Ali Mancha and this is now my 4th year here at Lakes. I started here as a long term sub, loved it, and was offered a job the next fall! I love working here with these kids and the staff, as it's truly a magical place. I grew up in the Garwood area (north of Hayden) and went on to graduate from Arizona State University with my Bachelor's in Education with a focus on English. I met my now-husband in the Arizona desert, and drug him back up to the beautiful PNW to be closer to my family, where we love to explore new hiking trails, kayak, camp, go to concerts, and play with our fluffy black and white cat, Rebel. 

I love teaching Language Arts because I am an avid reader and love to write, and I hope to pass that love to my students. I've realized over the past years here that relationships are what make the school experience so much fun! I am excited to see how much your students grow, achieve, and learn over this coming year. 

What a start to the year! Our main units this year include:

Unit 1: Suspense with Narrative writing

Unit 2: In Time of War: Anne Frank's Diary and project-based learning

Unit 3: A Moral Compass with Argumentative writing

Unit 4: Be the Change and Literature Circles 

The best way to reach me is through e-mail, which has changed this year! I am now at alicen.mancha@cdaschools.org. You can also easily reach me through remind.com (details for how to join to come).  

Let's read a lot of books and have a great year!