Jill is excited to return to JCDSRI for her twenty-sixth year at JCDSRI and her second year as our school principal. Jill has played many important roles during her time at JCDSRI including mentoring new teachers for over 15 years. She holds degrees in Psychology, Philosophy, and Social Work, as well as a Master of Arts in Teaching and Education with a focus on Special Education. Jill also studied Educational Psychology while in London, England at the University of Westminster. Prior to working at JCDSRI, Jill was a counselor for Newport Mental Health, Adeline Laplante Center, and Child and Family Services. She also worked as a therapist for children with Autism and their families.
Every year, she looks forward to so many things that she could not pick just one! Here are a few of things Jill looks most forward to:
- inspiring teachers to grow to be the best teachers they can be by creating a space where teachers feel like their ideas are heard and feel comfortable and excited to work collaboratively on any given task and/or project
- connecting with children and their families on an intimate level for trust to be established
- developing curriculum as a whole staff that is progressive, integrated, and project-based
- facilitating a learning space where children can thrive which helps nurture and embrace their love for learning
In her free time, Jill loves to travel with her family (her husband and five kids- 2 sets of twins). She loves to hike and trail run. She also enjoys coaching her kids in basketball and watching all five kiddos grow and thrive. And a fun fact- Jill wrote a children’s book which will be published soon!