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I feel
these comments are a good cross
section from the many letters I have received over the years. Many of the
congratulatory letters came in response to my end of the year newsletters.
These are among my favorites--well, besides the ones that praise me individually
:0)--as they identify many of the the types of things I do to create an
academic, structured and fun program. The letters were unsolicited and the
names have been changed to protect the guilty. No changes, however, occur
in the letter from Scott
Pfeiffer,
Dear
Dr. Kirshner,
John’s had a wonderful time in Chess Club this year,
plus, as icing on the cake, his motivation in school has
improved a lot. And based on his analytical chess aptitude,
I got him GATE tested (despite no recommendation from teacher
or principal) and he got into GATE just a couple of weeks
ago.
We’re so pleased with John’s enjoyment in Chess
Club and his improved attitude and competitive spirit.
Thank you so much for all your time, effort and expertise in
running the top-notch program.
Sincerely, Susan Fay and Family
Dear Dr. Kirshner,
Just wanted to send this note on how efficient, captivating
and motivating your instructors are!! My daughter and son
started their first Chess Instruction experience this year
at Milpitas Christian School. My son, Neil has
had Kevin Batangan from the start and he has thoroughly
enjoyed his learning experience with Kevin. Lana finds it
really awesome when coach Kevin plays chess kind of blind
folded (not having to see the chess board and the pieces
- what an amazing memory!)
My daughter (who is 6), Lana had coach Moe to start with
and she enjoyed the suburb guidance that coach Moe gave
her and built her confidence. My daughter is really shy
with men and kind of afraid to have a man as her instructor.
When coach Moe left our school, coach Chris Plummer took
over...Lana was really
afraid to go to his class... Last Wednesday she finally went
to his class with so much of reluctance but you should have
seen her face when she came out from the class. She was so excited,
bubbly and happy that she went for her chess class and
I owe it all to Coach Chris Plummer. He made it a wonderful
experience for her. Since I couldn't find Chris Plummer's email
id on your web site. I thought I will send this to you and maybe
you can forward my Special Thanks to Chris for being
an outstanding coach! I know my daughter is going to enjoy
playing chess under Chris's guidance!
Thanks to you for your wonderful organisation and the effort
you put in to make it a happy experiecence for our kids!
Jane Berenson
Dear Mr. Kirshner,
Thank you very much for the chess
scholarship this year. I had a lot of fun and I learned a lot. I
really liked our teachers, David and Hans. They were really fair
with each of us and helpful. Thank you again!
From, Chap Retislen
Dear Alan,
As I sat at the chess banquet Friday evening, I was in such awe of the group
of chess enthusiasts you have created over the years. I can remember when
Judy'’s chess banquets were less than 1/2 that size. What an accomplishment
and what a legacy. We are so grateful for you and for that being of you,
in our children’s lives. I can’t believe I’ve let this
many years go by without communicating how much you have been and are valued
in our family over the years.
Your devoted and loving followers,
Kate, Michael, Judy and Sam Keiko
Dear Dr. Kirshner:
I just wanted to let you know that Sangria has graduated from Weibel. You
may be offering Chess instruction for Junior High student but Sangria is
going to join a private Junior high school so unfortunately she will not
be able to continue with Weibel Chess program.
She has thoroughly enjoyed all those years she played chess for Weibel. I
have no doubt that Weibel community is very thankful to you for teaching
and enhancing knowledge of chess of these kids . Thank you very much for
your dedication, hard work and enthusiasm. Your guidance has molded Sandria's
life and personality in a very positive manner and we will be grateful to
you forever for that.
I hope you will continue to share your wealth of knowledge with young kids'
and I am sure they and their families will be grateful to you forever like
us.
Thanks once again to you and your team.
Heta Dravidian
(Sangria's mom)
Thank you Dr. Kirshner. It is all your hardwork toward
the chess program for the children. It has taught them
a number of things: focus, concentration, fun,
competition and the game itself. The children and the
parents thank you for your effort. We are and will
always be grateful to you. Learnings of Chess from you
will be with them through out their life in many
different ways as they grow. So, the seed from you is
very important without which they would not have even
come this far.
Thanks
Best wishes and regards
Jennifer
Dear Dr. Alan and Chris,
XXXXX has enjoyed another terrific year of chess with Success Chess.
Thanks go to you and your teachers who come to XXXXXX and lead the
children.
One boy whom I've worked with on his math and reading for the past 3
years moved from being a beginner to the highest group before the team this
year. His
self-confidence and intellectual development is miraculous to me.
And, the usual suspects are continuing to thrive.
This isn't the first time a non-academic kids has excelled. Last year, a
dad thanked me over and over again for bringing you to XXXXXX. His
dyslexic kid shone in chess, and it helped him do much better in school
for the confidence it gave him!
Thank you for controlling the noise mid-year.
Chris' management style REALLY helps ensure the children maintain their
decorum. Friday afternoons are a challenging time, and the children are
ready to party down. Thank goodness that Chris is not only a tremendous
person, and a talented coach, but also excellent in managing a hundred
squirrelly kids.
Cheers,
Samantha
Alan,
Thank you ever so much for your willingness to create a chess program at
our school this year. I have heard nothing but favorable reports about you,
your instructors and your program. I will be very happy to have Success
Chess with us again in the Fall.
