JBG January 2018 Newsletter

In this edition.......

• Upcoming Standardized Test Dates
• JBG Offers Neuropsychological Testing and Evaluation
• Introducing Dustin Cohen
• Student of the Month - Abbey Chandler
• Article - When to Start the College Process
• Article - New England's 10 Best Summer Camps 
• Article - Importance of Sleep
• School of the Month -  Thayer Academy
• College of the Month - Georgetown University
• Simplify the billing process with PayPal! 

---

Upcoming Standardized Test Dates

SAT

ACT

 

JBG offers Neuropsychological Testing and Evaluation

JBG Educational Group serves as an educational diagnostic center for students of all ages. If your son or daughter is struggling to find academic success and/or often has trouble in school, we can help. We are able to administer the tests, or if you have had your child tested elsewhere, we can meet with you to explain the test results. We can also help you to understand your child's learning profile and discuss a plan of action. 

For a list of testing services that we provide, please refer to:
http://jbgeducationalgroup.com/testing
Call us at 508-242-5197 for more information. 
 

---

Introducing!
Dustin Cohen- Manager of College Consulting

   

Student of the Month
Abbey Chandler


 

Abigail Chandler is a friendly, energetic senior at Needham High School. She stays healthy in mind and body and works out at the gym every day. She loves to cycle, and is currently training to be a cycle instructor, so that she can help foster a love of exercising in others. Her appreciation of the healthy human body is also driving her to pursue a major of kinesiology in college. Her main goal is to fully understand how the body optimally functions when working out, so as to help heal sports injuries as fully and as quickly as possible.

Abbey has been accepted to several schools and just needs to decide where she’ll start pursuing her dream. Besides her love of physiology, Abbey stays busy with her many extracurriculars, all of which center around helping others. She is co-president of the Pet Pals club, which raises money for injured animals, or strays who need a home. She is also co-president of Cradles to Crayons, which helps collect materials like clothes, food, and other supplies for those in need in her community. As if that wasn’t enough, she is also a member of iHelp, a modern group which helps senior citizens at retirement homes navigate the challenges of using Apple devices. No matter where Abbey goes from here, we know she’ll get there with a friendly smile, compassion, and
a go-getter attitude.
 

---

When to Start Thinking About the College Process

 

 

Students and their parents often ask us when they should start thinking about the college application process. Is 10th grade too early? 9th?
 

There’s No Exact Answer
It certainly cannot hurt to start thinking about it during your Freshman or Sophomore year. Understanding the process and getting organized before you actually need to is a great way to alleviate some of the stress that could come later in your Junior and Senior years. 

What You Can Do
Start by talking with your parents about the process of applying to college. Although it might be too early to put together your college list, you can start to think about college size, areas of academic interest, geographical location, scholarship opportunities, financial aid, and other factors. At this point, you are just starting to get an idea of preferences, with no time pressure. Go into this knowing that your preferences may likely change over the next few years. 

While it will be too early to submit an application, you can start to understand the components of it, so you can be informed and organized when your application season begins. Look up examples of essay questions. Some trends in the types of questions will stand out, so begin to think about how you would answer them.

Take a look at some sample resumes and start to draft yours. Over the next few years, fill it in with academic achievements, interests, jobs, and volunteer work. You can think about what majors interest you and what additions would help to fill in your resume.

Class selection is important as you will want to choose classes that will prepare you for challenging courses for later in high school. Seek out the advice of your guidance counselor as well as your parents. 

The most important thing for students to realize is that everyone’s path is different. One student’s preference to attend a four-year college will be different from another’s interest in a community college or gap year. Grades and interests will further determine your college list.

Many students experience a change of thinking as they start to think about college. School is no longer about getting good grades because that’s what is expected of you. You realize that doing well in school can help you get into the college of your choice and ultimately pursue a fulfilling career.

 

10 Best New England Summer Camps

Overnights
 

Camp Walden - Denmark, ME
Girls 8-15 can attend Walden’s overnight camp and enjoy all the hallmarks of summer fun like archery, sailing, and crafts. Throughout the session, there are excursions such as hiking, wilderness camping, and a day at the beach to make the experience well-rounded and meaningful. Camp Walden hopes to improve camper confidence, independence, and encourages them to always try their best.
 
Camp Walt Whitman - Piermont, NH
Friendship is the center-point of this camp, providing campers with many ways to make friends and keep them for years to come. Activities are tailored by age group and children’s interests, making camp accessible to all types of people. Priding itself on its namesake, Camp Walt Whitman seeks to offer kids the best summer camp experience possible. 

