VCS e-News An Electronic Newsletter from Volusia County Schools April 17, 2014 In this issue… Be There Forums Planned to Break the Conspiracy of Silence Spruce Creek High Student Wins First in State Science and Engineering Fair Benefit Planned for Families of Two Pine Ridge High Teachers DeLand Middle Students Headed to World Competition for Odyssey of the Mind Hinson Middle Student Wins iPad Mini for Most Karma Points Volusia 2014 Graduation Schedule Announced News of Note Check Out ITV Launchpad: DaVinci Club At DeBary Elementary Be There While eating dinner, ask your teen a question to stretch his/her imagination, such as “If you were the smartest person on earth, what would you use your intelligence to do?” Forums Planned to Break the Conspiracy of Silence National Speaker to Address Challenges Faced by Students Two additional forums have been scheduled to address the challenges facing today’s students. The meetings are a proactive effort to reach out to families and the community on the national issue to end the “conspiracy of silence.” This will conclude a series of forums that were planned following the first that was held at New Smyrna Beach High last month: “Today’s Students – Today’s Challenges: Parents and Community Matter” • Wednesday, April 23, 6 p.m. Deltona High School auditorium 100 Wolf Pack Run, Deltona • Thursday, April 24, 6 p.m. Spruce Creek High School auditorium 801 Taylor Road, Port Orange Dr. Scott Poland will be the keynote speaker. He is a nationally recognized expert on school crisis, youth violence, suicide intervention, self injury, school safety, threat assessment, parenting and the delivery of psychological services in schools. Attendees will come away with tips on how to assist children in making the right choices and advice on raising children in challenging times. The discussion will outline the problematic things that students face including bullying, technology, alcohol abuse, teenage driving, divorce and the pressure to perform academically. Parents, students and community members throughout Volusia County are invited to attend the one-hour presentations and take part in a question and answer session at the conclusion. Joining together to become informed about how to safeguard children is an opportunity to prevent future tragedies and learn how to resolve issues that may otherwise go undetected. Dr. Poland has lectured and written extensively on these subjects, appeared on all major television network news programs, and has presented over 1,000 workshops in every state and numerous foreign countries. Spruce Creek High Student Wins First at State Science and Engineering Fair Owen Kelly, a senior at Spruce Creek High, recently was awarded first place in the computer science category at the Florida State Science and Engineering Fair (SSEF). In addition to Owen’s first place category award, Owen was also selected as one of the eight Ying Scholars who are the Grand Award winners for Best in Fair. As a Best in Fair winner from the State Science and Engineering Fair, Owen will present his project at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Los Angeles in May. The program also has won several other awards this year, to include first place in computer science at the Tomoka Regional Science Fair, winner of the computer science category at the Orlando Science Center Science Challenge, the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Outstanding Engineering Project Award, the NASA Certificate of Recognition for Outstanding Achievement in Science Research, and the Mike Kerney Award from the Florida Engineering Society. Owen’s project consists of a computer program he wrote in the openGL shading language (GLSL) and Java. The program allows for the generation of “earth-like planets.” A person using the program can change a number of variables to create a planet with different terrain and atmospheres. The program has potential applications in the classroom, in flight simulators, in games or even in generating effects for movies. Benefit Planned for Families of Two Pine Ridge High Teachers An event to raise funds for the families of two beloved Pine Ridge High teachers, Mr. Lundell and Mrs. Burcher, is being hosted by the Deltona Moose Lodge on Doyle Road. The benefit will be held on April 27, 2 – 6 p.m., and is open to the public. Families are welcome: it will be an afternoon of fun with bands, food and beverages. The family of Nick Sutton, a Pine Ridge High student, donated 75lbs of pork for the event and there are great items available for the raffle, including a year of Purina dog food, restaurant and retail gift cards, puppy training, spa and hair treatments, pest control, themed gift baskets