In The News
This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press on
Wednesday, May 2, 2007.
Antelope Valley Press 2007
Math Magicians expels frustration
By BRENNA HUMANN
Valley Press Staff Writer
QUARTZ HILL - Like clockwork, just after 2 p.m., the
rooms at Math Magicians fill to the brim with
students, some eager and some shy, and all ready to
get their homework out of the way.
The business that bills itself as the place "Where math
problems disappear," opened in September and
already has moved to an expanded location that
officially opened Monday.
Their rapid success with students has led them to
branch out into other subjects, including chemistry,
physics, science, Chinese, Spanish, French, English,
reading and special report projects.
"Drop-ins are welcome, just like Supercuts," even for
Sinness.
Math Magicians' 14 tutors work with two or three
students in each session, serving the nearly 200
students who have arrived since September.
What's the secret of their success?
"Our curriculum is your child's textbook," said
co-owner Kimberlee Fletcher from her office this
week.
Unlike tutoring services that introduce their own
curricula and practice work, Math Magicians focuses
on homework help and test preparation for students
whose parents are less likely to be able to help as
classroom work becomes ever more advanced.
"It's (for) the student who's frustrated. They
understand it when the teacher presents it, but
when they go home and have to do it themselves,
they draw a blank," Fletcher said.
Though most of the crowd arrives after the school bell
rings, drop-in scheduling is ideal for homeschoolers
and year-round school students as well, she added.
Sinness, 42, and Fletcher, 51, are sisters-in-law.
Sinness holds an electronics engineering degree from
DeVry University and has worked for seven years as a
teacher.
She is an algebra and geometry teacher at Pete Knight
High School.
"I got tired of sitting across the table from parents
asking me for a good tutor and not having a good
place to send them for homework help," Sinness said
of her inspiration for the business.
Fletcher is a 12-year veteran of the Los Angeles
County Sheriff's Department, where she worked in
prisons, courthouses and in patrol training, and now is
a Christian children's writer in her spare time.
The co-owners credit their success to an upbeat,
spontaneous atmosphere, where tutors take the time
to relate to each student personally. They note that
struggling students who once loathed their homework
are eager to come back after finding the help they
need.
"Parents are busy trying to make dinner, take them to
soccer practice, do the laundry," Sinness said.
"The way they're presenting (math) these days in
elementary school are things my high school tutors
haven't even seen," she added, noting the difficulty
of ever-changing public and private math curricula.
The business' clientele, which is mostly area high
school and college students, includes some older
adults who are returning to school or preparing for
occupational tests.
In the coming summer, along with their standard
spate of afternoon subject tutoring, Math Magicians
also will offer preparation sessions in specific subjects
for a student's upcoming grade level - particularly
algebra and geometry preparedness - as well as fun
activities in arts and writing.
"Summertime's the best time in the world to
strengthen the math skills of students, to get them
ready for a healthy year," Sinness said.
Math Magicians also has expanded to include a full
reading lab and offers a multiplication lab on Fridays,
as well as weekend seminars in study skills and time
management, and SAT, CSET (math subjects) and
teachers' CBEST preparation, with schedules to be
announced.
Parents should not be afraid to reach out for extra
help as soon as the need arises, she noted.
"Sometimes, parents carry their own past self-fulfilling
prophecies, like 'It's OK. I wasn't good in math either.'
" Sinness said. "Tutoring has a stigma, but more than
half of our students are honor students who want to
keep their grades.
"It's the ones who get help who are smart. Once they
get here, they feel so empowered. They realize that
everyone's just like them - it's just breaking that ice."
Sinness adds a striking point for many parents to
consider: Tutoring is a bargain compared to other
expenses.
"You'd spend $40 an hour for a batting coach or dance
lessons, or even $100 for dinner and a night out -
that's a lot of tutoring."
For the family struggling with a child's progress in
school, she advises, constant contact with teachers is
the best policy.
"Find out what's going on in the classroom. Take
advantage of before and after-school tutoring if you
can't afford a private service, but make sure they're
going."
