Successful Study Skills 4 Students, LLC
P.O. Box 644
Southport, CT 06890
203-30-S-K-I-L-L
(203-307-5455)
Contact Us
P.O. Box 644
Southport, CT 06890
203-30-S-K-I-L-L
(203-307-5455)
Contact Us
Successful Study Skills 4 Students, LLC
P.O. Box 644
Southport, CT 06890
203-30-S-K-I-L-L
(203-307-5455)
Contact Us
P.O. Box 644
Southport, CT 06890
203-30-S-K-I-L-L
(203-307-5455)
Contact Us
About Us
Study skills workshops and tutoring services to increase confidence and fuel motivation
About S4
Time management, executive functioning and organizational skills are the essential and critical foundation for academic success.
Anchored by educational research and proven benchmark studies, S4’s mission is to provide students with knowledge, tools and skills needed to incorporate, apply and use these systems and techniques, across their school career and into their adult life.
Who We Are
S4 is a unique student-centered organization, run by passionate educators and administrators, whose commitment and dedication is focused on helping students, in grades 6 through 12, achieve their full potential.
What We Do
We deliver workshops teaching organization, time management and executive functioning skills and tools, to students, educators and parents, in workshop, small group and one-on-one settings.
About Our Teachers
All workshops and services are delivered by experienced and certified educators holding a Masters degree or higher.
Professional Advisory Board
James Baucom M.Ed
Jim, an Associate Professor of Education, Landmark College, has taught language and study skills for more than thirty-four years, to students from middle school up through college. He is currently an Associate Professor at Landmark College in Putney, Vermont, where he teaches courses in study skills, educational psychology and learning disabilities. He is the lead author and presenter of “Teaching A Study Skills System That Works,” a highly successful videotape and study guide originally broadcast nation-wide on satellite television. Jim holds a B.A. in English from the University of North Carolina and a Master’s Degree in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. His presentations are routinely applauded for their thoroughness and practical application of evidence-based findings.
Mark Grayson
Mark is the president of Rocket21, a social learning platform for middle schoolers. Prior to this, he was the President and CEO of All Kinds of Minds, the world renowned organization dedicated to understanding differences in learning. Mark also held executive positions at Rabbit Ears Productions and Triad Artists. He received his MBA from the Columbia Business School, and his BA from Harvard University. Mark resides with his family in Fairfield.
Paul L. Gross
Paul L. Gross is the principal of the Academy of Information Technology & Engineering, a 9 – 12 interdistrict magnet high school. The school serves 682 students from fifteen districts including Stamford. AITE is a college preparatory high school that emphasizes student acquisition of 21st century skills. All students are provided with laptop computers and are required to complete four year sequences in English, social studies, mathematics, science and world languages. Languages offered include Spanish, French, Latin, Russian, Arabic, Mandarin Chinese and American Sign Language.
Mr. Gross has been an education for forty-nine years both in public education and private industry. Prior to his eleven years as an administrator in Stamford, Mr. Gross served as an administrator and teacher in Westchester County and New York City. Mr. Gross is a retired colonel of the United Stated Army and Army Reserve.
Tony Pavia
Tony Pavia is currently the principal of Trinity Catholic High School. Prior to this he was the principal of New Canaan High School for nine years, and the principal of Stamford High School from 1996-2002. Before assuming the principalship at Stamford High School, he was an Assistant Principal, Dean of Students and teacher at Darien High School.
Tony began his teaching career in 1977 at Westhill High School and, subsequently, taught at Darien High School and Stamford High School where he also served as the Chairman of the History Department.
Mr. Pavia is the recipient of numerous awards and recognition achievements, including Connecticut Celebration of Excellence Award in 1990, the Theodore White Educational Partner Award given by Junior Achievement, the Stamford Historical Society Award for Contribution to Local History, the Chief Community Asset Builder Award given by New Canaan Social Services, the YMCA, and Youth Bureau and the President’s Award for Contribution to the Performing Arts, given by the Connecticut High School Musical Theater Association.
Tony is also a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award in Education given by the Yerwood Center in 2011. Additionally, in 1992, he began an oral history project interviewing local World War II veterans which culminated in the book, An American Town Goes to War which was published in 1995. He remains actively involved with veterans and continues to host the Annual Veterans Symposium which brings area veterans into the high school.
Tony was born and raised in Stamford and a graduate of Southern Connecticut State University where he also earned his Masters and Sixth-Year degrees.
