300 Natoma St. Folsom, CA 95630
916.953.9915
info@wildrootslearningcenter.com

Spring Registration is OPEN! Classes Start Jan.19
Want to join us now- we still have six weeks left in the semster, join now!
Meet Our Teachers

Kara Lofthouse
With 15+ years experience in public education, Kara has always been an educational leader, with her Masters in Education with a focus on Curriculum and Instruction, she is driven to create innovative educational opportunities for ALL students. Kara began her home school journey with her own children in 2020. She has credentials in Administration, Social Science and English, with a passion for culturally responsive education and social emotional learning. She has been a state and national board representative for the council of Social Sciences, serves on a local school board and is part of the California School Board association and cannot wait to share her passion with you at Wild Roots.

Emily Harms
Emily is a recent graduate of UC Santa Cruz and we are thrilled to have her join us! She has extensive experience in Montessori Early Elementary classrooms and is excited to share her experience and love of children with us at Wild Roots. Emily loves to travel, be outdoors, and adventure with her new husband.

Jamie Anderson
Jamie is a nature lover who enjoys spending her time outdoors and has a deep appreciation for plants and animals. She loves to hug a tree and share her passion for living a thoughtful and peaceful life. Jamie is a homeschooling mother of two, who uses her knowledge of yoga, wellness, and social emotional learning to advocate for all students, but has a special knack for those who have autism and are neurodivergent learners. Jamie has the ability to connect with all students and is a person many feel comfortable seeking a listening ear from. She is not only a phenomenal teacher, but an amazing organizer of events and will be our go to for events and field trips this year.

Jeanne Poarch
Miss Jeanne’s passion for teaching was shaped by her own childhood experiences living in South America, where school didn’t come easily. Those early struggles inspired her lifelong mission: to create a fun, and engaging learning environment where every student can thrive. With over 35 years of experience teaching all grades, Miss Jeanne brings a rich background in music, bilingual education, special needs, and homeschooling. Her playful, creative classes spark imagination and make learning come alive with her use of Spanish, music, sign language, and puppets. She’s devoted to helping every student feel seen, valued, and excited to learn—building not just skills, but confidence and curiosity. When she’s not teaching, you’ll find her learning a new song on one of her instruments, reading a good book, or playing at the park with her grandkids.

Steve Estabrook
Steve Estabrook is a singer, songwriter and composer based in the Sacramento area. Steve is solo performer, accompanying himself on guitar and piano. Steve’s current musical style is acoustic rock/singer-songwriter, reminiscent of Neil Young and Chris Isaak. Steve received his master of music in voice performance from California State University Sacramento in 1997, in addition to earning a master’s in history. Steve has both studied and taught voice, piano, French Horn and guitar since the early 1980s, and has directed church and synagogue choirs, local operas and has sung and performed and as a soloist. He can't wait to teach your child piano, guitar, ukulele or voice!

Erin Lazarra
Hi! I’m Erin! Business owner, creative, mom, teacher, bagel lover & self proclaimed DIY queen. Most days you’ll find me in my workshop, creating leather goods for my brand, or hosting interactive workshops around the greater Sacramento area. I love to build, create art with many different mediums & explore nature and museums with my kids! Originally from Chicago - I have a love for carbs of all kinds and delicious food. I truly love “collecting” new skills of all kinds and sharing my knowledge with people of all ages. It’s so rewarding. I strongly believe learning should be welcoming and fun and can’t wait to interact with you all this school year!

Serenity Detwiler
Serenity is a beloved member of the Wild Roots community! She is currently working behind the scenes for us as her rambunctious almost three year old makes classroom time difficult. She also is a regular substitute for us!

Kristin Silver
Greetings all, I’m Kristin Silver! I’ve been living the dream as an art teacher for the past fourteen years. While my studies at Santa Clara University instilled a love for classical art techniques it’s the messy, process-based projects that are truly my jam. Much of my teaching style embraces the Montessori philosophy of experimentation, play, and following the child. I believe that the true value of art lies not in the outcome, but in the act of creation. When I’m not teaching you can find me cooking up a storm, costuming, painting, and entomology.

Jessica Harrison
Jessica grew up in the Folsom area and is a mother of four, including three of whom she homeschools. She loves the outdoors, travel and exploring new places and museums. She brings that same spirit of adventure and discovery to her teaching.
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With Education from Folsom Lake College and Azusa Pacific University, plus a Certificate in Montessori Teaching, Jessica has over ten years of experience teaching in the FCUSD school district and 15 years in pediatric healthcare. She has specialized training in working with children who have learning disabilities and other challenges. She loves the outdoors, watching kids learn through hands-on experiences that spark their curiosity and joy, and teaching kids that they can do so much on their own.

Melody Hillis
We are so thrilled to have Ms. Melody return to Wild Roots. She is one of the funniest people we know and always has a smile on her face. She has worked at Wild Roots in the past and was able to return as she moved to Folsom recently. She has experience with kids TK-5 and is so creative! She has experience as an instructional aide and trained in working with integration and special ed classrooms. We adore Ms. Melody!

Mark Hallam
Mr. Mark holds a lifetime multiple subject (elementary) and single subject Social Science credentials and taught grades 6-12 in his 40 year career, 33 of which were at Folsom High School, teaching US History and English (where he was Kara's teacher). He is married to Karen, has six grandchildren, and is the designated Extra grandparent, on site janitor and safety monitor at Wild Roots when he is not traveling. Mr. Mark volunteers many hours to Wild Roots because he gets so much joy from hanging out with the wonderful kids at Wild Roots and that is payment enough.

Jenna Johnson
Jenna holds a bachelor’s degree and teaching credential from Pepperdine University. Her favorite part of the day is story time, so she made a career out of it! As a disabled author, it is her passion to showcase disabled joy through her writing. When she’s not writing, Jenna is teaching elementary students, working at her local independent bookstore, visiting her twin brother in San Diego, or playing with her service dog, Hamilton. Most days, you can find Jenna curled up by the fireplace (she’s always cold!) reading a good book (most likely kidlit!), munching on a good gluten-free treat, or at a coffee shop with her laptop working on her next big idea.

Chloe Clark
Chloe is an artist, educator, and professional big kid who believes learning should feel like play. Whether she’s building cardboard crafts, writing haikus under a tree, or turning science into magic, she helps students see the world with curiosity and joy. All she needs on any given day is sunshine, a sketchbook, and her dogs—and she brings that same warm, adventurous energy into every class at Wild Roots.
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Chloe brings extensive experience and education to our team at Wild Roots. She has ECE experience, her California multiple subject credential and her Masters in Education.
