When & Where Tuition and Registration Weibel Club-Tuesdays Weibel Team-Fridays Special K-3 Team Mr. Shorman's Class
INTRODUCTION
I hope you all had an enjoyable and productive summer. I did! I missed running
the Weibel Chess Scholastic Quads this summer. As most of you know, the school
was closed due to construction. I hope you were able to keep your children
interested in chess. For weeks I have been receiving e-mail from worried
parents that they missed the registration for the 2008-2009 school year. As
has been my practice in past years, I do not send out or post the information
or the applications until the end of August. So,for those of you excited about
re-joining or joining us for the 19th year of Weibel Chess—2008-2009, this
page provides, I hope, all the information you will need.
At Weibel Chess, classes are held once a week to study chess tactics and strategy and to spend time playing chess under tournament conditions. Children who join Weibel Chess know they are a part of the largest and best known school program in the State of California. More important, parents know their children will be part of an educational system designed to improve their children’s academic performance while they have fun. Our chess program is an after-school enrichment program, not merely recreational.
NOTE
Weibel Chess is no longer directly affiliated with Success
Chess School. We will have an association with SCS and this
will mean that our students can continue to do the extra-credit homework online. The
tournaments I run will be joint SCS and Weibel ventures.
WHEN & WHERE
We start the Weibel Chess Club on Tuesday,
September 30 (2:55 to 4:10 PM) until June 2 (for year membership) and the Weibel
Chess Team on Friday, October 3 (2:55 to 4:30 PM) until June 5 (for year membership).
The first semester for the Weibel Club will end February 3 and for the
Weibel Team on January 30. The second semester for the Club starts on February
10 and for the Team on February 6. Students from Junior High School
and High School will be permitted to attend Team meetings (not the Club) as long
as they meet the conditions listed online. Chess will not be held on official
school holidays. We do hold chess when Weibel has a half-day schedule. However,
we do not change the time of our chess classes.
All children should come to the Multi-Purpose Room on the first day of chess.
Actually, we will always start in the Multi-Purpose Room before heading to the
various classrooms. Unless you hear otherwise, please be sure your child is
there on the proper date and time for the first meeting. This may be your only
notice. If for some reason s/he cannot be there on the first day, please send
an e-mail to alan@WeibelChess.org so that your child is not dropped from the
Team/Club.
TUITION & REGISTRATION
To register for Weibel Chess, please go to our secure site, https://CalNorthYouth.powweb.com/WeibelChess/Registration2008-2009.html. You
might wish to complete the online registration form as early as possible as
those who were with Weibel Chess last year will have first priority only until
September 12. After
that date all registrations will be accepted based upon the date the application
was received. We hope we can accommodate all players but in most years
we have had to start a waiting list due to a limit on instructors and space. This
has mainly been for those joining the Club. Only a couple of times did
we have to place a limit on the number of Team members. During the
registration process you will be given a mailing address if you wish to pay
by check, or you can pay online using your credit card.
Although registration can be done one semester at a time, please consider joining for the whole school year. The tuition for the year's program (Club or Team) is $325. If you only pay $162.50 for one semester we will send you the second semester’s tuition bill ($162.50) in mid-January. We encourage and expect children who enroll for the first semester to also enroll the following semester. Those who pay tuition for the full year in advance will receive a Weibel Chess logo T-shirt gratis. For those joining for a semester, they can purchase a T-shirt on the application form. If you have volunteered to help the Weibel Chess Club or Team set up or take down equipment or worked the Weibel Chess Quads last year and are doing so again this year, please select the gratis box on the Weibel Registration form. New helpers are, of course, always welcome and needed, and tuition for one child will be refunded after the first semester of help.
No semester refunds will be provided after the second meeting of chess. When a refund is provided for a semester registration $10.50 will be deducted for each day your child attended, plus a $10 registration fee for the data entry. If you registered for the complete year and want to withdraw before the second semester, a full refund for that semester will be provided minus the cost of the T-shirt you received gratis for joining for the full year. If we decide within the first few lessons that your child is not yet ready to learn chess, your full tuition will be refunded.
