Jennifer Penley by Allison Smith

Every summer, parents are faced with one of the biggest anxiety-inducing experiences a parent can face… Sending their little ones off to school to be taught, guided and nurtured by a near stranger. Let’s face it. School safety is a serious issue nowadays, and the Vicksburg-Warren County School District goes above and beyond to keep your children safe.

From having cameras everywhere at the schools to having buzzers on the doors, you can be assured that your child will be protected at all costs. The teachers and principals in our community are a family, and I was honored to meet an amazing second grade teacher at Dana Road Elementary, named Jennifer Penley.

Jennifer started out her life in Vicksburg, Mississippi and she has been teaching for twenty-plus years. She attended Mississippi College, where she received her bachelor of science in elementary education grades K-4. She then attended Alcorn State University, where she received her master’s degree in elementary education.

Jennifer knew early in life that she was going to become a teacher. Both her mother and father were teachers, and her brother was a school principal, so it was in her blood to teach too.
Over the years, she has been a first-, second-, and third-grade elementary teacher, but she says that second-grade is where she belongs. She values teaching her students honesty, work ethic and leadership and she feels like all of her students are family. She says that her second-grade team is family. They are always there for each other and always have each other’s backs. Jennifer works hard to protect and guide the future generation to be the very best that they can be.

In September of 2022, Jennifer faced possibly one of the biggest and scariest moments in her life. She became unresponsive at home, and her husband rushed her to Jackson, Mississippi where she went in for immediate surgery to remove a mass the size of a peach from her brain. She had to relearn how to do everything, including walking. Penly went through a month of recovery, and then several months of physical and occupational therapy, and she was ready to return to the classroom. Her husband, mother, children and close family friends were her steady support system through that tough time.

Since returning to work, Jennifer has resumed  her duties of leading our future generation to greatness. She loves what she does and will continue to watch over your little ones with love, kindness and respect.