Make the GrAde - September 1997 - Newsletter

Back to School!!

I hope that everyone had a fun, relaxing and restful summer!!

September always signals the end of the summer, and, the start of the school year.
This is an exciting and busy time for everyone. New classes, new things to learn,
new challenges. As for myself, this summer marked a major turning point in my life.
After 7 years of classroom teaching, I am excited to announce that I have decided to
start Make the GrAde educational and academic consulting as a full time service.

Make the GrAde will provide tutoring in several academic subjects, specializing in
Mathematics and Science, the SAT, and "Study Skills". We work with students in elementary,
junior high, high school and the collegiate level.

Make the GrAde will also provide several support services to parents and students such
as contact with teachers, parent - teacher conferences, college application and college
search services, free seminars (see back page) and much more!

To better serve my students and families, I spent 2 weeks this summer attending professional
seminars which concentrated on learning skills, and teaching. One seminar taught Study Skills
and Time Management techniques. The second taught different styles of learning, and different
styles of teaching.

Also, my wife Debbie, and I had our first child, Alexander, in March. Already he's 6 months
old and growing fast. I hope to be able to spend time with him.

Thanks for your support and I look forward to working with you in the future.

Ready - set - go!!

How to get a fast start on school this year!

There are many ways to assure that you are able to work up to your full potential at school.
One of the best is to get a good start.

Be ready and organized from the first day. Very often many of the larger problems that
students encounter are the result of many smaller problems which have accumulated over time.
Get to know your teachers expectations right away. Teachers are people
too (I know I was one for 7 years!), and they are all unique. Be sure that
you are clear on what the teacher wants.
Plan Ahead. Get a calendar and map out your assignments. Plan for the longer term assignments
like tests, lab reports, and the like. 10 or 15 minutes a day over
2 weeks is much more effective than 4 hours in a night.