A Free Tutoring Service: Preparing For the Future

                       A Federal and State of California Nonprofit Corporation ...February 8, 2001

                           Lesson Review and Activities:  Jan. 29- Feb. 7 , 2001 

                        Cleophas "Mike" McAlpin................ Chief Tutor

E-Mail (confidential) send to : mikecmac@valueweb.net

Semester Break is over......and now for....more intensity!

The final examinations are done with! Cleasena called today to let me know that she had received an "A" in English. Keyotta received an "A-" in Science. Cassaundra most likely will receive an "A" in Science. Jarrell will receive at least 2 "A's".

I  spent  a lot of time in some of the classrooms with the High School students.  I held many conferences with teachers and counselors and am satisfied that most of the students improved their grades, while others ended up with very high g.p.a's. I received accolades from many teachers and counselors.  A teacher from Whittier called to personally thank me for assisting his student; he was ecstatic about our many Science field trips and he was happy that such a Service as this is in effect for our youth.

            Curriculum for the months of February, March, April and May, 2001

Important Note! February 8, 2001---Students who did not demonstrate a desire to learn, accept discipline, show interest and focus completely on education....have been dropped! In the future, any student who does likewise will be dropped...immediately....We are not for everybody...We are now moving to a higher level. 

 Homework help is first on our agenda! However, students with excessive amounts of homework (reading assignments, for example) and do not need assistance, are encouraged to do the work at their places of residence. All other students fall into the categories below.

1. The vocational focus will shift to electronics and electricity over the next 4 months.  The course will focus on direct and alternating current electricity, specifically Ohm's Law.  Resistance, current, voltage, capacitance, inductance and magnetism will  be covered in detail. Sample  of Civil Service examinations for electrical workers will be introduced and some of the problems worked in regards to them. Electronic construction will be intensified. All of the students will engage in this curriculum! Shalay (8 years of age) constructed an electronics oscillator last night (Feb. 7) using our Radio Shack Electronics kit and it worked perfectly. Shalay is still in Elementary School, of course, but she was brilliant enough to absorb my lesson on "switching capacitors" to create varying sounds, and so should all the rest of the students. Shalay stripped and connected the wiring (over 50 connections); she used the cutters and wire strippers in this endeavor; she used the digital Fluke Voltmeter and a Continuity Checker to verify her wiring.  She worked independently of instructions for most of the construction project. Shalay alone is motivation enough for me to continue this....Free Tutoring Service: Preparing for the Future.

2. A continuation of Chemistry,  Physics and Biology:  Ryan and Jarrell will move further into Chemistry and Physics. Last week's lesson on bases, acids and salts will continue. Our "blitz" of the Periodic Table of the Elements will continue. Each element will be "thoroughly" dealt with and then it will be dealt with over and over again. We will use the Internet and our CD-ROM disks to the fullest extent. We will completely cover Sheena's 9th grade Phyics book from Drew Magnet School. It has been noted that High Schools are not going into the level of education that I think necessary and so we will move in advance of them!

3. Mathematics will move to a higher level. We spent a lot of time on graphing lines and curves (parabolas)  last month and we are ready for higher trigonometry, analytical geometry and finally beginning calculus. We will intensify our study of SAT, PSAT,  examinations and any other examination that is given in High School. We will spend at least 45 minutes each session in this endeavor.

4.  Physics experimentation will move to a much higher level. We will do many, many extra credit assignments in  Physics for the teachers. Astronomy will take on a new meaning for the students as we explore all of Isaac Asimov's CD-ROM disks on the Universe. Biology will continue with more intensity. Jarrell's 9th grade Biology book (Chapter 10-20) will be studied in detail.

5. Our study of the Spanish Language will be intensified. Each session will see a lesson in Spanish. Our vocabulary and conversational Spanish level will improve drastically over the next 3 months.

6. Each student must finish the next semester with at least a 3.4 Grade Point Average.  I will personally visit each and every school to monitor grade point averages on a week by week basis. Students must keep up with assignments.  I will obtain a course syllabus from teachers, as well as a list of all  assignments.

7. Computer Science will intensify. All students must do their own typing on Internet searches. We will delve into Web Design on a higher level and students will maintain this Site.

Meeting Schedule......Wednesday and Thursday from........3:30 PM  to 7:30 PM.....every 4th Sunday from 1:00PM to 7:00PM.  School visitations by Tutors  will occur at random and very often. 

And  this is for free...........All parents have been asked to donate at least $60 a year and it is essential that they comply with paying this meager  amount....immediately! We can only accommodate students if we have adequate funding to do it! (Parents must be also be involved with the education of their children. If they are not willing to cooperate with our schedule, the students will also be dropped)