Chess scholarships (full or partial tuition) based on need are always available. I do not what to turn any child away from chess due to the cost of our program. To apply for a need chess scholarship, please send a letter to Dr. Kirshner (66 Indian Hill Place, Fremont, CA 94539) detailing the reasons you believe you need a financial scholarship for your child. If the child is on the state or federal lunch programs, a need scholarship is automatically awarded when requested.
Chess tuition covers the cost of our exceptional instruction staff, the chess instruction equipment, chess sets and pieces, paperwork, donations to the Weibel School classrooms, and the trophies, certificates and door prizes our students receive at the end of the year. Parents in the past have contributed a few dollars extra for the food and gifts at the end of the year Awards Ceremony.
WHO
Children of all Weibel grades and chess experience levels are welcome. Please
read the conditions on page two carefully before deciding to register your child
in one of the four options. Weibel Chess is limited to Weibel students, former
Weibel chess students or home schooled children. Exceptions are
made for Mr. Shorman's class. Dr. Kirshner may make exceptions for children
who attend other schools which do not have a chess program or the level of their
program fails to meet quality chess standards.
GENERAL CONDITIONS
Children will respect the Weibel School rules, each other, and the instructors.
Failure to do so can result in a suspension or immediate expulsion. Please
discuss with your child whether the Chess Club or the Chess Team is more appropriate.
Weibel Chess does not make assignments. If you want some guidance on your
child’s placement, give Dr. Kirshner a call at (510) 659-0358 or write
him at Alan@WeibelChess.org
WEIBEL CHESS CLUB PARTICIPATION:
1. Club members will range from absolute beginners to experienced players. We
will welcome kindergarten through sixth grade students into the Weibel Chess
Club.
2. Little or no knowledge of chess is required of Club members. We will teach
chess to beginners in the first seven weeks and then all students will obtain
instruction in chess tactics and strategy. After all students know how to play
they may join other Club members for half the session in tournament style play.
3, There is no homework requirement for Club members, though extra credit assignments
will be available on the web.
4. Since Club members are not required to enter competitions they do not need
a Weibel Chess T-shirt as the Team members do, but they are welcome to
order and wear one. I have placed a location to order the T-shirt
on the form. Those children paying a full year’s tuition in advance
will receive a T-shirt gratis. The design will remain the same as in previous
years, but the back will read “California Northern State or Regional Champions
in Various Divisions, 1990-2008.” I am considering using a black
shirt this year with our logo in white puff paint so we stand out a little more
when our children attend chess events.
WEIBEL CHESS TEAM PARTICIPATION:
1. Parents must agree to have their children compete in at least four United
States Chess Federation (USCF) Tournaments before the CalChess State Championships
that will be held on May 2 and 3 in San Jose. Any summer chess
tournaments do meet this requirement. We will, generally, distribute information
on tournaments or you can look online at: http://www.CalNorthYouthChess.org/Tournaments.html. Team
members must keep their USCF memberships current. New members to the Team
that are not yet USCF members must join by going to https://secure.uschess.org/webstore/member.php?wkmemtp=R1
2. We strongly recommend that all Team members attend the CalChess Grade Level in Stockton on December 6. All Team girls on the must play in the CalChess State Scholastic Girl's Championships in San Rafael at the end of January or the first week of February--I do not have a date yet. All Team players must wear a Weibel Chess T-shirt to any tournaments they attend. Please--pretty please—see that they do so this year.
3. Parents must agree to have their children compete in the CalChess State Scholastic Championships on May 2 & 3 (most Kindergarten through Third Grade students play only on Saturday. The same is true of unrated and novice players in the 4 through 6 grades. Those in the Primary School Championship K-3 Section and other varsity divisions compete on both Saturday and Sunday). Team members who fail to attend the State Championships will be removed from the Weibel Chess Team. Do not register your child on the Chess Team if you believe another activity might interfere with keeping this commitment.
