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School Board of Volusia County
Mrs. Linda Costello, Chairman
Mrs. Ida D. Wright, Vice Chairman
Mrs. Linda Cuthbert
Dr. John Hill
Mrs. Melody Johnson
Superintendent of Schools
Dr. Margaret A. Smith
Address correspondence to:
The Educator
Editor, Liz Perpiñan, Human Resources
Contributing Editors:
Lary Beal, Athletics
Denise Dietrich, Superintendent’s Office
Evette Gonzalez, Human Resources
Annette Hood, Community Information
Amy Smith, Insurance & Employee Benefits
Nancy Wait, Community Information
Stephanie Workman, Technology Services
Anne Marie Wrenn, Human Resources
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Superintendent
message from
Dr. Margaret A. Smith
Dear Employees,
With the upcoming winter holiday season, it is a great time to express appreciation to every
member of the school district staff for all that you do to support Volusia students. I am very proud
of each of our schools and district departments for your ongoing dedication and hard work.
As I have always said, you extend yourselves to support our students and schools way beyond
your job description. You contribute to the well-being success of students. You reach out to
communicate with parents and with the community. Thank you for managing the many challenges
that you experience.
During the holiday break, I hope that you spend time for yourself and time with family and friends.
I wish you joy and peace.
Yours truly,
Margaret A. Smith
Margaret A. Smith, D.Ed.
Superintendent of Schools
Oct/Nov/Dec 2014
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NEW SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS
Welcome
to Volusia County
Schools’ newest board members.
Mrs. Melody Johnson, Dr. John Hill and Mrs. Linda Cuthbert were sworn into office on
November 18 by Circuit Judge Dawn Nichols to serve four year terms through November, 2018.
Linda Costello was elected as chairman of the school board and Ida Wright was named vice
chairman. Mrs. Costello and Mrs. Wright will serve in their new roles, effective immediately,
until the next organizational session meeting on November 17, 2015.
2016 Teacher of the Year
The five finalists for Volusia County School’s 2016 Teacher of the Year have been announced:
•
•
•
•
•
Christopher J. Dowdell, Government/American Economics, DeLand High
Jennifer M. Lastowski, Algebra 2/Honors, University High
Samantha Murray, Media Specialist, Spruce Creek High
Sarah E. Sieg, Fourth Grade Citrus Grove Elementary
Margaret H. Williams, Art, Port Orange Elementary
Seventy teachers were chosen by their peers to represent each of Volusia County’s public schools. Those 70
teachers were narrowed to a field of five finalists who are competing for the honor of being named Volusia
County School District’s 2016 Teacher of the Year. The winner will be announced at a gala banquet to be held
Friday, January 23, at the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanwalk Resort. The district Teacher of the Year will be
nominated for the state Teacher of the Year program and will serve as Volusia’s representative of quality education until 2016. The current Volusia County Teacher of the Year is Grace Kellermeier, New Smyrna Beach
High. The Teacher of the Year celebration is hosted by FUTURES Foundation for Volusia County Schools and
the presenting sponsor is Halifax Health.
(continued on page 5)
4
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(continued from page 4)
2016 Teacher of the Year Nominees
(Alphabetical by School)
Alternative Education (Stewart Marchman-Act
RAP) , Linda Froman
Atlantic High, Kris Blasko
Blue Lake Elementary, Meredith Kelly
Campbell Middle, Rose M. Butts
Champion Elementary, Jessica R. Adkins
Chisholm Elementary, Rekia Danielle Beverly
Citrus Grove Elementary, Sarah E. Sieg
Coronado Beach Elementary, Christine
Wassem
Creekside Middle, Chrissy Ashby
Cypress Creek Elementary, Michelle Eddings
Larrimore
DeBary Elementary, A. Nicole O’Quinn
DeLand High, Christopher J. Dowdell
DeLand Middle, Carrie Owen
Deltona High, Alisha D. Kellett
Deltona Lakes Elementary, Judith M. Brule′
Deltona Middle, Patricia Robertson
Discovery Elementary, Melissa Lemelin
Edgewater Public, Heather Lynn Wilson
Enterprise Elementary, Yvette S. Best
Forest Lake Elementary, Michelle L. Boyle
Freedom Elementary, Leigh Hoover
Friendship Elementary, Christina Susan Moll
Galaxy Middle, Christina Nehrig
George Marks Elementary, Laurel DeMarsh
Heritage Middle, Michelle Manuel
Hinson Middle, Michael F. Myers
Holly Hill School, Michael G. Zablo
Horizon Elementary, Kari A. Jones
Indian River Elementary, Randal Preston
Longstreet Elementary, Sara Smith
Mainland High, Susana Mandell
Manatee Cove Elementary, Michele Lee
Benson-Culver
McInnis Elementary, Liz Lundy
New Smyrna Beach High, Linda Meehl
New Smyrna Beach Middle, Timothy Tully
Orange City Elementary, Betty Hoffman
Oct/Nov/Dec 2014
Ormond Beach Elementary, Adrienne
Ambrose
Ormond Beach Middle, Laura A. Bamberger
Ortona Elementary, Carol Marie Colucci
Osceola Elementary, Debra Ellen Halter
Osteen Elementary, Sandy Grenier
Palm Terrace Elementary, Kimberly M. HowellMartin
Pathways Elementary, Melody Grunder
Pierson Elementary, David A. Schmitt
Pine Ridge High, Holly Jo Taylor
Pine Trail Elementary, Susie Baldwin
Port Orange Elementary, Margaret H. Williams
Pride Elementary, Joanne Miller
Read-Pattillo Elementary, Mary Kobylanski
Berndt
River Springs Middle, Nancy Munk
Seabreeze High, Brian Eschen
Silver Sands Middle, Patricia Willems
South Daytona Elementary, Michele D.
Reynolds
Southwestern Middle, Catherine L. Buccolo
Spirit Elementary, Alice H. Geier
Spruce Creek Elementary, Jennifer Ness
Spruce Creek High, Samantha Murray
Starke Elementary, Cindy McNairy
Sugar Mill Elementary, Thomas DeDea
Sunrise Elementary, Maureen Taylor
Sweetwater Elementary, Andrea McGray
Taylor Middle High, Tom Morris
Timbercrest Elementary, Angel Jordan
Tomoka Elementary, Jennifer Evans
Turie T. Small Elementary, Vernell L. Spar
University High, Jennifer M. Lastowski
Volusia Online Learning, Tracy Parodi
Volusia Pines Elementary, Genny Chywski
Westside Elementary, Kym Dhawan
Woodward Avenue Elementary, Dana
Zacharko
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Two New Five Star Schools!
This year, two schools are first-time recipients of the Five Star School Award: Burns Science
and Technology Charter and Pine Ridge High School.
The Five Star School Award was created to recognize
that community involvement is essential to student
success. This sign of achievement is presented every
year to those schools that have shown evidence of excellent community involvement. Eligible schools are
selected annually and must be renewed every year. To qualify for this award, a school must achieve and
document 100% of the criteria in the categories of Business Partnership, Family Involvement, Volunteers,
Student Community Service, and School Advisory Councils. The number of recipients has grown from 27
schools in 2003-2004 to 54 schools this year!
