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    Jarrell (13) Field trip to Las Vegas  

"Why sure, Green warrior. We will assist with teaching the students about electronics, electricity and computers. We'd better start with math and science first. The public school teachers have given us their blessings.  After all, they know of our reputation when it comes to elevating grade point averages." We have several meeting locations. (Orlando and Rita Alexis...Computer Programmers, Volunteer Tutors.)

We teach all phases of Mathematics and Science.  Mathematics Tables, if necessary!

For example, click on the website below for a glimpse of an upcoming lecture on how animals breathe and how to stop smoking : Then click on other sites below for a glimpse of what we teach.

Go: www.collegeboard.com  For information about SAT exam, financial aid and colleges.

Go: www.sk.lung.ca/compare/mammals.html    stop smoking

Go: http://www.innerbody.com/htm/sysselec.html   Human Body dynamics

Go: www.webelements.com  for chemistry         Periodic Table of the Elements

Go: www.freetranslation.com for language translation   Spanish to English, etc.

Go: www.globexplorer.com for a satellite view of your home. Our "Sample Examination" on the Home Page has many, many Internet Links to Educational Sites.

Go:  www.standarddeviants.com for Middle and High school subjects. Math, Science and the like.

Want to watch IO, a beautiful moon of Jupiter, do a fly-by?  

Go:  IO Fly-by  (movie load time...2 mins.)  IO fly-by         Astronomy, our playground

Want to see animations of scientific principles?    Pendulums, Springs, Bouncing Balls, etc.?

Go: Lesson Review B34 and click on "x" at bottom of page...Lesson Review B 34

Driving Directions?

Below is a complete array of Lesson Reviews...January 7, 1999 to January 7, 2003

Lesson Review A's  (index)    Lesson Review B's    Lesson Review C's   Lesson Review Archives        

Class Schedule (subject to change)...Sundays from 2:00PM to 8:00PM---Wednesdays from 4:00PM to 8:00PM---Thursdays from 4:00PM to 8:00PM (Vocational only ) . ( ) 

         (see below) "My Name?   It's ???"

Assist Middle and High School students with their classes? Train young adults ages 17 to 24 in vocational subjects? That's what our "Free Tutoring Service" is all about. But if one takes a closer look, he or she will see a lot more than that. Go "Lesson Review" ( "click here") for a synopsis of what goes on in the tutoring sessions. A lesson review follows each and every tutoring session. (Pictured above...top: students put on a program called "Show me what you've got" every 3 months. Jarrell takes the audience into some mathematical and chemical calculations. Parents, Professionals and some Middle School teachers are present)...left: Nicole studying during a tutoring session at my home...right:  Jamise takes time out from studying at my home to pose.)

Our Tutoring Service is free! How did it get that way? We all know that it must take a great deal of money and effort to operate a Tutoring Service that has served and is still serving from 20 to 25 young men and women. It is free because of dedicated Tutors and concerned citizens. The Organization has obtained a nonprofit status from both the Federal and State of California Governments. Concerned citizens, friends and parents have been gracious enough to lend their financial as well as voluntary support. Yes, it does cost a lot of money, but we do believe that God has the power to help us to rise above our debt. We will discuss fund-raisers at a later date. 

Our Tutors are dedicated to helping the students to improve their grades in Middle and High Schools, and dedicated to training young adults in electronics, computers, nursing, secretarial and other vocational subjects. Indeed, all of the students have shown a great deal of improvement. Our tutors have worked very hard with the School System teachers all over the Los Angeles basin and the teachers are ecstatic about our Service. We teach mathematics and science and have oftentimes gone far beyond the Middle and High School curriculum of our students. We do give constant exams to measure the accomplishments of our students and all of them do very well. 

Marci Rodriquez teaches school at Miramonte Elementary. She also comes over, along with her two little boys, to teach the students the Spanish language. She is such a dedicated volunteer Tutor. CeeEtta Crayton teaches at Cal State University Long Beach and she has also come over to teach English to the students. Mariko Mariannes is an Electrical Engineer and a volunteer Tutor. Aubrey McAlpine is vice president of a leading electronics firm and a volunteer Tutor. Cleophas "Mike" McAlpin is the Chief Tutor and his working hours are limitless and his pocketbook is very deep when it comes to spending on the students. All of our aforementioned tutors, along with many, many others have combined to make this Organization a very powerful tool in the education of our youth. 

