HHS Math Honor Society Stages Regents Review Night
It was really a sight to behold. Huntington High School Math Honor Society members staging Regents review sessions for classmates on a recent June evening. Who knows how many students will be earning higher grades on the state exams because of this free tutoring?
Twenty Math Honor Society tutors worked with 61 students during this year’s review night. “We had review sessions for Common Core Algebra, Common Core Geometry and Algebra 2,” said high school math teacher Monica Racz, who serves as the organization’s faculty advisor along with department colleague Patricia Avelli.
“Students were selected by their teacher based on homework completion, attendance and classroom and personal effort for the program,” Ms. Racz said. “I was amazed at how the students entered at 6:30 p.m. and we had to ask them to leave at 8:30 p.m.”
The participating Math Honor Society members thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to help fellow high school students and clear up questions they might have prior to sitting for the Regents exams.
“Regents prep night has always been one of my favorite activities with the Math Honor Society,” senior Samantha Conte said. “It really encompasses all that the society stands for: To love math and to help others love it, too. It was great helping my peers prepare for the Regents and I hope they get a few additional questions right because we went over it that night.”
The evening came off without a hitch. “Students never took a break or complained about doing the work,” Ms. Racz said. “Every student was grateful for their tutor. Students made excellent connections with their peers. I am extremely grateful to my colleagues for volunteering their time to assist me. Trish Avelli came back from maternity leave and Joann Ferazi, Lynn Hendricks and Annette Tekverk donated their time. This event could not have happened without them.”
Huntington High School’s chapter of Mu Alpha Theta, the national Math Honor Society has been very active around the building. Formed nearly two decades ago, the organization has carved out a niche for itself in the lives of its members.
Last week’s review night is sure to pay dividends as students sit for the Regents exams. “I think that we really made a difference for the kids that we tutored,” said senior Samuel Latt, who serves as the Society’s president. “Sometimes it’s helpful for students to learn from other students in a smaller group setting rather than a large classroom setting.”
Ms. Racz said participating Math Honor Society members “were able to choose the math course they felt most comfortable with and facilitate a review session to give students more confidence on their upcoming Regents exams and to answer any last-minute questions.”
Once on the scene and in their seats, the students prepping for the exams and their tutors quickly got down to business. “The students gained a lot from the event,” Ms. Racz said. “Students said they got a lot out of it and our Math Honor Society tutors said it was a lot of fun.”
To be eligible for membership in Huntington High School’s Math Honor Society students must be enrolled in a math class higher than Algebra 2 Trigonometry, have a minimum un-weighted average of 90 in previous math courses and have at least an 85 average in the first quarter of their pre-calculus (or higher) math class.
“This was our second year having the Regents review night and I think there will many more to come,” said senior Holly LoTurco, who serves as the Society’s vice president. “It is amazing to see how much we all got done in a matter of two hours and how motivated the students all were to practice as well. Everyone is willing to help each other out and with the support of all of the math teachers in addition to the other members of math honor society, the review night has been extremely successful.”