October 30, 2014

"Lucky 13" Guidelines from FDA for Halloween!

It's Halloween and we know our students are so excited about Trick-or-Treating!
Enjoy a safe and happy Halloween by following the “lucky 13” guidelines from FDA, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

1.Wear costumes made of fire-retardant materials; look for “flame resistant” on the label. If you make your costume, use flame-resistant fabrics such as polyester or nylon.


2.Wear bright, reflective costumes or add strips of reflective tape so you’ll be more visible; make sure the costumes aren’t so long that you’re in danger of tripping.

3.Wear makeup and hats rather than masks that can obscure your vision.

4.Test the makeup you plan to use by putting a small amount on the arm of the person who will be wearing it a couple of days in advance. If a rash, redness, swelling, or other signs of irritation develop where the makeup was applied, that's a sign of a possible allergy.

5.Check FDA’s list of color additives to see if makeup additives are FDA approved. If they aren’t approved for their intended use, don’t use it.

6.Don’t wear decorative contact lenses unless you have seen an eye care professional and gotten a proper lens fitting and instructions for using the lenses.

7.Don’t eat candy until it has been inspected at home.

8.Trick-or-treaters should eat a snack before heading out, so they won’t be tempted to nibble on treats that haven’t been inspected.

9.Tell children not to accept—or eat—anything that isn’t commercially wrapped.

10.Parents of very young children should remove any choking hazards such as gum, peanuts, hard candies, or small toys.

11.Inspect commercially wrapped treats for signs of tampering, such as an unusual appearance or discoloration, tiny pinholes, or tears in wrappers. Throw away anything that looks suspicious.

12.Look for the warning label to avoid juice that hasn’t been pasteurized or otherwise processed, especially packaged juice products that may have been made on site. When in doubt, ask! Always ask if you are unsure if a juice product is pasteurized or not. Normally, the juice found in your grocer’s frozen food case, refrigerated section, or on the shelf in boxes, bottles, or cans is pasteurized.

13.Before bobbing for apples—a favorite Halloween game—reduce the amount of bacteria that might be on apples by thoroughly rinsing them under cool running water. As an added precaution, use a produce brush to remove surface dirt.

Have a safe and FUN Halloween! ‪#‎tutoringclubjax



October 29, 2014

Article on the Importance of Early Math Learning!

We found this article that talks about the importance of early childhood learning in math, and how it is a key predictor of success down the road!  Call The Tutoring Club of Jacksonville if your child is struggling in math!  We want to help kids succeed in school and in life!  Let us partner with you to make that happen!

Governors Group Urges Focus on Early Math Learning


                             

Governors should take steps to improve early-childhood mathematics education, including raising the bar for states' early-learning guidelines and promoting changes in teacher-preparation programs, according to a recent paper by the National Governors Association.




The paper points to 2009 research by the National Research Council showing that early math learning is critical for long-term academic success and yet often neglected. It also mentions research by Douglas H. Clements, a professor at the State University of New York College at Buffalo, finding that teachers tend to underestimate how much math young students can learn.

"A child's math ability when he or she enters school has proved a better predictor of academic achievement, high school graduation, and college attendance than any other early childhood skill," the NGA paper states.

The report recommends governors:
  • "Use the 'bully pulpit'" to advocate for the importance of early math learning;
  • Review their states' early-learning guidelines and align them to state standards' further in the education pipeline (i.e., the Common Core State Standards in many states);
  • And support policies that strengthen professional development and up the requirements for pre-service early-childhood and elementary teachers. 
According to the report, the actions recommended "require no or minimal new state funding."
Many governors have pushed policies that require students to be retained if they don't demonstrate reading proficiency by the end of 3rd grade. South Carolina recently implemented such a law, while Oklahoma recently repealed one. The NGA paper also suggests governors embed messages "about the importance of early mathematics into existing policy priorities," such as those concerning early-childhood literacy.

October 21, 2014

International Walk to School Day


A couple of weeks ago was the official International Walk to School Day - and across the country, millions of children, parents, teachers and health advocates hit the streets!

This year, 60 schools in Duval County participated in the ann...ual event and participants promoted pedestrian safety and advocated for safer walking environments for students.

However, as recently as yesterday, here in Jacksonville, a student was hit and critically injured while walking to school.

This is another plea for all people to help pay attention to walking students and pedestrians! Stay off the phone! Be extra alert! Watch for bus stops! Pay attention to crossing guards and safety patrol! Help keep our students safe!

#tutoringclubjax


October 20, 2014

Benefits of Tutoring!


The purpose of tutoring is to help students help themselves and to assist or guide them to the point at which they become independent, successful learners. The Tutoring Club of Jacksonville is a great partner to help you get your child to t...his point!

There are many possible reasons why you or your child might need tutoring:
•Teacher or counselor recommends tutoring
•Grades are dropping
•Homework seems increasingly difficult
•Extreme anxiety before tests
•Self-esteem is dropping
•Loss of interest in learning
•Feelings of wanting to give up
•Resistance to doing schoolwork
•Reluctance to go to school

If any of this sounds familiar to you, please call us right away at 904-268-8556!

Tutoring can be beneficial in many ways:
•Provides personalized attention
•Improves grades
•Increases knowledge and understanding of subjects
•Increases motivation to succeed
•Provides intensive practice
•Allows progress at own pace
•Leads to better use of study time
•Improves self-esteem and confidence
•Encourages higher levels of learning
•Encourages self-directed learning
•Reduces competition
•Provides praise, feedback, and encouragement
•Provides review of skills not mastered but no longer taught

We can help - give us a call!






Jaguars get First Win of the Season!


