Penguin Tutoring Blog

As the days warm up and holidays are around the corner, a great day out can be spent in the sun seeing and learning about penguins at Boulders in Cape Town. Each year, as part of our corporate social investment drive, we sponsor the rehabilitation of an injured or marooned penguin. Being in our sixth year, we’ve adopted five penguins, namely Patrick, Petunia, Percival, Pippa and Pablo. Have you got any suggestions on the name of the next one?

Read an extract from a recent travel24 post about boulders below:

If you’re a fan of the cute and cuddly tuxedo-wearing birds that fly through water, instead air, Simonstown’s Boulders beach is a must-visit destination. First established in 1986 when a pair of perky African Penguins came across this cosy stretch of coast and decided to settle there, the colony has grown substantially and is now home to about 2100 breeding pairs and their fluffy babies.

A well-maintained boardwalk takes you right along their burrowed nests, hidden among the lush indigenous undergrowth and a variety of viewing points look out over their hunting grounds and the white beach where nurseries of chicks await their parents and their food.

But, even though it may look like the penguin colony is bursting at the seems, the numbers tell a different story, as 2100 breeding pairs is a sad site, compared to the 4500 of five years ago. And the worst part is that this reflects the figures of South Africa’s penguin population at large, as the 36 000 breeding pairs spread across the 26 different colonies, have dwindled to 17 000 in the past 10 years.

Reasons for this demise are uncertain, but conservationists suspect that pelagic fishing is at the heart of it. The Treasure oil spill in 2000 also may have interfered with breeding seasons more drastically than expected.

So, if you haven’t seen these cuties in all their natural glory, make a big and bold inscription on your bucket list and head on over there as soon as possible!

The winter solstice sees people doing crazy things to mark the shortest day of the year. Polar Bear plunges in the middle of a Northern hemisphere winter, and now a local Penguin Plunge into the Klein River in Stanford, Western Cape.

Local residents and any other brave Overberg souls will be lining up on the jetty of the River Lodge on Sunday 25th June to leap into the icy waters. Their reward? A comforting mug of gluwhein, and a glow in their hearts knowing that they will contribute to a needy cause in the local community.

A challenge was set to one of the big-hearted local residents, who rose to the fore and turned the occasion into a fun event, with the spin off to raise funds for local charities.

Springfontein Wines will generously sponsor the wine, and Hennie - of the famed Hennie’s Pub and Grill - will be ladling  the gluwhein.

Join Penguin Tutoring and support this worthy cause, or take up the challenge and organise your own Penguin Plunge - your pool, perhaps?

2010 has been a trying year for our young learners at school. The Soccer World Cup, exciting and inspirational as it was, played havoc with the school timetables and learning programmes.  Added to this, an extended teachers strike put additional pressure on teachers and learners to complete the curriculum in time. Prelims were postponed, teaching days were lengthened and communities rallied around our precious  Grade 12’s to help them prepare for the all important “MATRIC“

The first exam takes place on October 25th. By now, all attention is focussed on preparing for this important event.

We at Penguin Tutoring Co understand the pressure and the difficulties that learners and their parents are faced with. For their entire school career, they are  told of the importance of this final measure of their capabilities. Their future relies on these results. This is all scary and daunting stuff and in addition to this, many young people are faced with the dilemma of making a career choice - which degree? which university? which residence?

We would like to pass on some tips on making the exam experience a bit easier for both parents and learners.

Parents, try and maintain a consistent environment for your children.  Avoid change, crisis and conflict. Be there to support and love. Be available to discuss the post-mortem of the exam if your child needs to share - but just listen, don’t judge. Provide healthy satisfying meals and ensure a restful environment for a good night’s sleep. Make time for family fun and entertainment and encourage your child to keep active and fit. Consider enlisting the help of a tutor. Even at this late stage of the academic year, these young people have the experience and expertise to help your child with exam techniques and study methods. They act as mentors and role models and can defuse unnecessary tension.Get a good night’s sleep before the exam.

Learners, try these helpful tips:

• Get a good night’s sleep before the exams
• Don’t try and cram the night or morning before the exam
• Arrive early and be ready to write with all the correct equipment
• Check you have received the correct paper
• Read and understand instructions
• Preview the question paper and allocate writing time
• Read the questions and underline key words
• Set out answers clearly, numbering in accordance with the question paper
• Write neatly
• If uncertain of a question, or find you are running out of time, answer at least in part
• Don’t panic
• Review your answers
• Stay till the end of the allotted time

Finally, keep all things in perspective. Keep focused and keep a positive attitude. Believe in yourself, and if things go wrong, don’t give up.

Good luck!

Penguin Tutoring is the leading provider of specialist academic tutors in the country. Our professional management and extensive tutor database will ensure that your children get everything they need and more out of their extra lessons.

Parents of Matrics are going to need some extra help and guidance over the next few weeks.The Prelims have been postponed by the Gauteng Department of Education due to the ongoing educators strike. Exams were scheduled to start on the 3rd September, but will now take place during the week of 20th September. The papers will be written in the afternoons and catch-up sessions will take place in the mornings.

