This summer, as manager, I have been presented with the opportunity to actually tutor! Normally, the hustle and bustle of the Hut prevents me from my real passion, teaching. One of my regular and favorite students in here over the summer is Adelia. She has diligently come in twice a week throughout the summer to study Spanish and Geometry. I admire her confidence and motivation to get ahead of the game and become prepared for the classes she will endure in the fall.
Starting out with Spanish 5/6 in the fall she went ahead and bought the book that her high school, Mira Costa, uses so that I can start teaching her the material. Once fall comes she will be prepared with the vocabulary and will be strong with the grammar. Throughout the course of these few weeks she has already improved in both her retention of vocabulary and her ability to speak and comprehend the language. Last year, I tutored another student in Spanish in preparation for Spanish 2. He excelled in his Spanish class receiving a high B opposed to D+ he received the semester prior. A little elbow grease in the summer goes a long way when it comes to learning a language. I have the confidence that Adelia will be able to start and finish this year strong.
Similarly, math skills are just as important to maintain during the summer. Adelia already has a solid understanding of the primary concepts in Geometry and will have gone through the first few chapters of the Mira Costa Geometry book by the time summer has ended.
Most kids are resistant to summer tutoring and believe that it will take up their entire summer. Adelia, however, is extremely active. She owns a horse is Palos Verdes and rides him every day. She is extremely happy with her progress she has made this summer at Study Hut.
Not only can we provide enrichment for math and Spanish, but also French, English, reading comprehension, physics, history, biology, chemistry and whatever else, you name it, we have a tutor for it! Bring it on fall semester!
Adelia’s Summer Enrichment
July 25th, 2012New Tutor Mena
May 23rd, 2012My name is Mena Hanna and I am a new tutor at Study Hut in Manhattan Beach. My employment here has not yet exceeded two weeks and already I have been able to connect with the staff as well as the students that come through here. The staff is composed of college graduate and undergraduate students who are buzzing with knowledge and enthusiasm. Everyday here is a new experience and every encounter with a staff member is warm and friendly with just the right amount of cheerful comedy.
The students that come through here are bright, delightful kids who are incredibly outgoing. Students come from all around Manhattan Beach including Redondo Union High School and Mira Costa and that’s only high school! Elementary school students come from Pennekamp, Pacific, Grandview, and Robinson. Middle schooler from Manhattan Beach Middle School, American Martyrs, and Hermosa Valley. With all those mentioned, there are still others. What’s great about students all coming from one district is that many of the kids are familiar with each other and that adds to the incredible environment that is evident as soon as you step into the door.
With the combination of friendly staff and outgoing kids the atmosphere is awesome! Kids come to get tutored and have a great time doing it. They have the opportunity to create friendships with some very amazing people. Just the other day I walked in and was greeted by a student who I had only tutored once before. The greatest thing is that no one here can be considered an outsider. As soon as you walk in you have officially joined the Manhattan Beach Study Hut family, a family with strong values and character. I believe that this will be an extraordinary experience and I have no doubt that I will love every minute of it!
Teaching Style
April 25th, 2012Working at Study Hut has taught me how to implement different learning styles for different kids. With some of my students, I have very hands on approach where I am constantly checking their planners and making sure they are on top of all of their assignments. In sessions like these, I am talking for most of the time. For my students that I know are trying their best and are just coming to tutoring for the few questions that they couldn’t figure out, I take a more observational approach. I watch them as they try and solve the problem, and try to assess where they are going wrong. Recently I have seen a lot of improvement in one of my 7th graders that has required a lot of hands on attention. He began coming to Study Hut about 5 months ago, and was getting a C or below in all of his classes. We discovered that his main problem was organization. I began to push him into writing everything down in his planner including soccer practice and piano lessons. The idea is to develop these necessary habits early on so that when high school and college come along they have the tools to cope with stressful schedules. After about a month of pestering him, he finally began to write everything down, and as a result has become much more motivated. The planner gives him a sense of direction, and he feels less overwhelmed with everything he needs to do. His mood has changed dramatically from someone with very little confidence and motivation to someone that is hopeful and much more excited about school. His grades are still not as high as we both want them to be, but I’m confident that we can raise them by the end of the year.
AP Tests
April 19th, 2012With AP tests just around a corner, I’m sure a lot of you are just now realizing what that whole last year of extra long AP homework assignments and tests were for. The AP class is meant to mimic the difficulty of a college course, and as a high school student it is very important to do well in both the class, and the test. Why is it so important? Because if you do well it shows you are ready for the level of classes that you are going to encounter at the college you’re applying at. If you do poorly, it shows a lack of preparation to tackle such high difficulty courses. Passing the test also gives you a head start to your college credits, and at times can even save you from taking a class. So it is important that you go into this test as prepared as possible.
To help gauge your preparedness, we at the Study Hut have two days where you can take a free AP practice test of your choosing. These are actual College Board tests, so it’s as close to the real thing as you can get. Study up, and come by the Hut on Saturday 4/21 or 4/28, and the tests will be administered from 8am-11am. If you are interested in taking advantage of these practice tests, send a confirmation email of the date, and test you would like to take to Samantha@studyhut.com
Study your notes, and if you feel like the year has gone by and you’re just as lost as you were in the start, buy an AP Study Book, which are available at most bookstores. They contain all the information you need in a refined way, and also have practice tests with full explanations.