We have an extensive vocational curriculum. Electronics and electricity occupy a great deal of our time. Computer operations are the objects of our constant attention. We teach typing and secretarial skills. We do woodworking upon occasion. We build things! We are energetic and always busy with vocational matters. 

                         "Don't ask me what I am. Ask those students who built me!"

We go to educational places and entertainment places of interest. On November 26-28, we went to San Francisco and Oakland. On December 27-28, we  journeyed to Las Vegas. We stopped off to tour Hoover Dam and Lake Mead. We learned all about hydroelectric power and man-made lakes. We will be going to Big Bear Lake to spend a day or two. We will visit San Diego and just about any place that holds an educational or fun interest. We have visited the Science Center, the La Brea Tar Pits and Page Museum. We have visited the  Imax Theater; City Walk at Universal City; the Griffith Park Observatory; Skate Depot; Exposition Park; a Los Angeles Clipper’s game; a Los Angeles Lakers game; the Ringling Brothers Circus; The Family Fun Center in Fountain Valley, California on numerous occasions; The Emergency Facility of the Los Angeles Police Dept. (911); The Southwest Division of the Los Angeles Police Department and many other places. We will be visiting Washington D.C. and New York from July 29 through August 6, 2000.

We are counselors as well as tutors. We are on hand to listen to the students and parents and to offer advice. We constantly hear the Word of God at our churches and we encourage all students as well as parents to attend. Our Tutoring Service is phenomena. It is one of God's tools. God uses each of us to assist with the tutoring of the youth. With His help, we cannot fail!

                       *   Lesson Reviews      

January 2-11, 2000 (summation)

Lesson reviews will follow each and every tutoring session. The following is a summation of activities for  Jan 2,  to Jan 11, 2000.

The year 2000 started off with a bang for the Free Tutoring Service. I had declared a short vacation for the Christmas and New Year holidays, but that idea was short-lived. The students were given homework over the Christmas vacation and they called upon us for assistance. Not only did we have to do work on the website, we also had to assist Joshua with his science project.

Joshua is 12 years of age. He is computer literate and that made the task of doing the "Electrolysis of Water" project a bit easier. Joshua came over for 3 days to work on his project and I stood ready to assist him. We went into the Internet for information. Joshua found out that water could be broken up into its main components when an electrical current is sent through a salt solution. After hours of studying about it, Joshua set about to split the water molecule into hydrogen and oxygen. This is a great science project for students because it demonstrates chemistry right before their very eyes.

Joshua obtained a 6-volt battery, three test leads, two pencils sharpened at both ends, a 3x4 inch piece of cardboard, a glass of water to which two tablespoons of salt (NaCl) had been added and a voltmeter. He measured the voltage of the 6-volt battery and found it to be 5.7 volts. Next he shoved the pencils through the cardboard (approximately 3 inches apart) so that the lead tips contacted the salt water. He then connected the leads from the battery to the other pencil tips. Tiny bubbles of hydrogen formed at one pencil tip and larger oxygen bubbles formed at the other. I did a video tape of the experiment and Joshua was elated that his experiment worked perfectly. He added that he smelled bleach when he sniffed the salt solution. Could it be that some of the salt (sodium chloride), had split up? You bet! Electrical current does those kinds of things sometimes!

I picked up Keyotta from West Los Angeles as I do most Sundays and took her to church. After church, our Tutoring began. Keyotta loves going to church and I am thrilled to take her. It is difficult for her mother to bring her to the tutoring sessions because she has to work. Keyotta is always anxious to attend church and I happily travel the 20 miles to her home to pick her up and bring her to church with me. I usually take her back home at  8:00 PM when the Tutoring session ends.

