Winter Newletter

 Read the center's winter newsletter here

Summer Newsletter

Click here for details of resuming in center classes, in the center's Summer Newsletter.

Homework Exchange This Week

Dear Kumon Families,

Hope everyone is doing well at home in the past few weeks.  It is heartwarming to see so many Kumon Families stay enrolled and prioritize their children's education.  With such strong community support, our centre will strive to help our students advance through these turbulent times.  Though there have been difficulties, everyone seems to be adjusting to a new normal.  However, there is light at the end of the tunnel.  Hang in there!

We are going to continue with Homework Exchange every Two Weeks.  Regular homework exchange allows us to provide intentional and purposeful planning, monitoring, marking and guidance.  Of course, we used to do this every week.  However, in light of social distancing guidelines, every two weeks is a good compromise.

This week, April 28th to May 2nd is the Homework Exchange Week.  Please come on your child's folder day during the class hours (3:30-7:30pm on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 2:00-4:00pm on Saturday) to pick up two weeks' worth of new work and return completed work.  If you are not sure about your child's folder day, please call 604-635-1162 or email svkumon@gmail.com.

At the centre, please observe the social distancing rules when you come in.

1. One person/family comes into the centre at a time.
2. Keep 2m distance between families if waiting outside.
3. New homework is in the crates in the parent waiting area, organized by last name.
4. Remove your folder and take the new homework.
5. If you are returning completed homework, put it in the folder.
6. Put the folder in the boxes under the tables.  Please do not put the folder back in the crates.

We are offering help sessions during class hours on all centre days.  Many families have accessed our help at www.kelp-desk.com to connect with us.  Some students really thrive in an online learning environment.  We have removed passcode verification so it is very easy to use!

Stay well and keep in touch.

Thank you,
Kumon Vancouver-South

Partners In A New Reality

New letter to parents

Online Support System

Dear Kumon Families,

As you know, we are unable to open the centre for class for the time being.  But that doesn’t mean you are on your own with the Kumon work.  We have been working hard on an Online Support strategy, and it consists of 3 main components.

• One-on-one video chat help during regular class times.
• 1 assistant to 2 students online classes for Early Learners.
• Online score card entering system.

Our intention is to imitate the classroom experience, to the extent that is possible over the Internet.

One-on-one Video Chat Help

Kumon has always been a student centred program, with the ultimate goal of nurturing independent learners. Students study examples and learn new knowledge based on what they have mastered.  With their class time, students had the opportunity to raise their hand and ask for help.  We will be using Zoom video conferencing and Kelp-Desk.com to create a virtual classroom.

During regular class times (Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 3:30-7:30pm and Saturday 2:00-4:00pm), students will be able to request help on the Kelp-Desk website.  The request goes into a queue. From there, Ms. Ran, Ms. Katlyn and other assistants will pick off students to initiate a video call using Zoom.

Help initiated by Instructors

We always plan work for students with instructional purposes based on students abilities and learning styles. As instructors we know clearly where and how we should guide students. When necessary, we will reach out to students to ask them to submit a request on Kelp-Desk, so we can review their progress.  This is like the “See Ms Ran” and “See Ms Katlyn” tags.

Zoom Online Classes for Early Learners

Early Learners normally work in pairs under the close guidance of an Early Learner Assistant.  This close attention lets us catch and correct poor work habits before they get ingrained.  We will also use Zoom to recreate the service.

We will be contacting Early Learners to schedule their online class time.  We won’t be starting with this on Tuesday Mar. 31.  But we should get it launched on Thursday Apr. 2.

Online Score Cards

It is not feasible for the centre to accept and grade completed homework at this time.   Many families already mark their children’s Kumon work at home and can attest to the benefits of this practice. We encourage more parents to start marking their children’s work.  Home marking gives students fast feedback on their work and helps them to stop making the same mistakes.   We can provide online answer books if you don’t already have them.

For the centre to monitor each student’s progress, we will have a place for parents to enter scores. This does not have to be done daily. This will be done through the Kelp-Desk website.


If parents are unable to homemark or enter scores, we will ask them to take pictures of selected completed pages and submit them to us for evaluation. This will also be done through the Kelp-Desk website.

