East’s new tutoring organization, The Bridge, met for the first time after school today, January 6. The meeting was led by founders Selli Abdali (’11) and Avra Bossov (’11), and advisors Melissa Lampman and Jennifer Ritter.

The Bridge is a new club meant to “bridge the gap” between middle school and high school for students at Beck. Ritter, a teacher at Beck, believes that the program will be a major help for transitioning students and says that the faculty and students of Beck are looking forward to the new tutoring opportunities.

The Bridge is a nonprofit organization that addresses social and academic issues of middle school students. It will work Monday through Thursday every week after school at Beck. Monday and Wednesday will consist of tutoring in language arts, humanities, and foreign language while math and science tutoring will be available Tuesdays and Thursdays. The tutors can be from any grade at East, giving Beck students a wide range of knowledge. The Bridge will also try to keep the same tutors with the same students so that a relationship can build between them.

After the tutoring session, The Bridge will hold a “Rap Session” from 4:00 to 4:30. This time is meant to help middle school students to understand more about life at high school. It will be a chance for the Beck students to ask any questions in an open forum about what to expect at high school such as what tools are necessary to be successful.

The meeting had a large turnout of about 40 students. A Tutor Code of Conduct and Tutor Application were given out. The application is due Friday, January 8.