Brain Power Students Place
FIRST and SECOND in Ontario's Speakers Idol 2018 Competition!
Two of Brain Power's Public Speaking students won top places in the 2018 Speaker's Idol competition (in Ontario)! This year's contestants were asked to reflect on Simon Wiesenthal's statement that "Freedom of speech is not freedom to propagate hatred."
Our very own Sam Gorman and Cora Usurelu (pictured above)
placed FIRST and SECOND in the competition (respectively)!
Another of our students, Diviya Leonard, placed in the top five!
Congratulations, Sam, Cora, and Diviya!
To see Sam, Cora, and Diviya speaking on stage, click this button (and scroll down the page):
The competitors at Speakers Idol 2018 - from far left: Cora, Diviya, and Sam
Brain Power Students Win GOLD and BRONZE in York Regional Science and Technology Fair!
Steven Guikal (pictured above, far left) won the Gold Medal (first place) and Andy Gong won the Bronze Medal in the York Regional Science and Technology Fair! The York Regional Science and Technology Fair is open to students from Grades 7-12 from all of York Region. The projects this year covered a variety of topics, from cryogenics to creating more interactive gaming consoles.
Steven (Grade 8, Senior 1) and his teammates won Gold for their project on creating a portable printer. The title of the project was "The Perfect Portable Printer." Steven also won the Future Engineers Award! He was given a prize from engineering firm WorleyParsons and will be at the National Canada-Wide Science Fair in Ottawa in May -- competing for the big win!
Andy (Grade 10, Public Speaking) won Bronze for his project called "From Rust to Stardust: The Solution for Martian Colonization" (see photo at left)!
CONGRATULATIONS, STEVEN AND ANDY!
We are all very proud of you!
Ally Zhao Selected for Students on Ice 2018!
Our student Ally Zhao (Senior 1) has been chosen for the prestigious Arctic Expedition - Students on Ice for 2018. Only 120 high-school and university students are chosen from around the world! Ally will be part of an expedition team of 120 international secondary and post-secondary students, and 80 staff who are polar experts, scientists, Inuit elders, artists, musicians, educators, business and industry leaders, politicians, and innovators. She will learn about the changing circumpolar world, foster a new understanding and respect for the planet, and gain the inspiration and motivation needed to help lead us to a healthy and sustainable future.
Dr. Karine Rashkovsky Selected as a Finalist for 2018 Business Achievement Awards City of Vaughan
Brain Power's director, Dr. Karine Rashkovsky (pictured left), has been selected as a finalist for a 2018 Business Achievement Award for the city of Vaughan in the Young Entrepreneur Under 40 category!
The awards are presented by the Vaughan Chamber of Commerce, and the awards dinner will be held on Thursday, May 3rd, 2018.
We are proud of you, Karine!
Dr. Karine Rashkovsky Chosen as MC for ClimateWise Business Network
Evening of Recognition 2018
Brain Power's director, Dr. Karine Rashkovsky (pictured left), has been selected to be an MC at the ClimateWise Business Network Evening of Recognition for 2018!
Brain Power Participates in the 2018 Girls in Tech Conference!
On Saturday, April 7th, Brain Power participated in the 2018 Girls in Tech Conference! Participants took part in exciting workshops on 3D printing, programming, web design, circuitry and robotics, networked with like-minded women and girls, and explored possible career paths in the tech space! We also had some incredible women speak about the challenges and opportunities they've faced in their field.
[This is in addition to our Robotics offerings on Saturdays for Grades 1-3 and 4-6, providing students with more options.]
Brain Power is pleased to announce the addition of another section of Robotics, Coding, and Aerospace for 2018-19! This condensed version of our Grades 1-3 course will be held for 1 hour per week for a total of 24 weeks (at a reduced price).
If you have any questions, contact our office at 905-303-5457.
Check Out Our New Summer Workshop! Science Research 101
Alumni of the Month: Spencer Ki
Currently: Studying astrophysics at University of Toronto
Accomplishments: Student in Vic One program at U of T (The Arthur Schawlow Stream for Physical and Mathematical Sciences); Staff Writer for The Varsity newspaper's Science section; ,Outreach Director for U of T's Astronomy and Space Exploration Society; Senior Staff Writer for the satirical Toike Oike
Thoughts on Brain Power:
"Of course, I strongly believe that I would not be anywhere near where I am today without the greatly enriching influence of Brain Power. Brain Power really fed both parts of my brain: the logical and analytical half studying astrophysics, as well as the creative and verbose side that loves writing for newspapers. Thank you very much to everyone at the Brain Power team!"
