Strong support from local community credited for event's success

Lucille Turner is an outstanding 2nd grader at The Roberts Academy. She has created a greater awareness for the Roberts Academy by writing and then reading two amazing speeches at The Roberts Academy Pro-Am Tennis Tournament and a Kiwanis Luncheon on Florida Southern College’s campus last month.

Lakeland, FL (April 12, 2011) -- The first Pro-Am Tennis Tournament held on behalf of The Roberts Academy at Florida Southern College raised more than $20 thousand, demonstrating an exceptional level of community support for the newly opened Academy. As the only full-time transitional school in Florida for students with dyslexia in grades one through five, The Roberts Academy at FSC is providing a much-needed educational opportunity for talented elementary school students in Central Florida who previously had very few options.

The Pro-Am Tennis Tournament was held at the Grasslands Golf and Country Club in Lakeland on March 12 -13, 2011, and was complimented by a Player's Draw Party and silent auction on March 11.

The tournament was sponsored by Highland Homes, chaired by Marjorie and Hal Roberts, and co-sponsored by more than sixty individuals from the Lakeland area. The event was organized by a twelve-person committee chaired by Mrs. Elizabeth Bandyk.

"We are incredibly grateful for the hard work and tireless commitment exhibited by our Committee and local sponsors," said Dr. Tracey Tedder, Dean of the School of Education at Florida Southern College.  "The event was a great success and proceeds will directly impact the students we serve at The Roberts Academy."

More about The Roberts Academy:
The Roberts Academy provides a full complement of academic programs, as well as support and training for parents and teachers of students with dyslexia.

Students experiencing difficulty in their current schools can attend The Roberts Academy until they have mastered the skills to accommodate their learning differences and are fully prepared to succeed in a traditional school setting.

Dyslexia is the most common cause of reading, writing, and spelling difficulties and can lead to extreme frustration and low self-esteem. Often gifted in many ways, children with dyslexia can face a constellation of learning difficulties. The good news is that dyslexia is treatable through a specialized learning method called the Orton-Gillingham Approach, which is used at The Roberts Academy.

The Academy's small classes, with their 12:1 student/teacher ratio, dynamic, personalized instruction, and access to a broad array of the College's teaching and learning resources, enables students to develop a strong foundation in language, reading, and mathematics and to stimulate their excitement for learning.