Letter from Betty for October 2015

Hello,

Many parents have started a special year—the year their child graduates from high school. As this accomplishment is looked forward to with excitement, it is also a time to think beyond graduation day into the future. For many students, the future includes college. In our feature article for October, "Your Child's Senior Year - Tips for Parents," we offer some timely advice about this pivotal year.

For our October Puzzler, “Fill-in-the-blank College Colors” we have a fun and colorful college name recognition challenge for you.

Finally, please remember that whatever your educational needs are, Foundation for Learning, is ready to assist you with caring, one-on-one, individualized tutoring, SAT/ACT test prep, and educational evaluations. Please don't hesitate to give us a call at 973-425-1774 for a free consultation.


Best regards,

Betty

Betty Bodenweiser
Director
Foundation for Learning

SAT or ACT? Free Diagnostic dates for October 2015

Free Diagnostic test offered at FFL

Currently many high school juniors take both the SAT and ACT to determine which test is better for them. We feel it is beneficial for the students to focus on only one test. In order to accomplish this, we administer a complimentary SAT/ACT diagnostic test to help students determine which test is better suited to their abilities.

Upcoming test dates are:
October 10, 2015
November 14, 2015

*Our diagnostic test incorporates the new SAT which will be administered beginning in March 2016. Please call Donna for more details.

Please call (973) 425-1774 or email betty@foundationforlearning.com as space is limited

October 2015 Test Schedule

Mark your calendars! Here are the latest test dates.

NOTE about ISEE - Independent School Entrance Exam: For test locations and to learn more go to erblearn.org.

Your Child's Senior Year - Tips for Parents

For parents of high school seniors, this can be an exciting time. Your child has completed eleven years of school. You’ve watched her grow, develop, make friends, deal with the typical trials, tribulations, and angst that goes along with the elementary, middle, and high school years. She is now in her final year and a busy year it’s going to be. She’s looking ahead to college, a time to leave the nest, become independent, and discover life on her own. While it’s important not to hover during the college application process, it’s important that you offer your support and help. You need to let her know that you trust her and have confidence in her abilities, while at the same time be there to guide her and help to organize the maze that comes with college applications and admissions. It’s going to take team work to get through that maze!



So what can you do? What support can you offer? Here are some tips:

Start by buying a binder, insert subject dividers and begin recording all of the college information that comes your way. In one section, your child should keep personal information such as passwords, assigned website IDs and log-in information for the various colleges she is applying to. She should also keep a list of the colleges she is applying to along with application deadlines, including early-admission deadlines and any requirements needed for specific schools such as required high school classes, subject tests, etc. Another section should include a printed spreadsheet that you and your daughter create to keep track of where she is in the application process for each school, the application due date, and dates of scheduled visits. Much of this can also be done on the Common App website. A final section should include copies of college essays, resumes, bios, photos, and so forth.

Also, set up a new email address to be used expressly for college applications and contacts. Keep the name and address professional. Both parents and student should have access to this email account and password.

Hopefully, by the beginning of senior year, you’ve already started looking into different schools, browsed school websites, maybe even made some campus visits. If not, get on it now! Call college admissions offices to find out about tours, possible interview dates, class auditing, directions, and recommendations for accommodations during the visit. During and after the tour, you and your child should share impressions of the school. Discuss and write down the pros and cons of that particular school and file them in the College Binder. Family dinners are a great, relaxed time to have these open discussions.



Your child should start working on and submitting applications at the beginning of the school year and she should take advantage of early-admission decisions. You can help her by proofreading essays and applications, but know that these should be her own work. Do not take over and write or rewrite for her.

Other parents will start offering advice and direction to the point that you feel inundated. They mean well, but at a time when anxiety is already a bit higher than normal, it’s best to filter them out. There might be a good suggestion from someone who has already been through the process with their own child, but trust your own instincts. You know your child better than anyone else and you will be the better judge of which school will be a good fit.

This is an important time in your child’s life. It’s an initiation into adulthood and the real world. It’s also an important moment for you as a parent. Your place right now, is to become your child’s “safe place to land”. You need to be the calm, upbeat, supportive adult who keeps things safe as she faces the evaluation, judgment, and possible rejection of college admissions offices.



