Dear Parents/Students,
I am Jill Cross and I will be your child's Reading, Writing, and Language Arts teacher this year. I am a Florida native. I grew up in Fernandina Beach and went to grade school and high school in Jacksonville. After my graduation from Bishop Kenny High School I moved to Tampa to pursue my Bachelor's Degree. I graduated from the University of South Florida in 2000 with a degree in Humanities/Creative Writing. I am certified in Elementary Education Grades 1-6. In 2008, I was certified in Early/Middle Childhood Literacy from the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards.  This is my 7th year teaching and my 2nd year at Ortega Elementary. I love Ortega and knew right away it was the perfect place for me.
I have been married for 7 years and I have a four year old son, Lennox. I can't wait to bring him to school with me next year. I love to read. I am constantly reading and when I don't have anything to read, I will read a cereal box :-). My family loves Disney World and traveling together and in my spare time I love to scrapbook our adventures.
 This year Ortega Elementary is Learning Around the World in 180 Days. Fourth Grade is learning all about Europe and my classroom is "Germany." We will be sharing pen pal letters with a classroom in Germany. I am so excited about this opportunity to explore other cultures and learn more about students from around the world. 
During the 2009-2010 school year we will be focusing on improving students' knowledge and use of Reading Strategies through everyday independent and group practice during Reading Workshop. We will work on Narrative, Response to Literature, Report Writing, and On Demand Writing.  My classroom is always open to parents. Please come in and join us for a read aloud or hang out with your child, have lunch with them, or just pop in to say hello. If you have any questions you can contact me at the school or at crossj2@duvalschools.org. 

Mrs. Cross