Animal School - Do give your child the tools to write their own success stories.

From Good to Great..................Every Child An Achiever. Every child at our centre is special and we stress this at our regular assistant trainings. To express how individualised our program is and how very special your child is at our centre, I request you to enjoy this video I have posted and share your comments with us.

We have plenty of ducks, eagles, bears, zebras, kangaroos, fishes, squirrels, and bees enrolled with us at our centre. And each one is special to us. Each one comes with their own charm and skills, strengths and weaknesses. We try to build upon the strengths while keeping the weaknesses in mind.

"This program aims for every child to reach their full potential. Every student starts out at a comfortable pace, so they’re feeling motivated from the very beginning. We Customise Kumon to suit your child's needs............Sanjit Kaur, Kumon Instructor.

Do give your children the tools to write their own success stories. Kumon, allows students of all ages and abilities to develop the skills necessary to have a richer, more successful educational experience. It’s where they gain the confidence and motivation to learn, accomplish and achieve more on their own. Kumon Math and Reading Programs can be tailored for advanced students who need to be challenged and are able to work well ahead of their peers, or for students who need help catching up. We will design individualized programs that allow them to advance at their own pace, instilling in them a passion and desire to learn more.

Junior Kumon is designed specifically with younger children in mind. It helps foster a desire to learn while also preparing them for their first academic challenges in math and reading.

The success of the program lies in its technique. With Kumon, children are able to fully grasp one concept at a time — at their own pace — before advancing to the next, ensuring that they completely understand each level and subject. Our program builds confidence and increases children’s desire to learn.While enrolled in Kumon, your children will gain a significant understanding of the core subjects, math and reading, as well as develop the skills — such as improved concentration, perseverance and dedication — needed to succeed.

Be it a Bear or a Bee, a Kangaroo or a Fish, we welcome all at the Kanata North Kumon Centre with a smile, lots of encouragement and high-fives! to reach out to their highest potential.

KUMON CONNECTIONS
SUMMER 2010 NEWSLETTER

Did you know?

Our Junior Kumon program catering for children from 4 years and above continues to grow successfully!
To date we have given away four $500 reading scholarships since we started this incentive!
Mathematics opens the doors to over 170 careers. It is recommended that all students should graduate with at least one Mathematics credit course.
English credit is a pre-requisite for entrance into most Universities.
A student’s top six credits are used by Ontario Universities to determine acceptability for entrance to the University and entrance scholarships.
Studying Kumon for 15-20 minutes per day over the course of a year is the equivalent of just 6-8 days in a year. The difference this daily study makes in a child’s life is profound and stays with them for years to come.

Centre Closures
Tue 3rd Aug, Fri 27th Aug, 31st Aug, Tue 3rd Sep
We re-open on Tue 7th Sep
Homework is always given during centre closures on the last class day. Please note that in order for your child to continue to progress well, all the homework must be returned timed, marked and corrected along with their names and times on every set.

The North America Kumon Instructors Annual Conference will take place in New York in July. The centre will be open as normal however the instructor, Sanjit, will be attending the conference from July 16th – 23th. For any questions/holiday plans over this period please send an email to: sanjitbirgi@ikumon.com. All phone inquiries will be returned after the class of Tuesday 27th July.

TUITION FEE INCREASE
As everyone is aware the new HST came into effect as of July 1st, 2010. While we knew we would be affected in some way and were quite willing to absorb the immediate increase, we now realise that this will not be possible. We have been affected from every corner with Kumon charging us for the increase not just with their monthly royalty and increased insurance rates but also with every service and additional material that they provide us with for the program. We are also affected by this increase through our payroll provider - Ceridian, the two companies that allow us to offer you both electronic fund transfers and credit card payments i.e Global services and RBC, as well as every other auxiliary service that we use from lawyers to accountants and financial services. In addition, minimum wage has gone up twice this year with the last increase of 8% in May 2010. Basically, the cost of operating our business has increased with the introduction of the HST.

We are now charging $110 per month per subject for all new enrollments effective August 2010.

New students enrolling from Grade 9 and above pay $120 per month.
As part of our loyalty incentive to existing families, we will absorb this increase for the next six months (Jul – Dec 2010) and only charge the new fees with effect from January 1st 2011 for all students. New forms will go out in October/November requesting you to sign the new tuition fee with your choice of payment; MasterCard, Visa, Electronic Fund Transfers (EFT) or Post-dated Cheques.

