Jamie Villella is the assistant teacher for Madrona School’s Salmonberry mixed-age kindergarten. She has also serves as the games and physical education teacher and the practical life teacher for the grades.
Teacher Jamie has worked at Madrona School since 2010, in roles that also included summer camp teacher, beeswax teacher, pre-school substitute teacher, and 1st grade story time teacher. She is the parent of two Madrona alums.
Born in Bitburg, Germany to a U.S. Air Force family, she grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada, Brooklyn, NY, and finally Monroe, a small town in Ohio. She lived in Monroe near her set of Italian grandparents - as well as numerous aunts, uncles and cousins - until her college years ended at Ohio University (Athens, Ohio) with a major in Zoology and Biology.
~
More about Teacher Jamie:
Pastimes. I love hiking, bike riding, kayaking and swimming in the ocean with family and friends. I also enjoy reading a good book while sitting on my back porch during the summer. And gardening!
Inspiration. I felt I had a calling that I could be part of a process that was creating good citizens with integrity, graciousness, and self-empowerment to do more in the world. Plus it was a career outside!
Teaching Strengths. Even on the gray rainy PNW days, I can always create ways to find laughter in play. I am an ex-chef, which has come in handy for my job. I can wrangle just about anything and have lots of spur of the moment teaching skills in my pocket.
Teaching Goals. I seek to teach students how to solve conflict through listening, compassion and kindness. To convey that everyone can be part of the team, and have a purposeful job. And, importantly, that you can learn a lot by watching and listening.
Favorite part about teaching at Madrona School. The joy of a smiling child's face at the end of my day with them. Most days end with big HUGS! I absolutely LOVE my job!
