Maxine Giardina Charter School set to open Aug. 13

First through eighth grade students with learning disabilities will have another schooling option Aug. 13 with the opening of the Maxine Giardina Charter School.

Founder Jake Giardina will serve as the Max Charter School Board chairman. He is a prominent businessman in Thibodaux.

The charter school will be housed on Nicholls State University’s campus. The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education approved the public charter school in February of 2007. The school is named after Giardina’s deceased wife, Maxine.

“The charter school is committed to meeting the unique educational needs of students with dyslexia and other language-related learning differences,” said Carol Broussard, the board vice president and publicity chairperson. “The Max Charter School will provide services to school children from all income levels and empower the lives of these students who learn differently.”

The charter school has reached its maximum of 120 students.

Former Terrebonne Parish educator Vanessa Adams will head the charter school. Before taking the position as the principal/director, Adams was an assistant principal at Mulberry Elementary School. She also has a diverse background in elementary education teaching grades third through sixth.

Adams said, “My objective is to advocate progression for special needs students by designing, implementing and evaluating program and environments conducive to success.”

Suzy Bourg will serve as the school’s business manager. Previously, she worked as the secretary for the DePaul School, which was closed at the end of the last school year.

“I worked with dyslexic students for eight years,” she said. “I have attained much knowledge about dyslexia and related learning differences, as well as the operational procedures to maintain a school.”

The staff consists of teachers from Terrebonne, Lafourche, Assumption and St. Charles parishes who have more than 70 years of total experience working with children with learning disabilities and literacy problems.

Among the teachers are:

• First grade: Toni Ruiz Eymard, a former fourth-grade literacy teacher in St. Charles Parish. She also spent seven years as a reading recovery and early literacy teacher in Lafourche Parish.

“I am hoping that my experience working with a variety of learners, including dyslexic students, will be one asset I bring to the school,” Eymard said.

• Second grade: Rebecca Walker, a former second through fifth grade teacher in Lafourche and Assumption parishes. Walker holds an undergraduate degree in communicative disorders and a master’s degree in education technology. In December, she will receive her master’s degree as a reading specialist.

• Third grade: Kari Boudreaux, a former Lafourche and Assumption parish teacher. “Being in so many diverse environments and working with many different students, I bring knowledge and experience along with my heart to the charter school,” she said.

• Fourth and fifth grades: Geralyn Rodrigue, a former teacher in Terrebonne, Assumption and St. Mary parishes, and Christine Stoll, a former teacher in Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes.

Most of Rodrigue’s 19 years of teaching have been in English/Language Arts for grades third through sixth in Terrebonne Parish. With a total of 23 years, Stoll spent most of her time teaching at Schriever Elementary and Gibson Elementary schools.

• Sixth through eighth grades: Gina Coggins, a former St. Genevieve Catholic School teacher. Coggins has more than 10 years of experience teaching Language and writing composition.

The charter school’s paraprofessional is Kaci Porter, a former paraprofessional for Terrebonne Parish. Porter is currently working toward an undergraduate degree in elementary education.

“Kaci is a mother of a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, a behavioral condition that becomes apparent in some children in the preschool and early school years which can affect their ability to learn,” Adams said. “She adds a firsthand account and understanding to our school about how to deal with children with learning disabilities.”

For the past two weeks, the Max charter teachers have been completing the Project Read and the Language Instruction programs at Nicholls State University.

Karen Chauvin, Nicholls State University’s Louisiana Center for Dyslexia Director, will serve as the Max Charter School Board president.

Other members of the board include: Giardina Family Foundation Director Dianne Savoie, Brian Aucion, NSU Dean College of Education Dr. Debra Bordelon, NSU Dean of Students Dr. Cleveland Hill, Andie Bollinger and NSU Dean of University College Dr. Albert Davis.

The Nicholls support team includes: Nicholls President Dr. Stephen Hulbert, Dr. Larry Howell, Linda Peltier, Mike Naquin, Mike Davis, state Rep. Warren Triche, Rhonda Zeringue, Leroy Trosclair and Harold Block.

“I am glad that the Maxine Giardina Charter School is taking shape,” said a Giardina family member. “Max was a true believer in helping kids with learning disabilities. Her own son had a learning disability and she had to go out of the area to get him help.”