Page 24 - Priorities #46 2010-March/April

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Campus Mom
Sandy Martignetti and the Academic Resource Center
by Thea Sullivan
When you walk into the Academic Resource Center at Priory, the first thing you notice is how comfortable the space feels. Students work quietly together at a dining room table, or sit reading on the couch. Along with the study carrels and computers, there are cozy armchairs, a coffee table with a basket of fruit for the taking, and an air of calm productivity.
“It’s homey by design,” says learning specialist Sandy Martignetti. When she was hired five years ago to run the Academic Resource Cen- ter, she created the space to reflect the Benedictine value of hospitality, the idea that all are welcome. “I think kids feel that my room is a safe harbor. Ihavelotsofkidswhowillwanderinandsaytome,‘Idon’t know if you’re the right person to talk to, but can you help me?’ If you goinduringbreakorlunch,kidsjustliketohangout. It’sacomfort- able space.”
The Academic Resource Center was the brainchild of the late John Erkman, who saw a need to offer some Priory students extra ac- ademic support. Mrs. Martignetti brought
to the ARC a wealth of experience as a teacher, educational consultant, and learningspecialist. “I’mnotamas-
ter of any particular content, but I really understand all the overarch-
ing principles in teaching and learning, and I get to do that all day. It’s great!” she exclaims. “It’s my favorite job so far, and I’ve had a lot of jobs!”
Initially planned as a drop-in center, the ARC now hosts five periods of “Supervised Study Hall” where students can get on-going help with their classes. Two-thirds of its students are assigned there because they’re struggling academically. “Blake” Dou,
a sophomore from Taiwan,
is one of those. She says,
“My grades were dropping
at the beginning of the semester. The way you study here is really differentfromthewayyoustudyinChina. SoIhadalotoftrouble. I am thinking about taking another study hall next year, because it’s beenreallyhelpful. Mrs.Martignettiisprobablythesweetestperson I know, and she helps with whatever you need.”
Of her struggling students, Mrs. Martignetti says, “They arrive feeling pretty defeated and don’t have a clue how they got into the predicamentthatthey’rein. I’llstartwiththemusuallymid-fall,and by February they’re looking at themselves differently and I think their teachers are too, which is really exciting.”
Other students opt in themselves. Raymond Ross, a senior, ex- plains, “IusetheAcademicResourceCenterinsteadofgoingupto the library (for study hall) because Mrs. Martignetti looks up your grades, checks what classes you’re having any problems in, and then sheseeshowyoucangetitbackontrack. Whenyou’rethereshedefi- nitely makes you work.”
One way Mrs. Martignetti helps students is by keeping in close contact with teachers, encouraging students to set up meetings with them, and even staging oral rehearsals of such meetings in advance. Other times her role is simply to help streamline information for stu-
dents who are disorganized or overwhelmed. Take, for example, “The Board,” a simple whiteboard that serves as the nerve center of the ARC. On it, Martignetti lists information about upcoming review ses- sions, tests, and assign- ments, information she’s centralized from Moodle, teachers’ websites, and other sources. “I go over it orally with kids by grade,” she says. “They write it down in their planners.” It’s simple,
she admits, but effective.
The Board is a tool that works for almost everyone, but much of what Mar- tignetti does is specif- ically tailored to the