4th Grade

Welcome to Fourth Grade

The Ashlawn Fourth Grade team would like to welcome you to Ashlawn Elementary School.

Ms. Brooke Gianni

brooke.gianni@apsva.us

Hi! My name is Brooke Gianni and this will be my third year teaching 4th grade at Ashlawn. I grew up in Northern Virginia and received my B.S. and Master’s degree in Elementary Education from James Madison University. Outside of teaching, I enjoy spending time outside, visiting the beach, traveling with friends, trying new restaurants, and reading novels. A couple of my favorite books are Walk Two Moons and Out of My Mind. I am so incredibly excited for this upcoming school year and to continue my journey with the Ashlawn team and community!

Ms. Amy Slavin

amy.slavin@apsva.us

Hello, Eagles! I’m from Northern California, on the other side of our country. If you find San Francisco on a map, you’ll be pretty close to where I lived when I was your age. I went to college at the University of California at Davis, and I had an opportunity to live in Washington, DC for a semester. I had an internship (a part-time job for college students) in our nation’s capital. I loved it so much that I moved to DC after graduation and went to work on Capitol Hill, where Congress meets. But eventually I decided to be a teacher… just like my mom and my grandmother. My first job in a school was as a New York City Teaching Fellow. After two years in Brooklyn, I moved back to Virginia, and I’m so happy that I get to be a teacher here. Now I live in Alexandria (right next door to Arlington) with my husband, our two daughters, and a cat who climbs on everything. We really like checking out places and things to do around our area, particularly the ones that are special in Virginia history. I enjoy gardening and reading… and I love teaching and learning as part of the Ashlawn community!

Ms. Maria White
maria.white@apsva.us

After growing up in DC, I attended Denison University where I majored in Political Science and minored in French.  I was a Peace Corps Volunteer for two years teaching English in Cameroon and, shortly thereafter, I earned my Master’s degree in Education from Boston College. From there I taught second grade French Immersion for six years in Massachusetts as well as third grade in Amman Jordan.  In 2008 I moved back to the DC area and began teaching at APS and in 2014 I joined the Ashlawn team. As a child, my favorite author was Shel Silverstein and I adored his books The Giving Tree and Where the Sidewalk Ends.  My favorite part of teaching at Ashlawn is its commitment to community service and the GCP program.  Also, I truly enjoy being able to foster a love of reading and writing each day while using books to promote the ideas of tolerance and acceptance in our classroom and school.  When I am not teaching, I enjoy cycling, reading and spending time with my husband and two kids.  I’m looking forward to another wonderful year at Ashlawn!