Mrs. Halversen

I was born and raised in Oregon and am a proud sixth generation Oregonian. I can remember my grandmother telling me stories of how her great grandmother had told her stories of traveling to Oregon in a covered wagon. In fact, the town of Millersburg near Albany was named after my family, but that's a whole other story. I graduated from Portland State University with a B.A. in Social Studies in 1991 and a Master's Degree in Education in 1992. (To spare you from doing the math that makes me 37 years old, so when the children tell you I must be over 100 you can set them straight!) I have always been fascinated by how children learn to read so I also completed the exam and course work needed to receive a license as Reading Specialist. This summer I have been busy finishing up the course work for denominational certification and taking a reading class. As I tell my students, you never stop learning!

After finishing college, I went to work for the next ten years for Gaston Public Schools teaching first and second grade and working part time with children at risk for reading difficulties. AFter taking some time off to be home with my children, I began working full time again at TVJA three years ago, teaching preschool, second grade and then first grade. I can't tell you how excited I am to be teaching the same thing two years in a row!

My experience with TVJA actually began several years prior to working here. When my son began kindergarten I enjoyed volunteering at the school. I went on field trips, helped with Art Smart, and even served as Home and School Vice President. I know first hand how hard our parent volunteers work and as a teacher I can't tell you how much I appreciate all of the volunteers at our school!

On a more personal note, I live here in Hillsboro with my husband Mark and our three children, all of whom attend TVJA. I love to read and I can spend hours in the children's section of a bookstore. I also love to travel, but these days most of my traveling is done vicariously through books. Some day I would love to say I had visited all seven continents especially Antarctica. (I just love penguins!) I also love stuffed animals. They know me by name at Build-a-Bear Workshop, and my classroom bear has an outfit for every theme I teach, really! I also enjoy taking pictures and scrap booking when I have time. I'll be posting pictures of class projects and events on the web page for you to enjoy so stop by periodically and see what's new.

People often comment to me that they don't know how I do it, working with young, and often energetic children all day. I always reply that I have the best job in the world, and I do. Every day I get to walk into the classroom and in some small way make a difference in a child's life. And working in a Christian school is just icing on the cake. After so many years in a public school, it has been such a privilege to be able to pray and have worship with the children everyday, and to talk with them about the very best friend anyone can ever have, Jesus Christ. Please know that I believe that each child is a precious gift from God and I will do my very best to create an environment in which every child can develop to their fullest potential. Thank you so much for sharing your children with me!