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SPECTRUM
Burke-Little & Associates Educational Specialists
Winter 2010
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| Greetings! | |
Holiday Greetings
to You!
The winter weather seems to have come early this year with two good snows already here in North Carolina and the same in Virginia. As I look out my office window and see the ice on the tree branches and the brilliant red cardinal at the bird feeder, I realize once again the beauty of this season with its grays and browns, mauves and lavenders.
I have always appreciated the changing of seasons and the things we do to bring in the new season or to wish the passing one with respect that the world does change. For me, I have gone through the ritual of bringing in the ferns from the front porch before the cold bite and harvesting all those green tomatoes later to can pints of chow chow with that spirit of hot red pepper.
So as I see young people change and grow from day to day, I appreciate all the people who make this possible.... the adolescent, the young adult, the teacher, the counselor, the therapist, the administrator, the parent. We all do our part to help our young people to be happy, healthy and strong.
A dear friend named Zelma gave me a framed copy of the words of Henry David Thoreau, a favorite of mine. She certainly knew I have appreciated the philosophy, and I think many of the individualists I come into contact in this practice who also epitomize this famous saying:
If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him keep step to the music, which he hears, however measured or far away.
I know many of us are unique, different, and individualistic. Let us all know that it is very OK to journey towards that uniqueness and individuality...no matter how long it may take, or how we get there.
To you all the families that we have known over the years recent and years long ago, we at Burke-Little would like to extend Holiday Greetings and Best Wishes for 2011. It is a pleasure and honor to know you each and to see the successes of your children.
Milton D. Little
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15 Years Helping Students Acheive Academic Success
- Traditional and Specialized Day Schools
- Traditional and Specialized Boarding Schools
- Therapeutic Schools
- Colleges and Universities
- Programs for Young Adults
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Adolescent Brain Development |
It doesn't come as a surprise that the teenager's brain is different from the adult brain. These finding are not new to dispute the notion that major wiring of the brain is completed by as e arly as three years of age and that the brain is fully mature by the age of 10 or 12. In the last years scientists have found that the teen brain is not a finished product but is a work in progress. With the use of MRIs to study the teen brain, researchers have noted that the greatest changes to the parts of the brain that are responsible for self-control, judgement, emotions, and organization occur between puberty and adulthood.
What is most surprising it that humans get a second wave of overproduction of gray matter during adolescence. A process called 'pruning" where connections among neurons in the brain that are not used wither away, while those that are used stay- the "use it or lose it" principle. Kids who exercise their brains by learning to order their thoughts, understand abstract concepts, and control their impulses are laying the neural foundations that will serve them for the rest of their lives.
Research suggests that alcohol and drugs affect adolescents and adults differently. Adolescents are more vulnerable than adults to the affects of learning, memory and processing. Not only do adolescents react differently to the initial affects of alcohol and drugs, studies suggest that teens who repeatedly use alcohol can suffer long term effects.
If the choices adolescents make about using drugs and alcohol and engaging in or avoiding challenging learning materials have long term and irreversible consequences for the development of the brain, then discouraging harmful choices and encouraging healthy ones is all the more urgent.
Perhaps most importantly, teenagers are empowered to develop their brains through the activities in which they choose to participate. |
| Welcome Fergus! |
I wanted to introduce to you the newest member of the Burke-Little staff. His name is Ferguson Stewart Burke-Little, and he is called Fergus. He is a black and white 5 month old bearded collie who of course is the smartest, the most loveable, and the most handsome puppy. He is requiring a lot of attention as he learns the routine of outside trips for bathroom training and diversion from chewing boxes and electrical cords. I am sure you will see Fergus grow up with pictures and stories about his ventures here in upcomg newsletters. With Fergus' Scottish heritage, there will definitely be a picture soon of him in his tartan plaid. So yes Santa Claus came to me early this year, and I am having a great time with this wonderful new pal!
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| Testing Dates 2011 | |
SAT Test Dates
Dates Tests Offered Regular Registration Late Registration January 22, 2011 SAT and Subject Tests December 23 January 7 March 12, 2011 SAT Test Only February 11 February 25 May 7, 2011 SAT and Subject Tests April 8 April 23 June 4, 2011 SAT and Subject Tests May 6 May 20 www.collegeboard.com ACT Test Dates Test Date Registration Deadline Late Registration February 12, 2011 January 7, 2011 January 8, 2011 April 9, 2011 March 4, 2011 March 5, 2011 June 11, 2011 May 6, 2011 May 7, 2011 www.actstudent.org 
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| What We Are About |
It is my hope that everyone started off well in new schools and programs or who may be matriculating from schools a wonderful school year. Thank you to all the parents for the support of your children. It is our pleasure to work with your family.
A parent asked me this week why she had such a hard time finding a service as Burke-Little Educational Specialists. I responded that the word has not yet reached the people that Burke-Little is a service of psychology and education to help young people find the best place to go to school.
This very anxious mother who had called me one day with her son in trouble was desperate. Over a couple of years we worked together and helped her son in his rather unorthodox journey through boyhood and finally to college with a degree in engineering from Carnegie Mellon.
You as parents know, we sometimes need to take some steps of counseling, interventions, treatment, and tutoring to get to that point of the young man graduating from college.
Our best advertisement is YOU who have shared our name with your friends, colleagues, or neighbors. I ask you to continue to do that and spread the word in the South that we are a very unique service. The basic ingredient of our profession is that we care about children and are determined to give them the best possible opportunity in life.
Soon I will be traveling to your area, and I would really appreciate the opportunity to see you and to visit anyone who might be interested in the services of Burke-Little.
As a reminder, this is what we are all about:
Day Schools- Regular and Specialized
Boarding Schools- Regular and Specialized
Therapeutic Wilderness Programs
Residential Treatment
Therapeutic Boarding Schools
College and Universities
GAP Year
Transitional Programs for Young Adults
If you would like to pass on our name to someone else and would like to contact us, please do so!
Thank you so much for your confidence, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Milton |
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