Ch-ch-ch-Changes! UPWARD BOUND UNVEILS NEW STUDY TABLE FORMAT

Upward Bound is a college preparatory program designed to provide support and college admissions help to students who want to succeed academically and go to college.
We have a small staff who are here to help our students, and offer weekly study tables where students can do their homework in a quiet, supportive environment. 

This year, we're approaching our study tables a little differently. We felt that better organization, clearer expectations, and more focused peer-to-peer support was needed to better serve our students and make the most out of our small-but-mighty staff. So buckle up and find out more about our planned changes.

Study Tables are now Monday-Wednesday, 3:15pm-5pm.
No more Thursday Study Tables. 
Thursdays are now for Workshops and Special Events.
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Timeliness & Preparedness

This semester, we expect our students to be on time and prepared for study tables.

Students MUST be in room 441 by 3:15pm WITH homework and necessary books/supplies.

If students do not have homework or study materials to work on, they will be sent home.

If students arrive after 3:20pm without a note from a teacher/staff member, they will be sent home. MCHS does not want our students roaming the halls after 3:20pm and have asked us to crack down on this.

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Working Together

• Study tables will now be grouped by subject area
  • ALL students will go to the library at 3:30pm after snack/announcements for quiet study at subject area tables.
  • Students should sit at a table based on the subject they’re working on (Math, English, Science, etc) and can move from table-to-table.
  • Students can work together quietly or help each other, as long as they are not copying or being academically dishonest.
  • Students can sign out when they finish their homework or need to go home, but students who are struggling in school will be encouraged to stay the full time.
  • We believe that if students work together, support each other, and create positive study habits together, they will lift each other up. Together we can become better, smarter, and more capable. 
    

Locker/Bathroom/Classroom passes

• Students should come prepared, and locker/classroom passes will be given out much more sparingly than in the past.
• If students need to work with a teacher, they should find out before school lets out whether that teacher is actually staying or not – no more wild goose chases looking for teachers who aren’t there.
• Only one student can get a bathroom pass at a time, so no 20-minute breaks. Another student may be eagerly awaiting your return! 

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How You Doing? Wednesdays

​Every other Wednesday will be a “How You Doing?” Wednesday, and we will ALL participate in grade-checks and guided group conversations before starting study tables.
The goal of “How You Doing?” Wednesdays is to encourage ownership, goal-setting, good habits, and to give students opportunities to share successes. We want our students to support each other, encourage each other, and hold each other accountable instead of depending on adults/teachers/parents to do this. 

Grade Checks

• Students will get their binders from the classroom and fill out a grade-check form with the most recent grades in Power Schools. 
• The goal is to teach student accountability for academic performance and get students thinking about grades more frequently throughout the semester. 

Small Group Check-In

• Each Upward Bound staff member will sit in a different area of the library, and students can go sit next to the adult they’d like to talk with.
• The adults will lead their small group in a discussion about what’s going well in school, where they need to make improvements, where they need support, and what habits they’re trying to break/create. Students aren’t expected to share their grades with each other, but are expected to be honest about where they need to improve and take ownership of what changes they need to make to succeed in school.
• Students will support each other, encourage each other, celebrate each other’s successes, and hold each other accountable.
• We’ll end the “How You Doing?” session with Shout-Outs and Points to the Good.
  • Shout-Outs: Telling the group something GOOD you did this week. Something that you’re proud of.
  • Points to the Good: Telling the group something that you’ve noticed another student in UB doing that you think is positive and deserves recognition.