SpiderSmart Learning Centers

Stop by and see our beautiful new Annandale Center! Week #2 and we love it here! 7361 McWhorter Place / Suite 310 !

2012-01-09T10:25:00.001-08:00

Thank you to all of our beloved teachers, students, and families for a fantastic year! We look forward with great enthusiasm to continued educational growth and inspiration in 2012!

2011-12-31T12:11:00.000-08:00

Here at SpiderSmart, we always love great book recommendations! Here are a few from NPR: http://www.npr.org/series/you-must-read-this/

2011-12-02T10:38:00.000-08:00

A mind once stretched by a new idea never regains its original dimensions. - Anonymous

2011-11-19T17:20:00.001-08:00

We can't wait to see those grades, students!

2011-11-01T06:49:00.001-07:00

Reading to young children promotes language acquisition and is linked with literacy development and, later on, with achievement in reading comprehension and overall success in school. Find out more: http://www.childstats.gov/americaschildren/edu1.asp

2011-10-25T07:44:00.001-07:00

PSATs are over and there are two more weeks until your first marking period ends. Every day counts, students!

2011-10-14T11:35:00.001-07:00

Another one of our fellow literacy-loving organizations! http://www.booksforkids.org/

2011-10-06T11:45:00.001-07:00

Best of luck to all of our students on today's SAT!

2011-09-30T21:44:00.001-07:00

‎"The aim of education should be to teach us rather how to think, than what to think - rather to improve our minds, so as to enable us to think for ourselves, than to load the memory with thoughts of other men." ~Bill Beattie

2011-09-14T09:24:00.001-07:00

Back to school for our VA students! Have an amazing first week!

2011-09-07T01:46:00.001-07:00

We wish all of our Montgomery County students a fantastic first day of school today!

2011-08-29T01:46:00.001-07:00

One of our favorite partners in promoting literacy!

2011-08-22T18:34:00.000-07:00

http://www.rif.org/us/about/our-programs.htm

www.rif.org

Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) programs provide children with books, encourage family and community involvement, and motivate children to read through fun, literacy-based activities.

Three more weeks until school starts! Make the most of your summertime study and stop in at your local SpiderSmart today!

2011-08-07T13:15:00.001-07:00

"Once children learn how to learn, nothing is going to narrow their mind. The essence of teaching is to make learning contagious, to have one idea spark another." Marva Collins

2011-07-24T08:27:00.000-07:00

We warmly welcome our first fifteen students to the Rockville center!! We are so happy to have you learning with us.

2011-07-14T07:54:00.003-07:00

Thanks to everyone for an unbelievable first week at our new center in Rockville!!!

2011-07-03T14:38:00.001-07:00

A very happy birthday to our out-of-this-world Reading & Writing teacher, Ms. Sufiya!!! Thanks for more than five years of outstanding teaching and mentoring!!! We are so very lucky to have you.

2011-06-26T10:30:00.001-07:00

OUR NEW ROCKVILLE CENTER OPENS TOMORROW!!!

2011-06-26T10:26:00.000-07:00

Another exciting TOEFL experience! Thanks for joining us from Argentina, Gabon, South Korea, Bolivia, Israel, and France!

2011-06-20T07:49:00.001-07:00

EXAM TIME, students! The year is almost over! We are so very proud of all your hard work and studying!

2011-06-09T11:41:00.001-07:00

EXAM TIME, students! The year is almost over! We are so very proud of all your hard work and studying!

2011-06-09T11:40:00.001-07:00

T-3 till the SAT! Study with confidence, students!

2011-06-01T07:23:00.003-07:00

T-3 till the SAT! Study with confidence, students!

2011-06-01T07:23:00.001-07:00

Study while others are sleeping; work while others are loafing; prepare while others are playing; and dream while others are wishing. William Arthur Ward

2011-05-27T08:54:00.001-07:00

To Our Parents:

2011-05-18T13:31:00.000-07:00

Follow our friends at Out Came the Sun, a non-profit foundation providing comprehensive pediatric therapy services in the natural environment to the families of the District of Columbia and Maryland.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Out-Came-the-Sun-Foundation-Inc/183070598390385

A warm welcome this week to our new and returning students Sophie, Jillian, and Eric!

2011-05-09T16:08:00.000-07:00

Countdown to the May SAT! Five more days and you're there, students!

