Amaechi Onyeali Center Director/Owner's Founding Story for Mathnasium of Evergreen Park
Amaechi Onyeali Center Director/Owner's founding story for Mathnasium of Evergreen Park
Q: What is the first thing a brand new student does at your center?
A: Take the comprehensive assessment.
Q: What is the comprehensive assessment? How long does it take to finish?
A: Our assessment process usually takes about an hour. Students start with a 5 minute oral assessment followed up with a 40-45 minute written assessment. Everything is done with pencil and paper. No calculators or computers are involved. The assessment does an excellent job of identifying a student's strengths and weaknesses in math as well as any skill gaps. When the students has finished it takes about 5 minutes for us to grade the assessment and then immediately go over the results with you.
Q: How often should I bring my student to Mathnasium of Evergreen Park?
A: Students come to the center twice a week or 8-10 times a month. Each session is 50 minutes long. We provide 15-20 minutes of homework help if needed during that time. Otherwise, the entire session focuses on the individualized learning plan that was created from their assessment.
Q: Who are the people teaching my child?
A: All of our dynamic Math Instructors have passed our Mathnasium Instructor's exam and background check. They have also completed our Mathnasium Instructor training. Ms. Alicia has been with Mathnasium of Evergreen Park for over 9 years. She is a Northwestern graduate with a degree in Mathematics. Alexia is a Whitney Young graduate attending school at the University of Chicago. Mr. Watkins has a B.A. in Mathematics from DePaul University and an M.A. in Computer Science from Illinois Institute of Technology. He is a semi-retired Information Technology professional. Ms. Jasmine is a graduate of Central Michigan University and is currently an administrator at UIC. Leah is a recent graduate of Evergreen Park High School and now attends Fisk University majoring in Biology. Ms. Mai is a recent graduate of UIC and currently a student teacher with CPS. Ms. Marie is a recent graduate of Howard University with a degree in T.V. and Film. Nick is a recent graduate of Lincoln Park High School. He is currently attending UIC in pursuit of a Math and Computer Science degree. Taylor is a recent graduate of Chi-Arts High School and will start a teaching degree in the fall. Zoe is a Junior at The Chicago Lab School and volunteers during the school year.
Q: When can I bring my child into Mathnasium of Evergreen Park?
A: Our center is open Monday - Thursday from 3:00 - 7:00 and Saturday from 12:00 - 4:00. All sessions must be scheduled through our Appointment Plus scheduler. The scheduler allows parents to be as flexible as they wish. Parents do not have to commit to Monday and Wednesday at 4:00. They can switch their days and schedule sessions when they are available each week. Parents can also cancel sessions and reschedule them in the system. We also offer online sessions during our hours of operation.
Q: How do you motivate your students at Mathnasium of Evergreen Park?
A: We have several systems in place to motivate our students. First is our star card reward system. Students accumulate stars on their card when they complete pages. They also can receive extra stars from our spin wheel depending on theme days on our Fun Calendars. Students turn in completed cards to get prizes and treats from our reward cabinet. We also have a 100 point club. Students that get a 100 on their mastery check(quiz) join the 100 Point Club for the month. One student at the end of each month is randomly selected from the club and receives $100 cash. Students love coming to Mathnasium and we have to warn you; they can become Crazy about Math.