We're Ready for Spring!

We are at that point in the winter where it gets really long and the end doesn't seem to be in sight.  Many of you are tired of snow days and are ready to get back into a normal routine.  Have faith!  Hopefully warmer weather, beautiful flowers, and that sweet smell of spring will be here before long.

The end of our fall semester and the beginning of our spring semester has been busy.  Our tutors are working hard to make sure your children are ready for the end-of-the-year rush.  And with that comes testing.  There are lots of debates about the effectiveness of testing, the amount of testing, the purposes of testing, etc.  But regardless, it's the world we live in.  So let's make the best of it by making sure your child is prepared to knock the socks off of those standardized tests!  That's where we come in.  Let us help relieve the anxiety and stress that often accompanies end-of-year testing.  We can help your child build their confidence and improve their academic performance. 

If you are thinking about enrolling your child in tutoring, then call us today!  (828) 260-5692

New Website!

We've been working hard with KSPCS to bring you a newly, redesigned website.  It does a great job of showcasing the services we provide.  If you haven't already, then check it out. www.highcountryacademync.com

Time to Enroll for Fall Tutoring!

It's hard to believe it but our summer tutoring program is coming to a close.  While it started off slow due to the late school year, July and August have been very successful.  We have enrolled quite a few new students, including several Florida families.  One of our families was so pleased with the services they received at High Country Academy, they are planning to continue tutoring via online options once they return home.  This is exciting for us as it will be a new venture for us at High Country Academy.

It's now time to enroll for fall tutoring.  The schedule is filling up rather quickly.  We have students coming for a variety of services, including elementary reading, writing, and math, middle school math, middle school language arts, high school math, SAT Prep, and Study & Organizational Skills.

Since we are anticipating a busy fall semester, we are hiring additional tutors.  A couple of them are attending the required orientation this week and will get started with students later this month.  We are excited to welcome them to the High Country Academy team.

Parents of students who were enrolled in tutoring during the 2013-2014 school year are eligible for a 20% discount for the month of August.  Be sure to take advantage of this discount.  If you don't plan to enroll your child until later in the school year, then consider sharing the discount with a friend.  Help us share the love!

As always, we love working with your families.  Your children become part of our family and we care about each of them in a special way.  Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to work with your child as we work to build their academic skills and instill in them a love for learning.

Does Your Child Need a Tutor?

Have you been considering hiring a tutor for your child?  Not sure if they need one?  Don't know where to start?  If you answered yes to any of those questions, then check out the following article.  It may help you decide if your child would benefit from a private tutor.  And then if you decide that your child does need a tutor, call us to schedule a free consultation.

http://www.familycircle.com/teen/school/homework/tutors/?page=2

High Country Academy
"The High Country's Premier Tutoring Service"
www.highcountryacademync.com
(828) 260-5692

Parent Teacher Conferences

It is the end of the first nine weeks for many students and you are likely going to a parent-teacher conference soon. A parent-teacher conference is important because it provides you and the teacher an opportunity to work together as a team in order to help your child. You each have an important perspective to share — as the parent, you know your child's personality, habits, strengths, and weaknesses. The teacher, on the other hand, has been trained professionally in the best methods of teaching, meeting individual student's needs, how to control classroom behavior, and how to help your child succeed in school. Working together you will be able to find ways that each of you can provide the appropriate and necessary support for your child. The conference is an opportunity for you to ask questions about your child's progress, to learn more about the class and what the students are studying, and to find out if you child is having difficulty with anything in particular. The more you know about your children's school and classes, the more likely they will be to talk about daily experiences with you.

Whenever you go to the conference,  be open-minded.  Your child's teacher wants success just like you. Don't be afraid to admit if you don't understand something - ask for more information! Find out from the teacher what resources you have at home that would help with your child's education. Preparing a list of questions will help you have a productive conversation. Some questions you might want to ask are:

1. What are my child's strongest and weakest subjects?
2. What are some examples of these strengths and weaknesses?
3. Is my child participating in class discussions and activities?
4. How are my child's social skills?
5. Do you think my child is reaching his/her potential?
6. What can I do at home to help support his/her academic progress?
7. What can High Country Academy do to support his/her academic progress?

It’s important to share the information from the conference with your child’s tutor at HCA. The information you give us will allow us to develop lessons that will most benefit your child. We want to work as a team to make your child successful!

Learning in Action

I just walked into the office and came upon a student and their tutor measuring the hallway with a yard stick. After finding the measurements, they began converting the yards to feet to inches.  I was impressed with how quickly the student was grasping this not-so-easy concept.  But why was he experiencing so much success?  First, they were using a real-life application.  Second, the activity was hands-on.  Third, he could "see" the conversions in action which made understanding so much easier.