The following Five Star Schools will be recognized by the school board on Wednesday, November
12, 2014: Burns Science and Technology Charter, Champion Elementary, The Chiles Academy, Chisholm
Elementary, Citrus Grove Elementary, Coronado Beach Elementary, Creekside Middle, Cypress Creek Elementary, Debary Elementary, Deltona High, Deltona Lakes Elementary, Deltona Middle, Discovery Elementary, Edgewater Public, Enterprise Elementary, Forest Lake Elementary, Freedom Elementary, Friendship Elementary, Galaxy Middle, George Marks Elementary, Heritage Middle, David C. Hinson, Sr. Middle,
Horizon Elementary, R.J. Longstreet Elementary, Manatee Cove Elementary, New Smyrna Beach Middle,
Orange City Elementary, Ormond Beach Elementary, Ormond Beach Middle, Ortona Elementary, Osceola
Elementary, Osteen Elementary, Pathways Elementary, Pine Ridge High, Port Orange Elementary, Pride
Elementary, Read-Pattillo Elementary, River Springs Middle, Seabreeze High, Silver Sands Middle, South
Daytona Elementary, Southwestern Middle, Spirit Elementary, Spruce Creek Elementary, Spruce Creek High, Sugar Mill Elementary, Sweetwater Elementary, T. DeWitt Taylor
Middle-High, Timbercrest Elementary, Tomoka Elementary, Turie T. Small Elementary,
Volusia Pines Elementary, Westside Elementary, Woodward Avenue Elementary.
Congratulations!
Volusia’s High School Career Academies Recognized
The 3rd Annual Career Academy Awards was
held Thursday, September 25, at the Mori Hosseini
Center on the Daytona State College campus in Daytona Beach. The event celebrated the accomplishments
of career academy directors, student ambassadors, business partners, school-based administrators, district staff and school board members who support
the 35 academies in Volusia County’s 10 public high
schools. Fourteen of the 35 academies were awarded
the highest honor, gold level, for their performance
on 12 standards used to evaluate academies each year. Academies include a team of teachers who come together to create integrated projects that combine Career and Technical Education courses with core academics. Projects are both rigorous and relevant to
students, and include the support of business partners
for guest speakers, field studies, job shadowing and in6
ternships to make the experience a very unique way to
learn. Data shows that academy students have higher
grade point averages, better attendance and are ready
to either go directly into the workforce or go on to
post-secondary training.
Volusia is recognized as a Ford Next Generation Model-Track Community. This designation is a
direct result of the hard work and commitment of
all stakeholders since 1994 when academies first began at Mainland High School. In fact, Mainland High
School principal, Dr. Cheryl Salerno, was awarded the Outstanding School Administrator for her long commitment to the career academy model. The Business
Partner of the Year award went to Annette Brennan
from the Florida Department of Transportation for
her support of the DeLand High School Engineering
Academy student internships.
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FUTURES Foundation Launches
Online Teacher
Grant Portal
FUTURES Foundation for Volusia County Schools recently launched a new online teacher grant
portal, Find it & Fund it, Volusia! to help local teachers obtain the resources they need when school
funding falls short or tax dollars don’t allow. Teachers often use their own resources to purchase
necessary school supplies or are unable to do certain activities with their students because of
insufficient funds.
Find it & Fund it, Volusia! was created to provide teachers with a way to “crowd source” funding
for their ideas and provide students with opportunities they would not have otherwise. Through
this platform, teachers can request funding for a variety of projects and donors can fund them,
either fully or partially, with 100% of contributions going directly to the posted project. Teachers
can also promote their projects through their own social media networks. As a 501(c)(3), donations to FUTURES Foundation for these teacher Mini Grant requests may be tax deductible; please
consult your tax advisor.
Through the www.finditfunditflorida.com/volusia/ portal, FUTURES Foundation recently funded almost $60,000 in Volusia County Teacher Mini-Grant requests. In addition to FUTURES, this year’s
Mini-Grant sponsors include Amscot Financial, Daytona Checkered Flag Committee, Daytona
Turkey Run, Duke Energy, Heart of Volusia, Raydon Corporation and Thrivent Financial. This year
marks the $1.4 million mark in overall funding for mini-grants since FUTURES inception in 1985.
The public is encouraged to visit the website to view these creative, innovative grants and assist
local teachers in finalizing their projects.
FUTURES Foundation for Volusia County Schools is a member of the Consortium of Florida
Education Foundations, a membership organization for Florida’s school district-wide local education foundations which has spearheaded the Find It Fund It portal. CFEF seeks to advance student
achievement in Florida by increasing private sector investment and involvement in public education.
Collectively, CFEF member foundations raise more than $50 million annually to support students,
teachers and schools through a variety of programs. CFEF has provided more than $20 million to
local education foundations since 2002 through various private and public sector partnerships.
FUTURES Foundation for Volusia County Schools
3750 Olson DR, Daytona Beach, FL 32124
(386) 255-6475, extension 50730
email: [email protected]
Oct/Nov/Dec 2014
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FEDERAL PROGRAMS & GRANTS
DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
COMMUNITY INFORMATION
Volunteers in Public Schools
Students at 46 schools started their engines on Monday, November 17th in Racing to Read! Last year, 3,784 students completed the requirements of this reading incentive
program, which was created in 2005 between Volunteer/
Partnership Programs and Daytona International Speedway. Motivate your students to read and they will receive
incentives
to
attend
an
actual
Speedway race! January 16th is the deadline for
students to turn in their bookmarks to their teachers.
VIPS Activities and Upcoming Events!
• ­January 2015 – National Mentor Month
• ­February 2015 – Florida School Volunteer Month
• ­February 12 – VIPS Recognition Day at University High
School
CURRICULUM — ESE
Rethink is an award-winning program model for supporting students with disabilities in classroom settings. This integrated and dynamic online program, developed by nationally recognized experts in the field, features a comprehensive video-based
curriculum, a sophisticated behavior intervention planning tool,
job-embedded professional development for teachers and paraprofessionals, individualized assessments, progress monitoring and
reporting tools, and online skills-based activities for students that
aligned to IEP goals and Florida Standards. We are very excited to announce that Rethink is now
available for all of our elementary Multi Varying Exceptionalities
and Pre-K ESE classrooms! With school-wide licenses in place for
twenty-two sites, this resource is now available for any ESE student
and teacher on those campuses (including VE!). We will also continue to provide licenses for targeted VE students at other sites
throughout the district. Rethink training for teachers was held in
September, with over two hundred student profiles established by
the end of the training!
For more information about Rethink, please visit
www.rethinkfirst.com, or contact Jennifer Kelly, ESE Coordinator, at
(386)255-6475,ext. 38329.
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Instructional Coaching in Volusia County Schools By Feryl S.
Tyner, TOA, Instructional Coaching
Title I supports the Instructional coaches as a catalyst for
positive change in Volusia County Schools. The dictionary definition
of a coach is an instructor or trainer of others. An instructional
coach is no different. Instructional coaches partner with teachers to
help them incorporate research-based practices into their teaching
to raise the quality of teaching and student learning. They coach
what they have previously instructed or trained. According to Jim
Knight, “Instructional coaches are on-site professional developers
who teach educators how to use proven instructional methods.”
Volusia County Coaching Initiative
The goal of Volusia County’s Coaching Initiative is to
increase student achievement and teacher effectiveness. StudentCentered Coaching, pioneered by Diane Sweeney, is the model
that Volusia County is currently employing. The VCS instructional
coaches are trained to use data and student work to analyze
student learning. They then collaborate with the teacher to make
informed decisions about instruction. Even though instructional
coaches primarily work with the adults on the campus, their efforts
are targeted and aligned toward student learning.
Currently there are 65 Elementary Coaches and 54
Secondary Coaches in Volusia County Schools. Some coaches
have an area of expertise including reading, math, science or
writing. Other coaches are academic coaches that service all
content areas. The instructional coaches are experienced teachers
who have previously demonstrated success in the classroom.
These instructional coaches also have a thorough understanding
of learning theory, instructional strategies, content expertise, and
interpersonal capabilities. All instructional coaches in Volusia
County Schools are required to attend trainings, as well as receive
scheduled side-by-side coaching at the school. The 34 new coaches
also attended Elements of Effective Coaching and Adult Learning
Styles and CHAMPS Training for New Coaches.
Professional Development and Transfer of Skills
The body of studies supports quality coaching as the major
contributor to improvement in teachers’ instructional practice. Studies show that when teachers are given only a workshop in the
new instructional skill, only 10% used the skill in the classroom. When coaching follow-up support was added to the staff
development, approximately 95% of the teachers implemented the
new skill in their classrooms.
