Heavy metal

SEGRE RSET. it TE

CRS (AFR ST EY,

Here’s to the many
veterans both past and
present who helped
defend and protect our
county:

Without your courage,
our freedom would only
be a dream.

Open for your convenience
Wednesday November 11, noon-5pmi

NEWS photo Mike Wakefield

TREVOR Guernsey of Renaissance Metal Works is one of 74 artisans to display
his work at St. Thomas Aquinas’ 12th annual Christmas craft fair today, Nov. 8, 10
a.m. to 4 p.m. at the school, 541 W. Keith Rd., North Vancouver.

Special Report on Education

eee

Your seventh grade son has just come home with his report card and a hangdog
expression on his face. You notice that while in the past, he was an average math student,
this year he appears to be struggling. The new math text is demanding strong reading
skills as it focuses more and more on word problems. You have also noticed his written
work in social studies is very sketchy. With high school around the corner, that sinking

feeling starts to set in. "Wili my son be ready for grade eight?"

Opportunity to Set New Goais

With report cards just around the corner, grades and comments are a means of
documenting academic and personal achievement, They shuuld be viewed as an
opportunity for students to focus and set new goals and objectives

Increase Success Rate

What can be done to increase a student's chance of success? For students today
demands for aezdemic excellence have never been more intense. The home and
school must co-operstively identify the causes of failure and then brainstorm
ways of addressing the situation, Students who struggle with their academies
certainly need focused attention, hut so do average C/C+ students,

Discover A Childs True Potential

Struggling students ure easy to identify because they are plagued by low self-
esteem, and either sulk or withdraw, or act out. Average students, on the other
hand, often “get by’ with very little effort, ure usually secially adept, and can he
quite content with mediocre achievemeni. Since the school system only requires
a 50 percent mark to pass, a student often slips through the system without
mastering basic skills

Skills to Succeed at Pest Secondary

Without access to basic skills, students will not be prepared for the rigors of the
grade 11 and 12 curriculum and will undoubtedly be overwhelmed by the
demands of university, college or technical school. To succeed at these post-
secondary institutions, students need to have excellent reading and writing
skills and a solid handle of Math 11.

Sylvan has the Solution

If there is a consensus that a child needs extr: ua help, assessing basic skills to
detect learning challenges and/or skill gaps is an extremely useful
intervention strategy. The Sylvan Learning Centre is available in this
regard.

Sylvan's first step in designing an educational plan is to ensure that students
of all ages und abilities have a thorough understanding of basic skills, A
comprehensive battery of tests identifies a student's strengths and skill
gaps, thus allowing Sylvan to pinpoint a student's functional level, A
prescription is then written which outlines the amount and structure needed
to teach new content and boost motivation.

Sylvan's Reading, Writing, Math and Study Skills programs are designed
and monitored by leading specialists in ‘each field. The programs are
supervised on site by professicnals schooled in curriculum development and
instructional techniques; programs can be tailored to students needing
enrichment or remedial work.

Sylvan specializes in maintaining a student-friendly, educationally-focused
learning environment stocked with plentiful and appropriate materials.
Qualified instructors offer students interactive, individualized learning
opportunities supported by multi-sensory instructional approaches. Sylvan
directors spend a large portion of their time engaging in regular conferences
with parents.

(loventonny

Ton of the helpful stays of Sytran's West Van. Centre

Directors Michelle Bancroft, Adrian Parker, Carolyn
Pinfield and Robert Thurston are proud of Syivans
accomplishments during the twelve years of serving the
North Shore. Nothing is more satisfying than to hear from
a dad celebrating his son's first 85% on a Science Test, or
to get a phone cal! from a mom informing us that the Study
Skills program is really making a difference in her chini's
life.

Helping students reach their full potential is Sytvan’s goal.
985-6811
926-3365

N. Vancouver
W. Vancouver

ONS REAL TELE

‘e

SAE ARENAS, Fi