and more. DeLand Middle Students Head to World Competition for Odyssey of the Mind DeLand Middle students took first place at the regional competition for Odyssey of the Mind and then competed against the top 18 teams from each region at state competition. There, the students placed second and will advance to the world competition May 28-31 at Iowa State. At the world competition, the students will face approximately 50 teams from the United States and around the world. Team members are: Alan Bailey, Matthew Bailey, Natalie Schwerdfeger, Luke Branz and Courtney Gifford who all attend DeLand Middle and Nathan Oltorik who is homeschooled. Hinson Middle Student Wins iPad Mini for Most Karma Points Congratulations goes to Hinson Middle student, Victoria K. Victoria was the March winner of the Algebra Nation website's monthly math contest. She won an iPad mini by collecting more than 31,000 "Karma" points by solving complicated math problems, beating out all other competitors across the state. Volusia 2014 Graduation Schedule Announced Graduation ceremonies will be held for area high schools beginning May 29 and ending June 1. Admission will be $3 per person. Parking will be $5 for ceremonies held at the Daytona Beach Ocean Center. Tickets will be presold at each of the high schools. Below is a list of the district's graduation ceremonies and information related to the graduating classes of 2014. Atlantic High School Graduation: Saturday, May 31, 9 a.m., Daytona Beach Ocean Center Approximate number of graduates: 220 Senior Awards: Tuesday, May 13, 6:30 p.m., Atlantic High School Theatre Baccalaureate: Monday, May 19, 7 p.m., Our Lady of Hope Catholic Church, Port Orange Class Motto: “Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” – Dr. Seuss Class Song: “Hall of Fame” by The Script Class Colors: teal, silver and black Class Flower: Sunflower DeLand High School Graduation: Friday, May 30, 4 p.m., Daytona Beach Ocean Center Approximate number of graduates: 487 Senior Awards: Wednesday, May 7, 7 p.m., DeLand High School Auditorium Baccalaureate: Tuesday, May 27, 6:30 p.m., First Assembly, DeLand Class Motto: “Don’t let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.” Class Song: “Roar” by Katy Perry Class Colors: green and gold Class Flower: Tulip Deltona High School Graduation: Friday, May 30, 8 p.m., Daytona Beach Ocean Center Approximate number of graduates: 355 Senior Awards: Thursday, May 22, 6:30 p.m., Deltona High School Auditorium Baccalaureate: Tuesday, May 20, 6 p.m., Deltona Alliance Church, Deltona Class Motto: “Best you’ve ever seen, Class of 2014.” Class Song: “Today My Life Begins” by Bruno Mars Class Colors: blue and silver Class Flower: Lotus Flower Mainland High School Graduation: Sunday, June 1, 4 p.m., Daytona Beach Ocean Center Approximate number of graduates: 360 Senior Awards: Thursday, May 22, 7 p.m., Peabody Auditorium Baccalaureate: Sunday, May 25, 6 p.m. Providence Church, Ormond Beach Class Motto: “Don’t tell us the sky is the limit when there are footprints on the moon.” Class Song: “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” by Green Day Class Colors: blue and gold Class Flower: Lotus Flower New Smyrna Beach High School Graduation: Sunday, June 1, 7:30 p.m., Daytona Beach Ocean Center Approximate number of graduates: 400 Senior Awards: Tuesday, May 27, 6:30 p.m., New Smyrna Beach High School Auditorium Baccalaureate: Thursday, May 29, 7 p.m., First Baptist Church of New Smyrna Beach, Annex Class Motto: "To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight and never stop fighting.” – e. e. cummings Class Song: “Wake Me Up” by Avicii Class Colors: red, black and white Class Flower: White Lily Pine Ridge High School Graduation: Saturday, May 31, 4:30 p.m., Daytona Beach Ocean Center Approximate number of graduates: 348 Senior Awards: Thursday, May 22, 7 p.m., Pine Ridge High School Auditorium Baccalaureate: Tuesday, May 20, 7 p.m., Deltona Lakes Baptist Church Class Motto: “We met as strangers, grew as classmates and leave as friends.” – Author Unknown Class Song: “I Was Here” by Beyonce Class Colors: teal, black, and gold Class Flower: Cherry Blossom Seabreeze High School Graduation: Saturday, May 31, 8 p.m., Daytona Beach Ocean Center Approximate number of graduates: 380 Senior Awards: Monday, May 19, 6 p.m., Seabreeze High School Auditorium Baccalaureate: Thursday, May 22, 6 p.m., St Brendan Catholic Church Class Motto: “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” – Dr. Seuss Class Song: "It’s Time” by Imagination Dragons Class Colors: red and white Class Flower: Sunflower Spruce Creek High School Graduation: Sunday, June 1, noon, Daytona Beach Ocean Center Approximate number