Grade Slump or Grade Bump: Samo’s Academic Help
By Cleo Topp (Staff Writer)
It’s only October, but the homework is already piling up: history notes, pages of math and unit tests in three different subjects at the end of the week. As students take harder classes and more extracurriculars, falling behind on one assignment can lead to an endless cycle of catching up. Luckily, to save your grades – and your brain – Samo offers many resources for academic success.
“Just going and asking for help, it may be a little help, it may be a lot of help, we don’t always know the answer, but we can usually direct students to a place where they can get additional help.” Dana Bartbell, Samo librarian, said.
Perhaps the most obvious way to get help with your schoolwork is to reach out to your teachers, specifically by using flextime. Flex-time is a convenient opportunity to retake assessments during school hours, ask questions about assignments, and generally receive help from someone who knows the material best. By using flex-time strategically, you can save time outside of school to work on other activities or schoolwork, or simply give yourself some free time.
If you are still looking for help on campus, then you may want to use the library’s academic resources. Not only does the library house many logistical resources such as a printer, researching help, books on a variety of topics and more, but it also provides a quiet space to complete assignments and possibly get help with homework from teachers who proctor the after-school library program. While this does not provide one on one help as a tutoring lesson might, students are able to ask these teachers questions that they might have while working on assignments in this space.
The district can also provide online tutoring services through PAPER. Whether you want to upload an essay for review within 24 hours, or need to chat with someone online for immediate help solving a chemistry problem, PAPER is available to assist. Although memberships are currently only available for certain students, English teachers are advocating for their services to be accessible for everyone at Samo as they have been in past years. Students have expressed how helpful these resources have been.
“Having these opportunities has really helped me excel in my school work and I think it’s important to provide it for other people,” Lily Mcmahon (’25) said.
Another website would be Santa Monica Library Brainfuse HelpNow. Brainfuse is open seven days a week from 1PM to 10PM at any Santa Monica Library location. With a Santa Monica Public Library card, anyone from 3rd through 12th grade can get help in a range of subjects. Through this program, students are connected one on one with a trained English or Spanish speaking tutor online for academic help.
There are many resources available for Samo students on and off campus that are beneficial in staying caught up with schoolwork in this list and beyond. So, if you are struggling with any of your classes, feeling overwhelmed, or are simply looking for ways to stay on top of schoolwork, then these academic resources may be just right for you as they have been for many other students.