However even with this increase we believe that Kumon is still one of the most affordable, well researched and constantly growing after school supplemental programs. We also believe that our centre continues to add value every year for our Kumon families; with the introduction of;

Reading library in 2007,
Junior Kumon in 2008,
The $500 completers scholarship award for Reading in 2008,
Summer study incentives in 2009,
Annual Student Award Events & Activities,
Regular assistant training programs,
Offering our high school students the opportunity to collect their volunteer hours at our centre,
Partaking in workshops and study groups regularly.

Studying Kumon – LET YOUR CHILD AMAZE YOU

Get Hooked on both Math and Reading this summer!
Summer is a great time to add on the Second Subject as the child has no pressure of school homework and will still have time to have fun in the summer.
Did you know? Throughout the summer months the average student forgets up to 50% of the Math and Reading skills obtained during the school year. Kumon can help retain knowledge during the summer months and remain sharp for the upcoming school year. Majority of students who continue studying Kumon over summer, fare better when returning to school in September.

Enroll your child in a Second Subject in the summer or in the New School Year!
If you are interested, please speak to Sanjit to schedule a free placement test
Homework Made Easier! Resources to Provide Your Child

Please provide quality pencils and erasers for Kumon study, especially when attending class. For Reading, learning resources include a dictionary, as well as a thesaurus.
Reduce household noise and distractions during homework time. Set aside approximately 10-15 minutes per subject on a daily basis before school homework or earlier in the day and stick to it!
Regular attendance, completion of daily homework assignments, and consistency with the time of day homework is done are just a few ways to improve the effectiveness of Kumon in your child’s life.
Keeping in close consultation with us on any concern is important to your child’s course of study.
Setting clear, attainable goals has a great impact on your child’s motivation to continue studying during the upcoming year.

Long Term Study and pereverance
Anything truly worthwhile takes time to achieve – If the Kumon Curriculum is different from your child’s school curriculum, please bear in mind that we are preparing your child for excellence in Grade 8, Grade 9 and High School. If Kumon does not correspond now, it will certainly do so at a point when your child has acquired the core curriculum, i.e. essential fundamentals taught the right way.
In Math, the foundation is taught without any use of calculators up to University Level so your child truly understands and integrates Math. Math skills are lifetime skills and transferable to many other areas and subjects in your child’s lifetime.
In Reading, students develop a more sophisticated understanding with analysis of advanced texts. This will allow your child to understand comprehension, advanced concepts and train them to read complicated reading passages and apply this knowledge to any subject be it arts or the sciences. By the time we can stack your child’s completed Kumon worksheets into a pile that is taller than your child, you will have realised the most dramatic effects of Kumon!

Advanced Study and Retention – Let’s Keep Learning One Step At A Time!
Introducing advanced concepts before children have grasped the fundamentals is like solving probability before your child learn subtraction, or like trying to decipher Shakespeare before acquiring strong reading comprehension skill!
In Math, Kumon helps to avoid ‘Number Crunching’ – where numbers are not being calculated easily in your child’s mind.
In Reading, Kumon helps to improve Reading Fluency, Comprehension and Vocabulary.
Our aim for all Reading students is to have them reading at least 1 to 2 grades ABOVE their Grade Level.
Students usually read at a higher Grade Level than they write; so, if a student reads above Grade Level, then they will find that their writing skills may also improve.

STUDENT PROGRAMS:

Kumon Programs; Advanced Student Honor Roll, Kumon Cosmic Club, C4, E4, G5
Kanata North Kumon Centre programs; $500 reading completer scholarship, summer incentives, Refer & Win

Advanced Student Honor Roll (ASHR)
This Kumon incentive program recognizes all Kumon students working ahead of their school grade level. More than a small share of our enrollment consists of ambitious students who remain in the program to stay above grade level and obtain more challenging material than they are receiving at school in pursuit of their academic aspirations.

Kumon Cosmic Club
Designed to make learning fun, the Cosmic Club allows students to collect points that may be redeemed for prizes based on their progress in the Kumon Reading and Math Programs. The program encourages students to reach Kumon learning milestones by rewarding them with Cosmic Club Points and Collectible Cosmic Club Cards as they excel in their Kumon studies. Especially popular among younger Kumon students, they become automatic members when they enroll in Kumon.

Visit our Cosmic Club web page (http://www.cosmic.kumon.com/) to learn how students earn points that can win them a gift certificate from a national bookstore chain, a camcorder or a camera, and so much more. See all the great prizes available at each prize level. (Your cosmic id card is attached with this newsletter)


E4 & C3
The E4 award is for students who are in grade 4 or below and have advanced to level E, and the C3 award is for students who are in grade 3 or below and have advanced to level C. These awards recognize students who are well on their way to earning the G by 5 star. These awards are presented at our annual student awards night.

