Month: May 2013

First grade students at Palm Pointe Educational Research School @ Tradition enjoyed a PBS (Positive Behavior Support) dance recently. The theme was Spring in Paris and the students dressed in their finest attire. Students earned rocket fuel for their positive behavior and turned them in to their teachers to be able to attend the dance. All the classes enjoyed the event as well as the teachers. Pictured is first grader A’Marion Hall in the center surrounded by his classmates.

Through heart-warming stories and eye-opening pictures, students from Zambia were able to share their stories with Samuel Gaines Academy students. Students learned that at a particular school in Zambia, due to lack of funds, teachers have little resources to utilize. With an eagerness to serve, members of the school’s chapter of the National Elementary and Junior Honor Societies, along with students from Katie Ludwig’s seventh grade Critical Thinking class, worked relentlessly and passionately for weeks to create educational books and posters for the students in Zambia. Thanks to faculty member Chelsea Hartz, NEHS sponsor, students were also able to send a video of the … Read More

Students from Glenna Sigmon’s first grade class at Palm Pointe Educational Research School @ Tradition spent a sunny day seining with the Manatee Center at Jaycee Park in Fort Pierce. This enriching opportunity provided a hands-on learning experience to deepen students’ understanding of local habitats and ecosystems. These concepts of science were embedded across all content areas for the unit to facilitate the district’s STEM initiative in which science is an integral part of English, language arts, and mathematics. Pictured, from left, are student Shelby Kay Sigmon, a volunteer from the Manatee Center helping the students, and student Cailey Landreville.

Students at Floresta Elementary School recently participated in a 45 minute character education assembly. The NED show, a motivational program, promotes building a positive attitude and encourages students to support others and to never give up as they strive to always do their best. The show was presented in an engaging storytelling format where the guest speaker used a variety of skills and tricks with the yo-yo as a storytelling prop. Students and teachers enjoyed the presentation and students were able to purchase their own yo-yo from a variety of yo-yos for sale after the show. Pictured, left, is student Yerel Alejo … Read More

Windmill Point Elementary celebrated its first school-wide Kids at Hope Day recently. The day centered on mental time traveling, which involved exploring students’ future life in the following four destinations: career and education, home and family, hobbies and recreation, and community service. Many thanks go to St. Lucie County School Board member Carol Hilson, pictured, who spoke to fourth grade students, not only about her career choices, but also about believing in oneself and setting goals to reach one’s dreams, and to all of the guest parent and community speakers. Windmill Point Elementary students, staff, and parents believe the Kids … Read More

Students in one of two Christopher Tolliver’s seventh grade classes at Dan McCarty School bested eight other school groups in this year’s Vaccine Gene Therapy Institute (VGTI) Academic Challenge. Nine classes from six schools competed in this year’s challenge posed by VGTI scientists in an interdisciplinary approach to learning where rigorous academic concepts are coupled with real-world lessons as students apply science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in contexts that make connections between school and real world problems facing society. In a video presentation to the students, scientists had seventh grade students identify a naturally occurring ecosystem with limited resources where … Read More

Students at Samuel Gaines Academy decorated and setup their pods with cultural information, artistic design, musical, and cuisine, for the annual Multicultural Day. This event was very successful with enthusiastic participation from teachers, parents and students alike. Students at each grade level researched a specific country to display in their pod. Pictured are sixth grade teachers Missy Lyshon, Robert Plowden, and Elisabeth Kraft with their students displaying their culminative research on Italian culture.

Students in Caryol-Lynn Hallahan’s second grade class at Windmill Point Elementary participated in the National Society DAR Junior American Citizens contest. This year’s theme was “Invest in America’s Future.” The students were able to create a poster or write a short story depicting the theme. The local Cora Stockney Harper Chapter submitted two entries for judging by the state organization, and Efrain Pellot’s entry received a second place award for his short story from the Florida State Society and Anthony Phillip’s entry received a third place award for his poster category from the state. Pictured are Efrain, left, and Anthony.

Fifth grade students at Windmill Point Elementary School recently enjoyed competing in the events at Field Day. Spirits were high along with the competition. Students remarked that they have a “blast” at Field Day, which shows students how much fun physical activities can be working together. Pictured are Joey Cerbone, left, and Peyton Mertz demonstrating teamwork is the key to success!!

During the month of April and culminating with FCAT week, students at Lincoln Park Academy raised over $5,700 in which all proceeds went to the American Heart Association. The monies raised far exceeded the school’s original goal of $2,000 and proved LPA is a school that cares about health and community! Pictured, from left, are Adrian Ortiz, Kristina Novotny, Jennifer Ketcham, Kaylee Colley and rope turner Tache Vidal during one of the jumping rope events.

Northport K-8 School Northstar team students in six, seventh and eighth grades visited St. Augustine recently for a day long learning excursion. Northstar instructors Mala Woessner and Mehgan Drost planned and organized the “Step Back Into History” program as a scaffold to information gleaned in the classroom about Spanish Colonial Florida and an examination of Florida History. Students perused artifacts and heard stories of the native Americans and Colonial settlers. Students drank heartily from the Fountain of Youth and learned why Ponce de Leon named Florida when he claimed the land for Spain. The oldest fort and the oldest school house were toured … Read More

Seven Northport K-8 students and their families participated in the St. Lucie County Reading Council Young Authors program held recently at Fort Pierce Central High School. All students at Northport K-8 School participate in the Young Author’s program as evidentiary data for the school’s Parent Involvement goals for the School Improvement Plan. Student, family and teacher involvement in the authentic writing program is  nearly 100%. Each year, at the beginning of the school year, teachers prepare their students for the “whole community- project based” program. Writing workshops are held in conjunction with the 21st Century after school program and classroom teachers prepare their … Read More

Two Lincoln Park Academy students won four-year scholarships at the recent Intel ISEF International Science and Engineering Fair held in Phoenix, Arizona, for their projects. The students were able to attend the International Fair with support from the St. Lucie County Education Foundation’s Fund A Project, and were able to solicit and raise the funding needed to participate. Junior Neha Kambam Reddy presented her project, “Sustaining Ecological Biodiversity with Highly Specific RNA Interference (RNAi),” and won a four year scholarship to the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, valued at $60,000.00. Robert Bacchus, also a junior, presented his project, “CancAARS: … Read More

Two Lincoln Park Academy students won four-year scholarships at the recent Intel ISEF International Science and Engineering Fair held in Phoenix, Arizona, for their projects. The students were able to attend the International Fair with support from the St. Lucie County Education Foundation’s Fund A Project, and were able to solicit and raise the funding needed to participate. Junior Robert Bacchus presented his project, “CancAARS: A Novel Therapeutic Target for Melanoma Tumorigenesis,” and won a special award, a four year scholarship to the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, valued at $60,000.00. Robert also placed fourth in the grand awards … Read More

During Multicultural Week, St. Lucie Elementary School teacher Susan Barber organized special events and guest speakers. Each day community members, teachers, and parents volunteered to speak to students about their cultural backgrounds. Students learned about Mexico, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Honduras. Each grade group did a special presentaion of all that they learned on their country to the entire school. Pictured are students in traditional Mexican dress.

Students at St. Lucie West Centennial High School recently held the second annual “Sleep in a Box” overnight fundraiser for Invisible Children, a program designed to help combat the abduction of children from Uganda and Sudan who are then forced to become assassins. Eighty five students participated this year, all sleeping outside in the courtyard, in their boxes. They raised over $800 for the organization to help update radio communications in the area and build schools for displaced children. Pictued are Leedy Boyle, left, and Dustin Snyder.