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Coaches provide support through any array of activities.
Not only do instructional coaches spend time in classrooms
observing and providing feedback, but they also design and deliver
teacher training. iPads provided by Title I this year will assist in
coaching using video for feedback with teachers who desire to be
coached this way. Analyzing data, facilitating PLC’s, and providing
resources round out the instructional coach’s duties. The Volusia
County Coaching Initiative supports a coaching relationship that
provides for the opportunity for reciprocity of gifts of knowledge
and skill, caring and support, feedback and celebration. In the
coaching relationship, people being coached are the ones in
charge since they have the agenda, commitment and the specifics
of skills they wish to enhance to support student learning.
TRANSPORTATION
Team Transportation sets the standard for student
safety on school buses!
Earlier this year, Student Transportation petitioned
FDOE to allow new style lighting on school buses in an effort
to combat a serious problem of motorists passing school buses
while loading or unloading students. The Transportation department documents illegal passing and provides this data to FDOE
which is compiled for state and national reporting.
A new style LED lighting recently became available to replace halogen lamps that illuminate yellow and red while picking
up students, however, due to state specification language, these
lights were not permitted in Florida. The new lighting is high-intensity and has a strobe effect to catch motorists eye better, and
data from other states demonstrates a reduction in illegal passing where these lights have been installed on school buses. After
speaking with transportation officials from around the nation, Mr.
Akin became interested in using this lighting on Volusia’s buses
and petitioned FDOE for an exception which was granted and this
lighting was installed on 33 Volusia school buses purchased this
year. “With LED lighting as standard on most Florida school bus
exterior lighting, why wouldn’t it be included with the important
student pick-up lights” said Akin.
Additionally, Volusia transportation officials petitioned to have
state specifications modified to allow all Florida districts to purchase this lighting and the petition was granted through a unanimous vote of the Florida Association of Pupil Transportation
School Bus Specifications Committee.
Student Ridership Verification and Accountability System
Over the next few months, Student Transportation Services will be implementing a Global Positioning System (GPS) and
Student Ridership Verification and Accountability System on our
school buses.
There are several key benefits to the district and our customers.
• Improve safety and security of our students that ride the
school bus
• Provide instant and easy access to ridership information
from any location, which will improve customer service
• Reduce or eliminate loss of FTE State Funding (Replaces
the current manual student counting system)
• Enable our bus operators to concentrate more on driving
and student safety
Oct/Nov/Dec 2014
The system involves the use of student identification
cards and electronic equipment mounted on our school buses.
This system will account for where the bus is located and who
is on the school bus including where they get on and off the
bus.
The cards . . .
• do not store any personal identifying information
• data is secure and encrypted
• utilize information already used by the School District
• will be scanned just like any other identification card
reader
Elementary school teachers will be supplied identification cards to give to active eligible bus riders. Students will
be required to carry the identification card with them every
day and will swipe the card across a scanner when entering and
exiting the school bus. Middle and High school students will
not be issued an identification card. Secondary students will be
required to enter their birth date (MMDD) onto a keypad next
to the scanner.
Our recent pilot program of the system showed the
swiping of the identification cards and the entering of the birth
date as students are boarding and exiting the school bus is not
expected to cause delays to the bus route.
For more information and/or if you questions, please
contact Greg Akin, Director of Student Transportation Services
at 50546.
GET CONNECTED
Rather get a text message?
Volusia County Schools will offer a new communication tool for parents next year: text messaging.
It is a one-way text messaging feature from the school
to the cell phone number indicated on each child’s
Emergency Information Card.
Emergency cards will be revised to
collect cell phone numbers for the purpose of
receiving text messages. Once the system is activated,
an introductory text message will be sent to the cell
phone number listed on each child’s emergency card.
Parents may opt out of receiving text messages
at any time by replying STOP VCS.
We are excited to offer this
new feature and hope parents will
find it a useful communication tool
to stay informed about critical student and school activities.
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is
Around
the
Corner...
If you are not already receiving your
W2 statements online, or if you are new to
Volusia County Schools, please take a moment
and sign-up to receive your 2014 W2 Wage and
Tax Statement online through our secure
employee ePortal.
Online statements are more convenient,
secure, and cost effective than distributing or
mailing paper statements. Online statements for
tax year 2014 are scheduled to be available by
January 9, 2015. Login to the ePortal, click on the
Payroll tab and then the “W-2” tab and complete
the consent to view your W-2.
If you choose not to use the online retrieval,
paper statements will be mailed or ready for pick
up at your work site around January 30th. Please
verify that we have your correct mailing address
which is displayed on your pay stub and on the
e-Portal Human Resources tab under “Personal
Info”.
For assistance with accessing ePortal contact customer service at extension 20000.
Review Your Withholding Status
Federal income tax (FIT) is calculated on taxable
wages based on the marital status and number
of allowances listed on your W4 form. Please
review the amount of FIT taxes being deducted and
submit a new W4 form if changes are needed.
The IRS web site has forms and a withholding
calculator to help you determine your allowances
www.irs.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions About Form W2
Visit our ePortal/Payroll/W2 tab for answers to
common W2 questions such as:
• Why is my contract amount different than
my taxable wages?
• What do the amounts in boxes 12 and 14
represent?
• How do I get a duplicate W2?
Need more information?
Call Payroll at extension 20362 or
email the Payroll Department at
[email protected]
10
Wellness Corner
My name is Laura Francioso and I am so
happy and excited to have been offered the Wellness Coordinator position with the Volusia County
School Board. I look forward to working together
because of my passion for wellness and desire to
assist others in feeling healthier, living healthier,
and embracing the many wonderful benefits of
mental and physical wellbeing. I am dedicated to
empower others to strive for a healthy lifestyle even
with their ongoing, busy lives. Last but not least,
I am committed to assisting VCSB employees in
learning how to use their health plan benefits to
achieve optimal health.
Growing up as a vegetarian with a love
of the outdoors I have had a lifelong interest in
nutrition and health. I graduated with a Bachelor’s
of Science in Integrated Health Studies and am
currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Healthcare Management. Over the past several years I
have volunteered at various organizations such as
the American Cancer Society aiding in fundraising events for health promotion. Also, I previously
participated on the Employee Engagement Committee at the Cleveland Clinic where I coordinated
the monthly Wellness Connection luncheons. I am
an animal enthusiast who volunteers at the Halifax
Humane Society assisting with special events and
community outreach. In my free time I enjoy reading, scuba diving, kayaking, and watching Nascar. I’m happily married to my husband Nick who
works as a Computer Programmer and is a veteran
of the U.S. Army.
I look forward to
helping you all on your
wellness journey. I’ll be
located at the VCSB
Deland Office Monday
afternoons and Tuesday
through Friday. I look
forward to meeting and
working with you!
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Winter Holiday Closings
In order to continue to benefit from the considerable energy cost savings all district
offices will be closed to the public Monday, December 22 through Friday, January 2.
Schools will be closed December 22 through January 5. Students and teachers will return
to school January 6.
District Retirement Reception
The district Retirement Reception for those retiring this 2014-2015
school year will be held Thursday, May 7, 2015. This is earlier than in
years past. If you have plans of retiring this school year, be certain to
complete and submit all required documentation as quickly as possible. Invitations will be distributed in February for this pleasant evening of
appreciation for your service to Volusia County Schools.
Oct/Nov/Dec 2014
11
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AREA I NEWS
Mr. Tom Russell
Area Superintendent
Coronado Beach Elementary School
• Each month, students at Coronado Beach
Elementary have the opportunity to be
nominated by a teacher for being a “Terrific
Kid.” The focus is on a specific life skill
(characteristics); October was cooperation
and courage. Every student nominated for
“Terrific Kid” receives a certificate and their
name is entered into a drawing to attend a
“Cookies with the Counselor” celebration
with the school counselor, Mrs. Jefferis.