2011-05-02T07:36:00.001-07:00

Shout-outs for the week:

2011-04-28T07:54:00.001-07:00

H. for moving up a level in Reading & Writing! D. for all his hard work in Geometry! H. for moving into the 700 range in SAT II Physics!

Welcome, TOEFL test-takers! We have many countries represented today: Russia, Ghana, Iran, Germany, El Salvador, and China! Good luck to all of you!

2011-04-15T09:11:00.001-07:00

Wow, J.! A 97 on your recent math test? We're so proud of you! All that studying made a difference!

2011-04-11T15:04:00.001-07:00

"The main part of intellectual education is not the acquisition of facts but learning how to make facts live." ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

2011-04-04T15:21:00.001-07:00

Way to go, K.! Accepted at every school on your list AND scholarships at every single one! We're so, so happy for you.

2011-03-30T08:30:00.001-07:00

We're proud of you, S.! Math Kangaroo rocks!

2011-03-19T15:47:00.001-07:00

International Night was a stunning success! Such impressive acts, students! What talent we have here in Bethesda!

2011-03-14T08:43:00.001-07:00

Don't miss Whitman's student performances tonight! We can't wait to hear you sing, A.!

2011-03-10T08:16:00.001-08:00

Thanks for this link, Shelby! Check out the new youth-friendly version of National Geographic, students: http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngexplorer/

2011-02-28T15:55:00.001-08:00

WOW, H., an 800 on Math Level 2?! Way to go!! All that hard work paid off!!

2011-02-21T15:05:00.001-08:00

We're so proud of our long-time student J.W. for receiving an amAYzing scholarship! Also a hearty congratulations to S. for earning a 98 on her science test!

2011-02-15T21:12:00.001-08:00

We can't WAIT to hear about your SAT scores, students!! Results from the January 22nd test released TODAY!

2011-02-11T15:31:00.001-08:00

Congratulations to J. on wrapping up all of her college applications and scholarship essays!

2011-02-07T13:30:00.001-08:00

Educational Quote of the Week:

2011-02-01T13:07:00.001-08:00

“Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.” Albert Einstein

New Semester, New Start!

2011-01-24T14:25:00.001-08:00

Now that all your exams are over, gear up for a fresh, new semester! Immerse yourself in analysis of your academic failures and accomplishments. Assess all of your subjects and decide upon the changes you plan to effect in your study habits. Most of all, remember it's never too late to be the very best student you can be!

GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE ON TODAY'S SAT!!!

2011-01-22T01:31:00.001-08:00

Today's the day all of your hard work pays off, students!

SAT Countdown to Saturday!

2011-01-18T03:06:00.001-08:00

Review, review, review! Drop in today through Thursday for test taking tips and practice. Then, as Ms. Beth always says, be sure to relax a little on Friday! Reserve the day before for rest and reflection. Get centered before the big test.

Recent Successes and Events

2011-01-10T10:39:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to C. for earning 100% on her recent Algebra II test!!

Also, a hearty thank you from SpiderSmart to Sujuan Ba for an unforgettable gala Saturday night. We are grateful to you--and to our many parents--for such unwavering support of our program!!

WELCOME BACK, MS. SUFIYA!!!!!

2011-01-04T06:44:00.001-08:00

Today we celebrate the return of Ms. Sufiya, who has been taking care of her new baby boy. We're all so excited to have Ms. Sufiya teaching again!!!!!

Happy 2011, Everyone!!

2011-01-01T20:52:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year to all of our parents, teachers, and students! May 2011 be filled with academic achievement and inspiration!

This week's Points of Pride:

2010-12-20T01:03:00.001-08:00

A SpiderShout to L. on her first wave of acceptances, Purdue among them! Congratulations to K. for her unbelievable acting award! And a big hug to N. for working hard to make it to the next reading level! We're so proud of you, students!

Education Quote of the Week:

2010-12-13T16:17:00.001-08:00

The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called "truth." ~Dan Rather

Thanks to Ms. Sufiya for sharing this fabulous link! She's always thinking of you, kids!!

2010-12-07T12:30:00.000-08:00

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/06/books/06figment.html?_r=2&src=me&ref=homepage

Figment.com Aims for Young Readers and Writers

www.nytimes.com

Figment.com, created by former staff members of The New Yorker, gives teenagers a chance to show what they’re reading and writing.

