As we head into the fall months, it’s a great time to reflect on all of the activities that A Grade Ahead students and staff participated in this summer. We celebrated the one year anniversary of A Grade Ahead’s new name, welcomed a new Human Resources Manager to our team, and held a cookout for the AGA headquarters staff. Our Enrichment at Home program launched a brand new Facebook page, we implemented new monthly progress reports, and we welcomed our newest franchise in Waxhaw, North Carolina which will open to the public in October.
Here are some more details about the exciting things happening at A Grade Ahead:
One Year of A Grade Ahead
Phew! That was a fast year! On September 5th, we marked the one year anniversary of our switch from MathWizard to A Grade Ahead. It seems like we’ve always had our purple and green color scheme and name but it’s only been twelve months since the conversion.
Last year, we were celebrating the rebranding with Open House events, ribbon cuttings, and a huge Family Fest in Columbus, Ohio. This year, the AGA headquarters staff marked the occasion by celebrating in front of our new “branded” Word Wall to mark the occasion.
Welcome to Amy Licata, New Human Resources Manager
This summer, A Grade Ahead welcomed a new member to our management team. When Debra Gall, our long-time Human Resources Manager left to pursue a new career in nursing, we were fortunate to promote Amy Licata to the position. Amy transitioned from being the Human Resources Assistant to managing the department in June. She has been with the company since August 2016 and has her Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Dayton. Her previous roles include Recruitment Coordinator with Part Time Works and Development Coordinator with the American Heart Association. When not at A Grade Ahead, Amy enjoys volunteering at her children’s school and spending time with her family. Welcome!
Headquarters Cookout to Celebrate Summer
In June, Meenal and Parag Singhal, A Grade Ahead’s founders and owners, invited Columbus staff members to their home for a cookout. It was an opportunity to get to know one another better and meet spouses and family members.
Competitive staff members challenged each other to games of many kinds: euchre, ladder toss, and corn hole to name a few. Others mingled and enjoyed the company of colleagues as we all celebrated the hard work of the past year.
Inspirational Word Wall Installed
To complete our rebranding efforts, A Grade Ahead added an inspirational word wall to the conference room at headquarters. Designed by Sarah Laatsch, A Grade Ahead’s graphic designer, the words were carefully chosen to represent our company’s goals as well as our hopes for all of our students. Words like “confident,” “advanced,” and “caring” serve as a reminder of our mission to all who use the room including during meetings, franchise trainings, and even academy assessments.
Facebook Page for Enrichment at Home
A Grade Ahead provides students with enrichment in two ways: through weekly classes at our 33 enrichment academies and also through our Enrichment at Home (EAH) program that delivers curriculum to families through the mail. Our EAH team recently launched their very own Facebook page. You can access it by searching for A Grade Ahead Enrichment at Home. This page allows parents in the EAH program to stay connected. In addition to great content about raising advanced kids, book lists to read, and fun activities to try at home, the page also includes practical reminders like payment deadlines and shipping dates. We hope you will join the more than 135 followers and get connected today!
Many of our A Grade Ahead academies also have Facebook pages. Search A Grade Ahead plus the name of the location to see if your local academy has a social media presence.
Progress Reports Added Each Month
This summer we launched our Parent Portal to all families within the A Grade Ahead system. One of the benefits of the online tool is the ability to enter weekly homework and test scores easily. This data is pulled monthly and emailed to parents in a report form so that they can track the scores and progress of their students over time.
Stay tuned for even more functionality from the Parent Portal in the future including charts and graphs and more!
Waxhaw, NC—Newest AGA Franchise
Our newest franchise is opening in October 2017 in the Charlotte, North Carolina suburb of Waxhaw. The owner, Bharathi Balaji, was inspired to open an academy in her home town after participating in the Enrichment at Home program with her own children. When asked about her motivation to open an A Grade Ahead academy, she responded, “As a Montessori teacher, I realize the importance of hands on learning and real world application. A Grade Ahead offers the same thorough personal interaction with each student while challenging them to think creatively. Importance is given to the process, not the product. I had a number of chances to pursue other fields but I chose education because it is a key foundation for a better society. There is nothing better than to see a young child grow into a confident adult and contribute to the society.”
Welcome to the family Bharthi and A Grade Ahead of Waxhaw!
Did we miss anything? What’s happening at your local A Grade Ahead academy? Do you like the new Progress Reports or EAH Facebook page?
Author: Amy Daniels, Marketing Manager, A Grade Ahead
