Victoria
Branch Opening in January
We
are pleased to introduce you to Magnus Hanton who is the
new Director/Owner of Academic Advantage in Greater
Victoria and Sooke.
Magnus
Hanton is very excited to bring Academic Advantage to
the southern coast of Vancouver Island. Magnus holds a
Bachelor of Education in secondary education (General
Science). He has taught in a broad range of
educational settings including K-12 and post-secondary.
He has worked as both a classroom teacher and tutor and
has an understanding of the complementary roles these
positions have in furthering the learning of students.
Additionally Magnus holds a Masters in
Environmental Design (Sustainable Product Design) and
has worked as a product designer in a various fields
including medical, transportation, furniture, and
graphic design. He has used his experience to
operate his own design business for the past 3
years.
Magnus prides himself on his ability to
develop a strong rapport with his peers and students,
and looks forward to the many relationships he will
build operating Academic Advantage in Greater Victoria
and the Western Communities.
We
are currently interviewing teachers in the Victoria
area. If you know any teachers in the Victoria area
looking for extra work please have them contact Magnus
directly at:
2318
Rivers Edge, Sooke, B.C. V9Z 0Y4. Phone: (250) 483-5496
Fax: (250) 483-5953
Email: victoria@schooliseasy.com
Also,
if you know of any students in Victoria who will need
tutoring from January please have them contact Magnus.
Academic
Advantage Wins Prestigious Award
Academic
Advantage was honoured to receive the Douglas College
"Overall Entrepreneur of the Year Award" at the Visions
of Excellence Award Celebration on October
21st at the Executive Plaza Inn in Coquitlam.
In my acceptance speech, I thanked you for your
contribution to our effort. Without you, there would be
no Academic Advantage. I sincerely appreciate you, from
the bottom of my heart. (Pictured from left to right: my
brother-in-law, myself, my father and my sister.) Click here to see the article in the
Burnaby Now newspaper
Susan
Carries the Torch
I
was honoured to be chosen to carry the Olympic flame on
November 2nd in Comox. One of our dedicated
tutors, Kerry Dawson of Comox caught this shot on film.
Thank you Kerry.
Sickness
policy
The
media is telling us that the number of people catching
the flu is higher than usual this season. We have all
heard of the H1N1 and yourself or several people you
know may have had it by now. Some people are
scared by it and some of our tutors have entered homes
in which someone in the home has the H1N1. We would ask
that if someone in your home has the H1N1 please let the
tutor know beforehand so that they can make their own
decision whether to tutor in the home at that time.
Tips
on Addressing Problems with the
Teacher
There
may be times when serious conflicts arise and you will
need to meet with a teacher, a guidance counsellor or
principal to discuss them. Check out these ideas before
you go to that meeting.
Acknowledge
your child's feelings.
"If you get repeated complaints that make sense, you do
need to validate your child's feelings and then take
some action," advises Michael Thompson, Ph.D.
"Unfortunately this may interfere with the trust you
want to exist between parent and teacher, but in these
extreme cases, your child needs to know that you take
her feelings seriously."
Consider
the teacher's point of view.
While it's important to acknowledge your child's
description of an event, you should also keep an open
mind and listen to what the school has to say before
making a judgment, particularly when serious complaints
and discipline issues arise. "The story you may hear
from your child may not be the whole gospel truth,"
notes Lawrence Cohen, Ph.D., author of Playful
Parenting. "It's usually a complex situation that
requires a perspective from the teacher. But don't
dismiss your child's complaint
either."
Evaluate
teachers fairly.
There will be some teachers you may love and your child
may dislike, there may be others your child may love,
but you may not. "There are ways to work out a positive
relationship with your child's teacher, even if you have
issues about the teacher," advises Diane Levin, Ph.D.
"Keep in mind that your child may feel very differently
than you do, both positively and negatively. And your
job is to advocate for your child and remember that you
are not the one in the classroom, he
is."
Meet
with the administration.
If a respectful meeting with the teacher does not
produce solutions for your concerns, then you need to go
to a guidance counsellor or principal and say, "my child
is having a difficult time," and explain why. Approach
this meeting with specific information, and offer to
brainstorm what can be done to help. Describe specific
incidents in a factual way. "You cannot expect immediate
action, but it's important to give the feedback, and to
ask the school system to address these issues with the
teacher and find a solution that works for your child,"
advises Michael Thompson, Ph.D.
Feedback
Please
Your
input and feedback is always valued. One of the best
ways for you to share that with us is via our ongoing
survey. You can find it here and let us know
how we're serving you and your kids. Alternatively you
can call us at 604-439-1790 or
1-877-787-5854
December 2009