Most important, she said, "Don't wait."
With about a month of classes left at most schools,
Fletcher noted that many worried parents just are
making last-minute appointments to help improve
their children's end-of-the year grades.
"I struggled with algebra even though I ended up
being an engineer," Sinness said. "But I used a tutor
all the way through college.
"Math is foundational. If there are gaps in the
beginning, they're just going to get bigger."
Tutoring hours can be purchased in packages for a
reduced price; hours purchased last for a year and can
be shared among siblings. Payment options range from
a private hourly rate of $40 to a four-hour-a-week
monthly payment plan that works out to $18 an hour.
For details, call (661) 718-3699
Wednesday, May 2, 2007.
Antelope Valley Press 2007
Math Magicians expels frustration
By BRENNA HUMANN
Valley Press Staff Writer
QUARTZ HILL - Like clockwork, just after 2 p.m., the
rooms at Math Magicians fill to the brim with
students, some eager and some shy, and all ready to
get their homework out of the way.
The business that bills itself as the place "Where math
problems disappear," opened in September and
already has moved to an expanded location that
officially opened Monday.
Their rapid success with students has led them to
branch out into other subjects, including chemistry,
physics, science, Chinese, Spanish, French, English,
reading and special report projects.
"Drop-ins are welcome, just like Supercuts," even for
Sinness.
Math Magicians' 14 tutors work with two or three
students in each session, serving the nearly 200
students who have arrived since September.
What's the secret of their success?
"Our curriculum is your child's textbook," said
co-owner Kimberlee Fletcher from her office this
week.
Unlike tutoring services that introduce their own
curricula and practice work, Math Magicians focuses
on homework help and test preparation for students
whose parents are less likely to be able to help as
classroom work becomes ever more advanced.
"It's (for) the student who's frustrated. They
understand it when the teacher presents it, but
when they go home and have to do it themselves,
they draw a blank," Fletcher said.
Though most of the crowd arrives after the school bell
rings, drop-in scheduling is ideal for homeschoolers
and year-round school students as well, she added.
Sinness, 42, and Fletcher, 51, are sisters-in-law.
Sinness holds an electronics engineering degree from
DeVry University and has worked for seven years as a
teacher.
She is an algebra and geometry teacher at Pete Knight
High School.
"I got tired of sitting across the table from parents
asking me for a good tutor and not having a good
place to send them for homework help," Sinness said
of her inspiration for the business.
Fletcher is a 12-year veteran of the Los Angeles
County Sheriff's Department, where she worked in
prisons, courthouses and in patrol training, and now is
a Christian children's writer in her spare time.
The co-owners credit their success to an upbeat,
spontaneous atmosphere, where tutors take the time
to relate to each student personally. They note that
struggling students who once loathed their homework
are eager to come back after finding the help they
need.
"Parents are busy trying to make dinner, take them to
soccer practice, do the laundry," Sinness said.
"The way they're presenting (math) these days in
elementary school are things my high school tutors
haven't even seen," she added, noting the difficulty
of ever-changing public and private math curricula.
The business' clientele, which is mostly area high
school and college students, includes some older
adults who are returning to school or preparing for
occupational tests.
In the coming summer, along with their standard
spate of afternoon subject tutoring, Math Magicians
also will offer preparation sessions in specific subjects
for a student's upcoming grade level - particularly
algebra and geometry preparedness - as well as fun
activities in arts and writing.
"Summertime's the best time in the world to
strengthen the math skills of students, to get them
ready for a healthy year," Sinness said.
Math Magicians also has expanded to include a full
reading lab and offers a multiplication lab on Fridays,
as well as weekend seminars in study skills and time
management, and SAT, CSET (math subjects) and
teachers' CBEST preparation, with schedules to be
announced.
Parents should not be afraid to reach out for extra
help as soon as the need arises, she noted.
"Sometimes, parents carry their own past self-fulfilling
prophecies, like 'It's OK. I wasn't good in math either.'
" Sinness said. "Tutoring has a stigma, but more than
half of our students are honor students who want to
keep their grades.
