Jill Pescatore Grades 7 and 8 Math & Social Studies

Jill Beccaris-Pescatore is a middle school math and social studies teacher at GREEN WOODS Charter School. She is also the middle school Team Leader and Math Coach. She brings a diverse educational background to the school. Mrs. Pescatore earned her B.S. from the University of Scranton, her M.S. in Agricultural Economics from Penn State University and her Ed.M. in Curriculum, Instruction and Technology Education from Temple University. She is certified in elementary education, middle level mathematics and middle and high school social studies.

Mrs. Pescatore is also a member of the Educational Advisory Board at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania and an avid long distance runner. This summer Mrs. Pescatore and Mrs. Lewullis partnered with Independence National Park educators as Master Teachers for the Independence Park Teacher's Institute. Mrs. Pescatore is a co-editor of the units that will be utilized on the National Park Services website's teacher guide on a new learning lab in the park.

Mrs. Pescatore added a national publication to her resume. Her article King Coal: A History of Eastern Pennsylvania was featured in the Social Education supplement Middle Level Learning. Currently Mrs. Pescatore and Mrs. Lewullis published their curricular work "Get the Fever!" in the Journal for Pennsylvania Council for Social Studies. Her newest academic endeavor was to partner with Mrs. Lewullis as presenters at the Pennsylvania Coalition for Charter Schools Conference and the Pennsylvania Council for Social Studies Conference.

When not teaching Mrs. Pescatore loves to spend time with her husband, Gerard and her son, Ethan at their home in Glenside, PA. She loves to run and is currently training for the New York Marathon.

Teaching is a second career for me, although I feel that I've been a teacher all of my life. Perhaps that is why I see teaching as a calling, a labor of love, and an opportunity to truly impact the future of our world. As a teacher at Green Woods Charter School, I have a rare opportunity to not only teach what I love, but to create a curriculum that integrates the environment, social studies, language arts and math. Don't let it fool you, it is overwhelming at times, but the opportunity to work with my fellow teachers and create an educational experience whereby my students receive a standards-based education with a "twist" is more than I could have ever hoped for as a teacher. Additionally, I've had the opportunity to share and publish my curricular units with other teachers at various professional developments. But one of the main highlights was having two of my seventh grade students present our integrated unit on Yellow Fever in Philadelphia to Mr. Bill Tomasco, the Charter School Liaison for the Philadelphia School District.

Teaching is always about the students. Each of my kids comes with a desire to be taught in an interesting way. This is a challenge I feel I continue to rise to by listening to their input and enthusiasm. The families at Green Woods Charter School are extremely supportive and they appreciate the hard work of teachers. We all work together and I look forward to exploring new avenues of learning with the kids leading the way! This is why I drive to work with a smile every morning!

Jean Wallace, Academic Director

As the Academic Director and CEO, Jean is responsible for guiding the design and implementation of our award-winning curriculum and for supporting the direction of all areas of school life. Jean works in collaboration with our staff, Board, community and educational partners to build on our successful past toward an even greater future.

Charter schools are public schools.  As such Jean is accountable to the Department of Education for ensuring that our students are receiving a standards-based learning experience from qualified teachers 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, mentoring our Jr. School Leadership Team mediation team, and by networking with key partners from within and outside the Green Woods community.

As a member of the Governor's Council for Environmental Education, Jean works with many of the State's environmental experts and agencies. "By working collaboratively with the Department of Education and the outstanding environmental agencies throughout our state, Green Woods is able to gain both valuable resources along with well-deserved local, state and national recognition for the exceptional work being done by our teachers and students," Jean said.
In addition to the daily interactions with Green Woods dedicated staff and parents, Jean enjoys those rare and 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 always presents a wonderful learning opportunity 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 currently holds four Pennsylvania education certifications: Principal K-12, Supervisor of Curriculum and Instruction, K-12 Environmental Education, and Elementary Education. She earned her post-graduate certifications and her MAEd in Environmental Education from Arcadia University, a BA in Elementary Education from Beaver College, and an Associate Degree in Health Science from Gwynedd Mercy College.

Each day is a new day of exploration and discovery as we challenge each other to provide the best possible learning environment for our students.

In less than four years time our amazing teaching staff has taken teaching and learning to a whole new level. Working in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Department of Education, our teachers, themselves, developed our K-8 award-winning EIC Curriculum which engages our students in integrated learning experiences that span all disciplines. Utilizing our 350-acre learning laboratory as an outdoor classroom, our partnership with the Schuylkill Center continues to grow and thrive as the Center’s expert educators spend many hours working with our classroom teachers to enhance the teaching of environment and ecology concepts.

Green Woods is the only public/charter school in the entire country to be housed directly within a nature center. Years ago I earned my graduate degree by utilizing this same setting as a laboratory for learning. It is so rewarding to now spend time observing our students as they explore and discover new things while hiking in the same woods where I learned so much about the natural world.