As the acceptance letters arrive, file them in the College Binder, then sit down with your child and make a pros and cons list. In the end though, the final decision should be up to your college-bound child. Forcing her to attend a school she doesn’t want to attend is likely to result in failure. Being a guide during the application process, will help her learn basic habits that will help her to be successful in the adult world and it is also a positive way to assist your child. By guiding rather than leading, you are allowing your college-bound child to feel trusted and supported.

At this point, trust that you’ve done a good job raising your child, allowing her to be responsible, independent, and to make smart, well thought out decisions. Once again though, put yourself in the position of being the “soft place to land” during times of stress and anxiety, good times and bad. You want her to know that you are a safe and willing resource for her during her college years and throughout her adult life. You are setting a tone and path for your future relationship, and that’s really important.



Some additional thoughts for you as the parent, preparing to launch your child:

Realize that this process isn’t about you. Parents are so attached and connected to their children, that they at times confuse the dividing line. This is your child’s path and being cognizant of that can allow you the space to remain calm and supportive when she is most unsure. During those most stressful moments, remind yourself that this isn’t about you. You’ll be more able to help if you just keep that in mind.

There will undoubtedly be anxiety as you’re thinking about sending your child off into the world. Though your worries are real, adding them to the already stressful pot isn’t going to help. Fears about rejection, finances, aging and other real world problems should be discussed with a trusted friend or family member. Realize too, that you’re probably feeling some grief about your child leaving, grief over an upcoming loss and a big change that is coming in your life. So recognize it for what it is, feel it, journal about it, be real about it and then move on. Pushing it away doesn’t help you and certainly won’t help your child.

Work with a team! You are not alone in the maze of college applications and admissions. Your child’s high school guidance counselor and staff at Foundation for Learning  are there to help.



Final thoughts:

You and your child are going to encounter a big year! Be there for your daughter as a guide, a resource and let her know through your own words and actions that you trust her to take the lead and make good decisions. Enjoy the adventure of preparing your child for this next phase of her life (and yours!) and enjoy the special events and activities that take place during her senior year of schooling. Even though it may be tinged with a bit of sadness, this is an exciting time for both of you. Enjoy and celebrate the moments!

The October 2015 Puzzler: Fill-in-the-blank College Colors

Question: 16 college pennants have been partially masked in the photo. Based on only colors and the first two letters of each word, can you fill in the blanks and name the 16 colleges or universities?
 

Starting at the blue pennant on the left that says "YA" and moving counter-clockwise around the photo, here are the blanks you are trying to fill in:
1.   Y A _ _
2.   H A _ _ _ _ _
3.   P U _ _ _ _
4.   N O _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
5.   C O _ _ _ _ _
6.   O R _ _ _ _
7.   G E _ _ _ _ _    T E _ _
8.   P R _ _ _ _ _ _ _
9.   N O _ _ _    D A _ _
10. S T _ _ _ _ _ _
11. M I _ _ _ _ _ _
12. W A _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
13. N E _ _ _ _ _ _
14. D A _ _ _ _ _ _ _
15. S T _ _ _ _ _ _
16. C O _ _ _ _ _ _


Answers in the next issue. 

Answer to September Puzzler: Who Came First?

Question: What is the correct birth order of the 6 high-achieving women in the images below?

Instructions: You may click or tap on the image to see a larger version and get a closer look. Use the jumbled chart with all the answers you need, and sort it all out. The correct birth years are in order but the rest is mixed up, so this is really a triple challenge:

1. Start with the easy part: Pick a name for each face in the photos.
2. Bonus Points: Straighten our which accomplishment goes with which woman.
3. Finally, who came first? Identify each woman with her birth year.
  

 

Answer:

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Letter from Betty for September 2015

Hello,

According to the calendar, summer comes to an end in a few weeks, and a new school year is upon us. I hope that you and your children have had a smooth transition into the schedule of a new year. Hopefully you have successfully shifted into a consistent routine for homework and a comfortable schedule for school-day waking hours and bedtime.

In our feature article for September, "Talking To Your Child About School" we cover the techniques for having meaningful and open-ended discussions with your children about their school experience.

