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.

Go Marmots!

Biography

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)

Biography

Passionate about connecting books with kids, teachers and families. Actively engaged in supporting students, teachers and families with technology tools.

Personal Message

Schoology Course (4th Grade): https://app.schoology.com/course/2873573701/materials

Schoology Course (5th Grade)

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.

Visit my Library page

Heather Lucas joined the amazing Wedgwood staff 17 years ago. She has enjoyed teaching 1st, 2nd, and 5th grades in Seattle. Prior to coming to Wedgwood Elementary, she taught 4th grade in California for 5 years.

Raised in Edmonds, Heather earned her Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education at Washington State University (GO COUGS!). A few years later, she received her Master's degree in Reading Education from California State University Fullerton.

Heather lives with her husband and 2 daughters, Audrey & Brooke. They are a sports crazy family and enjoy playing soccer, basketball, and softball. In her free time, Heather enjoys relaxing with her 3 cats, gardening, cooking, and reading historical fiction books.

Biography

I love working with Kindergartners! Their creativity, curiosity, eagerness and joy in learning inspire me. I've been teaching young learners for 23 years and have taught at Wedgwood for 14 years. I enjoy baking, singing, reading, hiking, playing board games with my family and watching old movies. I grew up in University Place, WA and live in Lake Forest Park. I graduated from Western Washington University and earned my teaching certificate through the University of Washington.

Personal Message

I am delighted to work with such a fantastic educational community here at Wedgwood. My hope is to instill a lifelong love of learning in my students. Let's have some educational fun!

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

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 grew up in Sacramento, California and I was a Pre-Teaching Major at Santa Clara University. My junior year, I attended school in Florence, Italy for an incredible year learning about art history. I continued on to Sacramento State University to complete my teaching credential. I moved to Seattle and taught 4th grade for 6 years before starting a family. This is my 2nd year teaching Visual Art at Wedgwood Elementary. I love my job I enjoy learning about new artists and techniques and sharing my learning with young artists. Marmot artists inspire me with their interpretations and creativity. I enjoy working on whole school collaborative projects as well as grade level art pieces. This year we will have a global approach to learning about art and cultures around the world. Follow on Instagram @marmot_art

So excited to see all the new and returning Wedgwood Marmots!  Fun fact: all my 4 kids attended Wedgwood. I have been parenting and teaching at Wedgwood for a total of 14 years.

Art website

Hi there! My name is Kami Wahl, and I am one of the 3rd grade teachers at Wedgwood Elementary. I have been teaching elementary school for 19 years, mostly at Wedgwood. I've taught 2nd, 3rd, 4th, enrichment, art, and even a few hip hop dance classes.

I started off my secondary education at Everett Community College and then transferred to Western Washington University in Bellingham. There I graduated with my teaching certificate in elementary education. I later received my Masters in Integrated Teaching through the Arts from Lesley University in Boston.

When not teaching 3rd graders, you might find me gardening in my backyard or playing with my giant cats, Milo and Murray. If your child is in my class, you'll hear lots of fun stories about these two crazy felines!