NW Academy Info Session!

When: Tues., May 22

                11am - 12pm

Where: Flagg Creek Golf Course

                 6939 Wolf Rd

                 Indian Head Park, IL

Join us to learn more about the NW Academy! You'll be able to ask questions, learn more about our philosophy and approach, and discuss how we'll be able to help your child enjoy school.

This event is free and open to the public.

Learn more:

academy.nurturingwisdom.com

We've found a location!

We're so excited to announce that we've found a location for Nurturing Wisdom Academy!

We'll be located at the former Zion Lutheran School, right in the center of Hinsdale, at:
 125 S. Vine St.

Our full-time school for students in grades 5 - 8 opens this coming Fall. We're currently accepting students for the 2012 - 2013 school year. Our academy is for students who are gifted or whose gifts aren't being realized in the traditional classroom.

Do you feel your child should be getting more from school? 
We'd love to talk with you!

• Contact Amanda at 312-260-7945 x5, or email her: amanda@nurturingwisdom.com
• Join us for our free upcoming info session
• Visit us online to learn more!

academy.nurturingwisdom.com

NW Academy Info Session!

When: Tues., April 24th
            11am - 12pm

Where: Flagg Creek Golf Course
            6939 Wolf Rd
            Indian Head Park, IL

Join us to learn more about the NW Academy! You'll be able to ask questions, learn more about our philosophy and approach, and discuss how we'll be able to help your child enjoy school.

This event is free and open to the public.

Learn more:

academy.nurturingwisdom.com

The Mean Tutor Strategy

The key to overcoming test anxiety is deceptively simple. Rather than discussing anxiety in an abstract way, treat it as a concrete skill.

Students can work on overcoming test anxiety in the same way that they work to improve their math or reading skills. It’s not enough to tell students, "stop thinking negative thoughts." We have to help them practice the thoughts that lead to success. We do this in a variety of ways, from teaching kids to free-write their worries to something we call the “mean tutorstrategy,” which is one of my personal favorites.

In order to implement the mean tutor strategy, we begin by talking to kids about the cognitive triangle. This is the idea that our feelings are affected by thoughts which in turn affect our behaviors. We then generate a list of negative thoughts that get in the way while the student is taking a test, such as:

• “I’m not fast enough.”
• “I’m not good at tests.”
• “I’m stupid.”
• “I stink at math."

Once we have a list of mental messages that pop up while the student is trying to concentrate on a test, we generate a list of replacement messages:

• “One foot in front of the other.”
• "I'm going to use my strategies."
• "I'm prepared for this test."
• “I can do this.”

This is just the beginning. To help a student to truly absorb these positive messages, we use the MeanTutor Strategy.

The student is assigned a set of problems to practice. While the student is working, the tutor will say out loud, “you know you’re not good at tests.” The student will then reply with one of their new positive statements: "I'm prepared for this test." As the student goes back to work, the tutor will continue: "You're not fast enough." The student will then reply, "One foot in front of the other. I can do this." The two of them will continue this dialogue until the student has finished their set of practice problems.
 

Though we call this the mean tutor strategy, the tutorisn’t actually being mean. He or she is simply reciting the student’s thoughts aloud, giving the student the opportunity to practice responding. The student counters each negative statement with a new positive statement. In this way, the student is practicing overcoming anxiety the way he or she would practice any other skill, rather than accepting their negative thoughts as the truth. With enough practice, the negative thoughts that create test anxiety can be replaced by positive and productive thoughts.

CPS Cutoff Scores

by Alyssa DeCesari

Each year, Nurturing Wisdom helps students all over Chicagoland and San Francisco prepare for high school entrance exams. This is my third year guiding families through this process, and every year I'm struck by how stressful high school admissions is in the city of Chicago. Given the poor quality of  many public neighborhood schools, more and more students are competing for an increasingly limited number of spaces at Catholic, Independent and public selective enrollment schools. 

Selective enrollment public schools have become extremely difficult to get into. Admissions for those schools is on a 900 point scale - 3oo points from 7th grade grades, 300 points from 7th grade standardized tests, and 300 points from the 8th grade entrance exam. The socioeconomic status of the zip code students live in is also taken into account for about 60% of accepted students. Some schools, such as Northside and Payton, require students to have near perfect grades and test scores to be admitted - this year, students admitted to those schools on ability alone had an average score of above 899.5!


