Leyden’s staff has fine-tuned the school’s math and writing centers in an effort to increase traffic.

A recent change to the appointment-making process has doubled convenience for students who wish to come in for help with anything related to math or writing. Students can now easily schedule an appointment with the math and writing coaches online under the “Coaching Centers” tab on the school website, choosing any time slot from 7 a.m to 4 p.m. However, they are also welcome to drop in at any time, no appointment necessary!

The staff does not require students to stay for a specific amount of time. “The session length depends on how much guidance an individual needs,” writing coach Mr. Tripp Burton explained. “When a student feels like they have received the tutoring they were seeking, we simply send them back to their classroom with a pass.”

The Writing Center staff can provide a helping hand to any student. Whether it’s a reading assignment or essay for class, college applications, or even a personal piece, they offer endless help ranging anywhere from brainstorming to picking a topic to proofreading the final copy. Mr.Burton believes that one on one work is what makes the Writing Center such an important tool for every student to utilize. “At the Writing Center, students get one on one attention, which is something they may not even get in the best of classes. This gives them a chance to work on exactly what they need to work on and really focus in on it.”

Junior Patryk Skoczyn recounted his helpful experience with writing coach Mr.Burton. “We were reading a complicated book in my English class, and I was having trouble understanding some of the content. I was particularly stuck on one part, so Mr.Burton read through it with me. We had a discussion about it and he explained it to me in a way that helped me get unstuck. I have returned to the writing center a handful of times and I’m really glad this resource is available to me whenever I need it.” said Patryk.

So you deciphered your English book and figured out what to write your essay about, but you just can’t figure out how to solve that equation? The Math Center is here to help!

“The Math Center is a place where students can get help in math in a friendly environment. Every student has trouble with math or writing at one point or another, so we’re here to make it easier,” clarified math coach Mrs. Marta Grochola.

Senior Catherine Chalakoff recalled her useful experience at the math center. “I was struggling with a concept I’m learning in my Pre Calc class, and I had a quiz the next day. I wasn’t able to stay after school for help, which is when my teacher is available.” She continued, “I had heard of the math center on the announcements, so I decided to use that resource. Mrs. Grochola was available right when I came in, and she walked me through the lesson and practiced with me. When the session was over, she wrote me a pass to class.”

Aside from the new, user-friendly online appointment making process, the key factors to the two centers successes are the availability, the convenient location, and the atmosphere. Because they are located in the library, help is easily accessible to each student at Leyden. The welcoming atmosphere allows students to get help in a place where they are comfortable asking questions and taking in new information. The Math and Writing centers were created for the students, and the staff urges every student to stop by, no appointment needed, as soon as possible.