Academy Archives - Page 11 of 12

Our English Tutoring programs: Writing an Essay

Most high school students can tell you how an essay should be written. Ask them, and their responses will include phrases such as ‘the hamburger method’, ‘the thesis statement’, ‘Point-Evidence-Explanation’ and ‘cite your sources’. But there is a world of difference between knowing how something should be done and having the skills to do it. Why Do Essay Writing Skills Matter? Learning to structure and write a top notch essay is one of the most important skills a high school student will ever develop. Students who understand how to structure an argument using formal and precise language do better in all subjects at school and beyond. Furthermore, it’s an essential life skill. When we can argue a point well, we are in a better position [...]

January 5th, 2021|Academy, English Tutoring|

Acting Classes in COVID Times

At the Centauri Arts Academy, we offer several performance-related programs, including Movie-Making, Playwriting & Performance, Devised Theatre and – of course – Acting Classes. Like all performing arts companies, we’ve faced our challenges over the past 10 months, and our instructors have found ingenious ways to ensure our students all have the opportunities to perform. In-Person Acting Classes If you could be a fly on the wall in our after-school acting classes, you’d be surprised to see how quickly the acting students have adapted to a socially-distanced approach to rehearsals and in-studio performance. In a recent acting class, students were asked to think of scenarios where two characters wanted to be together but were physically prevented from doing so. This idea made it credible that [...]

January 5th, 2021|Academy|

Questions we are often asked about our English Tutoring Program

Here are some of the questions we are often asked about our English Tutoring Program. If your question is not answered here, please call us at 416 766 7124. My child is not struggling in school. She loves English – and I’m concerned she needs more than she’s getting in school, especially now schools are quad-mestered. Can you help? This is the number one reason families are choosing our English tutoring program! Often, a student is not struggling at all – the parents are concerned their needs are not being full met in school. Sometimes, a student loves to read, is passionate about creative writing, enjoys literature, has ideas they want to express… our program is designed to meet whatever needs are identified by the [...]

November 18th, 2020|Academy, English Tutoring|

Centauri English Tutoring: The First Month!

Since we launched our small-group English tutoring programs 5 weeks ago, we’ve been busy here at Centauri Arts. We have students every evening of the week and on Saturdays, with the youngest student being 10 years old, and the oldest 18. Here is a look at two of the small-group tutoring sessions now underway… English Tutoring with our Grade 5-6 students We began by exploring Roald Dahl’s autobiography, Boy. We wrote scenes from our own childhoods, and looked at how Dahl develops character. From there, we moved to nature poetry, enhancing our appreciation of language as we enjoyed William Blake’s The Tyger, Snake by D H Lawrence and Tennyson’s The Eagle. While on the subject of nature, we looked at an excerpt from Last Chance [...]

October 27th, 2020|Academy, English Tutoring|

Centauri English Tutoring: We’re Underway!

I’ve been planning for this day for weeks: reading, assembling resources, structuring lessons, getting excited… and yesterday our English classes began in earnest! English Tutoring: the First Day We’re offering in-studio and virtual English classes for middle and high school students – and our first class was in the studio. Two of the three students had previously taken arts classes with us through the Centauri Arts Academy, and one was joining us for the first time. We launched into a piece of personal writing to get to know each other, and afterwards I worked with one student on a reading comprehension, while the other two practised their essay writing skills. We looked together at an article which explored the impact of COVID on the rights [...]

September 29th, 2020|Academy, English Tutoring|

Our English Tutoring Program Opens in Twelve Days!

Preparations are well underway as we get ready to launch this exciting new venture. Here’s some of the many items we are checking off our ‘To Do’ list as we get ready to run our first English classes – virtually, and in our Toronto studio: Prepare the Centauri Arts Academy to open safely As we open our doors for English Tutoring and Arts Workshops, we will do so with safety as a first priority. We’ve installed a new HEPA air filter, there are plenty of hand sanitizers and our tables are exactly 6ft long, to facilitate social distancing. Students and instructors will wear masks, and we’re instigating new cleaning measures, too, so everyone can join us with peace of mind. Process registrations and complete assessments [...]

September 18th, 2020|Academy, English Tutoring|

English Tutoring: How Will it Help Your Child?

How Will an English Tutor Help Your Child? Writing proficiency and reading comprehension are essential – not only to do well in English classes, but for all aspects of school. A student who enhances their writing skills will see their English marks improve, it’s true… but consider how many other academic subjects in middle and high school rely on the ability to interpret text and to write concise, effective and well-structured prose. Whether a student is reading a science textbook, describing the stages of a math problem, writing a history essay or completing a case study in business class, strong literacy and language skills are essential for success. English Classes: Building Skills for Life! A student with the ability to write and interpret a wide [...]

September 8th, 2020|Academy, English Tutoring|

Virtual Open House

Join Us for Our First Ever Virtual Open House and Enjoy Free Arts Activities All Day Long… What better way to end your summer than with a day at Centauri! On THURSDAY 3 SEPTEMBER we’re offering a full day of FREE arts activities for anyone in our community – there’s even a workshop for parents and staff! Get creative with us – and sample a few of the amazing programs we’re offering virtually and in-person through the school year. All you have to do to sign up is RSVP julie@centauriarts.com with the 1-hour workshops you want to take, and we’ll send you the Zoom links that morning! Campers, academy students and new families are all welcome – and you are welcome to invite your [...]

August 19th, 2020|Academy|

“I need more from my English course!”

Last year, one of our creative writing students – let’s call her Lily - burst into our arts studio shouting these words. She was a Grade 10 student in a local high school – smart, creative, articulate and high-flying. She proceeded to rant about her experiences in school: how she longed for an opportunity to explore Shakespeare in depth, discuss contemporary literature, write literary essays and be inspired to read more widely, think more deeply, write more skilfully. Yet nothing in Lily’s English classes was meeting her needs. Her class had started to study Shakespeare – but they did so using only a comic book version of the play. When Lily asked her teacher why they couldn’t study Shakespeare’s actual play, she was told [...]

August 14th, 2020|Academy|

Film School for Teens in Toronto

Centauri Arts School in Bloor West Village, Toronto, offers weekly film classes for teens. The "Film Production" classes runs each week in our film and acting school in Toronto's west end. Discover the art of film-making. Learn the basics of film making as you try your hand at storyboarding, directing, camera operation, audio, lighting and production design. Each hands-on film course begins with a sequence of short film projects; by rising to challenges set by the instructor and critiquing the results of their work, students develop all the skills they need to move to the second stage: creating their own short film. Explore the work of famous directors as you search for inspiration, then brainstorm the subject of your own movie. Discover how to tell [...]

February 28th, 2020|Academy|