Fornits
Treatment Abuse, Behavior Modification, Thought Reform => The Ridge Creek School / Hidden Lake Academy => Topic started by: Anonymous on June 05, 2007, 01:29:53 PM
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Good afternoon!
I am very thankful for the opportunity to e-mail you all this afternoon with a brief update on all that is happening on campus. The phone and IT staff have been working diligently to restore phone lines and e-mail service. We currently have a few lines up in the administration building as well as limited e-mail access.
It has been difficult for us to be cut off from communication with you all and I am sure you all have many questions for us. I have spoken to a number of parents directly, but have been too busy rearranging offices and classrooms, working with the students and staff on campus, and planning for the summer semester to call everyone.
As you have undoubtedly heard, we did completely lose our academic building to a fire in the early morning hours of Thursday, May 24, 2007. The local fire chief and the state fire marshal have investigated and both have stated the cause of the fire is unknown. As devastating and heart-wrenching as the fire was, we are all thankful that no one was hurt. I am pleased to report that during this week we have been able to re-arrange offices at the gym in order to re-establish eight classrooms in that building. When the gym originally opened, these rooms were established as classrooms, so we have simply returned to their original purpose.
We have experienced some staff changes at the end of the semester, but this is very typical for the end of the traditional school year. Our teachers’ contracts end at the conclusion of the spring semester just as they do at most schools. We anticipate teacher turn-over during the summer and we are already recruiting and interviewing prospective new teachers. The class schedule for the summer is already established and teachers are assigned to each of these classes. I have personally already distributed summer academic schedules to the counselors so they can give these to their students when they return to campus next week. Charles Cates also retired at the end of the semester. This was not a surprise to us and this is the reason Joe Stapp had been moved into the position of Assistant Headmaster. As many of you know, Joe has taken on a stronger role in many of the parent workshops recently and has, in fact, led most of the recent workshops. With Charles’ departure, Joe’s transition to Headmaster should be an easy one.
As sad and painful as the fire was for all of us, it has been very rewarding for me to watch the way our staff and many of our students have pulled together just as a family does during a time of need. I have personally told many of you and many of your children that I know being at HLA is one of the most difficult things they or you will ever face. We push our students physically, academically, spiritually, socially, and therapeutically in an effort to help them grow in every aspect. This is very difficult work for our students just as it would be for any of us. In spite of this (debatably because of this), many of the students build a strong relationship with our staff. The outpouring of support I have seen for a number of our staff has been heartwarming. Obviously most of our teachers lost personal items in the fire and our students and staff have rallied around to support those teachers emotionally as well as to help replace those items if possible.
We understand that students have been affected by this loss and we have every intention of addressing the loss through the therapeutic process as well as through personal one-on-one interactions with the kids.
Finally, I know you are all curious about the petition. We are all anxiously awaiting the judge’s final decision. We have expected his decision for many weeks now and unfortunately have no better understanding of why his answer has not been delivered than you do. As we wait for this decision, we are staying focused on the mission of the school and doing all we can to help your children grow and develop in all areas.
Thank you to all the parents to whom I have spoken for your ongoing support. I understand that this time is difficult for all of you just like it is for us. I hope this letter has helped answer most of your questions, but if it has not; please feel free to contact me or Joe Stapp for further assistance.
Best wishes,
John McMillon
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"It has been difficult for us to be cut off from communication with you all and I am sure you all have many questions for us. I have spoken to a number of parents directly, but have been too busy rearranging offices and classrooms, working with the students and staff on campus, and planning for the summer semester to call everyone".
Ya so is he the only person authorized to call parents? And what kinda lame excuse is that to not call and say your child is safe.
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Finally, I know you are all curious about the petition. We are all anxiously awaiting the judge’s final decision. We have expected his decision for many weeks now and unfortunately have no better understanding of why his answer has not been delivered than you do.
Because as one of your former employees said, the lawsuit has a great deal of merit.
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propaganda.
mcmillon is so full of shit!
that school was barely functioning WITH an academic building. how are they supposed to function without one?
and downplaying quittings, making them look like standard turnover. bull, those staff left becouse they couldnt stand working there! HLA probobly has the highest staff turnover rate for any school in the nation. i think maybe they should look into why that is.
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Here's the other thing: They say the turnover is usual for the end of the Spring semester, but HLA has THREE semesters starting with the Fall semester. The kids aren't given full credit if they don't complete all THREE semesters. So basically what they're saying is the Summer semster is just a way to keep your kid there and to keep taking your money without providing any real education.