of graduates: 654 Senior Awards: Thursday, May 29, 7 p.m., First Baptist Church, Daytona Beach Baccalaureate: Tuesday, May 27, 7 p.m., First Baptist Church, Daytona Beach Class Motto: "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." – Ralph Waldo Emerson Class Song: “It’s Time” by Imagine Dragons Class Colors: black and gold Class Flower: Miracle Rose (orange) Taylor Middle-High School Graduation: Thursday, May 29, 7 p.m., Edmunds Center, Stetson University Approximate number of graduates: 120 Senior Awards: Wednesday, May 21, 6:30 p.m., Taylor Middle-High School Auditorium Baccalaureate: Wednesday, May 28, 6:30 p.m., Taylor Middle-High School Auditorium Class Motto: “Don’t walk behind me; I may not lead. Don’t walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.” Class Song: "Thank God for Hometowns” by Carrie Underwood Class Colors: aqua and silver Class Flower: White Rose University High School Graduation: Saturday, May 31, 12:30 p.m., Daytona Beach Ocean Center Approximate number of graduates: 630 Senior Awards: Wednesday, May 21, 6:30 p.m., Volusia County Baptist Church, Orange City Baccalaureate: Wednesday, May 14, 7 p.m., Volusia County Baptist Church, Orange City Class Motto: “We’ve been here longer than the rest; the class of 2014 is the best.” Class Song: "Counting Stars” by One Republic Class Colors: orange, silver and white Class Flower: Hibiscus News of Note To celebrate the writing process, students at Champion Elementary held Young Author’s Day. Media Specialist Jacqueline Ouellette invited Tom Bull to share the importance of illustrations in a book. Mr. Bull, illustrator of “Endangered” and “Fly-In Fox Tales,” explained the process of illustrating a book. He spoke about the collaboration that takes place between illustrator and author. Each grade level had the opportunity to meet Mr. Bull during a 40-minute presentation where he drew all kinds of characters within minutes in front of students’ eyes. It was a magical experience that inspired many students to think of illustrations for their own writings. The day concluded Principal Dr. Maryann Bull congratulating the students who won the Young Author Awards at a reception in the media center. Students who won the award shared their writings with each other, parents and Mr. Bull. Congratulations to the Creekside Middle Science Club for earning two first place awards in the Regional Science Olympiad in Orlando. The competition events were rollercoaster construction by Omar Suleiman and Sami Hemaidan and Pentathlon by Mackenzie Bodnaruk, Jocelyn (JP) Nobles, Felicity Simms and Wesley Cedar. Congratulations to the Creekside Middle band for receiving "Superior" ratings at the Florida Bandmaster's Association Concert Band Music Festival. Way to go "Cougar" Band! Ms. Kellett and Mrs. Meadows, Deltona High teachers, are proud to report that Barbara Sanchez, senior, was elected as a Florida HOSA State Officer for the 2014-2015 school year. She ran against 37 other students vying for a state leadership position and was one of three new officers elected to serve on the state team. We are very proud of Barbara and her service to Deltona High and the state of Florida. In addition, 25 Deltona High students were recognized at the HOSA Leadership Conference and Competition and will advance to the National Leadership Conference. Deltona Lakes Elementary students participated in the annual Fitness Festival. Two students placed in the all-around division and many students finish in the top three in their events. These boys and girls worked very hard and represented Deltona Lakes Elementary well. The Deltona Lakes Elementary extended day program kicked-off opening day of the Olympics with their own Olympics Opening Day. Children carried their self-made torches and led the way into "Olympic Stadium" (PE court), followed by the “athletes” (students) representing Team America who carried their handmade American flags, followed by children carrying their hand-made Olympic Flags. Everyone did one lap around the basketball court symbolizing the actual lap that all the athletes made around the Olympic Stadium in Russia. During the Olympics there were some "Olympic Events" such as a hula hoop contest, an "Olympic downhill race event" to see who could color a picture of a downhill skier the best, and the older children monitored the Olympics on computers in the media center. Each of the older children picked a country to follow from a list during the Olympics and tracked their country's medals in a variety of events. The PTA Talent Showcase was held April 4 and, boy, does Deltona Lakes Elementary have talent! Congratulations to the 36 participants who did a fabulous job performing. All