• One of Coronado Beach Elementary’s PTA
goals for this year is to encourage students
and their families to work together to give
back to our community. To accomplish this
goal, each class is being given an opportunity to help maintain the school grounds. By
taking ownership for an area of the school,
it is hoped that students will be more cognizant of keeping their school and community
clean. Each of the 17 classes in the school
is taking part in this school-wide beautification project.
Deltona High School
• Chad Brown is a 6’-9” senior from Deltona
High and he is signing a letter of intent to
play basketball at the University of Central Florida next season. Chad had several
basketball offers from many schools across
the U.S. and he decided to stay home and
attend UCF. Chad will be the first basketball
player from Deltona High to sign a letter of
intent to play at a Division 1 college. Chad
has developed a great relationship with the
coaches at UCF and, when he is able, attends every home game.
• Certificates were presented to eight Deltona
High students who either earned perfect
FCAT scores or perfect End-of-Course Assessment scores. The following students
received awards: Allison Acosta, Caleb
Clayton, Joseph Dies, Rebecca Englehart,
Marla Grant, Kory Love, Sidney Rioux and
Connor White.
ArtHaus. Their pieces are among only 51
other pieces that were chosen by ArtHaus. Congratulations Bobcat artists!
Deltona Lakes Elementary School
Deltona Lakes Elementary 5th graders recently
wrapped up the space unit in science, which
included learning about the different planets,
moon phases, galaxies and other components
of space. Ms. Jones’ and Ms. Reese’s classes
created the eight different moon phases using
Oreos.
Enterprise Elementary School
• Enterprise Elementary has been involved
with the US Navy for many years due to
its connection with the USS Enterprise. A
group of teachers went onboard to receive
a U.S. Flag that had flown over the ship as
well as over the Capitol in Washington, DC. Previous to that, some Enterprise teachers
were flown in a Navy jet which landed on
the USS Eisenhower and were treated to an
overnight stay where they toured the ship
and talked with many of the sailors about
their jobs. The school’s link to the US Navy
continues this year with students writing letters to the sailors on board the USS George
H. W. Bush, which has been sent to the
Middle East. The sailors will be away from
their families for at least nine months. The
parents of one of the sailors, Mr. and Mrs.
Walter Thrush, and Chas Folcik, a member
of our local Navy League, treated the 3rd,
4th and 5th grade students to a video about
the current carrier and discussed what the
sailors do each day while on board. They
also answered the students’ questions about
the Navy, the ship and the sailors.
• To continue with participation during National Bullying Prevention Month, Enterprise Elementary celebrated Unity Day;
nationally recognized by Pacer.org as the
day when the world comes together to Unite
against Bullying! The entire student body
took this issue seriously and showed its support to help put the UNITY IN COMMUNITY by wearing orange. Every student
signed a poster “Take the Pledge” which is
displayed in each classroom. Everyone was
inspired to take a stand against this issue that
impacts education, physical and emotional
health, and the safety and well-being of all
students. Parents were asked to increase
their child’s awareness and encourage them
to stand up to bullying. While one person
can speak out against bullying, the message
is much stronger when we come together to
make a difference. Make it orange, make it
end! United against bullying at Enterprise
Elementary!
Deltona Middle School
• Deltona Middle held its Straight “A” Breakfast in honor of approximately fifty students
who earned an “A” in all subjects and earned
a 4.0 GPA for the first nine weeks. We are
extremely proud of these students.
• November 13 was STEM Day at Deltona
Middle. STEM is a culmination of Science,
Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The day featured a collection of experts,
business partners and teachers. Students
engaged in interactive stations that brought
together STEM concepts. Students actively
participated in learning how things work
and created lasting memories.
Edgewater Public Elementary School
• The Reading Paws program is off to a great
start this year. Dr. Margot May and her
therapy dog, Maggie, read with students at
Edgewater Public on Thursdays. Students
are excited and encouraged to read because
Maggie listens to them while they read.
• Edgewater Public is proud of the Bobcats
who were part of the Halifax Art Show. The
Halifax Art Show is the second oldest art
show that has run continually in the state
of Florida and is the only show that gives
a monetary award to students. Juliette B.,
a fifth grader, was one of twelve winners
selected from hundreds of pieces of art submitted from Volusia County students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Juliette’s
artwork will be on display at the Museum of
Arts and Science in Daytona Beach. Tatum
Diaz and Gabrielle Gangaware’s artwork
has been selected to be on display at the
Volusia County Schools is On the Air
Listen in to Focus on Education on WSBB Radio every Thursday,
8:30 a.m. – 9 a.m. Each week will feature different guests discussing
all the great things happening in Volusia’s public schools and throughout the school district. The show is sponsored by Florida Health Care
Plans. Tune in Thursday on AM1230 (east Volusia) or AM1490 (west
Volusia).
12
Friendship Elementary School
Friendship Elementary is excited to embark on a
new journey through a program called, ‘OWLEUS.’ OLWEUS is a Bully Prevention Program
that is geared toward bullying prevention in
schools. This is a research-based program that
has shown reductions of up to 70% in student
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reports of being bullied or bullying others. A
10-member team, composed of administration,
guidance counselor, teachers, parents and community leaders, has been selected to lead the
program. The team will attend a two-day training in November and then will make plans to
train the rest of the teachers at Friendship in the
spring. The program will officially be kickedoff and implemented with teachers and students
in grades 3, 4 and 5 the fall of 2015.
Galaxy Middle School
• The Galaxy Middle School Showcase took
place in October. Many current students,
parents, staff, and even some former students came out to enjoy the day. Everyone
that attended got to see just how talented
Galaxy students are with performances by
band, chorus and individual acts. With plenty of activities per subject area, free food
and bounce houses there was something for
everyone to do.
• The advanced art class at Galaxy Middle is
making national and international headlines. They participated in the Dream Rocket
project and their works of art will be on display at The Kennedy Space Center through
March 2015.
Indian River Elementary School
• Tara Guptill’s first grade students enjoyed a
day of learning centered around pumpkins.
Students engaged in multiple math concepts,
reading, writing, science and hands-on activities. Volunteer, Miranda Price; teacher,
Sarah Salzano; and members of Indian River Elementary’s Future Florida Educators
Association helped with the project.
• Indian River Elementary’s PTA recently
sponsored Korny Good Time, a fun, nighttime family event. Activities included
games, arts and crafts, and a pumpkin
decorating contest. Girls on the Run, with
sponsors Anne Marie Flanagan and Devin
Rombach, ran a bake sale to raise funds for
their program. Teachers and PTA members
worked together to make this a memorable
experience for students and their families.
New Smyrna Beach High School
• The New Smyrna Beach High Marching
Barracuda Band received a Superior rating
at this year’s Marching Music Performance
Assessment. Their exciting halftime show
featured music from “The Mask of Zorro.”
Great job Cudas!
• Mrs. Dykes, teacher at New Smyrna Beach
High, and members of the Interact Club
visited Chisholm Elementary to speak with
students and inspire them to “service above
self” in a very real way. Mrs. Griffin, Chisholm Elementary school counselor, felt the
generous gift of time and interest made it
clear that the high school students involved
in the Interact Club understand the value of
educating future generations to become productive members of our society.
New Smyrna Beach Middle School
Oct/Nov/Dec 2014
• New Smyrna Beach Middle science teacher,
Colleen Bender organized an ice bucket
challenge to raise money for her students’
upcoming geology field trip. Principal Joe
Rawlings, Assistant Principal Becky Porter,
sixth grade science teacher, Tim Tully, and
seventh grade science teacher, Vaneesha
Persad, volunteered to have buckets of ice
water dumped on them for the challenge. Due to their collected efforts, Mrs. Bender
was able to raise $170 for her students’ field
trip.
