What this is really about.
Summer 2023, we met as a team to define and refine our priorities for the shop. Heather encouraged us to dream into our roles.
Corrie, our Children’s Program manager, was inspired by the stories she’s heard from teachers, parents, and students. Enormous and chaotic classes, long hours for teachers, frustrating curricula. Teachers who want to help more, finding themselves completely burnt out and overwhelmed. Students who need help, slipping through the cracks. Corrie dreamt that we could bring tutors–retired teachers and passionate, knowledgeable community members–together to facilitate a time and place where students could get a little extra support. Once the idea was out there, we immediately began scheming how we would make it happen.
Over the last few months, we’ve collected fantastic people who want to assist local kids. Each week, we’ll announce which tutors will be in the shop on Thursday. We’ve tried to balance our tutoring teams to hit the widest spectrum of potential subjects and grades possible. There will also be a calendar below where you can preview upcoming weeks.
If you would like to join us and volunteer your time and expertise for students in our area, please email us at [email protected] or ring us at the shop, (360) 342-8268.
Meet our local tutors!
Team 1:
La Don Albertson is a retired elementary school teacher with experience in K-5. She tutors basic reading, early math concepts, and penmanship. Her goal is to bring the joy of learning to both parent and child.
Rob Albertson is a retired US Navy Commander and ex fighter pilot. While in the Navy Reserves, he provided management and program consulting to the Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet. Privately, he worked in high technology and business development and marketing. He has a degree in Economics, as well as a Master’s in Business Administration, and advanced aviation expertise. He enjoys science, history, and art.
Jennifer McCoy has a Master’s in Elementary Education and 18 years experience teaching K-5, with 6 years in reading intervention. For elementary students, she is happy to help with making sense of homework, math fact fluency, as well as efficient problem solving strategies, reading decoding, fluency, and comprehension skills. For middle and high school students, she can help with the structure in writing, identifying impactful thesis statements, and balancing research with your own conclusions. She can also help with word choice, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and overall proofreading.
OUT IN MARCH.
Team 2:
Laurie Freiberg is a a recently retired elementary school teacher. She especially enjoys teaching math and sharing her love of reading with children. She’s very comfortable helping students improve their writing skills. When she isn’t reading, she’s outside working in my yard–even in the rain! She loves horses, but she doesn’t have one right now. She does have 2 goats, a cat, and goldfish in the goats’ water trough. She is looking forward to working with your students.
Jiho Kim earned advanced degrees in Mathematics and Computer Science, and has taught math and computer programming to toddlers, retirees, and everyone in between—even future math teachers. Institutional education seems to make almost everyone despise math with the fire of a thousand suns, but he does his best to reverse that awful trend. He’s totally certifiable in math and computer science, and can likely assist with math-heavy topics like physics, chemistry, and category theory.
Sherri Proulx worked in Special Education for 26 years at an elementary school in Oregon, grades K-5. She has been retired for 3 years now. She enjoys working with younger students and is happy to help with math, reading, and writing. She believes learning should be more fun and less struggle.
Team 3:
Dan Mayhew has a Masters Degree in Speech Communication, Theater Arts and Education. He taught at the high school level for several years in the Gresham School District. His classes included Theater, Speech and English. He is also a writer and publisher. He assists self-publishers with getting their projects into print.
Meta Mourton was born and raised in Battle Ground, and is from a family that immigrated here in the later 1800s. She feels blessed to be a part of the changes from old-time farming to the “new BG”, though she does prefer a cow next door. She is not a teacher, but has conducted Children’s Church, Vacation Bible Study, and Sunday school for years at Cherry Grove Friends in Battle Ground. She loves is when kids “get” the idea. She raised a handsome son and now has a wonderful daughter and grandbabies. To her, that’s the best life.
OUT IN MARCH.
Team 4:
Dan Dingman is a 24-year resident of Battle Ground. He holds a Bachelors of Science in Physics from Western Washington University, with a minor in Math, and significant coursework in Chemistry as well. Through college he tutored students in all three disciplines, and taught the Physics labs for the lower division courses. He is now retired and excited to use his skills to help the students in our city.
Sandy Sorlie has lived in Battle Ground since 1995. She is a retired elementary school teacher, who taught 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade for 26 years. She loves helping students with reading and math skills, as well as reading aloud. Her favorite past-time is reading and browsing antique stores in town. She spend several years volunteering at a local food bank and as a receptionist at a health care clinic.
Veronica Legg received her BS in Nursing from the University of Maryland and her MS in Community Health from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She recently retired from her practice as a nurse practitioner in nephrology research. Veronica enjoys reading, hiking, and music. She was born and raised on the East Coast and has been married for 54 years to her husband, Bob. Together, they have lived in the Midwest, Hong Kong, and the Philippines. They moved to Battle Ground in 1993. They have two children, one granddaughter, and Pomeranian.
OUT IN MARCH.
Frequently asked questions
Can I book one of your tutors for a private session?
No private tutoring is offered through or at the shop at this time. For students needing more thorough or extensive help than our tutors can provide, we heartily encourage you to contact Gold Star Tutoring in Battle Ground; their tutors are knowledgeable and sensitive.
What if my child is in school from 3-4pm?
Thursday 3-4pm is the only time we are available for academic support.
What can I do with my child if we are waiting for a tutor?
While you wait, you and your student are welcome to settle in a for a few minutes of “warm up” reading.