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  THE POWER OF 
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In This Issue:
A More Creative Approach To Testing
Study Tip: Getting Creative With Your Routine
Coach of the Month:
Quick Links

 

Academic Success Partner of the Month

        
One of our most effective and experienced partners in helping students is Pattie Earlix, Educational Therapist and School Placement Consultant.
Pattie's clients range from grade 2 thru high school. She works closely
with parents, teachers, administrators, and psychiatric professionals 
in a team approach.
As an Educational Therapist, Pattie strengthens her student's foundation in written language, reading, math and organizational skills.
She has referred many students to Academic
Success for tutoring, coordinating with us to create an effective fusion of her foundation work into our day-to-day coaching. Pattie's collaboration with our staff allows us to focus on the most important needs of our clients.
As a School Placement Consultant, Pattie offers much more than a
description of schools that might be of interest. She begins with an understanding of how her
client learns, then draws on her frequent contacts with teachers and
administrators to understand the teaching profile of each school. She knows that matching a student's learning profile with a school's teaching style greatly increases the probability of future academic and personal success.
Pattie has many years of experience as a teacher, school administrator, and
coordinator of both gifted and special needs programs. She has been an
Educational Therapist in private practice in Santa Monica for over fifteen
years and can be reached via email or 310.488.7888.

Looking for a Student Community Service Opportunity?

  
Meet Rickey Smith, social entrepreneur and owner of the sustainable food business Urban Green. He's started a community education venture called the Urban Green Kids Row program, creating opportunities for kids from diverse backgrounds to participate in many activities related to food sustainability, from planting seeds  to learning about how organic food is grown and harvested. For more info on a terrific community service and volunteering opportunity for kids, email Rickey, visit the website at www.urbangreenla.com

or call (800) 200 3320. 

Check out Our  YouTube Video!

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Academic Success is very proud of the two-minute video we recently produced to give you a feel for who we are, our philosophy and the way we approach our work
How Academic Success Can Support You
At Academic Success we take great pride in finding the right coach to support the unique needs of each student we help.  Please check out the areas where we work on our  web site and let us know how we can support you.

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Looking for a College Counselor or Ed Therapist?
We work and partner with excellent Educational Therapists and College Counselors throughout the L.A. area.  Give us a call and we can recommend the right fit for your child.

310-823-4398

Welcome To Our Opening Issue In 2013!

 

For those invested in the academic wellbeing of our

country's kids, be it as parents, teachers and of course the students themselves, a recent LA Times article focusing on creativity should be well worth paying attention to. 

While excellent grades will always be the primary factor for kids in their quest for admission to the best colleges, it is now becoming apparent that a student's ability to be creative, think outside the box and go beyond their comfort zone can be just as important for admissions officials. 

In this month's kick-off to 2013, we'll explore what it means for students to be more creative and individual in their approach to their academic work and career. We'll provide inspiring examples for parents and their kids with the hope of encouraging our students to bring their most personal, dynamic self to their work. 

 

At Academic Success, we know that high academic achievement means helping our students maximize their creative potential in all aspects of their academic lives.

 

Please call with any questions at (310) 823 4398 or

 

Find us on Facebook 

 

All the best,

 

Jamie

 

"To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle requires a creative imagination and marks the real advances in science."

    - Albert Einstein

Education News 

A More Creative Approach To Testing
  
California's Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Torlakson, recently announced a plan to move away from the STAR (Standardized Testing and Reporting) program, focusing less on multiple choice and more on critical thinking and problem solving- a major shift in our state's educational approach.
 
 Thinkers or Test-Takers?
 

 

Although changes are coming, just how much California's schools need to shift away from standardized testing is the topic of heated debate and investigation by teachers, administrators and officials. This LA Times editorial, accompanying our feature article, examines the issue. 

 

Identifying The Creativity Spark

 

In a wide-ranging, thorough and fascinating exploration of our creative mind, this piece from the IQ Matrix website will be helpful for both parents and students alike, offering guidance and suggestions to awaken creative inspiration. 

 

 Creative Writing For Academic Success

 

In November of last year, a book of plays titled Write To Dream, written by DC area high school students,  

hit the digital shelves at Amazon. This article details the work of the Young Playwrights Theater, a tremendous program designed to teach not only literary skill, but also encourage creativity and critical thinking for later life.

 

  

Banding Together For Creativity In Schools

 

In a display of political unity not often seen on our shores, British ministers on both sides of the parliament recently came together to argue for greater innovation and creativity in British schools. The ministers, in an independent report, suggested that students receive grading certificates for developed confidence and risk-taking abilities through creativity.

Study Tips 

 Getting Creative With Your Routine

 

One of the primary reasons for loss of creativity and its partner, inspiration, is boredom. Establishing a solid routine can be key for students in maintaining discipline, but sometimes it can turn into a grind. 
Students need to approach their work with a fresh mind and a state of alertness. One way to rekindle the spark of creativity is to change up your routine.
Do you always study at the same time after school? Sit in the same seat in your classes? Walk the same corridors? Even eat the same breakfast or lunch? 
Consciously making different choices and approaching even mundane tasks creatively can have a huge impact on one's work flow and sense of vitality.
Rearranging study spaces can result in a fresh energy during work time. Even more powerful (and fun) is to approach difficult tasks with an attitude that may be different to your normal pattern: running home, charging into your room and tackling your most difficult subject for an hour instead of avoiding can create huge changes in outlook and results.
In every moment, students have the opportunity to re-engage in their academic lives in a fresh way, by tapping into their creative impulses and sense of spontaneity. 

Coach Profile

  Meet Alexander Williams,
  Coach Profile of The Month
 
The focus of our coach profile this month, Alexander Williams, was born in New York City but raised in Los Angeles. Having graduated from the University of California in Irvine with a Bachelor's degree in economics in addition to making the Dean's Honors List, Alex has gone on to be a Senior Finance Consultant to numerous Fortune 500 companies, including Disney and Bank of America. Since beginning his career as an academic coach eleven years ago, Alex has developed a passion for tutoring. He has never forgotten how, as a struggling student, his academic life turned around when he began working with a tutor. Alex continues to tutor to pay it forward; he loves to see students develop their own process, helping them to set goals with three guidelines: do the work, practice, and perform. Alex believes in setting high standards and holding true to them, something he tries to live by in his own life and career.
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We consider it a privilege and an honor to support students and their families throughout the Los Angeles area.  Please call us at any time; we welcome your thoughts and input.  We are available at 310-823-4398.

Sincerely,
 
Jamie Altshule
Academic Success, Inc.