I love witnessing learning first-hand.  Conversions are no easy tasks, but this student is leaving his tutoring session today feeling confident and successful.  He gets it.  And his tutor understands the importance of hands-on, real-life application that fosters critical thinking and understanding.  This type of learning is way better than a worksheet.  And it produces more results!

Relieving Testing Anxiety in Students

As the school year comes to a close, we are all looking for ways to help students on the End-of-Grade tests. It is our philosophy at High Country Academy to focus on content knowledge so that students will be prepared and knowledgeable of the subject matter that they will be tested on.  We also provide students with test-taking strategies that they can use when taking the tests. Your child’s school will probably send home information suggesting your child get a good night's sleep and a healthy breakfast. In addition to these things, the following ideas might also be helpful:

1)     Teach your child deep breathing exercises to help them relax. Inhaling and exhaling to the count of five can help with the physical symptoms of anxiety. Encourage your child to focus on the task at hand as they finish the breathing exercise.

2) Encourage your child to write about how they are feeling. Recent research indicates that when children write about their feelings regarding standardized tests, they tend to perform better on them. Ask your child to complete this sentence and elaborate as much as possible:

When I think about the test, I feel _______ because _______.  Through writing, you can give your child space to find an emotional middle ground. They are able to work through some of the emotions they are experiencing and then figure out a way to handle them.

3) Reinforce your child’s efforts. Remind them of all the things they are doing to prepare for the tests. Good attendance, finishing homework, and of course, tutoring sessions at High Country Academy are all factors that will help them be successful on the EOGs.

If your child is having testing anxiety, please talk to your child's tutor. We want to work with you to reduce their anxiety and to ensure they are successful.

From the desk of Laura C.

Snow Days...

With so many recent snow days, several parents have asked what they can do at home to supplement learning. Snow days offer great opportunities for you to supplement your child's learning by reinforcing concepts and skills at home.  So how can you do that?  Check out these ideas:

1) Measurement:  If a storm is predicted for your area, first have students check the forecast to see how much snow is anticipated. Have students vote whether they think the storm will bring more, less, or the same level of snow as the called-for amount. Then use rulers to see where on students' bodies the snow will reach if you receive the predicted level. Will the storm be ankle-, calf-, or knee-deep? Place an empty, flat-bottomed container in a secure area outdoors to collect snowfall. After the storm, have students measure the snow in the container and compare the amount to the forecast and their own predictions. (Have them measure again on their bodies.) Finally, bring the container indoors and allow the snow to melt. How do the water and snow levels compare? Are students surprised by the difference? (Taken from Scholastic - http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/snow-fun-learning)

2) Explore the Smithsonian:  Take a virtual field trip to the Smithsonian.  This website is designed for students.  http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/educators/resource_library/sites_for_students.html

3) Educational Games:  Children love playing games so why not make them educational?  Here are a few of our favorites:

• www.sheppardsoftware.com - All subject areas and grade levels
• http://www.ixl.com/ - Interactive math games
• http://www.funbrain.com/ - Math and reading games
• http://www.mathplayground.com/ - Math games by grade level and topic
• http://www.spellingcity.com/ - Enter your spelling words and then start playing games with them.

4) Read a good book!!!  Discuss your child's reading with them.  Encourage them to make connections, look for important details, visualize their reading, make inferences, and make predictions.

There are lots of great resources out there on the Internet.  Take advantage of these snow days to help your child maintain learning.

What do parents need to know about the Common Core State Standards?

You’ve probably heard a lot of about the new Common Core Standards that your child is learning at school this year.  So what is it all about???

The Common Core State Standards were developed through a partnership with the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers with the goal of increasing the level of rigor and depth of what is being taught in our schools.  Forty-five states have adopted the Common Core which means our country has gone primarily to a national curriculum.  The standards are designed to prepare students for a competitive, global economy by providing a curriculum that focuses on higher order thinking skills and real life application. The goal is to provide clear, consistent expectations of what students are supposed to learn.

The Common Core consists of standards in English Language Arts and Mathematics.  The English Language Arts standards are broken down into five areas: 1) Reading, 2) Writing, 3) Speaking and Listening, 4) Language, and 5) Media and Technology.  The focus has shifted to increasing the complexity of text that students read and discuss.  Students are also expected to evaluate, integrate, and present information from a variety of sources.  The mathematics standards support a strong foundation of number fluency in the primary grades, a greater focus on problem solving skills, and an increased focus on application of mathematical concepts.

To sum it up, the Common Core is designed to prepare our students to be college and career ready, to compete in a global economy, and to think critically.  In essence, it requires learning to be more in depth and rigorous.  To learn more about the standards, visit http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards. 

New logo!!!

We are happy to unveil High Country Academy's new logo!  The students and tutors all voted on the final design and we are so happy with our new identity.  Special thanks to Gear Up Graphix for their design work.  Check them out at www.gearupgraphix.com.