By Yuchen Yang
A cooler, resourceful, and comfortable place to study after school can now be enjoyed by Pioneer students. The Pioneer Study Center has evolved from a rudimentary idea in the Student Council to a fledgling new program that provides a common room for the whole school.
The Pioneer Study Center is a new facility set up by Mrs. Kunec, Social Studies, and Mr. Packard, English, that runs during seventh hour every day, with a vast amount of supplies and aid to help students with their homework.
“We are providing computers, paper, protractors…assistance. If you are doing homework and there’s this one algebra problem that’s really giving you fits, there’s people you can ask there, or if you are doing a research paper for AP History, there are people like myself who teach the class who will help you,” says Mrs. Kunec.
It is indeed for these reasons that students come to the Study Center to do their homework. “If I need help, there are always teachers here,” said junior Sachin Nair, who often utilizes the Study Center before marching band practices begin.
Junior Javon Hilliard agrees, “There are many resources to help out. I have used many of them,” Hilliard said.
“We have solidified, at the moment, six teachers who are coming two days a week,” says Mrs. Kunec, who is almost always at the Study Center. She said there will also be tutors available — both teachers and students from Pioneer’s National Honors Society.
“There’s been really strong efforts to get tutors in, but there’s never been a system to put tutors in place with students…on a consistent basis,” said Kunec.
Instead of just having tutors showing up and waiting for kids to come, the Study Center is seeking to make connections between tutors and students. “We can get NHS, we can get U-M (students), but there’s a Pioneer person…making those connections. Now we are encouraging. Now we are talking about it. Now there’s a place that is very visible so that everybody can seek help if they need it,” says Kunec.
There will even be consistent peer relationships between tutors and the students so that the students who are struggling can get help easily from somebody they have confidence in, and feel comfortable with. The goal is that if a student reaches a problem or assignment that they do not understand, there would be a teacher who teaches it or an NHS student to help out.
“I helped a student with three algebra problems,” said Mrs. Kunec, “I’m a history teacher — I’m so proud of that!”
To realize the goals for Study Center, and to make it an even better studying atmosphere, the organizers are “constantly self-assessing,” said Mrs. Kunec, “I think when we get to the four week to nine week period when people are getting concerned with their performances and getting help, it would be more of a tell-tale sign.”
The safe, helpful environment that the teachers of the Study Center worked so hard to achieve is already felt by the students. Sophomore Annie Wang says studying in the Study Center is more fun compared to studying at home or in the library. Instead of a solemn surrounding with brutal silence, she says the Study Center is more relaxed. “Sometimes my friends would come down and we could eat here,” she said, “It’s just more relaxed.” With this delightful ambiance, the Study Center welcomes students to come in every day during 7th hour to get their questions answered, study for tests, or just do homework. Lively and energetic are not usually words associated with a study room for Pioneer students, but with the new Study Center, they are now.
The Pioneer Study Center is a new facility set up by Mrs. Kunec, Social Studies, and Mr. Packard, English, that runs during seventh hour every day, with a vast amount of supplies and aid to help students with their homework.
“We are providing computers, paper, protractors…assistance. If you are doing homework and there’s this one algebra problem that’s really giving you fits, there’s people you can ask there, or if you are doing a research paper for AP History, there are people like myself who teach the class who will help you,” says Mrs. Kunec.
It is indeed for these reasons that students come to the Study Center to do their homework. “If I need help, there are always teachers here,” said junior Sachin Nair, who often utilizes the Study Center before marching band practices begin.
Junior Javon Hilliard agrees, “There are many resources to help out. I have used many of them,” Hilliard said.
“We have solidified, at the moment, six teachers who are coming two days a week,” says Mrs. Kunec, who is almost always at the Study Center. She said there will also be tutors available — both teachers and students from Pioneer’s National Honors Society.
“There’s been really strong efforts to get tutors in, but there’s never been a system to put tutors in place with students…on a consistent basis,” said Kunec.
Instead of just having tutors showing up and waiting for kids to come, the Study Center is seeking to make connections between tutors and students. “We can get NHS, we can get U-M (students), but there’s a Pioneer person…making those connections. Now we are encouraging. Now we are talking about it. Now there’s a place that is very visible so that everybody can seek help if they need it,” says Kunec.
There will even be consistent peer relationships between tutors and the students so that the students who are struggling can get help easily from somebody they have confidence in, and feel comfortable with. The goal is that if a student reaches a problem or assignment that they do not understand, there would be a teacher who teaches it or an NHS student to help out.
“I helped a student with three algebra problems,” said Mrs. Kunec, “I’m a history teacher — I’m so proud of that!”
To realize the goals for Study Center, and to make it an even better studying atmosphere, the organizers are “constantly self-assessing,” said Mrs. Kunec, “I think when we get to the four week to nine week period when people are getting concerned with their performances and getting help, it would be more of a tell-tale sign.”
The safe, helpful environment that the teachers of the Study Center worked so hard to achieve is already felt by the students. Sophomore Annie Wang says studying in the Study Center is more fun compared to studying at home or in the library. Instead of a solemn surrounding with brutal silence, she says the Study Center is more relaxed. “Sometimes my friends would come down and we could eat here,” she said, “It’s just more relaxed.” With this delightful ambiance, the Study Center welcomes students to come in every day during 7th hour to get their questions answered, study for tests, or just do homework. Lively and energetic are not usually words associated with a study room for Pioneer students, but with the new Study Center, they are now.