For our September Puzzler: “Who Came First?” we have a Women In History challenge for you. See if you can put a historical birth order to a jumbled list of 6 high-achieving women.

Finally, please remember that whatever your educational needs are, Foundation for Learning, is ready to assist you with caring, one-on-one, individualized tutoring, SAT/ACT test prep, and educational evaluations. Please don't hesitate to give us a call at 973-425-1774 for a free consultation.


Best regards,

Betty

Betty Bodenweiser
Director
Foundation for Learning

Focus on One: SAT or ACT - September 2015 Dates

Free Diagnostic test offered at FFL

Currently many high school juniors take both the SAT and ACT to determine which test is better for them. We feel it is beneficial for the students to focus on only one test. In order to accomplish this, we administer a complimentary SAT/ACT diagnostic test to help students determine which test is better suited to their abilities.

Upcoming test dates are:
October 10, 2015
November 14, 2015

*Our diagnostic test incorporates the new SAT which will be administered beginning in March 2016. Please call Donna for more details.

Please call (973) 425-1774 or email betty@foundationforlearning.com as space is limited

September 2015 Test Schedule

Mark your calendars! Here are the latest test dates.

NOTE about ISEE - Independent School Entrance Exam: For test locations and to learn more go to erblearn.org.

Talking To Your Child About School

There’s so much anticipation in many families this time of year that it's normal to have some amount of anxiety as well. You’ve done your school supply shopping, stocked up on new clothes, and fitted your children with shiny new shoes. You’ve searched for exciting new lunch box recipes, met the new teachers, and said good-bye to summer with a final vacation-time play-day. Your sons and daughters are off to school, and when they return home you find yourself dying to hear all the news. How did their day go? Are their besties in the same class? Do they like their teachers? There are have so many questions!

But as parents, you will often find that the conversations your yearning for don’t happen. Instead of in-depth conversations you get single syllable answers to questions. Your children may well want to avoid reviewing their school day altogether and jump right into snack-time and playtime. It can be frustrating! Realize, though, that there are ways for you to direct those conversations so you can share in the school day, get confirmation that you child survived the day well, and even discover some things that may need attention.



First, give your children a breather. Give them the space they need to transition from school to home. Set up a daily routine of putting the backpacks away, grabbing a quick, healthy snack, and talking about anything other than school. Maybe take this time to enjoy a snack with them, reconnect,  and tell them what you’ve done with your own day. Down-time is just as important for children as it is for adults.

After this important buffer time has passed, you can begin to talk about the day. To have a true conversation rather than just a question and answer session, you must direct the exchange, and you do that by being conscious of the way you ask your questions.  Open-ended questions will nearly always result in an extended chat instead of just yes or no answers.  For example, instead of asking “Did you have a good day?”  try “Tell me about the best thing that happened in school today!”



Don’t just throw a series of questions at your children either. When you have something specific your want to hear about, ease into it by stating something you know. For example, “I know that today the 4th graders started orchestra. Tell me what that was like!”

Keep the exchange positive! Unless you have outward signals that one of your children is upset, there’s no need to use negative, emotion-packed words. Additionally, by staying up-beat, you’ll likely have a longer conversation. If you do notice that your child is upset, however, help her talk it out, but even then it’s important to focus on open-ended questions so you can really talk in-depth and your child can voice concerns or worries.

Don’t just talk about class subjects and homework. Talk about the fun stuff too! Take time to turn the focus to gym, recess, lunch, etc.  Not only are you able to keep an eye out for possible social problems during these situations, but you’ll reinforce for your child that school is not all desk-work, but that there are fun activities during the day too. Help your child see the big picture!



It’s important to stay in touch with your children when it comes to their school experience, and the best way to do that it to direct the conversation by asking open-ended questions, using positive words rather than negative emotion words which will halt your chat, and to talk about all aspects of their day including classmates, lunch-time and their favorite or fun subjects. Really focusing on this will invite free dialogue, allow your child to express any concerns that they may have, and help you to be a part of their day. It’s important that your children know that you have a strong interest in their time away from you and their school experience, so the extra effort you make is well worth it!

The Puzzler for September 2015: Who Came First?

Question: What is the correct birth order of the 6 high-achieving women in the images below?

