Testimonials:

“My first association with Shirley was when she was the Principal Teacher of the K-12 school in Crooked Creek, Alaska for the Kuspuk School District. She always went beyond to help students learn by creating high expectations and creating the conditions for student success.  Several students from Crooked Creek have gone on to college and they attribute their success in school to Shirley Nelson. Most recently, I had the opportunity to hire Shirley for a Title I reading position at Nome Elementary School.  She made a positive impact on student learning.  Shirley was masterful at assessing student performance and then designing instruction based upon the data.  She is genuinely passionate and committed to student learning.”

 

Carl White, Principal

Nome Elementary School, Nome, Alaska

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“Shirley has made all the difference in my son’s reading and writing skills.  She was able to zero in on the areas he especially needed help and use materials that were of particular interest to him.  The result was not only an improvement in his reading and analytical skills, but also an increase in his self confidence about learning.  As a parent, I felt much more comfortable that my son had the skills to make the transition from elementary school to 7^th grade.  I highly recommend Ms. Nelson for individualized instruction in reading and writing.”

 

Kathy Lorec, Parent

Anchorage, Alaska

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“Shirley was known as an innovative teacher and made the lessons interesting and relevant to the student’s lives.  She emphasized reading and writing skills in all her curriculums and as a result her classes were very well rounded and she brought in special programs that would include all skills in a specific program.  Shirley always went the extra mile to present the best lessons possible and get her students interested in what they were learning.”

 

Melissa Sanford, Wilderness Expressions

Valdez, Alaska

(Past Itinerant Art & Music Teacher, and Classroom Aide)

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“ I met Shirley when she was a partner with her sister in Pianos Unlimited.  The primary business was sales of pianos, but it also was the center of many community events, especially music education on all levels from pre-school through adult education.  Shirley was very innovative in her programming and all aspects of each event were wonderfully organized.  Shirley’s energy and diligence were unwavering.  There was no music organization in Anchorage that did not benefit from the support and generosity of Shirley and Pianos Unlimited.”

 

Dr. Juliana Osinchuk

BM, MM, DMA-The Juilliard School of Music, NYC

Director of Chamber Music & Young Alaskan Artist Program-Anchorage Festival of Music

Anchorage, Alaska

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