Reaching Beyond the Chalk Lines to the Chalk Board to Engage Kids in Learning

New Flexible Schedule!

BASE by Pros Learning Pods are open 4 days a week, Mon-Thurs from 8:30am-12:30pm. Choose the days that work best for you and pay just

$45/day or $159/week.

With the announcement that schools in our area will be 100% online this Fall, parents are seeking options to keep their kids focused and engaged in their coursework. With our upstairs currently closed, BASE by Pros has the space and opportunity to offer a limited number of students a safe, scaled down classroom experience. Based on a survey conducted in early August (thank you to all who responded), we have created a schooling opportunity that we are thrilled to be able to offer to a select number of children at our Lynnwood, WA facility.

Why BASE by Pros Learning Pods are different:

  • • Certified Teachers
  • • Small Class Sizes
  • • Competitively Priced Half Day Schedule
  • • Personal Development with In-House Mindset Training Curriculum
  • • Actual Classrooms
  • • Turfed Facility for Physical Activity
One of many available classrooms. View additional facility photos.

The goal of BASE by Pros Learning Pods is to offer a homework club experience overseen by certified Washington State teachers that supports the curriculum offered in the local school districts. We have put together a plan, however with school districts still rolling out their own plans for the upcoming school year, please understand that there may be minor adjustments in the days ahead.

Program details:

  • • 3 Washington State Certified Teachers
  • • 5:1 Student to Teacher Ratio (15 students total)
  • • 4-Day Week, Monday through Thursday
  • • Approx. 3.5 Hours (8:30am drop off, 12-12:30pm pick up depending on conclusion of final virtual class)
  • • 2-Day: $295/mo.
  • • 4-Day: $649.99/mo. (SPECIAL! $575 with promo “teacherspet2020”)
  • • Daily Physical Activity (fully-turfed, indoor facility)
  • • Strict Adherence to CDC & Local Guidelines for Safe Social Distancing (small groups of 3 children per classroom, face coverings for students and staff)
  • • Download our 2020-21 calendar (60KB .pdf)

All students must bring their own laptop or chrome book, as well as a compatible head set.


Certified Teachers

Stephanie Lillibridge

About Me:

Hi! My name is Stephanie Lillibridge. I am a wife to Brent and a mom to Cohen (8), Bennett (6) and Reese (4).  Before I was a Mom, I enjoyed traveling all over the world to various orphanages, safe homes for children, and third-world schools to love on children and teach English.  I travelled to Cambodia, South Africa, Kenya, and remote villages in Mexico. Children have always held a special place in my heart. 

We moved to the Mill Creek area when Brent retired from the professional baseball life in 2014.  At the same time, we quickly added two babies to our family and started BASE BY PROS.  These transitions were huge and scary to us, but the professional baseball years formed our early adult lives and we learned above all, that life will always throw us curve balls and we will always have to be flexible and be people that adapt.  

This Spring is a major reminder that we all must learn resiliency. When the Pandemic hit, I realized that being both a Mom and a teacher is very challenging, with or without a teaching degree. This motivated Brent and I to start a school support program at BASE by Pros, to help parents in our area with the same challenges that COVID brought us.  

Education:

I attended Western Washington University where I earned my B.A. in Sociology and my teaching certification in Elementary Education (K-8).

Experience: 

I have been a substitute in the Northshore School District since 2013, where I love teaching P.E., Math, Reading, and Writing.  I have also loved volunteering in my oldest son’s classroom as Art Docent for the past two years.  Being a Mom to three has kept me at home, but as my kids are close to entering full-time Kindergarten, I am excited for the teaching experiences that are still ahead! 

I am looking forward to the 2020-2021 school year because I think we will see how resilient both students and parents can be!  


Angie Skibiel

About Me:

Hello! My name is Angie Skibiel, and it’s hard to believe but this upcoming 2020-2021 school year would have been my 29th year of teaching!  I am married with four kids who range in age from 24-15.  It was starting my family that took me out of full time teaching for 13 years while I focused on raising our young kids.  During those years I volunteered in the classroom as an Art Docent, served on the PTA in every position except for treasurer, as well as chaired numerous committees and was awarded The Golden Acorn Award for my service to the school and community.  I have lived in the Mill Creek area for 22 years and my family has been very involved in many aspects of the community.  We have a dog named Whiskey and a cat named Honey Bear!

Education:

I graduated from Pacific Lutheran University in 1991 with a BA in Elementary Education K-8 with a minor in Special Education and Art.

Experience:

I taught in the Federal Way School District for four years upon graduating from college. I ran the Resource Room program for two years and oversaw the state standardized testing at my school.  My last two years in Federal Way I taught 4th grade.

After my husband graduated from UW Dental School we moved to eastern Washington where I taught in the Othello School District for three years. In Othello I taught 3rd grade, substituted for a year following the birth of my oldest daughter, and then job shared a 2nd grade classroom for our final year in Othello.