Student Quote of the Week:

2010-12-05T13:52:00.001-08:00

"Know what my favorite thing about SpiderSmart is? Peace and QUIET!" We're so glad you can concentrate in our learning environment, Soph! We do our very best to create the perfect atmosphere for all of our students.

Congratulations to all of our test takers and their vastly improved scores!!

2010-11-29T12:45:00.001-08:00

Academic shouts to JW for achieving her TOEFL goal, to K for 700 and 720 on her subject tests, and to C for his amazing increase in Critical Reading!!

Happiest Thanksgiving to all of our teachers, students, and parents!!!

2010-11-25T18:50:00.001-08:00

We hope you all enjoyed a relaxing, family-filled day!!!

Parent Quote of the Week:

2010-11-14T11:55:00.001-08:00

"My daughter was failing math badly, had terrible organizational skills, and was unable to focus. I sent her to Spidersmart. My daughter went from failing math to getting two A's on her last two tests (first A's in her HS career in a core subject) and helping to tutor someone else in the class. I highly recommend. All programs are customized to the child."

SATs Round 2 done and DONE!!

2010-11-06T20:39:00.001-07:00

Most of you are officially FINISHED!! We are so very proud of all your hard work!!

WOW!!!!!

2010-10-29T11:42:00.001-07:00

We are SO EXCITED about your SAT scores, students!!!!! Way to go!!!!!

Education Quote of the Week:

2010-10-25T11:48:00.001-07:00

Education is a social process. Education is growth. Education is not a preparation for life; education is life itself. ~ John Dewey

A warm, warm welcome to our newest Reading & Writing teacher, Miss Becky Robertson!!

2010-10-14T09:39:00.001-07:00

We are so lucky to have her working with our students. Miss Becky comes to us as an English Sterling Scholar, with a degree in English/Secondary Education. One of her most notable educational achievements was to remodel the entire reading program at her most recent school, improving school-wide reading comprehension by an average of more than 10%. In Miss Becky's words, “I love reading, writing, and teaching. I bring this love and energy into my interactions with students every day.” We're so thankful to have you here with us, Becky!!

SAT COUNTDOWN BEGINS: ONE WEEK TO GO, STUDENTS!! GEAR UP--THIS IS IT!!!

2010-10-02T03:36:00.001-07:00

To all our parents and students: We enthusiastically welcome to the world Ms. Sufiya's baby boy, Samaadi Cabral Scott!!

2010-09-27T09:58:00.001-07:00

He will surely be an avid reader and writer, just like his mother and father, both of whom are unforgettable teachers!! Congratulations, Ms. Sufiya. We all can't wait to meet him!!

Good luck with all those applications, everyone!!

2010-09-19T15:05:00.000-07:00

Another great way to learn all there is to know about the colleges of your choice: http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/

A warm welcome!!

2010-09-14T19:54:00.000-07:00

Five new students this week!! We're so happy to have all of you!!

Hey science lovers!

2010-09-07T22:09:00.000-07:00

A fabulous website for all of you:

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts.html

Remember, teachers...

2010-08-16T15:17:00.001-07:00

"A good teacher is a master of simplification and an enemy of simplism." ~Louis A. Berman

Summer reading all finished? What about those college essays?

2010-08-12T06:58:00.001-07:00

Devote that time now so you can focus on your studies once school begins!! We're here to help, students. Don't wait until the last minute!!

An inspiring quote for teachers from Muriel Spark:

2010-07-25T09:41:00.000-07:00

"To me, education is a leading out of what is already there in the pupil's soul."

An eye-opening video for educators and students alike:

2010-07-20T18:07:00.000-07:00

http://vimeo.com/12677264

Thanks for sharing, Tala.

COUNTDOWN TO TOEFL!!

2010-07-16T08:36:00.001-07:00

One week from today!!

Word of the Day: Erudite. Learned. Scholarly.

2010-07-11T12:26:00.001-07:00

The erudite scholar could join any philosophical debate, as he was able to substantiate his opinions with memorized excerpts from the works of Hegel, Foucault, and Socrates.

Last Week To Register for Summer Camp!!

2010-06-26T06:31:00.000-07:00

Don't miss out on three weeks of mind-bending fun!! A wide, rousing array of activities every day of the week from 9-12!! Classes will include games, puzzles, and workshops in Logic & Reasoning, Creative Writing, Vocabulary Building, Math Mania, and Grammar Guzzling!!

OPEN HOUSE TOMORROW!!

