Student Support

Mr. Jake Anderson, our Exceptional Education teacher, is fired up to start his fifth year teaching at Greenwood Elementary!! He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees at NC State University. Mr. Anderson believes that there is greatness in everyone and everyone can succeed. The Jimmy V quote “Don’t give up, Don’t ever give up,” helps Mr. Anderson guide not only himself, but also his students. Mr. Anderson teaches to help his students find something they love and to give them opportunities to be successful. This school year, Mr. Anderson plans to bring even more energy to our house system following House Tatonka’s 2022 House Championship! TATONKA STRONG! He also plans to bring his passion to various morning clubs that help students find a sense of belonging. Mr. Anderson always strives to build positive relationships with students and their families and to help make Greenwood a second home. When not at school, Mr. Anderson enjoys being outside with his wife, 4-year-old son, 1-year-old daughter and dog, Leia. He loves sports, video games and movies, especially the Star Wars franchise. Mr. Anderson cannot wait for a magical year at Greenwood!

Ms. Holly Baltz, Exceptional Education teacher at Greenwood and Longdale Elementary School, is happy to be a part of not one, but two great schools. Ms. Baltz studied and graduated from Longwood University earning her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. Ms. Baltz has been a Greenwood GATOR for 3 years as an Instructional Assistant, virtual support teacher, board substitute and permanent substitute. She is excited to be moving into a new position that will fulfill her true passion. Ms. Baltz believes that every child deserves the opportunity to be amazing and wants to find the best ways to help the students shine. Ms. Baltz, soon-to-be Mrs. DuVall, loves spending time with her fiancé either at home or traveling the country. She has 2 fur babies, Talia and Marshall, who keep her entertained by playing fetch for hours. Ms. Baltz is ready for a fantastic year at Greenwood.

Ms. Tenejah Burrell is excited to join the Greenwood team as a Speech Language Pathologist Assistant. She is an alumna of Old Dominion University where she obtained a Bachelor's degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Ms. Burrell has experience working as a lead preschool teacher at an early childcare facility. Her vision is to inspire a lifelong love of learning by creating lessons that are exciting, authentic, engaging, and relevant to the lives of students. Ms. Burrell is driven by the desire to help children achieve their academic goals. Her plan for the school year is to provide a safe and welcoming environment for students to implement effective communication skills.

Mrs. Mosher is eager to begin her 8th year as a Speech Language Pathologist and feels so grateful to be joining the Greenwood family! She is a proud alumni of James Madison University. She obtained both her undergraduate degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and Masters degree in Speech Language Pathology from JMU. Go DUKES! Mrs. Mosher is passionate about helping others find their voice and has experience working in hospital, private-practice and school settings. Mrs. Mosher completed her clinical fellowship year with EBS Healthcare and has been with HCPS since 2016. She was honored to be the Christie Award nominee for Fair Oaks Elementary in 2020. She has been recognized by the American Speech Language and Hearing Association for her commitment to lifelong learning by receiving an Award for Continuing Education. Mrs. Mosher believes that effective communication is a human right and critical life skill. She is committed to working in partnership with families and collaborating with teachers and other related service providers to help students achieve their goals. Mrs. Mosher lives for those magical moments when a child says their first word, advocates for their needs, or pronounces a tricky sound for the first time. Her plan for this year is to build trust and relationships with students and create a safe space for them to address their communication skills. She is committed to providing neurodiversity-affirming services and hopes to put the “fun” in functional during therapy sessions!

Mrs. Cynthia Gonzalez is beyond excited to start her second year at Greenwood Elementary as an Instructional Assistant. She was born and raised in New York City and currently resides in Glen Allen with her two wonderful Gator boys and supportive husband. Mrs. Gonzalez has a background in early childhood working with Pre- Schoolers. She enrolled in the Better Kid Care Program and received the Virginia preservice training for child care staff, along with the Virginia health and safety update training for child care staff. She utilizes her firm, but kind-hearted demeanor to help Gators succeed in all academic and social areas of learning. She is a proud Grateful Dragon who has a natural love and appreciation for teaching. To Mrs. Gonzalez, the most amazing thing is to see or hear one of her students apply the skills that she has taught them and see the excitement in their eyes. She is truly proud of each Gator everyday and is honored to watch them grow each year! Greenwood is definitely her second home!

Ms. Lorna Jahn is excited to be joining the Greenwood family this year. Virginia has been her home for 34 years, but Colorado, where she was born and raised, holds her heart. She Graduated from University of Northern Colorado. She has worked for Henrico County Public Schools for 20 years. Ms. Jahn has worked at numerous schools in the area, substitute teaching, 12 years as an Instructional Assistant in Exceptional Education and five years full-time Instructional Assistant in General Education. She loves helping children learn and grow at their own rates. Ms. Jahn has two grown children who attended HCPS, and she was active with all aspects of their school lives. Lorna is married to her husband of almost 30 years. She loves to travel, and baking is one of her favorite pastimes. Don’t be surprised if you get to try out some yummies.

