My name is Jessica Tortomasi and I am the Middle School English Literature teacher.  I have been with the district since the 2000-2001 school year.  I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in 1999 with a bachelors degree in Elementary Education 1-9 and a minor in Bilingual Education.  I have taught a mulititude of grades here at Erin School, including 4th grade, Title One, Gifted and Talented, Spanish, and Middle School Literature.  In 2002 I received my 316 Reading Teachers License from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.  I graduated with a Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Reading from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in August 2010.  I have been the Camp Invention director at Erin School since 2001, as well.  Camp Invention is a week long summer science camp encouraging team building, creative and innovative thinking.  I have also hosted the 7th grade Read-In since 2006 and also done community projects, such as an intergenerational book group collaborating with the Hartford Senior Center.  I have been a Chess Club Advisor since 2001, as well.   My passion is encouraging students to be life-long readers. I pride myself on going out of my way to differentiate reading materials for individual students.  I read a lot of new young adult literature hoping to spark an interest in my young readers as well.