Instructions: You may click or tap on the image to see a larger version and get a closer look. Use the jumbled chart with all the answers you need, and sort it all out. The correct birth years are in order but the rest is mixed up, so this is really a triple challenge:

1. Start with the easy part: Pick a name for each face in the photos.
2. Bonus Points: Straighten our which accomplishment goes with which woman.
3. Finally, who came first? Identify each woman with her birth year.
 

Answers in the next issue. 

Answer to August 2015 Puzzler: Who's That American?

Question: Who are the famous Americans in the images below, and what did they famously do?

Instructions: You may click or tap on the image to see a larger version and get a closer look. Use the jumbled list of people from the left column and famous accomplishments from the right column and match them with the photos to identify all 6 people. 

 

Answer:

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Letter from Betty for August 2015

A new school year is coming soon! Although we will all miss the long summer days, now is a perfect time to prepare children for the rhythms and routines of the school year. We have some great tips for back-to-school preparations in our feature article this month, “Getting Back On Track for the School Year.”

For our puzzler this month, "Who's That American?" we selected 6 fascinatingly famous Americans and challenge you to match their faces to their names and accomplishments. Sure, they look familiar, but what did they do? Test your skill!

Finally, please remember that whatever your educational needs are, Foundation for Learning, is ready to assist you with caring, one-on-one, individualized tutoring, SAT/ACT test prep, and educational evaluations. Please don't hesitate to give us a call at 973-425-1774 for a free consultation.


Best regards,

Betty

Betty Bodenweiser
Director
Foundation for Learning

Focus on One: (New) SAT or ACT, August 2015 Dates

Free Diagnostic test offered at FFL


Currently many high school juniors take both the SAT and ACT to determine which test is better for them. We feel it is beneficial for the students to focus on only one test. In order to accomplish this, we administer a complimentary SAT/ACT diagnostic test to help students determine which test is better suited to their abilities.

Summer test dates are:
August 8, August 22

*Our diagnostic test incorporates the new SAT which will be administered beginning in March 2016. Please call Donna for more details.

Please call (973) 425-1774 or email betty@foundationforlearning.com.

August 2015 Test Schedule

Mark your calendars! Here are the latest test dates.

NOTE about ISEE - Independent School Entrance Exam: For test locations and to learn more go to erblearn.org.

Getting Back on Track for the School Year

Where has the summer gone? Back to School signs are popping up at the local shops and on TV, probably triggering your family into action to squeeze every last drop out of what’s left of summer vacation. Right? This is a good time to start thinking about and planning for the new school year and beginning now will help to alleviate the stress that comes from waiting until the last minute. What can you do now to prepare? Here are a few ideas for you:



Get those skills going again by setting up a school-like routine at home. Head to the library, pick up a few good books and set aside a time for reading each day. Hopefully your child has already pored through some great tales this summer. If not, now is the time to ramp up the reading, building it into each day. If your child is too young to read, use that time to sit and read to your child. Your child will benefit from the attention you’re setting aside just for them; he’ll hear some great stories and you’ll get to enjoy the extra time with your him. If you want to take a step further, head to your local bookstore and pick up some workbooks. Add a fresh box of crayons, markers and stickers, and let your child practice skills that may have been forgotten over the break.

An important part of this new routine is to add regular bedtimes back into the schedule so that the adjustment will be easier once school starts. An equally important part of the plan is implementing the morning routine, as it is often difficult to get kids up and ready for the school day. Slowly start moving towards school year bed and wake up times now. When the year begins, your child is acclimated to the new routine. I know this will be tough, but you’ll be glad that you made the effort.



Did you move to a new school district? Is your child just starting school for the first time? Set up some play dates! Beginning the new year with friends will help to ease the transition and you too can benefit from becoming acquainted with their parents. Is your child returning to the same school? Help your child to refresh friendships and build momentum by setting up a pool party or other gathering with the classmates they probably haven’t seen since school’s end.  It’s a fun way to get everyone excited about being together again once that school bell rings.