2010-06-18T18:16:00.000-07:00

Saturday, June 19, at our Tysons Corner location!! Come out for food and fun!! Registration open until 5:00--don't miss out!!

Can't wait to hear about those ACTs today, students!!

2010-06-12T13:03:00.001-07:00

We were sending you waves of SpiderSupport all morning!!

You're Almost There!!!

2010-06-07T07:15:00.001-07:00

All right, students!! Gear up for those final exams!! Study hard!! Just about one more week left!

The Big Day Has Arrived!

2010-06-04T18:44:00.001-07:00

Best of luck to all our students on the SATs tomorrow!! You've worked so hard to prepare for this day and we are so very proud of you!!!

SpiderSmart Celebrates our NEW CENTER!!!!!

2010-05-28T07:03:00.000-07:00

A big shout-out to Esther, Jeannie, and our beautiful new center in Tysons Corner!!!!! Congratulations, everyone!!!!!

Favorite Quotes from the week:

2010-05-28T06:59:00.000-07:00

1) from one of our proud pre-K students graduating to Kindergarten: "I'm so excited I can't even CONCENTRATE!" There are no words to convey the sheer enthusiasm of this particular student. He's so full of joy and insatiable curiosity!

2) from one of our high school students, lamenting his end-of-year workload: "I'm always the most tired when I have the most work." Isn't that the truth??

Our Beloved Ms. Sufiya

2010-05-21T09:36:00.000-07:00

"You know, J. has trouble doing his homework for anyone else. I always have to remind him. But for Ms. Sufiya, I don't even have to ask! When I go to look and see if he's ready for his Reading & Writing session every week, he's already done. He LOVES to work for her. He's always so excited to come see her and have his lesson every Thursday."

We're enrolling more young creative writers than ever before!

2010-05-18T07:57:00.001-07:00

Poets and fiction writers alike. It's so exciting to see young authors in the making...One of our first graders is just discovering Dr. Seuss for the first time!

Here's a great site for all of you young poets out there:

http://www.poetry4kids.com/

From another excited parent this weekend:

2010-05-10T17:09:00.001-07:00

"Please convey to Ms. Sufiya how much J. loved her session on Saturday. She has been on cloud 9 ever since!"

J. has joined SpiderSmart to hone her creative writing and storytelling skills. At the very young age of 5 1/2, she's already a prolific writer and comes to us to workshop her poems and stories!

Parent Quote of The Week:

2010-05-07T15:45:00.001-07:00

"My son used to hate reading and writing--always complaining about it. Now he loves coming here to share his work with your teachers. He just told me today that he wants to read more poetry!"

Another great association working hard for our youth!

2010-05-02T19:35:00.000-07:00

http://www.naeyc.org/

Worst Similes Ever Written in a High School Essay Contest, Installment #2:

2010-04-27T19:40:00.000-07:00

"From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you're on vacation in another city and Jeopardy comes on at 7 p.m. instead of 7:30." (Roy Ashley, DC)

P.S. Who thinks this one is actually an analogy?

Parent Post this week:

2010-04-23T06:37:00.001-07:00

"My daughter was so proud of the paper she wrote at SpiderSmart that she read it out loud to me in the car on the way home. WOW! What an interesting paper!"

Another Parent Post this week:

2010-04-23T06:35:00.001-07:00

"My daughter loves going to SpiderSmart because you have made it a very special and safe place for her to study. I never have to fight with her to go...which is unusual seeing as it is all about doing school work. :)"

Speaking of high school essay contests...

2010-04-18T07:30:00.001-07:00

One of our students just won one!! Thanks, 826DC--you're doing great work with students everywhere!! We're so proud of you, Chris!!!

Worst Similes Ever Written in a High-School Essay Contest, Installment #1:

2010-04-13T10:54:00.001-07:00

"Her hair glistened in the rain like nose hair after a sneeze." Chuck Smith, Woodbridge, VA

Hey kids! Show off those reading and writing skills!

2010-04-10T12:21:00.000-07:00

Check out RIF's latest contests: http://www.rif.org/kids/readingplanet/activitylab/contests.htm

According to College Board, "The best way to get ready for the SAT is to take challenging courses, study hard, and READ AND WRITE IN AND OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM."

2010-04-07T05:22:00.001-07:00

Here at SpiderSmart, we want you to become lifelong readers and writers! Without out-of-school reading to cultivate your comprehension skills, your verbal ability will also remain underdeveloped. We're here to offer you stimulating academic dialogue every week: an extension of the reading and writing conversation you gain in class!