G5
This award is for students who are in grade 5 or below and have advanced to level G which includes high school level algebra in the Math program and high school level comprehension in the Reading program.

$500 Reading scholarship
A reading scholarship is awarded to students who are enrolled in both the Kumon Math & Reading program, and who complete the reading program while still enrolled in Math. This scholarship recognizes their dedication to program completion and their commitment to study both subjects. Note this scholarship is exclusive to our centre.

Summer incentives
This is the second year since we introduced the ice cream vouchers and already many of our children have been asking “…are we getting the same this year too?” How can we fail to reward and spoil those children that to continue to learn during the summer months while their peers while away their time? So YES! We have free ice cream vouchers in the 3rd week of July and August.
In addition this summer our centre has ordered the most amazing sticker album that covers all the teams participating in the FIFA world cup both as an incentive to summer students as well as a means of continuing to build an interest in sports, a very important facet of every child’s growth. These will be handed out in the first week of August. More information on this on our blog; http://kumonkanatanorth.blogspot.com/

Refer & win
As parents see their children succeeding, they want to share that success with friends, relatives, neighbours and others looking for a similar solution for their children. Over 80% of parents enrolling their child in Kumon for the first time tell us that they were referred to the program by a current Kumon parent.

How the Refer & Win program works:
· You refer a non-Kumon family to the Kanata North Kumon centre
· The referred family enrolls a child in Kumon
· Your name is entered into the bi-monthly draw for a $30 gift certificate
· Your card remains in the draw until you have been selected as a winner
· When your name is drawn, and so long as the family that you referred is still enrolled in the program at the time, you win a $30 gift certificate of your choice from Canadian Tire, Chapters, Petro-Canada, or Sobey’s.

Kumon Family Award
Behind every successful Kumon student is a committed “Kumon family”. This award recognizes parents/guardians who;
Have enrolled their children in both programs
Ensure that their children attend class regularly
Motivate their children to complete Kumon assignments everyday, even during the holidays
Home-grade all of their children’s work to ensure their mistakes are corrected promptly
Follow additional Kumon policies to foster the continued success of their children.

To date we have given out 2 awards to the successful “Kumon family” consisting of one year free membership to Costco.

We thank you for your support and understanding.
Wishing all our Kumon families a wonderful and safe summer!

Math & Magic.................amazing talent!

Why you should listen to him:
Arthur Benjamin makes numbers dance. In his day job, he's a professor of math at Harvey Mudd College; in his other day job, he's a "Mathemagician," taking the stage in his tuxedo to perform high-speed mental calculations, memorizations and other astounding math stunts. It's part of his drive to teach math and mental agility in interesting ways, following in the footsteps of such heroes as Martin Gardner.

Click on this link to watch his "Mathemagic"
http://www.ted.com/talks/arthur_benjamin_does_mathemagic.html

Benjamin is the co-author, with Michael Shermer, of Secrets of Mental Math (which shares his secrets for rapid mental calculation), as well as the co-author of the MAA award-winning Proofs That Really Count: The Art of Combinatorial Proof.

"After his lively shows, students often rush the stage, eager for more tips and tricks."Reader's Digest

While we cannot promise such amazing results at the Kanata North Kumon Math & Reading Centre, we can re-assure you that your child is sure to develop confidence, improved mental skills & speed and perhaps even a love of Math! Not to mention the ability to move at a pace which is challenging, motivating and exciting. Every time they complete a challenging set on their own and move on ahead it is an empowering and exciting feeling. This is bound to have a trickle effect on every other subject and area in your child's life.

We know this is possible for every centre day I come across children that move up a milestone or two and as an Instructor I continue to be constantly and pleasantly amazed by the "Magical Powers" of comprehension and perseverance and winning smiles that my students have.

Enjoy Mathematics!!

KANATA NORTH KUMON CENTRE HAS CAUGHT THE FIFA WORLD CUP 2010 FEVER........!!!

What do Soccer players and Kumon students have in common......????
Both need lots of practice to stay on top!
Practice can be boring, it can be tiring..........however only with enough practice and only through making mistakes, can you learn to improve yourself and perform to the best of your ability.
You also need to carry your physical body to the field/class every time and you must be mentally present in order to focus...............and just like you cannot play soccer without a ball and cleats you shouldn't come to a Kumon class without a pencil and an eraser!
Success only comes with discipline, a positive attitude, a determination to succeed and constant goal setting. (Yes that's a pun!)
Success leads to recognition, awards, medals and increased confidence.

