My name is Jessica Portlock and I am so excited to be returning to Wilderness Oak for a tenth year and to be teaching a subject I love: READING!

I was born and raised in a small town in Pennsylvania about an hour north of Philadelphia. I went to Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia and majored in Elementary Education and Psychology. I have taught in Baltimore, Maryland, and in Los Angeles, California, but most recently I taught outside of Princeton, New Jersey, where my family lived for 10 years.

I have many stories for the kids including the fact that I worked as a cast member at Disney World and also at the Crayola Factory every summer through college putting "64 Boxes" together!

I am proud that my own child, Lydia, blossomed in the wonderful environment at Wilderness Oak from Kindergarten to 5th grade and is now a junior Rattler at Reagan. I love spending time with my family which includes Lydia, my husband Scott, and our adorable but very naughty black pug Thunder who lives up to his name! We added two equally naughty black kittens a couple of years ago named Apollo and Nike just in case Thunder starts behaving!

I have spent my career teaching at the 4th and 5th grade levels and not only love it, but also think it is such a special time in a child's life. I feel honored to be at Wilderness Oak and look forward to a wonderful year together!

Go Wolves!