By Curtis Hendricks
Congratulations to all the graduates and those promoted this 2013! Also, congratulations to the parents of the graduates and those promoted. You have worked hard in the support of your child’s educational success. I am proud to announce that my oldest daughter will be attending her first year of high school next year. I am very proud of you Trinity!
With the summer upon us, many do not know what to do with their kids. I hope that whatever you do will have some educational value. As a teacher, I find that some students come to the new school year knowing less than when they left. The reason for this information loss is many students fail to seek out educational substance or brain activity during summer. Many kids are lost to video games, cell phones, and mindlessly occupying the mall. I encourage these activities, but there should be some form of educational substance in each day aside from the mind numbing practices of the average kid. Read anything! Help your kids find something they enjoy reading. I do not care if they read comic books; at least they are reading something daily. The best sources can be found online. I understand that many parents are skeptical of the internet, but with the right supervision and parental controls, kids have the world to explore, research, study, and understand. No television, music, or technology shall be feared with the right kind of parenting.
For tutoring purposes, many options exist here in our valley. Mathnasium is located in Palm Desert and can be a great place for students who need that extra push in mathematics. Sylvan Learning Center is a great overall tutoring service and will give the best support for future SAT and ACT tests. Many private tutors exist around the valley for your convenience. Please interview each tutor for the right fit for your child. Another great idea is to ask your student’s teacher for summer work.
We must push our kids to think, question, and be curious. The more our kids seek out truth and information, the more successful our kids will be in their scholastic and professional lives.
