First Grade

Mr. Jacob Baker is very excited to start his second year teaching first grade and his first year as a Greenwood gator. Mr. Baker graduated from VCU in 2021 with a master’s degree in Elementary Education. After graduating from VCU, Mr. Baker started his first year of teaching in Prince William County in northern Virginia. After a wonderful first year, he is very happy to return to the Richmond area and become part of the Greenwood community. Mr. Baker has two passions in his life: music and history. He believes music is a universal language that can speak to all types of learners and reach anyone. When he is not in the classroom, you can typically find him checking out different historical sites throughout our country! His biggest goal for this upcoming school year is to inspire his students to more thoroughly explore their passions. No matter what they are into, he hopes to make his students become more engaged and dig a little deeper into anything they are interested in. Mr. Baker is ready to rock and roll in first grade this upcoming school year. Let’s go Greenwood Gators!

Mr. Scott Miles is beyond thrilled to be starting his fourth year of teaching, and second year at Greenwood Elementary! He graduated from Daemen College in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in Childhood Education/Special Education (1-6). He is from the Buffalo, NY area and lived outside Tampa, FL after graduating college. While in Tampa (besides going to the beach and Disney World), he taught fourth grade for two years. This is his second year in the Richmond area, and he is absolutely loving it. It is his mission to ensure all students feel welcome at school and are empowered to take ownership of their learning in engaging and hands-on learning experiences. This year he plans to continue incorporating various STEAM projects and Classroom Transformations to encourage students to find their passions in learning and life. Mr. Miles is very excited for the school year to kick off and is looking forward to all the magic that will happen at Greenwood this year. G-A-T-O-R Go Gators!

Ms. Victoria Riss is looking forward to beginning her fifth year teaching and fourth year as a Greenwood Gator! Ms. Riss graduated from James Madison University (Go Dukes!) with a bachelor's degree in Media Arts and Design and attended the University of Virginia where she earned a master's degree in Teaching. She has taught both third and fourth grade and is thrilled to be teaching first grade this year. Ms. Riss believes it is important for students to collaborate, share, and reflect often. Building relationships with her students and giving her students time to connect with each other promotes a classroom environment in which students feel safe to engage in productive risk-taking. Ms. Riss strives to foster the growth of global citizens through hands-on activities, collaborative work opportunities, and project-based learning. She looks forward to sharing the magic of Greenwood with students in the 2022-2023 school year!

Mrs. Meredyth Rutman is joyfully starting her twenty-first year of teaching! She is proud to say that she has been a Greenwood Gator since the school opened in 2004! Mrs. Rutman grew up in New Jersey and then made her way to Virginia for college. She graduated from Virginia Tech with a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction…GO HOKIES! During her collegiate years, Mrs. Rutman had the opportunity to study abroad in Italy and Switzerland, where she learned about the Reggio Emilia teaching approach. This style of teaching focuses on meeting the needs of every child, in a way that is meaningful and engaging. She fully embraces this mindset and strives to make her classroom a place of love, acceptance and growth…where the academic, social and emotional needs of every child are nurtured and cultivated. After college, she married her sweetheart and love, Rhett, and they have two sensational children, Casey and Tyler! Mrs. Rutman is tremendously excited about the upcoming year and feels so thankful to be a part of this amazing school! Greenwood Elementary is not just a school…it’s so much more than that…it’s a place where MAGIC happens! 5 Houses…1 Family!

Mrs. Sarah Trentham is so excited to start her fifth year of teaching and second year at Greenwood! Mrs. T graduated from James Madison University in 2020 with a master's degree in Reading Education and received a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Longwood University in 2018. Mrs. T strives to build strong, positive relationships with each student and their families. Mrs. T’s goal is to meet her students' needs in a unique and meaningful way while empowering them to find their voice and passion. Mrs. T loves to develop creative and innovative lessons through the use of STEAM and best practices. Mrs. T is ready for another amazing year at Greenwood and can’t wait for the magic to begin! Go Gators!!