Alexandra's Story
Hello! I’m Alexandra M. and I am a grade 11 student. I have been doing Kumon at Bedford Park for over 11 years. Ever since I walked into Kumon for the first time at the age of 5, my academics and accomplishments have improved drastically. All throughout elementary school, my math marks were always the highest in the class and I frequently got perfect on every test and exam.
I am currently in the highly competitive Math and Computer Science (MaCS) program at William Lyon Mackenzie CI. My high marks in math along with my great math scores on all my entrance exams presented me with the opportunity to choose from a variety of STEM high school programs across the GTA. Since Kumon greatly expanded my math knowledge and skills, high school math hasn’t been a worry and I have obtained >95% in all my math courses. Kumon has also allowed me to fast-track most of the high school math courses with ease. Due to all this, I’ve been able to focus and excel in other subjects, like the sciences. My grade 10 science class presented me with an opportunity to participate in an international science and technology competition called Toshiba Exploravision. Along with two other grade 10 students, we developed a project that won Regionals and the entire Competition, gaining us international recognition, over $30,000 and multiple news interviews.
Being a part of Kumon for as long as I have has taught me many skills, with the most important ones being commitment and time management. These skills along with others have helped me to thrive in my academic and athletic extracurriculars. I have been the captain of an (almost) all-boys FIRST Tech Challenge robotics team for 2 years and we have been fortunate enough to win numerous awards at every competition. The Dean’s List award is the most prestigious individual award in all of FIRST Robotics and it recognizes the leadership and dedication of FIRST’s most outstanding secondary school students. I have had the opportunity to apply and become a finalist for the award 2 years in a row making me the first person to win it twice in Ontario/Canada. Going along the robotics route, I have also been able to be a part of the FIRST Canada Robotics Youth Council (FCYC). Since all of our meetings and tasks are remote, time management and diligence are a big factor in terms of the role that I take up in the council.
I attribute a lot of my academic success to Kumon and I am grateful for the opportunities to continue being a Kumon student and staff here at Bedford Park Kumon Centre. I strongly encourage anyone who is already enrolled or planning to enroll in Kumon here at Bedford Park to continue with this incredible program for as long as possible.
Ami's story
My name is Ami and I have been doing Kumon for the past 9 years, ever since I was 5 years old.
Just recently, I had the honour of completing my Kumon Reading Program while in grade 8, and I realized how much I have accomplished with the help of Kumon and how far I have come.
From staying ahead of the school curriculum to progressive and individualized learning, Kumon crafted my confidence in how I face challenges. I acquired a tenacious mindset and refined organization skills, which I wish to incorporate into my passion for sports and computer science.
As of this moment, I am still striving for my Math program completion, an equally challenging yet essential journey. I am very grateful to have come across the Kumon program and its wonderful instructor and assistants.
To summarize, I strongly believe that Kumon contains endless positive impacts and can really benefit you as a person and your future. From the longstanding connection that I have with Kumon, these valuable skills have become a subconscious habit. So, I wholeheartedly support those currently participating in Kumon, and encourage everyone to keep persevering!
Messages from parents during the Covid19 crisis
Dear parents,
This is a stressful and challenging time for the whole world. We need each other's support more than ever.
We thank you all for your continuous support and warm messages!
Here are some messages from our Kumon Parents:
"Thank you and your team for everything you’re doing. The girls have their morning Kumon time, we mark and correct as we go. "
"AMAZING! Thanks - can't wait to come by tomorrow to pick up the books. I love the way you have set up this process."
"We appreciate you facilitating this pick-up process for the work."
"Thank you for arranging this. Greatly appreciate it especially during this time of uncertainty."
"Thanks for doing this."
"I hope you are staying healthy as well. We appreciate you facilitating this pick-up process for the work."
"I also wanted to say THANK YOU for continuing to distribute homework & offer online sessions for all your students. I feel a sense of comfort knowing that despite school being out, my kids continue to learn and build their confidence."
"Hello, Miss Daniela - Thanks a lot for the continued support offered by Kumon. This has been a great support for Ameya and has been one of those activities that have kept her engaged throughout this period of social distancing and isolation."
'I am very happy how Kumon still goes on. Thank you! Also, I think you and Kumon have done an amazing job of working in this new normal, way better than her school so thank you we are so happy we joined up."
"Hope you and your team are keeping well and staying healthy. Thank you for all the emails about keeping up the children's work and the virtual online classes. We recognize your hard work in keeping the kids learning and excited about learning during these unprecedented times."
