Month: August 2012

Northport K-8 middle grades chorus,  under the direction of instructor and new choral director James Kirk have been diligently preparing for their debut as a distinguished chorus.  Students will don dress attire and sing an arrangement of America The Beautiful by Katherine Lee Bates at the school’s first assembly of the year.  Students will sing at the September 11 Commemoration to be held on September 10 in the Northport gymnasium.  Mr. Kirk previously directed at Alfred Ely Beach High School in Savanna, Georgia.  Mr. Kirk began directing in 2004.  The debut should prove to energize the Northport Choral Department and … Read More

Northport K8 School sent a large contingency of instructors and staff to enjoy the Meet and Greet held at Chili’s in St. Lucie West recently for the St. Lucie County Reading Council. The council offers district staff a wonderful opportunity to inspire collegiality and promote positive interactions with literacy at the forefront. The Meet and Greet hosted author Henry Cole, who wrote the new One Book-One Community Read, “A Nest For Celeste”! The council, led by president Deb Remington, Manatee Academy media specialist, offers a variety of opportunities to share ideas, compare learning strategies and a chance to take part in … Read More

After discussing the PBIS expectations in the classroom, students in Kim Yoder’s fourth grade class at Frances K. Sweet Elementary extended their learning using a cause and effect thinking map. This map helped review the rules and brainstorm what type of rewards the students were interested in this year. Pictured, from left, are Tra’Kyla King, Ericka Zurita, Kamryn Gardner, and Kayla Jerger.

Floresta Elementary School teachers returned for the new school year on Monday, August 13, to a full schedule of Professional Development trainings and a variety of other opening week activities.  Pictured are teachers participating in an energizing teambuilding activity, from Kagan’s Silly Sports and Goofy Games publication. This is one of many research based Kagan activities teachers will put to use in the classroom this school year.

Northport K-8 School Media Center is open for business and promoting the joy of reading this year!  Long range goals have been formulated with student achievement in the forecast.  Students will learn to select books focusing on their interests and quality research skills are connected to classroom instruction.  Premier literacy programs are offered through the media center targeting common core standards across the curriculum.  Some of the quality programs offered are Veterans Partners In Education programming, September 11 commemoration program, community reading programs and partnerships, Young Authors program, spelling bee, Women’s History programming, book fairs, multicultural events, guests speakers on … Read More

Bayshore Elementary School’s Open House was a great success. Families had an opportunity to meet teachers and staff members. Families were also provided assistance in the computer labs to find their children’s bus and lunch information. Pictured is the Barbot family, from left, Juan, Emlio and Doris, with second grade teacher Carol Galloway discussing the upcoming school year.

Northport K8 School administration and staff recognize the fact that parental involvement is critical for a truly successful school. Northport K8 PTO sponsors many events throughout the school year such as, Breakfast With Santa, Student of the Month, Fun Run, Fifth grade Moving Up ceremony, AYP celebrations, school wide beautification programs, Teacher Appreciation programs, faculty breakfasts, holiday luncheons and eighth grade graduation. The PTO also matched the school Media Center’s Titlewish program by matching funds collected. The Media Center was able to purchase many new books. Northport k8 School would love to have additional parent involvement and encourage all to become involved … Read More

Northport K-8 school depends on a large and dynamic contingency of parent, grandparent, community and student volunteers to provide assistance to teachers and staff. Volunteers provide individual educational assistance to students to help increase achievement in all areas of curriculum.  There are many opportunities for volunteerism in the school. Categories are instructional, resource, organizational such as PTO and School Advisory committee, Business Partners, Mentoring and fundraisers as well as our dynamic Veterans Partners In Education program.  Pictured are parents Jackie Weir, left, and Suzie Scott who are assisting in the Media Center preparing book sets for the middle grades bookroom.  Anyone Interested … Read More