• New Smyrna Beach Middle ESE teacher,
Kristin Bennett, organized a school wide
effort to eliminate the use of the word “retarded” by all faculty, students and staff. A
large banner was created and everyone at the
school was asked to sign it as a pledge to
never use the “r” word again.
Orange City Elementary School
• Lynn Dotson (NASA Educator) recently
visited to Orange City Elementary to give
a presentation called Living in Space to
supplement the first grade stars, sun, and
gravity unit. Her presentation included information about current events such as the
Orion capsule, astronaut training (how they
sleep, what they eat, etc.), living in space
and space travel. Students had the opportunity to measure how far the moon is from
the Earth, experience how astronauts sleep
and how gravity feels when fixing something in outer space.
• Orange City Elementary teachers Kristen
Tatum (art teacher), Bobbie Whitacre (PE
coach), Danielle Potter (5th grade science
teacher), Jan-Michael Scott (PE coach), and
Andy Kennedy (PE coach) were awarded
a grant funded by Heart of Volusia, Inc.
to organize “A Heart Healthy Night.” The “Heart Healthy Night” will give students and parents the opportunity to rotate
through stations and learn about the heart. This group of teachers received a Creativity
Award from FUTURES Foundation for the
innovation behind this collaborative project. Orange City is also proud to announce that
Kristen Tatum and Steven Sanders (media
specialist) received a grant, “Author! Illustrate! Publish!” This project will be focused
on 3rd-5th graders who will research different science themes and then create picture
books that will be displayed in the media
center. We are very proud of our teachers
at Orange City and cannot wait to see these
ideas come to life!
Read-Pattillo Elementary School
• Read-Pattillo Elementary enjoyed a nutritious, delicious, fun and week of learning
during National School Lunch Week. Students sampled food items they had never
tried. The canned food drive brought in at
least 1000 pounds for the community. Many
teachers took part in a school wide bulletin
board contest, where they decorated the
boards outside of their class doors. Good
Dr. Maya Angelou’s
Final Recorded
Interview
The students of Howl, Deltona
High School’s student-run literary arts magazine, received a
letter from the Library of
Congress officially recognizing
and appreciating the donation
of their interview with Dr. Maya
Angelou last year into their
permanent archives. The sound
file now in the collection was Dr.
Angelou’s final recorded interview
before her passing. Copies of the
letter were given to each student
who participated in the historic
event. The letters from the Library
of Congress will certainly add
panache to their college
applications, showcasing the experience they’ve earned, the
skills they’ve gained, and the contributions they’ve made to the literary arts.
nutrition and healthy choices were shown all
over our campus. The end of the week culminated with a wonderful assembly. School
Way Café Director Joan Young had fun with
students and gave them information about
breakfast and lunch meals. The students
had a wonderful time as they met and heard
from three basketball players from BethuneCookman University.
• Read-Pattillo Elementary has taken an active part in helping the students and families
be the best they can be. With the help of
community business partners and PTA, the
school hosted a family learning night Fall
Fun with a Fabulous Flavor. This training
provided hands-on learning to students,
their families and community members. The event offered a free reading book station, make & take word games, math games,
a nutrition scavenger hunt, nutrition fishing, fruit flavor number walk and more. It is
through programs like Fall Fun with a Fabulous Flavor that parents are given the tools
needed to empower their students to learn to
make healthy choices.
Southwestern Middle School
Southwestern Middle is thankful for veterans
who have dedicated their lives for our country. On November 7, the school celebrated with
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Schools Celebrate Red Ribbon Week
Chisholm Elementary students joined the “AMVETS Against
Drug Abuse” poster coloring contest during Red Ribbon Week
celebrations. The theme was, “There is no use for drug-abuse.” Posters were judged on adherence to the theme, as well as creativity. Congratulations to Madelyn Schneider who will go on to
the local AMVET post for further competition.
DeLand High encouraged students to “Love Yourself, Be Drug
Free” as part of the National Red Ribbon Week, the oldest and
largest drug prevention and awareness campaign. Bulldogs started off the week by projecting a strong, unified, positive message
of a Drug Free campus by having clubs and groups provide educational facts and activities regarding drugs. Students dressed in
red and Chick-fil-A of Orange City donated chicken sandwiches
and coupons to participating students that pledged to “Say No
to Drugs, Eat Mor Chickin.” Teachers decorated their doors and
students, teachers, staff members and community members voted for the best decorated door. Hundreds of Bulldogs pledged
to be Drug free and inspired others to do the same.
Freedom Elementary celebrated Red Ribbon week with many
student activities on campus. Teachers decorated doors,
students and staff dressed up each day to go with “Say No To
Drugs” themes, Guidance Counselor Kelly Hickox and the fifth
grade leadership team broadcasted messages about taking care
of your bodies and staying healthy, and all classes signed a
school-wide banner for “Say No To Drugs.”
Galaxy Middle encouraged students to “Love Yourself. Be Drug
Free” during this year’s Red Ribbon Week. The goal was to bring
awareness to students about how important it is to live a drug
free life. Members of the Florida Future Educators Association at Indian
River Elementary decorated the school fence for Red Ribbon
Week. Theresa Cameron, 3rd grade, and Pete Maman, guidance,
supervised the activity. The theme this year was “Love Yourself,
Be Drug Free,” so students used red cups to spell out, “I ‘heart’
Me, Be Drug Free.”
Read-Pattillo Elementary observed Red Ribbon Week with a
veterans from the community, as well as students and families. The celebration began with
a “Meet and Greet” where veterans and their
families were welcomed by SGA president, Alexa Bryan. During this time, essays were read
by the principal, Ms. Mamie Oatis, and CJ Williams. Veterans were then invited to the auditorium for a Veterans Day program. Students read
essays about “What Patriotism Means to Me”
sponsored by Local VFW/Patriot’s Pen Competition. The story of “America’s White Table”
was narrated by Mrs. Sharon Brown, providing
the symbology of the items on the table. Special
recognition was given to Mr. Richard Howe, retired Navy veteran; Mrs. Rose Peterson, mother
of deployed active duty Sgt. Robert Andrews;
and the family of a former Southwestern Middle
student Cody Miller, Army-deceased. The ceremony concluded with a Salute to Our Heroes…
.A Call to Honor the men and women from each
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fun way to encourage students to make positive choices and
remain drug-free. They wore team shirts to “team up against
drugs,” sunglasses to demonstrate that their “future is bright,”
and a mustache because “we mustache you not to do drugs.” The fifth graders assisted guidance counselor, Ashley Foster,
in decorating the fence with a solo cup message that “RPE is
Drug Free.” New Smyrna Beach High students also spoke with
students about making good choices and inspired them to lead a
drug-free lifestyle.
Students and faculty at Southwestern Middle celebrated Red
Ribbon Week by participating in many activities, including guest
speakers from the Volusia County Health Department, Mrs.
McIntosh and Mrs. Vick, who talked to students about the harmful effects of drugs. SWAT (Students Working Against Tobacco)
shared tobacco facts with 6th grade students while V.O.G.U.E.
showed how stepping is their anti-drug. Through the P.E. department, school counselors facilitated guidance lessons about bullying to 6th grade students, cyber bullying to 7th grade students
and teen dating violence to 8th grade students. The P.E. classes
also participated in a walk against drugs. Mrs. Salgado’s classes
also made Red Velvet Cupcakes. AVID also won the decorating
contest that took place. Additional activities took place daily
the following week.
To support Rachel’s Challenge initiative at Spruce Creek
Elementary, the school incorporated ways to give back to our
community, including collecting bags and bags of toiletry items
to donate to the Jewish Federation as a way to thank them for
their annual backpack donations to our school; collecting loose
change which totaled $580 and was donated to Ball Parks 4
Him, a local organization that helps low income families afford
organized sports for their children; donating animal food and
litter to Pawsabilities, a local animal rescue; collecting gently
used children’s books that were donated for local homeless
shelters - 22 bags of children’s book were collected; and the culmination of Red Ribbon Week activities was spreading kindness
everywhere by giving as many sincere compliments to others as
possible.
branch of the services.
