Student support services revamped in response to increasing need
Student support services saw significant expansion this school year, beginning with the promotion of Ms. Sandra Barry to full time quiet study advisor.
November 24, 2016
Student support services at BSM have always tried to give all students the help they need in order to succeed in the classroom. Recently, however, the amount of students in need of accommodation plans rose up to around 20%. BSM responded to this need by making some changes to the student support system by promoting Ms. Sandy Barry to be the full-time quiet study advisor. This allowed Barry to be completely focused on helping students to thrive and to be a resource for anyone who needs help in school.
Barry helps students by checking in with them when they are struggling and going through Powerschool and Haiku with them to keep them on track. By helping students one-on-one, she is able to find what works for each individual student and their style of learning. “For example if you’re an auditory learner, and you’re struggling with all of the notes, maybe you need to read your notes into your phone and play them back when you walk your dog or drive into school or something like that,” Barry said.
Everyone learns differently, and this year, many students took a test to find out which learning style is best for them. With the help of Ms.Barry, they can find ways to utilize their potential and succeed in school. “I care less about the grades than the feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction from learning,” Barry said.
The goal of student support services isn’t to force students to do better in school, but rather to be there for any student who needs help regardless of academic ability. “A lot of these students are super smart. Many of them don’t have a learning disability,” Barry said.
Students who use student support services are very pleased with the program and how it helps them to stay on track in school. “Ms. Barry is a really good resource to have. She’s really thoughtful, and she really helps you with planning and getting your stuff done,” senior Malachi Johnson said.
Students are so busy and overwhelmed that it’s almost inevitable that everyone will fall behind at some point, and when students fall behind, BSM’s student support services will guide them back to the road towards greatness.
Kristin Gilbertson • Nov 27, 2016 at 9:15 am
Sandy is an invaluable member of the Learning Support Team! We are so lucky to have her.
On behalf of the entire Learning Support team, Dave Herbst, Maureen Miller, Josh Belanger, and Paula Leider thanks for shining a light on one of the hardest working people at BSM!