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Last week, CLS teachers hosted ‘Final Daze,’ a 3-day set of final exam study sessions to give students some last-minute help to prepare for their tests. The sessions were held in the Learning Success Center (LSC) from 3:35 to 4:15 in the afternoon on May 19, 20 and 24 with different classes featured each afternoon. Teachers were stationed around the LSC to answer questions, provide feedback, give additional practice and, as one teacher put it, “help with whatever the students feel they need to be confident in their understanding of the material they’re going to be tested on.”

           Brought about by the LSC Team of Kristen Martinez, Katie Schmoeckel, and Yosep Lee, Martinez, the Student Development Coordinator, said that Final Daze was “an idea that stemmed from a year-long mission to create the LSC into a purposeful place to encourage and enhance students’ success.”  Math Support Specialist, Lee and Learning Success Center Coordinator, Schmoeckel, coordinated with Martinez to plan the event, and the team advertised it by hanging posters throughout the school and writing about it in the announcements tab of the weekly parent newsletter, Eagle News. 
           

Along with making the event educational for students who wanted extra preparation for a week of exams, the LSC team also made the event fun and enjoyable. The room was decorated, music was playing, healthy snacks were provided, and raffle tickets that could be exchanged at the end for prizes to students for attending and participating in the sessions. “Finals can be a stressful time, and we wanted the student body to know that we are there to support them in any way we can,” said Martinez. “At CLS, we’re glad to have such an encouraging group of teachers and staff that go to extra lengths to push our students to success!”

Ezra 10:4 says to “rise up; this matter is in your hands. We will support you, so take courage and do it” and the students are reminded of this regularly. The mission of the Learning Success Center is “A purposeful place to encourage and enhance student success.” Since taking on the role to coordinate the structure of the LSC, Schmoeckel has facilitated some impressive improvements, including a significant reduction in the number of academically ineligible students (graph shown below).

She went on to say that her goal was to create an environment with intentional student support with tutoring available every class period during the day. She also credits the student improvements to her efforts to encourage a sense of ownership for students to complete a high quality of work on time. Additionally, the LSC provides a dedicated, quiet assessment center as a resource for both students and teachers.