Heather Latter
An after-school math and reading academic enrichment program has landed a new home.
Previously located at the Kenora-Rainy River Child and Family Services building here, Kumon has moved into the Church of the Holy Spirit on Victoria Avenue.
Though still operated through Kenora-Rainy River Child and Family Services, Kumon, which has been running locally for about two years, began to assist children in care.
It since has expanded to the community, however, with about half of the students being members of the general public.
“We’re very excited to have this new space,” said Sandy Drummond, the Kumon instructor-in-training who will be taking over from current instructor Lynda Moncrief.
“It has a much better flow through here,” noted Moncrief.
Drummond also said the new location is more welcoming to students and families.
“It’s a peaceful atmosphere,” she remarked, adding there are no issues over having to “buzz” people in and out after hours, which occurred at the previous location.
“This is a much nicer situation,” agreed Moncrief. “And it’s open and available to us. . . .
“[The church] has been very welcoming and accommodating to us.”
The new location will be known as a Kumon Centre, complete with a permanent sign outside, as well as having all of its supplies available and on site.
Moncrief, who will be busy expanding the Kumon program in Kenora, said Drummond will do an excellent job.
“She was involved with Kumon about seven years ago,” she noted.
Because Drummond was away from it for so long, she has to do some retraining, which includes completing online training modules, job-shadowing Moncrief, and taking courses in Toronto and New Jersey.
“It comes back quickly,” Drummond said, adding that she’s familiar with Fort Frances and has relatives in the area.
“Some things are still the same≤” she explained. “The theory behind Kumon has not changed.
“We still make sure kids are working at a just-right level.”
The program, which is held in Fort Frances once a week, offers a personalized approach to helping children learn math and reading concepts based on their ability rather than their age or grade.
Moncrief indicated the student works at his or her own pace and is unaware of what level they are working at, which allows them to focus on comprehending the new material fully before moving ahead.
Kumon also places an emphasis on self-learning, with each exercise building on previously-mastered concepts.
Moncrief stressed there are no teachers at Kumon and it is not a tutoring service—but there are assistants who simply help guide the student.
And despite the change in location and instructor, Moncrief said there still will be the same solid staff on hand, which is comprised of retired teachers.
Kumon is open to students from pre-school to university-aged. It is ideal for children who want to be challenged, as well as for those who need a little help catching up.
“While we have been using it for remedial purposes, we do have several students who are working above grade level,” Drummond noted.
Although students attend one session a week after school for about two hours, they do exercises in their workbooks at home throughout the week.
“It’s a commitment for the entire family—you have to build it into your life,” Drummond stressed.
She said students spend about 20-30 minutes a day on their Kumon exercises, then they bring the work back each week and the assistants assess their progress.
Drummond also said they’ll be holding an open house at the new location in January.
“Anyone who wants to come and learn a bit more about the program will be able to do so,” she explained.
A date hasn’t been set yet, but it will be advertised in the Times closer to that time.
For more information, visit www.kumon.ca or call Drummond at 274-7787 ext. 3033.
