The academic support room is one of the integral parts of the current DeMatha experience. When prospective Stags tour our school, one of the highlighted parts of campus is the Academic Support Center. Mrs. Phalen, Mrs. Taylor, and Dr. Benedick are the personnel who supplement student learning.
On the third floor of St. John DeMatha Hall, the academic support room is an intentionally curated environment built for learning and open to all DeMatha students. In fact, many comparable private schools have similar programs but a key difference is that they are application based instead of being open to all. Academic support has a large variety of frequenters at all grade levels; it truly is a mixing pot of active learners.
The academic support program was created more than 20 years ago by former teacher Patricia Guerrin. It went by the name ‘Learning Resource,’ but was essentially the same core concept of students coming to get help with classes they were struggling in. Mrs. Phalen recalls both the mentorship and friendship she had with Mrs. Guerrin. “We often called it ‘the kitchen table of DeMatha’ because so often we worked on organizational skills and homework completion.”
Mrs. Phalen began working in academic support 18 years ago and she is able to help students with practically every subject taught in the school. Her favorite subject to help DeMatha students with is English. “When I have the time, I love to read with students because literature leads to such incredible discussions.”
Mrs. Taylor became a part of academic support at DeMatha during the 2024 school year after working at Elizabeth Seton for 14 years. Her favorite subject to help DeMatha students with is also English and she has a large passion for reading and literature. Dr. Benedick can often be found in the back room of academic support aiding students with physics and calculus. She is an incredible resource to use even for students in higher level courses.
Academic support at DeMatha is a voluntary aid rather than a punishment. This is an important distinction because each student, who may show up for a multitude of reasons, wants to be in this environment. Conversation is encouraged as long as it is not too distracting.
There is only one exception to the voluntary attendance rule which is that transfer students for the first semester must check in to academic support on a cyclical basis. Junior Andrew Kucner transferred to DeMatha as a sophomore and reflected about his experience and how academic support aided his transition to DeMatha. “It has made my organization and studying skills so much better,” he said. He still frequents academic support and uses it as an aid. “Academic support is also a place I can go when I need to focus and finish my assignments,” Kucner states. “Mrs. Phalen and Mrs. Taylor have taught me how to study [effectively].”
When prompted about some advice she would give current DeMatha students, Mrs. Taylor wishes students would reach out to teachers more for aid as many DeMatha teachers are more than willing to lend their expertise to students. Many learning techniques are utilized in academic support and some of the faculty’s favorites to use are collaborative learning in small groups, large whiteboards meant for note taking, guided reading, assisting in annotation, and practicing retrieval of notes.
There is no bad time of year to seek aid in academic support but it should be noted that there are times of the year that are much busier than others. Mornings before school, the ends of each quarter, and the weeks leading up to final exams are usually the busiest, but that should not deter students from looking for help. A recommended time for students to receive help in greater depth is after school because there are typically fewer students which allows more time for teachers to help.
Mrs. Phalen sums up the importance of academic support. “One of the blessings of ASC is the fact that we get to see the growth in our students over the four years at DeMatha. Our seniors have become role models for our younger students and offer academic help to underclassmen without being asked. I will often hear a senior say, “I’ve got this, Mrs. Phalen” when a younger student asks for help. Nothing makes me prouder. We have become a family within DeMatha…still a ‘kitchen table.’ Just a much bigger one.”
