Despite the current Coronavirus Pandemic, The Academy, a Marietta-based school focused on serving students with dyslexia, is moving forward with its plans to open for an inaugural 2020 school year. Jimmy Arispe, the school’s founder, acknowledges the challenges that the recent health crisis has put on the school’s efforts. “We made our public announcement in January and were getting a bunch of interest from prospective parents and then the pandemic came. We deliberately didn’t push out many announcements at the end of February or any of March. We wanted to respect the health concerns and give parents time to process everything and adjust to the new normal.”
Now, the school is reengaging parents virtually and seeing a growing interest once again. The school is holding virtual info sessions on Tuesdays at 7pm to allow parents and professionals to have their questions answered about the school, learn about the academic program, meet the teachers and the Academy’s Founding Principal, Valerie Rapowitz. Rapowitz has been a licensed Speech Language Pathologist for over 30 years and is excited about the school’s launch despite the Coronavirus challenges. “Our school is incorporating a unique Multisensory Language Based Curriculum from oral to written language, to reading, spelling and math. Our fabulous teachers are trained in working specifically with our Dyslexic student population and are excited to begin the school year in August. “
The Academy will share the Girls Inc facility just off the Marietta Square. The facility is well-setup for the school already as Girls Inc offers after-school and summer programming for female students of Marietta and Cobb County Schools, and has classrooms and a full gymnasium. Arispe says, “Girls Inc has been a wonderful partner in our school’s plans. They do such an awesome job serving students and we are certainly grateful for their leadership team’s support of our school’s plans.” Additionally, the school will be utilizing various adjacent facilities such as the Cobb Aquatic Center, track, soccer field, and tennis courts to provide their students with additional enrichment offerings.
The Academy offers a low student:teacher (6:1) Structured Literacy and multisensory learning environment for its students and is modeled to be a supportive nurturing environment for students who struggle with dyslexia. Rapowitz believes the school’s challenging launch is reflective of the challenge its students and parents have experienced. “Our parents and students are resilient, resourceful and we are looking forward to seeing everyone in person in the near future.”
For more information about The Academy, visit www.theAcademyAtlanta.org, visit its Facebook page, or call the admissions line at 678-243-0232.
