The Fort Pierce Central High School JROTC recently hosted the 2013 Area III Drill Competition, and qualified in six categories for state competition. The five-county drill competition is the state qualifier for over 26 high school JROTC programs. The top three in each category win a trip to Lakeland for the Florida State Drill Competition. Each school is evaluated on their ability to demonstrate precision, originality, and overall showmanship within the routines. The Cobra cadets placed third overall, and first in Male/Mixed Armed Platoon Exhibition, Female Unarmed Regulation Squad, and Male/Mixed Color Guard. The cadets also earned second place in … Read More

A group of 42 eighth grade WestGate students and four chaperones recently visited Washington, D.C. They visited the White House, and upon entering the East Wing, the newly appointed Secretary of the Treasury, Jacob Lew, was leaving the White House and returning to the adjacent Treasury Department. They visited the Jefferson, World War II, Grant and Martin Luther King, Jr., memorials. They visited the Kennedy famly gravesite at the Arlington National cemetery, and viewed the solemn ceremony of the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns. The students then visited Madame Tussauds Wax Museum and took pictures … Read More

In fourth grade to practice learning about fractions, students in Michele Graci’s class at Mariposa Elementary decided to do some real world application. This project was helpful for the class to be able to answer the question fractions’ purpose. The students each got a chance to make a cake mix and end up with cake pops to eat at the end of their experiment. The class was put into four groups, and each afternoon a different group was put to the test. They were given a cake mix box and all the ingredients and tools they would need. It was then their … Read More

Northport K-8 fifth grade instructor Judy Fowler and her students won accolades, money and ribbons of all colors at the St. Lucie County Fair for vegetables home grown in the class’ garden and for journals that students submitted. Students exhibited vegetables such as kohlrabi, cabbage, peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, basil, dill, mustards, collards, onions and strawberries. Two students, Trevor Walk and Kaitlyn Friedt, won ribbons for their gardening journals which detail daily gardening activities. Students in Mrs. Fowler’s class were provided clearly stated learning goals, scales and rubrics for the engaging project and the very special long range lesson provided for learning … Read More

Northport K-8 middle grades students excelled at the 2013 SLC School District History Fair. Three Northport students, Moriah Weir, Michael Gorbach and Casey McCowan,  were finalists in the second round of judging at the fair held on March 2, 2013. Michael Gorbach’s exhibit, The Russian Revolution of 1917 was chosen as a finalist for the top three slots. Michael will be presented with a second place award at the presentation ceremony on Wednesday, March 13 at Fort Pierce Central.  Northport History Fair coordinator is instructor Bob Burdge. Pictured, from left, are Bob Burdge, students Moriah Weir, Michael Gorbach, Casey McCowan and principal, Glenn … Read More

Windmill Point Elementary second graders in Caryol-Lynn Hallahan’s class created their own “gallon pals” to help them learn capacity and equivalents in math. Each student made their own pal beginning with a gallon body, accompanied by quart arms and legs, pint hands and feet, and cup fingers and toes to help them visualize how our customary system of measurement works. Pictured are Efrain Pellot and Christopher Skrabak.

The students in Erin Cook’s and Melissa Lucrezia’s second grade classes at Windmill Pointe Elementary synergize as they create a circle map. The students’ learning goal to will understand money. Through Common Core curriculum, students are required to show a deep understanding of money. The students are showing all the different ways to make 88 cents through different coin combinations. Pictured are Dylan Charan, left, and Elijah Steckler.

Fourth grade students in the After School Tutoring Program at Mariposa Elementary are enthralled making paper mache characters or scenes from books they have read. The project is to connect reading, writing, and art. Students are learning characterization, setting, plot and finding facts from text. Not only are they learning but having a ball constructing their projects. Pictured, from left, are Kailey Oullette, Aivi Lang, Kanson Paul, Adriana Perez, and Arianna White.