participants received a medal and a framed certificate. Deltona Lakes Elementary has a dynamic and supportive PTA. Here are just a few things PTA has done for our students: • $1,000 given to kindergarten for the special software program • $100 donated to each grade level to use towards field trips • $1,000 given to guidance for programs through-out the school year • $1,000 ear-marked towards the new school marquee • Hosted a mini-carnival for the special needs population to enjoy • Recognized the top sales person for the Yankee Candle fundraiser in the fall and also the class with the most sales • Hosted monthly Spirit Nights with drawings/prizes • Offered family movie night in the fall • Organized the Talent Showcase in the spring • Provided funds to the clinic for necessary items …just to name a few! April is Autism Awareness month. Edgewater Public is participating in a variety of activities to raise awareness, including Light it up Blue. Faculty, staff and students all wore blue to help raise awareness. Autism affects 1 in 68 children and is the fastest growing disability in the United States (http://www.autismspeaks.org). On April 29, the community will be invited to participate in the school’s first ever Autism Walk. Participants will walk from Edgewater Public to Hawk’s Park and return to hear a guest speaker and have a picnic on the campus while enjoying music. Five New Smyrna Beach High students spent the afternoon judging science fair projects at Edgewater Public on April 3. The fifth grade students have spent months using the scientific method to complete their experiment and are anxiously awaiting the results of this round of judging. Thank you to Jordan, Zachary, Hunter, Cameron and Brendon. Third grade students at Enterprise Elementary took on an extraordinary project for the beautification of the school campus and Earth Day. Together with the help of teachers, each student painted a stepping stone and placed it in the flowerbed next to building 4 where 3rd grade classes are located. Stop on by and see this bright and colorful display. The school is very proud of it. Friendship Elementary hosted a FCAT Marathon Tutoring Blitz. Students in third, fourth and fifth grade were invited to attend this event, which took place over two Saturdays in April. Students were engaged in innovative and motivating activities to help them review for the FCAT. Students that attended the event raved about how fun and encouraging the it was. The FCAT Marathon Tutoring Blitz helped Bobcats roar! For the 9th consecutive year Hinson Middle’s Beginning and Advanced Chorus', under the direction of Mrs. Linda Bishop, have earned Superior ratings in both sight singing and choral performance at the Florida Vocal Association District 6 Middle School Choral Music Performance Assessment (MPA) on April 4. The students are rated on the performance of two songs demonstrating the areas of tone quality, technical preparation and musical effect. After the performance on stage, the chorus then performs for the sight-reading judge. Students perform a 16-measure rhythmic exercise, after only one minute of preview, and a 16-measure melodic/harmonic exercise in which they have two minutes to preview. The chorus is graded on rhythmic execution, melodic and harmonic accuracy and music and tonal fundamentals. The Choral MPA is a requirement of middle school chorus courses, in essence the FCAT performance-based assessment of the skills that are taught in chorus courses. These skills are both Volusia County and Florida Vocal Association standards. Congratulations to the Hinson Beginning and Advanced Chorus'; job well done! Members of Horizon Elementary Florida Future Educators of America attended Volusia County's FFEA District Conference on Saturday, April 5th at New Smyrna Beach High School. Emily D. was a finalist in the essay contest, "A Teacher Takes a Hand, Opens a Mind and Touches a Heart." Club members Emily D., Abigail F., Emily A. and Ilaria B. and club sponsor, Janet Hall, were excited to win third place in the display competition. The girls had a wonderful time and were filmed for the district’s video next year. Horizon Elementary's second-grade students presented "The Leader in Me: A Musical," April 10 and 11 to the students, faculty, staff, parents and community. The musical was inspired by the book, "The Leader in Me" and the principals of "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen R. Covey. At a "celebration rally" of all Horizon leaders, second grade student news reporters from W-EAGLE interviewed students about the seven habits. The musical included nine songs, three original pieces by music teachers Mrs. Ellis and Mrs. King, and Jannah Bolin's "The 7 Habits." The musical introduced positive life skill strategies that can be employed at school as well as at home. Decorating the stage were Time magazine covers created by the students, illustrating themselves and what they want to be when they grow up. Math Night at Publix was recently held for Indian River Elementary students, who were accompanied by their parents. Students were given a worksheet with real life math problems that could be solved within the aisles of the store. Upon completion of the worksheet they were given a goody bag and a chance to win a Publix gift card. The aisles were filled with parents and students working problems as they were shopping. Thanks to Publix for sponsoring this event and math coaches, Martha Carden and Linda Weeks, for organizing this event. Orange City Elementary held its annual Jump-a-Thon event with all grades K-5 participating during their special area time. The school’s goal was to raise $1200 for the American Heart Association, which was well exceeded by raising $3,333 - a new school record! Thank you to all who participated. Orange City Elementary invited selected students to attend FCAT Camp on two Saturdays in April. During the three-hour camp, students and teachers kept an intensive focus on reading and math strategies that will help students be more successful on the FCAT. On each Saturday, students received an hour and a half of additional support in reading and an hour and a half of additional support in math, rotating between two teachers who were paired to provide support. Approximately 100 students attended on each Saturday. All 3rd-5th grade students and their teachers at Orange City Elementary participated in an FCAT Pep Rally. Special area teachers and other staff members were present to show their support as well. The Pep Rally was designed to show students that the entire community is behind them and supports their success. Ms. Hall, assistant principal, opened the ceremony and introduced the guest speaker, Orange City Mayor Tom Laputka. Mayor Laputka spoke to the students about having goals and working hard to achieve them. The Orange City Fire Department showed their support by driving down Leavitt Avenue adjacent to the PE court with lights and sirens on as firefighters cheered and pumped their fists in the air to show support for the students. Professor Know-it-All, AKA Mr. Stevenson, third grade teacher at Orange City, spoke to offer his own unique perspective and support. Fifth grade teachers performed a cheer with reminders about being on time, eating a healthy breakfast, text marking and working hard. Mrs. Crkvenac, principal, closed the ceremony with words of encouragement and support. She reminded students of the school's motto from Thomas Edison - "There is no substitute for hard work." Approximately 200 parents and students attended Orange City Elementary's FCAT Parent Night. Information was shared with parents of 3rd-5th graders about FCAT testing and the proposed half-cent sales tax extension. Both Orange City's Chorus and 3rd grade students put on separate musical performances. Chester Boles, assistant principal at River Springs Middle, attended along with two other faculty members to share information about middle school with 5th grade parents. Fourth grade students at Ortona Elementary created math games based on topics they have learned this school year. The students explained their games to their classmates and then participated in centers playing various student created games to practice math concepts. What a fun, engaging way to reinforce math skills! DBK, Inc. presented Pine Ridge High junior, Sierra D. with their 1st Annual “DBK Leadership Award.” The award is given to a student who exemplifies creating a culture of setting higher standards. Sierra pictured with Principal Atkinson, has an extensive resume of leadership, volunteer and community activities which was topped off this school year by winning Miss Pine Ridge High School. DBK presented Sierra with a leadership plaque and $200 for her college education. Congratulations to the Pine Ridge High HOSA Biomedical Debate Team, which finished fifth in state competition. Team members were Desiree H., Meghan R., Patrick King and Katie W. In addition, Morgan Miller competed in Medical Terminology. The team is coached by Michelle King. The Pine Ridge High’s first Mother/Daughter Tea was a great success with 73 students and parents attending. The Mother/Daughter Tea is the brainchild of Jackie Von Casminski, reading teacher. It focused on young ladies and their mothers, and guest speakers covered sometimes ‘difficult to discuss’ topics from prom dresses to health issues. Cafeteria manager, Jerri