"It's the ones who get help who are smart. Once they
get here, they feel so empowered. They realize that
everyone's just like them - it's just breaking that ice."
Sinness adds a striking point for many parents to
consider: Tutoring is a bargain compared to other
expenses.
"You'd spend $40 an hour for a batting coach or dance
lessons, or even $100 for dinner and a night out -
that's a lot of tutoring."
For the family struggling with a child's progress in
school, she advises, constant contact with teachers is
the best policy.
"Find out what's going on in the classroom. Take
advantage of before and after-school tutoring if you
can't afford a private service, but make sure they're
going."
Most important, she said, "Don't wait."
With about a month of classes left at most schools,
Fletcher noted that many worried parents just are
making last-minute appointments to help improve
their children's end-of-the year grades.
"I struggled with algebra even though I ended up
being an engineer," Sinness said. "But I used a tutor
all the way through college.
"Math is foundational. If there are gaps in the
beginning, they're just going to get bigger."
Tutoring hours can be purchased in packages for a
reduced price; hours purchased last for a year and can
be shared among siblings. Payment options range from
a private hourly rate of $40 to a four-hour-a-week
monthly payment plan that works out to $18 an hour.
For details, call (661) 718-3699
AV Beat.com 2007
Math Magicians Working Wonders
Antelope Valley California
Business
They started with one student, but word spread
quickly, and they now have nearly two hundred
regular students.
“We work with 1st graders all the way up to adults
in college or those who are preparing for city and
county employment tests,” said Sinness. “We
have middle school and high school students, a
few college students, and teachers refreshing for
the CBEST test.”
The speed with which their business has grown is
due almost entirely to the success rate of their
clients, and the ensuing word of mouth. “We
started off in a small house, but we outgrew it
and moved into a larger facility on May 1st,”
recalled Sinness. Their new facility is at 41715
50th St West, right near Quartz Hill Elementary
School.
Sinness explained they have a few basic tenets to
their approach that seem to be working well. “We
have set up a very inviting atmosphere. We also
focus on pre-teaching when the opportunity is
there, so students understand concepts ahead of
time. There is so much less confusion for them
when they sit in class and they have already been
introduced to the new material.”
Generally, the tutoring sessions involve more than
one student. “We’re not real keen on one-on-one
instruction,” said Sinness. “That can lead to
students becoming too dependent on the tutor.
We encourage self-directed learning, so they can
eventually use their own skills to solve problems.”
The tutoring staff is dominated by high-achieving
high school students. Among them are three
Quartz Hill High students, Shivani Dharmaraja, Eric
Zhu, and Miles Levy-Nordhoff. All three will be
heading off to college soon – to UCLA, Berkeley,
and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, respectively. “We
have 15 tutors right now, and 10 of them will be
leaving soon,” said Sinness. “All will be attending
either a UC school or a Cal Poly. These are some
really brilliant kids.”
Sinness, a fulltime teacher at Pete Knight High
School , makes it clear that tutoring is not limited
to math. “We tutor in just about everything,
including physics, chemistry, and Spanish. We also
advise on science projects.” Co-Owner Fletcher is
a retired Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff. She
brings extensive experience in customer service
and computer applications. She also previously
worked for the FBI and FAA.
Fletcher and Sinness are busy planning their
summer session. “We’ll have a structured 3-hour
morning session dedicated to reviewing major
standards from the previous year,” said Sinness.
“We’ll also get into concepts that will be
addressed during the upcoming school year.” The
afternoon session will focus on various subjects
students wish to explore, including arts and crafts
and journalism. In the evening the focus will
return to their bread and butter, geometry and
algebra readiness. In addition, the lab will be open
for regular tutoring throughout the summer.
For more information on Math Magicians, use the
link below to visit their web site, or call them at
661-718-3699.
Deborah Sinness and Kimberlee Fletcher have
seen their business grow exponentially since
opening in September of 2006
A very small percentage of the population is
naturally adept at mathematics. The rest of us
either work extremely hard at conquering it, or do
whatever it takes to avoid it. However, we all
know that neither approach is the best strategy.