Mr. Perry Jones is excited to be entering his first year as a Greenwood Gator! He has spent the past five years as a Dean of Students within Henrico County. Mr. Jones is originally from Chesapeake, Virginia. After graduating high school he weon to earn his bachelor's degree from the University of Virginia. Go Hoos! UVA is where he met his wife, April Jones, and they have two beautiful little girls together, Ava (five) and Priya (one). Mr. Jones serves as the head football coach at Glen Allen High School. His life's mission is to have a positive impact on everyone that he comes in contact with. He wants to help instill something in each and every student that they will take with them to help them become valuable assets to society. He is super excited to be joining such an amazing school. Mr. Jones cannot wait to feel and contribute to the magic at Greenwood!

Ms. Andrea Lewis is our school Occupational Therapist, proudly serving Greenwood along with several other schools in Henrico. She earned her bachelor's and master’s degrees at Virginia Commonwealth University. She has been with Henrico County Public Schools for over 10 years and worked with students with special needs prior to joining HCPS. Ms. Lewis enjoys serving her students to promote their growth and independence as well as collaborating with the fantastic staff at Greenwood for the benefit of each student she serves. Recreationally, Ms. Lewis enjoys yoga, getting outdoors with her cocker poodle mix, and spending time with her friends and family. She is looking forward to another amazing and fulfilling year at Greenwood!

Mrs. Jennifer McDowney is a graduate of Liberty University. Her bachelor’s degree studies focused on Education and Science. She is currently completing the master’s program at Liberty University in School Counseling. This will be Mrs. McDowney’s fifth year at Greenwood and she has done it all for our gators! She has been an interventionist, Instructional Assistant, a co-teacher during virtual learning, and a 2nd grade teacher. Mrs. McDowney is stepping into the full-time Instructional Assistant role supporting students in 2022-2023. She has been married for 16 years and has three children; one is an alumnus from Greenwood, one is a current student at Greenwood, and another will be a gator in a few years. In her free time, Mrs. McDowney likes to travel to beaches and go shelling. Mrs. McDowney believes we are all a TEAM where Together Everyone Achieves More. She believes that education is also seen through behavior, not just what is shown on paper! She believes we must teach our students to be good citizens of the world through our own positive and empowering behavior, and by living our GATOR values each day. We've got that MAGIC this school year!

Mrs. Janiece Ross, our Exceptional Education teacher, is excited to begin her fifth year at Greenwood Elementary!! Going into her 22nd year of teaching, Mrs. Ross credits the wonderful teachers she has had along the way who contributed in fostering in her a love of learning. Just ask her about Ms. Payne (1st Grade), Mrs. Little (3rd Grade), or Mrs. Ellis (5th Grade). Mrs. Ross describes herself as a lifelong learner having her bachelor's, master's, and post-master's certifications from Old Dominion University, Virginia State University, and The George Washington University. Mrs. Ross also received training and has course work at Virginia Commonwealth University, and University of Virginia- Charlottesville and Wise campuses. A favorite quote that she constantly shares with her students is “The expert in anything was once a beginner." Beginning and learning new things can sometimes be hard, but with the right practice and strategies, we all can do hard things, and the hard things won’t always be hard! Mrs. Ross loves to see students excel, which is why she teaches! Along with her husband, their 3-year-old daughter, their mixed poodle fur baby Buddy, and their village of close family and friends, Mrs. Ross is ready to see how fantastic this year will be! Let’s Go Gators!

Mrs. Sonya Samuel, our student support and substitute teacher, has 32 years of full-time teaching in elementary schools in Chesterfield and Henrico counties, including 22 years at Springfield Park Elementary School. She is excited to now be a Greenwood Gator! Since her arrival, the students, parents, faculty, and administration have impressed her with their warm hospitality, love of community, and enthusiasm for learning. Mrs. Samuel brings a specialty in reading, writing, math, and history instruction. The greatest gift she brings is making all students and coworkers feel welcome, secure, and worthwhile! She is pumped for this second year of her retirement experience!

Rachel Whitaker is excited and ready for her second year as a Greenwood Instructional Assistant! She resides in Glen Allen, VA and has two daughters at Greenwood, the oldest starting her 5th grade year as a Kula House Leader! However, Mrs. Whitaker's heart RESPECTFULLY belongs to House Sol! She truly believes a positive outlook goes a long way and enforces that optimistic learning every day with all her Greenwood Gators! Mrs. Whitaker has a huge heart and loves to see students grow and succeed. She loves the saying "I believe that we will win" because if we put our heart and mind into our passions, we will always come out winning. Mrs. Whitaker is looking forward to another awesome year and is honored to be a part of the magic that happens every day at Greenwood.

Dalia Zeidan can’t wait to get the year started! Mrs. Zeidan is originally from Lebanon. She got married 15 years ago and is blessed with a beautiful family; a husband and three girls. Mrs. Zeidan has a master’s degree of business administration. She started her career as a substitute teacher, then decided to further her experience and take on more challenges, so that is when she took a position as permanent sub. Mrs. Zeidan was then was offered another opportunity as board sub. She enjoyed both experiences where each one of them added different skills, plus she enjoyed every moment with kids. Mrs. Zeidan always does her best to provide students with all the guidance and support they need. In her free time, she enjoys shopping, cooking, and going for a long walk with family or friends. Mrs. Zeidan is excited to be part of the Greenwood family again, and looking forward to meet everyone.