But it's not just Payton and Northside that are highly competitive. This year, it has gotten significantly more difficult to get into every selective enrollment school. One of the most striking differences from last year is that Lane Tech's minimum score for students living in tier 4 (the tier that encompasses the most socioeconomically advantaged areas of the city) jumped up 57 points from last year's 782 to this year's 839.


It's no surprise that both parents and students are very  anxious about this process. At Nurturing Wisdom, we do our best to reduce the stress by helping students feel confident and prepared for their entrance exams. We try to focus on what we can control. Not every student will get into Northside or Payton, but we truly believe that there is a good school for everyone. We encourage parents to consider and apply to a variety of schools, and to celebrate every high school acceptance that comes their way!


The changes in CPS Selective Enrollment Schools score averages for admitted students is below:

Payton 
Mean rank score last year 899, this year 899.53 (+.5)
Mean Tier 4 score last year 892, this year 897 (+5)

Northside

Mean rank score last year 899, this year 899.71 (+.7)

Mean Tier 4 score last year 894, this year 897 (+4)

         

Jones

Mean rank score last year 889, this year 891 (+2)

Mean Tier 4 score last year 873, this year 879  (+6)

Young
Mean rank score last year 889, this year 894 (+5)
Mean Tier 4 score last year 872, this year 884 (+12)

Lane
Mean rank score last year 855, this year 876 (+21)
Mean Tier 4 score last year 806, this year 850 (+44)

We like to say that Nurturing Wisdom Academy is for bright students. We’re not talking about kids with perfect grades or the highest IQs. We’re talking about kids who are bright because they are full of light. We seek students who have a spark of passion, who seek out and actively pursue what really interests them.

Learn more about Nurturing Wisdom Academy 
at our upcoming coffee chat!

When	Tues., March 27, 11am - 12pm
Where	Flagg Creek Golf Course  6939 Wolf Rd.  Indian Head Park, IL

You'll be able to ask questions and learn more about how we'll use our philosophy of customization to help your child achieve his or her full potential in school!

This event is free and open to the public.

Contact Amanda at 312-260-7945 or amanda@nurturingwisdom.com to RSVP or to learn more!

March Proctored Tests!

Join us for our next proctored test event! These tests are a fantastic opportunity for students to take a practice test in a real test environment. New students can take a diagnostic pre-test, and students currently working on a test prep program with us can take their mid- or post-teset.

Register Online Now!

pre-registration is required.

Hinsdale

Sat. March 24^th

Winnetka

Sat. March 31st

All the tests that we tutor  are available. It's an especially good time of year for:

* ACT

* SAT

* SAT Subject Tests

Contact Lauren at 312-260-7945 ex. 112 with any questions.

Dreaming of Summer...

We know it’s cold outside…

but we’re already thinking about summer!

As you’re planning for summer camps, activities, and vacations, save a little time for skill building! In just a few weeks, we can help students catch up on last year’s skills or get ahead for next year. We have a variety of in-home tutoring available!

---

Does your child need help
with reading or writing? Try:

Comprehension through Composition.

Endlessly adaptable and one of our most popular programs among students, “comp comp” helps students of all ages refine their reading and writing skills. We’ll help students learn to think critically, respond to text meaningfully, and read actively.

Depending on your child’s grade, we’ll work on skills such as:

• Note-taking
• Annotation
• Writing complete paragraphs
• Organization and structure
• Writing responses to literature
• Synthesizing information from different texts

---

Is your child behind in Math?
Take a look at Math Bridges!

In a busy classroom, few students master every skill that is taught. If the gaps in a student’s math knowledge include skills that are building blocks for future math, those small gaps can become big problems. With a summer math bridge, we address these issues by taking a dual focus approach.

Here’s how it works:

• A diagnostic test pinpoints strengths and weaknesses.
• We create a customized tutoring plan focusing on the gaps in current math knowledge.
• We simultaneously work on both those gaps and on previewing content for the coming school year.

Summer is the perfect time to patch up holes in knowledge without the added pressure of the school year!

How is Tutoring Like Coaching?

We were inspired by a recent article in The New Yorker, in which Atul Gawande, a surgeon, decides to improve his performance in the operating room. He enlists the help of a colleague to observe him during surgery and act as a coach. I asked some of our tutors: How is tutoring like coaching? 


