Last night, a handful of BrainStorm tutors were enjoying a meal at Blue Moon Mexican Cafe in Wyckoff, when their waitress handed them a note & informed them that someone had bought them a round of drinks.
The note instructed them to look to the right, and when they did they saw a group of BrainStorm students smiling and waving: “Thanks for tutoring us!”
It warmed our hearts & brought a smile to our faces. Appreciation from our students–the ultimate reward.
BrainStorm Learning & Arts Center will be open for tutoring through Thursday, December 20th 2012. Tutoring at the center will resume on Thursday, January 3rd 2013.
{Clients with monthly memberships: The 2-week interim does not count toward your month.}
HAPPY HOLIDAYS from all of us at BrainStorm Learning & Arts Center!
Contribution by Jolie Samuel
In an ever-changing world obsessed with the “next big thing,” it is difficult to stop and appreciate those around us who have essentially planted seeds in our hearts that foster passion and vision for our future.
A teacher’s job is to stimulate a student’s ordinary effort into something astonishing. When this type of feat is accomplished, it is important to take a moment and show your gratitude.
There is nothing sweeter or more rewarding than a sincere “Thank you.” Recently, I heard that a student wrote her teacher a letter expressing her genuine gratitude for multiple hours of extra assistance she had received after school. The student’s kind gesture contributed to the teacher’s overall attitude and performance in class. In addition, it gave her teacher strong incentive to continue providing after-school help.
It is beneficial not only for students to let teachers know when they have performed exceptionally, but also for teachers to send notes to students when they have performed extraordinarily well in class.
For today’s DIY project, I created an appreciation card for a teacher. It can easily be redirected toward a student as well. I used craft cardstock, some scrapbook paper and a few small letter embellishments to create this fun card. I added a personalized thank you on the inside and customized a quick note thanking a teacher for his or her superior instruction in class.
Tell us about your favorite teacher. What has he/she done to help you really raise your academic game?
Support the 2012 Shelter Our Sisters Holiday Toy Drive
Living in the shelter during the holidays can be especially difficult. Many of the women served at Shelter Our Sisters worry about how they will provide a holiday gift to their children, and sadly many report they have never received a gift of their own. Also, former residents, who are trying to start a violence-free life in a new apartment, are often struggling to make ends meet. With your help and support, Shelter Our Sisters can distribute gifts to the women and children in our program and make their lives as joyful as possible this holiday season.
From now through the holidays, BrainStorm Learning & Arts Center will be collecting donations of toys & gifts for the children at Shelter Our Sisters.
Students who participate in the drive will be rewarded one TicketFest voucher for each donation made!
Visit ShelterOurSisters.org for more info.
Contribution by Sarah Davies
Their motto is this: “When your books and teachers don’t make sense, we do.” And, it’s true. SparkNotes do make a lot of sense out of a book or Shakespearean play when your teacher can’t seem to do so. Does this necessarily mean they should be used? I’ll admit that I have used SparkNotes, but afterwards I always felt a pang of guilt, as if my teacher would be disappointed to know I had looked up what happened in chapter 5 of Great Expectations because I hadn’t understood it on my own.
I have come to the conclusion that there is both a positive and a negative way to use SparkNotes. I use it as a sort of supplemental resource when it comes to understanding a text of which I’m unsure. I will never let SparkNotes serve as a replacement when it comes to reading a novel or a play because I want to experience the plot, the characters, and the symbolism within for myself—not through some Internet site.
Next time you’re sitting in English class, contemplating whether or not you understand why Romeo and Juliet just can’t be together, and whether or not you should get your answer from SparkNotes, consider these Do’s and Dont’s:
* DON’T make SparkNotes your number one resource when it comes to reading and understanding a text. Read the text on your own, and consult your teacher when you don’t understand something. (Your teacher WILL know if you’re reading SparkNotes and not the assigned text.)
* DO use SparkNotes as a supplemental resource. Read the text first, and then mosey on over to SparkNotes. Compare your interpretation of the text with theirs, and with your teacher’s. What are the differences? Allowing yourself to see a different perspective may open your mind.
* DON’T let SparkNotes become the text you use to write a paper. This is the easiest way to fall into the dangerous waters of plagiarism. It also sometimes will bring you to an interpretation your teacher did not teach in class.
* DO read your assigned English reading—you’ll be surprised how much you’ll appreciate it years after reading it.
In sum, appreciate SparkNotes for the awesome supplemental tool it is—and keep on reading the real stuff. There’s nothing better!
Contributed by Patrick Neary
There is something lurking in the background. Its nonchalance cannot be outdone; its importance to our existence is immense. It is the path cut out for you in the woods, and it is the troll waiting to stop you when you stray from the trail. It is Math, and it is out there shaping the world around you.
