About Me

     Hello, my name is Jennifer van der Smissen and I'm the librarian here at Challenger. I graduated from the University of Houston with my BA in Elementary Education and graduated from Texas Woman's University with my MA in Library Science. I was a classroom teacher for 8 years (grades 1, 2 and 3) and this will be my third year as an elementary librarian. I am married to my best friend, CJ, and we have two beautiful and clever daughters named Eliza (7) and Amelia (5), both current Challenger Eagles. We also have two cats, Hobbes and Milo, and a Westie named Alibi. I love teaching and I look forward to coming to school each day to make learning a great experience for my students. I come from a military family and was born in Germany. Having moved around a lot as a child, I love to travel. In my spare time I enjoy crafting, reading, baking, and spending time with friends and family.

The kiddos call me Mrs. van der Smissen (or Mrs. v for short) and I will see each class every 6 days throughout the year during the specials rotations. In that time together we will dive into a love of reading, experiencing new and old stories and interacting with them in hands-on and exciting ways. I hope to inspire a love of literacy in each one of my students that helps foster their love of learning as they grow. 

These are a few of my favorite things:
o Foods: European Chocolates, Sushi, & Cheesecake
o Animals: Owls & Dragons
o Drinks: Coffee, Coke Zero, & Chai Tea
o Stores: Amazon & Target
o Fast Food: Wrap and Roll, The Drink Station, MOD, & Chic-Fil-A
o Color: Purple, Green, and Teal
o Hobbies: Crafting, Reading, Baking, & Traveling
o Subjects: Math and Science

Want to follow what is going on in the library?

Follow me on instagram @librarymagicwithmrsv

Here’s how you can contact me

Email: vandersmissenj@pearlandisd.org

Phone: 281.485.7912 ext. 66468 and leave a message.