The Accolade Editorial Board unanimously praises after-school programs like the Algebra Center and the Spanish Workshop in their efforts to foster student growth and academic achievement.

For many Sunny Hills students, learning is not bound by the 3:30 p.m. bell.

Designed to create welcoming places on campus for students seeking academic help outside of classrooms, programs such as Algebra Center, a math tutoring service, and Language Workshop, an after-school program for German, Korean or Spanish students, should be praised for their contributions to student support and well-being.

Over the course of 58-minute periods, except the second period, which lasts 60 minutes, some students may find themselves time-crunched, having to understand complex concepts before getting ousted into the passing period. 

These class periods may provide sufficient time for teachers to deliver their lessons; however, they don’t account for the time needed for all students to comprehend the material.

After all, the essence of the education system is to help students learn.

On top of that, in a classroom setting with often more than 30 other peers, some may find it difficult to find the time or the courage to request one-on-one help. 

In fact, according to a May 2023 study by Character Lab Research Network, roughly 40% of the 1,000 high school participants revealed that they were hesitant to ask for help or clarification in class, under the fear that they may be considered unintelligent. 

By explicitly designing spaces on campus encouraging students to reach out for help, the Algebra Center and Language Workshop overturn this belief. 

ALGEBRA CENTER

Inspired to start the opportunity at Sunny Hills after recognizing the potential impact of quarantine on student learning, Algebra Center adviser and math teacher Dorothy Cheng said she hoped to support her students further.

“I was thinking how much [8th graders] would struggle in math as entering freshmen,” Cheng said. “Then I thought that students at Sunny Hills would be going through the same thing, so I wanted to start this club to help them.

Led by fellow students who needed to submit an application demonstrating their math skills, the Algebra Center is a unique space for students to learn from one another. 

From 3:30-4 p.m, every Monday to Thursday, students taking algebra to precalculus can visit Room 46 for a one-on-one tutoring session from students enrolled in higher-level math courses.

Not only do these sessions provide opportunities for students to get the help they need, but they also assist tutors in brushing up on their own foundational math skills and improving their communication abilities. 

According to a May 2018 article by the British Psychological Society, a study published in “Applied Cognitive Psychology” led by Aloysius Wei Lun Koh found that students who spent time teaching their study material outperformed all other students in the experiment. 

By tutoring others, Algebra Center members can practice active recall and retrieval, making this a wonderful opportunity for students to not only achieve a sense of fulfillment but also grow academically. 

Essentially, it’s a win-win scenario, with the after-school program benefiting both the teacher and student.  

Cheng said the sessions averaged 45 tutors and 240 students per year since its founding in 2021. Algebra Center remains the most regularly attended tutoring service on campus, demonstrating its effectiveness. 

“We open starting the third week of both semesters, but there are usually students knocking on my door during the first two weeks of school asking if there’s an Algebra Center that day,” Cheng said. “My colleagues have also noticed when their students receive tutoring at Algebra Center, and it’s just wonderful to have a place for students to go after school if they need extra help with their math on campus.”

While it offers support for a wide spectrum of math divisions available for tutoring, the Algebra Center does not extend the same opportunity to students taking more advanced classes, such as Advanced Placement [AP] Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC or AP Statistics. 

Taking their rigorous curricula into account, students enrolled in these courses should receive the same amount of support. 

Algebra Center is an undeniably beneficial service, and teachers of more advanced courses should set aside times for students to visit during lunch or after school to ask questions and for help.

LANGUAGE WORKSHOP

Following the Spanish Workshop’s success in the 2024-2025 school year, the program has expanded to offer after-school tutoring for students taking German or Korean as well, hence the title Language Workshop. Expanding this opportunity is a step in the right direction in increasing accessibility for student growth. 

“Language teachers saw a need for students who needed extra practice or more specific help in smaller groups,” Spanish teacher Maria Torres said. “It helps support students who need help and are struggling, but also provides an opportunity for students who might miss class due to sports or other extracurricular activities.”

A total of five teachers open their classrooms for tutoring: Spanish teachers Mayra Morales, Cinithia Gonzalez and Michael Perry, Korean teacher Esther Shin and German teacher Sergey Artemyev.

In fact, according to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, consistent conversational practice and targeted feedback significantly improve language retention and fluency, underscoring how effective a tool the Language Workshop can be. 

By offering additional practice outside of class, the Language Workshop reinforces daily instruction and strengthens long-term comprehension. 

Although currently effective and helpful, we implore that these opportunities be expanded to include all languages on campus, as the Chinese language department has yet to collaborate with the Language Workshop. 

WRITING WORKSHOP

A Creativity, Activity, Service project by the International Baccalaureate [IB] class of 2024 and 2025, Writing Workshop disbanded for the 2024-2025 school year following a lack of participation. 

Designed to provide remedial instruction for students struggling in their English classes, four to six IB students led one-on-one peer tutoring from 3:30-4:15 p.m. on Tuesdays to Thursdays.

Over the course of these 45-minute sessions, tutors would read over attendees’ essay drafts and assist in brainstorming.

Despite the program’s attempts to promote the opportunity, IB coordinator and English teacher Scott Rosenkranz said there was little demand, with only three to four students attending. 

 “I’ve been around long enough to know that after school, tutoring is going to limit the number of students who could take advantage of it,” Rosenkranz said.

Additionally, because of the highly subjective and periodic nature of writing, Rosenkranz said the workshops were difficult to maintain in the long run.

“In English, I usually have an essay once every month, six weeks, something like that, and so on, and that’s very hard to sustain a weekly or a daily program knowing that,” he said. “[Writing is] personal in a way that a math problem isn’t personal, even with the writing voice and the choices you’re making.”

As of now, Rosenkranz said he has no plans regarding restarting the Writing Workshop. 

Yet, despite these tribulations, Sunny Hills must continue to strive to provide more support for other academic subjects beyond math and languages. 

Science and humanities are equally challenging and important aspects of students’ schedules, which should not be overlooked. To truly create a versatile and supportive learning environment, Sunny Hills must establish after-school help for these fields as well. 

By curating a dedicated space for students to receive the help they need, it is undeniable that programs such as Algebra Center and Language Workshop are supportive and beneficial elements to the SH community; however, this opportunity must be further integrated into other subject areas to support all students on campus. 

The Accolade Editorial Board is made up of the top editors and section editors on the 2025-2026 staff, with the guidance of adviser CJ D’Innocente. If you have a question about the board’s decision or an issue for the board to discuss and write about, please send an email to [email protected].