“I have been working with students one-on-one for more than a decade,” said fifth-grade teacher Sean Duffy at Waples Mill Elementary School in Fairfax County. “I agree with you that 10 minutes with a kid is far more important than margin notes at home.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/saving-our-sorry-teaching-of-writing/2012/10/24/ca509c8c-1d74-11e2-9cd5-b55c38388962_story.html?wpisrc=emailtoafriend

BEST OF LUCK ON THE SAT, STUDENTS!! I am SO PROUD of you for ALL your hard work over the years preparing for this test!!! You are going to ROCK IT THIS MORNING!!!!!

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY, SPIDERSMART OF ASHBURN!!!

Take a look at our latest addition to the SpiderSmart Family of Learning Centers!

http://www.facebook.com/SpiderSmartOfAshburn?ref=ts

So much great news to share, friends! 1) We're celebrating the opening of our NEW KENTLANDS CENTER! Come visit us at 420 Main Street! 2) We are also welcoming Dr. Emyrtle Bennett, her sister Vanessa, and her daughter Melisa to our SpiderSmart of Bethesda family! They come with a wealth of experience and are all passionate educators. What a fortuitous end to a wonderful summer! Lastly, HAVE AN AWESOME FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, KIDS!!!

Ms. Sufiya reads from her book-in-the-making tonight! We are so proud of her! Ms. Sufiya's work of genius is a timeless, historically evocative, spiritually resonant interweaving of nonfiction, journalism, and memoir. Congratulations, Ms. Sufiya, on all you have accomplished--and all while teaching and inspiring our students every single day!

Dear Mrs. Jung, I don't think I could have made it through finals week without you and SpiderSmart.

Thank you soooo much!! All the teachers are wonderful and you, especially. You always welcome me with your warm smile :)) Going to SpiderSmart helped me so much. Thank you again and again. Esther H - 8th grade

One of my favorite memories is when I first came to SpiderSmart...

First, I felt a little nervous and thought it was boring because I had never been to an academy and learned there. Then I got more nervous when I met all the teachers. I stopped getting nervous and got used to everything. I started to enjoy SpiderSmart now. I call SpiderSmart a fun place. I am learning to learn at a fun academy. David C. - 2nd grade