This is where plagiarism will get you, dear students:

2010-04-04T17:13:00.000-07:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8602674.stm

Use all the resources available to you. Teachers are here to help you avoid plagiarism! We want YOUR original ideas, not someone else’s! And to Mr. Pangilinan, we commend you for your admittance and wish you all the best!

SpiderSmart just LOVES PS22 Chorus!!

2010-03-23T06:57:00.000-07:00

yet ANOTHER unforgettable song!! EVERY single one of their performances gives us chills!! Check out ALL of 'em!!

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/archives/2010/03/live_from_state.php

Writing: The Final Frontier

2010-03-17T14:03:00.000-07:00

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THIS DIALOGUE AND PRESENTATION!

TOPIC: Writing: The Final Frontier

WHEN: 4/15

6:30-7:30 PM Your Turn to Speak - Advocacy and Open Discussion
7:30 - 9:00 PM Speaker Presentation

LDAMC, CHADD, and the GT/LD Network are pleased to jointly present this program on the challenges of writing for students with learning or attentional issues. Why is writing so difficult? The act of getting thoughts on paper is the culmination of a set of difficult skills: planning, organizing, researching, drafting, revising, and editing. Students with ADHD, dyslexia, executive function difficulties and written expression disorder frequently find parts or all of this process difficult. While the "writing across the curriculum" trend gains momentum, these students fall farther behind. Come hear Jilly Darefsky and Jessica Roake from The Siena School present ways to help students with learning disabilities write more easily and effectively. Come early for the discussion hour (6:30 - 7:30) to hear Janelle Ellis of Integrated Assistive Technology describe and demonstrate a variety of tech tools to help students with written expression difficulties.

LOCATION: Walter Johnson High School, 6400 Rock Spring Drive, Bethesda, MD -
conveniently located just two minutes off I-270 Old Georgetown Road
or Democracy Blvd exits

FOR MORE INFO: www.gtldnetwork.org

Mesmeric March!!!

2010-03-14T18:00:00.000-07:00

This has been our best month yet! A warm, light-filled thank you to all of our amazing families and students, who have made this month our most successful one thus far...

To love and learning!!

Securing the Peace in Liberia

2010-03-14T17:57:00.000-07:00

Women of the United Nations police and peacekeeping forces that entered Liberia after the civil war have inspired a new generation of Liberian women to don uniforms.

http://video.nytimes.com/video/playlist/world/africa/1194811622207/index.html

BREAKING NEWS: two SpiderSmart students place first and third in regional Odyssey of the Mind!!!

2010-03-09T14:06:00.000-08:00

Odyssey of the Mind has crowned two of our students queens of genius and creativity: CONGRATULATIONS to our super smart sisters--Natalia and Carolina!!!

Check out this amazing, challenging competition: http://www.odysseyofthemind.com/

meet gina turrini, tutor extraordinaire!

2010-03-09T12:58:00.000-08:00

Gina is a mathematics and test prep tutor at SpiderSmart Learning Center of Bethesda. Gina began teaching when she worked as a private mathematics tutor for four years and as a teaching assistant for two years at Amherst College. In 2008, Gina graduated with degrees in Mathematics and Political Science from Amherst College. After graduation, Gina worked for a year as an English Communication Skills Instructor in Ankara, Turkey for students and staff at Bilkent University. Gina came to SpiderSmart Learning Center of Bethesda after moving back to the country in August. Gina also interns at the Council on Foreign Relations and is hoping to go to graduate school for a Master's in Public Policy.

meet elliot rozenberg, one of our star teachers!

2010-03-07T12:03:00.000-08:00

Elliot Rozenberg instructs his students at SpiderSmart Bethesda, bringing with him over six years of tutoring and teaching experience. Elliot has taught students ages 4-45 in a wide area of subject matter including math, reading, and writing. He also specializes in teaching standardized tests including the SATs, SSATs, ACTs, and the Praxis exam. Elliot has received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from The George Washington University and attended the Bronx High School of Science in New York. While he admits that the material that he has to teach is not always exciting, Elliot always attempts to make his students enjoy learning as much as he enjoys teaching.

why spidersmart?

2010-02-25T08:29:00.000-08:00

Connection, Community, Expansion, and Strength.