Camp Cedar - Casco, ME 
This boys’ overnight camp has been entertaining youths for over sixty years. Their tradition of loyalty, excellence, compassion, and trust weaves into every aspect of the day. A unique feature is their big brother / little brother program, where boys are paired together to encourage growth and build lasting connections.

MedOLark - Washington, ME
Set in the wilderness of New England, this overnight camp focuses more on the arts than any of its nearby competitors. Providing an outlet for a wide range of creative kids, MedOLark boasts circus arts, culinary arts, and even fine arts to name a few. They also have camp staples such as swimming, sports, and cabin culture.

Maine Teen Camp - Porter, ME
Most summer camps aren’t designed for children well into their teens, but that’s not so for this experience. Ranging from thirteen to seventeen, campers can continue or start their overnight experience with a variety of activities: sports, arts, and even academics. While it might be new compared to some of the others on this list, MTC has an established record of happy campers.  

Camp Laurel- Mt. Vernon, ME
Featuring athletics, waterfront activities, and wilderness excursions, Camp Laurel is the quintessential summer camp. What sets this overnight experience apart are the intercamps, specialized groups that focus on a sport and encourage teamwork, as well as the themed days like Halloween in July or Carnival at Camp.
 

Day Camps
 

Camp Sewataro - Sudbury, MA
If your child isn’t quite ready for the fully immersive experience of overnight, there are always great day camps as well. Sewataro is one of the best. With all the benefits of an overnight camp, this Sudbury camp delivers the fun of the great outdoors and creative crafts, offering something for everyone.

Fessenden Day Camp - Newton, MA
For the camper looking for something low-key, this camp will provide you all the excitement at a place not too big, but not too small either. Program activities range through the expected summer options, but have added activities like woodworking or ceramics.

Mass Audubon Camps - Across MA
A more specialized day camp experience for the nature-minded child can be found at any number of the Mass Audubon outlets across the state. Children will learn about the world around them and have fun doing it.
 

Theatre
 

Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center - New York
While this camp may be in New York, it is close enough to make the list. Children who aren’t as excited about sports or swimming, but find joy in performing arts will find a home at Stagedoor Manor. Many famous alumni have been through this camp and later featured on Glee, American Idol, and many other movies and television shows.
 

For an even bigger list, check this out: www.bostonmagazine.com/best-summer-camps-new-england/

 

---

 

The Importance of Sleep in Creating Effective Study Habits.

Students aged thirteen to eighteen, may require the most sleep to recharge their bodies, but more often than not, this group gets the least amount of sleep. Social media plays a major role in distractions that lead to reduced sleep, but equally to blame are poor time management skills, leading students to study too late at night and cutting into their sleep hours. Believe it or not, this can impact their ability to learn and negate hours spent studying.

Sleep is Part of the Study Process

Getting a good night’s sleep—nine to ten hours for teenagers—can increase a student’s focus and retention at school. It can also play a major factor in effective studying. By studying when students are more alert and then following up those good habits with a healthy rest period, the information learned is more likely to be recalled later. Implementing better time management around studying can increase its effectiveness as well.

Harvard Medical School says, “When we are sleep deprived, our focus, attention, and vigilance drift, making it more difficult to receive information. Without adequate sleep and rest, over-worked neurons can no longer function to coordinate information properly, and we lose our ability to access previously learned information.”

In addition, a lack of proper sleep can “negatively impact mood, which has consequences for learning.” Students who are well-rested and prepare for the day ahead are more likely to have success. So, as Harvard researchers have found, “it is clear that a good night’s rest has a strong impact on learning and memory.” But how can you help your student to use this to their advantage?

Make Plans
By gaining the necessary hours of sleep, students can improve their performance at school and on tests. These habits can be hard to build given other temptations, so it’s best to schedule study times, including when to stop and go to sleep.

Don’t Cram
Spreading out studying over several days, or a few times in a day, can also dramatically increase the effectiveness of studying. This will remove the idea of cramming and increase hours available for sleep.

Quick Naps
For those once in a while slips where an extra study session or late-night show muscles into sleep time, encourage quick power naps after school. This tactic can help students boost their energy before diving into homework or studying.

What these good habits hinges on is consistency. Start these now, at the beginning of a new semester or term, and practice them daily until they become second nature. In time, the benefit of this strategy will show in improved attention and performance at school, and maybe even at home as well.  
 

For more information on the connection between learning and sleep, read this: http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/matters/benefits-of-sleep/learning-memory