Seminole High School has been offering free tutoring to students since November of 2012. The program began when the creator of the program, Ms. Cynthia Jones, saw a need to help Seminole students improve their academic performance. The county eventually gave them a grant to fund free tutoring for students. The program offers help in English, math, chemistry, biology, history, and Spanish.
The tutoring program has been so successful that it will begin to offer its own classes; the first will be a photography course and a sign language class, which would be taught by a Seminole student, is also under consideration. These will only be offered if there are over 10 people interested in taking the class.
Many people have benefitted from this help: last year the program helped eight Seminole seniors meet their graduation requirements from summer courses. These students include Taira Anderson, Richard Andrudi, Michelle Anderson, Rebecca Brooker, Demetrius Homell, Kaitlyn Letzkus, Demetrius Clayton, and Nathaniel Williams.
The program has continued to help students improve their grades. One of the many students helped is freshman Hannah Prom.
Prom found out about the program from some friends and started the program in mid-September. Due to her busy Dazzler and IB schedule, she can only go two days a week, but those two days have made all the difference. Prom’s Spanish II test grades have improved by over two letter grades, in some cases.
Prom said, “Before tutoring my grade was a low B and I was doing really [badly] on tests and quizzes, but once I started going my grade started to improve and I even got an A on the exam. Also I have seen a change in my performance in Spanish class, not only on my tests and quizzes but in my participation. Because I go to tutoring I can get help on the homework so that when we go over it the next day [in class] I can participate and know that my answers are right.”
Prom said she will continue to go to tutoring for Spanish throughout high school to maintain her A, as well as seeking help in other subjects.
Others students that have been helped include Angela Moor, Richard Kennedy and Willamina Boateng.
Sophomore Julius Chai said, “I think tutoring is helpful, it’s a better environment. I feel students learn better from students because they have more of a personal connection and better footing.”
Ms. Jones said, “[I started the program] because I wanted to help students here at Seminole High School and I want everyone to be successful; I don’t want to see any student fail if I can help it. I will continue as long as we have the grant [from the county].”
Help for every subject is not offered every day. See Ms. Jones in the cafeteria after school between 2:30 and 5, Monday through Thursday, or in her office in downstairs Tribe Hall to sign up for help through tutoring.