Spiders are very independent in their work (like SpiderSmart students learn to be with mentorship.) They take pride in what they've created (the web), like our students take pride in their work. They work diligently and carefully, paying attention to every detail of the web (like our kids pay attention to every detail in carefully crafting an essay.) Lastly, a web has SO MANY parts -- it's such a complex creation -- and that's how we feel about our SpiderSmart learning philosophies and practices. Our approaches to every student (who we believe to also be complex and intricately developed as a learner) are vast and varied. There's a precision to our "building" of each and every one of our students. Our educational ethos is based on that precision -- that individualized curricula, that close, focused attention to every student -- and the appreciation that every single student is different and deserves a myriad of approaches.

sharpening your writing: lazy sentence beginnings.

2010-02-22T08:48:00.000-08:00

Avoid starting your sentences with “It” and “There”:

It is…

It was…

There is…

There are…

There was…

There were…

These are all lazy ways to start an idea. Why? You make your reader guess what you mean by using “It”. It what? What is it?

Using “There” is also rather useless. Think about it. What is the difference in these two ides?

There were ten men standing in line.
Ten men were standing in line.

Answer: Nothing—except the first one has the useless “There were” at the beginning.

All “There is/are/was/were” does is point to something. It is almost like walking up to someone and saying, “I am going to talk to you now,” instead of just talking to the person!

There is always a better way to begin a sentence.

Oops!

A better way to start a sentence always exists.

That’s better! You have to practice to see the different ways, though, so let’s look at some examples and then do a few exercises. The first sentence has a lazy beginning, but the second one corrects this by making a more direct sentence.

It is necessary to study.
Studying is necessary.

It was a rainy day, so we could not have recess.
We could not have recess because it was a rainy day.

There was nothing to stop me from getting an “A” on the test.
Nothing could stop me from getting an “A” on the test.

There are too many cars on this narrow road!
Too many cars are on this narrow road!

There is a lot of sugar in this candy.
A lot of sugar is in this candy.

Do you get the idea now? You need to take away the lazy part and rearrange the sentence. Sometimes, you can even find a whole new way to express the idea.

There is a lot of sugar in this candy.
This candy is loaded with sugar!

It does not take much to avoid these awkward sentence beginnings once you know a few helpful tricks.

meet jason ellison.

2010-02-19T12:16:00.000-08:00

Jason Ellison earned a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from George Mason University in 1994. He taught undergraduate courses in English composition, literature, and creative writing at both Northern Virginia Community College and George Mason University for 12 years while working for SpiderSmart as an essay evaluator and center teacher. For four years he created the writing curricula for the Washington Leadership Program, which allowed students from Sookmyung University of Seoul, South Korea to attend a variety of seminars and events in Washington, DC each July. Now that he is able to work full-time for SpiderSmart, he develops website and printed material, creates study guides, oversees online students, and generally handles whatever else needs to be done. When he’s not working, he writes fragments of a novel, tries to organize his thousands of photographs, and attempts to train his family’s new kitten to stay off his keyboard.

SpiderSmart Learning Centers

Stop by and see our beautiful new Annandale Center! Week #2 and we love it here! 7361 McWhorter Place / Suite 310 !

Thank you to all of our beloved teachers, students, and families for a fantastic year! We look forward with great enthusiasm to continued educational growth and inspiration in 2012!

Here at SpiderSmart, we always love great book recommendations! Here are a few from NPR: http://www.npr.org/series/you-must-read-this/

A mind once stretched by a new idea never regains its original dimensions. - Anonymous

We can't wait to see those grades, students!

Reading to young children promotes language acquisition and is linked with literacy development and, later on, with achievement in reading comprehension and overall success in school. Find out more: http://www.childstats.gov/americaschildren/edu1.asp

PSATs are over and there are two more weeks until your first marking period ends. Every day counts, students!

Another one of our fellow literacy-loving organizations! http://www.booksforkids.org/

Best of luck to all of our students on today's SAT!

‎"The aim of education should be to teach us rather how to think, than what to think - rather to improve our minds, so as to enable us to think for ourselves, than to load the memory with thoughts of other men." ~Bill Beattie

Back to school for our VA students! Have an amazing first week!

We wish all of our Montgomery County students a fantastic first day of school today!

One of our favorite partners in promoting literacy!

Three more weeks until school starts! Make the most of your summertime study and stop in at your local SpiderSmart today!

