Tutorial Update

Different and believed to be improved, PRHS students lost their specialized tutorial periods this fall as administrators implemented new mental health programming. As of the 2025 school year, Wednesday and Thursday tutorials are utilized differently than they have been for the past six years. 

Wednesdays are designed to be work days and allow for students to complete assignments, while Thursdays focus on health utilizing the app Wayfinder and Welfare to help educate and practice mental health awareness. Because lunch is combined this year, the administration believes that by changing tutorials and making clubs meet during lunchtime, like they’ve been in the past,  they can now utilize Thursdays to focus on mental health, figure out career paths, social emotional learning, and become responsible community members. 

According to Withwayfinder.com, the official Wayfinder website, “Wayfinder was born out of an effort to help students navigate life with belonging, meaning, and purpose”.  Counselors and administrators believe that by prioritizing this change, students can achieve that. 

“This idea of social emotional learning has been around as long as I have been here, six years, and each year it slightly adjusts to adapt to students’ needs.” Vice Principal Sarah Ramirez said.

She later elaborates that it will not be enforced every Thursday and will occupy around 30 to 50 minutes of the period. 

“The idea is for those activities to build some of our soft skills and make us more adept at some of our social emotional learning capabilities,” Ramirez said.

Ramirez and the administration are monitoring the programs and adjusting to students’ needs. A recent survey conducted in early September shows that four out of five students don’t like this year’s tutorial and 80% would rather have both block days available for traveling during tutorials. 

As a student-athlete, sophomore Teaghan Jaureguy finds that she needs as much tutorial time as possible to get her work done.

“As an honors student I need time to get class work done that I can’t do later. I find the new health stuff pointless and it’s taking away time I could be putting to use,” Jaureguy said.

Other students utilize tutorials for similar reasons. Sophomore Mason Pollak utilizes tutorials as a period to focus on sports and finish any work required. 

“I usually watch football films and if I need to get any work done, like make up a test, I’ll travel to that class to get it done,” Pollak said, “If I have that Wayfinder stuff, I just get it so it’s out of the way and I can prioritize other things.”

As the year progresses students opinions may or may not change and the administrators will do their best to accommodate for that. 

Tutorial is a beneficial time to catch up and set yourself up for success, students have the opportunity to pose questions, engage in discussions, solve any confusion, as well as connect with teachers and fellow students, according to PMC PubMed Central.

PRHS tutorial has been proved to be doing just that, as 80% percent of students have used tutorial to study and get homework done. 

Administrators hope that students can see it as a growing process and will eventually profit from it. It is commonly found to be a valuable time to help students complete and catch up so they don’t go home with an abundant amount of work. 

Although some students don’t necessarily enjoy the Wayfinder program or have mixed opinions, Ramirez said, “Wayfinder is a program that’s gonna be here to stay… We are definitely open to feedback and what everyone’s experiences are with these platforms, and will adjust that to the students needs.”