Spirit Elementary School
Spirit Elementary was full of joy and chants
during the walk-a-thon for the Olweus Bullying
Prevention Program Kickoff! Spirit is the pilot
school in Volusia County and had a ‘trail blazing’ good time! Students began walking at 8:30
a.m. around the bus loop, carrying flags, banners
and singing songs and chants while a DJ played
music supporting the value of being drug- and
bully-free. Special guests included: Margaret
Smith, Superintendant; John Masiarczyk, city
of Deltona Mayor; Sean Richter, Southwest
Middle School; and Nick Pizza, Bully Armor of
Deltona.
Starke Elementary School
Starke Elementary families came out to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. The aroma
of authentic Hispanic dishes filled the air, along
with the sounds of salsa dancing and music. Students and their families participated in flag
coloring and learning a new language, with artifacts from multiple countries on display. This
special event was attended by 200 people.
Timbercrest Elementary School
Timbercrest Elementary Extended Day Enrichment Program held a “Mad Scientist Day”
providing students with six different activities
and experiments including: Slime Time, where
students made their own slime to take home;
Floating Letters, where students put m&m’s and
skittles in separate cups of water and observed
what happened; Dissolving Pumpkins, where
students observed what happens to candy pumpkins when you put them in water, milk, vinegar
or oil; Balloon Fun, where students experimented with what happens to balloons when you mix
vinegar and baking soda; Make it Dance, where
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students used balloons, tissue paper and lots of
static electricity to get bats and pumpkins to
dance and float; and Building Time, where students used candy pumpkins, marshmallows and
toothpicks to create some fun structures.
Volusia Pines Elementary School
Deb Hibdon, Volusia Pines Elementary teacher,
won a SECME (Southeastern Consortium for
Minorities in Engineering) ExxonMobil minigrant to help fund activities for the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) club. The grant will be used to purchase
supplies for the STEM club to participate in
engineering design challenges including stomp
rockets, mousetrap cars, marble roller coasters
and egg drop containers. Additionally, funds
will help support the club’s Saturday STEM
event at the end of the year, allowing the set up
of a wide variety of STEM activity stations for
grades K-5.
AREA II NEWS
Mrs. Vicki Presley
Area Superintendent
Campbell Middle School
• Families have been invited to four workshops at Campbell Middle where they will
make clay bowls. Each family member will
make two bowls and donate one bowl to the
Volusia County Empty Bowls Event which
will be held at Bethune-Cookman University on Friday, December 5. The public is
invited to this event with a purchase of a $15
ticket. A dinner will be served in the bowl of
the guests’ choice and the guests will keep
the bowl. The Halifax Urban Ministries
will receive all funds raised by this event to
help the homeless and the needy. The funds
used for Campbell Middle’s workshops
were made available through a Futures grant
award to art teacher, Patricia Richmond.
• Ms. Butts Algebra class at Campbell Middle
got a real treat when Zach from Algebra Nation visited the class. Many students recognized Zach from the website of Algebra
Nation, which is a highly effective, dynamic
online resource that includes video tutorials, an interactive discussion wall, and a
practice tool. In addition, Algebra Nation
utilizes social learning and technological
breakthroughs to construct and stage a vibrant online learning system for students. The class got pumped up and excited when
Zach taught an algebra lesson.
Oct/Nov/Dec 2014
Champion Elementary School
Champion Elementary was honored to have
Savannah Maddison from “Savannah’s Soldiers” speak to the third, fourth and fifth grades. Savannah, who is a 13 year-old inspirational
speaker, encouraged students to follow their
dreams and to try and make a difference in the
lives of others. Savannah is the CEO of “Savannah’s Soldiers,” which promotes a letter writing
campaign for soldiers who are serving overseas. An inspiring singer and song writer, Savannah
has been a guest on “Larry King Live” and the
“Today Show” as well as singing at many sports
arenas. The event was organized by Dr. Polly
Hougham, fourth grade teacher, and Ms. Hazel
Witter, volunteer. Champion students completed
a follow up activity writing letters to soldiers
that will be sent to our soldiers in time for the
holidays.
Creekside Middle School
Congratulations to the Creekside Middle Show
Choir for an outstanding performance at Disney World and receiving the “Disney Honors”
Award two consecutive years. To view the
performances on You Tube, follow these links:
“Frozen Medley” and “Do You Wanna Build a
Snowman” and “One Direction Medley.”
DeLand High School
• DeLand High culinary students made plenty of chili at the Mainstreet DeLand, West
Volusia Historical Society’s Annual Chili
Cook-off. The students were led by culinary
teacher Renee Scarborough as they made
and served their chili to the crowd. Testers
were able to purchase a wristband and taste
over 16 different chilis and vote on their favorite. After it was all said and done, DeLand High’s Culinary Club won 3rd place
of the “Showmanship Award” at the Great
Bowl of Fire Chili Cook-Off!
• Each year, the DeLand High Marching Band
hosted the Florida Bandmasters Association
event at Spec Martin Stadium. This year, 18
bands totaling nearly 3,000 students turned
out to participate. DeLand High students (all
nearly 200 of them) were rated as a Superior
performing ensemble, which is the highest
rating that a group can receive. There was
great spectator attendance as the stadium
was packed. In addition to the band’s outstanding band festival performance, DeLand High has been named a semi-finalist
the Grammy Signature School award. This
award is sponsored by the Grammy organization with recognizes schools that are
exemplary for musical performance and artistry. Only three schools from Florida made
it to this round.
DeLand Middle School
The eighth grade American History teachers at
DeLand Middle recently held their annual Colonial Fair. The students were in groups based on
the original colonies. Using games, jingles, brochures and food, they tried to convince the visitors to vote for their colony using their amazing
marketing skills.
Hinson Middle School
“May the odds be ever in your favor!” This
Hunger Games quote was the objective of Hinson Middle students as they attended the first
ever Hunger Games Challenge Family event at
the Book Fair. Students and their families attempted to meet the challenges from each of the
13 sectors found in Suzanne Collins bestselling
books. Word challenges, trivia, paper airplane
design, on-line challenges and much more led
to a night full of laughter and fun as “tributes”
competed for prizes, including two tablets and
movie passes to name just a few!
Horizon Elementary School
• Horizon Elementary’s fourth-grade students
sponsored a pet food drive in October. The
food drive was organized to benefit Sophie’s
Circle, Volusia County’s pet food pantry,
and Pawsibilities, an animal rescue site in
Port Orange. The students, led by fourthgrade teacher Lisa Reeder-Davis, collected
over 60 cans and bags of dog and cat food.
• Six teachers from Horizon Elementary visited Ward’s Creek Elementary School in
St. Augustine. Ward’s Creek is a Franklin
Covey “Leader in Me” Lighthouse School. They have developed a leadership program
built on Stephen Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” Horizon Elementary
has begun a yearlong book study of Sean
Covey’s “The Leader in Me,” which explains how the 7 Habits can be brought to
the elementary school level, encouraging
students to discover the leader within themselves. The students and staff are enthusiastic about this journey in which we work to
establish our own leadership culture.
Longstreet Middle School
What will good attendance, completing your
class work or paying close attention to the teacher get you? Cardinal Cash is the right answer at
Longstreet Elementary. Teachers find creative
ways to reward good behavior and consistent
attendance with Cardinal Cash. Students who
save 250 Cardinal Cash “dollars” can exchange
them for a special reward once a month – lunch
Principal Judith Watson. The monthly lunches,
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replete with battery-operated candles and a
red Cardinal table cloth, are held on the stage
each lunch period. The lunches give students
the opportunity to talk directly with the principal on topics of their choosing. In November,
the lunches included a special treat from Mrs.
Watson – hot fudge sundaes for dessert. The
expected outcome is improved attendance to
school each day on time. How sweet it is!
