Christina Lepre, Grade 5

Christina Lepre is entering her ninth year of teaching. This will be her first full year teaching at Green Woods. She will be teaching fifth and sixth grade Language Arts. Christina recently moved to the Philadelphia area from Howard County, Maryland. There, she taught second grade for eight years. She graduated from The University of Maryland at College Park with a degree in Early-Childhood Education. And, she recently received her Masters Degree in Reading from Loyola College.

Since Christina is new to the area, she enjoys spending time exploring the area with her new husband. Although, she misses her friends and family back in Maryland and tries to make time to visit with them when possible. Although she is not currently taking lessons, Christina has danced for most of her life and even taught young children ballet and tap.

I stumbled upon Green Woods Charter School last year and could not believe it was in my own backyard. I had recently moved to Philadelphia and was so excited to discover a school in the city that was surrounded by so much nature. Nestled among towering trees, a rolling landscape, winding paths, and extensive wildlife, Green Woods feels like a retreat as much as a school. My positive first impression only grew when I learned about the school and its environmental emphasis.

I previously worked in a relatively large school and was initially surprised to discover that this small school housed kindergarten through eighth grade. But, I quickly learned the benefits of an intimate school environment. I spent the second half of last year as a substitute teacher at Green Woods and it was then that I learned about the community of Green Woods. Students have opportunities to learn together, both indoors and out. You can often find students from various grades collaborating on projects and activities. From the educators who take pride in working here to the interactions among students of all ages, I was amazed at the sense of community I discovered at Green Woods.

Jean Wallace      • Academic Director Dana Lotkowski      • Financial Director Kim Birkmire      • Administrative Assistant Jeanne Keough      • Administrative Support Karen Reed      • Administrative Support Mary Frances (Mimi) Wainwright      • Nurse Joe Bauer      • Maintenance Person 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.