Meet The Team!
Meet Mrs. Rebecca Pastore, founder, co-owner, and Lead Sun Pod Tutor!
Rebecca began her educational career in 2006 by receiving her Masters of Arts in Elementary Teaching and was lucky enough to gain experience in grades 2-4 across charter, private, and public schools alike within 3 different states.
She is a mama first and foremost to her 3 growing boys (and 3 animals!), and wife of nearly 18 years to Dr. Pastore of UNCW.
She loves interacting with all of the neighborhood littles, teaching in small group settings, and getting to know each and every child individually!
She touched on “homeschooling” during virtual pandemic learning, and has been dreaming of starting her own oasis of learning for years.
She believes that school should be focused but fun, educational but supportive, and most importantly, a community!
Rebecca enjoys reading, spending time with friends and family, doing yoga, and going to the beach in her spare time.
She can’t wait to meet all of her Little Suns and the other pods soon!
Meet co-owner and K-2 Lead Sand Pod tutor, Mrs. Jolene McDonald!
Jolene has taught in the public school education system for 26 years. She has taught kindergarten for the past 7 years, but has also taught grades 3rd-8th in 5 different states. Jolene has her Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education and her Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education.
She feels it is imperative students in the K-2 grades get a strong foundational education in the areas of phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. Each component plays a crucial role in developing strong reading and comprehension skills which will enhance their writing skills. She has researched and taken many courses over the years which has proven to be very effective within her classroom.
Jolene and her husband Dan, retired Coast Guard, have four adult children. We enjoy our local community and traveling whenever we get the chance.
She is very excited to join Topsail Tutors to teach in a small group setting, and really getting to know each child as an individual. She believes a learning setting should have procedures and routines so there is consistency throughout each day, plus a bit of fun while we learn.
See you soon Sand Pod!
Meet Lead Wave Pod tutor, Dr. Elizabeth Anderson!
Elizabeth began her professional career working in programs to help autistic children and children with ADHD learn self-regulation and social skills. In 2008, she earned her M.Ed. in Elementary Education and in 2013, she obtained a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from Kent State University, where she worked with prospective teachers and researched best practices for teaching children with emotional and behavioral disorders. She has taught in public and alternative schools, as well as in a variety of K-12 and college-level programs. She homeschooled and taught in a homeschool co-op from 2019-2022.
Outside of her educational endeavors, Elizabeth is kept busy and happy with her awesome husband and three beautiful children. She loves to read and write, and she volunteers as a softball coach.
Elizabeth believes that positive student-teacher relationships are vital to a successful learning experience, and she looks forward to meeting all of her new students and embarking on this journey with them!