Ormond Beach Middle School
Ormond Beach Middle congratulates the winner and participants of the Halifax Art Festival. Paige Boice created a beautiful pinwheel which
was chosen for the Art Haus Extended Display
Art Exhibit. In addition, first year teacher, Mr.
Larry Murphy coordinated a special Veterans
Day tribute to relatives of students that have
served in the Armed Forces. This special Veterans Day event took place on November 10.
Osceola Elementary School
• Guided by teacher, Meredith Gilbert, and
the reading correlate, Osceola Elementary
celebrated reading with a Storybook Bingo
for Books family night. Teachers came
dressed as wonderful storybook characters
such as Snow White, Olivia the Pig, Thing
1 and Thing 2, The Cat in the Hat, and more.
Princesses Elsa and Anna were in attendance. With celebrity callers, parents and
students played bingo for book prizes. Winners enjoyed showing off their success by
doing a happy dance or sharing a big smile.
• With Osceola Elementary’s school’s mascot, Chiefie, smiling for the camera, students in Mr. Canetti’s fourth grade class
raise their gloves as they prepare to cultivate
the school’s vegetable garden.
Palm Terrace Elementary School
• Approximately 40 parents and their children
gathered at Palm Terrace Elementary for
an evening of fun and learning. The night
began with a pizza dinner and then parents
were escorted to the new Family Resource
Center where first grade teachers presented
a workshop on the many educational games
and resources available for families to
check out and use at home. Parents rotated
through four different stations, each focusing on a different reading or math activity. The stations were all hands-on and highly
engaging. The evening wouldn’t have been
complete without the generosity of Palm
Terrace’s education partner, Lakeshore
Learning, who provided the pizza dinner
and childcare, as well as donating goody
bags and door prizes. Lakeshore representative Dan Parravano served as Master of Ceremonies during the learning station portion
16
of the evening. Each parent in attendance
received a goody bag with a book and other
educational prizes. In addition, four lucky
parents went home with an educational
game from Lakeshore. Overall the evening
was an enormous success, reminiscent of a
time when the neighborhood school was a
place for the community to gather together. One parent was heard to say, “I wish learning had been this much fun when I was in
school.”
• Art teacher, Ms. Toni Roberts, has much
to brag about with 22 student entries in the Halifax Art Festival. Julian, a kindergarten
student, won the K-2 Award of Excellence
along with $195! His artwork will be on
display at the Museum of Arts and Science
and then at ArtHaus in Port Orange.
Pathways Elementary School
Pathways Elementary student council members
along with their parents and some grandparents spent an hour in October cleaning up their
beach. Student council members voted in October to give back to their community by getting
involved with Make a Difference Day. Over 30
Pathways Patriots took part in this clean-up that
started at Andy Romano Beachfront Park and
ended approximately a mile north in Ormond
Beach. Student council members talked about
the importance of giving back to their community and setting a good example for others to
follow. Multiple beach goers stopped the group
to say, “Thank You”!
Pine Ridge High School
The Air Force Junior ROTC instructors and
cadets of Pine Ridge High, Florida earned an
overall unit assessment score of “Exceeds Standards,” the highest rating attainable during their
rated unit evaluation. Colonel William Wright
and Master Sergeant Andrea Johnson-Young
created a dynamic and supportive learning environment coupled with an excellent community
outreach. The instructors were providing outstanding leadership in administering the cadet
centered citizenship program. The Pine Ridge
High School cadets performed exceptionally
well and took great pride in leading and accomplishing their unit goals.
Port Orange Elementary School
• Port Orange Elementary’s PTA sponsored a
“Night of Discovery” at Marine Discovery
Center. Students had fun learning about science through interactive exhibits and games. Students and their families were also able to
experience hands-on touch tanks. A first
grade student was quoted saying “I can’t
wait until I am grown up to become a Marine Scientist!” • Students at Port Orange Elementary traveled
back in time to a Medieval Family Night
where they experienced a land of royalty,
knights, court jesters and wizards. Citizens
of the kingdom performed a scarf dance
while 5th graders played their recorders. The Queen of the Tiger Kingdom (Principal
Marie Stratton) awarded special honors to
3rd graders who learned their multiplication
facts. Finally, at the Sir Read-A-Lot book
fair students were able to purchase some
royal reading and listen to Princess Positive (Guidance Counselor Amy Otto) read a
story. It was a memorable evening for those
in attendance!
Pride Elementary School
• Pride Elementary teacher, Megan White,
completed an Ironman 70.3 triathlon in
Augusta, Georgia. The Ironman 70.3 in
Augusta is the largest half Ironman race in
the world, with 3,300 registered competitors. The day began with a 1.2-mile swim in
the Savannah River. Upon exiting the river,
Megan rode her bicycle through 56 miles
of Georgia and South Carolina countryside. When the bike portion of the race was completed, she ran 13.1 miles through downtown Augusta and crossed the finish line of
her first Ironman 70.3 triathlon. She did this
in 6 hours, 28 minutes, and 40 seconds. Megan says, “Crossing the finish line was the
culmination of many weeks of training, but
I truly believe that with hard work, persistence and determination, we are all able to
accomplish something extraordinary.” Congratulations, Megan!
• Pride Elementary will host a Pride “ROAR”
5k on Saturday, November 15. The run/
walk is from 8:05 a.m.-11:00 a.m. and cost
is $7. Each participant will receive a headband. All proceeds from the Pride Roar will
go toward maintenance of the Pride track. We look forward to this fun and healthy
Pride activity!
South Daytona Elementary School
South Daytona Elementary held its very first
American Society of Engineering Education
Family Night. Twenty-one families joined in on
the engineering activities. The stations focused
on cantilever construction, testing the strength
of arches, the volume of 3-D shapes, selecting
appropriate land for constructing a building,
shoe construction and purpose, aerodynamics, how nature has inspired inventions, and
the strength of glued materials versus stacked
materials. Each family was presented with an
identical materials packet and asked to construct
a critter with at least two movable parts. At the
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Sports
Countdown to
February 4, 2015
By: Lary Beal, Specialist, Alternative Programs, Athletics, and AVID
National Signing Day is the day that high school seniors can sign their National Letter of Intent
(NLI) that has been extended to them by a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) institution
of higher learning. This NLI affords them the opportunity to continue their education and play sports
at the collegiate level. A NLI is a one year agreement between the student athlete and the University.
These agreements can be renewed every year for up to five years. An NLI usually guarantees some
form of scholarship for college education and expenses. February 4th is the day that high school senior
football players can sign their NLI. The two most observed National Signing Days are for football and
basketball. National Signing Day is truly a showcase for student athletes to be rewarded for their hard
work and dedication in sport and academics. ESPN and ABC broadcasting companies are two television
outlets that showcase the students from around the country on national signing days. High schools
across Volusia County recognize their students who will be signing National Letters of Intent on National
Signing Day.
Florida Future Educators of America
District Conference
IT WILL BE HERE BEFORE YOU KNOW IT!
Volusia County Schools will hold its annual Florida Future Educators of America
(FFEA) District Conference on Saturday, April 4, 2015 at New Smyrna Beach High School.
The opening ceremony will begin at 8:30 a.m., and the program will run to
1:30 p.m. All elementary, middle and high school FFEA chapters are
encouraged to attend.
Oct/Nov/Dec 2014
WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE!
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end of the challenge students paraded the moveable critters created by each family.
Spruce Creek Elementary School
The second grade team (Kim Ridenour, Sandy
Vineyard, Kathy Ritchey, Carol Johnson and
Larissa Depasqua), along with their students
and parent volunteers at Spruce Creek Elementary participated in a Candy Corn Day. This activity integrated skills taught in the 2nd grade
curriculum with a fall theme. This is important
to help students build and review skills, along
with working in a social group. The activities
used pictures and facsimiles in the candy corn
shape including advanced patterns with food,
rhyming, weighing, place value and number
sense, and ABC order. This event has been going on for approximately 10 years.
