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Messages - Macaroni3001

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1
The Ridge Creek School / Hidden Lake Academy / HLA
« on: April 25, 2005, 01:14:00 PM »
To Whom it may concern,

Where should I start.
1.  To the former parents and students of HLA, do what you need to do that is best for your family and/or yourself.

2.  Two parents when you are placing your children out of home, you need to do all the research possible.

3.  During my stay at HLA, I know for a fact that students stole cigarettes from cars, asked strangers for contraband while at the airport, movies, or any other outings, and have brought back contraband from home visits.

3.  Parents most therapuetic boarding schools or hospitals do searches that range from just checking pockets to strip searches.  Again do your research.

4.   Everyone is talking about the credentials and laws that HLA must follow or have.  Did any check the Georgia state laws to see waht they say in regards to a therapuetic boarding school, hospitals, and/or Wilderness programs.

5.  I would suggest you know that the owner of HLA have a lot of clout in Georgia especially North Georgia.  So you may want to go to the battle with a Full loaded gun before going to his turf in Dahlonega or North Georgia.

6.  While I was working at HLA, I heard every student I came in contact with complain about the school.  If I was at a boarding school I would complain to my parents too.  Just know that the program works for some and not all students.  

7.  Finally, the parents who have students in out of home placements because of what ever reason needs to take a look at their parenting skills or styles.  Some of you send you children away so you would not have to worry about them.  In actuality you can be as much a blame as any school, hospital, or wilderness camp for any PTSD, alcohol, drug, or any future problems you children may have from their experience at these out of home placements.  So before pointing the finger or blaming take a look at yourself first.  I know that the majority of the students who attended HLA had money, but know money cannot buy everything.

This is what I had to say and if there is any problems or concerns.  Holla back!!!  I'm not hard to find just look me up.  

Peace out

AMW

2
The Ridge Creek School / Hidden Lake Academy / Racism and other stuff
« on: April 23, 2005, 05:08:00 AM »
Anonymous,

I'm speechless!  I'm glad to hear that the prom was a success.  I heard about it.  Thank you for the comment.  I'm taking care of all my family.  Especially my woman.

3
The Ridge Creek School / Hidden Lake Academy / Hidden Lake academy
« on: April 22, 2005, 04:28:00 PM »
I started working with adolescents when I was in college in as my internship.  I liked the job at the group home.  So I pursued my Master's degree in Social Work because I knew I would be able to work with adolescents or just help people in alot of capacities.

What I offer is a person who understands what they go through, I'm going to be real with them, I will respect them, I will be honest with them, I will show them tough love, I do not look down on them, and I do not disrespect there individualities.  

Let me clarify myself.  What I meant by problems is the reasons they were sent to any out of home placement.  For example, drugs and alcohol abuse, violence, abuse, truancy, ect.

Really I do not know why they did not let the parents know.  In the months I was there I was under the impression that parents knew and understood why they did searches.  I did not like just as much as the students did not like it.  I have worked in this field for about 5 years now, and almost every facility I worked in did searches of some kind.  It all depends on the level of care and the adolescent.  And the searches ranged from just checking pockets, shoes, and bags to full body searches except there private areas.  

The searches were conducted when a student returned to campus from visits, overnight trips, and other circumstances.  I'm not getting into the specifics at this time.  I would say that I never saw any students private areas.  We basicly searched each article of clothing, under their feet, backs, and arm pitts.  The searchs were always done by two staff and with the same sex. For example if it was a male student it would be two male staffs, and not the counselor of the student if possible. I do not know why it would not be mentioned to the parents.  That was not my job to inform the parents of all policy and procedure when they brouhght their students to the school initially.  If any of the parents I worked with had a question I would answer or get the answer for them.  I'm sure parents knew about searches because the students had to tell them about them.  They tell them about everything else.  

Deborah,
1. Whats your background?
2. Why are you so into HLA?
3. In what capacity is this going to help you or your current situation?
3. What is your opinion on why HLA doesn't tell parents they will be doing searches on the students.
4.  If you have any more questions, HOLLA!!!

4
The Ridge Creek School / Hidden Lake Academy / Racism and other stuff
« on: April 22, 2005, 03:56:00 PM »
I have a Master's in Social Work.

5
The Ridge Creek School / Hidden Lake Academy / Hidden Lake academy
« on: April 22, 2005, 01:48:00 AM »
I used to work there.  I just left last month.

6
The Ridge Creek School / Hidden Lake Academy / Racism and other stuff
« on: April 22, 2005, 01:40:00 AM »
I was a counselor there and I also coached basketball.  Jason left about 4-5 months ago to do volunteer work some where.  Daryl and I are real close friends now.  did you work there and if so when.  Please believe I know no to believe everything on here, because some things are exagerrated.

7
The Ridge Creek School / Hidden Lake Academy / Hidden Lake academy
« on: April 22, 2005, 01:29:00 AM »
Is your child a student at HLA now.

8
The Ridge Creek School / Hidden Lake Academy / Hidden Lake academy
« on: April 22, 2005, 01:26:00 AM »
I just left HLA and they do have a bathroom at Lower left and at the lake front where the students may be that may be furthest away from a bathroom.  Student do have to be searched when they come in and believe me that I hate it just as much as they do.  I also work at another place working with adolescents with the same problems and we do the same kind of searches when they leave the campus and return.  

