e: jlavalette@dcsdk12.org

Hello all! I am delighted to join the Renaissance Crew! I am entering my 5th year teaching English, and there is nothing more rewarding than exploring the human experience with my students. I look forward to another year of building strong relationships, analyzing texts and having fun with my students and coworkers. 

Outside of my professional life, I have a myriad of hobbies I am passionate about. My weekends and summers are filled with mountain biking, snowboarding, basketball, cooking and running. (I am a huge basketball fan! GO CELTICS!) It is invigorating knowing I am joining a community that shares the same respect and passion for the outdoors as I have cultivated. 

Of course, the most influential hobby in my life has been literature. Before I began teaching, I worked at a publishing company in Manhattan where I learned about all of the little things that go into getting a book published. I am an open-minded and diverse reader, but I have a keen interest in dark fantasy, historical fiction, philosophy, and manga. Come talk to me about what I am currently reading!

I also have a 3 year old son named Cylus. He shares a similar passion for books as me, and I spend most of my free time exploring the world with him and my fiancé!