What to Ask Private Schools

What to Ask Private Schools No two kids are exactly alike. No two schools are, either. When looking at private schooloptions at any grade level, it's important that parents ask questions that help them identifythe key differences that will help determine what private school is best for their child. Knowing the right areas to ask questions about is an important step going into private school interviews and tours. As you dive into your exploration of private schools, keep these thoughts in mind: 1. What do you really want to know about this private school? This is different than what you think you should ask. You may feel that asking about test scores or admission rates is what's expected, but it will be most beneficial to everyone if you ask about the areas that truly matter to you. Dont shy away from tougher questions if theyre important to you, but also try not to delve too deeply into uncomfortable areas that put the admissions officer on the spot, such as those regarding your childs specific chances of getting into the school. 2. How is this private school uniquely positioned to help my child? Think about how your child learns and thrives, as well as his or her strengths and weaknesses, and focus your questions according to those needs. Is your son an excellent writer but struggles to work with others? You might want to ask about how the school promotes teamwork. Or, say your daughter has an interest in engineering or mathare there robotics teams or other extracurricular offerings that will boost her learning beyond the typical curriculum? Think about whether the schools overall mission fits the goals you and your child have. Goal Example Question To increase your child's socialization opportunities What kinds of group and teamwork opportunities do you provide? To expand your child's music education Are band, orchestra, and/or choir offered? What are the programs like? To prepare your child for college admissions How early doguidance counselors and teachersstart providingsupportforcollege applications? 3. Tell me more about As with a job interview, you want to go in with as much knowledge as you can glean from the schools website and other available references. This will help you ask better questions and prevent you from looking like you dont care, which is the impression youd likely give by asking for information you could have easily gotten online in five minutes of research. Identify something the school succeeds at that coincides with your goals, and then dig deeper to show your interest. 4. How does this private school keep up with emerging technology? Its no secret that edtech is growing rapidly. How are teachers at this school able to use technology in the classroom to enhance learning and introduce students to new skills? Do they utilize digital textbooks? What is the policy on student smartphone use? On a related note, how is the overall curriculum reviewed, and how often does it change? 5. Does this private school approach the arts from a global, multicultural perspective? Whether or not your child is artistically inclined, a broad education in music, art, theater and cultural differences is invaluable in a time of increasingly global higher education and professional opportunities. If your child does have a specific interest in an artistic area, find out how that can directly be supported by this school. Some areas you might want to inquire about include the following: band orchestra choir acting drawing/painting dance 6. What is the philosophy on athletics at this private school? Many private schools require all students to participate in athletics or some other form of physical education. The lessons in teamwork and health can be invaluable, but if this is an area where your child particularly excels or struggles, you may want to find out more about what his or her experience will be like. 7. How do teachers and administrators at this private school communicate with parents? Many private schools have sophisticated websites, blogs, or social media pages, but how are individual teachers communicating with parents about the classroom and their individual students? What systems are in place for emergency notifications? 8. What support does this private school offer forcollege applications and preparation? Rather than asking where most graduating students are accepted to college or what their test scores are, dig deeper to find out specifically how the schools guidance staff would eventually help your child through the college admissions process. It may seem far away, but it can never be too early to prepare. Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us at blog@varsitytutors.com.