Though you still have a bit of time, it’s not too early to start school shopping. Check to see if your school has already posted a classroom supplies list, then buy a few items each week. If the list isn’t available yet, then go for the basics: pencils, paper, markers, lunchbox, backpack, etc. Spreading out the new-year shopping allows you to take advantage of sales and coupons, and is easier on your budget too. The same goes for school clothes. Instead of dealing with an exhausting day trudging through the stores for new outfits, buy a few here and there during these final weeks of summer vacation. Be smart and stick with clothes that fit the temperature and by purchase pieces that interchange with each other. You don’t need to buy for the whole school year; you just need a few new pieces to start.



If the opportunity arises, take your child to his school for a walk-through and to meet his new teachers, especially if the school is new to him. This will certainly help to ease any jitters on that first day of school.

If your child has an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), now is a good time to reread it, make sure that you understand it, and think about any questions that you may have for the teacher or school officials before the year begins. Understand that right now, teachers are very busy, but it’s okay to make an initial contact and request a meeting with your child’s teacher to discuss the IEP.  Remember too, that this is also the teacher’s summer vacation, so be flexible and courteous with her time. Are there old issues or concerns that were not resolved during the most recent IEP meeting? Now is a good time to request and schedule another meeting, even if that meeting won’t occur until school is underway. Now is also a good time to have a new assessment done. Having a baseline to work with will be a powerful tool to measure what skills need extra attention and to measure progress throughout the year.

Get yourself a fresh bound notebook or organizer. Use this to record contacts, messages, plans, questions, and to-do lists. You can also store any hand-outs that come home from the school during the coming year. Make sure that you attend the school’s Open House and take your organizer with you. Attending this event shows the teacher that you’re an active parent, makes a good impression, gives you the opportunity to spend a bit of additional time with the teacher, and allows you the chance to hear about and understand classroom rules. Having these recorded in your organizer will help you to better explain the rules to your child and answer any questions that he may have.


 
It may be hard to switch gears and move out of summer vacation mode, but taking steps now, setting daily routines, and doing a bit of prep work will definitely pay off and make the transition easier. You and your child will be glad that you did!

New Puzzler for August 2015: Who's That American?

Question: Who are the famous Americans in the images below, and what did they famously do?

Instructions: You may click or tap on the image to see a larger version and get a closer look. Use the jumbled list of people from the left column and famous accomplishments from the right column and match them with the photos to identify all 6 people.  

Answers in the next issue. 

Answer to July 2015 Puzzler: What Sport Is That?

Question: What are the nine sports in the images below?

Instructions: You may click or tap on the image to see a larger version and get a closer look. Use the jumbled list of choices below the photos to assemble the name of all 9 sports. Each totally real competitive sport has two words in it's name. Choose one word from the left column and one from the right column to go with each sport. 

 

 

Answer:

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Letter from Betty for July, 2015

Hello,

Summer vacation has begun, the days have grown longer, and summer fun is in the air! This certainly is a wonderful season for outdoor activities. As parents watch their children engage in informal summer games, perhaps it is a good time to think about the challenges of organized sports that will arrive with the coming school year. Our feature article this month, "Dealing with Sports Challenges" addresses the needs of children with physical, learning or attentional problems when participating in organized sports and athletic endeavors.

For our puzzler this month, "What Sport is That?" we present 9 very unusual competitive sports, each with a two-word name. See if you can take jumbled columns of partial names and sort them back together to match the images. You can do this!

Finally, please remember that whatever your educational needs are, Foundation for Learning, is ready to assist you with caring, one-on-one, individualized tutoring, SAT/ACT test prep, and educational evaluations. Please don't hesitate to give us a call at 973-425-1774 for a free consultation.


Best regards,
Betty

Focus on One: (New) SAT or ACT [UPDATED for July 2015]

Free Diagnostic test offered at FFL

Currently many high school juniors take both the SAT and ACT to determine which test is better for them. We feel it is beneficial for the students to focus on only one test. In order to accomplish this, we administer a complimentary SAT/ACT diagnostic test to help students determine which test is better suited to their abilities.

Summer test dates are:
July 23, July 25, August 8, August 22

*Our diagnostic test incorporates the new SAT which will be adminstered beginning in January 2016. Please call Donna for more details.

Please call (973) 425-1774 or email betty@foundationforlearning.com as space is limited.