Hello everyone! I am so excited for the upcoming 2025-2026 school year. This year is my fourth at SLPS, and I would like to share with you a little bit about myself. I grew up in the St. Louis metro area in Waterloo, Illinois. I completed my undergrade at Missouri State University where I majored in Biology and minored in Chemistry. I worked in a genetics research lab while at MSU and eventually went to Mizzou pursue a graduate degree in plant genetics. After discovering a love of teaching, I left Mizzou to get a graduate degree in teaching. That path brought me to SLPS. I am married, and my husband is also a teacher with SLPS at Shaw VPA. We have 2 dogs and we are expecting our first child this November.  

I understand that not everyone will leave my class with a dream of being a biologist. My goal is for each of my students to leave my class with the ability to think scientifically and support their claims with evidence and reasoning. I also want students to feel comfortable participating in and adding to classroom discussions, whether they be about biology or not. These two skills are important for people on all paths and I want to help my students become the best people they can be.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please email me at jennifer.rice@slps.org, and I will get back to you as soon as possible.