About The Teacher

NAME: JoAnne Riss

SCHOOL: Wildwood

CLASS: First Grade

SCHOOL PHONE: 805-492-3531


I was born in Binghamton, New York and lived there until I was 9 years old.  
My father's job brought us westward to California in 1980.  I attended 
Weathersfield Elementary School, Los Cerritos Middle School, and Thousand 
Oaks High School.  After graduating, I moved to West Los Angeles to attend 
UCLA.  I started out as an Economics major, but graduated as a Theater Arts 
major with a focus on scenic and costume design.  After graduating, I worked 
for a theater arts company in Salinas, California then moved to Denver, 
Colorado where I worked as a painter at the Denver Center Theater Company.  
What an adventure!  I then returned to Los Angeles where I decided to follow 
my heart.  I earned my teaching credential while teaching Kindergarten in the 
Los Angeles Unified School District. I taught Kindergarten for 6 years, then 
worked as a Literacy Coach at a primary center the following year.  That year 
I got married and returned to Thousand Oaks where I joined the Conejo Valley 
Unified School District.  Since joining the CVUSD, I have taught three years 
of 1st grade, three years of 2nd grade, and one year of 6th grade.  I have 
had the opportunity to particpate in the Master Teacher program in which I 
worked with many talented and motivated student teachers.  My husband and I 
have 2 children - a girl and a boy.