Follow Brain Power on Social Media!
Facebook and Instagram
CONTESTS & OPPORTUNITIES
Ivy League Opportunities for High-School Students! (click the images or links below for information)
The Schwartz/Reisman Centre 2018 Kids Triathlon is quickly approaching! Due to high demand they are already over 50% sold out! Don't miss out on what is expected to be their biggest and best Triathlon yet!
FUN THINGS TO EXPECT IN 2018:
• Their BEST and most filled up Race-Kit Goodie Bag yet
• More Bouncy Castles and FREE Activities than in 2017
• Return of the TigerPaw Petting Zoo
• A new Mystery Character appearance
• FREE Snacks, Swag & other Surprises!
Please click on the button below to learn more about the event and to register.
"The Prime Minister’s Youth Council is a group of young Canadians who provide non-partisan advice to the Prime Minister and the Government of Canada on issues of importance to them and to all Canadians. Listening to young people about issues that matter to them is an important commitment of the government. As Minister of Youth, the Prime Minister wants to hear directly from young people. The Prime Minister’s Youth Council is one mechanism to support this dialogue."
"Youth Council members meet both online and in person several times a year to discuss issues that matter to their peers, their community, and their country. They interact with each other outside of meetings to discuss ideas and upcoming activities, and to talk with their peers about issues that matter most to them. There may also be opportunities to engage with local and national organizations, meet with policy makers and decision-makers like Cabinet Ministers, and attend public events."
Brain Power supports clean, green electricity with Bullfrog Power®
At Brain Power, we recognize the importance of addressing our environmental impact. We are excited to announce we’re taking a big step to reduce the carbon emissions footprint of our business by choosing 100% green electricity for our company with Bullfrog Power.
“Brain Power has made the environment an essential part of our commitment to sustainability,” said Karine Rashkovsky, Founder and Director, Brain Power Enrichment. “That is why we are proud to be partnering with Bullfrog Power to support clean, renewable electricity for our business location."
Across Canada, Bullfrog’s green electricity comes from a blend of wind and low-impact hydro power sourced from new Canadian renewable energy facilities, with at least 50% sourced directly from this region. Bullfrog ensures the electricity going onto the grid on our behalf is from green sources, displacing energy from polluting sources.
As Bullfrog Power uses its customers’ support to provide funding to new green energy projects, our green energy purchase is also helping provide critical financial support to new renewable energy projects in our region and across Canada. Learn more about Bullfrog’s support for community-based green energy projects by visiting bullfrogpower.com/greenenergy.
We are proud to be choosing green energy with Bullfrog Power!
To learn more about Bullfrog Power, visit their website atbullfrogpower.com.
Brain Power Joins ClimateWise Business Network
Brain Power is proud to announce that it has joined the ClimateWise buisness network!
ClimateWise is a local network of environment-minded businesses and organizations in and around York Region. They provide members with tools and expertise to transition to a low-carbon economy.
Math Homework at Brain Power:
A Recipe for Academic Growth
We believe in encouraging children to develop a “growth mindset” that views challenges as “energizing rather than intimidating” because “they offer opportunities to learn” (Dweck 2015).
This requires that students are challenged, and that means getting stuck on certain questions, getting certain questions incorrect, and returning to rethink certain questions more than once.
This is why we deliberately split our homework questions between those that:
Give students an opportunity to reiterate and reinforce skills and techniques that they have learned (or seen demonstrated) in the classroom.
Challenge students to use their creative thinking to tackle problems that go a bit beyond what they have learned (or seen demonstrated) in the classroom.
If students get a homework question incorrect, they should reattempt (but not resubmit) it before the next class. (Parents should not feel obligated to “step in” to explain the problem to their child.)
In the next class, the instructor will review all of the homework questions, taking extra time to explain those that students found particularly challenging.
Not only does this approach encourage children’s academic growth, but it also bolsters their self-reliance, resilience, creativity, and flexibility in the face of intellectual challenges.
More information on developing a "growth mindset" in children:
