Stilwell's Learning Center AZ

I have always been interested in history. The history of our own country has particularly been of personal interest since some of my forefathers came over on the Mayflower and three presidents of the United States were close ancestors of our family. In a time of national despondency and discontent, we tend to forget the determined intentionality of those heroes who have gone before us. They had vision and courage to attempt the impossible to reach the incredible. Recently I have been reading about Christopher Columbus. He was from a poor weaver’s family in Genoa and he and his brother, Bartholomew, were expected to carry on the weaver’s trade. Yet, they both had another vision. Whenever possible they went to the docks to see the sailing vessels and dream of sailing. The seeds of imagination grew in their minds and hearts. Bartholomew left the weaver’s trade and became a map maker for the sea captains, gaining much knowledge about the seas. Christopher joined him for a while and lear...

School is under way! Protect your children. We live in an unprecedented time of change. At the same time there are so many disturbing trends taking place that directly affect children. A great number of young parents are unaware of certain dangers to their children. You already know how I feel about reinstituting responsible phonics which helps the student think better, read and spell better, and helps establish order in their lives. Here are some things that we have researched only a little and are alarmed at what is happening in our society and with our children. 1. In recent years, especially, I have witnessed the effects of the fruit-loop types of cereals and noticed due to all added colorings and no real benefit nutritionally, that within 10 minutes the child becomes almost uncontrollably hyper-active. Such unhealthy foods, sodas and other drinks add to the problems. The kids become diagnosed as ADHD, when a simple change in diet and home order can usually take care of the p...

Two-hundred and forty-seven years ago, our founding Fathers made a bold declaration that would make America the brightest beacon of freedom the world has ever known. Their vision came at a great price, and it is this sacred moment in our nation’s history that we—the heirs of their sacrifice—are so privileged to celebrate on Independence Day. (A recent quote from Kevin Roberts, President of The Heritage Foundation). The declaration of Independence stated 27 grievances to a candid world, proclaiming the reasons for dissolving the allegiance of 13 colonies to the rule of a tyrannical British King George III. The brave men and the women that supported them were willing to give their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor in support of an experiment of the American dream to govern themselves with a representative government with the consent of the people rather than the dictates of a king. The cry of the American Revolution was heard around the world, “No other king, but Jesus...

The World into which I was born was a world of hero soldiers and patriotism. On December 7, 1941, in a devastating surprise attack, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, a U.S. naval base on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Just before 8 a.m. on that Sunday morning, hundreds of Japanese fighter planes descended on the base, and destroyed or severely damaged at least 19 American naval vessels, including eight battleships, and over 300 planes. More than 2,400 Americans died in the attack, including civilians. At least another 1,000 people were wounded that day. My cousin, Jim Stilwell, had shore duty or shore leave at the time and so escaped the tragedy of the sinking of the USS Arizona to which he was assigned. Of the 2400 known dead during the strike, 1177 of them died on the USS Arizona, many of whom are still encased in the vessel, which is now a United States Memorial site. The day after the assault, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan. The attack on our...

Your Brain uses lots of energy. Our brains weigh about 3 pounds. That’s about 2% of our total body weight! However, it also uses about 20% of the body’s energy and oxygen intake. That means that to have good learning skills, we need to get plenty of sleep on a regular basis and breathe deeply. Exercise can help us both breathe and sleep better. Sodas and junk food keep the brain from using the energy it needs every day. Start today to take care of your brain. Check online for information on foods that are healthy for your child and yourself. Remember, you are your family’s most important example and mentor. I was tutoring a young boy at Stilwell’s Learning Center a few days ago who couldn’t concentrate or move as quickly as he should. His breakfast and lunch were not the best. It didn’t seem to me he had eaten enough protein to perform well. The next day he reported that he ate oatmeal with fresh fruit and that lunch was much better, too. Guess what! He did amazingly well and was...

Labor Day weekend was a great opportunity for us all to take a break and get refueled with renewed energy and direction. Recently, my home has expanded with a family of five who have been like family to us over the years. This past weekend we hiked one day 5.5 miles up Ramsey Canyon and down into the beautiful pools in the fast-flowing stream. It was a refreshing change for us all. The kids went swimming in the creek pools. On Labor Day itself, we went to Bisbee and experienced a fantastic breakfast at the Bisbee Breakfast Club. I hinted that it would be great to go back there on my birthday. I will talk to my son and daughter-in-law and grandchildren about that! Bisbee, though a tourist trap for those wanting to shop, was just the same a great way to spend a relaxing day. Labor Day weekend was also a time to reflect on some of the history of our country, prompted by discussions we had particularly about how non-educated we have become in this country. Much of it centered around the ...