The best approach is to find help. Luckily, we
have a new outfit right here in the Antelope
Valley that has already helped hundreds of local
students, young and old alike, improve and hone
their math skills.
Math Magicians, operated by Deborah Sinness and
Kimberlee Fletcher, got off the ground last
September
Math Magicians Working Wonders
Antelope Valley California
Business
They started with one student, but word spread
quickly, and they now have nearly two hundred
regular students.
“We work with 1st graders all the way up to adults
in college or those who are preparing for city and
county employment tests,” said Sinness. “We
have middle school and high school students, a
few college students, and teachers refreshing for
the CBEST test.”
The speed with which their business has grown is
due almost entirely to the success rate of their
clients, and the ensuing word of mouth. “We
started off in a small house, but we outgrew it
and moved into a larger facility on May 1st,”
recalled Sinness. Their new facility is at 41715
50th St West, right near Quartz Hill Elementary
School.
Sinness explained they have a few basic tenets to
their approach that seem to be working well. “We
have set up a very inviting atmosphere. We also
focus on pre-teaching when the opportunity is
there, so students understand concepts ahead of
time. There is so much less confusion for them
when they sit in class and they have already been
introduced to the new material.”
Generally, the tutoring sessions involve more than
one student. “We’re not real keen on one-on-one
instruction,” said Sinness. “That can lead to
students becoming too dependent on the tutor.
We encourage self-directed learning, so they can
eventually use their own skills to solve problems.”
The tutoring staff is dominated by high-achieving
high school students. Among them are three
Quartz Hill High students, Shivani Dharmaraja, Eric
Zhu, and Miles Levy-Nordhoff. All three will be
heading off to college soon – to UCLA, Berkeley,
and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, respectively. “We
have 15 tutors right now, and 10 of them will be
leaving soon,” said Sinness. “All will be attending
either a UC school or a Cal Poly. These are some
really brilliant kids.”
Sinness, a fulltime teacher at Pete Knight High
School , makes it clear that tutoring is not limited
to math. “We tutor in just about everything,
including physics, chemistry, and Spanish. We also
advise on science projects.” Co-Owner Fletcher is
a retired Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff. She
brings extensive experience in customer service
and computer applications. She also previously
worked for the FBI and FAA.
Fletcher and Sinness are busy planning their
summer session. “We’ll have a structured 3-hour
morning session dedicated to reviewing major
standards from the previous year,” said Sinness.
“We’ll also get into concepts that will be
addressed during the upcoming school year.” The
afternoon session will focus on various subjects
students wish to explore, including arts and crafts
and journalism. In the evening the focus will
return to their bread and butter, geometry and
algebra readiness. In addition, the lab will be open
for regular tutoring throughout the summer.
For more information on Math Magicians, use the
link below to visit their web site, or call them at
661-718-3699.
Deborah Sinness and Kimberlee Fletcher have
seen their business grow exponentially since
opening in September of 2006
A very small percentage of the population is
naturally adept at mathematics. The rest of us
either work extremely hard at conquering it, or do
whatever it takes to avoid it. However, we all
know that neither approach is the best strategy.
The best approach is to find help. Luckily, we
have a new outfit right here in the Antelope
Valley that has already helped hundreds of local
students, young and old alike, improve and hone
their math skills.
Math Magicians, operated by Deborah Sinness and
Kimberlee Fletcher, got off the ground last
September
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| Math Magicians, Inc. Where Homework Problems Disappear... |
Palmdale Location
811 West Palmdale Blvd
Palmdale, CA 93551
661-273-2212
811 West Palmdale Blvd
Palmdale, CA 93551
661-273-2212
Math Magicians, Inc.
info@mmtutor.com
Quartz Hill Location
42202 50th St West
Quartz Hill, CA 93536
661-718-3699
info@mmtutor.com
Quartz Hill Location
42202 50th St West
Quartz Hill, CA 93536
661-718-3699