Marnie Sadlowsky
Marnie is the Head of Upper School at King in Stamford, where she has also taught English, grades 6-12, and worked as a Dean for ninth and tenth grade students. Marnie is passionate about creating a student-centered environment that is deeply informed by knowledge about how adolescents learn, and has been very involved in King’s development of an individualized approach to teaching that includes detailed learning profiles for each of its students.
Marnie graduated from St. Olaf College and also holds a Masters in Religion (literature and church history) from Yale University’s Divinity School. She lives in Stamford with her husband, Mark Lingle.
Dr. Frank Safran
Frank Safran, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice in Westport, Connecticut. He is a co-founder of the Attention Deficit Disorders Institute. He works with children, adolescents in individual and group therapy, and speaks nationally and internationally on his work. Dr. Safran and his wife, Diane Safran, M.S., ATR-BC, LMFT, work together in social skills and couples’ therapy groups. Both also work with schools and student patients and families in collaboration to help improve the quality of their educational experience.
Jim Yavenditti
Jim is the Head of the Upper School at St. Luke's School, a coeducational day college-preparatory for grades 5-12, located in New Canaan. Jim started at St. Luke's in September 2002 after teaching stints at the Culver Academies in Culver, Indiana as a faculty intern, the University of Georgia as a teaching assistant, and Stratford Academy in Macon, Georgia as a Middle School teacher. Jim taught Latin in both the Middle and Upper Schools here at St. Luke’s, and along the way he also served as Chair of the Faculty Issues Committee, member of the SLS Honor Council, member of the SLS Student Life Committee, and Sophomore Class Dean. While his primary duties will be as the Head of Upper School, Jim happily will continue to teach one Latin class each year.
A classical archaeology major as an undergraduate, Jim has been fortunate enough to work on several archaeological digs in both Israel and Cyprus. Most recently, Jim was awarded a scholarship from the Vergilian Society-bolstered additionally by professional development funding from St. Luke's-to partake in a study-tour of Malta and Tunisia with other classicists. Through all of his travels throughout the ancient Roman world, Jim has discovered that Tom Friedman's ubiquitous quote on globalization, "The World is Flat," certainly also rang true to the ancient Romans in some ways... both literally and figuratively!
Noah Pederson
Noah is a 8th grade student at Fairfield Country Day School, in Fairfield. Noah’s hobbies include baseball, basketball and organizing his school work on his computer. Noah has been an invaluable resource in helping S4 best understand the jump from elementary to middle school in an independent laptop school environment.
Time management, executive functioning and organizational skills are the essential and critical foundation for academic success.
Anchored by educational research and proven benchmark studies, S4’s mission is to provide students with knowledge, tools and skills needed to incorporate, apply and use these systems and techniques, across their school career and into their adult life.
Who We Are
S4 is a unique student-centered organization, run by passionate educators and administrators, whose commitment and dedication is focused on helping students, in grades 6 through 12, achieve their full potential.
What We Do
We deliver workshops teaching organization, time management and executive functioning skills and tools, to students, educators and parents, in workshop, small group and one-on-one settings.
About Our Teachers
All workshops and services are delivered by experienced and certified educators holding a Masters degree or higher.
Professional Advisory Board
James Baucom M.Ed
Jim, an Associate Professor of Education, Landmark College, has taught language and study skills for more than thirty-four years, to students from middle school up through college. He is currently an Associate Professor at Landmark College in Putney, Vermont, where he teaches courses in study skills, educational psychology and learning disabilities. He is the lead author and presenter of “Teaching A Study Skills System That Works,” a highly successful videotape and study guide originally broadcast nation-wide on satellite television. Jim holds a B.A. in English from the University of North Carolina and a Master’s Degree in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. His presentations are routinely applauded for their thoroughness and practical application of evidence-based findings.
Mark Grayson
Mark is the president of Rocket21, a social learning platform for middle schoolers. Prior to this, he was the President and CEO of All Kinds of Minds, the world renowned organization dedicated to understanding differences in learning. Mark also held executive positions at Rabbit Ears Productions and Triad Artists. He received his MBA from the Columbia Business School, and his BA from Harvard University. Mark resides with his family in Fairfield.
