Adventure With Alison: Gymnastics Class

Alison and I are currently enrolled in a gymnastics class at Alta Vista Park in Redondo Beach. Gymnastics is a great athletic activity for young boys and girls to start with. It teaches fundamental body movement that is necessary for all other sports and dance. I really want Alison to be a gymnast but we will see how she takes to it. Our gymnastics class is organized by a company called Superkids. They offer gymnastics, yoga, cheerleading, and dance classes through the cities of Torrance, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, El Segundo, and Hawthorne. Superkids also offers classes at many of the schools in the South Bay. Classes are available for students ages 18 months to 11 years old. Our instructors are Miss Claire and Miss Vica.
During a typical session of Superkids gymnastics, we do warm up exercises, stretching, and a technique such as a forward roll or a crayon roll. Alison is a little shy about the warm ups but I am sure that she will improve over the twelve weeks of classes. We do various stretches that are creatively incorporated with music. We also do things like jump from side to side and side step. The movements we do are great to push Alison’s mobility and offer her a challenge. Alison and I practice all the things we learn at home in between classes. Alison loves the tumbling and we have mats at home that are great for practicing! After the instruction, we go around the room to several stations consisting of an area to practice the tumbling that we learned that day, a balance beam, a mini-trampoline, a bar to hang from or hold a pike, rings for swinging or holding a pike, and other fun activities. Alison’s favorites are the trampoline and balance beam. She is also quite good at holding the pike position from the bar. Today she was hanging from the bar with her hands and feet like a little monkey. When we say, “Eat a banana” she pulls herself up to the bar and pretends to eat. It is very cute!
After we practice at the different stations, we play a game with props such as hula hoops. This is my favorite part. I haven’t used a hula hoop since I was a child and it’s a great work out. Alison is still much too small to actually hula hoop but there are other fun and creative uses for them. Alison’s favorite thing to do with them is collect them and put them away. I wish she felt that way about her toys at home. At the end of class, we sing a song or two, do a Superkids cheer, and then each student receives a stamp from the teacher. Boy do toddlers love stamps! I have to get some for my house to use as a reward for good behavior.
Exercise is an important part of the human existence. We need to get our muscles moving and our blood flowing. This is especially important for students who are sitting at a desk for a large part of the day. Your child will perform much better in school if he or she spends some time expending energy each day. Prior to 7th grade, I did not participate in any athletic activities and I struggled in school. From 7th through 12th grades, I was a cheerleader year round and I was pretty close to a straight A student each year. I don’t think this is a coincidence. The Superkids programs are a great way to incorporate activity into your child’s day and your child will learn some important skills at the same tim

October 11th, 2011 - Posted in Making Learning Fun, Our Community | | 0 Comments

Happy Labor Day!

Happy Labor Day to all from Expanding Abilities Tutoring! We hope everyone has a peaceful and relaxing day. We wish all students stating up this week the best of luck for this new year! September is a time of new beginnings, reflection, and internal resolutions. Make this year a great one and live authentically!

September 5th, 2011 - Posted in Our Community | | 0 Comments

Have a Great First Day of School!

Wishing the students at Parras Middle School in Redondo Beach and Miraleste in Palos Verdes a GREAT first day of school! We hope this year is full of wonderful learning opportunities!

August 30th, 2011 - Posted in Our Community | | 0 Comments

Expanding Abilities Tutoring Welcomes College Students Back to School!

The fall semester began today for several of the schools in the South Bay! We would like to wish a great beginning of the new school year to all the students at El Camino College in Torrance, Marymount College in Palos Verdes, and Harbor College in Harbor City. We hope you all had a wonderful summer and are excited to get back in to the challenges of college life! Good luck in all your courses!

August 29th, 2011 - Posted in Our Community | | 0 Comments

College Placement Exams

Now is the time that many students are taking college placement exams. Many students have anxiety about these tests. They fear that they will not place into the appropriate class, that they will have a lot of math or english classes to complete based on their placement. My advice is to not worry too much about the tests. These tests are designed to find out what skill level you are at and place you in the proper class. If you place in a beginning level math or english class, usually this is the best place for you to start. It is necessary to make sure that you are comfortable with the basic skills in math and english before you move on to intermediate or advanced level classes. This will ensure your success as you move through all the challenging courses you will face as a college student. If you feel that you are strong in math or english but just need to brush up a little to refresh your memory on some concepts, working with a tutor for a few hours may be a good option for you.

August 16th, 2011 - Posted in Fequently Asked Questions, Our Community, Tutoring | | 0 Comments

Happy 4th!

Expanding Abilities Tutoring wishes all of our students and readers a safe and happy Fourth of July weekend!

July 4th, 2010 - Posted in Our Community | | 0 Comments

Congratulations 2010 Graduates

The tutors at Expanding Abilities Tutoring would like to wish all of the 2010 graduates congratulations especially those students graduating from Marymount College in Palos Verdes, Penninsula High School in Palos Verdes, Redondo Union High School, Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach, West High in Torrance, South High in Torrance, and Bishop Montgomery High School in Torrance.  We wish you much success in the future!

June 26th, 2010 - Posted in Our Community | | 0 Comments

Seeking Honors and Advanced Placement English Tutor

Seeking highly reliable Honors and Advanced Placement English tutor for high school students in the Palos Verdes area.   Tutor will assist students with writing grammar and critique papers on various subjects including literature. Candidate must be a college graduate with a degree in related field.  Candidate must have classroom teaching experience.  

Candidate should live within 10 miles of the Palos Verdes Peninsula and have availability in the afternoons/evenings and some weekends.  Candidate must be available through June 2011.  This is a part-time position for approximately 5 to 10 hours per week. 

Please email resume to melissa@expandingabilities.com

May 20th, 2010 - Posted in Our Community | | 0 Comments

Final Exams Approaching

With final exams approaching, many high school and college students can benefit from an extra review session with a private tutor.  Our tutors are offering extended hours and weekend reviews in the following subjects:  Algebra 1, Algebra 2, College Algebra, Geometry, Pre-Calculus, Calculus, Statistics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Spanish.  Tutors are available for in home tutoring in Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, El Segundo, Torrance, Palos Verdes, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills Estates, San Pedro, Lomita, and Long Beach.  Call today for an appointment.  Most appointments can be scheduled within 24 hours depending on the tutor availability.

May 10th, 2010 - Posted in Our Community, Our Program, Tutoring | | 0 Comments

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Competition this Weekend

Come see Chris Haueter compete this Sunday, September 13th at Cal State Dominguez Hills.  Chris’ division is scheduled for 11:00 am.

September 12th, 2009 - Posted in Our Community | | 0 Comments