Academic Coach, Ms. Tressel

There are two different types of study halls that are available for PCSH students wanting help. Play it Smart is currently available for the PC football team. The other one is a study hall that takes place every day in the Forum Room after school.

Play It Smart is a study hall program for athletes. This program is funded by the National Football Foundation, as well as a Multicultural Integration Grant. Play It Smart is currently just for the PC football team, but other teams could be allowed to join in later on.

Play It Smart is a valuable resource as it provides a service to students at PC that isn't available at many other schools. The only other school in the area that offers this program is St. Paul Central. Tutors are provided by North Hennepin Community College and our own National Honor Society is available for help in any subject. The most common subjects that students need further study on are Math and English essays. Play It Smart can have dramatic effects on the grades of people that are committed to working hard at it. In one case, a student was receiving a 1.78 GPA average per trimester, and has earned a 3.22 GPA per trimester since participating in the program.

The Six Play It Smart Goals

1. Improve Grade Point Average
2. Increase Number of Students Taking the SAT/ACT & Improved Scores on Tests
3. Increase Graduation Rate & Opportunities for Higher Education
4. Enhance Life Skills Development
5. Increase Opportunities for Community Service
6. Increase Parental & Family Involvement

The Academic Coach for Play it Smart is Ms. Carlee Tressel. This is Ms. Tressel's first year as Park Center's academic coach. Ms Tressel has a college major degree in English Literature. She is doing some graduate work in Creative Writing at Hamline University. Ms. Tressel feels that a benefit of Play It Smart is that you are around other students that want to learn and achieve in life beyond high school. As she says, "Who wouldn't want extra help to become who they want to be"?

The general study hall is in the Forum Room. The study hall is for everyone that needs some extra help in their school work, or they just need the extra time to finish their homework.

The study hall starts at 2:20 P.M. and goes until 5:00 P.M, although you are free to leave when you are done. There will be a late bus to bring the students home at 5:00 P.M.

PC is currently working on getting tutors, so it won’t be just a study hall. Soon, with the help of tutors, it will be a tutoring session.

Study Hall Expectations

• Working on something or being on task
• Sign-in and out when you are done
• Be on task and do not disrupt people that are trying to work

There will be two advisors that will attend the study hall. They are Ms. Dian Johnson and the late night administrator of the day. There is no signup for after school study hall. Just come to the Forum Room any day you need help or a quiet place.

-Jared Almsted (PCSH Webteam)