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How do I know if my child has a reading
problem?
Your Student:
Gets poor marks in heavy reading courses.
Is not getting much information out of the text book.
Is reluctant to read anything especially a text book.
Complains about having too much to read.
Just plain doesn't like
school.
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Is my student ready for the next grade?
Only a
diagnostic reading test can really tell. Marks do not always tell the full story of
whether your student is really ready to go on. With a diagnostic reading test of
your
student's abilities and learning skills, assessment is narrowed down to exactly
what is needed to bring your student up to the highest standards of his/her age
level.
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My child has missed a lot of school. Will this
program help him/her to catch up?
The Effective and Efficient Reading Program that our
summer school offers, works
better when your student has caught up with the things he/she has missed in the
previous years, for whatever reason. That is why we start off with the diagnostic reading testing
to pinpoint exactly what educational material your student has missed. We have found that many
students are lacking in a few basics missed in their formative years, which continues to make reading hard for the rest of their lives.
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Will this reading program help my child have an easier
time getting through the reading at a High School level of education?
Definitely. We offer our Effective and Efficient
Reading Program to your student to improve comprehension and speed in learning
all subjects. Our main Educational focus is on the skills needed to make your
students life at any level of education
easier and more fun.
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How many boys and how many girls are on a
trip?
Our summer school tries to have a 50:50 ratio of boys and girls
on our trips.
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Who are the supervisors on this trip?
There is a teacher or tutor for every four students. Teachers and tutors
are screened very thoroughly and are picked with the suitability in mind for
this type of summer school and study. At least one is a qualified teacher, and the rest
of the staff are teachers, teacher's aides or English tutors.
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What is included in the trip's cost?
The cost of your students summer school includes meals,
accommodations and some of the camping equipment and all school supplies. See the
Equipment List for what you need to supply.
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What equipment will my child have to bring?
Please view our
Equipment List.
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How much spending money does my child need?
We recommend approximately $100.00 CA per week for items such
as: postcards, stamps, pay showers, snacks, souvenirs, etc. The amount is
totally up to you and your student. The amount should also take into account the
thriftiness of your student and whether or not your student plans on making any
special purchases. Travelers' cheques are the easiest and safest way to send
money. We also offer to look after your students money and travelers' cheques to be
given out as they travel or given out weekly, depending on the student's spending habits.
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How does my child's bike get to the departure
point?
Most airlines take bikes for a special fee. Each airline has a
preferred way of packaging the bike to their specifications. Some airlines
require special bags or boxes to be used, so check with the airline before
purchasing your ticket. At the airport in London when we pick up your student we
also pick up your students bike.
Your student will be helping a qualified staff member put their bike together at
the camp site.
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What if my child's plane gets in before the
pick up on the first of July?
On the first day of camp - July 1, 2008 we
will pick your student up at the airport and transport your student and bike to our first camp
site in Canterbury. If your student must arrive before July 1st we will pick up
him/her for an additional charge of $300.00 CA per day. The extra $300.00 CA
per day is to pay for accommodation and expenses for the extra days spent in
London. These arrangements must be made at least 15 days before the arrival
date of July 1st. The extra days may not be after July 1st or before July 28th
or after September 1st as all employees will be on the bike trip.
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What if my child can't get a ticket for July
28th out of London?
Your student must fly before August 1st but we
will look after your student for the days up until that date. There will be a charge
of $300.00 CA per day for this service.
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Where do the trips begin and end?
This England trip starts in Canterbury and ends in
Salisbury. Tutor Bike Tours will pick up and deliver your student from the airport
(Heathrow and Gatwick) on July 1st and July 28th free of any extra charges.
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Where will the groups spend the nights?
Tutor Bike Tour's, camps. If it is not possible to
camp we will be staying in hostels or a dorm type of setting. We will be camping
every night unless something unplanned for happens (i.e. 3 weeks of solid
rain).
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Who are you?
We are parents who believe in the highest possible
education that a child can accomplish, still love it and have a good time.
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What is camping like?
Camping is an important component of your summer
school adventure. The great outdoors, without TV's, movies and other electronic
paraphernalia, inspires your student to get to know each other, sing around a
campfire or tell stories.
But kids, don't worry too much. There will also be
time for internet cafes, for being in touch with family and friends and just
plain down time. You can't get to know the people of England without a little
down time to rub a few elbows.
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What kind of tent will my son/daughter be
sleeping in?
Tutor Bike Tours supplies large and roomy tents for a
comfortable sleep. And of course boys and girls are separated into separate
tents. See our page on Summer School Classrooms.
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Can I let my child fly alone?
If your student is flying alone to London and we are
meeting him/her at the airport we require that your student uses the airline's service
for children travelling alone. You need to check with the airlines to make sure
they have this service before you buy your ticket. Most airlines that supply
this type of service accompany your student through check-in, makes sure that
they are among the first to board the plane, takes care of possible connecting
flights, accompanies the student off the plane and delivers the child to a specified
person at the other end. In this case it would be a representative from Tutor
Bike Tours.
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Where are the students from?
We have students from all over the world but we are a
Canadian Summer School so most of our high school students are from Canada.
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Who will look after my child's daily
medication?
Tutor Bike Tours looks after all medications. Your
student must give all medications to our staff at the beginning of the tour, to
be administered by one of our professional staff. We ask for a 7 day backup on
their medication in case of emergencies. We also ask for the pharmacy printout
on the drugs we are to administer. This printout describes allergic reactions
and gives any English physicians more to work on if an emergency happens.
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What if flight schedules do not match the
Tutor Bike Tours' schedule?
Your student will be met on the start and end days of
the camp or at the time their flight schedules require. No one will be left
waiting at the airport. If your student can not arrive of July 1st or fly
out on the 28th We charge an extra fee of $300.00 CA per day to cover
the costs of your student staying in London and special transportation to and from the
airport. Arrangements for your student must be made 15 days ahead of the scheduled time of pick up
and delivery.
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How are special diets taken into account?
Our summer school takes all allergies, vegetarian and
other restrictive diet demands into account when planning our meal schedules. No
one with special dietary requirements will be left out at meal times. Please
make sure to fill the dietary section of your students registration form in very
carefully.
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Is the bike trip competitive?
Bike touring is not a competitive sport which is one of
the main reasons we have picked this type of exercise and travel for our summer
school. Each student
has his/her own individual reading material which also makes it impossible to be
competitive.
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Do students have to participate in all
activities?
Yes. The program is a camping program that relies on
team work from all members. At the same time nobody will be forced to do
anything they are incapable of accomplishing.
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My child is
having second thoughts about leaving for the tour alone without knowing anyone
beforehand. Is that a problem?
No, it is not. Most of our bikers come alone so you
will be just like everyone else. It is normal for your student to have second thoughts but we are
a team building camp. No one is left out and even if you were coming with your
best friend we would try to get you separated so that by the end of this tour
you would not only have your friend as a best friend but also everyone else in
the tour.
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Do you have tours like this for adults?
Not at this time. We will be planning an adult course
for next summer if there is an interest. Email me at
carolwright@tutorbiketours.com We
are planning a adult reading tour for the year 2009. Please email or use the
contact form to let me know about interests, etc. So far there has been enough
interest.
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My child turns 12 in June. Can she still
participate in the camp?
Yes, your student can. Tutor Bike Tours are designed for those
children who are 12 or over at the beginning of the tour.
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Do you offer a program for students learning
English?
We will be offering an ESL course next year.
2009
Summer School