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8- The Oakville Beaver, Friday August 8, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com CHRIS KORNACKI / OAKVILLE BEAVER BY THE LAKE: The Town of Oakville and Petro-Canada have agreed to develop a new waterfront park and extend the existing waterfront trails along Lakeshore Road through Shell Waterfront Park. Seen here are Town of Oakville staff and councillors with Mayor Rob Burton (far left) and Petro-Canada manager Ken Dymock (far right). THE OXFORD DIFFERENCE Don't Leave This School Year to Chance! Like it or not, back to school is almost here. Other than loading up on new clothes and new school supplies, there are certain things in a new school year that are predictable: new teachers, increased homework, and more challenging subjects. But there is also the element of the unknown - Will she forget homework and assignments? Will his study skills not hold up under pressure? Will he procrastinate? Will this year bring rough waters or smooth sailing? Or will she be successful and get good grades? Partnering on park By David Lea OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF A partnership between the Town of Oakville and PetroCanada will soon yield an expanded waterfront park. Town officials and PetroCanada executives met in PetroCanada Parkette on Wednesday to announce that the existing park will be combining with nearby Petro-Canada lands to create a 3.3-hectare park that will span along 800 metres of waterfront. A new trail will also be constructed from Rebecca Street, along Petro-Canada's pipeline corridor lands, through South See Connecting page 12 Don't Wait--Anticipate! Like so much else, history can teach a lesson. Based on past experience and performance, you can make an informed judgment about what this school year will bring. But why wait and see what will happen this grade? Avoid unpleasant surprises by taking action! Develop a plan of attack, get prepared now, and don't leave anything to chance. So don't wait, anticipate... get prepared for the classroom early on - it is the best way to ensure that the school year starts off on the right foot. When you begin the year with organization and a plan for success, the school year won't be left to chance and there will be no unpleasant surprises! These Ten Tips For School Success from Oxford Learning help students (and their families) get prepared to head back to the classroom and develop a plan of attack to have a successful school year! 1. Begin early. Whether school is a month or a week away, or even if the school year has already begun, it is never too late to implement positive changes that can lead to better grades. However, the earlier that you get your child on track, the easier it is for them to stay there. Oxford Learning Can Help. 2. Get informed. Develop regular communication with the teacher so that both you and your child know what to expect at this grade level. Be informed of important school dates (big projects, standardized testing) well in advance to avoid last-minute scrambles. Oxford Learning Can Help. 3. Use a family calendar. Manage school, family, and extra curricular activities with a daily reminder courtesy of a large wall calendar. Oxford Learning Can Help. 4. Break bad habits. Don't fall back into old routines and bad habits. Start this year with a fresh, new positive routine. Oxford Learning Can Help. 5. Homework. Homework amounts increase every grade and homework is often a sticky issue for families. Develop a homework strategy that works for your family early on, so that you the homework gets done and you avoid the homework headaches. Oxford Learning Can Help. 6. Study Skills. When a test looms, tensions can run high. Developing better study skills means that students can study better, not longer and avoid test-stress. Oxford Learning Can Help. 7. Take Note. One of the best ways to stay organized is to take good notes in class. Don't just use the middle of the paper--use the margins, the top and the bottom. Underline and use multiple colors to highlight key points. Oxford Learning Can Help. 8. Raise your hand. Hands up if you want to ask questions, solicit comments, get feedback, and become an active participant in the classroom! Raise your hand if you want to learn! Oxford Learning Can Help. 9. Get help. Avoid struggling this year from the get-go by making the decision to get professional support for children. Oxford Learning Can Help. 10. Don't wait and see. It's easy to want to wait until the first report card for an update on how a child is progressing, but why wait? If a child had difficulties last year, get help from day one and get on the path to a better school year. Oxford Learning Can Help. Friday August 8th to Sunday August 10th 2008 3 DAYS OF LIVE JAZZ ON FIVE FREE OUTDOOR STAGES! Voted Best Learning Centre A better future for your child starts here! Contact us today for more information. www.oxfordlearning.com Ask about our little reader program. OAKVILLE NORTH EAST 380 Dundas St. E. Oakville (905) 257-1207 Café Ole Flamenco Jazz Band · KOLLAGE · Silverleaf Jazz Band · Anderson-Plock Swingin' The Blues LAO TIZER & KAREN BRIGGS · Margot Roi · Lily Frost · Red Peppers Dixieland Band · New Excelsior Jazz Band · River Pilots · Ladies of the Canyon · Carlos Del Junco · SCOTT MARTIN LATIN JAZZ BAND Ted's Warren Commission · GAP MANGIONE BIG BAND · Julie Michels/Kevin Barrett Quartet · Tyler Yarema · Kevin Breit and Sisters Euclid · Son Roberts · Sue Foley · Big Rude Jake · CAROL WELSMAN OAKVILLE NORTH 1131 Nottinghill Gate, Oakville (905) 469-1929 OAKVILLE SOUTH Maple Grove Village 511 Maple Grove Dr. Suite 2, Oakville (905) 849-4027 www.oakvillejazz.com FREE SHUTTLE BUS EVERY 15 MINUTES FROM THE OAKVILLE GO STATION ­ FRI & SAT FROM 5:30 PM TO 12:15 AM