Enrollment has been a hot topic at YPA as January comes to a close and we now find ourselves looking to the future!

Rest assured that both the Board and several committees have been working diligently for several months to make certain that every rock has been turned over in the upstate advertising the message of what YPA has to offer to all children. The response has been terrific in both numbers and voice. The official opportunity to enroll your child to guarantee that they will be placed within the lottery ends January 31, 2010. On February 20th at a location yet to be announced, YPA will hold what will become an annual lottery event open to the public where all enrolled families are welcome to attend.

As enrollment for the lottery ends, the hiring of passionate, well-trained, and motivated teachers will begin! Our approach has been to appeal to the very best in the profession. A teacher recruitment banquet was held back in November 2009, which event hosted 100+ educators who became informed of the vision and mission of YPA. Since this time, applicants have been pouring in daily. Our action plan is to screen every candidate that desires to be employed with YPA through a survey instrument known as Gallup: Teacher-Insight. This will be one tool used to help find the teachers that best fit our educational philosophy. Interviewing will formally start on February 13th and continue until all positions are filled with the best-qualified candidate. Our goal is to have these candidates hired with a contract by late March or early April, and then to be announced to the public.

There are several other areas that will continue to be a focus as we work toward the fall. Our intent will be to inform you as these areas come to fruition. For now I’ll generalize a list of initiatives that are either in the works or have been ongoing: Media Center planning and a Media Center donation drive, physical facilities, screening and testing dates, before and after school programs, student placement arrangements, policy manual adoption, professional development planning, transportation, curriculum adoption finalization, technology initiatives, schedules and calendars, and so on. Again, as these areas become finalized public announcements in one form or another will be communicated accordingly.

I’d like to take a moment this month to share with you a snapshot about my background. Having served in education for over a decade in Michigan, Georgia, and South Carolina I have been privileged to function in the roles of teacher, curriculum coordinator, administrator, coach, and parent, among other roles. In addition to my service as an educator, I have been involved with YPA from the ground up and in-short have participated in the following YPA activities: author of the Charter, YPA’s educational consultant, and Academic Committee member. My education includes a Bachelor of Science in education from Western Michigan University and a Master’s and Doctorate degree in Educational Leadership and Curriculum Development from Nova Southeastern University. I hold professional certification and I am “Highly Qualified” to practice as an educator in the state of South Carolina. On a personal note, I spend personal time performing duties within my church and creating memories with my wonderful wife Candice and terrific five children.

As Managing Director, I’d like to leave you with a three-fold mission that I will strive toward with the highest priority of commitment:

1. To become a community’s choice toward a family-centered educational experience promoting high levels of parental participation.
2. To uphold high rigorous academic standards as modeled after successful school systems across the nation through tiered levels of accountability.
3. To provide all individuals involved with YPA support that will aid in personal success.

Your thoughts and suggestions are welcome at any time, and not just about our web site. Please feel free to contact any member of our school. If you don't know to whom to address your thoughts, send them to me.  I'll see they are directed to the appropriate person, or respond myself.

Thanks for supporting York Preparatory Academy!

Dr. Corey J. Helgesen, EdD

York Preparatory Academy Managing Director

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it