You may have heard your teacher, friend or peer talk about or recommend South High’s Math Center, and it’s no surprise. The Math Center, a distinct feature of South High, has become one of the most renowned sources of help and support in the school. Having been used by over half the student body last year alone, the utility serves students with resources ranging from one-on-one math help to test retaking spaces, giving students access to more individualized and intimate help.

The Math Center was established last year to “[be a] place where students can get help for tests, classes, exam preparations, test retakes and for math enrichment,” said Bob Rumppe, the teacher in charge of the math center. Last year over four thousand visits were made to the Math Center; and in the first month of this year alone there have been over a thousand.

The Math Center features a range of sources for help; student tutors and teachers are located around the room as an outlet for any help they can offer. This year is sophomore Izzy Willette’s first year being a student tutor. She tutors for an hour a day, and says she receives at least one student for help a day. Being a tutor has helped her to overview math. She said she used the Math Center last year for homework study help which she said really helped. “[The Math Center] is a great place to get one-on-one help, better than in a classroom with twenty other students,” said Willette.

Most of the students Willette helps are there for test reviews and homework help. She expressed that maybe more students would use the center’s resources if students were more aware of their difficulties in math. “To get help, you have to admit that you don’t know something,” said Willette.

Ms. Van der Werf, a math teacher at South, is a strong advocate for the Math Center. During her prep in seventh hour, she often goes and works in the Math Center, planning her classes while also helping students with any math help needed. She’s noticed the grades of her students who went to get help in the Math Center go up remarkably.

Van der Werf believes students “wait too long to get help”, and going to the Math Center early to solidify anything you’re unsure of is the best way to stay on top of your grades. Van de Werf also strongly advocates for the student tutors in the Math Center, and encourages students to take up tutoring. She says it’s a great opportunity and experience that not many schools have; she emphasizes the “ability to help build leadership in math student tutors”.

Van der Werf went on to say that tutoring can be a significant source of income; youth can make upto $30/hour, and professionals can make upto $80/hour. “I wish every high school had [a Math Center],” said Van der Werf.

The Math Center is a unique asset to South; it’s the only school in the MPS district with one. It has served thousands of students, and is recommended by all the teachers at South. It’s become an important part of the school. With it’s increase in popularity, it has gotten to the point that students have needed to be turned away because of lack of chairs and room.

Want to use the Math Center? The Math Center is located in room 224s on the second floor. You can go get help any period of the day as well as after school; if you go during the day, you will need a pass signed by your teacher.