My name is Jon Jeans. I am the new Principal at Stephenson, moving from Rieke after 6 years there as Principal. This will be my 34th year as an educator. Leading a school is a fantastic creative journey. I believe in being a catalyst for all children to reach their potential. I believe in schools being a joyful place where all members of the community feel welcomed, seen and heard, and strive to excel. I have a wife, way TOO MANY animals (feel free to ask!), and 2 children, a daughter at Jackson MS and a son at Ida B Wells. In addition, I am a singer-songwriter and leader of the rock n roll band Sproose (check us on Spotify etc) who play some all age shows during the year. I live nearby, and when wearing my hat around the neighborhood, I am Mr. Jeans your neighborhood Principal.

Hello Stephenson!

I am Sarah Batten and rostered on Team Stephenson as Instructional Coach to ensure every student has an opportunity to knock their learning out of the park. I signed up with PPS 20 years ago as a parent, classroom volunteer, PTA and Foundation board member before becoming an educator myself. My educational leadership is grounded in my love for children, fueled by my passion for student learning, guided by my decade of teaching students, and informed by my previous career in business strategy, marketing and communications. 

Some of my favorite daily activities are my morning coffee routine, after dinner board games with my family and snuggling with my kitties. If you see me in the mornings riding my ebike to school or doing laps in the pool at SWCC, please say hi! 

Go Lions!

Hello, my name is Georg Herrin. I am the full-time admin assistant, and this will be my 4th school year at Stephenson. I moved to Portland in 2019 from Montana to pursue my MFA in Creative Writing at PSU, and I have stayed ever since. I have a wife and three cats. Some of my hobbies are reading and writing, playing drums, and baking. At Stephenson, I enjoy helping things run smoothly and supporting our staff, students, and families in creating an excellent educational community. 

Hello Stephenson!  I have been your dedicated afternoon school secretary since 2024.  I love being here, and I love working where my kids are!  I live a couple blocks from the school with my husband, two kids, a dog and a cat.  We are new to this area and we're having fun exploring all the beautiful parks and local eateries.  My favorite activities include reading, puzzling, paddle boarding and dog walking.

Hi! I’m Mrs. Little, previously Ms.Soulas. I’ve proudly taught 1st grade at Stephenson for more than a decade, and now I get to be the Teacher Librarian. I feel so lucky to share my love of reading with ALL of our students.

Being the librarian at Stephenson feels a little like being at a Food Cart Pod—there’s something for everyone to enjoy! And while we don’t actually eat books (something I keep reminding my 16-month-old…), I can’t wait to see students devour stories and make this space their own.

I am at the school on Wednesday, Thursday & Friday. My email is still my maiden name, and even though my name has changed to Kara Little, I promise I care a lot :)

Hello! I’m Dana Bussey (rhymes with “bouquet”). I use she/her pronouns. This is my nineteenth year teaching, sixteen of these at the kindergarten level.

I grew up in Madison, WI and attended Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY, where I majored in Psychology and minored in Spanish. I moved to Portland in 2004. After several years doing development work for a nonprofit organization, I went back to school to get my teaching license and received my Masters of Education from PSU in 2006. In 2016, I happily settled in at one of Stephenson Elementary’s kindergarten classrooms where I truly appreciate this wonderful community of students, parents and educators. Every year I have the privilege of welcoming our youngest learners and their families to the amazing Stephenson community.

I live near Multnomah Village with my husband, Stefan, our son, Finnian (15) and our daughter, Sylvie (11). I love singing, running, dancing, reading and exploring the Pacific Northwest with family and friends.

A Warm ALOHA!

Hello Lions!

My name is Ms. Allie and I am so excited for the opportunity to teach artists at Stephenson! I believe that every child is an artist and I strive to inspire and cultivate each student’s creative potential. I believe an art classroom should be a joyful and vibrant place where students feel confident to express themselves, try new things, have fun, and make mistakes! When I am not in the art room I enjoy hiking, paddle boarding, traveling, reading, spending time with my husband, and creating art in any medium. 

You can follow our art room adventures on instagram @allietheartteacher

Let’s make it a colorful year!

As the PE teacher, I believe Physical Education is a team sport—where everyone is supportive, and our successes are built on trust and collaboration. Just like in team sports everyone has a role to play and no one is left on the sidelines. It’s important that a PE program teaches more than just physical skills; it needs to build teamwork, resilience, and respect. In our gym, our team succeeds when we are growing together, learning new skills, and cheering each other on.

Go Stephenson Lions!

Hello! My name is MJ Poss and I teach our students in the K-2 Communication Behavior Classroom. This is my second year in this role and at Stephenson. I grew up in Chicago and made the move all the way to Portland last year so I am still fairly new to the area! You’ll often see me running around the playground, playing silly games and laughing with my students. I believe in leading with joy, laughter and unconditional acceptance and inclusion for students of all abilities. In my free time you can find me learning how to play hockey, cooking, spending lots of time outdoors exploring (and eating) my way through the PNW, and cheering on the Chicago Cubs!

My name is Courtney Brockway. I have been teaching first graders at Stephenson for 13 years! I absolutely love this community and feel fortunate to call this my home away from home. 

I love inspiring students to believe that they can do hard things and try to model that myself! I recently overcame my crippling arachnophobia, which is something that I never thought was possible! We are all life long learners and can do hard things! 

I am known as the school cat lady. My husband Josh and I are huge critter lovers (which includes spiders now)! We have 5 silly & snuggly cats. We also care for a colony of beetles and a pair of millipedes and are determined to become friends with all the crows in our neighborhood.

