Opinion: Why KICS? By Angela N Young, BA, MSc

The beginning of each new school term is an anxious time for both parents and their children. It is especially true for those children who are not organized. Alleviating that anxiety can be challenging. This is where ‘Kids in Control Systems’ (KICS) can help.

In September, I am often told by parents that they would rather wait “to see how things go” with their pre-teen or teen before engaging KICS. While I know it is a disaster waiting to happen, I simply smile and wish them a good start to the new school year. And, without fail, I always get frantic calls from those parents in March desperately seeking help.

At KICS, our mission is simple: to inspire students to aspire for greatness. Since the launch of our business in May 2014, we have provided parents and guardians with easy practical tools to help strengthen the executive functioning skills of middle and high school students. And, what does the term ‘executive functioning’ mean?

Executive Functioning is simply our ability to plan, prioritize (time management) and organize ourselves into action to achieve our desired goals. As the psychologists and authors of ‘Smart but Scattered Teens’ so eloquently explained:

“Teenagers who practice executive skills are not only learning self-management and independence, but in the process are also developing brain structures that will support their executive skills into later adolescence and adulthood.”

In other words, the same skills our children use to complete a class project at age 15, will be the same skill sets they will rely on or use when applying for a home equity loan at 35!

Let KICS show you how to tap into your child’s potential. Our KICS ‘Saturday’ Workshop: Note-taking & Studying Strategies has transformed the lives of over 170 students comprising of Bermuda’s public and private schools, ranging in ages from 10 – 16.

A KICS Workshop is like no other. We are student-focused and the programs are designed to hit the “sweet spot” of the students. In essence, these are critical life-long skills.

Our informal research has also shown that many parents do not know how to help their children in the areas of note-taking and studying. Unlike other workshops, we allow parents to accompany their children so they too, can learn the tools – and reinforce them at home.

Personally, I like how one of our KICS parents recently described our workshop:

“KICS is not just for children who struggle at school. This [KICS] Workshop has helped my son and I to ‘speak’ a consistent language.”

Speaking the same language takes place when both the parent and the child work together as a team. Let KICS teach you how to bring harmony back into your homes.

Ease your frustrations and register for our upcoming workshop taking place from Saturday, January 27, 2018 through to March 10, 2018. We will also be hosting a ‘Parent Info Night’ on Wednesday, January 24 [today] at 5:30pm to explain our KICS program in more detail, as well as answer any questions from the audience.

KICS gives students the edge – and gets the results. KICS teens:

Make the honour roll & improve their grades
Commit to learning
Strengthen the bond with their parents
Own their journeys – inside & outside of the classroom

For more details, please visit our website at www.kicssystems.com or our Facebook page and Instagram accounts. All sessions are held at New Venture House, on the third floor, at 3 Mill Creek Road in Pembroke.