BOB HOOVER ACADEMY

HAVING COMPLETED OUR SEVENTH YEAR OF PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MONTEREY COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION (MCOE), 2023 HAS BEEN A YEAR OF TREMENDOUS PROGRESS FOR THE BOB HOOVER ACADEMY. OUR SECOND SCHOOL YEAR IN OUR BRAND NEW CAMPUS BROUGHT A NEW ACADEMIC AND OPERATIONS TEAM, RENEWED ACADEMIC RIGOR, ULTIMATELY EARNING US THE GOLDEN BELL AWARD BY THE CALIFORNIA SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION.CALIFORNIA SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION'S GOLDEN BELL AWARD:THE CALIFORNIA SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION HAS PRESENTED THEIR GOLDEN BELL AWARD TO THE BOB HOOVER ACADEMY AT THEIR ANNUAL MEETING IN SAN FRANCISCO. CHOSEN OUT OF OVER 1,000 SCHOOLS, THE BOB HOOVER ACADEMY WAS RECOGNIZED FOR ITS PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MONTEREY COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION AND ITS "BOLD AND BRAVE APPROACH TO INSPIRING YOUTH TO UNDERTAKE WHAT THEY NEVER IMAGINED THEY COULD DO".AIRCRAFT AND SIMULATOR TRAINING:BHA CONTINUES ITS CORE MISSION OF INSPIRING STUDENT LEARNING THROUGH THE POWER OF FLIGHT. IN 2023, WE MAINTAINED OUR EXTENSIVE USE OF THE SIMULATOR, RESULTING IN A SAVINGS OF APPROXIMATELY 50 AIRCRAFT FLIGHTS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE BEEN FLOWN, FOR A COST SAVINGS VALUE OF $10,166 ($200/HOUR).IN 2023, A GENEROUS DONOR GIFTED BHA WITH A 1939 PIPER J-3 CUB, A WWII-ERA TRAINER VALUED AT OVER $64,000. ROUNDING OUT OUR TRAINER AIRCRAFT FLEET, THE J-3 CUB TEACHES OUR FLIGHT STUDENTS BASIC STICK AND RUDDER PRINCIPLES WHICH PROVIDES A SOLID FOUNDATION TO THEIR ONGOING QUEST TO FLY THEIR CESSNA TRAINER SOLO.2023 STATISTICS: 27 STUDENTS, 321.1 PLANE HOURS, 263 FLIGHTS FLOWN, 1 SOLO FLIGHTS, 108.5 SIMULATOR HOURS, 117 SIMULATOR FLIGHTS, 29.6 SIMULATOR VOLUNTEER HOURS AND 2,090 OTHER MENTORING VOLUNTEER HOURS.SUMMER SCHOOL 2023:SUMMER SCHOOL EXTENDS OUR STUDENT CONTACT, OPENS THE SCHOOL TO POTENTIAL NEW STUDENTS, CREATES EXCITING FIELD TRIP OPPORTUNITIES, AND MAINTAINS ACADEMIC INTEREST THROUGH SUMMER BREAK. MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CREDIT-DEFICIT SENIORS TO PERFORM CREDIT RECOVERY IN ORDER TO GRADUATE IN THE SUMMER MONTHS. IN ADDITION, DRIVER PERMITS FOR 18 AND OVER STUDENTS, AS WELL AS INTENSIVE FLIGHT TRAINING FOR THE FLIGHT TEAM WERE TWO OTHER FOCUS AREAS. WITH A DEDICATED MCOE CREDENTIALED ACADEMIC TEACHER FOR SCHOLASTIC CREDITS, ALL STUDENTS WERE ABLE TO FOCUS ON COMPLETING THEIR ONLINE LEARNING EDGENUITY SCHOOLWORK. GIVING STUDENTS THEIR CHOICE OF FOCUS "TEAMS" EMPOWERED THEM TO TAKE THEIR STUDIES INTO THEIR OWN HANDS. 15 STUDENTS WERE DIVIDED INTO 3 GROUPS OF 5 TO FACILITATE MORE MANAGEABLE INSTRUCTION AND SOCIAL BONDING. FIRST, A DEDICATED DAILY GROUND SCHOOL AND FLIGHTS FOR FLIGHT TEAM MEMBERS INCREASED THEIR AIRMANSHIP. IN ANOTHER GROUP, A DEDICATED DAILY DRIVER EDUCATION FOR PERMIT CANDIDATES PREPARED THEM SUCCESSFULLY FOR THE DMV PERMIT TEST. ADDING ADVENTURE TO THEIR ACADEMICS WERE FIELD TRIPS TO THE HOLLISTER SOARING CENTER FOR GLIDER TRAINING, AND MONTEREY FOR OCEAN SAILING. AS A RESULT OF THIS FOCUSED ACADEMIC