We always kick off the summer with a family trip to the library, filling our library bag so full it takes a team effort to haul it to the car. I love knowing there will be extra time to read—on lazy mornings, at the pool, in the backyard, on road trips, and late into the night when you just want to read one more page. Bring on the summer reading!

March brings many challenges for our students. The academic honeymoon ended months ago, and a sense of restlessness and complacency has set in. It is difficult to stay motivated and complete work that reflects one’s best effort when the semester feels like it is dragging and the weather starts changing.

Messy backpacks? Last minute cram sessions? Forgotten projects? Late assignments? Any of this sound familiar? We hear from parents all the time who feel exhausted with managing their child’s schoolwork.

The holidays are a great time to thank those teachers who go above and beyond to make school a great place for your child. You can never go wrong with a gift card slipped into a kind thank you note. Take this chance to express your appreciation for your teacher’s creativity, commitment, and hard work! But if gift cards are not quite your style, here are a few suggestions to express your appreciation.

We know Connections Academics isn’t your only option when it comes to tutoring, but we feel confident we are your best option. For nearly ten years, Connections Academics has stood out from other tutoring companies. Why? So glad you asked!

This month we are talking with Pat Dunn, an independent college consultant here in Cincinnati and member of the Connections Academic team. Pat is retired after 40 years in secondary school education and 25 years in college counseling. She guides students on creating a comprehensive college list and helps families navigate the dynamic college admissions process.

Here at Connections Academics, we love back to school season! A fresh start and new beginning is exciting, and we are here to help your family start this year off right. Our team of educators has you covered with these back to school tips:

Bring on the summer reading! Connections Academics has got you covered with great summer reads for all ages. Check out your library or local book stores, and be sure to fill your days with awesome page turners!

It’s that tricky time of year when we give all we have to finish out the school year, but our minds are also halfway into summer, thinking about all the fun this great city has to offer! Here are a few ideas to get your summer fun started, and as an added bonus, many events are FREE!

For many schools, another round of parent-teacher conferences is just around the corner. This meeting with your child’s teacher is a valuable time to find out what happens during the school day and how you can best support both your child and the teacher so they can cross the finish line with confidence.

It’s time to start making that summer reading list, and Connections Academics has got you covered! May your summer be filled with pools, BBQ, and lots of late night page-turners!

Amanda Vaughn, the owner and founder of Connections Academics, had no idea where her education degree would take her when she started out as a Title I Reading Teaching in Indiana. After teaching third and fourth grade in Vermont, she landed in Cincinnati teaching fourth grade at Cincinnati Country Day School.

Deciding to bring a tutor into your child’s life is a big decision and an investment. Tutoring will have a significant impact on a student’s life by increasing knowledge, boosting confidence, and developing pride in the hard work of education, but we understand that there are still some nagging questions rolling around in your head. Let’s talk about those.

School closures all around the country have pushed parents into a role we don’t feel fully equipped to handle. At the same time, we are juggling our own careers, perhaps a spouse’s career that likely looks different, and children of various ages with diverse academic needs. All this on top of raw emotions as we look to an uncertain and scary time in our world.

We’re all in this together: a pandemic that requires social isolation and societal shutdown. But we each come into this scenario with unique perspectives. Our family’s perspective is built on six years of homeschooling, followed by a transition to public school this year. Just when we had found our groove at school, we find ourselves thrust back into homeschooling with no choice or warning.