It was a sweet victory for the Jacksonville Jaguars yesterday, over the Cleveland Browns.  A deciding win, for a home-town crowd!  Excitement was definitely in the air!




Perhaps sweeter than the victory though, is the example our head coach and team have been to the kids and youth of this city over the past several weeks as they were losing.  We are so impressed by the behaviors this organization has publicly modeled for all of us.  It is important to have a team that is cognizant about their leadership and public persona role to this, their home town.  We have a lot to boast about from the coach's leadership, to the conduct of the players in general.  They are not haughty, nasty, or show-boaters.  The are community-minded and actively involved in our city, and they want to deliver on wins for us!

So Jacksonville Jaguars - hats off you to you!  Keep your drive, keep your focus, and keep up the hard work!  Thank you for being positive role models for our students here at The Tutoring Club of Jacksonville!

October 15, 2014

Local winners of Mayor's Essay Contest!

We found some local recognition for 9 students here in Jacksonville, and wanted to share this excellent news! Tutoring Club Jax congratulates EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU for recognizing the importance of education and for writing a winning essay!

In support of Jacksonville Goes to College Week, Mayor Alvin Brown issued a call for K-12 students to submit essays explaining the importance of education. Three students from each school level - elementary, middle, and high - were selected to win either a 16GB iPad with Retina Display, 16GB iPad Mini, or $100 gift card for first, second, and third, respectively. The nine winners were announced during the NBA exhibition game at the Veterans Memorial Arena on Oct.8. The winners are as follows:

Elementary
1st: Taylor Richardson, Chets Creek
2nd: Kevin Williams, Jr., Biscayne
3rd: Trinity Cobham, West Riverside

Middle
1st: Tkairahm Waters, Lavilla SOTA
2nd: Babatunde Shofolu, James Weldon Johnson
3rd: Sydney Hamrick, Darnell-Cookman

High
1st: Jacob Osachy, Paxon SAS
2nd: Gabrielle Gibson, First Coast
3rd: Tyler Stocklin, Mandarin


October 2, 2014

I'll never use this math again - or will I?


How many times has your child said "I will never use this math again"! The fact is, we use math and math concepts every single day, and don't even think about it.  We follow a speed limit, we monitor street crossings and calculate if we need to walk fast or can walk leisurely to make it across the street, we spend money, etc.  The Tutoring Club teaches every level of math our students bring to us, including advanced math!  Read some key points we took from an excellent article:
 
Any global contexts used in math should add to an understanding of the math, as well as the world. To do that, teachers should stay focused on teaching good, sound, rigorous, and appropriate math content and use global examples that work. For instance, learners will find little relevance in solving a word problem in Europe using kilometers instead of miles when instruments already convert the numbers easily. It doesn't contribute to a complex understanding of the world. 
Algebra can explain how quickly water becomes contaminated and how many people in a third-world country drinking that water might become ill on a yearly basis. A study of geometry can explain the science behind architecture throughout the world. Statistics and probability can estimate death tolls from earthquakes, conflicts and other calamities around the world. It can also predict profits, how ideas spread, and how previously endangered animals might repopulate. 
Math is often studied as a pure science, but is typically applied to other disciplines, extending well beyond physics and engineering. For instance, studying exponential growth and decay (the rate at which things grow and die) within the context of population growth, the spread of disease, or water contamination, is meaningful. It not only gives students a real-world context in which to use the math, but helps them understand global phenomena—they may hear about a disease spreading in India, but can't make the connection without understanding how fast something like cholera can spread in a dense population. In fact, adding a study of growth and decay to lower level algebra—it's most often found in algebra II—may give more students a chance to study it in the global context than if it's reserved for the upper level math that not all students take.
In a similar vein, a study of statistics and probability is key to understanding many of the events of the world, and is usually reserved for students at a higher level of math, if it gets any study in high school at all. But many world events and phenomena are unpredictable and can only be described using statistical models, so a globally focused math program needs to consider including statistics. Probability and statistics can be used to estimate death tolls from natural disasters, such as earthquakes and tsunamis; the amount of aid that might be necessary to help in the aftermath; and the number people who would be displaced.

If students are given the right content and context for a globally infused math curriculum, they'll be able to make global connections using math, and create a math model that reflects the complexity and interrelatedness of global situations and events. They'll be able to apply math strategies to solve problems and develop and explain the use of a given math concept in the global sense. And they'll be able to use the right math tools in the right situations, and explain why a math model they chose is relevant. More importantly, students will be able to use data to draw defensible conclusions, and use mathematical knowledge and skills to make real-life impact.  

October 1, 2014

Pink Horse Selfies generate donations for Breast Cancer!

Jacksonville, it is time to TAKE SOME ACTION!
 
Right now, the iconic horses in front of PFChang's at Town Center are painted pink to represent Breast Cancer Awareness month!
 
Take a selfie with a pink horse and post to Instagram. Twitter, and /or Facebook and tag it with #paintpfchangspink and PFChang's will donate $1 to the National Breast Cancer Foundation! DO IT!! And share this like crazy so others will do it too!
 
This amazing project is a true community collaboration. PFChang's is stepping up to make the financial contribution. Students from Christ's Church Academy beautifully painted these horses. The 26.2 with Donna is represented as a partner and raises money for breast cancer. And as part of this awesome community, OUR PART IS TO TAKE, POST, AND TAG the selfie! So get started. Get your friends to participate! We can't wait to watch and see how everyone responds!

#yesidid take a step to promote awareness and a cure for breast cancer!
 
To watch the news story on this event, watch this link:http://www.news4jax.com/news/pink-horses/28345558
 
horse