Mary H
Department: Tutors
Position: Tutor
Qualification: Masters of Education with a concentration in Special Education
Mary Grace Halatsis holds an Education Specialist Instruction Credential in the State of California. This credential authorizes Mary Grace to conduct educational assessments and support students from Kindergarten to age 22. She is also authorized to provide instruction for English language development and specially designed academic instruction in English. Her credential includes the Added Autism Authorization, which authorizes the holder to conduct assessments and provide instruction to individuals with a primary disability of autism. In addition, Mary Grace meets the No Child Left Behind requirements for teaching English and Multiple Subjects.
Mary Grace earned her Masters of Education with a concentration in Special Education from Holy Names University in Oakland, California. She graduated with college honors from the University of San Francisco with a Bachelor of Public Administration. In addition, she holds a Certificate of Computer Technology from Control Data Institute.
Mary Grace taught elementary through high school students throughout the Bay Area. She is a member of the Bay Area Writing Project and through its affiliation took middle school students on a field trip to the Post-Impressionist exhibit at the de Young Museum in San Francisco. This experience yielded unforeseen educational benefits for the students at the Raskob Learning Center, where she was employed by Holy Names University as a writing teacher. One parent stated that this was a life-changing experience for his son, who subsequently won an award for a Google doodle.
As an award-winning poet, Mary Grace is able to share her passion for reading and writing with her students. Some of her awards include first prize for “The Commercialization of St. Peter’s” in Ford Ord’s Words in Motion Poetry Contest and Honorable Mention for “Evidence of Faulting†from the Ina Coolbrith Circle Annual Poetry Day in Berkeley. Two of her published poems include “Sea Fantasy Monterey Peninsula Poetry Shell†(1984) and “Norrad Perspectives: An Anthology of Contemporary Poetry, New York†(1981).
At Bay Farm Elementary School, the highest-performing school in Alameda, California, Mary Grace was part of a math team where the school divided students by ability not grade level. Mary Grace also taught math to middle school students in East San Jose. Her students enthusiastically participate in her hands-on, multi-modal method of teaching. She also supported a teacher of algebra at John Swett High School by having both general and special education students finish their assignments in a smaller group.
Mary Grace is a lifelong learner and her love of education motivates her students to achieve.
Subjects Tutored: English, Math, Special Education