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TEACHING OUR KIDS TO BE 
EMOTIONALLY
HEALTHY

In This Issue:
Gaga and Yale Get Together For Our Kids
Study Tip: Cultivating A Clearer and More Effective Mind
Coach of the Month: Cassandra Chase
Quick Links
SuccessPartner
Academic Success Partner 
of the Month

This month we revisit with one of our favorite Success Partners, Pattie Earlix, Educational Therapist and School Placement Consultant. Pattie works with students, teachers, school administrations and parents to provide strategies that help students make informed, thoughtful choices based on their individual academic, social and family needs. As an Educational Therapist, Pattie addresses challenges related to written language, reading, math and organizational-executive functioning skills, among others. As a School Placement Consultant, Pattie begins with an understanding of how her client learns. She knows that an appropriate match of a school's teaching profile with a student's learning profile greatly increases the probability of future academic and personal success. Pattie has been in private practice for over fifteen years and has devoted her life to helping students and parents make transformational changes in the quality of their lives. To learn more, contact Pattie via email
or call at 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, 

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 The Emotion 
Revolution!

With the finals now upon us, being able to maintain low stress levels and a clear mind is absolutely crucial for our kids.
And with summer break just around the corner, students and parents have an opportunity to seek out practices and activities that will promote mental and emotional well-being. 
The good news is that there is now a groundswell of support for teaching our kids how to be emotionally and spiritually healthy. 
This month, superstar Lady Gaga's Born This Way foundation teamed up with Yale University to promote the Emotion Revolution initiative. Based on principles used in SEL (Social Emotional Learning), it seeks to raise awareness and educate students and parents on the importance of emotional development and its impact on our overall well-being. 
In this month's issue we'll delve into the specifics of Social Emotional Learning. We'll also offer examples of students engaging in practices that promote emotional well-being. With three months off, it's the perfect time to begin a learning process that can endure for our entire lives. 

At Academic Success, we believe in helping our students to foster positive ways of living that will serve them for a lifetime. 
 
Please call with any questions at (310) 823 4398 or

 

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All the best,

 

The Academic Success Team

 

"With an eye made quiet by the power of harmony, and the deep power of joy, we see into the life of things."

                                            - William Wordsworth

Education News 

Gaga and Yale
Get Together For Our Kids
 
Although our teachers and administrators do their best
to be there for our kids, systemic change in how we teach kids to be emotionally healthy, positive people has been slow in coming. Lady Gaga's recent collaboration with Yale University promises to start a national conversation about emotional awareness and positivity that may end up changing how we teach our children.

  

Developing Emotional 
Intelligence 
Is The Key

 

Recent studies have shown that the psychological state of many students across the country is precarious, which is why Social and Emotional Learning is beginning to come to the fore. This piece, from the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, makes the case for beginning SEL education in our schools and homes as early as possible.

 
Amazing Opportunities
For Growth 

   

Although it may seem daunting for teachers and parents to educate themselves about the practice of SEL, the results can be transformative. This excellent Huffington Post piece, written by the author of a critically-acclaimed book on emotional intelligence, explains how developing mindfulness can be the beginning of incredible results in our kids' academic and personal lives.

Girls May Experience Particular Benefits 
 
One of the factors in developing any level of emotional intelligence is being able to express our feelings in a positive, constructive way. This inspiring story from the Pasadena Star-News details how the The Light Bringer Project, an annual program available to LA county students, is helping kids to develop their artistic side while also giving them an outlet for self-expression.

Getting Mindful
At Finals Time

No matter what age you might be when facing finals exams, staying calm and clear continues to be a huge challenge. With this in mind, students at the James Madison university have created an annual on-campus meditation retreat, a practice that could soon be duplicated in our high schools. 

Study Tips 

Cultivating A Clearer 
and More Effective Mind

What is mindfulness?
There are many definitions, but one which may be most appropriate for students is:
"A mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings and thoughts."
There are many ways to cultivate mindfulness, but the clearest and most popular way is meditation. A simple tutorial on mediation can be found here.
Meditation is practiced by successful people in every walk of life and is tailor-made for studying, when our minds can become crowded and tired by so much information.
A common beginning point is to practice a short meditation first thing in the morning and last thing at night. This simple, consistent practice can foster an ability to remain calm and stress-free in heightened situations- perfect for exams and studying under pressure. 
Having a clear mind and being able to fully occupy the present moment usually results in improved performance, a happier emotional state and renewed energy. And the best part: it's free and available anytime.

Coach Profile 

 
Meet Cassandra Chase,
  Coach Profile of The Month   


This month we'd like to catch up with another established presence on our team who we're delighted to announce has since expanded her role here at Academic SuccessCassandra Chase. Cassie now works in the Business Development arm of the company in addition to planning and helping to host company events. She was recently one of the organizers of our first Speaking Event, featuring special guest and this month's Success Partner, Pattie Earlix. Born in nearby San Diego, Cassie attended California State University, graduating with honors and a BA in Visual and Performing Arts. Cassie loves to help her students achieve a healthy balance between school and family life. She also utilizes her vast knowledge of communication skills learnt in acting school to make her coaching even more effective, fostering a sense of individual connection with each student in order to facilitate growth and instill effective study habits. In her spare time, Cassie loves attending comedy shows, traveling, and exploring Los Angeles.  She is positively thrilled to have taken on more responsibility as a member of the Academic Success team. 

 :   
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.