Contact Information
| Phone: | (651) 770-3191 |
| Fax: | (651) 770-1784 |
| Monday: | 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM |
| Tuesday: | 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM |
| Wednesday: | 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM |
| Thursday: | 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM |
| Friday: | 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM |
| Saturday: | 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM |
| Sunday: | 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM |
Meet the Tutors
The tutors of Maplewood Sylvan Learning Center are all Sylvan trained and certified so that they can best address your child’s academic needs. Our tutors are dedicated to working closely with you and your child in order to help your child reach his or her goals. We start by pinpointing your child’s strengths and areas for improvement through the Sylvan Skills Assessment®. From there, our Maplewood staff develops a personalized learning plan for your child and offers unique insights about what methods will work best with your child. Ultimately, our tutors will build a relationship with your child and provide a fun, engaging, and rewarding learning environment. The Maplewood Sylvan Learning Center staff consists of highly experienced and established educational professionals who take great pride in their work with students who want to catch up, keep up, or get ahead.
Leslie Van Otterloo
Center Director
Leslie graduated from Dordt College in Sioux Center, IA with a degree in Elementary Education and a Middle School endorsement. She has been a part of the Sylvan team since 2007. Before joining Sylvan, she was a middle school English teacher, drama coordinator, yearbook editor, and student council leader. Her interests include scrapbooking, reading, and computer games. Leslie's favorite thing about Sylvan is that she is able to help each student reach their personal goals.
Diane Assimacopoulos
Director of Education
Diane graduated from St. Cloud State University in 1992 with her B.A. in Elementary Education K-6. She began as a Sylvan parent in 2006 and then began working part-time at the Maple Grove Sylvan as a teacher. Diane began work as the Director of Education in 2011. Her favorite things about Sylvan are getting to know all of the families and watching students grow throughout the learning process. Diane enjoys spending time with her 2 daughters and husband, reading, salsa dancing, and traveling.
Steve Osborne
Teacher
Steve has been at Maplewood Sylvan for 5 years. He has a teaching degree from St. Kate's and a Master's Degree in Child Development from St. Mary's in Winona. He enjoys working at Sylvan because Sylvan really believes students can grow using skills they learn at school. When not at Sylvan Steve teaches fifth grade and music at St. Matthews on the West side. He also sings at his church and with a quartet in St. Paul. Steve loves to be outdoors and when the weather is nice enjoys riding bike.
Stephen Sutton
Teacher
Stephen is an elementary school science teacher in St. Paul. He has been on the staff of the Maplewood center for three years. He has taught all areas of the Sylvan Program except advanced math. Steve says "what is most impressive of the Sylvan services to students is the individualizatoon of each educational plan. Based on thorough evaluation each program is designed to meet the specific needs of each child. Regular formative assessments measure mastery levels and move students along. The introduction of the iPad makes Sylvan a leader in applying technology to the educational process." In his free time Stephen is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys the four distinct seasons available in Minnesota.
Suzi Lamatsch
Teacher
Suzi graduated from the College of St. Catherine with a degree in French and licensure in Secondary Education. In addition to teaching at Sylvan, she also teaches French, piano lessons, and music classes to students in grades K- 8 (and beyond, for piano lessons.) Suzi has worked for Sylvan since 1998. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her two nieces, getting together with friends, and jewelry-making. One of her favorite things about Sylvan is meeting the new students during testing.
Cathy Ronning
Teacher
Cathy graduated from California State University, Long Beach with a degree in Communicative Disorders and Southwest Minnesota State University with a degree in Elementary Education including a Middle School Language Arts endorsement. She also has a K-12 Reading License from Hamline University. In addition to working for Sylvan since November 2010, Cathy is currently employed as an educator with St. Paul Public Schools. Her interests include reading, traveling, and spending time with family as well as her two Dachshunds. Cathy enjoys seeing students progress as they develop their academic skills.
Sarah Smith
Administrative Assistant/SES Coordinator
Sarah Smith graduated from Hanover College in Hanover, IN with a degree in Elementary Education and teacher certification. She has been with Sylvan for one year helping with administrative needs. Her favorite part of Sylvan is watching students grow in their confidence in themselves and to see them develop a passion for learning. While she is not at Sylvan, she enjoys reading, shopping, and baking. She enjoys the outdoors and loves to go boating and swimming, but she absolutely hates the snow and all outdoor activities related to snow!
Joy Zimitsch
Teacher
Joy graduated from The College of St. Catherine's with a degree in Elementary Education. She has been substitute teaching for the last few years and joined Sylvan in January of 2012. She enjoys camping, canoeing, reading, and spending time with her family. Joy enjoys watching students gain confidence in their academics and themselves.
Jenny Wencl
Teacher
Jenny is a recent graduate of University of Wisconsin-River Falls with a degree in Secondary Education, and just started here at Sylvan! She is very excited to be here, and already knows that she loves helping students reach their goals, one lesson at a time. In her spare time, Jenny likes to read, cook, and watch movies with friends.
Max Malsom
Teacher Assistant
Max Malsom is a teacher assistant at Sylvan and has been working since 2011. He is a Junior at North High School plans to go to college to get an elementary education degree. Max's favorite activities that he likes to do are being with friends, playing tennis and golf, and also playing video games. His favorite part about being at Sylvan is helping students by providing books and supplies for them to use for classes.
Jesse Kuhn
Teacher
Jesse is a graduate of UW-River Falls, he has a B.S. in English/Creative Writing and a Masters in Adult Education from Capella University. He enjoys working at Sylvan because it gives him the opportunity to work with students one-on-one in order to focus on their educational needs and strengths. Jesse's hobbies include music, writing, and painting. He is also a proud father of two daughters!
Maddie Bloomer
Teacher Assistant
Maddie Bloomer is a teacher's assistant at Sylvan Learning Center. Maddie is a senior at Concordia Academy High School and plans on attending the Minneapolis College of Art and Design in the fall of 2012. Maddie enjoys working on art, spending quality time with her friends, watching movies, and playing soccer. Her favorite part about working at Sylvan is being able to provide the students with their materials, and being able to get to know each student as she witnesses their progress.
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