4. Team members must do homework each week. I am instituting a change this year. The mandatory two hours of homework has been eliminated. After discussion with a number of the instructors and parents, it is no longer as productive as when I began it about 5 years back. We have decided that it would be far more valuable for students to analyze their games. This will mean that they must take the tournament game they played on Friday (or an equivalent one with my permission) and enter it into a computer program and add commentary to all the moves. I will explain this to the students at our first meeting and provide those that need it a program they can use to enter their games in the computer. If for some reason the computer is down or the printer broken they will have to do it all by hand. The analyzed game must be turned in the next Friday, or for the select ten (explained shortly) on Tuesday. If the sheet is not brought to the Friday meeting or the student does not do the homework, the student will have eight points deducted from their ranking. Students who repeatedly fail to do the homework or fail to remember to turn it in will be suspended for one week. After three suspensions, we will send the Team member to the Chess Club or remove the student from Weibel Chess. Some instructors may still require their students to do homework they assign. This instructor homework will also be required. Our instructors know not to assign excessive work. Translation, the total of each weeks homework should not be much more then one hours work. Team members may obtain points per hour for extra homework--this will be based upon 2 points per hour of acceptable homework. Playing chess online or with someone else is not chess homework--it is playing chess. I will provide the SCS homework passwords this year for extra assignments. Parents, as with any school assignment, must remember to check to see that the homework is done and sign the form. Junior High School and High School students are exempt from this requirement.
5. WEIBEL CHESS TEAM'S SELECT 10: New for 2008-2009. The ten highest U.S. Chess Federation rated 4-6 players will play each other on Friday. They will come the following Tuesday (at no extra charge) where they will go over their recorded and annotated game with their Friday opponent. They will receive commentary from one or two of our special instructors. Here is the kicker--if any Weibel player's rating should move up and surpass one of the Select 10 or a Select 10 player's rating drop lower then one of the other players, the higher rated player will replace that individual on the Select 10. Anytime a player's USCF rating goes up beyond another Select 10 member that individual will receive a recognition award. After the first semester, the individuals who have remained on the Select 10 Team for the complete semester will elect two Weibel Chess Team Captains from among themselves + any 4-6 players that are attending Mr. Shorman's class. I reserve the right to remove a Select 10 Team Member who fails to come to Tuesday analyses sessions.
SPECIAL WEIBEL K-3 CHESS TEAM PARTICIPATION:
1. Again this year, a Special
Weibel K-3 Chess Team will meet on both Tuesdays and Fridays. The intent is
to create a winning team at the State Championships in May -- last year we took
a second. Tuition will be the same as joining only the Friday Chess
Team. Translation,
the tuition will be free for Tuesdays if the player meets the criteria of the
Special K-3 Team.
2. CRITERIA (no exceptions):
a. Must attend Weibel Elementary School or be home schooled living within 10
miles of Weibel and be in kindergarten through third grade.
b. Must be willing to notate (write down) and annotate (ciomment in writing)
all their games. The child is not eligible for this
class if the child does not know how to notate, .
c. Parents must agree to have their children compete in at least eight United
States Chess Federation (USCF) Tournaments before the CalChess State Championships
that will be held on May 2 and 3. Any summer chess tournaments
do meet this requirement. We will, generally, distribute information on tournaments
or you can look online at: http://www.CalNorthYouthChess.org/Tournaments.html
d. All Special K-3 Team members must attend the CalChess Grade Level in Stockton
on December 6. All girls on the Special K-3 Team will play in the CalChess
State Scholastic Girl's Championships in San Rafael at the end of January or
the beginning of February--I do not have the date yet. All Special K-3 Team
players must wear a Weibel Chess T-shirt to any tournaments they attend. I
may have a special extra T-shirt made for these players at no cost to the parents
if we have at least 10 members.
e. Parents must agree to have their children, if on the Special K-3 Team, compete
in the CalChess State Scholastic Championships on May 17 & 18.