Now that we know both Soccer Players and Kumon Students are in the same Group, (the winners group, if you ask me) the Kanata North Kumon Centre has a special incentive for you this summer. (in addition to the free ice-cream coupons you receive in the third week of July & August)

Start collecting your FIFA WORLD CUP stickers now!!

Every time you attend a Kumon class in the months of June – July – August 2010 you can choose a sticker of your favorite player from your favorite country! 2 stickers if you do two subjects i.e. Math & Reading and 2 stickers for every Achievement test you pass and move on to the next level.

In the first week of August all students who have been working through the summer months will receive a FREE FIFA WORLD CUP ALBUM WITH 8 STICKERS FREE OF CHARGE!!!

Note this cup will be seen throughout the world and will be relived over and over again through your collection of collectible stickers so don’t miss this great opportunity to trade and have fun this summer and long after! The album and its spectacular collection will bring the tournament to life with more than 600 images including special glitter stickers which makes this historic sticker album collection an essential collectors item for soccer fans around the world

FACTS!

• The 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa is the 19th FIFA World Cup.
• This will be the first time that the tournament will be hosted by an African nation.
• This is by far, the most important sticker album collection of the year. The collection includes individual player images from all the competing nations plus stickers of teams, badges and the World Cup stadiums.
• Your Instructor Sanjit was born and raised in Kenya so has a special affinity with Africa.
  

The matches will be held at:

• Green Point Stadium (66,005), Cape Town
• Durban Stadium (69,957), Durban
• Ellis Park Stadium (61,639) Johannesburg
• Soccer City Stadium (88,460) Johannesburg
• Free State Stadium (45,058), Mangaung/Bloemfontein
• Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium (46,082) Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth
• Mbombela Stadium (43,589), Nelspruit
• Peter Mokaba Stadium (45,264), Polokwane
• Royal Bafokeng Stadium (44,530) Rustenburg
• Loftus Versfeld Stadium (49,365), Tshwane/Pretoria

(Compare these stadiums to Scotiabank Place, Ottawa that has a capacity for 20,500 only!)

• There are stickers with pictures of each of these stadiums too.

The groups are as follows;

• Group A - South Africa, Uruguay, Mexico, France
• Group B - Argentina, Korea Republic, Nigeria, Greece
• Group C - England, Algeria, USA, Slovenia
• Group D - Germany, Serbia, Australia, Ghana
• Group E -Netherlands, Japan, Denmark, Cameroon
• Group F - Italy, New Zealand, Paraguay, Slovakia
• Group G - Brazil, Ivory coast, Korea DPR, Portugal
• Group H - Spain, Honduras, Switzerland, Chile

HOW CAN THE PROBLEM OF "BOREDOM" BE HANDLED EFFECTIVELY

How Can The Problem Of “Boredom”
Be Handled Effectively?

“One, two, plenty…”
- Tasmanian Method of Counting


Anything children do can either be boring or fun depending on their mood, how demanding the task is and their perception of its purpose. While some children enjoy swimming, others complain that it is tedious. While some kids love going to summer camp, others moan and groan about it.
When children study worksheets, some of them might utter the word “boring” at some point, especially if first suggested by a peer. It is helpful to understand exactly why a child might say that the assignments are “boring” to them. After all, many students really enjoy completing their assignments. Whether racing against the clock, striving for 100%, or because they enjoy being praised by their parents, many children look forward to completing their daily assignments.
In the beginning stages of Kumon study, nearly all children react favorably to the work. If at all, the word “boring” may sometimes be heard in a subsequent level of study when problems become more challenging and real effort is required. Often, boring really means “too difficult” or “too many pages per day.” As long as the child is studying at the “just-right” level, comfortably advancing day by day, and earning praise, the child should not feel bored. If this happens, parents can help by encouraging perseverance when their child is experiencing difficulty. If the student continues to complain that the work is “boring,” an assessment by the Instructor may be necessary.
Children thrive in an environment in which there is absolute clarity of expectations. Once a regular routine has been established most children react favorably to it, because it will become an activity with which they are accustomed to. Children enjoy meeting expectations and earning recognition. Kumon study provides an excellent opportunity for daily recognition and positive reinforcement.
Not everything children do is necessarily fun. There are days in adults’ lives during which we must do something that is rather monotonous (commuting, laundry, etc.), but we do these things anyway. We perform these tasks because their completion is necessary to keep our lives running smoothly. If your child were to say, “I don’t want to go to school anymore…” would you acquiesce to such protests? Parental perseverance, as well as enthusiasm for the child’s progress, are the most effective ways of handling this challenge.