My name is Jen Podichetty. I love teaching and learning! This is my first year at Stephenson, and I am so excited to be teaching and learning alongside a new group of first grade friends.

My husband Giri and I have two children, a sophomore at Ida B. Wells High School and a 13 year old at Robert Gray Middle School. As a family, we love to travel to locations near and far. 

For me, teaching is kind of like being a tour guide. Each day, I have the privilege of guiding a group of learners to make new discoveries and learn more about themselves and the world around them while gaining new skills and knowledge. And, I never exactly know where their questions and interests will ultimately lead us along the way.

Hello my name is Caroline Pickett. This is my third year at Stephenson, and I feel so lucky to be a part of this wonderful community. This will be my second year teaching 2nd graders. I am looking forward to learning alongside my students this year. I have been teaching and working with students for 9 years. I started my career in outdoor education working on Catalina Island as a Marine Science Instructor. This job started my passion for teaching. Seeing students grow their confidence through outdoor activities is magical. In 2023, I received my Master’s in Elementary Education from Portland State University. I truly love teaching and working with students. It is such a joy! 

I grew up in Santa Barbara, California. My husband and I moved to Portland in 2020. In my free time I love hiking with my dog Willow. I also love surfing, and try to get out to the coast as often as I can! I love being outside, but I also enjoy watercolor painting when the weather isn’t so nice. 

Hello, my name is Wendy Connolly. I teach fifth-grade students. This will be my fourth year at Stephenson. I enjoy spending my days with students; every day is an adventure. We start off going in one direction, but always end up in many surprise destinations. I guide the students, but they tend to lead themselves on this amazing adventure called fifth grade. 

It is an honor to be the student's last destination in elementary school. I make the year memorable, heartfelt, with increased independence for what lies ahead.

My name is Kevin Dilg. I'll be teaching 5th graders this year at Stephenson. I have been a PPS teacher for five years, teaching upper elementary students at schools in North Portland and at the Online Learning Academy. Prior to that I taught in Gresham, Oregon and Rio Rancho, New Mexico.  Altogether this will be my 22nd year in education!

I live in Northeast Portland with my wife, my daughter who is entering 4th grade, and our two sibling cats, Kiki and Potion. Nerd-culture is really my jam - I’m into anything comic book, sci-fi, and/or fantasy related, but I also love food, travel, exercise, and basketball - Go Blazers!

As a teacher, I strive to create an environment in which students feel comfortable being their genuine selves and where differences and uniqueness are celebrated. Students in my class will know that they can achieve anything with persistence, and that learning can be a whole lot of fun!

My name is ReCher Kim. This is my 14th year teaching the amazing 4th and 5th graders at Stephenson Elementary. 

During the professional development session with our new principal, Jon Jeans, I was asked to think of a metaphor for teaching. Riding a roller coaster immediately came to mind. For me, teaching is an exhilarating ride, one filled with breathtaking peaks, unexpected drops, and some wild twists and loops along the way. 😀

I started out my teaching journey with the excitement of a first-time roller coaster rider: just full of anticipation and just as much nervous energy. As the years went by, I learned to embrace the exhilarating rush of witnessing my students soar when they finally grasp a tough concept, and the challenge of helping them get back on track when things don’t go as planned. Teaching definitely requires the courage to embrace the unpredictable. 

Every year is like riding a brand-new roller coaster, and I can’t wait to start this year’s journey with my new 4th graders!

Hello! I’m Jennifer Cleary, and I have the privilege of teaching and learning alongside the incredible third graders at Stephenson. I’ve held this role the past 12 years but my connection to the Stephenson community spans more than two decades. Both of my children attended this school, and over the years I’ve worn many hats—parent, classroom volunteer, substitute teacher, piano instructor, and even the occasional accompanist.

One of my passions outside the classroom is gardening, and I often find  parallels to teaching in the garden. Like seedlings, children arrive bursting with potential. It’s a joy to create an environment that challenges and encourages them to flourish. 

🌼 The newest sprout in our family garden is my sweet grandson. You might catch us exploring the playground or wandering the trails at Tryon Creek—always learning, always growing.

Hello everyone!
I am excited to be teaching 3rd grade this year. I have been an educator for 15 years, including time as a teacher librarian. Before that, I worked in various roles supporting students and learning. I am originally from Austin, Texas, but I have called Portland home for the past 25 years. I enjoy anything art-related, from visual arts, theater, music, and fiber arts to gardening, hiking, cooking, animation, graphic novels, and silly dad jokes.

Hello! I am Ms. Sarah Parker and this will be my first year teaching in the Learning Center at Stephenson. However, I have been with the district for 13 years. I am thrilled to be part of the community. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my family, dogs and friends. I feel that teaching is like being a pack leader. I offer leadership to guide learning and boost confidence. In the future, you may see Wren (the little black dog) at Stephenson. She has an amazing disposition and loves working with children. She is a quick learner and passed her Canine Good Citizen Test on her first trial. We are planning on completing her therapy dog certification soon.

Hello! I was a classroom elementary school teacher in Everett, Washington and our local Beaverton School District before leaving to provide private tutoring to local Portland families. I have changed gears again, and now work as a para educator for the wonderful children at Stephenson. I find teaching is a bit like being on a roller coaster; there are changes around every corner. One moment you are having the time of your life, and the next you are holding on for dear life hoping you don’t derail. But teaching, like the proverbial roller coaster, is the best ride ever, and one you want to do again and again.