A news crew from WPTV News Channel 5 spent much of the early morning Tuesday, August 21, interviewing the staff of St. Lucie Schools’ newest instructional choice for parents and students, Mosaic Digital Academy virtual K-12 school. Assistant Superintendent Dr. Helen Roberts was on the morning news live explaining the philosophy of the school, innovative digital delivery with a personal touch. Pictured, from left, are K-3 full time teacher Katie Johansen, 4-6 full time teacher Laurie Boyer, Virtual School Coordinator Jeanne Ziemba with reporter Christina Dettman, and Guidance Counselor Dana Tillberg, in the Mosaic Digital Academy office located in the … Read More

Teachers and staff welcomed back students and parents for the 2012-2013 school year at Palm Pointe Educational Research School @Tradition’s “Open House”.  Families met their new teachers, purchase planners and spirit shirts, get information on before and after school providers, pay lunch money and get information on buses. Students also visited the library to turn in their summer reading logs and families visited teachers from previous years. It was a fantastic day seeing everyone anxious to begin the new school year!  Pictured, from left, are Mrs. Losee, Clayton Losee, Colby Losee and kindergarten teacher Jenny Clancy.

Dr. Adolph Brown, Passionate Educator is pictured with Brandi Pagano, speech-language pathologist at Palm Pointe Educational Research School @ Tradition.  Dr. Brown, “The World’s Greatest Edu-tainer,” kicked off the school year right for all of St. Lucie Public Schools educators with an informative, awe inspired and energized presentation! Dr. Brown lives in Brandi’s hometown of Virginia Beach, Virginia, and is a professor at Hampton University where Brandi received her Master’s Degree.

Television and print media covered the opening day for St. Lucie Schools, visiting several campuses for the Kids at Hope tunnels and get a glimpse of the first day of school for approximately 40,000 students at 42 schools. Pictured is Superintendent Michael Lannon being interviewed by Tasha Martinez of Channel 12 WPEC at 6:30 AM at Fort Pierce Westwood High School.

As kindergarten teacher Patricia Collins stands and shares tidbits about herself, Village Green Environmental Studies School teachers look on with warm smiles and excitement as they ready themselves to welcome her to the Village Green family with applause. The process is repeated more times as they welcome Jacqueline Baptiste-Harris and Margot Williams to first grade, Ashley Foreman to the kindergarten team, and Erin Saunders as the new speech language pathologist. Gina Burns joined the second grade team after this opening day event.

Village Green teacher Christopher Kelly tracks his progress on the professional development learning goal. The professional development session was facilitated using the research-based strategies that teachers use in the classroom to focus on quality instruction in order to help students succeed.

Although Josiah Fullwood is a first-time kindergartner who is scheduled to attend Frances K. Sweet, he has already made a huge impression on teachers at Village Green Environmental Studies School during the opening professional development day. As 100 Book Challenge trainer Meighan Radigan models how teachers should level an incoming kindergarten child for his appropriate reading level, teachers and administrators were both stunned and thrilled that Josiah continued to ascend the reading levels to match first grade reading fluency and comprehension! Josiah shared with the group that he enjoys reading about animals and even pointed out that he saw a fish in the … Read More

Boys’ and Girls’ State are summer leadership and citizenship programs for high school students between their junior and senior years. American Legion post 318 sponsored Posrt St. Lucie High School cadet First Sergeant Troy Conover and cadet Second Lieutenant Jeremy Dardon for Boys’ State, while Girls’ State Chairperson for American Legion Post 318 Ladies Auxiliary Ms. Rita Woodburn sponsored Port St. Lucie High School cadet Devynn Rhodes to participate in Girl’s State. The students had the opportunity to go to Florida State University in Tallahassee, where they learned government processes and earned college credits. Pictured, from left, are cadet First … Read More

Three St. Lucie County public schools were recgonized at the August 14, 2012, St. Lucie County School Board meeting for continuously maintaining accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS-CASI) for 25 years. Windmill Point Elementary, Village Green Environmental Studies, and Northport K-8 Schools were presented a plaque to commemorate the achievement. While the highly regarded accreditation is a set of rigorous protocols and research-based processes for evaluating an institution’s organizational effectiveness, accreditation also examines the whole institution — the programs, the cultural context, the community of stakeholders — to determine how … Read More