Study hard boys and girls, and prove to them you’re ready for college!
Entrepreneur Award at Mira Costa High School
March 19th, 20123/19/12
Dear MCHS Students:
Creating a new generation of entrepreneurs is one of our country’s greatest needs and accomplishments! The Education Committee of Manhattan Beach Chamber is thrilled to announce an opportunity to acknowledge high school entrepreneurs in the Manhattan Beach School District.
Any student who has demonstrated entrepreneurial spirit and initiative though starting his/her own business will have the unique opportunity of receiving the first “Young Entrepreneurial Award” this May 2011!
The application evaluation criteria includes:
Student must currently be enrolled at Mira Costa High School.
Student must be principally responsible for the operation of their business.
The student’s business must have been operating continuously for at least six consecutive months.
There will be 3 award levels including honorable mention. The committee will reviewing the applications and will select a winner and two runner-ups.
We are very excited to learn about all the creative entrepreneurial businesses that high school students have successfully achieved!
Please complete the attached application and send it to: Rob@Studyhut.com by May 1st, 2012
YOU CAN BE the recipient of the first “Young Entrepreneurial Award” this May 2012!
The Manhattan Beach Chamber Education Committee
Prep for Summer
February 28th, 2012It may seem a tad premature to write about summer programs, but here at The Study Hut we are always thinking ahead of schedule. The sunny California weather also helps put in a good summer mood. This summer we are excited to introduce new programs for all ages!
Summer is a great time to get caught up on SATs, college apps, and enrichment for the younger ones. The Manhattan and Redondo Beach Study Huts are soon to be equipped with programs for each of those areas.
For starters, we will have reading and writing programs for kindergarten through 8th grade. For the youngsters, we will have reading workshops that target phonemic awareness to prepare them for reading. 3rd-4th graders will have the opportunity to participate in fluency workshops. 5th-8th graders will have the opportunity to take a writing workshop that will be geared toward writing perfected five paragraph essays. Each student will be provided with a private tutor that will guide them toward success.
As for the students at the High School Level we will have both math prep (Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 3/4) and SAT courses. These classes will be in a group setting and will give each student a preview on each of these subjects prior to enrolling so they can have the benefit of starting out with flying colors.
Finally, we will be offering one-on-one tutoring sessions specifically geared toward helping students with their college applications. Such topics to be covered are their personal statement, financial aid, the actual application, resume, and interview skills. Summer is always a great time to get ahead of the game with college apps. Who better to help your child prepare than a tutoring center that has helped numerous students get into college?
Although we just got finished with ski week, we are geared up for the future and can’t wait to implement our new programs! Stay tuned for more info!
xoxo,
The Study Hut Team
The College Application Process
February 9th, 2012Your junior and senior years of high school are two of the most important years of school you’ll ever attend. You have to study for and take your SAT, you have to choose the colleges you want to apply to, and then you have to make that final step—surviving the dreaded college application process.
This does not have to be an overwhelmingly stressful period of your life. Yes, you do have to put forth a lot of effort to get into college, but there are people that can help with the process and ease your stress. When you’re sitting there looking at that mound of blank application materials on your desk, you may ask yourself, how can I ever do ALL of this by myself?
Well, the good news is that the tutors at the Manhattan Beach Study Hut are here to help you! You can get help from the college graduates at Study Hut that have been through the exact same, grueling process. You can’t find this kind of one-on-one service anywhere else.
We can help with in-depth SAT and ACT preparation and general organizational strategies sure to lessen your overall stress. We have the resources you need to succeed in this important time in your life. For example, one of the most difficult aspects of the college application is perfecting the application essays. We provide you with the support you need to write a unique, well-written essay that is sure to draw attention to how spectacular you will be as a college student. The strategies we teach our students in everyday tutoring include all of the study skills a high school student needs in order to succeed in college. Perfecting your study habits with Study Hut now is the best way to ensure future success in college.
Now that finals are OVER, a Few Musts:
January 30th, 2012It’s a happy time of year, that time of year where you can finally relax and say to yourself, “At least I’m done with finals.” Hopefully you all did well, and if not, take solace in the fact that you made the effort to do well- by coming in to tutoring and studying hard. So give yourself a pat on the back.
This time of year also presents itself with a fresh start. Everybody inevitably finds themselves playing catch-up during the semester, but you can minimize the level of catch-up by making an effort to plan your studies more and doing a little everyday, rather than procrastinate and cram. So take this opportunity to start fresh with your tutor as well. Keep your planner updated and make a thorough game-plan as to how you’re going to study for your various tests. Hold yourself accountable to get what you need to get done before going out or playing video games. We all know the pleasure from those little things is no where close to the stress you feel when you have a chemistry test and you’ve forgotten what a nucleus is.
The message is this: whether you’re in middle school, high school, or college, the method to doing well in your classes is the same. It all comes down to a daily balance. Yes, a balance, between work, school, and personal time. To succeed in the school part, you have to balance it, not cram it, and make sure you save time for yourself in the process, because no one can ONLY work or study.
So grab this opportunity by the reigns, follow your planner, and use your tutor as a resource and guide to both success, and having a good time.
