Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, January 7, 1992 TAG: 9201070065
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE:
DATELINE: PULASKI LENGTH: Long
TUTORING BUILDS SELF-ESTEEM, GRADES
Gary Hash once knew a sixth-grade boy who had failed twice and was on his way to failing a third time. He asked the boy, "How do you feel about yourself?" And the boy answered, "I feel terrible."Hash worked from there, and within one year the boy had made up both grades he had failed. And with summer school he would make up the grade he was about to fail, putting him back with his original classmates - where he belonged.
Hash says that is the most successful experience he's had while tutoring students through the Pulaski County "High on Tutoring" - HOT - program, for which he is a site coordinator.
"I sensed it was a self-esteem problem with the boy," said Hash, "Once he realized he could do the work, he did."
Hash, a draftsman and quality-improvement facilitator at the Radford Army Ammunition Plant, has spent the past 5 1/2 years tutoring students in kindergarten through 12th grade in all subjects. He said the main objective is to "help mold the kids and gear them towards academic excellence."
He and the other tutor volunteers have had other successes, too.
"The changes are unreal," Hash said. "You wouldn't believe. There was a girl, a junior at Pulaski High School, who had three Fs the first quarter and, with some help, went to As and Bs in two of her subjects. One class she still needs help in.
"There was another girl in Christiansburg who went from a D average to all As and Bs in one grading period. And we've had other students who went from Ds to Bs in math courses. We've even had children who were considered LD [learning disabled] who went to the top of their class in certain subjects. . . . It's all documented."
Hash says from 12 to 16 students come to the tutoring program each night. There are two tutoring sites - one at Pulaski County High School and one in Christiansburg. The Pulaski County HOT program is paid for by the school system and the one in Christiansburg is privately funded.
He says students range from those who are flunking out to those who just want to improve one grade in one class.
"One thing we try to stress is self-esteem. That and parental involvement are the two most important factors in the success of students," Hash said.
Hash said one thing he's noticed with the HOT program is that students will usually get in the program to build self-esteem and get out of trouble with one particular class.
"We want to get them to come back after they've gotten out of trouble," Hash said. "A lot of students aren't geared towards academic excellence. I tell the students, `Don't just try to keep from drowning, but get out of the water.' "
Hash isn't the only one involved in the success of the HOT program. It is sponsored by New River Community College and depends on volunteer tutors; a lot of them come from Radford University, Virginia Tech and area businesses. In fact, Floyd Hoge, then president of New River Community College, came to help a student with chemistry.
"The majority of the people I've asked to help have readily recognized the importance of HOT and have helped when they possibly can," Hash said.
Some of the goals of HOT include re-opening the Radford tutoring site, which a lack of money closed, and increasing student awareness in academic excellence, not just "getting by." Hash recognizes, especially with athletes, that they believe passing by minimal requirements is enough.
"We want to destroy that kind of mentality," he said.
Tutoring is done Tuesday and Thursday evenings, 6:30-8:30, in the math pod of Pulaski County High School. Christiansburg tutoring times vary and appointments are necessary.
For more information on High on Tutoring, call Gary Hash at 639-8676 or call the Office of Continuing Education at NRCC at 674-3607.
Hardee's, Burger King and Domino's Pizza are helping to promote good grades at CHRISTIANSBURG HIGH SCHOOL. These businesses have agreed to provide coupons and prizes to reward students for making the honor roll and for receiving their teachers' recognition for improvement.
Hardee's donated coupons for Big Cookies and roast-beef sandwiches. Burger King donated vouchers for its Whoppers and Domino's promised $2-off coupons for large pizzas.
Bigger prizes are given out in drawings at the end of each six weeks.
\ A CAREER FAIR will be held in McBryde Hall at Virginia Tech March 10, 9:30-11:40 a.m. All Montgomery County high-school freshmen are invited.
The fair will give them general information about major career areas after they finish high school or college. There will be 33 career areas represented.
For more information, call Karen Clark at 552-5592.
A meeting for superintendents, business managers, school board members, school attorneys and others interested in education will be held Jan. 27-28 at the Donaldson Brown Center at Virginia Tech.
\ "PLANNING FOR MIDDLE SCHOOLS," will look at planning for middle schools and their design trends, capital funding and effective uses of educational planners.
For more information, call Roy Jones at 231-4848.
> If you have an interesting news item from your school, write to Melissa DeVaughn at P.O. Box 540, Christiansburg, Va. 24073.