I feel like tutoring is a combination of coaching and teaching. When you're tutoring a student, you begin by teaching content: you either teach the student a new concept, or review something they might have already covered at school. 

Then coaching comes in. You will give the student problems they struggle with, but as the coach you have to sit back and allow them to struggle so they can learn the concept. Think about athletic coaches, like Andy Roddick's tennis coach. Do you think when Andy is at practice and struggles or makes a mistake, his coach jumps in and shows him how to do it? No. He might verbally give him tips, but he never jumps in, takes the racket, and shows him exactly how to do it. 

Tutoring is the same. We need to give students a chance before we jump in and help. They need to learn independence and build confidence because when they sit down to take a test and struggle with a problem, we won't be there to jump in and help them. They need to show confidence in themselves and their knowledge so they can tackle the challenging problems they come across.

-Lauren F.

After a tutoring session, I want my student to feel like they learned something new, useful and relevant. I want them to feel energized and excited about what they learned. If they get frustrated, I want them to know that if they keep working at it, they WILL eventually "get" it and succeed. I don't want to give the student all the answers or be their crutch. I want to teach them strategies and ways to approach their work that will ultimately help them be successful when I'm not there. 

Similarly, as a coach, you want to give your players the strategies, practice and skills to be strong players. You want your players to love the game, but you also don't want them to give up when things get tough. You know you can't play a game for a player - you need to teach them how to successfully play the game on their own.

-Alyssa D.

A coach is a fundamental to the success of a sports team. They help organize the team, encourage and motivate the players, and create systems and strategies to help them succeed. An academic tutor is very similar. Instead of helping with a sport, a tutor helps students succeed in school. An outside person providing students with strategies, encouragement, and organization when necessary can really help them succeed! When you think about sports coaches, there isn't a question in your mind about how much they help. Why would it be any different for academics? 

-Marianne C.

Paying for College

A Wall Street Journal article, The College-Aid Shuffle by Jessica Silver-Greenberg, was recommended to us by our friends at Barrington Wealth Management. For those families who are going to be thinking about paying for college in the coming years, take a look:

It is the height of financial-aid season, that time of year when families scramble to grab grants, scholarships and loans to offset the rising cost of a college education. Many will find themselves in a classic quagmire: They are considered too wealthy to qualify for help, but not wealthy enough to pay full freight.

Fortunately, there are a number of strategies that can help maximize the amount of financial aid families receive. 

Keep reading... 

Process vs. Outcome: A Technique for Managing Anxiety

Standardized tests. Job Interviews. Auditions. What do these situations have in common? Despite your best efforts and all the preparation that you do, you can't control the result. This can cause a great deal of anxiety. You might be an excellent candidate for a given job - but the hiring manager will decide to hire the candidate who was in his college fraternity. Though you can't control the outcome, what you can control is your approach to and attitude about these situations. You can create your own personal, measurable goals which will make the experiences valuable and productive - regardless of whether you get the job, the part, or a 36 on your ACT.

Let's look closer at the example of an ACT student. Rather than fixating on the score she ultimately receives, the student can instead focus on what she can control. She can say to herself, "Okay. I'm going to focus on using my elimination strategy, on percent and proportion word problems, and on not getting distracted during the reading section." These are measurable, achievable goals the student can set for herself, and most importantly, can hold herself accountable for achieving. 

Rather than focusing on an unpredictable outcome, it's empowering to focus on your own personal goals instead. This will allow you to be introspective and evaluate your own performance. You'll be able to develop your own standards and values by which to measure yourself. That way, no matter what happens, it will be a positive learning experience. 

Seeking Academy Students!

The Nurturing Wisdom Academy is opening in just seven months!  

We could not be more excited! Our goal right now is to spread the word. Do you know any potential students, anyone else who might know a potential student, or anyone who might be interested in our mission? This includes parents, counselors or teachers at a school, a parent's group, or even potential teachers.  

Contact Amanda at 312-260-7945 ex. 5 with ideas or for more info! Help us spread the word to potential students - our plans are moving forward beautifully - all we need now are students to help!

Tutor Spotlight: Brandon Glover

Carol Dweck’s book Mindset lays out some interesting ideas about the way we perceive success and failure. She says that we can have either a fixed mindset or a growth mindset. In a fixed mindset, when we fail at something, it means that we ourselves are failures. Clearly this idea is not conducive to learning and performing at a high level. In a growth mindset, however, failure is simply an opportunity to learn, grow, and be better in the future.