"Once children learn how to learn, nothing is going to narrow their mind. The essence of teaching is to make learning contagious, to have one idea spark another." Marva Collins

We warmly welcome our first fifteen students to the Rockville center!! We are so happy to have you learning with us.

Thanks to everyone for an unbelievable first week at our new center in Rockville!!!

A very happy birthday to our out-of-this-world Reading & Writing teacher, Ms. Sufiya!!! Thanks for more than five years of outstanding teaching and mentoring!!! We are so very lucky to have you.

OUR NEW ROCKVILLE CENTER OPENS TOMORROW!!!

Another exciting TOEFL experience! Thanks for joining us from Argentina, Gabon, South Korea, Bolivia, Israel, and France!

EXAM TIME, students! The year is almost over! We are so very proud of all your hard work and studying!

EXAM TIME, students! The year is almost over! We are so very proud of all your hard work and studying!

T-3 till the SAT! Study with confidence, students!

T-3 till the SAT! Study with confidence, students!

Study while others are sleeping; work while others are loafing; prepare while others are playing; and dream while others are wishing. William Arthur Ward

To Our Parents:

A warm welcome this week to our new and returning students Sophie, Jillian, and Eric!

Countdown to the May SAT! Five more days and you're there, students!

Shout-outs for the week:

Welcome, TOEFL test-takers! We have many countries represented today: Russia, Ghana, Iran, Germany, El Salvador, and China! Good luck to all of you!

Wow, J.! A 97 on your recent math test? We're so proud of you! All that studying made a difference!

"The main part of intellectual education is not the acquisition of facts but learning how to make facts live." ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

Way to go, K.! Accepted at every school on your list AND scholarships at every single one! We're so, so happy for you.

We're proud of you, S.! Math Kangaroo rocks!

International Night was a stunning success! Such impressive acts, students! What talent we have here in Bethesda!

Don't miss Whitman's student performances tonight! We can't wait to hear you sing, A.!

Thanks for this link, Shelby! Check out the new youth-friendly version of National Geographic, students: http://magma.nationalgeographic.com/ngexplorer/

WOW, H., an *800* on Math Level 2?! Way to go!! All that hard work paid off!!

We're so proud of our long-time student J.W. for receiving an amAYzing scholarship! Also a hearty congratulations to S. for earning a *98* on her science test!

We can't WAIT to hear about your SAT scores, students!! Results from the January 22nd test released TODAY!

Congratulations to J. on wrapping up all of her college applications and scholarship essays!

Educational Quote of the Week:

New Semester, New Start!

GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE ON TODAY'S SAT!!!

SAT Countdown to Saturday!

Recent Successes and Events

WELCOME BACK, MS. SUFIYA!!!!!

Happy 2011, Everyone!!

This week's Points of Pride:

Education Quote of the Week:

Thanks to Ms. Sufiya for sharing this fabulous link! She's always thinking of you, kids!!

Student Quote of the Week:

Congratulations to all of our test takers and their vastly improved scores!!

Happiest Thanksgiving to all of our teachers, students, and parents!!!

Parent Quote of the Week:

SATs Round 2 done and DONE!!

WOW!!!!!

Education Quote of the Week:

A warm, warm welcome to our newest Reading & Writing teacher, Miss Becky Robertson!!

SAT COUNTDOWN BEGINS: ONE WEEK TO GO, STUDENTS!! GEAR UP--THIS IS IT!!!

To all our parents and students: We enthusiastically welcome to the world Ms. Sufiya's baby boy, Samaadi Cabral Scott!!

Good luck with all those applications, everyone!!

A warm welcome!!

Hey science lovers!

Remember, teachers...

Summer reading all finished? What about those college essays?

An inspiring quote for teachers from Muriel Spark:

An eye-opening video for educators and students alike:

COUNTDOWN TO TOEFL!!

Word of the Day: Erudite. Learned. Scholarly.

Last Week To Register for Summer Camp!!

OPEN HOUSE TOMORROW!!

Can't wait to hear about those ACTs today, students!!

You're Almost There!!!

The Big Day Has Arrived!

SpiderSmart Celebrates our NEW CENTER!!!!!

Favorite Quotes from the week:

Our Beloved Ms. Sufiya

We're enrolling more young creative writers than ever before!

WOW, H., an 800 on Math Level 2?! Way to go!! All that hard work paid off!!

We're so proud of our long-time student J.W. for receiving an amAYzing scholarship! Also a hearty congratulations to S. for earning a 98 on her science test!