Now, why is it again we don't believe anything HLA has to say?
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Does anyone know how many kids returned back to HLA?
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I heard that they are telling people around 78 students returned to HLA, but that is very far from the truth. More like 50 some.
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This makes me want to puke...
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The letters are always so defensive, reactive and about bad things.
When was the last time a letter went out to highlight a sports team winning their division or to highlight an increase in SAT scores or to note the hiring of new staff, or a great field trip or anything more positive than the usual "oh yeah, we're still being sued for our stupidity and don't know anything...". The newsletter is more positive...
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and downplaying quittings, making them look like standard turnover. bull, those staff left becouse they couldnt stand working there! HLA probobly has the highest staff turnover rate for any school in the nation. i think maybe they should look into why that is.
There is and always will be high turnover at this school. Staff come and go in a small college town. There is an inherit lack of social activities in the area outside the realm of the college and there are numerous schools to compete with for teachers in the area. HLA is probably one of the higher paying organizations in the area. However, most of the college employee's have changing schedules and new priorities that constantly arise. Also, some of these college students who are employed by HLA fail to interact with the students in a professional manner due to the closeness in age to the older students at the school which is grounds for termination. I find it amusing that you are speaking for these staff. Did you used to be former staff? I doubt it!
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i'm talking about counselors, maintanace staff, teachers, even administrators, not just college aged assistant counselors. that would be a credible explanation if only the AC's had a high turnover rate, but the rest of the staff do too. sure, you can point at a few examples of people who've been there from the begning, but that does no good. you've had 3 headmasters in 5 years, dozens of teachers have come and gone, the administration is always shifting around, and most of the counselors quit after their 2nd or 3rd peergroup becouse they are overworked, underpaid and sick of school politics. or the nightstaff, before the private company took over every few weeks someone got fired and another got hired. there not college kids, they were all retirees, rangers, and local hillbillies....there not goin anywhere.
and mind you....the A.C's who communicated with the kids in a "non professional manner" are the ones who help the kids the most you dumbfuck. who's a defiant kid more likely to listen to? a mean, fake dispersonal authoritatve figure, or a relatable slightly older mentor/positive role model?
Hla has really got to rethink their philosophy and methodology if they want to survive. after all, THE DEFINITION OF INSANITY IS DOING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AND EXPECTING DIFFERENT RESULTS. isnt that what you told us to tell the kids?
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Correct...no college kids working at HLA. The previous poster is clueless-- couldn't be a parent, employee, student, ex-student or anyone with knowledge...
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you got me wrong. college kids do work at hla. they just comprimise a very small minority of the staff, most of them are asistant counselors. and they are not exactly your average college kids. these are North Georgia students, most of them graduate students. for those of you who dont know....north georgia is a millitary school. this changes things a bit too, considering how hardcore milltitary that school is.
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The previous poster is clueless-- couldn't be a parent, employee, student, ex-student or anyone with knowledge...
HAHA your such a fool. you have no idea what i know. i've been on the front line of this fight since day 1, i just dont reveal my identity for good reason. i've been HLA's worst nightmare ever since the day i met Len.
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Well guess what? I am HLA's other nightmare! They do not feel all warm and fuzzy about me either. :wink:
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ok- if there are college kids working at HLA, please provide a link from their faculty/staff web page:
http://www.hiddenlakeacademy.com/FacultyStaff.aspx (http://www.hiddenlakeacademy.com/FacultyStaff.aspx)
...none of these people.
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How I love shaming HLA puppets in the morning.
HLA is probably one of the higher paying organizations in the area.
Really? Was that before or after the massive pay cuts? What about the fact that a good number of the hla staff dont actually live in the immediate area?
Also, some of these college students who are employed by HLA fail to interact with the students in a professional manner due to the closeness in age to the older students at the school which is grounds for termination.
:idea:
Please tell us more about this. Are you now acknowledging that Danny Pervel type situations do in fact occur?
you got me wrong. college kids do work at hla. they just comprimise a very small minority of the staff, most of them are asistant counselors. and they are not exactly your average college kids. these are North Georgia students, most of them graduate students. for those of you who dont know....north georgia is a millitary school. this changes things a bit too, considering how hardcore milltitary that school is.
