Tailored Teaching to Engage and Inspire Life-long Learning

πŸ“š Customized Curriculum – Built on Florida Learning Standards, our curriculum balances structured lessons and hands-on activities to make learning both effective and exciting.
🌊 Enrichment Programs – From interactive workshops to subject-focused courses, we provide opportunities to enhance learning beyond the classroom.
πŸŽ“ Academic Consulting – We support parents and teachers with expert guidance on curriculum choices, learning strategies, and personalized instruction. By fostering a love for learning and academic confidence, we help students thrive.

Join us in shaping the future of education in Florida! πŸŒžπŸ“–

An open book resting on sandy beach with a large orange seashell on its pages and a round brown fuzzy object on the sand nearby, with a blurred blue ocean in the background.

Melissa Kelly (Founder/Teacher)

As a mother and trained certified teacher, I understand the challenges that can accompany supporting your own child’s schooling journey. Whether we choose to homeschool, have our children in the traditional school system, or do a hybrid approach, we want to offer the best opportunity to our children to set them up for happiness and success.

As a graduate from SUNY Potsdam with a Master of Science in Education, my teaching experience has included working with students from kindergarten to grade 10 in the public school system for over 10 years. In 2020, I transitioned to working one-on-one and in small group learning pods, providing personalized tutoring and educational consulting. With over five years of experience in this approach, I have helped families navigate alternative education solutions, homeschooling, and customized learning plans. The most rewarding part of my career has been working closely with children and families to advocate for and support their learning. I witness fast, direct results and, above all, happy, confident students who feel success.

A smiling woman with long blonde hair wearing a beige sleeveless top and layered necklaces, seated indoors with a blurred window background.
Two women sitting at a wooden table having a conversation, one woman with curly hair and a rust-colored shirt smiling, the other using a laptop with a coffee cup nearby.
A man with a beard wearing a brown shirt and a woman with curly hair and glasses wearing a sleeveless rust-colored top sit at a wooden table, engaged in conversation, with a glass of water and napkin holder on the table.

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Kind Words

What Families Are Saying

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Rated 5.0 on Google
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I highly recommend Ms.Melissa and Sunny Shores Academy. Over the past 6 months Melissa has worked diligently with my son to understand his individual learning style and meet goals for him in literacy and math. She offers engaging and hands on lessons with warmth, patience, and creativity. My son looks forward to seeing her every week! We also attended a specialized workshop where the kids got to interact with live animals like turtles and snakes. It was exciting and enlightening. We look forward to more workshops. We love that her approach isn't the more typical one size fits most. Sunny Shores is a rare find!

Jules Winer
Google
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Melissa at Sunny Shores Academy has been absolutely wonderful with my son. She has a natural gift for connecting with children and makes every session a fun, enriching experience. I especially appreciate how she thoughtfully weaves nature into the learning process, whether it's outdoor exploration or creative projects inspired by the world around them. My son comes home excited, curious, and full of stories thanks to her warmth and guidance. We feel so lucky to have her!

Kayla Ramos
Google
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I had the pleasure to work with Mellisa as a team teaching partner in Africa. She's truly dedicated and competent teacher. Her teaching style is engaging and effective. I am highly respect her commitment

Frida Lyimo
Google
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Ms. Melissa is an exceptional teacher who truly cares about her students' success. Her lessons are always clear, engaging, and well prepared. She explains difficult topics in a simple way that makes learning enjoyable and easy to understand. Beyond academics, she encourages discipline, confidence, and good character among learners. Her patience and dedication make a big difference in students' performance and motivation. Love and support from Tanzania πŸ‡ΉπŸ‡Ώ

Sir Giftgates
Google
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Ms. Melissa is a dedicated and hardworking teacher. She explains lessons clearly and makes learning interesting for learners. She is patient, supportive and always ready to help learners who are struggling. She's an excellent teacher and a positive influencer.

Rosemary Kessy
Google
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Melissa is one of the most dedicated and passionate educators I have come across. What she has built with Sunny Shores Academy is truly something special. She has a natural gift for connecting with children and meeting them exactly where they are, and that level of care is rare to find. The personalized approach she brings to learning combined with her warm teaching style makes Sunny Shores Academy stand out. If you are looking for an educational experience that genuinely supports your child's growth and confidence, I cannot recommend her enough.

Charnita Davis
Google
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There are very few people I would trust with my boys' education, and Ms. Melissa is at the top of that list. Our sons are 4 and 7 years old, and she has had an incredible impact on both of them. Ms. Melissa has a remarkable gift for connecting with children while holding them to a high standard. She creates an environment where they genuinely enjoy learning, and we've watched both of our boys grow academically, socially, and in confidence. They come home excited to share what they've learned, which speaks volumes. What impresses me most is how much she truly cares. Every child is treated as an individual, and it's obvious that their success isn't just a job to her, it's a passion. As a parent, there's no greater peace of mind than knowing your children are spending their days with someone who is as invested in their future as you are. If you're considering Ms. Melissa, don't hesitate. We are incredibly grateful for everything she's done for the boy's, and I recommend her without reservation.