We moved back to western Washington after three years where I stayed home taking care of our growing family.  When our youngest was in all day kindergarten I realized it was time to return to the classroom.  My Continuing Certificate had expired by this time and I was still needing some flexibility in my schedule with young kids with lots of activities.  I was able to apply for a Lifetime Sub Certificate with the state and I have been substitute teaching ever since!  That was 2011!

My substitute experience has been in the Everett School District since fall of 2011. I started out subbing in elementary school (all grades) and expanded to the middle school (6th-8th).  In the middle school I subbed the majority of the time in the Honors English and history classes. I am very fortunate that I could be away from teaching for 13 years and be able to come back to it and still LOVE IT! 


Amy Elsemore

About me:

Hello there!  My name is Amy Elsemore.  I have been teaching in some capacity off and on for the past 23 years, longer if you count all those years I played teacher to my brother and friends when we were kids.  I am married and we have three kids ages 16, 18, and 20; one is a new driver, one is a freshman at Boise State, and the oldest is a junior at Montana State.  I have lived in the PNW all my life and enjoy many of the activities it has to offer, such as, hiking, kayaking, skiing, gardening, camping (although it has been a few years since we have gone), cheering on the Mariners and Sounders.  We have lived in the Mill Creek area for the past 18 years.

Education:

I graduated from Western Washington University in 1997 with a B.A. in Elementary Education (K-8) with endorsements in Special Education (K-12) and English (4-12).

Experience:

I began my career as a long-term sub in the Puyallup School District, followed by accepting a position as a Resource Room teacher on Fort Lewis (now known as JBLM) serving grades K-5.  With the birth of our oldest I chose to stay home to raise our family.  Prior to my kids entering school I worked a few years helping students at Sylvan Learning Center.  Over the years, I have spent many hours helping in the classroom, on field trips, serving time in leadership roles on PTA and Parent groups for each of the levels of school, not to mention all the years I put in helping my own kids out with their schoolwork. 

This was the year I was planning to return to the classroom in the role of a substitute teacher, but COVID put the damper on that.  I look forward to the opportunity to work with your students to make them successful learners in this unique learning situation.


FAQ

What if the Learning Pod day ends before my student’s scheduled online instruction ends?

We will work with you! We will never kick a student off a zoom call or an instruction session with their teacher if we’ve reached our day’s end.  Our end times are tentative as students may find they need extra time to complete their online sessions.  We want success for our students, not stress.  

I have a student in the grade level you provide instruction for (1st -5th) but I can’t sign up because I also need my 6th grader to receive help. 

We understand! All three of our teachers are certified to teach through 8th grade. Email Stephlillibridge@gmail.com or call (425)894-9341 and we will talk about how we can work with your family’s needs. The only grade we cannot commit to is Kindergarten at this time. We feel they don’t fully understand the structure of public school yet and our time would be focused on teaching “how” to be at school rather than working with students on their assignments. 

Will snacks or lunch be provided? 

We will not provide snacks in order to reduce the spread of germs.  Please pack a snack and/or lunch for your child and we will schedule this within their learning day according to their school schedule. Please also ensure your child comes with his/her personal water bottle. 

What will my child need to bring with them each day? 

Each student should bring their own backpack with their school chrome book or personal lap top, head phones, snack and/or lunch, water bottle, and their favorite writing pencils and pens. Each student will also have their own hand sanitizer available, or if your family has a favorite brand of sanitizer you may send this.  Please DO NOT bring toys, cell phones, or items that will distract from learning.  We will give more detailed information on this in our handbook at the start of the year. 

What if my student’s schedule is mostly online instruction during the time they are at BASE by Pros Learning Pods and there isn’t time for physical activity? 

At BASE By Pros, we strongly believe that physical activity is key to a healthy brain, body, and a balanced learning experience. Students will greatly benefit from moving their bodies each and every day.  It may take a little time to figure out how to fit this into each student’s online schedule, but this is one of our highest priorities. We will teach physical movement activities every day as student schedules allow, and if there doesn’t seem to be enough time for physical activity in a day, we will be the ones to request from your student’s teacher that they end their online session a few minutes early in order to fit this in.

FAQ ABOUT REFUNDS:

What if school districts start in-school teaching again and I’ve already paid for an entire month at BASE by Pros Learning Pods?

We will reimburse you based on the number of days/sessions your student did not end up using upon their return to regular school. Refunds will not be given for short term absences because of sickness or vacations. However, if your student is absent longer than 7 days because of sickness, we will make adjustments and accommodate your family. 

What if we give this a trial period and decide it doesn’t work for our family?

That’s okay. You will only be charged for the days/sessions your student actually attended and received help from our staff. We will reimburse you for the remaining month of tuition. We want you to be 100% satisfied with your Learning Pod experience!


(NOTE: This was shot on 8/26. Four classrooms were quickly set up to offer a brief view of the room sizes, but the entire upstairs has since been better-prepared to welcome students on Sept. 9th. Additional classrooms are available as well, should the need arise.)
Having witnessed her son on class Zoom calls interacting with kids in other area learning pods, Mrs. Lillibridge notices a couple obvious benefits to her son’s experience in the program at BASE by Pros. Give a listen as she shares a couple quick thoughts.