By Maile Biehl
After the Covid-19 pandemic destroyed the 2019-2020 school year and left juniors in the dust when it came to their SATs, many rising juniors from the class of 2022 were left worried. Would the SATs still be happening? Would colleges still be requiring it? Will I still be able to get a spot to take it?
All of these questions were valid and concerning for many students. They watched their peers struggle through their test dates being cancelled and being moved and watched them try to get new dates. What should they do to be prepared for their tests?
That’s where two honor societies here at MMHS stepped in.
After the Covid-19 pandemic destroyed the 2019-2020 school year and left juniors in the dust when it came to their SATs, many rising juniors from the class of 2022 were left worried. Would the SATs still be happening? Would colleges still be requiring it? Will I still be able to get a spot to take it?
All of these questions were valid and concerning for many students. They watched their peers struggle through their test dates being cancelled and being moved and watched them try to get new dates. What should they do to be prepared for their tests?
That’s where two honor societies here at MMHS stepped in.
In 2020, the Mashpee High School National English Honors Society (NEHS) was established by Mrs. Finn and Mrs. Murphy, two English teachers here at MMHS. Early into the 2020-2021 school year, they both expressed an interest in starting an SAT tutoring program through the NEHS and the National Math Honors Society (NMHS), which is run by Mrs. Brodie, the mathematics department head at MMHS.
Students jumped on board of this idea and expressed their interest in the program. This really inspired both Honors Societies to work together to build this program for the first time together.
The Math Honors Society and National Honors Society have both hosted general tutoring programs for students in the past. This year, the NEHS thought to work along with the tutoring idea and spread it to specifically the SATs. The program started to come together in the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year and began sessions after winter break, starting in 2021.
In order to determine the time that students would find it best to attend these sessions, both Mrs. Finn and Mrs. Murphy consulted the other members of the NEHS. It was determined that the SAT tutoring sessions would be on Mondays during block 8 on B weeks and on Tuesdays during block 8 on A weeks. They run every week and for the duration of block 8.
The tutoring sessions occur over Zoom and are open for students who are looking for a lot of tutoring or have a small need for it. Students who attend the tutoring sessions are asked what they need help with, and are then paired with a tutor. Students would be directed into a breakout room with a tutor or a group of people.
According to Juliana Reynolds, president of the NEHS, there are typically 10 students who come for tutoring as of right now, but they are eager to build and expand this program. These 10 students are typically paired with either a group of their peers and a tutor, or paired with a tutor for a one-on-one session. It is completely dependent on the students comfort level and the amount of help they feel they need at that time. Students also may be paired with a specific tutor, depending on the subject they need help in at any given time. Whether it is math, English or both, they are able to pair you up with the right person.
“Any topics the students need help with that are part of the exam. There are specific tutors who can help out for either English, Math, or both subjects,” said Shivani Patel, president of the NMHS. “Most of the time, the practice questions are done through Khan Academy, so we would recommend students to link their CollegeBoard account with their Khan Academy account before coming to the meetings.”
Juliana Reynolds gave us some encouraging words for those who might be nervous about joining, or those who are considering it and are looking for a few words of encouragement to sway them. “SAT prep can be expensive and not accessible to everyone, and it can be daunting to have someone older than you as a tutor! That’s why SAT tutoring at our school is great--it’s free, it’s fun, and you get to work with other kids your age to problem solve and prep for the exam!”
Contact Mrs. Finn, Mrs. Murphy or Mrs. Brodie if you are interested in joining,