How Often Should You Change Your Guitar Strings

How Often Should You Change Your Guitar Strings Suzy S. Are you wondering how often you should be changing your guitar strings?   Its a common question for beginner guitarists, and it goes hand-in-hand with general guitar maintenance.   Read on for some great advice from one of our office rock stars, Megan L Learning how to take care of a guitar can seem like a mysterious and difficult undertaking. When I was first learning to play, I was surprised at how much care and attention goes into keeping this instrument sounding great. Between tuning, cleaning and changing strings, at times I felt more like I had invested in a strange new pet than in a guitar. Over time, I found that learning when to change my strings actually made my guitar sound a lot better, which helped me to become a more confident player. Many factors go into determining how often you should consider changing your guitar strings. Dirt and oil from your hands can build up on the strings, causing the sound to become sort of flat or dead. (Learn how to clean your guitar strings here!) Strings stretch out as they are played and eventually do not hold tune well any longer. Additionally, steel strings can rust, which not only affects the sound of your guitar but also makes it kind of gross to play. If you are playing for several hours every day, you might want to change your guitar strings as often as once a week. If you arent quite ready for that much string-changing, washing your hands before you play can help reduce the amount of dirt and oil from your skin that gets onto your strings. However, if you have extra sweaty hands when you play, you might want to change your strings more often. If you notice your guitar doesnt hold tune as well as it used to or the tone sounds less rich, you might see a vast improvement if you just change your strings. Personally, I like to change my strings a day or two before a performance. Not only does it make my guitar sound better, but it helps me feel more prepared to succeed. Megan L., TakeLessons staff member Interested in Private Lessons? Search thousands of teachers for local and live, online lessons. Sign up for convenient, affordable private lessons today! Search for Your Teacher Photo by meddygarnet

How to Talk about Winning in English - English Lesson via Skype

How to Talk about Winning in English - English Lesson via Skype Everybody like to win whether it’s a football game or a game of cards. You get an adrenalin rush (good feeling) and it lasts a long time. There are many ways of how to talk about winning in English, to express those emotions and to congratulate other winners. How to Talk about Winning in English BEAT vs WIN Common mistakes made are with the verbs TO WIN and TO BEAT. These mistakes are made by native  speakers and those learning English as a foreign language. For example, you can say:I won the match yesterday.I will win tomorrow.I am winning at the moment.BUT  you cannot say:I won the other team.We will win the other team tomorrow.We are winning the other team today.Instead you can say:I beat the other guy.We will beat that team tomorrow.We are beating them at the moment.Example: My team were playing a big game and at half time (interval) we were winning 2-0. However, in the second half we lost our momentum and the other team scored 3 goals. We were beaten 2-3. Difference between BEAT and WIN - Video Lesson Here are some other words and phrases to talk about winning in English:COME OUT ON TOPto be victoriousExample: Michael was boxing a much bigger kid. He was taller and heavier.He eventually came out on top and won the fight.GET THE UPPER HANDto get an advantageExample: It was a struggle for both competitors but the guy from Turkey eventually got the upper hand and won the fight.TO SEAL VICTORYto make a victory inevitable (certain)Example: It was a very even contest of rugby. Both teams were giving it everything (100% effort). However, the team in Red sealed victory with a last minute goal.KNOCKOUT PUNCHan action or event that causes defeat or failure  This also has a literal meaning as in a boxing match where one boxer knocks out his opponent and wins the fight or we can use it metaphorically.Example: Both teams were trying to win the game in normal time to avoid extra time. United in black shirts provided the knock out punch deep into injury time when they scored a penalty after a ha ndball incident inside the penalty area.Spectators are always more anxious than the players or competitors. They are always relieved when  their team is number one stay top of the league and remain ahead of the posse (one step ahead of someone or something)!Phrases and words like WELL DONE  or CONGRATS  (congratulations) are common expressions used  for the victors (winners) or a US term YOU’RE THE MAN  is heard at lots of sports events like golf and  tennis.Spare a thought  (think for a little while) about the unfortunate loser.For every winner there is a  loser or runner up and they are soon forgotten.HARD LUCK  or BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME  or TOUGH  are all the loser hears.Remember that great song by Queen We are the Champions, We are the Champions English Vocabulary about Winning - Infographic Enjoyed this infographic? Here's what you can do next:

