Power hour is that smack dab in the middle part of the day. Students can take their minds off some classes, eat lunch, maybe even get some activities in. People with struggling grades know it as a time to get some work in for classes. Whichever it may be, the school asks for them to take advantage of the time we’re given and to go to classes and receive help. How many use that one hour of the day between fifth and sixth or second and third period to improve our grades, and does it even affect our grades?

Right now it’s still the beginning of the year. Students are just getting their new classes down, and are starting to learn which they are going to struggle in. If any missed days have accumulated, or tests and quizzes like many others, an hour to get specifically schoolwork done is exceptionally useful. Students and Teachers both benefit from the time given to them by the school.

“It gives us a time to be here for students that aren’t here before school when we are trying to get set up for the day,” says Mrs. Celeste Blay, our math teacher here at Tahoma High School. “I can focus on students during power hour and other things during other parts of the day.”

A sophomore here at Tahoma High School, Liam Rasmus, reports that, “Power hour is important for students as it allows them to work on anything from their eight classes and do their homework while eating lunch.“

“I see student confidence increasing after attending power hour,” Blay says on her experience during power hour. “Some of the time that translates to increased grades, but most of the time, it decreases stress levels more than anything else.”

Power hour is a great time for everyone, but what are the results of power hour attendance?

When power hour is used by students Mrs. Venemon, our freshman success teacher for freshman here at Tahoma, gives an example, “I can think of two students… they were gone for like 3 days and they were swamped with the amount of work they had to do.” She has also seen them, “come in multiple times because their grades dropped from missing the assignments, and then they’ve turned their work in,” gaining their grades back.

It all depends on the type of student, and Venemon lets students know that, “If the student is committed, then I’ve seen their grades go up.”