Will Parker
Google
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We've been going to Melissa for tutoring for two years now, and she is truly amazing at what she does. She is incredibly patient, kind, and always finds new strategies and ways of teaching that really connect with Liam. Math has always been an area he struggles with, and we've seen so much growth and progress since working with her. One of the things I love most is that she goes beyond traditional tutoring. She has the kids create presentations on subjects they're interested in while incorporating the skills and concepts they've learned throughout the year. It makes learning engaging and gives them confidence in what they've accomplished. Melissa is also extremely responsive, accommodating, and genuinely invested in her students. She has given Liam so many tools and strategies that have helped him succeed and become more confident in school. We feel very lucky to have found her and highly recommend her!

Kara Cohen
Google
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Woman with blonde hair wearing a sleeveless pink and white checked dress standing on a balcony overlooking a pool, palm trees, canal, and buildings under a blue sky with clouds.

Additional Qualifications

My additional qualifications include Special Education, specifically working with students with exceptionalities (learning disabilities, ADHD, ASD and giftedness) in the areas of language and math, as well as English as a second language. I value building a rapport with each student through listening to their individual learning needs and styles and getting to know their unique personalities. By embracing a variety of educational theories that respect each child’s emotional and developmental needs, I tailor learning sessions to engage and inspire their inquisitive minds. In creating a fun, caring, and happy learning environment with focused lessons, each of my students has the opportunity to improve and reach their potential.

Two women sitting at a wooden table having a conversation, one woman with curly hair and a rust-colored shirt smiling, the other using a laptop with a coffee cup nearby.
A man with a beard wearing a brown shirt and a woman with curly hair and glasses wearing a sleeveless rust-colored top sit at a wooden table, engaged in conversation, with a glass of water and napkin holder on the table.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat.

Testimonials

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β€œMelissa Kelly is a thoughtful, compassionate, and driven teacher who makes meaningful connections wherever she teaches. In a short amount of time, Melissa is able to build relationships with her students, which allows them to learn in a space in which they feel safe and cared for. Melissa gives room for her students to explore their interests within the learning environment, leading to student-driven projects and a class that is student-centered. In the 2 years we worked together, I was able to witness the profound care and dedication Melissa has for her students and coworkers. Anyone who gets the chance to work with her or become her student is a very lucky person.”

Alex

"I am thrilled to be writing a review for Melissa Kelly. She was an incredible teacher who was my children's teacher before schools closed during the pandemic, as well as a home tutor for my 9 and 10 year old during the pandemic. From the moment we began working together it was evident that she possesses a remarkable blend of expertise, patience, and dedication that truly made a positive impact on my children's progress during a difficult period."

Michael

Our four year old was engaged with Melissa the entire time through play, questions and answers, instruction, and building a craft together on the skills we were wanting to assess. Working by the pool felt so natural and fun for our daughter. Melissa gave a brief assessment to us of what she evaluated and a few takeaways from our session. Shortly after our session, she also provided a full write-up of her assessment, with some resources and action steps we can take. I definitely am recommending Sunny Shores Academy and their tailored approach and I look forward to our daughter working with Melissa in the future with the way she engaged with our daughter and made learning fun, creative, and specific to how she best learns.

Rena and Jacque

β€œMelissa at Sunny Shores Academy was lovely and my daughter adored her. She worked with four 5 year olds beautifully and they all had a great experience learning about Sea turtles."

Maria


"My daughter is now entering the 8th level and absolutely loves Sunny Shores Academy! She has been learning beautifully in Literary arts and music/piano for a good while and we are now adding guidance for math and science. The team at Sunny Shoes Academy are patient, caring. kind, and professional, and I highly recommend to anyone looking to enhance their own students education."

David


"Ms. Melissa at Sunny Shores Academy was absolutely incredible! Her warm connection with my three kids made their time at the academy truly special. They were thrilled to explore and learn about turtles under her guidance. Thank you, Ms. Melissa, and Sunny Shores Academy, for providing such a fantastic experience! 🀍🀍🀍"

Cielo

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I have only good words to share about Melissa! She is just a wonderful teacher and a human being. She has this special calm and warm way to connect with my son. Also Melissa makes studying interesting by connecting it to a real life and things that my son is interested in. He likes to study with her. After two months of lessons, he reads. All is done without pressure or stress. That’s how the education process should be. She is professional and experienced. I highly recommend Melissa!
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Olga

The work of education is divided between the teacher and the environment.‍

Maria Montessori

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