Interested Ironton Junior High School students will get a chance to improve their grades before report card time – without hours of long study time.

Monday, October 02, 2000

Interested Ironton Junior High School students will get a chance to improve their grades before report card time – without hours of long study time.

School officials are beginning a tutoring program designed to provide junior high students with additional practice on materials they are having trouble with in class, said Jeff Handley, director of the Ironton GEAR UP grant program.

"What we’re trying to do is implement a tutoring program into the junior high for the seventh- and eighth-graders during this nine-week quarter," Handley said. "This program will cover the subjects of math, science, social studies and language arts."

He said the five-week session will benefit the pre-high school students by providing academic help and a rooted sense of direction for higher education.

"In making this project work, we’ve gone to the high school teachers and asked them to select their ‘best’ students in each of the subjects the program will cover," he said. "By involving the high school students, this program will also serve as a mentoring program because they will receive some insight on what will be expected of them when they go to high school."

The program is scheduled to begin Tuesday, under the supervision of tutor supervisors Missy Fields and Karen Arthur, he added.

He said sessions will be offered on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

"In an attempt to work around busy schedules, we are offering both afternoon and evening sessions," Handley said. "Students can either select to attend their session immediately after school, or they can elect to attend sessions beginning at 7 p.m. each day."

The tutoring program will be free to all students enrolled at the junior high and funding will provide a small salary for the high school tutors, Handley said.

"Through the help of the GEAR UP grant, we will able to pay the high school students for their time," he said. "It’s a great opportunity for the high school students to learn that with a good education and academic skills, they can actually earn a good living."

He said enrollment forms for the program have already been sent to the parents of junior high students along with students’ progress reports.

The tutoring program is scheduled to begin in the high school during the second nine-week quarter, he said.

Ohio University students will act as tutors for the high school students who become involved in the program, he said.

"This program may not be for everyone," he said. "But, it is available to any and all students who would like to participate. The basic goal is to improve academic ability and foster the idea that school is positive and students can succeed in junior high and high school."