Well truth be told there are no assistiant counselors at HLA. There are recreation counselors who do the job assistiant counselors used to do. They had to stop refering to them as AC's since none of them were actual licensed counselors yet they still sat in on counseling sessions. I wonder if that's actually legal? No matter legal issues are unimportant and I should really just stop manipulating.
Onward then.
Let's take a quick look at the current listing of recreation counselors. No word on how many of those listed still actually work at HLA, but we'll use what we have.
Trey Brown
Recreation Counselor
B.S. Studio Art, Barton College, Wilson, N.C
Gabriel Jackson
Recreation Counselor
B.A. Philosophy, Wofford College, Spartanburg, SC
James Jallah
Recreation Counselor
B.S., Business Management B.A., Human Services/Social Work, LaGrange College, LaGrange, GA
Lisa Montgomery
Recreation Counselor
B.A., Psychology, B.A., Sociology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, N.B.
Travis Simpson
Recreation Counselor
B.A. Psychology, La Grange College, La Grange, Georgia
Andrea Smeltzer
Recreation Counselor
B.A. Psychology/Social Work, LaGrange College, LaGrange, Georgia
Allison Zales
Recreation Counselor
BS, Sociology, State University of New York, Geneseo, N.Y.
And there we have it. No college students currently onboard. Maybe the reason there's such a high rate of turnover is due to the fact that in the last year the HLA employees have seen their hours go up, while their pay went down. They've seen their respondsibilities increase, while their benefits decreased. Maybe some people don't like being treated in such a manner and they inevitably go off and find something better. Maybe some employees dont like being berated for obeying the law, and maybe some employees dont like seeing the kinds of things go on there continue.
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ok- if there are college kids working at HLA, please provide a link from their faculty/staff web page:
http://www.hiddenlakeacademy.com/FacultyStaff.aspx (http://www.hiddenlakeacademy.com/FacultyStaff.aspx)
...none of these people.
I do not see the names of the North Georgia Students that were there
as assistant counselors a year ago or more. My child felt safe with one of them, and told me that the young woman was was putting her way through school doing this. I met her and she confirmed such and she was
a fine person.
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College kids were expendable when the cut backs started.
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So where are they now? There dont appear to be any college students listed on staff currently? This would seemingly shoot your theory concerning high turnover to hell correct?
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So where are they now? There dont appear to be any college students listed on staff currently? This would seemingly shoot your theory concerning high turnover to hell correct?
Yes.. Plus remember ORS came in.. The kids were not licensed..HLA has/had no choice but to clean up their act to get licensed..
Speaking of which, what is happening with that? Last April HLA was saying that they expected ORS to license them any day...??
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my bad...i was basing my remarks on my time spent there, 02'-04'. there were in fact a few north georgia students working there at the time. jason howard, was one...rob hyde i belive attended then tried to become dill instructor(?). a few others...a guy named jose, some other black guy....my memory is alittle fuzzy. also, many of those recreaction counselors who already have B.A's and B.S's are most likely attending NG as graduate students.
regardgless of if there are college students or not, HLA is screwed and there not going to recover.
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Most of the staff at Hidden Lake Academy are students at NGCSU
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Geor ... University (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Georgia_College_and_State_University)
Community Counseling Practicum and Internship Information
Hidden Lake Academy – Dahlonega
http://apache.ngcsu.edu/Academic/Arts_L ... info.shtml (http://apache.ngcsu.edu/Academic/Arts_Let/Psych/ccprogram/grematinfo.shtml)
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many of those recreaction counselors who already have B.A's and B.S's are most likely attending NG as graduate students.
and you're basing this on? Have you ever actually been to college? Do you know what it is grad students do?
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many of those recreaction counselors who already have B.A's and B.S's are most likely attending NG as graduate students.
and you're basing this on? Have you ever actually been to college? Do you know what it is grad students do?
well you obviously have not been to one. what? you think all grad students do research or internships? robert, you've been proven an idiot more than once on this site. i dont see why you insist on continuing.
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many of those recreaction counselors who already have B.A's and B.S's are most likely attending NG as graduate students.
and you're basing this on? Have you ever actually been to college? Do you know what it is grad students do?
well you obviously have not been to one. what? you think all grad students do research or internships? robert, you've been proven an idiot more than once on this site. i dont see why you insist on continuing.
"you're basing this on" was most likely referring to "most likely attending"... Nice attention to detail there.
Edit: Idiot !