NP3 High Schoolers Tutor Elementary Students

By Maisha Mostafa
Staff Writer | The Pacific Times

In the cafeteria of Natomas Pacific Pathways Prep Elementary, high school students walk through the front door to meet their little buddies. The children look left and right in a restless manner until their tutor sits by their side. The younger students take out their bright-colored folders and the lesson begins.

This is NP3 High’s second year partnering with NP3 Elementary School to provide academic help to elementary students. Throughout the span of the school year, a group of high school students meet on Tuesdays after school to tutor the youngsters. The high schoolers are all members of the NP3 High’s National Honors Society chapter.

National Honors Society is a nationally recognized organization based on the four standards: scholarship, leadership, service, and character. According to NP3 High’s National Honors Society adviser, Daisy Vallesfino, the high school students master these standards by overseeing elementary students’ progress.

NP3 High’s National Honors Society members have used these standards during their interactions with young students.

“Tutoring for NHS has helped me gain more understanding of younger people,” said Mary Ayanwale, a junior.

The high school tutors aid the younger students in subjects where they are struggling, primarily math, reading and reading comprehension. The high schoolers practice these subjects with their elementary counterparts through interactive activities such as games teaching addition and subtraction. The high schoolers also offer help on students’ homework and prepare the students for upcoming tests.

According to Ilana Greenstein, a 3rd Grade teacher at NP3 Elementary, she has seen improvement in her students’ academic performance thanks to tutoring from the high schoolers.

“With the extra hour, the students are able to practice on topics they didn’t understand in class with their tutor,” said Greenstein. “It’s nice for the students to have a positive, older role model other than a parent or teacher.”

The high school students see the impact their work has on the younger students’ academic success.

“I greatly value the opportunity I’ve gotten to help my tutee grow as a student. I’ve also enjoyed getting to know their interests as well as their imaginative side,” said Simerjit Kaur, junior.