Kate Langdon, Grade 4

Kate is ecstatic to be a part of the Green Woods family for a second year. Having been born and raised in Reading, Pennsylvania, she decided it was time for a change and moved to the Philadelphia area after her college graduation. Kate graduated from Susquehanna University in 2005 with a degree in Elementary Education and an emphasis in English. Her love and enthusiasm for reading and writing transpires through all of her learning activities. She enjoys helping children transfer their thoughts, creativity, and imagination into personal pieces of writing. Before joining the Green Woods community, Kate taught second and third grade in Southwest Philadelphia. Currently, she is teaching fourth grade and couldn’t be happier!
            Since Kate comes from a family of five children, she is used to being active and spending the majority of her free time out doors. Kate reigns from a family of athletes; therefore, sports are a large part of her daily life. Since her childhood, Kate has played soccer, softball, field hockey, tennis, and has recently taken up long distance running. When she isn’t working or playing sports, you can find Kate sitting on the beach, reading a book, or laughing with her friends and family.

When I decided it was time to take on a new challenge, I quickly learned that Green Woods would be the perfect place for me and my teaching style. From the second I started down the long driveway that leads to the school, I new I had found what I had been searching for. The dynamic and mission of the school fit the mold I had in mind. The small class sizes would allow me to develop a strong family mentality within the learning community, as well as, create hands on learning activities. The serene setting of the school also caught my attention. The trees, noises, and sights surrounding the school motivated me to want to learn more about the surrounding area. With hundreds of acres of land to explore, I am eager to incorporate the outdoors into my daily lessons. I hope to learn right along with the students on our journey through the fourth grade watershed year.

Jean Wallace, Academic Director

As the Academic Director and CEO, Jean is responsible for guiding the design and implementation of our unique K-8 curriculum and for supporting the direction of all areas of school life. Jean works in collaboration with the Board of Trustees and Green Woods' Business Director to build on our successful past toward an even greater future.

Jean is responsible to the Department of Education for ensuring that Green Woods students are receiving a standards-based learning experience within the guidelines and mandates of Federal, State, and Charter School Law. In addition to the many responsibilities associated with curriculum and instruction, Jean supports Green Woods through successful grant writing, ongoing website communication, developing our student voice through the Jr. SLT, and by networking with key partners from within and outside the Green Woods community.

Jean's volunteer efforts as a member of the Governor's Council for Environmental Education provide a rare and exciting opportunity to work with many of the state's environmental experts and agencies. "By working collaboratively with the Department of Education and the many outstanding environmental agencies throughout our state, Green Woods is able to gain both valuable resources along with well-deserved recognition for the exceptional work being done by our teachers and students," Jean said. "Our innovative curriculum design allows us to use environment and ecology as the theme for integrated learning. Receiving the 2007 Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence was proof of our success in delivering a high quality educational program at Green Woods."

In addition to the daily interactions with Green Woods dedicated staff and parents, Jean enjoys those special times when she gets to trail along on hikes with our budding naturalists. "Hiking with even our youngest students and seeing how they interact with the natural world is always an incredible learning experience for me. While many young children enjoy walking in the woods, Green Woods students are skilled observers, able to take in the big picture of the field ecosystem while at the same time patiently exploring the leaf litter in search of the smallest signs of life."

Jean holds a PA Certification for Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction and dual Pennsylvania teacher certifications, which recognize her ability to teach both K-12 Environmental Education and Elementary Education. She holds an Associate Degree in Health Science from Gwynedd Mercy College; a BA in Elementary Education from Beaver College, and a MAEd in Environmental Education from Arcadia University. Jean is currently enrolled in a post-graduate School Leadership Program at Arcadia.

Jean lives in Flourtown with her husband Frank, her mom Mary, her daughter Mary who attends the Schreyer Honors College at Penn State University, and their black lab, Murphy.