Spotlight Story

By Jennifer Feighery, Assistant Head of Middle School

The Middle School Tutoring Program, founded by Sarah Fisher ‘27, has become an incredibly valuable resource for Upper and Middle School students at Harvey. This program offers a unique opportunity for high school students to give back to the younger members of our community by providing tutoring services in various subjects, including homework help, organizational skills, and time management. Sarah created the program to foster a sense of community, and it has proven to be an excellent way for students across different grades to connect while helping one another grow academically.

Sarah, who has always had a passion for teaching, shares, “I have always wanted to be a teacher, and this program allows me and my peers to get hands-on tutoring experience with younger students while also improving our community at the same time.” With her enthusiasm for teaching, Sarah has created a meaningful platform for both academic and personal growth among students.

The program meets weekly, providing a consistent time for middle school students to seek help from their upper school tutors. These upper school tutors have given up their free time to work with the middle school students. Currently, around nine tutors are involved in the program, and each brings a unique area of strength. These tutors include Sophie Frankel ‘28, Vivienne Stoller ‘28, Brielle Telford ‘28, Sofia Solares ‘27, Sarah Fisher ‘27, Mollie Weisberger ‘26, Talya Langer ‘26, Joy Chen ‘26, and Delilah Hickson-Bilotta ‘26.

The tutors gain just as much from the experience as the students they work with.

“I have loved working with the middle schoolers because they are very funny, and it’s a nice way to connect the upper and middle school students,” shares Mollie.

“I really like tutoring because I can share my knowledge with the younger kids and be a good role model to them, providing them with small tips and tricks they need to succeed,” says Brielle. 

I was excited to see where this program could go when Sarah proposed this idea. Sarah has gathered a group of bright, kind, and friendly high school students, and organized the group by their academic strengths so I could easily pair them with a middle school student. Sometimes, the peer tutors have stayed well after the time allotted to finish working with a middle school student. I commend Sarah on her dedication to starting this program, following through with a weekly session, and her friendly attitude each time she comes to the middle school. She is a testament to Harvey and someone that our middle school students can look up to. It is wonderful to see the students working together, and when the information comes from a supportive peer who they can look up to, middle school students respond enthusiastically to receiving academic support.

The middle school students who participate in the program also benefit from the support and encouragement provided by the tutors. One middle schooler recently told me, “Every peer tutor I have worked with has been so nice and explained things in a way that I can understand.” 

This positive feedback shows that the program not only helps students improve academically but also boosts their confidence.

Through her hard work and vision, Sarah Fisher, along with the other upper school tutors, has impacted the Harvey School community by creating a space where upper and middle school students can come together to learn from one another. The Middle School Tutoring Program has fostered a supportive academic environment while building strong relationships across grade levels—an initiative worth celebrating.