Students stressing over their next test or a significant workload can find better help this year. The counseling department has made big changes to their office, a new study room with snacks, aesthetic changes to optimize stress recovery, and a new system.
“This is the first year we’ve been doing this for academic support,” Upper School Counselor Mary Bonsu said, “Because we know that some students who are receiving accommodations, for example, for extended time, they may have learning styles and learning patterns, and that extended time is not the only help that they need to succeed. They may need help with organizational skills and time management and all these other things, and because we haven’t been able to provide that in house we’ve often referred students out to an educational coach, or an executive function coach or an educational specialist outside of our school.”
With the newly hired Academic and Wellness Specialist Eliza Rosenbloom, serving as an assistant to Director of Academic Success Julie Pechersky, the counseling department created a new system for academic support.
“We wanted to do a focus group on like athletes, for example, who are having a hard time balancing academics and sports and they’re needing to find like ways to hack their learning style or fix their schedules to maximize time for studying and doing their homework,” Bonsu said. “There’s such a variety of new and different things that students can utilize our services for this year. All you have to do is ask Eliza Rosenbloom for a meeting, and tell her what the subject that you need help with and go from there.”
As this academic assistance program is still developing, it may be difficult to help the entire school, especially during exam season.
“Currently, we have one or two people for the entire school support,” Bonsu said. “We are aware that some time down the road we may need for more, but so far, when students students would come to see Mrs. Pechersky for help, she was kind of doing that for the whole school. Now we have Rosenbloom helping lower school, middle school and upper school so now it’s like Mrs. Pechersky has an assistant.”
As the program matures through the years, academic support programs are projected to be more readily available to the student body.
“Our goal is to eventually become a health and wellness division, working hand in hand with the school nurses, and getting a lot more people ready to help our boys out,” Bonsu said. “We might even get involved in some of the kids’ interests in AP Psychology, but right now, hopefully the snacks are enough to convince the students to check our office out. As I always say, come for the snacks, stay for the skills.”
