SOAR Academy to a new location expanding programs for their students
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – A school for some special kids is moving to a new location. Plans call for SOAR Academy to move into a former convent in Augusta's Green Meadows neighborhood. Hurricane Helene destroyed most of SOAR Academy's building. They're currently in a temporary space at Pineview church. And next month, they will close on their new campus, located at this former convent on Eagle Drive. The Augusta Planning Commission is clearing the way for the move at this week's meeting. A move that's been in the works since Helene caused significant damage to the old building in Martinez. 'Since then, we've been thinking about permanent roots and really stepping up our efforts with finding permanent roots,' said Kenisha Skaggs, Founder of Soar Academy Augusta. 'And so we're excited that we are finally approaching the finish line.' Neighbors near the former convent are welcoming SOAR with open arms. 'We are excited and optimistic. Soar Academy would be a positive addition to the community based on their mission statement,' said Clarence Kendrick, a resident. Since 2011, SOAR Academy has been open to neurodivergent and underserved students. The school gives students a chance to be hands-on in the classroom. Instructors create customized learning plans for each student based on their individual needs. 'We do service again the huge population of students with autism. Having that sensory support built into the school all day. You're not waiting for an IEP. You're not waiting for the diagnosis. The students can access learning the way they need to,' said Skaggs/ The new campus will enable them to revive the activities they had at their old school and expand their programs. 'Our goal is to build an outdoor learning center, and so we're going to have different portables that are ecosystems. One will be a STEM focus. One will be an animal focus. One will be a water therapy focus. And the idea is that students reconnect with nature when they're learning and not on their devices as much and just getting back to the basics,' said Skaggs. They also want to open a charter school on the nearly 21 acres at the new site, providing a tuition-free option for students who can't afford to attend SOAR. 'We looking for our charter petition to be approved over the next 60 to 90 days. So if anyone's interested in their child potentially enrolling, we would love for you to go to Soar Discovery Charter Academy to sign our petition to support this approval of the school in Augusta,' Skaggs. They plan to open the new campus in January of 2026.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
SOAR Academy to a new location expanding programs for their students
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) – A school for some special kids is moving to a new location. Plans call for SOAR Academy to move into a former convent in Augusta's Green Meadows neighborhood. Hurricane Helene destroyed most of SOAR Academy's building. They're currently in a temporary space at Pineview church. And next month, they will close on their new campus, located at this former convent on Eagle Drive. The Augusta Planning Commission is clearing the way for the move at this week's meeting. A move that's been in the works since Helene caused significant damage to the old building in Martinez. 'Since then, we've been thinking about permanent roots and really stepping up our efforts with finding permanent roots,' said Kenisha Skaggs, Founder of Soar Academy Augusta. 'And so we're excited that we are finally approaching the finish line.' Neighbors near the former convent are welcoming SOAR with open arms. 'We are excited and optimistic. Soar Academy would be a positive addition to the community based on their mission statement,' said Clarence Kendrick, a resident. Since 2011, SOAR Academy has been open to neurodivergent and underserved students. The school gives students a chance to be hands-on in the classroom. Instructors create customized learning plans for each student based on their individual needs. 'We do service again the huge population of students with autism. Having that sensory support built into the school all day. You're not waiting for an IEP. You're not waiting for the diagnosis. The students can access learning the way they need to,' said Skaggs/ The new campus will enable them to revive the activities they had at their old school and expand their programs. 'Our goal is to build an outdoor learning center, and so we're going to have different portables that are ecosystems. One will be a STEM focus. One will be an animal focus. One will be a water therapy focus. And the idea is that students reconnect with nature when they're learning and not on their devices as much and just getting back to the basics,' said Skaggs. They also want to open a charter school on the nearly 21 acres at the new site, providing a tuition-free option for students who can't afford to attend SOAR. 'We looking for our charter petition to be approved over the next 60 to 90 days. So if anyone's interested in their child potentially enrolling, we would love for you to go to Soar Discovery Charter Academy to sign our petition to support this approval of the school in Augusta,' Skaggs. They plan to open the new campus in January of 2026. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