Kent Sandia, Principal
Dear Dr. Kirshner.
Thank you for implementing such a beneficial program at Mission Valley.
my son, Nikit, has really taken a liking to chess as well as becoming a
very strong player on his team. I also want to compliment the wonderful,
caring and knowledgeable teachers. Hanz and the female teacher overlooking
the club are great.
My daughter Sara is enjoyin the club too. She likes her teacher and is learning
well.
Sincerely,
Karan Sharma
Dear Alan.
Thank you for your email. I read it! Seriously. My son, who is in 1st grade
at xxxxxx, has participated in this program all year. What a wonderful opportunity!
It is so nice for our children to have a choice of non-athletic related,
after school activites. We hope to participate again next year. Thank you
again.
Pam (A
parent at a school where over half the chess club members are on the federal
lunch program and, therefore, have full scholarships for SCS)
Alan,
My husband and I want to thank you so very much for starting the chess
club at Silver Oak. My boys are having such a wonderful time and we are
very pleased with their enthusiasm and learning experience.
Warm Regards,
Jan Hymm
Hi Alan,
Thanks for the great update. My son, Johnny Fan, at James Leitch greatly
enjoys your chess classes. When we forgot to re-new for Spring semester,
he reminded us several times. His interest carries over to the home front
where he is constantly bugging his dad to play with him.
Your dedication to this game and your efforts with the children is impressive.
I am very grateful to you for exposing our children to this wonderful,
intelligent sport.
Regards,
Michelle
Hello Alan,
I wanted to let you know my children (Arnav and Jayodita) enjoyed the
program you designed this year. They also were thrilled with the certificated
and trophys you and your staff provided to each of the students. It had
a hugh positive impact upon my children and many thanks to you and your
staff for making the last day a big sucess for our children.
Looking forward to joining your fall program. Regards,
Harsha Singh
Hi Alan,
My name is Lotus Jeng. My son Jacob Jeng is in the chess team in Dilworth
Elementary School. Last Tuesday, Josh was their substitute teacher
for Sandi. I happened to be there during his class for most of the time. I
wrote to let you know that he did a very good job in disciplining the children
and giving instructions. My son enjoyed his teaching very much.
I also want to express my appreciation towards my son’s
regular teacher, Sandi. He has made a lot of efforts in his teaching.
I am glad that my son is a member of your chess school. He definitely learned
a lot from your staff. Thank you for providing this opportunity.
Best regards,
Lotus
FROM SCOTT PFEIFER, PINEDALE ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL, JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA
Dear Dr. Kirshner,
It's been a while since I last spoke with you, but, I thought a progress report
was in order.This was my first full year as chess instructor in a bi-weekly,
after-school program at Pinedale Elementary School in Jacksonville,Florida.We
modeled our program , to some extent, after your very successful program at Weibel
Elementary. We took to heart your advice on implementing a "hands-on"
approach to instruction by providing club members an opportunity to purchase
small pocket magnetic sets for home games. Many students took advantage
of this opportunity. With funding from the Paxon Full Service Schools
Program, we were able to purchase 20+ sets, demo board, pay my salary,
and use the remaining funds for travel expenses to a Jacksonville Chess
Club Scholastic Chess Tournament.We recently hosted the First Annual Pinedale
Invitational at the school, drawing 50 participants from the various elementary
schools in our Duval County School System and from as far away as Statesboro,Georgia
(a 3-hour drive!) Rewarding the kids with certificates of participation,
trophies for 1st and 2nd place finishers, and door prizes for ALL attendees
seems to be the right ingredients for motivating the kids.It's truly amazing
to see the progress our students have made over the year.It's no wonder
that the "Green Pawns" walked away with 5 of the 6 trophies
at the Invitational ! We were truly blessed with a tremendous outpouring
of support that the administration, staff, teachers, and parents provided
over the year.Having taught chess at several local schools, this was the
1st time for me that everything fell together to create SUCCESS. The key
is to have ALL the elements working together on behalf of the kids. Like
chess pieces, people function best as a team in working toward
a common goal and when there is genuine solidarity, success is a given.
I periodically revisit your website for inspiration and to note the many nice
upgrades.We are hopeful that our initial success at Pinedale will be the springboard
for infusing chess into the local school landscape.There is a tremendous need
for this type of activity in our Jacksonville Schools, which is a huge school
system with over 100 elementary schools.We believe that Pinedale's Green Pawns
will be the model for other programs to follow, just as your Weibel Elementary
School is.
If you would like to get a better picture of our efforts at Pindale, please
review the following article: http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/050303/neR_12428033.shtml
Thanks again and look forward to hearing from you again.
Yours in Chess,
Scott Pfeiffer
PS: Here is a small point of interest concerning Pinedale which might be worth
mentioning. At the beginning of the school year, when our chess club first met,
we decided to "vote" on a team name.Various candidates were submitted
and the children were allowed to orally explain why they chose a particular nickname.When
her time came, India Wishart, a 4th grader, spoke up and pointed out that since
GREEN was a school color, she thought a good name would be the Pinedale Green
Pawns.We asked her why she chose "Pawns" and she replied "because
pawns are LOYAL!" ( I love it!!!) This nickname won by an overwhelming margin.Apparently
,it had struck a chord with the children
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