RIGOR, WE HAD ONE 5TH-YEAR SENIOR GRADUATE SOON AFTER SUMMER SCHOOL.NEW CORE TEACHER, CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION (CTE) INSTRUCTOR, AND ACADEMIC COUNSELOR:THE NEW YEAR AND THE 2023/2024 SCHOOL YEAR BROUGHT US A NEW GROUND SCHOOL INSTRUCTOR WHO PROVIDED GROUND SCHOOL AND KARTING ELECTIVE CREDITS, ART CREDITS IN PHOTOGRAPHY AND PHYSICAL SCIENCE CREDITS. MCOE PROVIDED AN ACADEMIC COUNSELOR. THIS DOUBLING OF OUR TEACHING CAPACITY ALLOWED US TO UTILIZE TWO CLASSROOMS FOR OUR STUDENT BODY. THIS NEW SYNERGY BETWEEN TWO EDUCATORS CREATED A WAY FORWARD TO MAXIMIZE ACADEMIC RIGOR WHILE BRINGING FUN AND EXCITEMENT TO THE SCHOOL. STUDENTS QUICKLY LEARNED WHERE THEY STOOD ACADEMICALLY, AND WERE GUIDED ALONG WITH INDIVIDUALLY TAILORED ACADEMIC PLANS.DRIVER EDUCATION PROGRAM:BHA STUDENTS HAVE LIMITED RESOURCES TO OBTAIN DRIVER EDUCATION AND TRAINING. AS A RESULT, SOME STUDENTS ARE DRIVING WITHOUT A LICENSE. OUR GOAL FOR THIS PROGRAM IS TO EDUCATE, TRAIN, AND GUIDE ALL INTERESTED STUDENTS TOWARD FULL DMV LICENSING. AS ABLE, BHA PROVIDES CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION IN ORDER TO HELP STUDENTS PASS THE DMV WRITTEN TEST. BHA ALSO FUNDS CALIFORNIA-REQUIRED BEHIND-THE-WHEEL DRIVER TRAINING BY A LOCAL DRIVING SCHOOL, AS WELL AS DMV LICENSING FEES. THROUGH WEEKLY CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION IN THE NORMAL SCHOOL YEAR AND A 3-WEEK SUMMER SCHOOL INTENSIVE, VOLUNTEER INSTRUCTORS HELPED 3 STUDENTS SUCCESSFULLY PASS THE DMV WRITTEN TEST, FOLLOWED BY A SUCCESSFUL DMV BEHIND-THE WHEEL TEST. BUILDING ON THIS SUCCESS,YOUNGER STUDENTS INTERESTED IN OBTAINING THEIR PERMITS ENROLLED IN AN ONLINE DRIVER EDUCATION PROGRAM REQUIRED TO OBTAIN A LEARNER PERMIT. EIGHT STUDENTS ARE PENDING THEIR LEARNER PERMIT REQUIREMENTS.GO-KART PROGRAM:BHA STUDENTS CONTINUE TO BENEFIT FROM THIS MECHANICAL EDUCATION, SMALL ENGINE REPAIR, AND MACHINE OPERATIONS, AS WELL AS LEARNING CLOSURE RATES, ESSENTIAL TO DRIVING AN AUTOMOBILE OR FLYING AN AIRPLANE. EXPOSING INTERESTED BHA STUDENTS TO GO-KART MECHANICS, SAFETY, AND TEAMWORK HAS PROVEN POSITIVE IN THE SCHOOL, IN THE AIRPLANE, AND IN THEIR LIVES. INTERESTED BHA STUDENTS CHOOSE GO-KARTS AS AN ELECTIVE COURSE. TAUGHT AND LED BY THE CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION (CTE) INSTRUCTOR AND VOLUNTEER MENTOR, GO-KARTS INVOLVE CLEANING, MAINTAINING, AND DRIVING A GO-KART ON THE BHA RAMP, AND EVENTUALLY ON A CLOSED TAXIWAY ON THE SALINAS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT. SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT; RULES AND REGULATIONS ARE EMPHASIZED, AS WELL AS SAFETY GEAR INCLUDING HELMET, NECK BRACE, GLOVES, FIRE EXTINGUISHER, ETC. THROUGH THEIR HARD WORK AND FOCUSED TRAINING, 11 STUDENTS PASSED THE INITIAL SHORT COURSE CHALLENGE. THE SALINAS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT MANAGER WAS INVITED TO WITNESS THIS EVENT AND HE APPROVED THE TEAM AND INVITED THEM TO HIS HEADQUARTERS FOR ON-AIRFIELD DRIVER TRAINING COURSE. THE GO-KART TEAM COMPLETED THE ON-AIRFIELD DRIVER TRAINING COURSE AND HAVE BEEN CLEARED BY THE AIRPORT MANAGER TO DEMONSTRATE FOR APPROVAL THE NEXT LEVEL OF DRIVING COMPLEXITY ON A CLOSED TAXIWAY.