Mesa Verde offers students after-school homework help
By Sylvie Belmond belmond@theacorn.com

Mesa Verde Middle School parents may not need to nag about homework if their children attend a new afterschool program offered this year.

A teacher will be available in a classroom on campus from 3:25 to 4:30 p.m. each day to provide guidance and assistance to students while they complete their homework.

"Kids need to have a quiet place to get that homework done. It's a great idea," said school board president Ron LaGuardia.

"This class enables students to do some productive work," said Kelli Hays, Mesa Verde principal. The program is open to everyone. Students can go home without worrying about homework, she said.

Ideally students should be able to do their homework independently. "But we all know this is not the case, so to have a teacher available to guide, assist and answer questions is huge," Hays said.

Most schools offer remediation homework programs, but few campuses offer afterschool programs geared for students who want to participate.

The new after-school class will complement the Boys & Girls Club program, which is available on the Mesa Verde campus.

Regular teachers agree to supervise the class and get paid an hourly stipend for the extra instructional time.

This new program will help with the Academic Performance Index scores and ensure that the school is offering assistance to all students, said Assistant Principal Tara Thomas.

The money for the program comes from categorical funds which Mesa Verde officials can spend on anything they choose. Some funds may also be provided by the school's Parent Teacher Association, said Hays, indicating the program may also be available before school if there is a demand.

"Once the kids leave the school, doing homework isn't a priority, so having an opportunity do it before they leave is much more productive," said Mark Van Dam, a middle school teacher and parent.

Anything the school can do to get students to do the work is "fabulous," said Van Dam, who teaches seventh- and eighth-grade English in Chatsworth.

Van Dam's son Hunter, who is an eighth-grader at Mesa Verde, said he may take advantage of the class to get homework out of the way. "It's a good idea because a lot of kids have other stuff after school and having a teacher will give them a chance to do better in school."

Hunter is an honor student who said he looks forward to returning to school with his friends.