English Vocabulary about Employment - Phrases You Need to Know

English Vocabulary about Employment - Phrases You Need to Know For many months now I have been reading articles about the so-called Gig economy  and jobs without really  knowing to what these articles were referring. If you are currently in the job market looking to change your job or in the process going through a job interview in an English speaking company this English vocabulary about employment might help you. The  Gig economy  concerns those jobs today in the internet age that are neither permanent  nor  secure  and where the contract is extremely flexible  if it exists at all. Such jobs would include people  working in McDonalds or people self-employed as delivery guys delivering your pizza or other take-away meal. The reports I have read suggest that in America over the next few years approximately 40% of  all jobs will be created in this Gig Economy.So instead of merely (just) being employed  or working, there is a very wide range of new words now  used to describe your employment. English Vocabulary about Employment TEMPORARY:  this refers to a limited period of time, approximately several weeks or months perhaps  covering for someone who is sick.PROJECT BASED:  Employed for a period of time until a project is completed and then you wait to see  what is offered or move on to the next project.FIXED TERM:  a period of work fixed by months or years. A two year term that is then re -negotiated.  They may well offer you an extension to the contract before the fixed period runs out.ZERO HOUR CONTRACT:  employed but no guarantee how many hours you will work each week. This is  typical of some jobs in McDonalds and other fast food chains. You might get 10 hours one week and  15 the next but this is at the discretion (choice) of the management.FREELANCE:  You do some work for someone and agree a fee or payment for the work done but you  work at your own pace and place and are not controlled by the company or individual you are  working for. A freelance journalist may write articles and stories for variou s newspapers and  networks and if they like the work they will pay for it but there is no commitment.OUTSOURCED:  A piece of work is needed. There are not the resources within a company to carry out  that work. It is given to somebody or person outside the company. This is referred to as outsourced. English Vocabulary about Employment - Infographic Enjoyed this infographic? Here’s what you can do next: FLEXITIME: flexible working hours, when you can alter your workday start and finish timesSHIFTWORK: a system in which   a working day is divided in set periods of time and different groups of workers perform their duties at different times of the day and night, for example, nurses, firefighters, etc.A DEAD END JOB: a job in which there is no chance of getting a promotion and build a successful career.BE SELF-EMPLOYED: not working for an employer but finding work for yourself or having your own businessWORK EXPERIENCE: a short period of time in which you a student temporarily works for an employer to gain experience, usually older pupils in schoolOVERTIME: extra time that your work after your usual working hours. Some companies still pay overtime but it is becoming a rarity for employees in the UKWORKING CONDITIONS: things that will affect the quality of your work (working hours, quality of your working space, sick pay, etc)EMPLOYEE ROSTER: a schedule with  a list of  employees, and a ssociated working times and/or responsibilities for a given time period, for example, week, month or seasonSKELETON STAFF: a minimum number of employees required to work in a company on days when most staff do not work, for example, Sundays or public holidays

Does your kid have all the back to school supplies he needs - ALOHA Mind Math

Does your kid have all the back to school supplies he needs Now that summers coming to an end, it’s time to start thinking about the back to school checklist. This means that it’s time to start putting together the back to school supplies. Depending on how old your kid is, you may need to send a slightly different set of items, but here are some of the school supplies that you absolutely cannot do without: A good backpack: The backpack you choose should be sturdy enough to hold all the items your kid needs to keep in it, but not so bulky that the weight of the pack, on its own, starts to weigh down the child. There are a lot of options available, and if you take your child along she can choose her favorite color too. Hygiene related:If your kid is old enough to open a bottle by herself, then a hand sanitizer is one of the first things to add to your child’s backpack. If you think your child may not be able to handle a bottle, look for sanitizing or anti-bacterial wipes that come in an easy to handle pack. It is important that we teach children how important it is to clean their hands at mealtimes, especially after they have spent time on the playground. Back to school supplies.Photo courtesy:http://www.flickr.com/photos/rebeccafeind/7571121124/ 2 or 3 pocket folder: If you are putting together school supplies for high school, your kid might have more papers to organize and bring back from school, so you need to choose the type of folder accordingly. A good folder is necessary to bring back homework and any other required sheets of paper, so that these don’t get crumpled and lost in the recesses of the backpack. Writing supplies: A good sharpener is a must, though younger children may end up sharpening more than necessary this is a phase all parents must go through. Other than this, sharpened pencils, an eraser, a ruler and coloring supplies are the basic necessities, it would be a good idea to mark or label all of the above to reduce loss of such small items. In case of kindergarten school supplies, most of this may be supplied to your kid in class, so you need not pack as many items. A recent article in The Chronicle talked about how the amount and cost of school supplies has gone up in recent times. A lot of these may b e available at your local large stores where they offer a discount on school supplies at this time of the year. Do take your child along when you shop, as they slowly start understanding the value of things as they grow up. Our classes at Aloha are a great addition to what your child learns at school. Do check out our website for more details: http://www.aloha-usa.com Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/aloha.usa and on Twitter: @AlohaKidsMath for constant updates and tips for your child’s education and development

Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays! Tutorz.com wishes all tutors, teachers, instructors, parents and students happy holidays and joyous and restful season. We are sincerely delighted to have you as our customers.  For 2012  we also  wish you  that your beautiful  wishes  come true,  educational targets  and bright  ideas come to an  implementation. Your  Tutorz  Team

5 Steps to Choose Best ACT vs SAT

5 Steps to Choose Best ACT vs SAT Every student who is applying for college must take placement tests. The two most common of these tests are the ACT and SAT. Both of these tests are nationally administered standardized tests that help colleges assess students. As you start to think about the college and creating the best application portfolio possible, an important question to answer is: Which test should I take? These steps guide you to make the right choice. #1 Does Your College Prefer SAT or ACT? The first step to conduct research on is which test is right for you. Should your college of choice prefer one test over the other, then it is vital to focus your efforts on this very exam. If youre set on a certain college, make sure to find out which test would help you more. Taking both exams is rarely the best option. SAT and ACT differ enough that your time spent studying for one of them will not likely improve your results on the other. #2 Test Duration The ACT has 215 questions and an optional essay. On the other hand, the SAT has 170 questions plus a required essay. The testing time for the ACT with writing the essay is 3 hours and 25 minutes while the SAT takes 3 hours and 20 minutes. This is because the total time of the SAT is longer for both parts due to breaks. Thus, the ACT gives you more time per question that can help you to produce better results. #3 Assessment of Your Critical Thinking Skills and Overall Knowledge Another difference between the two exams is that the SAT principally estimates reasoning ability, while the ACT concentrates more on strict knowledge. Both tests, for example, have a math section and both require a sound foundation in geometry and algebra. The SAT includes verbal problems and creative application of the basic rules of geometry. By contrast, the ACT, tends to be more straightforward. Also, the ACT includes basic trigonometry tasks among other math questions. The main difference becomes one of problem-solving versus a wider range of tested concepts. In the English section, the SAT focuses on the reading comprehension and vocabulary. The ACT includes a reading comprehension part as well, but it concentrates more on grammar and syntax. As in the math sections, the ACT is more a test of knowledge than of reasoning and problem-solving. #4 Essay Differences The ACTs essay part is optional while for the new SAT test the essay is required. Moreover, many colleges require the ACTs essay. You have 25 minutes to write the SAT essay whereas the ACT allows for 30 minutes. The ACT, more than the SAT, asks to share your own opinion on potentially disputable issues and use the best counter-argument to defend your point of view. The SAT essay asks students to use examples from literature, history or the testers personal experiences. #5 Structural Differences Students who have taken the SAT found that the questions become more difficult as they progress whereas the ACT exhibits a more even level of difficulty. Furthermore, the ACT math section includes only multiple choice tasks whereas the SAT math section has some questions that need written answers. All in all, the essay for the SAT comes first; the ACT optional essay is last. If you need professional help with preparing to ACT or SAT, here are 4,000+ ACT and SAT tutors nationwide who might be of real help to you. In conclusion, no matter what test you will choose, good preparation is a key to success with either the ACT or SAT.