Volunteer Tutors Needed ASAP

Do you need to volunteer to fulfill school obligations?
Do you want to give back to the community?
Do you have a few hours to spare?

Our positions are filling up quickly. These positions can be available through March 2010. We hope to start 11-16 or 11-23.

We are seeking volunteers who are available a minimum of 2x' s weekly for 2 hours between the hours of 8-11 AM. You will volunteer as a tutor in the classroom with a certified teacher.

Please respond with your resume (in the body of the email) and availability to hiring@sankofakuumbacac.org.

Thank you and we look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Sankofa Staff
http://www.sankofakuumbacac.org

"Sankofa's End of Summer Performance 2009"

On August 15th, 2009 Sankofa Kuumba presented it's End of the Summer Performance during Family Day at Keney Park in Hartord, CT.

Students from Sarah J. Rawson and Martin Luther King Schools participated in this showcase of their talent. Students were in a four-week program in which they participated in a variety of workshops including; Jewelry Making, Poetry Though Music, The Art of Drill, Stilt-walking, Visual Arts, Theater, African Drum and African Dance.

Sankofa Kuumba Performance Ensemble

Program: Sankofa Kuumba Performance Ensemble is a consortium of artists from the Black African diaspora, who design programs and works that promote cultural enrichment, arts education, and a greater understanding and appreciation of African culture. The ensemble’s show, "Sowing Seeds," is a trip through African cultures throughout West Africa, South Africa, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Jamaica, the Caribbean, and the United States featuring traditional music, songs, dance, visual, and textile arts.

Requirements: Call for information.

Audience: All ages

Fees: Performances/Workshops: $450 and up based on number of artists.

Contact Information:
"Nandi" Christine Dixon-Smith
P. O. Box 1255, Hartford, CT 06143
860-242-2999
info@sankofakuumbacac.org

Top Five Reasons Why Your Child Hates Homework and What You Can Do About Them By Dr Patricia Porter

We have all been there. A child has homework to do and really does not want to do it. But I never realized how serious this situation could become until I saw results of an online survey about parents and homework. The survey indicated that:
10% had no problem getting their child to do their homework
18% had to remind their child to do their homework
48% said that homework was a daily family battle,
16% reported that homework often caused a meltdown
8% said that their child hated school because of homework!
These numbers are astonishing.What is going on here? Homework is supposed to be helping not making things worse! Homework should never, NEVER, cause issues with your relationship with your child. Your relationship with your child is far too precious to be threatened by you trying to get your child to do homework.
Now I know it can be difficult. I have worked with families where mothers (it is usually mothers) have been at their wits end trying to find ways to get their children to do homework. The anger and frustration caused by this situation spills out into all aspects of family life and causes all kinds of problems. I have seen parents threaten children with loss of privileges in an effort to get their child to do their homework. I have had mothers in tears on the phone because they don't know what to do, and even know of mothers who do their child's work for them rather than having to face the frustration and anger of getting their child to do the work!
What are you to do if your child hates homework? Unfortunately that answer is not straightforward. It depends on the reasons WHY your child does not want to do homework. Here are five reasons children hate homework and what you can do about them.
Doing homework takes time, time that you child would rather spend doing fun things.
Solution - Set a limit to the time your child spends doing homework and stick to it. If your child knows he can stop working at a certain time he will be more motivated to do the work.
The homework is too hard and your child does not know how to do it.
Solution. Tell your child's teacher that your child couldn't do it so that the teacher can review the work.
Homework is 'boring'.
Solution. This is a difficult because homework often is boring. Again, setting time limits AND talking to your child's teacher about the issue may help. Children use the word 'boring' to cover a variety of situations, you might need to check out why your child thinks homework is boring.
Homework is left to the last minute.
Solution. Help your child keep a homework agenda complete with dates for when work has to be handed in. Mark dates on a calendar and work backwards to decide when your child should to start work. Then let your child be responsible for getting the work done on time. Don't let your child let his problem (no time) become your problem.
Books needed for homework are left at school.
Solution. If this happens often it is a sure sign that your child is struggling to learn and feels that the homework is too hard. Talk to your child's teacher and try to set up a system to remind your child what books are needed but also tell the teacher if your child is struggling with homework.
So, my advice about homework is this-
The amount of benefit your child gets from finishing a homework assignment NEVER outweighs the importance of your relationship with your child. The amount of time you spend cajoling and coercing your child to do their work is counterproductive. There is no way that homework should create tension in a family, and definitely not the kind of meltdowns the survey suggests.
Stop letting your child's homework cause family problems, it is just not worth it.

Dr Patricia Porter provides parents with information and advice on helping children reach their full learning potential. Take the first steps to your child's success absolutely free by downloading the free report '5 Mistakes Parents Make when Helping Children Learn ... and How to Avoid Them!' at http://leading2learning.com

After School Tutoring Benefits Students By Rebekah Kogelschatz

If your child is struggling in school, after school tutoring may be an option to improve his understanding of academic concepts and increase his self esteem.
Children that struggle in a school may not have many opportunities to get one on one help with academics. Some children are hesitant to ask for help while others do not get the help they need even if they ask. This can be because of too many children in a classroom or not enough time for the teacher to review and repeat lessons that a child is having difficulty.
For that reason, a parent may want to look into hiring a tutor at least once a week for additional instruction and one on one help. This session can last as little as 30 minutes with children under seven years old and up to one hour for older children. Sessions longer than the child's attention spam are not conducive to learning. Keep your child's attention span in mind when scheduling the time.
Look for an individual session rather than a group session. The opportunity to get one on one help should be the deciding factor in getting a tutor. Almost all children will succeed getting individual attention and individual instruction on the level they are learning. Be cautious of group tutoring sessions and companies that offer homework help. A tutor should re-teach and reinforce skills that the individual child is not succeeding in by finding appropriate activities in that subject area. Homework help will help increase your child's grade, but will not necessarily help them understand. Tutoring should focus on the understanding of the concepts, not only improving a report card grade.
Although group sessions can cost less and are an option is finances are a consideration, try to find a group that has less than four children per tutor. Larger groups will not provide the individual attention that a smaller group offers.
Some parents do not know where to look for a quality tutor. Of course, the best option is to get a referral from the child's teacher, the school board, or other parents. Look in the classifieds at a local college. College students are often looking for tutoring work and can be a great option since they are usually younger and perceived to be "cooler" than a teacher. Churches and religious organizations may also provide tutoring services for free or a reduced charge. Stay at home parents, home schooling parents, and former and current teachers may be a resource for referrals or services. You may also find the occasional high school student that tutors. This would probably be the cheapest option.
An after school tutor is a great option for parents to help their child succeed in struggling curriculum areas. If your child is in need of help, do not hesitate to start researching tutors now. The longer you wait, the more difficulty may arise in that curriculum area.

Rebekah Kogelschatz is a school teacher of gifted students. She has taught all grades from pre-school to 8th grade in all subject areas. She is a co-founder of the site SmartMoms-SmartBusiness [http://www.SmartMoms-SmartBusiness.com] and the founder of a preschool resource site Preschool Activities Everyday [http://www.preschool-activities-everyday.com]. You can read more articles on parenting in her Mom Blog.