I’m tutoring a 9^th grader right now in executive functioning, incorporating Dweck’s Mindset principles. Since beginning work on the Mindset curriculum, my student has made great strides in preparing for tests, advocating for himself and asking for help from teachers and other students. He now knows that when he succeeds, he should celebrate his success and move on to the next challenge. When he fails, he knows now to dissociate himself from the failure so that he may objectively examine his mistakes and correct them in the future. After all, did Michael Jordan make every shot he took? Of course not! He had to fail in order to learn from his mistakes and correct them. 

Basketball has been a really great access point for my student to absorb the Mindset principles. He loves basketball, and his favorite team is the North Carolina Tar Heels. I asked if he thought he could get there, and though he replied yes, I could sense some doubt on his part. We then proceeded to draw a sort of goal tree. At the top of the tree was the goal of making the team at North Carolina. We then drew branches to show what he would need to do to get there: which skills and sub-skills he would have to develop both academically and athletically. Completing that exercise helped him break down a larger goal into more manageable tasks. It’s no longer a matter of being good enough to make the team – it’s about working as hard as possible to achieve a goal.

The Mindset curriculum is an excellent tool for students because it shows them that what they do wrong does not define them. They can change their opinions and propel themselves forward in school and in life if they equip themselves with the proper mindset.

Comprehension through Composition

Does your child's feedback from teachers sound anything like this?

• Needs to provide more detail in writing.
• Work on essay structure.
• Take more organized notes!
• Should write more coherent or complex sentences.
• Must work on staying focused and engaged while reading.

We work with many students who constantly get this type of feedback, but have no idea how to implement it. That's understandable! In a busy class with 25+ students, most students don’t get the one-on-one attention they need to become stronger readers and writers.

These skills are ideal to learn in a one-on-one setting. Sentence structure, for example, is a skill that may seem rather abstract. We know, however, that sentence structure can be systematically broken down and taught like a series of formulas. In fact, when writing is presented more like a pattern or a math equation, some students find it much easier to do.

In our popular Comprehension through Composition tutoring program, we help students develop a firm grasp on the toughest skills to learn in a classroom setting, such as organizing writing, developing advanced sentence structures, reading actively, and responding thoroughly to text. Comprehension through composition can be customized for students in grades three through twelve, and is available during the school year and in the summer. During the school year, we can incorporate a student's school writing assignments into tutoring.

Comp comp is one of the programs that our students love most. We've had students who have seen siblings working on comp comp with their tutor and requested it for themselves! Whether your child could use some supplemental enrichment or needs real skill-building, we would love to help. Contact us to learn more!

January Proctored Tests are coming up!

Join us for our next proctored test event! These tests are a fantastic opportunity for students to take a practice test in a real test environment. New students can take a diagnostic pre-test, and students currently working on a test prep program with us can take their mid- or post-teset.

Register Online Now!

pre-registration is required.

Winnetka & Hinsdale

Sat. January 28^th

8:45am

All the tests that we tutor  are available. It's an especially good time of year for:

ACT

SAT

SAT Subject Tests

Contact Lauren at 312-260-7945 ex. 112 with any questions.

"Why Gifted Students can be so Challenging," from The Washington Post

Gifted children are not always the kids who sit nicely in classrooms, study diligently for tests, and succeed easily in school.  Gifted kids often struggle with the structure of a typical school. 

We love this article from the Washington Post - Mark Philips discusses many of the symptoms of gifted children who are bored in school. At the NW Academy, opening next year, we hope to address many of the issues he discusses.

While talking with these students I realized that each of them could be described as creative dissident intellectuals, students with high intellectual and creative abilities who were difficult for teachers to handle.

The trouble they caused was not criminal but disruptive. This usually took one of two forms. One was active, such as sabotaging a class with sarcastic comments, or talking back continually to the teacher. Some, however, did it through relatively passive means, via sullen non-participation and/or other forms of quiet defiance. Not infrequently these students also were a challenge to their parents.

If they had lacked anything it was: (a) a supportive environment that engaged, encouraged and rewarded their spirits and their minds and (b) the skills to know how to effectively assert themselves. In schools and/or homes that they found discouraging, they didn’t know how to respond in an effective way to improve their situation.

Read the whole article here.