Sugar Mill Elementary School
• First grade students at Sugar Mill Elementary will be treated to an in-school field trip! The Portable Planetarium is coming to the
school, which will allow first graders to
step inside the huge inflatable planetarium
to learn about “The Night Sky, The Solar
Three Middle School
Students Awarded
National Scholarship
United States Achievement Academy Scholarship Foundation awarded
scholarships to three Volusia County
middle school students. To be eligible, a student must be nominated by
a teacher. Jude Flynn and Gabrielle
Johnston, both from Ormond Beach
Middle, and Al-Hajeri Romeia, Silver Sands Middle, were selected
based on grade point average, SAT
scores, honors and awards, school
activities, leadership positions,
sports involvement, special interests and community service, as
well as teacher recommendations
from Christy Disinger (OBMS) and
Cindy Circelli (SSMS). It is the sole
purpose of the USAA Scholarship
Foundation to help worthy students
in grades 5-12 by cash grants that
help cover the rising cost of tuition
and expenses they will face when
continuing their education. The
Foundation seeks to enhance the
intellectual and personal growth of
students who demonstrate a genuine interest in learning. 18
System and Space Exploration.” The students are looking forward this fun learning
experience!
• Beth Dobberstein, art teacher at Sugar Mill
Elementary, was awarded a Lowes Grant for
$2,000. In a world surrounded by digital
madness, today’s child struggles to find opportunities that encourage creative thinking
as well as interaction with nature. The project “Patios and Paintbrushes” will provide a
variety of opportunities for children to not
only explore their creative sides, but to also
learn about nature through the creation of
art in an outdoor studio setting. While attending art class once a week, each of the
school’s 605 students will have the opportunity to actively engage in documenting and
recording nature by drawing and painting
on an outdoor easel. The hope is that with
the creation of an outdoor studio space, the
students at Sugar Mill will in the future be
inspired to put down their technical devices
and pick up a paintbrush producing art that
reflects their creative side and a new love for
nature.
Sweetwater Elementary School
• Twenty students were selected to represent
Sweetwater Elementary in the Halifax Art
Festival. The school is extremely proud
of these students and their creative pieces. Marley Ortiz and Alyssa Wharton were selected to have their artwork on display at the
ArtHaus. • For its fall service project, the Sweetwater
Elementary Florida Future Educators of
America (FFEA) is sponsoring a pet supply drive to benefit Pawsibilities Rescue
Group. Students school wide brought in
supplies to benefit the thousands of animals
that Pawsibilities helps to foster and adopt
out each year. The class with the largest
amount of donations will receive a special
prize from FFEA! This is just one of the
ways that the FFEA is planning on giving
back to our school and community this year.
Turie T. Small Elementary School
Turie T. Small Elementary celebrated National
Walk to School Day by meeting at Campbell
Middle. Students, parents, faculty and staff were
joined by Daytona Police Department Captain
Blanchett, along with district staff members. The group was escorted by two motorcycle
deputies. Westside Elementary School
• Kindergarten and first grade Westside Elementary students had an exciting in-school
field trip titled “Living at the Lighthouse.” The Ponce De Leon Inlet Lighthouse Preservation Association’s outreach program
brings the Lighthouse to those who cannot
experience the site firsthand or those who
plan to visit the Light Station in the future. These programs provide students an interactive and meaningful way to learn about the
Ponce Inlet Lighthouse without ever leav-
Volusia Students
Chosen as “AllState” Musicians
Sixty-seven students from Volusia County Schools in grades 5
through 12 were selected as Florida “All-State” musicians. These
individuals were chosen through
a statewide audition process consisting of many thousands of students. As a result of their achievements, these students will perform
in various musical ensembles at
the 2014-2015 Professional Development Conference of the Florida
Music Educators Association on
January 14-17, 2015 in Tampa. Earning selection to a Florida All-State
music ensemble is one of the most
prestigious honors a school musician can achieve. This is a tribute
to their individual musical talents
as well as the quality instruction
they receive from their music
teachers. Please take a moment to
congratulate these students and
their teachers on their outstanding accomplishments.
ing their classroom. Students learned about
the life and times of a family in the early
20th century, as they tended to chores, lived
without electricity or indoor plumbing. The
students viewed artifacts such as the wash
board, primitive toaster, flat irons, lanterns
and a chamber pot. Many questions were
asked and answered in this wonderful learning opportunity about life long ago.
• The annual Parent-to-Kids Program was
held at Westside Elementary. Parents-toKids is a five-session literacy program
designed to help parents with students in
grades K-2, as well as 3-5, develop their
child’s reading skills. The program was
facilitated by Ms. Piotrowski and Ms. Anderson. A total of eight families participated
in the program. The families worked together learning different reading strategies
in each session. It was so wonderful to see
our parents reading with their children and
implementing the strategies that were taught
within the sessions. The school is looking
forward to its next program in the spring.
Hope to see you there!
the Educator
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Cookin’ Corner
This holiday season leave stress at the door and relax with family and friends while enjoying these
simple and easy holiday recipes.
Festive Cranberry- Pineapple Salad
Receipe from Dole.com website
INGREDIENTS
1 can (20 oz.) crushed Dole Pineapple, undrained
2 pkg. (4-serving size each) Jell-o brand Raspberry flavor gelatin
1 can (16oz) whole berry cranberry sauce
1 medium Apple, chopped
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
DIRECTIONS
• Drain pineapple, reserving liquid in 1-qt.
measuring cup
• Remove 1 Tbsp. of crushed pineapple; set
aside for garnish
• Add enough water to reserve liquid to
measure 3 cups; pour into large saucepan.
Bring to boil; remove from heat.
• Add gelatin; stir at least 2 minutes, until
completely dissolved.
• Add Cranberry sauce; stir (Gelatin mixture
should be thick).
• Pour into large bowl. Refrigerate 1 ½
hours or until slightly thickened.
• Stir in remaining pineapple, apples, and
walnuts; stir gently. Pour into a medium
serving bowl.
• Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm.
• Top with reserved crushed Pineapple before serving.
Old Fashioned Baked Mac and Cheese
Receipe from Southern Living
INGREDIENTS
8 oz elbow macaroni
¼ cup butter
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
¼ tsp dry mustard
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
2 cups milk
3 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
¾ cup soft bread crumbs
DIRECTIONS
•
•
•
•
•
Cook Macaroni for 9 minutes, drain and set
aside
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In medium saucepan, melt butter, blend in
flour, mustard, salt and pepper
Cook until mixture is smooth and bubbly,
gradually add milk.
Cook and stir over medium heat until boiling,
simmer 1 minute.
Oct/Nov/Dec 2014
•
•
•
Gradually add in cheese. Stir over low heat
until cheese is melted
Add pasta, mix together lightly. Pour into
2-quart casserole.
Top with bread crumbs. Bake 25 minutes.
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2014—2015
District Activities
December
7
Pearl Harbor Day
11
High School Showcase
16—24 Hanukkah
Dec 22—
Jan 2 District Offices Closed
for the holidays
24 Christmas Eve
25 Christmas Day
26 Kwanzaa
31
New Year’s Eve
January
1
19
30
31
New Year’s Day
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Annual Volusia Co EMS/
Military Expo
Volusia All-County
Orchestra Festival
Volusia All-County Band
Festival
February
2
4
2-6
6
7
Groundhog Day
National Girls & Women in
Sports Day
National School
Counseling Week
Volusia All-County
Elementary Showcase
Volusia County Dance
Performance Assessment
12
16
17
18
21
22
Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday
Presidents’ Day
National PTA
Founders Day
Ash Wednesday
Lent
National FFA Week
George Washington’s Birthday
200 N. Clara Avenue
DeLand, FL 32720
(386)734-7190
myVolusiaSchools.org
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the Educator