"We have been very impressed with how you have managed the program virtually! You and your staff seem very well organized with getting the material to us monthly while also offering the online sessions and to be able to offer help when needed and maintaining the level of communication. Great job!"
Anonymous review
Parent testimonial:
Enrolling my daughter in the Bedford Park Kumon Center has been one of the best decisions we've made for her education. Since starting the program, we've seen a remarkable improvement in both her confidence and her math marks. The consistent practice and repetition that Kumon offers have given her the tools she needs to approach similar problems at school with ease and assurance.
What stands out most is how the Kumon method builds a strong foundation by reinforcing key concepts. This has not only helped her excel in math but has also boosted her overall confidence in her abilities. The progress she’s made is evident not just in her grades but also in her enthusiasm for learning.
I’m truly grateful for the support and dedication of the team at Bedford Park Kumon. They’ve made a significant difference in my daughter’s academic journey, and I highly recommend their program to any parent looking to enhance their child’s learning experience.
*Name withheld at parent's request for privacy reasons.
Jessica's story
My name is Jessica J., a former math student and assistant instructor at Kumon Bedford Park.
As a graduate of the Kumon Math Program, I can attest to its many strengths. In addition to the face value benefit of strengthened math skills, the program also instilled me with general academic confidence. The daily practice and repetition mandated by the Kumon method helped me perceptibly improve my math skills, which helped me understand the importance of hard work and self-regulation from a young age.
The work ethic accumulated from years of completing daily Kumon homework on top of schoolwork served me well in the medical sciences program at The University of Western Ontario. The content I learned from this program directly helped me succeed in first-year calculus and the study habits helped me do well in the first year overall.
I’m currently a medical student at McMaster University and I’m very grateful to be a former Kumon student and the role it has played in helping me accomplish my academic pursuits.
Sergio's Story
My Name is Sergio G. and I am in grade 8 studying Level L Math (Grade 11-12 Math) at Kumon Bedford Park.
I started Kumon when I was very little. When I was a little boy I was very energetic and with a lot of desire to learn, so after finding out about Kumon, my parents decided to enroll me in the Kumon program, and at only 2.5 years old I started Kumon.
My parents always tell me a fun story about it. The first day that I went to the academy the teacher wanted to see how much I knew about math, so she showed me a paper with one elephant and asked me how many elephants were there, so I answered 1. Then she showed me another paper with three elephants and asked me how many elephants were there. And I instantly answered LOTS! It was obvious that I was born for math!!
Like I’ve said before I started Kumon when I was 2.5 years old. The problem started when my family had to move to Portugal because of my father’s job. We moved from Spain to a Portuguese island called Sao Miguel. There were no Kumon academies on the island so I had to begin long distance Kumon, which was very hard, because the only person that could ever help me was my dad and sometimes he couldn’t help me because he had to work. But with hard work and going to a Kumon academy every time I went back to Spain (every summer and winter holidays), I maintained my level of progress for 5 years. After those 5 years we moved back to Spain, to a different place than my hometown. This time we went to the south coast, to a city called Malaga. But in the south of Spain there was no Kumon either. So we continued with long distance Kumon. Summarizing, I was working correspondence Kumon for 8 years. I really have to thank my parents because they helped me stay motivated. Every time they had the opportunity, they reminded me about doing it and about the importance of the effort to get the things you really want, as a tennis match. Fortunately, none of the worse times I had with Kumon we moved, but this time it was different. Right away we found a Kumon Centre in Toronto, we signed in. Attending classes at the Kumon Bedford Park Centre once per week made my motivation rise and helped me much more with Math. My progress has been much better since that moment.
The feeling that every day I successfully finish the Kumon homework and I slowly advance and come closer to pass the level keeps me really motivated.
It is fantastic to see the monthly progress and I am very proud that all my hard work helps me to have a reward like going to Orlando for the first Student Conference.
Congratulations Sergio! Representing the Toronto Central Branch, Sergio G., has been accepted to participate in the very first Kumon Student Conference on July 20, 2017.
Sergio G. is in grade 8 and he received The Platinum Award (obtained when a student has reached material three years ahead of KIS (Kumon International Standard).
Katrina's story
My name is Katrina C. and I am proud to have completed the Kumon Mathematics program at Kumon Bedford Park.
