The start of the new school year brought many new additions to the Barstow upper school including the removal of the bookstore to make room for the new Student Success Center. The new Student Success Center is the first of many steps to support students in additional ways.
Many students had a hard time staying focused when doing online school last year and this is a new way to help engage the lower classmen in their studies. If there is a concept students do not understand and the teachers are busy teaching another class, they do not have to suffer and spend hours trying to learn the material by themselves. The primary purpose of the Student Success Center will be for peer tutoring. This is a way for students to receive help from peers that have already mastered the content that they are struggling with. Students will be able to visit the center anytime they are free such as during free periods, study halls, and even for an hour after school.
During an interview with Kory Gallagher, founder of the Student Success Center, Dr. Gallagher stated, “The Student Success Center is a resource for students to come and get additional help with content from their classes or with information on how to be a better student. This (center) is a resource for all students, those who are having academic struggles and those who are wanting to improve on their record of excellence already.”
There will be two types of positions that juniors and seniors can choose from: either a math and science tutor, or a humanities tutor. Eight upperclassmen for each position are selected by Dr. Gallagher and then they are assigned to a position depending on when their free periods are and whether or not they have any after school activities. Peer tutors are also paid $10.30/ hour, which is an incentive for upperclassmen to take this job. If anyone you know is experiencing difficulties within their classes or just want to know more about a subject they are interested in, tell them to come down to the Student Success Center! Someone will always be there to help.
