When Yvonne Killian scheduled a tutoring session through the Natomas Unified School District’s Virtual Tutoring and Wellness Center (VTWC) for her son Demetris, she had no idea of the growth that would occur in just a little over a month. “My son came to Ms. Thurmond needing help learning his addition, multiplication, and now division skills. The skills Ms. Thurmond has taught my son has allowed him to go from being a below-average math student to being in the top 3 of his class to excel on the math test recently taken,” said Killian.
Demetris meets with Ms. Thurmond twice a week for 30 minutes as part of one of the services offered through the VTWC. The VTWC was created to support students and families with academics and socio-emotional needs during the pandemic. “As a parent of a high school student, I too experience the challenges of Distance Learning, so when we were exploring ideas to support students during this unprecedented time, it was important to create a place where students could get personalized academic and social-emotional support beyond the regular school day,” said Carol Swanson, Associate Superintendent of Student Services and Support. “While the academic tutoring sessions are the most utilized, we offer many other resources including engagement sessions where students can connect with other peers, participate in activities, or just vent and have an outlet to talk to others.” There are also parent workshops, support for English Learners, and access to Mental Health Services, among other resources to help families get through these difficult times.
“I am so grateful for the tutoring program and for teachers like Ms. Thurmond who go above and beyond to teach the students. She has given my son the confidence that he lacked because he would just give up without trying. Now my son reminds me when it is time to meet with Ms. Thurmond and is enthusiastic about his time with her.”
The VTWC is available to all families in the district. Visit the website today to sign up for a session or two and to learn what’s available to support you and your student.
NUSD Communications
