OTHC Homework Centre

The Homework Centre (found in the college’s Knowledge Centre) is a fine place to go to after school if you need help with your schoolwork or need some tutoring to help make your learning experience more successful. It is also another vehicle where students can broaden their learning, develop their thinking, and enrich their research skills. “The Centre provides children with a quiet working space within school,” says Mr McCurran head of the centre, “it also provides a supervised and suitable learning environment where students can finish their homework before going home.”   The Centre operates after school from 3:15 to 4:45pm. Students bring their own study or schoolwork. Tutors are available to assist students with any homework, class work assessments, or study that students bring. Students need to sign in with Mr. McCurran when they arrive and observe all the school rules as normal.

There are two main tutors in attendance, Charla Fernando, and Matthew Hookings. Both are former students of One Tree Hill College and are in their third year at the University of Auckland. Charla can tutor not only biology and chemistry but can also help students with junior science and maths. Matthew can tutor junior science and maths alongside physics, calculus and statistics at senior levels. Both tutors are also happy to help out in any other area of the curriculum and any level. “We are extremely lucky to have these tutors”, adds Mr McCurran, “as they give up their own time and volunteer to come back to their old college to help our students with their studies.” Due to the impact of Covid, the Homework Centre has been on pause lately and this is the first time in some two years that the centre is up and running to its full capability. For many students, it’s very beneficial to have a safe and quiet environment to work in after school and this space provides that, with the extra benefit that there is the help needed for them to do and understand their work.

This small after-school program has proved very successful over the preceding years and has helped a countless number of students to achieve self-confidence in their ability in a safe and helpful environment. "The Homework Centre is great for us students, especially after school with the tutors that come in on Wednesday and Friday who can really help with STEM subjects. It's great since they also went through NCEA so they can guide us best on how to tackle problems. The Knowledge Centre is also pretty quiet and provides a studious environment which is really helpful to instigate focus, especially during exam seasons," enthuses Year 13 student Merlyn Seelam. Many thanks to Mr McCurran and our volunteer tutors for organising this Homework Centre and making it available to the OTHC student community.

DARREN PATI, EUROPA HAUITI & ANAHERA AFOA

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