SARASOTA, FL – Sea Of Strengths Academy, a school serving students with learning differences, will be making some big changes for the 2017-2018 school year. These changes include a move to the Temple Beth Sholom campus, located at 1050 S.Tuttle Avenue in Sarasota, which is also the home of the Hershorin Shiff Community Day School.
Community Day School and Sea Of Strengths Academy have been exploring a possible partnership over the past year. Each school brings something unique to the table: Community Day School has created a vibrant, project-based curriculum, which is highly individualized and accelerated. The school has worked with many community partners to enhance its arts and music programs, and engages students with the local community to promote learning outside the traditional classroom and philanthropic activities. Resources such as the Papa Ed and Mimi Rosenthal Organic Kibbutz Sustainability Garden provide students with a chance to learn using a hands-on approach. The result is students who are prepared to be critical thinkers and leaders.
The schools were a natural fit, as both share an educational philosophy which aims to capitalize on students’ strengths and abilities. The benefits will be mutual: Community Day School students will have access to learning supports, and Sea Of Strengths Academy students will enjoy opportunities for hands-on learning, instruction in the arts and music, and a chance to participate in after-school clubs and sports teams.
“Our school has enjoyed unprecedented growth over the past couple of years, not just in enrollment but also the depth and breadth of offerings we have been able to provide through strategic partnerships and community outreach,” said Dan Ceaser, head of school for Community Day School. “We are thrilled to be neighbors and partners with Sea Of Strengths Academy, particularly as this will be an invaluable resource for Community Day students who will benefit from the kind of expert academic support Sea Of Strengths provides.”
Sea Of Strengths Academy focuses on students who learn differently, often struggling in reading, writing, and/or math. These students are often very creative, and many of them are dyslexic. Sea of Strengths Academy provides instruction in Orton Gillingham phonics, an approach that teaches students how to break words apart for reading and spelling. The school has a variety of interventions for reading, writing, and math. Students in the program feel a strong sense of community, as they support each other by encouraging students to work hard, and always try their best. These students are part of a learning environment that promotes personal responsibility and fosters an atmosphere of respect and support of one another. The result is happy, confident learners who have the skills they need to be successful.
“One of the most exciting aspects of this partnership is that it provides our students with a chance to truly shine,” said John Hettler, principal of Sea Of Strengths Academy. “We will have increased opportunities for our students to participate in this highly engaging, project-based curriculum, while still providing the academic interventions they so desperately need.”
Several information sessions will be scheduled during the summer – call John Hettler at (941) 538-6822 for further information.