IN THE CLASSROOM:

If there was one thing Stephanie Rios was not looking forward to when she arrived at Estancia High School as a freshman in September, it was math.

“It’s my weakest subject,” the 14-year-old said.

Fortunately for Stephanie and students like her, Estancia seniors ease the transition.

On Mondays and Wednesdays, half of Estancia’s freshman class receive half an hour of tutoring from seniors there to help with anything they need. The other half are tutored Tuesdays and Thursdays.

“It’s like having a big brother or sister,” Stephanie said. “My grades are going up.”

This is Estancia’s first year trying the Freshman Apprentice Program. Plenty of motivated, incoming seniors looked to be a part of it.

Applicants had to have high grade-point averages, have at least one teacher recommendation and take academic and personality tests. Fifty-eight were selected from more than 150 applicants. Their motivations vary.

“We want to help them. There’s a lot of Hispanics with low grades. We want to make Mexicans be up there in grades,” said senior Ricardo Medina. “At the beginning of the year [freshman] didn’t want to come. Now they do. That’s all they needed, is someone to show they care and that they should care too.”

“I think it’s really fun because it bonds the classes,” said senior Stacy McDaniels. “These are like our students.”

Tutors e-mail teachers to check on their students’ progress and receive weekly progress reports from the students.

The Freshman Apprentice Program has four aims: improve freshman grade-point averages, reduce inappropriate behavior, involve freshman in extracurricular activities, and better prepare them for college or vocational schools.

More than 100 freshman students had at least one F in the first quarter, said freshman counselor Molly Warmsley. Roughly 40% of the students have brought those grades up, she said.

“We have a lot of students that want to come all four days for help,” Warmsley said.

The lunch area isn’t big enough for the high number of students. For that half hour in the morning Mondays through Thursdays, lunch benches are packed with freshman. Like sardines in a can, they’re side-by-side with books open and pencils out, seniors spackled among them.

“I’m learning to become a leader for these kids. Someone they can look up to,” said 17-year-old senior Jose Arteaga.

JOSEPH SERNA may be reached at (714) 966-4619 or at joseph.serna@latimes.com.