Issue: January 2016
Dear Parents:
Happy New Year! Welcome back! We hope you had a safe and relaxing winter break. As our students continue their kumon
journey we pledge our continued support to help them through their learning life.
Mrs. D’Souza
The Importance of Repetition in Truly Building Brain Power
Kumon worksheets are the foundation
of our program. Do kids always love
doing them? Of course not! But we have
seen, again and again, that true mastery
of a subject is achieved through repetition.
Conceptual understanding will only get
a student so far. "True experts have a
profound conceptual understanding of
their field," Dr. Oakley says, "but the
expertise built the profound understanding, not the other way around."
To put it very simply:
Repetition, or practice, is the catalyst
that allows understanding to become
mastery. Through repetition, kids increase their ability to retain information and remember it quickly.
Understanding + Practice = Mastery.
It's sometimes tempting to overestimate the power of understanding material. That "ah-ha!" moment when one
first comprehends a concept is important, but it is only part of the story. In
order to achieve true mastery in any
subject, practice is essential.
Barbara Oakley, an engineering professor at Oakland University, talked about
just this in her editorial published in
The Wall Street Journal. Her take?
Dr. Oakley also touches on the fact that
studies have shown that repetition and
practice actually change fundamental
neural architecture. In other words, all
of this practice is building better brains:
brains that can learn more quickly, retain more information, and achieve a
level of mastery well beyond that of
those who do not practice and repeat
what they have learned.
In this way, Kumon worksheets are a
key piece of your student's journey toward academic mastery.
As Dr. Oakley concludes,
"Understanding is key. But not superficial, lightbulb moment understanding...true and deep understanding comes
with the mastery gained through practice."
Centre Closing:
Feb 15: Family Day
Mar 14– 18: March
Break
Kumon Parent—Lisa McFarland
is standing for Ward 1 Councillor.
She would greatly appreciate your
support www.electmcfarland.com
Kumon Math & Reading Center of Pickering-East
1792 Liverpool Rd, Unit 103, Pickering, L1V 4G67
(416) 525-6832 EMAIL: valerie_dsouza@ikumon.com
www.kumon.com/pickering-east/
Tax Receipts
Starting by mid February 2016, we will be issuing receipts for taxation purposes
(CATC) during class. Parents please sign & pick up your receipt from front desk.
Achievements!
Congratulations to the following
students for a job well done!
ASHR Quarter – Sept 2015
New Kumon student awards
on the horizon!
G 4 & J6
Starting in September 2016
Math Program - Advanced Student Honour Roll
Level 1: 6 months above grade level
Sanusha C
Natalie C
Radhika C
Kanyisola F Sabrina G
Lauren G
Kiran H
Maneet H
Tarun H
Kara L
Safra M
Manav M
Kayla M
Paige M
Noah M
Arav P
Vani S
Jasmine S
Level 2: 2 Years Advanced Level
Divyan B
Jordan C
Abigail D
Ethan M*
Anita X
Yasmine Y
Rushil D
Chetan H
Emily K
Mario M*
Adyan M
Ethan Z*
Shahzabe M
Level 3: 3 Years Advanced Level
Adrian D
Jane C
Reading Program - Advanced Student Honour Roll
Level 1: 6 months above grade level
Arujan B
Kelly I *
Rian K
Ashley M
Tejas S
Ryder A
Anita X*
Is Your Child Prepared & Ready to Work?
Students should arrive to class with two
sharpened pencils and an eraser in their blue
Kumon pouch. This ensures that when students sit down to work they can start within
a minute of arriving! Students that arrive without
supplies can spend up to 10 minutes looking for a pencil; waiting for a sharpener; and locating an eraser .
Being prepared and ready to work is a good work
habit that puts students in the right mindset for
class time.
UH OH! HERE IS COLD/FLU SEASON
Level 2: 2 Years Advanced Level
Abigail D
Level 3: 3 Years Advanced Level
Adrian D
* First Time
As we go through the cold/flu season, please keep in
the mind that if your child has a fever, sore throat,
cold, or is too sick to go to school, your child is too sick
to come to Kumon. If you are unsure whether your child is well
enough to come to Kumon, err on the side of caution and leave
your child at home. Flu spreads easily among children so please
do your part to help us keep our students and staff healthy.
Thank you!
Kumon is a long-term program. Our goal is t o make high school work
easy and to prepare all students for university or college, but this does
not happen overnight. Those who are dedicated to completing their
daily Kumon assignments are on the right path. Keep up the good work!