Nicole Perri, Kindergarten

Nicole Perri is entering her fifth year of teaching Kindergarten.  Having spent numerous years teaching in different school districts, Ms. Perri is joining the Green Woods team this year! She is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University with her Bachelors of Science degree in Kindergarten and Elementary Education. Ms. Perri’s favorite part of teaching five and six year olds is watching them learn and grow over the year!

Nicole grew up in Bucks County, and recently moved right around the corner from Green Woods to Roxborough with her dog Kramer! In her free time, Ms. Perri enjoys reading, doing puzzles and running. Ms. Perri is looking forward to making a difference in your child’s life and working as a team to make Kindergarten a great success!

I am looking forward to becoming part of the unique team of teachers that make up Green Woods! In my search for a kindergarten teaching position, I came across the Green Woods website. I was amazed at what a unique and hands-on school that Green Woods is! Being able to integrate all aspects of the curriculum and “bringing the classroom outside,” were only a few of the main reasons I wanted to teach here! I feel that most students learn best when they are directly exposed to what they are learning. Being able to have the 300 acres of forest to explore and learn from is something I truly cannot wait to discover with my students! I feel honored to have been chosen to be a part of the Green Woods team!

Gina Knowles, Special Education Coordinator

Gina Knowles has worked in the field of special education for over 20 years.  Her experiences include being employed as a teacher and as an administrator in both the public and private school systems.  As an educator, she was awarded the New Jersey Governor’s Award for Outstanding Teaching.  This award is given to teachers who exemplify excellent teaching in their use of effective instructional techniques and by developing an environment that inspires students, fosters their feelings of self-worth and their love of learning.  For the past six years, Gina has been an administrator for a private special education program.  She enjoys working with children and helping them experience success in school.

Gina earned her Bachelor of Arts in Special Education and Elementary Education from LaSalle University.  She then attended Holy Family University, where she received her Masters in Education Leadership and obtained her Principal’s Certification.  Gina furthered her education by attending Arcadia University to complete the certification program for Supervisor of Special Education.  She is committed to being a life-long learner. 

Gina grew up in this area and has always had the parks in the Wissahickon as her playground.  She still lives locally with her husband and three children.  In her spare time, Gina enjoys being outside planting in her gardens or playing tennis.

I am very excited to be a new member of the Green Woods Charter School family.  It can easily be seen that all of the staff at GWCS are committed to the children and want them to have positive experiences at school.  The students are taught to be responsible for their environment and their communities. It is fascinating to observe the students using their outside investigations as a basis for their classroom experiences.