I have seen those geese on HLA campus for the whole 8 months I have been there, and they use the bathroom all over the place.  So it might be a good chance that even I did a push up in some of there mess or sat in some of there mess.  But I never witness anyone doing pushup in Geese Shit.

HLA do not give out former staff information to parents, students, or anyone.  

If anyone have any particular questions I'm willing to answer.

9
The Ridge Creek School / Hidden Lake Academy / Hidden Lake academy
« on: April 21, 2005, 01:29:00 AM »
I used to work at HLA and my time there was mixed.  I loved working with the students but I did not agree with some of the things I was required to do.  Is there anything particular that you want to know?  I can tell you that most students who attend the school do not like it but if I was there age I would not like it either.  I have seen the program work for some students and not for others.  Alot of families I worked with was pleased with the progress of their child.  The program is very strict, becuase it is set up to help change the behaviors that has been detrimental to the students and families.  The school is like any other place.  There are some things that needs to be reworked and added and there are some things that work extremely well.  But if you have any specific questions let me know.

Thank You,

Antonio

10
The Ridge Creek School / Hidden Lake Academy / Hidden Lake academy
« on: April 20, 2005, 09:48:00 AM »
Yes, I know Marla.  I do not know her personally.  I know that she was a teacher at HLA and left about a month before I did.  Some of the things she said in her post was true but exagerrated.  If you have any questions about the program, I'm willing to answer any questions.  I'm going to give you the straight up answer of what I know and saw.  my email address is Macaroni3001@yahoo.com.  I was a counselor for two peer groups and basketball coach.

Antonio Wade

11
The Ridge Creek School / Hidden Lake Academy / Hidden Lake academy
« on: April 18, 2005, 09:25:00 PM »
Why are you so aggressive Suzanne?  I did not direct that to any particular person.  I'm not here to bash you or HLA.  Just to say the truth of my experience and what I saw or heard.

thank you

12
The Ridge Creek School / Hidden Lake Academy / Hidden Lake academy
« on: April 18, 2005, 09:00:00 PM »
I was directed that to everyone.  I just clicked on reply to a posted message on the board.  Did you used to work at HLA or were you a student.  What peer group did you graduate or start with.

13
The Ridge Creek School / Hidden Lake Academy / Hidden Lake academy
« on: April 18, 2005, 10:11:00 AM »
I'm not disgruntled or I was not fired!!!!!

I was responding to another message when someone talked about homosexuals being discriminated against at HLA.  That did not happen.  what happen was some male students who were uncomfortable about being around Homosexuals acted out towards them, but I never witnessed staff taking either side.  They tried to talk about in groups but what do you expect from 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 year old males.

14
The Ridge Creek School / Hidden Lake Academy / Racism and other stuff
« on: April 18, 2005, 09:38:00 AM »
Yes I did work at HLA for about 8 months between June of 2004 until March of 2005.  Well my experience there was a little mix.  I loved working with the students as there counselor and basketball coach.  But I did not some of the things that happen while I worked at HLA.  

Things I liked:
1. The staff was cool as hell.  I made a lot of friends and still is friends with staff such as Daryl, Johnny, Bill W.(a black guy), Miya, Jenine, and Denny.  

2.  I loved working with my peer groups and teams.
3.  I like some of the off campus activities they had for the students.
4.  I like the fact that they allowed me to use my skill to apply to the job as much as I wanted.  Which allowed me to be real with the students.

Things I disliked:
1. the pay sucks.
2. The place is ran like a dictatorship.  If you did not do what the owner or some admin said you would get the axe.
3. I did not like some of the reason I had to put a student on restrictions for.  Such as relationships, not writing fallout, and some more but thats all I can think of right now.
4. I did not like the fact that I had to do AC staff work such as go to the airport, cover dorms, cover activities, sit a lake front all fucking day or lower left all day long.
5.  I did not like the fact that they changed the schedule and required counselors to work at least one evening in the week.
6.  I did not like the fact that during the winter we did not have heat in the counselor building.
7.  I did not like the fact that they did not allow student to watch certain music but allowed to them to listen to others that glorifyied sex, drugs, and alcohol also.
8.  It was alot of indirect racism.  
9.  I hated the lodge food.  Especially the soup special maggot soup.  
10.  I have more but I cannot think of them right now.

I never saw childern being abused.  When they were on restricitons they had to do alot of PT, cleaning up, writing assignments, and they were not allowed to have certain drinks at dinner and peanut butter sandwiches.  But they were allowed to eat regular dinners or fix a cold cut sandwich or salad.  The work for a counselor is so over bearing that it makes them very unhappy because we are not appreciated and we have no voice.  We are over worked with two peer groups.  The benefits suck.  I left because the job was taking away from my family and they are more important than anything in my life.  I wanted to pursue a career in coaching and teaching.  I'm also going back to school to first get certified to teach and to get my Ph.d. in Educational Leadership.  

If you have any question I would like to answer them but I'm only going to talk about my experiences.

15
The Ridge Creek School / Hidden Lake Academy / Racism and other stuff
« on: April 18, 2005, 09:18:00 AM »
First off I never lived in Lumpkin County or Dawsonville.  I commutted to work everyday with a couple of my work mates.  How in the hell do you know what I experienced in Lumpkin county, dawsonville, or any part of the world.  If you sit here and beleive that racism, bigotry, or whatever else that goes along with hatred towards people of the darker skin color then you are ignorant to the facts.  So Mrs Shh did not set the record straight. The only thing she did was talk about her experiences in those counties or areas.  You don't know what I experienced.  Peace Out.

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