Hello to you all!

I enjoyed seeing many of you for exam reviews and am thrilled that so many of you have called to tell me how well you did! You worked hard, and I loved reviewing with you...

I have received quite a few emails and calls lately asking about various classes and the possibility of adding some additional reviews towards the end of the summer, particularly the grammar/writing class. I am considering doing a mini-one day review the very end of July or possible even one day the week before school starts. We could review grammar, writing, study skills, and some test taking techniques. I have about five of you who have called. Please let me know if others are interested.

My yearly more comprehensive grammar/writing class is June 28th-30th, and I do have room for maybe one or two more if anyone would like to add. I want to keep the class small, so let me know asap if you think you may want to join us. I considered teaching this on the main Woodward campus but decided in the end to keep the class in my classroom here in Sandy Springs. Here is the basic information about this class.

Grammar/Writing Workshop:

This is the 8th year I have taught this workshop for Woodward students. It is popular, and I always look forward to teaching it every year. Because it is common for people to attend more than one year in a row, I rework most of the material so that it is fresh.

Grammar is usually taught methodically in private schools. It is arranged from the ground up, starting with the parts of speech and building into recognizing and using phrases and clauses correctly. Once all of that is mastered, most students are able to understand complicated punctuation rules and more frustrating tasks like subject/verb agreement. A problem occurs, though, when a piece of the foundation is missing or shaky. A student becomes confused somewhere along the way, and then the year of grammar and writing becomes much harder than it needs to be. This workshop starts with the basics then goes on to the more complex grammatical concepts that are expected of the students at Woodward Academy and other private schools.

The writing portion of this workshop focuses on crafting excellent sentences, paragraphs, and then essays. The focus is initially on the existing structure as it is currently being taught; it is important that first the student understands the basic format. After that, I move on to varying sentence type and structure to make writing and reading more interesting. Thirdly, I model the actual method of writing: how to brainstorm in a variety of manners, organize thoughts with different forms of outlining, show the students how to think through the writing process as one actually accomplishes it, and finally how to revise without losing the essence of what one wrote.

This class includes 15 hours of instruction, three hot lunches, snacks, drinks, and all materials. The first session is as follows: June 28th-30th $400
Finally, the summer reading classes have a few spaces left:

Summer Reading Test Reviews:
(All classes run from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Also, please note these classes are designed to be detailed reviews and test preparation right before the students take their actual tests at Woodward. All required books should be read prior to these reviews.)
$170 (includes 6 hour review, packets, supplies, snacks, and a hot lunch)

Tuesday, August 3rd -11th Grade (one space left)

Wednesday, August 4th -10th Grade (two spaces left)

Thursday, August 5th -9th Grade (two spaces left)

Friday, August 6th -8th Grade (one space left)

Saturday, August 7th -7th Grade (two spaces left)

Please let me know if you want me to save you a space. You do not need to send anything; just send your child's name and grade level.

I hope all of you are having wonderful summers! Please feel free to pass along any of this information to anyone you may think be interested.

Please call if you have any questions, and email me (mariegraham1970@aol.com) to reserve spots!

Warmly,
Marie
(404) 578-9047 -cell
(678) 579-9248 -home