A new school year has begun, and parents and students alike are hopeful they will have a better experience than during the last few years. What will make the difference? Today as never before, parents and grandparents need to take the responsibility in the education of their children. In Arizona, families now can choose from traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, private schools, online academies, homeschooling, and micro schools due to the new expansive provision signed by Governor Ducey, according to a news release on July 7, 2022. Arizona families who participate would receive more than $6,500 per year per child for private school, homeschooling, micro schools, tutoring, or any other kinds of educational service that helps meet the needs of their students outside the traditional public school system. As parents and grandparents, we need to take responsibility for what is being taught to our youth. We pay taxes for the government schools in our...

Summer Tips for Parents and Students in Arizona Most families can take a week or two of vacation and visit great places in Arizona.  What about the rest of the summer?  Here are some tips and places to think about within easy driving distances. • Kartchner Caverns State Park has camping, hiking, and other activities besides the fascinating cave tours. • Patagonia Lake State Park • Parker Lake camping • Hiking/camping in the Chiricahua Mountains, a favorite of ours is Turkey Creek. • Hiking and camping in our local Huachuca Mountains • What about activities at home or nearby? • San Pedro River exploration • Lehner Mammoth Kill Site in Hereford, AZ • Ghost town hunting in Cochise County • Reading good books • Swimming lessons • Musical instrument lessons • Playing family friendly games with the whole family. I know a 12-year-old and a 14-year-old who have started their own businesses. Why not the teenager in your family? With a little imagination, you c...

Over the years, I have noticed that parents who place a high priority on investing in their son or daughter with educational help have made a great investment. Many of our former students have become leaders in their communities with high-paying jobs or professions. One 5th grade student came to us unable to even do 2nd grade work. He could not function at school. It was a very difficult case, but after nearly 3 years of receiving tutoring help with us, he accomplished great progress. When he return the the classroom, he found school easy. He became a high school honor student. Another student spent about 5 years with our program and progressed from 2nd grade level to college level by the time she reached 8th grade. Some student have gained 2 years in their grade levels in 3 months. The point I want to make is that the parents of these children and teens found it a wise investment to put off other activities and sports so the their kids would be well prepared for life after receiving a...

 Mother's Day Pictured Mothers in Stilwell, Gaboury, and Richards Family of 4 Generations (5 Generations when including Great-Great Grandson) Our family has always appreciated out mothers. We make it a bit family day. My father used to sing a song every Mother's Day, entitled "That Wonderful Mother of Mine."  Whooping Cough was killing my mother only days after being born. My grandma's love for her child was very great. She held the baby close to her own body, day and night for six weeks, watchful that she didn't choke to death or stop breathing. My mother lived to be almost 87. She was active up until about 3 days before she died. Because of my grandmother's sacrifice, she and my mother was very close all of their lives.  Mom always encouraged me and never ridiculed my ideas or dreams. She never complained about cooking for the car-loads of friends I brought home from college. She rarely had a negative thing to say about another person. Cheerful most of h...

(GG Stock) Owies CAN Become Wowies Have you ever noticed how little children want to show you all of their "owies"? Then they usually want to tell you all about it. Somehow, they feel much better after you have kissed, blessed or prayed for the "owie". As an adult, we have almost lost the art of empathy when it comes to children. We want to push them on, get them moving, correct them and control them. I think one of the most important things we can do is to treat children as if they are a part of a well-cared for garden. I pull weeds in my garden and get rid of the caterpillars that are stripping the leaves and leaving devastation. But I carefully prune and cultivate and water the good plants. If I let them just grow like they wish, I create a jungle of competing vegetables. In time they crowd each other out or become stunted or cause stunting. So, the lesson in this is to look at each child as different and beautiful, with different fruit and gifting. Encourage and...

Why Is Passover Important for Believers in Christ? Lori Meed, IFA Contributing Writer | April 14, 2022 Passover: Jesus entered Jerusalem on the 10th day of the month, now called the Triumphal Entry and celebrated as Palm Sunday (Jn 12:12-13). This was the day the Passover lamb was brought into the city and set apart for inspection until the 14th. The very words that the crowd shouted were from Psalm 118, a psalm that the priests were praying in the temple that very day. Everything Jesus did this week would correspond to God’s calendar, and the events which had been repeated for centuries to foreshadow Him. As the Passover lamb – the animal – was being inspected for those 4 days, THE Passover Lamb – Jesus – was as well. He was questioned, examined, and cross-examined by the religious leaders who were trying to find a flaw in Him (Mt 21:23-27), but they could find no blemish – He was the Spotless Lamb. “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you w...