When I was a freshman in college, I had this idea that my professors knew something that they weren’t telling me… that on the day of my graduation they would come up and say, “Do you see [this] now?” In a way, they kind of did. I realize, of course, that it wasn’t one short concise thing that they could relate in a sentence. It was four years of mathematics. It was the way they showed me how to think. It was the way they taught me how math comes together as you move further into it. It was the beauty of the structure.
I see the world differently than before. Granted, I still envision a troll in the woods when I think about math, but now I know that there are hundreds—no, thousands—of trolls out in those mental woods. I know that I could continue to study mathematics for the rest of my days and still not know all there is to know. I wonder what I will see after another four years.
So many people turn away from mathematics because of a poor experience or because they have to work a little harder at it. I think we should all strive to change that, because math ROCKS. Come check out the trolls, people—they’re freakin’ delightful! I wish for everyone to see what I see.
OPEN HOUSE!
OCT. 20th & 21st
10am-2pm
Students & their families are cordially invited to join BrainStorm at our
OPEN HOUSE on October 20th & 21st 10AM-2PM.
New clients can take advantage of our Open House special–20% OFF!
STANDARDIZED TESTS:
Mid-week Madness: SAT Class
Wednesday, 6:00-8:00pm
4 week course: 10/3, 10/10, 10/17, 10/24
Can’t make it to BrainStorm’s weekend SAT classes? Join us for four consecutive Wednesday evenings for SAT instruction in a small-group setting (max. 6 students to 1 tutor.) The perfect complement to either private or center tutoring sessions.
$265/4-week session
*Required text: Barron’s SAT, 26th Edition. Available for purchase at BrainStorm for $20
The CO-OP Collective: CO-OP Prep Class
Monday, 4:00-5:30pm
6 weeks: 10/1, 10/8, 10/15, 10/22, 10/29, 11/5
Create your plan of attack for the CO-OP exam & prepare for the best 4 years of your life at your dream high school.
$295
COLLEGE WORKSHOPS:
BrainStorm Your Essay!
Workshop Dates: 9/19, 9/24, 10/3, or 10/17
6:00-8:00pm
The trickiest part of college essay writing is choosing the perfect topic. Let us help you hone in on “your topic” at one of our “BrainStorming” sessions! All are welcome. $60
*Recommended: Follow up with BrainStorm’s College App Workshop or College Essay Weekend Workshop
The College App Workshop
Workshop Dates (2-day Workshops):
October 8th & 10th 6:30-9:00pm
October 15th & 17th 6:30-9:00pm
Complete your common application, write the first draft of your college essay, receive valuable college interview tips & more!
$175
College Essay Weekend Workshop
Saturday October 20th & Sunday October 21st 11:00am-2:00pm
Saturday October 13th & Sunday October 14th 11:00am-2:00pm
It’s never too late at BrainStorm! Come prepared to write and edit your essay in one weekend.
$210
OR $285 w/ 1 BrainStorm session included
Call 201.84.STORM to register!
ABOUT OUR OFFERINGS:
C2A: BrainStorm’s “Commitment to Achieve” (or C2A) small-group tutoring program. All subjects! Max 4 students per tutor. By appointment only. Hourly packages or memberships available.
Hourly Packages: BrainStorm’s hourly C2A packages give you the flexibility you need to make a true “Commitment to Achieve!”
10 Hour Package: $43/hr. Expires after 2 months. $430
20 Hour Package: $39/hr. Expires after 3 months. $780
Memberships: Opting for a membership to BrainStorm Learning & Arts Center gives you unlimited access to our C2A program (available 56 hours/month) PLUS unlimited ThinkTanks at no extra cost.
Monthly Membership: $275/month
Semester Membership (thru Jan. 15): $975/semester
Yearly Membership: $1775/year
SAT/ACT Classes with Scott Doty: BrainStorm founder & CEO Scott Doty hosts 4 & 5-week sessions leading up to each SAT and ACT test date in 2012. Call for pricing.
ThinkTank: For $20 flat rate, students are free to utilize the center & its resources to study independently, do project-based collaborative work, conduct student-lead discussion groups, & more.
ACADEMIC OFFERINGS:
K-6: Reading comprehension, reading speed, vocabulary, grammar, math, logic, critical thinking, collaboration, focus, foreign languages, problem solving, invention, NJ ASK, Terra Nova, writing
7-12: School subjects (all levels), time management, study skills, high school entrance exams (Bergen Academies, COOP, etc), SAT/ACT, college apps, AP’s, SAT 2’s, essay prep, resume prep
College & Beyond: All school subjects, GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT
ADD-ONS:
1st Test Simulation: FREE with any package or membership purchase.
Life Coaching & Family Coaching: $100/hr.