North Carolina leaders urge preparedness for hurricane season
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — North Carolina Leaders say now is the time to prepare for hurricane season. Emergency management officials say more than a dozen named storms will hit the US this season. Several are expected to become powerful, dangerous hurricanes. During a press conference on Thursday, Governor Josh Stein said North Carolinians should have an emergency kit ready, including important documents and three to five days' worth of food and water. State Emergency Manager Director William Ray said forecasters expect at least a dozen powerful storms to make landfall the next few months, six to ten of those storms could become hurricanes. 'The state emergency response team is hosting workshops, planning sessions, conducting plan reviews, conducting operation and logistics and readiness checks,' Ray added. Over at Duke Energy, Hurricane Helene is still fresh on the mind of staff at their power distribution control center in Charlotte. 'We've never experienced something like that,' said operator Laura Weigel. Company executives told Queen City News they took what they saw during Helene and applied it to trainings they run every year. 'We also practice ahead of storm season, doing storm drills, preparing operators for a variety of scenarios they might encounter. You know, every kind of scenario, including even a facility not working,' said Duke Energy spokesperson Jeff Brooks. Brooks echoed Stein's message, saying everyone should have a plan in place. 'Where would you go if you had an extended power outage? Do you have a generator in your home and do you know how to use it safely, always use those outside.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Saharan Dust makes its way towards the United States; Will the Triad be impacted?
(WGHP) – A plume of dust from the Sahara desert has been traveling across the Atlantic Ocean making its way to the United States over the last few days. NOAA's GOES-19 satellite has been tracking Saharan dust thousands of miles across the Atlantic from May 28 through June 2. It's common to see plumes of dust from the Saharan desert cross the Atlantic. Typically, the dust gets 'kicked up' into the atmosphere over the Sahara in the late spring, summer and early fall as monsoon season gets started just south of the Saharan desert. The peak of the Saharan dust season is in late June to mid-August, just before the peak of hurricane season, which occurs from mid-August through mid-October. One reason the Triad didn't see high impacts from the most recent plume of dust is due to the weather pattern over our area of the country. The coastal low-pressure system that is bringing rain to the Piedmont Triad on Thursday is helping to keep the dust south of us, creating a bigger impact for those to our south, like Florida and even as far west as Texas. Helene's impact on transportation in western North Carolina details in new report Saharan dust is nothing new. It happens every year around this time. When storms form just south of the Sahara Desert in the Sahel region of Africa, dry, dusty air from the Sahara Desert is kicked up into the atmosphere. This dust can collect in the atmosphere about 5,000 to 20,000 feet above the desert in a 2.5-mile-thick layer known as the Saharan Air Layer. Well, in that layer above the surface are the trade winds, also known as the Harmattan wind. The Harmattan wind sends the dust into the African Easterly Jet that blows from the West Coast of Africa to the United States and carries the dust thousands of miles across the ocean. As that dust moves over the Atlantic, it suppresses tropical cyclone development. The suppression of tropical development is due to the dry, strong winds associated with the Saharan dust, and it 'chokes out' any moisture of tropical cyclones that try to develop. Tropical cyclones need warm, moist air, and the dryness of the dust can cut off the supply of warm, moist air and limit tropical cyclone development in the Atlantic as the dust moves across the ocean. While suppressing tropical cyclone development is one of the main ways that Saharan dust impacts weather conditions, it can also have effects across the United States once it arrives. A few of the impacts include lowered air quality, lowered visibility or haziness and more vibrant sunrises or sunsets. Saharan dust particles are very tiny, and, when sun filters through the particles, it scatters the sunlight even more and allows longer wavelength colors like oranges and reds to reach through and be more intense. The result is more vibrant sunrises and sunsets. However, during the day, the dust makes the sky appear hazy and lowers our typical clear visibility of light blue dust particles in the atmosphere also impact our air quality, so those with any respiratory issues will typically be impacted more when the dust has made its way across the Atlantic. The Saharan dust season has just begun and we'll likely see several more rounds of it as we head through the next few months. The FOX8 Max Weather Team will continue to track the Saharan dust as it moves over the Atlantic and will keep you updated with when it'll arrive and what impacts we could see here at home. For more information on the West African Monsoon Season and Saharan dust, catch 'Beyond the Forecast' only available on our . Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
