Kind Words

Liam Ulrich, Student

My name is Liam Ulrich and I am pleased to be writing this letter of reference for Pamela Young who was my high school Language Arts tutor from 11th grade to 12th grade.

During the time I worked with Pam, I noticed significant changes in my writing. When I first started with Pam, my understanding and ability to apply lessons from class into my writing held me back from being able to write freely and well. Through Pam’s attention to detail, she was able to set up weekly meetings with strategies tailored to my needs. Her patience, guidance and consistent feedback allowed me to gain a better understanding of how to structure my work, explore my ideas while answering questions, and approach assignments with greater confidence. I was able to understand different perspectives and dive deeper into meaning in movie scenes and book scenes.

I also noticed the organizational skills that Pam taught me played a role in all of my other classes as well. I gained a deeper understanding in those classes as well through her tips and tricks. 

I have recently completed high school and will be attending Queen’s University this fall. I believe that the skills and confidence I gained from working with Pam will continue to benefit me in the future. 

I am more than happy to recommend Pam as an English tutor. She is knowledgeable, patient, supportive, and genuinely committed to helping her students succeed. I went from average grades on my reading and writing assignments to low to mid 90s after working for two years with her. I am grateful for the impact Pam had on my education and would confidently recommend her to anyone looking for an effective and dedicated English tutor.  

Sjun and Lan Gu Song, Parents of Mingfei Song

When Mingfei first started working with Pamela, we mainly hoped to improve his reading comprehension and writing. What we did not expect was how much his attitude toward reading itself would gradually change.

Mingfei is a very math-oriented student. He is good at logic and understanding the literal meaning of a text, but he often misses the deeper meaning, emotions, or what the author is really trying to express. Pamela helped him become more thoughtful and patient when reading and discussing literature.

One small moment really stayed with us. After reading a passage by Pushkin in one of his exercises, he casually told us that he actually enjoyed it and wanted to read more literature afterward. For us as parents, that felt like meaningful progress.

Pamela is warm and genuinely encouraging, but she is also honest. She does not just tell students they are doing well — she challenges them to go further. What we appreciated most is that she always seemed to know how much to ask of Mingfei without pushing too hard. He can be a quiet boy and does not always say when something is difficult for him, so that kind of patience and attentiveness really made a difference. We have seen him become more confident in both reading and writing, but more importantly, he has started to enjoy the process of learning and improving.

We are very grateful for Pamela’s help and would gladly recommend her to other families.

Karen MacDonald, mother of Grayson MacDonald

We began working with Pam when our son Grayson began Grade 9 in the hopes of providing him with extra support after a year of online learning, as well as hoping to set him up for a strong transition into high school. Our son has diagnosed moderate learning disabilities that result in school often being a source of frustration, disappointment, and conflict when it comes to homework. He does not receive additional supports through the school system and it can be challenging to meet his learning needs as parents.

We were excited to work with Pam because of her extensive experience and credentials, and her customized approach to learning. We felt hopeful that she would be a good fit to meet his unique learning needs.

Our expectations have been immeasurably exceeded by all standards. Our son has gone from complaining and arguing about his tutoring times (at the very beginning) and homework (for many years), to taking responsibility for organizing his homework, and looking forward to his time with Pam. He now takes ownership for the quality of his work, and for the first time has set goals for his marks and what he wants to achieve academically. His confidence in his academic abilities has improved, his interest in school has increased, the conflict at home related to homework has nearly disappeared, and his academic performance has improved.

Pam prepares customized materials and lessons in advance of their meetings if no homework is assigned, checks his Google Classroom account to see if work is assigned/completed, and communicates consistently and in a detailed and timely manner with parents and teachers (when appropriate).

I would highly recommend Pam’s services to other families and learners. Pam’s contributions to our son’s learning has been a remarkably positive experience for our son and our entire family.

Donna Moorgen, mother to Joshua Singh

Pam was a colleague of mine for a couple of years before I approached her to work with Josh.  Her enthusiasm and love for her work in educational curriculum development and instruction could not go unnoticed. 

At the time, Josh was in grade 7. It was safe to say a trip to the dentist would be preferred any day over writing stories or responses for his English course. It was at this time that I requested Pam come to my home to work with him.

Josh was skeptical of his first session. But as the session progressed, I could overhear the conversation, and it was clear that Pam was able to connect with my son on a level where he was comfortable and the conversation flowed easily. 

Pam challenged Josh with thought-provoking questions and continuously prompted him to elaborate further in his writing and with more detail.

As the sessions progressed, it became clear that Pam was more than a “tutor ” but rather, she was a mentor. Joshua began to look forward to his sessions and it was easy to see the positive effect the sessions were having on his English assignments. He no longer dreaded his assignments and there was an air of confidence and enthusiasm for his work . 

Josh’s marks increased from the high 70s to the mid 80s . These marks continued throughout his high school years. In fact, his English teachers would comment on how much of a leader he was in the classroom . His work was much more detailed and thought provoking. Ironically, English became one of his favourite courses.

Joshua and I cannot thank Pam enough for the difference she’s made in his academic work. Reading and writing are the building blocks for academic success. Each session was well worth Joshua’s time and also fun for him.

Scott Meunier

Pam is a consummate professional, and,  as all great teachers should, is constantly evolving. She provided service to our teaching staff at Boyle Street High School as a learning coach. Her objective was to assist staff in determination of the best differentiated learning strategies for high-risk youth. I have worked with Pam for years, and I can say I have seen nothing but down-to-earth, practical, and passionate execution of her sometimes complex duties. Pam brings years of experience, practical application, and deep theoretical knowledge together into a service that can be tailored to suit any learning environment.

Tracey Hill, mother to a grade 10-1 English Language Arts student

Pamela Young worked with my daughter as she navigated grade 10 ELA. Pam’s professionalism and approach to tutoring was meaningful, targeted, and specific, which allows her to focus specifically on what the student needs.  Pam’s strong communication skills and patience make her an excellent teacher and I highly recommend her. She worked specifically on the units dedicated to Shakespeare and poetry, but it was Pam’s assistance with overall comprehension that delivered the most results. I am confident that Pam will be a valuable asset to any student looking to improve their English and comprehension skills.

Janelle Tremblay-Butz, mother to Lyv Butz

My daughter worked with Pam this past year during her English 20-1 course.  Pam showed such interest, was very thorough and took all measures needed to help her succeed. 

Pam is a great  communicator, was flexible and could not have been more prepared or organized for every session.  My daughter grew immensely in all areas, but most importantly, her confidence towards writing and interpreting texts grew immensely. I can’t  say her love of Shakespeare improved 😉but Pam made it much more understandable and less intimidating.

My daughter will be continuing to work with Pam during her English 30-1 course next year.   Thank you, Pam.