Paul L. Gross
Paul L. Gross is the principal of the Academy of Information Technology & Engineering, a 9 – 12 interdistrict magnet high school. The school serves 682 students from fifteen districts including Stamford. AITE is a college preparatory high school that emphasizes student acquisition of 21st century skills. All students are provided with laptop computers and are required to complete four year sequences in English, social studies, mathematics, science and world languages. Languages offered include Spanish, French, Latin, Russian, Arabic, Mandarin Chinese and American Sign Language.
Mr. Gross has been an education for forty-nine years both in public education and private industry. Prior to his eleven years as an administrator in Stamford, Mr. Gross served as an administrator and teacher in Westchester County and New York City. Mr. Gross is a retired colonel of the United Stated Army and Army Reserve.
Tony Pavia
Tony Pavia is currently the principal of Trinity Catholic High School. Prior to this he was the principal of New Canaan High School for nine years, and the principal of Stamford High School from 1996-2002. Before assuming the principalship at Stamford High School, he was an Assistant Principal, Dean of Students and teacher at Darien High School.
Tony began his teaching career in 1977 at Westhill High School and, subsequently, taught at Darien High School and Stamford High School where he also served as the Chairman of the History Department.
Mr. Pavia is the recipient of numerous awards and recognition achievements, including Connecticut Celebration of Excellence Award in 1990, the Theodore White Educational Partner Award given by Junior Achievement, the Stamford Historical Society Award for Contribution to Local History, the Chief Community Asset Builder Award given by New Canaan Social Services, the YMCA, and Youth Bureau and the President’s Award for Contribution to the Performing Arts, given by the Connecticut High School Musical Theater Association.
Tony is also a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award in Education given by the Yerwood Center in 2011. Additionally, in 1992, he began an oral history project interviewing local World War II veterans which culminated in the book, An American Town Goes to War which was published in 1995. He remains actively involved with veterans and continues to host the Annual Veterans Symposium which brings area veterans into the high school.
Tony was born and raised in Stamford and a graduate of Southern Connecticut State University where he also earned his Masters and Sixth-Year degrees.
Marnie Sadlowsky
Marnie is the Head of Upper School at King in Stamford, where she has also taught English, grades 6-12, and worked as a Dean for ninth and tenth grade students. Marnie is passionate about creating a student-centered environment that is deeply informed by knowledge about how adolescents learn, and has been very involved in King’s development of an individualized approach to teaching that includes detailed learning profiles for each of its students.
Marnie graduated from St. Olaf College and also holds a Masters in Religion (literature and church history) from Yale University’s Divinity School. She lives in Stamford with her husband, Mark Lingle.
Dr. Frank Safran
Frank Safran, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice in Westport, Connecticut. He is a co-founder of the Attention Deficit Disorders Institute. He works with children, adolescents in individual and group therapy, and speaks nationally and internationally on his work. Dr. Safran and his wife, Diane Safran, M.S., ATR-BC, LMFT, work together in social skills and couples’ therapy groups. Both also work with schools and student patients and families in collaboration to help improve the quality of their educational experience.
Jim Yavenditti
Jim is the Head of the Upper School at St. Luke's School, a coeducational day college-preparatory for grades 5-12, located in New Canaan. Jim started at St. Luke's in September 2002 after teaching stints at the Culver Academies in Culver, Indiana as a faculty intern, the University of Georgia as a teaching assistant, and Stratford Academy in Macon, Georgia as a Middle School teacher. Jim taught Latin in both the Middle and Upper Schools here at St. Luke’s, and along the way he also served as Chair of the Faculty Issues Committee, member of the SLS Honor Council, member of the SLS Student Life Committee, and Sophomore Class Dean. While his primary duties will be as the Head of Upper School, Jim happily will continue to teach one Latin class each year.
A classical archaeology major as an undergraduate, Jim has been fortunate enough to work on several archaeological digs in both Israel and Cyprus. Most recently, Jim was awarded a scholarship from the Vergilian Society-bolstered additionally by professional development funding from St. Luke's-to partake in a study-tour of Malta and Tunisia with other classicists. Through all of his travels throughout the ancient Roman world, Jim has discovered that Tom Friedman's ubiquitous quote on globalization, "The World is Flat," certainly also rang true to the ancient Romans in some ways... both literally and figuratively!
Student Advisory Board
Noah Pederson
Noah is a 8th grade student at Fairfield Country Day School, in Fairfield. Noah’s hobbies include baseball, basketball and organizing his school work on his computer. Noah has been an invaluable resource in helping S4 best understand the jump from elementary to middle school in an independent laptop school environment.