f. Special K-3 Team Team members must do homework each week. I am instituting
a change this year. The mandatory two hours of homework has been eliminated. After
discussion with a number of the instructors and parents, it is no longer as
productive as when I began it about 5 years back. We have decided that
it would be far more valuable for students to analyze their games. This
will mean that they must take the tournament game they played on Friday (or
an equivalent one with my permission) and enter it into a computer program and
add commentary to all the moves. I will explain this to the students at
our first meeting and provide those that need it a program they can use to enter
their games in the computer. If for some reason the computer is down or
the printer broken they will have to do it all by hand. The analyzed game
must be turned in the next Friday. If the sheet is not brought to the
Friday meeting or the student does not do the homework, the student will have
eight points deducted from their ranking. Students who repeatedly fail
to do the homework or fail to remember to turn it in will be suspended for one
week. After three suspensions, we will send the Team member to the Chess Club
or remove the student from Weibel Chess. The extra chjarges as noted in
h will apply. Some instructors may still require their students to do homework
they assign. This
instructor homework will also be required. Our instructors know not to
assign excessive work. Translation, the total of each weeks homework should
not be much more then one hours work. Team members may obtain points
per hour for extra homework--this will be based upon 2 points per hour of acceptable
homework. Playing chess online or with someone else is not chess homework--it
is playing chess. I will provide the SCS homework passwords this year
for extra assignments. Parents, as with any school assignment, must remember
to check to see that the homework is done and sign the form.
g. Parents will permit Dr. Kirshner to determine which group or section a student
will play in at the State Championships.
h. If a player leaves the Special K-3 Team during the semester/year or is removed
due to his/her continued failure to meet the requirements listed above, the
parents agree to cover all Tuesday sessions the player attended at our standard
rate of $10.50 per meeting.
MR. SHORMAN'S WEIBEL CHESS TEAM:
SPECIAL NOTE:
I must charge a few dollars more for Mr. Shorman's class this year. I must hire another instructor to instruct and control the students until Mr. Shorman arrives. As most of you know he can be late. Last year I was called on the carpet because a fight broke out between two players in his class that had to be stopped by a regular Weibel teacher. The individual who will work with the players is one of Mr. Shorman's older and experienced students.
TO PARTICIPATE IN MR. SHORMAN'S CLASS:
1. The student must be a scholastic chess player. The class will
be limited to fifteen members and students from other schools will not be admitted
until all Weibel players have been admitted. After Weibel players have
been accommodated, those individuals who were in the class last year will have
first preference. A waiting list will be established and when Mr. Shorman requests
I remove a student who is not doing his work, another from the list will
be admitted.
2. Before a student can be admitted into the class, I must test him/her on the ability to recite the 30 Rules of Chess in under 2 minutes and How to Make a Master Move. There can be no exceptions. If this requirement is not completed before the class begins, Dr. Kirshner will allow the next individual on the waiting list to test for entry into the class.
3. Team members must agree to do a any chess homework Mr. Shorman and the second instructor requires. If I am informed that students are not doing the homework (this includes all studentsno matter what grade) the student and his/parents will be notified that s/he will be subject to suspension. Students who continue to not do their homework after being warned will be suspended. After two suspensions, the student will be removed from Mr Shorman's class.
4. Parents must agree to have their children compete in the CalChess State Scholastic Championships on May 2 & 3. Please do not register your child in this class if you believe another activity might interfere with keeping this commitment. All girls on Mr. Shorman's Weibel Team will play in the CalChess State Scholastic Girl's Championships in San Rafael at the end of January or beginning of February--the date has not been set yet. Finally, if invited to attend the East Bay vs South Bay Competition (likely in April), the K-6 students on Mr. Shorman's Weibel Team must attend. Mr. Shorman's Team members who fail to adhere to this commitment for any reason that is not clearly an emergency will be removed from his class.
Any questions, concerns or communications regarding the Weibel Chess program should be directed to Alan M. Kirshner, Ph.D. He can be reached at (510) 659-0358 or via e-mail: alan@WeibelChess.org
TO JOIN WEIBEL CHESS FOR 2008-2009 GO TO: https://CalNorthYouth.powweb.com/WeibelChess/Registration2008-2009.html