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Summer Adventures!

June 19th, 2014

Summer Adventures!

It’s finally summertime! That means lots of free time on your hands to explore and try new things. Luckily, we live in an area full of interesting things to do and see. If you are stuck, here are a few ideas to get you started.

  • Check out an aquarium! We have several great aquariums nearby showcasing both local and exotic marine life. Try the Roundhouse Aquarium on Manhattan Beach Pier, the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, the Santa Monica Pier aquarium or the Aquarium of the Pacific. All have great informative exhibits and touch tanks to get up close and personal with the animals.
  • The Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits. Ever wonder what lived in Southern California before people? Find out at the Page Museum! They have a great collection of prehistoric skeletons, from giant sloths to direwolves to mammoths. There is even a live excavation site outside as well as a real bubbling tar pit.
  • See a concert at the Hollywood Bowl. This beautiful outdoor auditorium has a great program of both classical and modern music performances throughout the summer, often with famous musicians. There are even sing alongs! Pack up picnic and enjoy the weather while listening to great music.
  • Get outside! We live in a beautiful area with virtually perfect weather, along with miles and miles of beaches. Learn to stand up paddleboard, or kayak or bodysurf. There are beautiful hikes in the Santa Monica Mountains, and tidepools galore in Abalone Cove. Pick a new trail and see what you find!
  • Learn a new sport! If you are in the off season for school sports, why not pick up a new one? Ultimate Frisbee is a classic, or you could pick up an outside the box option like quidditch or beach tennis. Even better, make up your own!

Summer Enrichment

July 18th, 2012

Summer enrichment at Study Hut Manhattan Beach is filled with active, student-centered learning activities that get the kids out of their seats and thinking outside of the box. One of my elementary school students is entering first grade at Pacific this fall. Like most six year olds, he has an attention span of less than five minutes…maybe 30 seconds…so every few minutes we change up the routine! He practices his sight words by writing on a whiteboard, stamping the words with ink and a stamp pad, and even by jumping up and down as he spells the words out loud. For math practice he goes around to the Study Hut tutors taking polls so he can work on tally marks. This not only improves his math skills, but also gives him an opportunity to practice math in an applicable setting and see its importance to everyday life. These activities also help him to develop social skills. In addition to the social math activities, he also greets the Manhattan Crew every afternoon session using appropriate eye contact and asking follow up questions. Probably the highlight of the sessions for him is his sticker chart. He earns stickers throughout our study sessions and keeps track of them on a graph. Yesterday he told me, “I like Study Hut, it’s fun here!” I told him, “Yes, Study Hut is a lot of fun because learning is fun!” He smiled and walked out the door to show off the Star Student Award he had just earned during our session. At Study Hut, the students are at the center of everything of we do.

New Tutor Mena

May 23rd, 2012

My 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!