During a typical school year, several high school students decide to assist an elementary teacher with their students. Not this year, and not with COVID. During the first semester of the school year, no high school students were allowed to go into the elementary part of the Potosi School District. As the year went on, exceptions were made and a few high school seniors have been allowed into the elementary side of the school.
Students decide to spend an hour of their day with the little ones for many different reasons, including those who hope to have a career in education. Senior Sydney Fecht loves to help out in the Elementary because she hopes to pursue a career as a child life specialist. Sydney tutors for both Mrs. Arsendorf and Mrs. Okey, the kindergarten and first grade teachers respectively. Syd chose to assist these teachers this semester because she had the opportunity to tutor her junior year and loved it, so she wanted to make it back into the elementary this year.
Anna Kruser and I also have the opportunity to work with the elementary students this semester, specifically the 4K and 3rd graders respectively. Anna likes to tutor because she wants some experience with kids because she dreams of becoming a pediatric nurse. Anna loves going down to work with the elementary students because it gives her the chance to “act like a kid again.” No matter the reason behind the tutoring, this opportunity allows us to work with, mentor, and guide our elementary students to learn at the best of their potential.
Potosi school counselor Mrs.Foote states that “COVID made everything different this year.” There were no high school students allowed in the elementary during first semester because, “There were just too many unknowns to risk everything. This semester, there seems to be about the normal amount of students in the elementary building again.”
To qualify to be a tutor for the elementary students, the student must be a senior, in good credit standing, and have a cooperating elementary teacher who agrees to supervise them while in the classroom.
This opportunity gives both the high school and elementary students the opportunity to learn more and grow as students and as a school community.