Leslie Ries Email and Phone Number

Leslie E. Ries currently serves as Primary Resource Teacher at Van Sciver Elementary School, member of the Intervention and Referral Services team, and founding advisor of the Van Sciver Green Team.Leslie first joined Van Sciver in 1985 as a Self-Contained Special Education Teacher. In addition to her commitment to Van Sciver, she has also held various roles in education and early childhood development including serving as a Functional Academic & Skills Training teacher at Bancroft NeuroHealth, as a personal tutor, and as a lead Preschool teacher in the Developmental Kindergarten program at First Presbyterian. Since 2003, Leslie has worked as the Primary Resource Teacher at Van Sciver and seeks to infuse a sense of community, literature, and fundamentals into her students’ everyday learning.In Leslie’s role as Green Team advisor, she raises greater awareness about the group’s mission to the Van Sciver community through education, assemblies, and involvement with local recycling brigades that help raise donations for various charities. These have included Almost Home Shelter, SJ Ronald McDonald House, Allied Global Ministries, NJ Aid for Animals, and Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge.Teaching the 'Choose Love' curriculum founded by Scarlet Lewis has served as an emotionally rich experience for the teacher and the students. We focus on the Choose Love formula; courage, gratitude, forgiveness and compassion in action. A variety of mindful lessons provide kids with the tools, strategies and mindset to think of others and how to identify and manage feelings and emotions.in her free time, Leslie enjoys pursuing her passions which include reading, art, animals, and nature. After over 25 years, she continues to strive for and be inspired by those amazing “lightbulb” moments with her students.Leslie earned her B.A. in Education and M.Ed. in Special Education from Lynchburg College in Lynchburg, Virginia.