ENROLLMENT AND SCHEDULING
Every session is scheduled in advance (this is not a drop-in service).
The primary contact on your account will receive a text/email reminder 48 hours before your scheduled session. If we have the student's contact info, they will also receive this reminder. (If you would like us to add anyone else to receive these reminders, please let us know.)
Our phone, text and email lines are open each day until 3pm, which is when our team switches focus to optimizing student experience during their sessions. Communications received after 3pm may be returned the next day.
Clients should provide 1 day advanced notice for any schedule changes or cancellations.
Same-day cancellations will be assessed a full session charge.
We believe that a consistent, repeatable work rhythm is crucial to success. We will work with you to develop a program and a schedule that fits your busy life. To schedule, change or cancel a session, please send us email or call us.
STAR SESSIONS - HOW IT WORKS
Ratio: All sessions are 1:1, unless otherwise agreed. If we are given access to the student's online school, our staff will preview their grades and workload to develop an idea of each student’s academic situation. This helps us best prepare for the session. When students arrive, they work with staff to develop a planning sheet and prioritize assignments. Next, students work on their assignments independently and with content support from the tutor.
How it Works: Tutors use a variety of proven processes, tools, and techniques to build organizational, planning, executive functioning AND academic skills. These critical skills will have a lasting impact on the student's ability to be successful at school and at real life in any setting. The goal is to help students improve their grades by supporting them with their most pressing and relevant academic work while simultaneously encouraging independence.
Checking In: The tutor will provide notes outlining what they accomplished and the other priorities that remain to be completed at home. We will always call if there is an urgent need. We encourage parents to communicate any needs or issues with us. Our program works best when it’s a group effort!
BOOKS AND MATERIALS
We understand that many students will be coming directly from school and that's perfect - you'll most likely have what you need! We ask students to bring their binders, notebooks, and planners for their core courses. Your tutor may specify other materials to bring from time to time.
Laptops are a great resource! If your studies involve online homework, please bring your computer. We try to keep common office supplies and a few spare laptops on hand - first come first serve. We also provide access to a printer as needed.
Headphones (including earbuds) are not permitted (unless using for audio/video lessons).
We may use supplemental educational resources (such as Khan Academy and IXL Learning). By accepting these terms, you are providing consent to use these services and possibly register a student account for these services. Additionally, in order to provide our services, we may ask you to provide us with access to your student’s Learning Management System (LMS) and/or gradebook platform - if you provide such access, then you are granting consent for us to access those systems on your behalf.
We ask that phones are kept in backpacks on silent mode while at the tutoring center. If electronics become a constant distraction, they will be held by the center staff for the remainder of the session or we will ask for them to be left at home.
We understand that coordinating pick-up time is important and the occasional text message for these purposes is okay. However, we ask parents to coordinate all early departures with their tutor.
SATISFACTION GUARANTEE
We are confident that you'll love our programs, so your satisfaction is guaranteed. If at any time you have concerns regarding the services you are receiving, let our center staff know and we'll do whatever it takes to make it right. There are no contracts or commitments.
Please note that it can take time (sometimes months or even years!) to fully develop organization, planning and executive functioning skills. This involves brain maturation and development which varies across every individual. Consistency is key and sometimes patience is required to see results - your student will get there! Please communicate any need or concern that you have as it is often useful for the tutor in devising the most effective program.
FOOD AND SNACKS
We understand that students may be hungry after a long day of school and it is acceptable to bring snacks. Snacks may be eaten in the back area of the tutoring center and not at work desks. We ask for students to keep snack breaks short and try to limit to one per session.
We sometimes provide snacks including fruit, chips and pizza which are kept in the back of the tutoring center. Please note that we cannot manage individual allergies.
STUDENT PRIVACY
As educators, we take student privacy seriously. We adhere to FERPA regulations. We will not sell or share your personal data, contact info, test scores, or grades with any third parties without advanced written consent. Student data will only be transmitted to the student's parents and is only accessible to assigned tutors and center management for purposes related to the delivery of educational services.
We ask parents to consent to access to the student’s Learning Management System to the student’s tutor.