What can you do to make a difference in the life and future of your child?

I have posted these 3 video you tube links for my Kumon families. If you are interested in knowing what the latest statistics and trends in the field of education are in America, then you cannot afford to miss these short, but extremely informative videos. Please feel free to pass on the links or the blog website address to fellow parents.

While the statistics and the focus of the message covers the American Education system, the questions we must ask ourselves are, "Can we relate to any of this?" "Could this statistic include our child too at some point?” “Does what happens in America affect us here in Canada?” By relating this to a wider thought of 'Western Education' rather than just 'American Education' we allow ourselves to see the bigger picture. In addition because the U.S. and Canada are so strongly aligned, the information in these videos is vital to helping parents develop tools to address the most important question of all: "What can I do to make a difference in the life and future of my child?"


2 Million Minutes Offers Exclusive Video of Whitney Tilson

When it was announced that Whitney Tilson was going to be giving a speech in Washington D.C. about closing the achievement gap, the 2 Million Minutes crew packed their gear and headed up to the nation's capital to capture it. Tilson is vice chairman of KIPP Academy Charter Schools in NYC, co-founder of the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City, and a director of Democrats for Education Reform, a group of Democrats who support parent and student choice in schools and diversity in available education opportunities in service of that choice.

This most informative presentation is in 3 parts with the you tube video links given below. Please copy n paste if you are not able to click on the link directly to open them.

Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dr5ehoDKiP0

Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFntgPQCz8Q

Part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q36HxoVhYVU

What I found quite interesting and thought provoking was the statement in the the last video which shows how it is mainly the 'Adults' or the 'Educators' or the 'system' itself that are benefitting today from the education system of today. Unfortunately it is the children, our children, that are largely left to suffer the consequences in the long run. Having said that, of course we must take this with a pinch of salt, for we all have memories and moments with teachers and educators that have made every difference to our personal lives and continue to do so in the lives of our children by giving so much of themselves personally as well as professionally.

WITH REPORT CARDS, BEING SUPPORTIVE IS KEY

When the report cards come home, it can be just as stressful for parents as it is for students.

As a parent, it is important for you to know how to interpret your child's report card and what to do if your child is struggling. Whether your child is a high achiever who needs more challenge or a struggling student who needs more help, it’s important to discuss your child’s successes and failures, and to follow up.

A report card can be a valuable tool as a guide to your child’s progress. But like any tool, it has to be used properly. Parents should not simply read the report card, but should understand what it says and talk with their children and their teachers about what it means. Educators at Kumon Canada have compiled the following tips to help parents better understand their child’s report card:

PRIMARY STUDENTS
· Pay particular attention to the comments regarding Strengths/Weaknesses/Next Steps sometimes the teacher’s comments mean more than the actual grades that are given.
· Look at the grades that your child is getting in areas that he/she is interested in; this provides a view of your child’s potential.
· Expect highs and lows – very few children are talented in all areas of the curriculum.
· Use the report card in a practical way; get help immediately for subjects where your child is failing or receiving low grades.
· Look for key phrases like “organizational skills”, “focusing”, “non-completion of work”, and “lack of preparation” to track down what is going wrong in a particular subject.
· Pay attention to the section that deals with “days absent” and “times late”; this may provide a clue that you, as a parent, may not have been aware of.
· See if your child is having difficulty in specific areas that could be improved with an addition of some technology, either high- or low-tech (e.g. computers, calculators, electronic organizers, etc.).
· Always fill out the section on the report card where parent comments are requested; these are read by teachers, and as a last resort you may have to contact the principal if you cannot reach an accommodation with the teacher concerning your child’s needs.

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
· If your child's grade is relatively low in a particular subject, compare your child's grade to the rest of the class before you panic.
· If the class average or medium is below 60 per cent, parents should talk with the principal about whether the teacher is too stringent in marking -- obviously, many in the class are not learning.

SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS
· Pay attention to the I.E.P. (Individual Educational Plan) box; if it is not checked off, then your child’s program has not been modified for his/her special needs.
· A child should never be receiving a failing grade in a subject where the I.E.P. box is checked off; this is grounds for an official grievance by the parent to the school.

Bear in mind, a report card should quantify what you are already aware of. Any surprises should alert you to a changing situation in your child’s educational progress which should be immediately addressed.

Do let your Kumon Instructor know when you feel the program has made a difference in your childs report. It is always a thrill for us to know that we have played a small part in your childs success.