Written by Maggie Caldwell- If there was one myth the organizers of last Thursday’s boarding school fair hoped to dispel, it was that boarding schools are elitist and take students only of a certain pedigree.

The event, held at the Greenwich Water Club and hosted by Greenwich Education and Prep, a college and educational counseling company, brought in representatives from more than 40 competitive New England boarding schools to meet with parents and prospective students. The purpose of the evening was less about recruiting students or buttering up admissions officers, and more about helping students identify the schools that best fit their individual educational and social needs.

Maggie Caldwell of Greenwich-Post.com covered the boarding school fair held by Greenwich Education and Prep. To read the full article please visit http://www.acorn-online.com/joomla15/greenwich-post/news/local/59732-finding-the-right-prep-school.html

Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, was struck on January 12th by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake. The survivors of this destructive earthquake need continual assistance from countries all over the world. Funds that are contributed now can determine how many lives can be spared in the days and weeks to come. Greenwich Education and Prep is committed to providing the necessary service to help those in need. Whether it be
individuals within our own community or those abroad, we realize the importance of continual service and the responsibility associated withhelping other people live longer, healthier lives.

Please help Greenwich Education and Prep join recovery efforts mobilizing around the world to assist earthquake victims. We have decided to support the Doctors Without Borders Haiti relief effort during this critical process. We are currently asking for monetary donations to help disaster victims rebuild their lives and their communities. If you would be willing to contribute a donation, pleasevisit our Firstgiving page:
http://www.firstgiving.com/annmariemangano.

You can donate on-line with a credit card. All donations are secure and sent directly to Doctors Without Borders by Firstgiving, who will email you a printable record of your donation. Please send our page on to anyone who might like to donate! Our goal is to raise $2,500.00 for the relief effort. If you have any additional questions please feel free to contact Associate Director Ann Marie Mangano at 203-661-1609 or
annmarie@greenwichedprep.com.

Greenwich Education and Prep & Doctors Without Borders thanks you for your time and service.

Greenwich Education and Prep is holding our 1^st Annual Give 2 the Troops Gift Drive! As we celebrate the holiday season in the company of those we love, let us help brighten the lives of troops overseas by giving much needed items such as food, toiletries, and games. Give 2 the Troops is an organization created in 2002 by Andi Grant, a woman whose husband was deployed to Iraq. Compelled to show her unwavering appreciation for his mission, she created branches of Give 2 the Troops throughout the state of Connecticut. It is our goal to bring a little piece of home to our troops by taking the time to appreciate the sacrifice they make on a daily basis to protect our freedom.

Please take a moment to review the “official list” of items that can be found below. We will be collecting items in our Greenwich, New Canaan, and CSLS offices through January 15, 2010. If you have any additional questions or comments, please contact Associate Director Ann Marie Mangano atAnnmarie@greenwichedprep.com. All of us at Greenwich Education and Prep wish you and your family a happy & healthy New Year!

Click here for the Give2TheTroops® OFFICIAL LIST of the Most Popular Items Requested By Our Troops

Thank you for your cooperation and support!

This fall, we will be hosting our second Thanksgiving Food Drive. GEP has paired up with Neighbor To Neighbor, a local charity organization, to provide nutritious food products to members of our community. Our goal is to collect 10 boxes of canned goods by Friday, November 20th. Please contribute non-perishable food items to one of our GEP offices located in Cos Cob or New Canaan. We are requesting that you donate one of the following high priority items when you attend one of your academic tutoring sessions:

• dried & canned beans
• boxed milk & cereal
• canned fruits & vegetables
• 100% fruit juice
• peanut butter & jelly

If your child is interested in organizing this event for community service hours at your local middle or high school, please contact Associate Director, Annie Mangano at Annmarie@greenwichedprep.com for additional information. We are looking for dedicated student-leaders who would be willing to assist  throughout the fundraising process. Thank you for your continued support and dedication.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Whitby School has engaged Greenwich Education and Prep to offer Whitby and area students a range of academic services to help students attain their academic goals. These services, which will be provided on the Whitby campus, include private tutoring, standardized test preparation, school admissions counseling and a host of specialized educational services.

Whitby School will offer these supplemental services to its students. In addition, Greenwich Education and Prep will utilize the modern Whitby facilities to provide its services to non-Whitby students from PreK through grade 12. Doug Fainelli, Whitby’s Head of School, commented, “Whitby has always provided students with personalized, tailored attention, so we are thrilled to also offer the recognized high quality services of Greenwich Education and Prep.”  Vicky Newman, Executive Director of Greenwich Education and Prep, is also enthusiastic about the partnership: “Greenwich Education and Prep is proud to partner with Whitby School and we look forward to helping more children develop a love of learning and achieve their educational goals.”

Families interested in learning more should contact Greenwich Education and Prep at 203-661-1609.

About Whitby School: Founded in 1958, Whitby is a premiere, co-educational independent school for children 14 months through 8th grade. Whitby continue to be an innovative leader in education by building on its roots as America’s first Montessori school  and incorporating the highly acclaimed International Baccalaureate (IB) programs for both the primary and middle school. Whitby’s dynamic approach to education provides children with the intellectual, personal, and social skills they need to learn, live and succeed in today’s global community. For more information visit www.whitbyschool.org, or call 203-869-8464.

Zach Feldman surrounded by thank you cards from grateful New Orleans students

Zach Feldman, a sixth grade student in GEP’s alternative school program, has recently been involved in a very special community service project. With the hope that he could make a difference in the lives of other children in need, Zach collected more than 300 picture books and donated them to a first grade class at New Orleans Success Preparatory Academy, a charter school in Louisiana. First grade teacher, Mrs. Greeley, also Zach’s aunt, reported that the children screamed with excitement when they received the boxes from Connecticut. They wrote Zach letters in which they thanked him not only for his books, but for his love.

Zach is now doing monthly drives of dry erase markers, hand sanitizers, and Kleenex tissues, with a few boxes of cookies for afternoon snacks. He feels that even a small box sent each month makes a big impact on those who are really in need. Ms. Greeley stated her gratitude for Zach’s contributions to her classroom and shared that it is her mission to give every child an opportunity to learn to read. Zach is certainly helping his aunt complete this goal. When asked what this project has meant to him so far, Zach smiled and said,  “I feel happy and proud because I’m donating books to kids who don’t have them, and I’m helping them learn.”

If you would like to contribute to Zach’s cause, please contact Meredith Hafer at meredith@greenwichedprep.com for more details.

Zach shipping books to New Orleans

Join Eric Burns in this short survey course aimed at sharpening your writing skills across a number of genres.  Burns will draw from his experiences as an award winning journalist and author to help make writing come alive for you.  Critique of weekly writing assignments will be used to drive home points and encourage discussion.

As Eric Burns explains, “Unlike math or science or history, writing is more than a subject.  Writing is actually a synonym for thinking, and thinking—as opposed to memorization—is the tool without which no learning, in any subject, is possible.  The only difference between thinking and writing is that the former is done between your ears and the latter between the margins of a sheet of paper.  But writing is the only ’subject’ taught in high school that will be with you for the rest of your life no matter what your field.  Everyone has to think.  Everyone has to place his thoughts on paper.  (Or on a computer screen.)  Even the mathematician, scientist or historian has to write.  To write clearly, then, is to take the first step toward thinking clearly, which is in turn the first step toward mastering not only every subject in high school and college, but every possible job in the marketplace.  There is nothing more important for a young scholar to accomplish.”