Purpose
Every student is encouraged to seek extra help from his or her classroom teacher first and foremost. The AEC is intended to support the work of Hammond’s teachers and to provide individualized guidance and support services for all our students.
Parent and Teacher Consultation
AEC staff is available to meet with parents and teachers to help coordinate support services for a student. Each student accessing services in the AEC is assigned a primary academic enrichment advisor who will facilitate regular communication in order to insure that a student’s needs are being effectively met. If a student needs services which are not provided at Hammond, our staff will assist with those referrals as well.
Testing Room
The AEC provides a quiet, secure testing room whenever needed. This is a valuable resource for our classroom teachers when students need a place to take a test outside of the regularly scheduled time for the class. AEC staff is always available to make sure that students continue to have access to teachers for any questions during the administration of the test.
Global Academic Support
Many students can benefit from individualized instruction related to global academic skills that can be used in every class. AEC teachers are available to all middle and upper school students to help develop better skills in terms of note-taking, studying, test-taking, organization, time management, and general paper writing. Students may set up individual and small group appointments with AEC teachers during lunch, homeroom, study hall, free periods or after school.
Subject-Specific Tutoring
Some students need subject-specific tutoring in addition to extra help from the classroom teacher. The AEC recruits and screens qualified tutors in our community to come on campus to provide their services to our students both during and after the school day. Individual referral recommendations are provided to families upon request. Families are responsible for communicating with tutors about scheduling and cancellations. All tutoring must occur in the AEC between 7:30am and 4:00pm. Students may schedule tutoring appointments during free periods, study halls and after school. No classes are ever missed for the purpose of tutoring. Hammond has negotiated lower rates with these tutors as a service to our families. Billing of families and payment of tutors is managed by the AEC on a monthly schedule. AEC tutors are expected to communicate with classroom teachers to make sure that tutoring time is most effective in supporting classroom learning and success. Our tutors have extensive experience in the classroom and in private tutoring working with struggling students with and without diagnosed learning differences.
Student Tutoring
Hammond’s National Honor Society and National Junior Honor Society members offer volunteer tutoring services for our middle and upper school students. AEC staff collaborates with teachers to decide when a student tutor is an appropriate referral for a child. Scheduling of these appointments is managed by AEC staff. All tutoring sessions must occur in the AEC during business hours. AEC staff carefully monitors student progress to determine when a student may need additional support services.
Enrichment Classes and Parent Workshops
Hammond strives to bring new and different educational opportunities to all of our students and families. We are looking forward to developing this aspect of our services in years to come. Classes are proposed by community experts and designed in collaboration with AEC staff. Click here for a listing of classes and workshops.
Assistive Technology
Hammond currently provides Kurzweil and Inspiration for all middle and upper school students to use in the AEC. AEC teachers are available to teach students how these tools can assist with reading comprehension, note-taking, writing papers, and study skills. Hammond has developed a collaborative relationship with Carol Page, Ph.D., director of the Assistive Technology Program at the University of South Carolina. AEC staff is available to assist with referrals for individual family consultations with Dr. Page.
