David Adamson spoke earlier this year at the Rotary Club of Osoyoos about the School After School program in which volunteer retired educators provide free tutoring to students who could use extra help. The tutoring takes place at Osoyoos Baptist Church, which provides the venue, but it is not a religious program. It’s open to students of all levels and the tutors are able to cover a wide gamut of subject areas. This year, students are encouraged to set appointments rather than just drop in. (Richard McGuire photo)
Students needing a little extra help with their studies can once again receive free after-school tutoring.
The program run by retired educator David Adamson and a group of volunteer tutors, who are also retired educators, is once again being offered at Osoyoos Baptist Church.
It’s called School After School. Once again the Rotary Club of Osoyoos is sponsoring it.
Although the church helps by making its facilities available, there is no religious element to the tutoring and it is not a church program.
This is the second year the program has operated, and Adamson said it would be run similarly to last year, but with a few changes.
“What I’m trying to do is make it less drop-in and more by appointment,” he said. “That’s so we don’t waste any time by being here and students not being here.”
Last year when the program was more informal about drop-ins, sometimes there were a number of students needing help with different courses all at once.
“We should probably have scheduled a little bit better,” said Adamson.
Nonetheless, he said students who did use the service last year got a lot out of it and he received many emails, texts and phone calls of thanks from students and their parents.
“It was really neat to receive things like that,” he said. “It’s better than payday.”
Last year about seven tutors helped with the program and Adamson said he hopes to have about the same this year.
“I would love to get the same people back this year,” he said. “They were exceptional last year. They really did a fantastic job.”
With its location near Osoyoos Secondary School, the program is especially useful to high school students who want to come by for some help after school, but it’s also open to other students.
Last year some elementary school students used the service, as well as two students doing college upgrades.
They started as young as Grade 3 students wanting help with reading and writing.
Math and science were also in demand.
“At the beginning of last year when we started, we had a meeting with Mike Safek, the principal at the high school,” said Adamson. “He said you’re going to get quite a few math students. And he was 100 per cent correct.”
Last year math students ranged from Grade 5 to Grade 11.
Some started late as they were approaching exam time and they realized they were having troubles.
This year Adamson said he hopes they’ll start earlier and he said one girl from last year has already contacted him about getting help.
“She is being smart and astute enough to say she wants to start earlier this year and not in the last couple of months,” he said.
Adamson, who teaches math and science, said the program last year wasn’t able to offer biology, but this year it can.
“I’m a physics, chemistry and math guy, but this year we have somebody to teach senior biology, so that’s good,” he said.
During the summer, the program ran Monday to Friday, but during the school year it runs Monday to Thursday, Adamson said.
It starts at 3 p.m., or whenever students make it down from school and can run until 5 p.m. if necessary.
“An extra two hours at the end of the school day can get a little bit tiring, so we’re very much aware of that and don’t push it,” he said. “We don’t want to overdo it and turn the kids off. So we sometimes say, ‘that’s enough for the day.’”
For further information or to make an appointment, David Adamson can be reached at 604-352-0076 or by email at [email protected].
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
