PTHS Takes On The SAT

PTHS board members launched the new SAT Prep course to help students succeed on the May 3 SAT.  

Some PTHS upper-classmen attend the new SAT prep course held at the high school. Beginning on March 17, the prep classes meet every Monday from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Mr. Chorazy and Ms. Butryn, the prep course staff, review SAT strategies and bluebook materials to accurately prepare students for the test.

The course is two hours long, containing an hour of each subject, and helps students develop an understanding of both the math and English sections on the SAT. The course is split into two cohorts of both juniors and sophomores. The first cohort spends the first hour with Mr. Chorazy to work on the English portion of the test and then heads to math with Ms. Butryn to study the math portion. 

Students say the two hours go by quickly and have reported feeling more confident each week. Overall, the course is an alternative for students who want to study for the SAT without getting a personal tutor. The class is free and focuses not only on content but also on confidence-building techniques to help reduce test anxiety, which is just as important as learning the content itself.

New SAT Prep Class Takes Off

Ms. Butryn currently teaches Geometry and Algebra I at PTHS and participates in outside tutoring for all levels of math. She explained, “I am passionate about math in general, but I mainly wanted to help students build that math confidence and help them to avoid test anxiety.” Butryn also conveyed the significant impact of the class, stating that, “It’s one of the best resources and gives students an idea of what to expect”. 

Mr. Chorazy teaches the English portion of the SAT prep class, as well as academic English, AP Language and Composition, and AP Literature. Outside of school, he partakes in private SAT tutoring. Chorazy explained his beliefs that this class is the most suitable strategy for students because it uses the College Board textbook which is, in his words, “...the most helpful because it is their test, and has a ton of other information.” 

Both Chorazy and Butryn are advocates for the class and advise students to sign up in the future. For its first year in action, the course is already in high demand.