The Department of Education has been distributing Study Guides to affected schools and parents and learners are urged to download past papers from these websites;
www.thutong.doe.gov.za Click on “Support for Matrics “  or  www.education.gpg.gov.za Click on “Matric exam material ”
The DoE will also put up self explanatory guidelines on how to study, and set up study groups. Lessons will be broadcast through radio and television through the Department of Basic Education.

We at Penguin Tutoring Co are concerned about the strike and its far reaching negative impact on the future of these young people. We have tutors available in all areas to assist you. Log onto our website www.penguintutoring.co.za and ask for help now.

Excitement is mounting as the famed Cape Argus Cycle Tour draws closer. A contingent of Penguins from Johannesburg will be tackling the gruelling race on Sunday March 14th, together with35 000 other cyclists tackling the 109km route around Cape Town.

Traditionally staged on the second Sunday of March, this is the biggest one day sporting event in the country and fast becoming a major international draw card – Lance Armstrong joins the starting line up this year.  Foreign entries topped 2 000,  and increase every year, a boon for business and tourism in the Western Cape.

Charities are also big winners at the Cycle Tour. Over R3-million was donated to the race’s two official charities, the Pedal Power Association and the Rotary Club of Claremont in Cape Town.

Last years’ windy conditions made the race the toughest in 20 years. This year conditions did not look too promising, with a feisty south-easter expected to blow at between 40km and 50km/h. Highs of about 25 C are expected in the city, dropping to about 22 C around Slangkop and 19 C at Cape Point.

Good luck to all the brave souls out there - have fun, wear yellow and support Lance’s Livestrong Campaign.

Penguin Tutoring is the leading provider of specialist academic tutors in the country. Our professional management and extensive tutor database will ensure that your children get everything they need and more out of their extra lessons.

Penguin Tutors - Heading for the Beach!

Matric exams are almost over, schools and universities are emptying and 2009 is drawing to a close! Those familiar signs of exam panic on the faces of South African students have been replaced with tans and care free smiles! There can be no mistake now…it’s finally holiday season!

Our tutors have worked exceptionally hard this year, with some incredibly rewarding results. Long term friendships have been forged and the company has grown enormously but most importantly, hundreds of  learners, from Cape Town and The Winelands, to Johannesburg and Pretoria, to Durban and Pietermaritzburg, will be going into the next academic year feeling confident and enthusiastic, all because of the superior work of our tutors!

We would like to say an enormous thank you to every one of our tutors and wish them a fantastic holiday! With all the amazing choices our country has to offer for a good getaway, we can’t know what all of our tutors will be doing. But I think you can guess where most of our Pretoria and Johannesburg tutors will be going…just like these gorgeous African Penguins, they’ll be joining that wonderful summer pilgrimage to the beach!

Happy Summer Holidays!

Penguin Tutoring Cape Town personalises the placement of a screened and trained tutor, matched to your child’s needs, and provides inspirational extra lessons and tutoring for them in the comfort of your own home. Visit www.penguintutoring.co.za to find out more.

When his son was battling with Grade 9 Maths, the client approached Penguin Tutoring for help, not necessarily to get him up to an A symbol immediately, but rather to cement a strong foundation that might stop him from struggling in later years.

But in the space of only four months, his son has become an A Maths student and has shot to the top of the class!

An even greater sense of satisfaction came upon going through the June exam paper with their tutor, who found an extra 10% that the teacher had missed!

Now, our young learner is sharing his knowledge and new found passion for Maths with his class mates and is now confidently assisting the teacher to explain concepts to his classmates who are struggling to understand!

It just goes to show that not only does good tutoring improve understanding of subjects like Maths or Science, it does wonders for a child’s self confidence as well!

Visit www.penguintutoring.co.za for more information about what we can do for your child!

Graz Schmid runs Penguin Tutoring in Cape Town

Graz Schmid hails from a strong Italian upbringing although born on the South Coast of KZN.  Schooling was followed by a year at the then Natal Technikon. She has been employed in secretarial roles and Human Resources for over 30 years across industries that have varied from life insurance to IT and Petroleum.

Graz joined the team in February 2009 and has taken over the Cape Town Franchise as of October 2009.

Her passion lies in working with young people – scholars & tutors alike – to see them develop and grow into young adults. Relationships are very important and thus working with clients also makes it a pleasure to go to work every day.

Graz’ s greatest personal ambition is to travel by ship to Antartica (in the summer months!) This has been on the cards since 2005 before getting involved so closely with the Penguin Team.  Now this desire is that much stronger!She has been married to Alfred for 16 years.  Together they raised Simon who is now married to Justine and they have given Graz & Alfred the two most wonderful grandchildren Olivia & Dominic.

For the past 15 years in the corporate environment, the staff gave Graz the title of “their Mom at Work”.  This has been further refined to “nurturing penguin” which is part of Graz’s Penguin Signature.

Contact Graz at graz@penguintutoring.co.za for any information about extra lessons in Cape Town.