Click on Chi Chi Academy's Spotlight to meet some of the kids attending our school!
The partnership school is a voluntary school for those fourth through seventh grade students who are not achieving at their grade level, have low self-esteem or  have difficulty adjusting to an academic environment. Students learn through interactive learning experiences in the fields of management, marketing, retail sales, landscaping, agronomy and various other real-world business environments.
Through the school's "Shadow Program" ( Listen) the students, on a rotating basis, get to spend time with adults in every department of the Golf Club and the Chi Chi Rodriguez Foundation. While learning about the various jobs, the children see how basic educational skills like math and reading are used on an everyday basis. The teachers feel that students are much more enthusiastic when they see how the things they learn are involved beyond the classroom. Plus, as our teachers like to point out, "Social skills are an integral part of our educational setting."
This would be great in every classroom. Any good teacher tries to simulate a real world environment, and that's what we've created here. The focus of the school is to help "at-risk" children (discouraged learners who have low self esteem or stressful family conditions). "It fits in a model for drop-out prevention."
The Pinellas County School system identifies the children in need of these special surroundings and provides the teachers and principal, while the Foundation provides the assistants, facilities, and the classroom enrichment materials. The golf club delivers the real life learning experience.
"We maximize the resources that the students would receive at mainstream schools, and then provide them with additional support. The students have a much greater opportunity to succeed because of that support."
The children who come to the Chi Chi Rodriguez Academy may not have had positive classroom experiences. Nevertheless, as stated by past and present teachers, "These are smart kids who just needed an alternative and authentic way of learning." As the staff proudly states, "It makes you feel so good to hear kids say, 'I like school again'".
The small school atmosphere, individual attention, counseling, availability of student services and special instructional components taught by the Pinellas County certified teachers foster a desire in Chi Chi's Kids to succeed in school and life.
"These are smart kids who just needed an alternative and
authentic way of learning." |
 
|
