Fourth Grade

Mr. John Bowman is very excited to begin his 10th year teaching and 2nd year at Greenwood! He received his Elementary Education degree from East Carolina University (Go Pirates!) in 2012. The first 5 years of Mr. Bowman’s teaching career was spent in his hometown of Raleigh, North Carolina. He taught 2nd and 3rd Grade during his time in North Carolina. He moved up to the Richmond area in 2019 and taught 4th Grade for 3 years in Chesterfield County before discovering the great community of Greenwood Elementary. Mr. Bowman will be teaching 4th Grade Math, Science, and Virginia Studies this year, and hopes to bring out the mathematician, historian, and scientist in each of his students! He holds each student to high expectations and just wants each student to bring their best each day. Mr. Bowman is a huge baseball and football fan and loves the Orioles and Ravens! 

Mrs. Maura Farmer graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a Degree in Psychology and earned a Master’s Degree in Education with a Reading Specialist Endorsement from Regent University. She is thrilled to be returning to the classroom for her 18th year as an educator after spending the last two years as a reading coach. Mrs. Farmer is passionate about teaching reading and considers herself a lifelong learner, achieving National Board Certification in the area of Literacy in 2022. Mrs. Farmer’s greatest joy is helping students find and develop an interest in reading beyond the reading block. She is a proud member of House Tatonka and utilizes Greenwood’s House System to foster a loving, nurturing classroom family. Her classroom is a safe, supportive place where students are encouraged to take ownership of their learning, value the perspective of others, and always try their best! When she’s not at school Mrs. Farmer enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons. She loves being outside, spending time at the river, and enjoys reading historical fiction books. 

Mr. Jermaine Gilliam, Mr. G, is an energetic, enthusiastic and understanding instructional assistant at Greenwood Elementary School. In his free time he coaches a basketball team at Rockit sports. He is an alumni of Greenwood Elementary, Hungary Creek, and Glen Allen High School. He is currently in school at Grand Canyon University to become a physical education teacher. Mr. G has been working at Greenwood for four years and is one of the most impactful educators in our school. He is creative, innovative, and willing to do anything to support our students. He loves Greenwood and bleeds Taji purple! 

Ms. Donna Kouri is looking forward to another dynamic school year!  She has had the privilege to teach amazing students and has witnessed first-hand how students will rise to the expectations of doing their best. She observes how students who may be apprehensive about writing and utilizing exceptional vocabulary grow into inspirational writers who captivate their audience. The power of language and the written word can never be overestimated. Her students cheer, encourage, and always lift up one another whenever sharing their essays! She continues her passion as a teacher and only wants the best for her students. She works closely with the families of her students and clearly understands that it indeed-- takes a Village to benefit our youth. The Greenwood community is the ideal setting for Ms. Kouri and her students. 

Ms. Carlee Parker is excited to begin her third year of teaching 4th grade at Greenwood! Ms. Parker graduated in 2020 with her bachelor's degree in early childhood/childhood Education with a minor in linguistics from the State University of New York at New Paltz. She continued her education, receiving her master’s degree in literacy in 2021 from the State University of New York at New Paltz. Born and raised in New York, Ms. Parker moved to Richmond, Virginia in August of 2021 after accepting her first teaching position at Greenwood! Her goal in the classroom is to create an atmosphere where students feel as though they are an active member of their education.  Naturally, children are curious, adventurous, and wanderers. As a teacher, Ms. Parker believes it is her duty to foster these characteristics, not diminish them. Her vision for the year is to create an environment that fosters the love and excitement of reading and writing in every student. 

Ms. Allie Reed is so excited to kick off her fifth year of teaching and her second year at Greenwood! She grew up in Hanover County and graduated from VCU with a master’s degree in Teaching. The first three years of Ms. Reed’s career she taught fourth grade. When moving to Greenwood she was able to try out third grade and as much as she loved it, her heart was still in fourth. With that being said, she is beyond excited to move to fourth grade for year five! Her goal is to build strong relationships with her students and their families. She believes that school is a fun, safe place to learn and experience new adventures! Ms. Reed will be teaching Math, Science and Social Studies this year. Her plan is to bring in hands-on learning and music into the classroom to help the students grasp each concept. Ms. Reed is beyond thrilled for this amazing opportunity and can’t wait to meet her new students and hopefully some old ones as well. Go Gators!