Schools

One of my friends asked her teacher friends what they appreciated most from parents when starting a new school year.

One of them said that a parent had her fill out a “Get to Know Your Teacher Questionnaire” of all her favorite things.

I thought this was BRILLIANT!

So I put together my own questionnaire this year to give to our teachers, and will distribute the answers to all the parents in our class.

I love that we will know what Starbucks drink to buy them as a special treat or their favorite mani / pedi spot.

I plan to have our preschool teachers fill it out too. I just love this idea!

You can download my questionnaire HERE.  Feel free to comment if you have more ideas on questions to add…

[Photo credit:  2010 Cherrysweetdeal, Flickr]

Can you believe it’s almost September!?!  First day of school outfits, packed lunches, backpacks full of crisp new folders and freshly sharpened pencils, and a clean slate of academic opportunity!  Varsity Tutors is here to help ease your student back into the school year and to help them put their smartest foot forward.

Is your child in a large class size at school?  Would s/he benefit from some added personal one-on-one attention to help them through some of their more challenging subjects?

Serving all of the Los Angeles Metro area (which includes Orange County), Varsity Tutors works closely with students and their families to provide elite, one-on-one tutoring instruction that helps students reach their academic goals.  To start, they assess the specific student’s needs, select the best fitting tutor, and then monitor the student’s progress over time.

Varsity Tutors emphasize a positive learning atmosphere through engaging, personalized lessons, presented in the most easy to understand way to keep the students motivated on their road to success.

They are serious about the screening and qualification process when selecting their tutors, looking for:

Exceptional teaching skills demonstrated during thorough, in-person interview

Demonstration of expert-level knowledge of subjects during interview

Excellent communication skills

Ability to develop and teach individualized learning plans

High test scores (they verify them)

High grades (they verify them, too!)

Prior teaching and mentoring skills or credential

Background check

Friendly and personable demeanor

They have turned down potential tutors with perfect test scores because they weren’t effective enough at communicating difficult concepts in an easy to understand manner!

What I love is you can scroll through the available tutors on their site and see their picture, read a personal message from them and learn about their educational background to get a feel for your tutor before you meet them.

Then your Tutor will come to you in the comfort of your own home, or your can choose to meet at a library or anywhere else you find convenient.

Varsity Tutors is offering our Tiny Oranges Readers a discount!  Book before August 31st 2012 with promo code “Tiny Oranges” to receive $75 off a 24hr+ package.

If your child needs help with chemistry click here for a list of the Varsity Tutors specializing in the tricky subject.

Is your  child trying to get into a prestigious private K-8 school?  Varsity Tutors offers test prep for ISEE & SSAT test taking.

Or is your teen getting ready to take the ACT, SAT, PSAT or PLAN?  Varsity Tutors can help them achieve their highest score!

Or are you looking to go back to graduate school?  They also offer MCAT, GRE, LSAT, GMAT tutoring to get you ready…

Pricing ranges from $55-$65/hr for academic subjects and $65-$75 for test prep, with the hourly rate going down as you invest in more hours.

Click here for the Varsity Tutors’ Facebook Page.

And here to follow them on Twitter.

www.varsitytutors.com

[Varsity Tutors is a Tiny Oranges Partner we are excited to share with you in time for Back to School!]

It is hard to believe it is already August and the new school year will be here before you know it.  For those of you in South Orange County who might be exploring great private school options, I wanted to let you know more about St. John’s Episcopal School in Rancho Santa Margarita.

Nurturing children ages 8 weeks (YES, 2 months!) through 8th grade, their program is teaching community dedicated to helping every child reach their full potential.

Here are some program highlights:

St. John’s cares for children as young as two months old for mothers who are heading back to work in their unique infant program. With a ratio of 3:1 and maximum class size of 6 babies, you can feel comfortable knowing that your baby is receiving love and attention while you are away from them during the day.

Many parents are choosing private education for their children for the added benefit of smaller class sizes. For example, a typical Kindergarten class at St. John’s would consist of 16 – 18 kids, with one teacher and  one instructional teacher’s aide.  The maximum class size for K – 2nd is 20 students, and all have an aide, for a 10:1 student to teacher ratio.

Because of smaller class sizes, teachers are able to provide every student more individual, tailored instruction to help them learn and grow in the ways that are the most effective and enjoyable for them.

Students are encouraged to investigate areas of interest, strengthen skills and participate in a dynamic learning environment.

Lower ratios mean that teachers really get to know each child as an individual and all the teachers communicate with each other from one grade to the next, to make for smooth grade transitions and consistent learning year after year.

Whether your baby is transitioning from the infant to Toddler 1 class, or from 5th grade into middle school, all the teachers work together to ensure the student’s best interest is always at heart.

St. John’s core curriculum is supplemented by a variety of enrichment classes taught by specialists in each area to appeal to all students, giving them a chance to explore their different interests and talents.

A sample of their enrichment classes include: library, media center, music, choir, physical education, Spanish, studio art, performing arts (6th – 8th), science, technology and religion.

St. John’s offers an extended care program so your child is able to stay at St. John’s from 7am to 6pm to accommodate your personal schedule. The after care program includes play-based activities, recreation, arts, crafts, quiet study-time area with computers, character education and an exceptional staff.

I happen to love this one because I think character development in children is just as important as academic development.

St. John’s is an inclusive Christian school focused on morals, values and spirituality and welcomes students of all faiths.

They have a school wide “virtue of the week” where a different character virtue, for example, “integrity” is introduced and talked about each week.

There are still spots open for your child for the start of the 2012-2013 school year and St. John’s invites you to come to learn more this Wednesday, August 15th, 2012 at 9am.  Details on the flyer above!

[Disclosure: St. John's is a Tiny Oranges Sponsor.]

Abiding Savior Lutheran School and Preschool in Lake Forest is having a special Open House event this month on Saturday, January 28th, 2012 from 1 – 3pm and I wanted to share the details in case anyone happens to be looking for a fabulous private Christian school in South Orange County.

The school has preschool (including extended care), Junior Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and Grades 1st – 8th.

At the Open House, you will have the opportunity to meet the teachers, see the classrooms, learn about the curriculum and schedules, check out their Junior Kindergarten program, and truly get a feel for the school.

As a bonus, special discounts will be available for new families that enroll that attend the Open House! Inquire for details!

And yes, your children are welcome to attend!

When asked to describe Abiding Savior Lutheran School and Preschool, the most used words listed by the students, faculty and staff were:

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