Although I was a strong math student, my parents thought I would benefit from Kumon. I always enjoyed math and was excited to get started. Initially, I was disappointed and surprised when placed in level D, as it was below my grade level. Looking back, I realized how essential it was to review and master these fundamental skills before studying new and more complicated concepts. This gave me the confidence and tools to tackle complicated problems with ease.
The program is designed to motivate students to progress through the levels at their own pace, while emphasizing the importance of speed and accuracy. I established the habit of completing my worksheets each morning before school, and had soon surpassed my grade level. By the time I had reached grade 10, I had completed the entire math program and began working as a math assistant at the Kumon Bedford Park centre. I believed in the program so much that I wanted to help other individuals enhance their mathematics abilities and achieve success.
I am grateful to have been enrolled in the Kumon program as it gave me the confidence to succeed in not only math, but in my other academic pursuits. At a young age, Kumon reinforced the importance of discipline and responsibility while developing effective time management skills. As accuracy was also a focus, I learned to work diligently and meticulously. These essential characteristics not only benefited me academically, but also carried over to other aspects of my life.
I am currently an aspiring Ophthalmologist studying Medical Sciences at the University of Western Ontario. I know the skills that I developed and improved through the Kumon program have helped me achieve my current success.
Domenica's story
My name is Domenica C. and I previously took math lessons at Kumon Bedford Park along with my two sisters, one of whom is pictured above (Katrina). I enjoyed the program so much that once I got older I worked at Kumon as an assistant instructor (my first job!!).
Throughout my education, math has been one of my favourite subjects. I’ve always loved problem-solving activities like sudoku and jigsaw puzzles and I found math to be of a similar nature. Although I really did find math fun and exciting, another reason why I enjoyed math so much was that I was quite good at it. I owe much of my success in mathematics to my involvement in Kumon. Practice really does make perfect and Kumon gave me the tools to put in the time and hard work required to develop strong math skills. One aspect of the Kumon program that really helped me during my secondary schooling was that Kumon had introduced me to most of the concepts covered in high school prior to me learning them in school. Later on, when I learned these concepts for a second time, I was able to consolidate my knowledge and gain an even deeper understanding of these important concepts. Furthermore, the strong foundation that Kumon helped me build has enabled me to succeed in other related subjects like physics, statistics, and biomechanics, all of which I took as part of my undergraduate degree in Kinesiology at McGill University.
In addition to strengthening my math and problem-solving skills, Kumon allowed me to form effective study habits from a young age, such as good time management and discipline, which I have applied to other aspects of my life. One specific lesson I learned from Kumon is that big tasks can be achieved by breaking them down into smaller parts. When I was a Kumon student, the weekly homework I was assigned was split up so that I would do a small amount every day. As the weeks went by, this allowed me to progress through the program very quickly. I have applied this simple yet effective strategy of steadily working towards my goals to other areas of my life, including my participation as a national trampoline gymnast and my preparation for large evaluations like the MCAT and my final exams.
I’m so very grateful to my parents for enrolling me in Kumon. I know that it has made a significant contribution to my success in academics and beyond. I am currently working toward a Master’s of Science in Exercise Physiology which is helping me pursue my ultimate career aspiration of being a Physician Scientist. I am very appreciative of Kumon for helping my sisters and my work towards our goals and I look forwards to seeing how Kumon will continue to help other students achieve success in all aspects of life.
Letter from parents of Ian and David K.
Dear Bedford Park Kumon staff:
A recent New York Times article referred to Kumon North America’s (KNA) 2013 campaign called "Learning for the Long Run." Mr. Joseph Nativo, senior vice President and Chief Financial Officer of KNA, said families should long-term view Kumon as a commitment, as opposed to short-term preparation for a particular test. To get good at something, you have to practice at it, he said.
Our sons, Ian and David, both started young. They studied at Bedford park Kumon from about age 5, and then later worked as Math Assistants when they were in the highest Kumon levels. David recently received his award for 12 years of Kumon.
As you know, this spring Ian graduated from the University of Toronto with a BSc (High Distinction) in Physics and Mathematics. He starts a PhD in physics at Harvard University in the fall. David just graduated from De La Salle College with numerous prizes in math and sciences, and is looking forward to the Engineering Science program at U of T, considered one of the most challenging engineering courses in the world.
We acknowledge the important contribution that Kumon has made to our sons’ education, and wish to express our most sincere thanks for your combined efforts over the years.
Yours truly,
Susan and John K.