O'Dell, gives Pine Trail Elementary students in 3rd, 4th and 5th grade some extra support by creating a tree of encouragement and displaying it in the cafeteria for all to see and enjoy. Mrs. O'Dell wants to inspire the boys and girls in the upper grades to be positive and feel encouraged during their FCAT testing. With the help from the students in the classes of Mrs. Mott, Mrs. Hoskin and Mrs. Ravede, as well as the 6th graders in Mrs. King's Language Arts class at Ormond Beach Middle, Ms. O'Dell created a beautifully colorful tree with leaves of encouraging words. Pine Trail's FCAT takers are sure to know how much everyone at the school believes in them as they do their best during FCAT testing. The Seabreeze High Symphonic Orchestra earned a “Superior” rating at the Florida Orchestra Association State Music Performance Assessment. This is the first time in school history that the orchestra at Seabreeze has received a “Superior” rating at state competition. Kudos to these musicians and to the director of music, Mr. Jarrod Koskoski. For the past 11 years, Southwestern Middle has held the Tropicana and Modern Woodmen Speech Contests so students in grades 6-8 can use the experience to improve their speaking skills. The contests provide a unique opportunity to research, write and present a 4-6 minute speech to a panel of judges. By researching, writing and delivering a speech on a topic of their choice, students-- and their audiences (faculty, family and friends) -- acquire a greater understanding of public speaking. This year’s judges were: Ms. Emily Edwards (Citrus Grove, 2014 VCS Teacher of the Year), Mrs. Andrea Finkle (SMS AVID Coordinator), and Mrs. Harriett Dimuro (SMS Reading Coach). Special thanks to Mrs. Lori Smith, Tigers of 4-H Sponsor. More than 45 Spirit Elementary students received eye exams and glasses free of charge. Florida Vision Quest has visited Spirit to help students with free eye care for three out of the last four years. A big thank you goes out to Florida Vision Quest and all their staff for helping students see better! The kindergarten students from Spruce Creek Elementary went on a field trip to the Museum of Arts and Sciences. Students were given the opportunity to explore three areas of the museum. First, the students enjoyed a planetarium show about the day and night sky and legends of stars and constellations. Then, students were escorted through the historic section of the museum where they were able to see many exhibits. The most exciting exhibit was the fossils of a giant sloth that were excavated from our local Port Orange pond near the Reed Canal Park. Lastly, the students spent time in the Children's Museum exploring wheel pulleys, microscopes, making a ball float in the air using Bernoulli's principle, various force and motion activities, and much more! After spending an enjoyable day in the museum, the students sat outside and had a picnic lunch, and enjoyed a nature walk on the museum's property. Special thanks to the local Target store for providing a $700 grant to help offset the cost of the trip. The kindergarten students from Spruce Creek Elementary saw their first live musical at Spruce Creek High. They enjoyed seeing the story of “Tarzan,” which they had read in class come to life. They also were impressed by the police escorts who assisted them in crossing Taylor Road. Students furthered their English-Language Arts skills by reading the story, watching the musical and then comparing and contrasting the two. They learned about musical theater and also practiced pedestrian safety as they walked to the high school. Westside Elementary’s VPK class worked on a unit called Imagine It, Make It. During this time the class talked about how to use their imagination, as well as directions to make and create things with their hands using various materials. Students received a visit from Mr. Mark and Ms. Helen from Home Depot to build wooden heart shaped baskets in which to store their special treasures. There were also five parent/grandparent volunteers to assist in building. Home Depot donated the materials, tools and special work aprons for students to keep for future projects. They also presented a $25 gift card, which was used to purchase a new carpet for the classroom construction area and paint to use for the baskets and future projects. Check Out ITV Launchpad Watch the latest edition of Volusia County Schools Launchpad: DaVinci Club at Blue Lake Elementary. For more information, to make comments or to add your name to the mailing list, please e-mail VCS Community Information at [email protected]. Click here to view prior editions of eNews. Follow us on Twitter @volusiaschools
© Copyright 2026 Paperzz