Northport K-8 School has achieved the school district’s Parent Involvement award for the middle/senior level. Northport K-8, a Title 1 school, submitted its “Take The Lead And Read” program for consideration. The program standards must apply a welcoming of all families into the school community, effective communication, support of students’ success, sharing power, speaking up for every child and collaborating with the community. The award highlights exemplary programs in Florida schools. The award also reflects innovative practices for recruiting, training and recognition of family and community members.  Northport’s programming includes strong PTO support, 21st Century before and after school program, veterans program, Waggin’ Tales … Read More

Northport kindergarteners in Megan Castiglia’s class, better known as Ms. MC and the “Little Hammers” invited parents and administrators to the Media Center to help celebrate the birthday of Dr. Seuss and the kickoff for the students’ Young Author’s program. Students built a main character using the Dr. Seuss model, wrote stories to share with all parents and performed several songs including the class pledge and motto! The parents and grandparents moved from student station to student station, enjoying the work and achievement of each child in the class. The enthusiasm was obvious as the students were provided the opportunity to celebrate their … Read More

Northport K-8 kindergartners in Melody Nieves’ classes completed an author study in the school’s Media Center recently as a culminating activity for their Dr. Seuss birthday celebration. Students listened to the story “There’s A Wocket In My Pocket” read by media specialist Lynne Gruszka, then participated in a rhyming word sentence structure activity.  Students then modeled their sentences for the very enthusiastic group of learners. Pictured are the students, along with, from left, assistant Tyna Richards, Ms. Nieves and assistant Mrs. Cleveland.

The Oak Hammock Osprey Band, led by Director of Bands Amy Isenhower, performed the National Anthem at the New York Mets’ recent Spring Training game against the University of Michigan. This is the third time the group has performed at a Mets game as they are appreciated for their performances.

Students think reading centers in Michelle O’Keefe’s kindergarten class at F. K. Sweet Elementary are fun! Pictured are Omar Andrade, left, and Marquis Furline enjoying independent reading with reading phones and their scary pointer fingers. 

Students in Kristin Griffin’s kindergarten class at F. K. Sweet Elementary love learning about different cultures. After learning about the Chinese New Year celebrations, the students were able to try some authentic Chinese dumplings. After trying out their chopsticks on Fruit Loops, Janya Baptiste, left, and Alex Sgouris were ready for the delicious dumplings.

F K Sweet’s annual art fair to raise money for the art program was a huge success. Students had more than 10 crafts to chose from and some did them all. Families enjoyed the night out together supporting the school. Pictured, from left, are Emma Rizzo, Giovanna Mangeri, and Lani Chambers, they are working on making scratch art masterpieces.

Palm Pointe Educational Research School @ Tradition celebrated Reading Across America recently with many fun activities. Many community members came to the school to read to different classes. Students in kindergarten through eighth grade read all week and documented their hours. Students exceeded last year’s reading total by logging in over 500,000 minutes of reading compared to close to 400,000 last year. The school also participated in a school wide event with buddy reading, where a class buddied up with another class and read together. The week was filled with reading and fun. Pictured is guest Andrew Favata reading to his daughter Isabella’s third grade … Read More

Two cadets from every JROTC program in St. Lucie County Public Schools participated in a saber guard drill for the entrance of the finalists for Teacher of the Year and School Related Employee of the Year at the school district’s Night of the Stars ceremony helt at Lincoln Park Academy. The two cadets from Port Saint Lucie High School were cadet Lieutenant Colonel Amanda Mabry and cadet Staff Sergeant Robert Hopkins. All the cadets that participated in the ceremony performed exceptionally well. Pictured is School Related Employee of the Year finalist Stephanie Ludwig, an ESE paraprofessional at Floresta Elementary School, … Read More

Frances K. Sweet kindergartners recently celebrated Dr. Seuss’ birthday! Students in Melanie Francisco’s class loved having Frankie Lott read “Marvin K. Mooney, Will You Please Go Now?”  Mr. Lott is the president of the Kiwanis group who sends guest readers to Frances K. Sweet every year.  The students enjoyed activity packets and goody bags.

First grade students at Palm Pointe Educational Research School @ Tradition enjoyed a Super Science Day with the help of the Manatee Center. Students were able to wear lab coats as they did experiments. They created their own lava lamps by putting an Alka-Seltzer tablet in oil and water and the water bubbled up through the oil, and made “flubber.” The students were excited to take the things that they made in class home to show their families.