 Encouragement and Persistence "Be like a postage stamp. Stick to it until you get there.” Harvey Mackay This week two things reminded me of the importance of both encouragement and persistence. I was helping a 2nd grade girl with penmanship and sound-blending words. She had many learning difficulties and found writing and following instructions very difficult. As we do with all of our students, I kept encouraging her to form the letters correctly and make the sounds of the words without stopping her voice. After awhile she began to succeed. A glow came over her when she realized she had finally spelled the words correctly by sounding them out and writing them correctly. It was only her second day at Stilwell' Learning Center and she was already feeling more confident. Another time this week, while I was in the grocery store, a parent of a former student proudly told me her son was now taking pre-med courses at the university. This student had also needed much encouragement an...

Hugs Harold (Harry) Hugginton at Stilwell's Learning Center SV location "A hug is two hearts wrapped in arms." - Unknown Author Even cows like hugs. When I (Chuck Stilwell) was a boy, we lived on a ranch.  My father would milk our cow, and we would have wonderful creamy  milk and butter. The cow and my dad didn't always get along. She  would often wait until the bucket was nearly full and then kick it over.  This would greatly anger my dad.  Then, to make matters worse,  Bessy, the cow, would get halfway through the gate to return to the  pasture and refuse to move until she received a hug from my father.  She would not be budged. Finally, my dad would cool off and  give her a hug and tell her she was a good cow and she would moo  and amble off to the pasture.  Sometimes as parents and grandparents  we can become frustrated or angry with  our children's immature actions.  Yet, a hug, a word of encouragement and the...

Spring Break and Vacations are GOOD      Parents often ask me if they might continue to have their child come during a Spring Break or other one or two-week time when there is no school.       It sounds like a good idea, but I have found it counter-productive. One of the reasons for the break in the first place is to give students an opportunity to rest their brain and get ready for the next step in learning.      During the week off, it would still be good not to start bad habits of binging on TV or video games or just sleeping all day. Those habits are hard to break, even after only a week. Here are some suggestions:  If one parent is not working outside the home, you could plan each day to do something special you could not do during the school day.  Go to the river, hike in the mountains, visit some historical sites, have game competitions, ride bikes around the city or other places.  Take walks together and talk about...

When I was growing up our family usually had oatmeal for breakfast during the week, with our own fresh goat’s milk or fresh cow’s milk and fresh fruit. On weekends we would have pancakes or waffles and eggs. At times we would also have eggs and toast or French toast during the weekdays. Living on a farm with a cow and goats we always had fresh cream for our cereal as well as fresh milk to drink. The milk, cream and butter were packed with good enzymes, so we never got fat. Oatmeal, eggs, and whole grain pancakes with good bacon were standard breakfasts when I was growing up. It was a great way to start the day! We remained healthy and alert all day. We usually packed a lunch for school. We would have an orange, apple, or banana with a whole grain bread sandwich. Sandwiches were often made with leftover chicken, roast or turkey with mayonnaise and mustard. Sometimes we had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Our thermoses were usually filled with milk or watered-down grape juic...

As parents and grandparents these days, we are going to have to become even more responsible for our children and grandchildren. We cannot leave our children’s education to the schools any longer. Visiting the principal and teachers and the classrooms on a regular basis is a necessity. Knowing exactly what they are being taught is crucial.  It should be one of our goals to know that our children are safe and really learning correct and valuable information. We must ask if they are learning how to learn and how to cope in this very complicated society in which we find ourselves. Children growing up in homes where two parents who have been married continuously are less likely to experience a wide range of problems (academic, social, emotional, cognitive), not only in childhood but later on in adulthood as well (Amato; Howard & Reeves,) Here are a few tips for parents and students: Healthy learners in both elementary and secondary settings need   good food   and   g...

I do not have pets now, unless you consider the javelina or coyotes passing through the yard as pets. We used to have cats and dogs. They are quite a study in opposite lifestyles. Our dogs were always very active and loving and appeared to take their duties of companions and protectors as priorities. Our latest cat had a totally different understanding of life. His priority seemed to be to sleep. However, he did have a routine. He dutifully awakened us at 5:00 a.m. sharp and in case we didn't respond within the next 10 minutes he would start sharpening his claws on the chair which he knew   would elicit a response. The cat would then direct one of us to the utility room where he would indignantly show the empty food dish. Having eaten whatever he chose from the replenished food, the next item of the day was to wait at the glass door in our bedroom to be let outside. He selected me for that activity. When I opened the door, it...