I attended Drew University in NJ and then moved to Seattle. After working in a day care for a year I knew that I wanted to work and teach children. So, I went to Western Washington University to obtain my certificate and have been teaching in Seattle for 19 years. Many of my years were spent as an Instructional Specialist helping students with reading and mathematics. Last year, I moved to first-grade and I love it!
Personal Message
I love teaching and working with Elementary students. I wake up every day excited and enthused to go to work. Honestly, there is nothing else that I would rather do.
I also enjoy playing the drums, swimming, and spending time with my family.
Teacher Sam enjoys hiking, reading, games (both video and board), participating in social justice movements, and cooking. Their 5th grade class is filled with music, tough questions, bright colors, comic books, and laughter.
Sam grew up in Clearview, WA and now lives in Seattle. They started teaching in SPS during the 2016/17 school year and at Wedgwood during the 2017/18 school year. They studied community education models at Hampshire College, graduating in 2010 and received their Masters in Teaching from Antioch College in 2016.
Personal Message
I am overjoyed to work in such a wonderful educational community here at Wedgwood. I hope I can send my 5th graders off to middle school with a love of learning and critical thinking skills. Let's have some educational fun!
Pronouns: They/Them
By stating my pronouns clearly, I hope to create space for others to share theirs, creating a more inclusive environment and culture for my learning community.
I am passionate about empowering children through culturally responsive educational opportunities, social emotional learning, personal connections, and challenging growth mindset. I am committed to advocacy and social justice work. I believe that children who are encouraged to discover and learn about issues that matter to them build the capacity for empathy, leadership, and self-awareness.
Personal Message
Background Information:
I have worked with children and families in various capacities for over 22 years and have taught at Wedgwood since 2012. Before joining the Wedgwood community, I worked in early childhood education through high school and college. Fun facts: I’ve also been a barista and a hotel concierge.
I feel so grateful that I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of so many family’s lives over the years. Kids are complex, joyful, hilarious, interesting, kind, and sometimes frustrating humans. I love being around them and gain so much hope and strength from building connections with them.
Some of my favorite activities include spending time with friends and family, reading, making music playlists, going to Mariner's games, engaging in activism, spending time with my 2- year old niece, Mavis, floating on lakes, creating soup recipes, and sleeping.
If you talk to Donna for more than a few minutes, you can tell she began her teaching career on the East Coast -- over 30 years ago in Washington, D.C. She and her family moved to Seattle in 2001, and she has worked in many SPS programs over the past 15+ years. Donna currently supports students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) at Wedgwood, helping them to access general education, grade level curriculum.
When not in the classroom, Donna loves to spend time with her 3 adult children, to dig in her garden, and to wander the Wedgwood neighborhood.
Personal Message
I am excited to work together this year and to discover how to best support your Wedgwood Marmot!
Amanda Jacobs joined the wonderful staff at Wedgwood Elementary during the 2016-2017 school year. Prior to coming to Wedgwood, she taught in California. When her family moved from CA to WA in 2015, she quickly fell in love with the Wedgwood community; joining the staff a year later felt (and still feels) like a dream come true!
Raised in the Bay Area in CA, Amanda earned her Bachelor's degree at the University of California at Berkeley (Go Bears!) and her teaching certificate at San Jose State University. She is currently working on earning her Master's degree in Education. She has always loved working with young children; her first job, when she was 13, was teaching ballet and tap to preschool-age and elementary-age dancers.
In her free time, Amanda loves reading (especially fiction -- any kind of fiction -- classics, historical, YA, fantasy, dystopian, etc), practicing yoga, baking, playing board games, and exploring the globe with her family. She and her husband have three kids -- Gracelyn, Haven, and Maston. Gracelyn and Haven were Mighty Marmots before promoting on, and Maston is going into second grade at Wedgwood.
I am from Whidbey Island, WA and have lived in Seattle since college. I love the Pacific Northwest and being active in the outdoors. A few activities I enjoy are volleyball, hiking, camping, paddle boarding, sailing, and snowboarding.
Personal Message
I have been teaching Physical Education at Wedgwood Elementary for 15 years. I love teaching Kindergarten through 5th grade students about the importance of personal health and fitness. Throughout the school year we work on cooperative activities and games, individual fitness, and movement and sports skills. There is an emphasis on team-building, cooperation, and sportsmanship. I love seeing our Wedgwood students be active, work collaboratively, and have fun together in PE class. Go Marmots!
I have been working for the Seattle Public Schools since 1995. I started out subbing as a special education assistant, and worked for two years at Gatzert Elementary as a special education assistant in the blended kindergarten classroom. Since then I have worked as a reading teacher at BF Day Elementary and for the past 16+ (has it really been that long?) years at Wedgwood Elementary. At Wedgwood I have been the reading specialist and I have taught 3rd, 4th and 5th grades.
Things I Love About Teaching 5th Grade:
Teaching writing - I have had so many talented and creative writers in my classes over the years and I love to read the amazing stories, poems and essays that students write.
Social Justice - 5th graders are committed to social justice and ready to be activists.
Questioning - 5th graders ask great questions.
Feedback - 5th graders aren't afraid to give me feedback that makes me a better teacher.
Books - So many wonderful books to read and discuss!
Kids - 5th graders are awesome!
Things I Love Outside of School:
Reading, Gardening, Baking Tarts (They're my specialty), Hiking, Snowboarding (I snowboard like a grandma, but I still love getting outside in the Winter and enjoying the snow)
Passionate about connecting books with kids, teachers and families. Actively engaged in supporting students, teachers and families with technology tools.
Kristi Leland joined the amazing staff at Wedgwood Elementary during the 2015-2016 school year. Prior to coming to Wedgwood, she has taught every grade K-6 in the Lake Stevens, Issaquah and Seattle Public Schools. As a long time resident of the Wedgwood neighborhood, becoming the librarian at Wedgwood Elementary felt like a dream come true.
Raised in the Pacific Northwest, Kristi earned her Bachelor's in Sociology at the University of Washington. Deciding that education was where her heart lay, she then pursued her graduate studies at Pacific Lutheran University and eventually her Masters in Administration at Western Washington University. It was while taking some time to stay home with her young children that she realized that connecting books with kids was her passion. This led her to earning her library endorsement through Seattle Pacific University in 2015.
When her nose is not in a book, Kristi enjoys spending time with her husband and three kids, experimenting in the kitchen, traveling to warm weather locations, and trying out the latest exercise craze.
You can follow her reading suggestions on Instagram @ReadingMarmots or email her any time for book recommendations or tech questions.
