Kesher Club Collaborates with Homework Help Club

by Penina Charry, SSLI '27

This past Tuesday, the Kesher Club, Schechter’s social action club, joined the Lower School in their after school program, Homework Help.

Seniors Jorgia Saracino and Kesher Club President Sasha Chernoff were the first students to volunteer to tutor the children. They helped first- and third-graders with their math, English, and Hebrew homework.

Ms. Kassell, the faculty advisor for Kesher Club, shared that this idea was the fruit of a “brainstorming session,” where the club revisits their goal of helping “whenever help is needed.”

Chernoff noted that one day, she “saw one of the younger students struggling with their homework” and thought that it would be nice to help. The idea was discussed in club meetings, and, eventually, the Kesher club partnered with Lower School teacher Ms. Villalta in the homework helping program.

Kesher Club is excited to begin this program! (A. Meir)  

Chernoff reflected on her idea to start this inter-grade program: “I knew having high schoolers tutor elementary schoolers would be a great and beneficial learning opportunity for both of them.”

Kassell expressed that “any young student is so willing to be taught by someone who’s not a teacher, not a parent, but a student who’s still a student…. Even though there’s a lot of years in between … a third-grader and a senior in high school, they still have a lot in common.” She shared that this program is essentially “a way to bridge the Upper School and Lower School.”

Although this new program took some time to begin, other high school students are already looking forward to participating and helping elementary school students learn. Sophomore Madison Hoffman, who is a member of Kesher Club, explained that she is excited to begin helping soon. She said, “I think it would be really nice for both the high schoolers and the elementary schoolers. We don’t see them too much, so it’s nice for us to get to be with them and help them with subjects we are stronger in.” 

Hoffman felt that this program “is a really nice way for us to be able to give back to Schechter.” 

Penina Charry is a writer for Paw Print Now and has been published on the site since October 2023. Penina is currently a sophomore at the Schechter School of Long Island and can be reached at the following email address: pcharry27@schechterli.org.