FAQ

Q: What do I need to access online help?

Computer, laptop, tablet, or phone with camera and Internet access.
Zoom Video Conferencing software.  Software will automatically download the first time you use it.  You can check it out now at https://zoom.us/
Access to Kelp-Desk.com.

Q: What is Kelp-Desk.com?

The name comes from Kumon Help Desk.  Please imagine a reception desk at a Kumon centre where you can place a request for help. It is a website where you can go to do just that.

Q: When can I access it?

The Kelp-Desk hours correspond to our regular class hours. They are Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 3:30-7:30pm andSaturday 2:00-4:00pm.  Students are not limited to requesting help on their regularly scheduled day(s) and time(s).  Now they can have our centre’s service all four class days.  But wait times will vary depending on how many others are asking for help.

Q: How to access it?

Go to https://www.kelp-desk.com. Students will need to provide their first name and key tag number for validation. Expect an email with your child’s tag number soon.  It is fairly self explanatory, but a more detailed guide will be made available soon.

Q: How long do I have to wait for help?

That will depend on how many other students are asking for help.  Kelp-Desk will give you an estimated wait time, it’s only an estimate.  It may change higher or lower, depending on how quickly other requests are being dealt with.  You should stay close to your device.  You can set up an email or text notification when it’s your turn.

Update About Homework

Dear Kumon Families:

Thank you to those families who have already filled out the Homework Pick Up / Delivery form.

For a couple of reasons, we want to get new homework distributed as soon as possible.

1. We are concerned that BC may impose more lock-down measures, which will make it difficult for us to open the center and/or make deliveries next week.
2. We want the homework distributed before next week, so we can focus our efforts on the Online Support.

The centre will not be open next week for homework distribution.


For those who have already asked for Delivery:
Deliveries will start on Friday or Saturday.  You will receive your work before the end of Monday.

For those who have already asked for Pick Up:
The center will be open on Thursday (TODAY) and Friday (TOMORROW) between 3:00 - 6:00pm.  However, to minimize crowding and waiting, we will call you to let you know which day you should come,

For those who have NOT completed the form:
You will also receive a call when your work is ready.  You can choose to pick up from the center, or provide delivery instructions.  Two week of homework will be prepared unless you complete the form to request more.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FORM

If you are picking up work from the centre, please remember:

• The centre door will be open during the centre hours, no need to touch the door.
• Only 1 family is allowed in the centre at a time.  Please wait patiently outside, maintaining a 2m distance from others.
• All homework will be sorted by name and laid out on tables in the front Parent Waiting Area.

Kumon in April

Annoucement about reopening in April

COVID-19 Update

Dear Kumon Families:

We hope you and your family are staying safe and healthy during this Spring Break. The BC government has announced today (March 17) that schools K-12 will be suspended indefinitely (see GlobalTV) .  Despite schools being closed, the Kumon Centre is here to help keep students on the path of learning.  But with the current circumstances, we are making the following changes at Kumon:

• Classes will be suspended until further notice.
• The centre will OPEN on alternating weeks for Homework Exchange only.

• During the open weeks, students will pick up 2 weeks work and drop off the previous homework for evaluation.  We recommend this routine, so that we can continue to monitor students progress. If you want to pick up work longer than two weeks, please let us know.  We will accommodate your request.
• During regular class hours (3:30-7:30pm on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and 2-4pm on Saturday), we will provide Online Support (using Skype), the technical details will be announced later.
• For families who have travelled out of Canada during Spring Break, and need to undergo self-isolation at home, we will provide a Homework Delivery service, within 5 km from the Centre.  More details on this will be provided later.

Working together, we can get through this time of crisis.  We will certainly do our best to support families at this difficult time for the benefits of all of our students. In the face of so much uncertainty, we hope Kumn can remain a stable and strong force in children’s learning. When schools are out, learning continues. 

Please do not hesitate to contact us at 604-635-1165 or email svkumon@gmail.com.

Stay well and strong.

Ms. Ran and Ms. Katlyn 

Spring Newsletter

Read the center's Spring Newsletter here.

Updated Center Policy

The latest Policies & Guidelines is now available.