This school year is the eighth year Jennifer Lassen has taught, and her first year at Boothbay Region Elementary School.

Along with Kathy Hartley, Lassen will be teaching the fourth-grade class, taking over for Nicole Levesque. Lassen has previously taught for five years in Vermont, two in California, and last year as an ed tech at Southport Central School.

“The teachers at Southport Central knew I wanted to get back into teaching full-time,” Lassen said. “They told me this position was opening, and it was the perfect opportunity.”

Lassen will be focusing on teaching reading and science, while Hartley will focus on writing and social studies. They will both teach math.

“I love this age level,” Lassen said. “On one hand, they are still little kids, but they are starting to understand and grasp some really cool concepts. I enjoy getting to know the students as individuals, keeping class interesting for them, and teaching them something new.”

Lassen will have a class of 17 students.

“I've been very lucky with class sizes,” Lassen said. “When I did my year of student teaching in Vermont after college, I was in the last one-room schoolhouse in the state. There were six students total and it was a great experience.”

Lassen wants students to feel challenged in her class. She plans to have a large selection of books available at different reading levels and about different subjects, which will give students a lot of choice in their reading.

She also wants them to feel inspired and enthusiastic about learning new things and being in school. She said she wants to “open their minds to new possibilities.”

When Lassen taught in California, she had four students in her fourth-grade class who had a very strong grasp of math, and were far ahead of the rest of the class. These students were taught in a small group so they could be challenged and not become bored in school. By the end of the year, they were at a seventh-grade level in math.

“We coordinated with their teachers for next year, so they would know where the kids were and not be taken by surprise,” Lassen said.

Along with experiences with advanced students, Lassen isn't afraid to go the extra mile for a student who is struggling.

“With a smaller class size such as this, I can give a lot of one-on-one attention,” Lassen said. “And I'm willing to stay after school or come in early to help.”

Lassen lives in Boothbay Harbor with her husband and two kids. They don't go to BRES yet, as one is 2 and a half years old and the other is four months. Lassen's parents live in the area, which is one reason her family decided to settle down here.

“I wanted my children to grow up in this community and go to school here,” Lassen said. “It's a great place to raise a family.”