Jeremiah arrived and so did James. Shamus, James and Jamise engaged themselves in a practice of our production of  "A Free Tutoring Service Looks at Black History". The production will occur on February 13, 2000 at 3:00PM and will constitute our recognition of those Black Americans who gave so much to this great Nation.

Tutoring Activity...January 11, 2000

Communication with the teachers has been my goal for Monday and Tuesday. I informed several teachers of our web address mikecmac@valueweb.net  so that we could have frequent and confidential exchanges of information about the progress of our students. I spoke with Shavonn's Science teacher, Jarrell's English teacher, and Cleasena's Science teacher. I will use their input to tutor the students on Wednesday afternoon from 4:00PM to 8:00PM. Our focus will be on Magnetism, Chemistry and English. Those subjects are being taught in their respective schools at present. Teachers from Dana Middle School in San Pedro and Webster Middle School in West Los Angeles called also. I was elated at the response of many teachers.

The communications with teachers continued throughout the week. Some teachers did not respond and that is a matter that I will take up with the Principals of certain schools. Perhaps, some teachers are intimidated by our Tutoring Service. It is for me to remind them that we only exist to assist them. The parents and the Tutoring Service demand to know what is going on in the classrooms. It is because of a lack of response that I will personally visit certain schools next week and sit in the classrooms of our students.    

Lesson Review...Jan 12, 2000

The following lesson review is typical of most lesson reviews.

I picked up Jarrell from his West Los Angeles School, Byron from his grandfather's house in Southwest Los Angeles, Jamise and Joshua and brought them to my home in Dominguez Hills. Michael had been dropped off by his Aunt. Shamus had been dropped off by his mother. Jeremiah, James, Shavonn and Mario were not in attendance. Homework was taken care of first. Michael has a 3.86 G.P.A and he proudly showed off the certificate that praised him. Byron completed his homework on rounding off numbers. Cleasena, Joshua and Byron collaborated on a Science Fair Project on the Electrolysis of Water. Jamise and I went to the Internet and researched the N.Y. Times for a record of President Clinton's activities for the first days of January 2000. Shamus was reviewed on Microsoft Word and completed a composition on an "imaginary character."  Jarrell has no homework, so I instructed him to review the Science Kit that I had purchased from Radio Shack. He, along with Byron and Michael, constructed a solar-powered motor and a balloon propelled rocket. I was disappointed that Shavonn was not present because I had purchased magnet wire from Radio Shack to teach her about magnetism. I intended having her make electromagnets. She had said before that Inductance was one of the teacher's topics and that was right down my alley. I would use inductance to tell about capacitance. Joshua gave a demonstration on the electrolysis of water and I noticed that he had become an expert. That was a far cry from the young man who didn't know the difference between hydrogen and oxygen the week before. Joshua spent several days on the electrolysis of water and I pounded it so well into his head that I think he will still remember it when he is my age. Our lessons ended at 7:45PM. It was after a meal of chili dogs, chips and soda that I took the students home. I could not eat such delicacies because of the strict diet and exercise program that I am under. The weight must come off by March ( LA Marathon). I have promised to do it in less than 5 hours and that is a tall order for a (?)-year old. The weight has dropped from 276 last year to 216 this year. The final weight should be approximately 200 pounds. By March 2000! I took the students home and made it back at 9:30PM. On Saturday, we will venture to the Science Center to focus on the "visible light spectrum" and the rest of the Electromagnetic Spectrum. Then we will travel to Long Beach State to watch the future Olympic Gold Medallist and our student, Keyotta, win another 800-meter race. Afterwards, we will go to the Family Fun Center in Fountain Valley. On Sunday, it will be back to the tutoring. The hours will be 2:00PM to 8:00PM. We will focus on our young adults (17-25 years old) in the fields of electricity and electronics. The younger students are given an opportunity to sit in.

This has been a brief description of a tutoring week. It is what I call a "Lesson Review". There is a much more detailed discussion in our Microsoft Word files and if you want a copy, just send a self-addressed stamped envelope. Our website can not hold all of the many picture files that accompany our lesson reviews. Send e-mail to   cleophas9@sbcglobal.net