Month: October 2012

Manatee Academy K8 School media specialist and St. Lucie County Reading Council president Debbie Remington LOVES books, especially when students read books. This affection prompted Ms. Remington to volunteer to serve as the Florida Director of the Young Adult Choices, a division of the International Reading Association which will enable her to bring to St. Lucie County Schools over 5,000 recently released books for grades 7-12 over the next three years! That’s about $90,000.00 worth of books that will be going on library shelves in four different schools: Northport K-8, Dan McCarty School, Treasure Coast High School and Manatee Academy. “All summer … Read More

Students at Frances K. Sweet Elementary School are raising funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society throughout the month of October. All of the donated change goes towards research in treating and finding a cure for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma in children. Students in Julia Melville’s second grade class have contributed over $100 in the first week. Students are truly proud of their efforts and are excited to be part of a great cause! Pictured, from left, are Desirae Knight, Jayden Zamplione, Madison Davis, Jayden Ligonde, Quinn Stephenson, and Ansel Espinal.

The (J)aguar (A)thletes (G)etting (S)tronger, or JAGS, donated money, time, enthusiasm, and support for breast cancer research at the recent Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk, held at the Port St. Lucie Civc Center. Port St. Lucie High School had representation from basketball, cheerleading, football, golf, soccer, and volleyball, along with teachers, clerical staff, and family members and friends of the Jaguar Nation.

Northport K-8 first grade students in Rachel Ellsworth, Laura Poveromo, Pam Mishler, Dulce Olivera, Michelle McCloskey and Christine Santos-Nurse’s classes received a very special visit from Smoky the Bear and Forest Ranger Bolduc recently to talk about the dangers of forest fires. The rangers read a special story about Smokey the Bear, showed the students the equipment and clothing worn by the rangers during a forest fire and even brought  their heavy equipment for students to peruse in the front of the school. Rangers talked about who to call if a student sees smoke, what to do if matches are found and … Read More

First graders in Kathleen Saunders’ class at White City Elementary celebrated success by being inducted into the Captains’ Club. These hard working students have already mastered the first grade words required for the year. Each student received a captain’s hat and is already working on a new goal. Pictured, from left, are Denise Negrete-Gasca, Luz Gahn Torres, Ethan Stabile, Addly Osne, Kiara Melgar and Diamond Torres.

Northport K-8 students in Judy Fowler’s fifth grade class are preparing their annual winter garden this year with the help of a group of interested parents. During the next few months, students will learn to care for their plants by weeding, fertilizing, aerating the soil and spraying for insects. Students will also learn to use various weather instruments such as thermometers, hygrometers and rain guages. Some of the plants students are planting and tending are swiss chard, kohlrabi, tomatoes, peppers, cabbage and strawberries. Students will exhibit their garden journal, their produce and gardening projects at the Saint Lucie County Fair in February. Pictured, from … Read More

Students in Tara Nettles’ kindergarten class at Windmill Point Elementary are learning their sight words in innovating ways. The students created turkeys and added first quarter sight words to show their knowledge of the words. The students worked diligently to complete their sight word turkeys during the fluency and word work portion of their day. They thoroughly enjoyed reading the words to each other once the turkeys were completed.

The book fair arrived at Windmill Point Elementary recently. Pictured is Alexander Guerra busily selecting a book. 

The kindergarten students at Allapattah Flats K8 recently participated in an apple tasting. The students made predictions about which apple they would like best.  Then, they tasted green, red, and yellow apples.  Lastly, the students made a chart to tell which apple was their first, second and third choice.  The tasting activity provided an opportunity to use descriptive language: juicy, sour, sweet, delicious, and crunchy.  Pictured are Ivy Cooper, right, and Noah Cullen with some of the kindergartners’ apple findings.

Students in Bridget Valinote’s reading class at Allapattah Flats K8 used role play to identify conflict, evaluate evidence and solve problems. Using the short story “Louisa Please Come Home,” students took turns acting as a crisis counselor and a runaway teen. Students evaluated evidence to support a variety of viewpoints in the story. Working together, they brainstormed solutions and worked to solve the presented problems. Tyrek Gardner, left, and Jean Frejuste role play as a crisis counselor and runaway teen.

Radio Station “The Breeze” and Andy Hall of Seaside Smiles Pediatric Dentistry presented the award for the Treasure Coast Teacher of the Month to Kyle McCleary, kindergarten teacher at Fairlawn Elementary School in Fort Pierce. The radio station honors a teacher who has made a difference with an official “Teacher of the Month” certificate, a formal presentation, a pizza party for his/her class courtesy of The VanDuzer Foundation through Big Apple Pizza and Pasta in Fort Pierce, a class visit to the Children’s Museum of the Treasure Coast, and a gift basket from Teacher’s Pet and More.

Fifth grade students at Allapattah Flats K8 School are working diligently on their natural disaster research project and brochure. Students are now accomplished scientists who can observe and experiment to gather data and draw conclusions. They have expanded their knowledge of the physical world and can apply the basic math and science skills they’ve acquired to their observations. The understanding of the scientific method and the natural world has allowed them to research and analyze each natural disaster so they are able to complete an informational brochure to present to the class. Each group of students is required to research … Read More

Northport K-8 School has been selected as a World-Class School, the highest distinction that can be awarded by schools that utilize the Imagine Learning program to teach students whose first language is not English. The Imagine Learning Lab is fascilitated and directed by instructor, Mary Toto and paraprofessional Marian Morales. The achievement is the result of hard work, committment to the program and perseverance by instructors and administration. The ESOL lab at Northport opens 45 minutes before school begins to allow parents and their children to come into the lab to learn English together. The Imagine Lab is a learning environment filled … Read More

Joe Smith, Clerk of Circuit Court of St. Lucie County, spoke to first grade students recently at Allapattah Flats K8. Mr. Smith explained his role in the community and the upcoming election. Students were fascinated by his role in our community, and were hoping that one day they could grow up to be just like Mr. Smith. Pictured, from left, back row are Lindsey Schroeder, Ivan Liberato, Joe Smith, Jayden Tucker, and Anderson Lewellyn. Middle row, from left, Bailey Kirk, Alexis Wadlington, Ania Chandra, Matias Benitez, Robert Jones, Jamarr Richardson, and Ty Gray. Front row, from left, are Jeremiah Counterman, Erica King, … Read More

Students in Linda Auciello’s kindergarten class at Mariposa Elementary School have been learning about their five senses. The students each had an apple to use to describe their five senses in regards to the apple. How did it feel? What did it look like? How did it taste? How did it sound when they bit into it? and How did the apple smell? The students had so much fun tasting, listening, smelling, feeling and looking at these delicious apples. Pictured are parent volunteer Don Lesser, and apple observers, from left, Luke Duffy, Shane Lesser, Lyndsey Simpson and Noah Erdwein.

Theresa Delancy’s third grade class at Mariposa Elementary School practiced being scientists as they explored scientific tools. The students rotated through six centers using tools like a pan balance, measuring tape, thermometer, graduated cylinder, eye dropper and hand lens. The students worked in small groups and performed an experiment at each of the six centers. They recorded their observations and collected data in their science journals just like real scientists do in the lab. Pictured are Joshua Pierre,left, and Juan Navarro.

Students in Linnea Norton’s sixth grade science classes at Southport Middle School studied energy transformations by building a roller coaster for a marble. They started by designing a unique roller coaster using a student chair, about four meters of copper tubing insulation, blue painter’s tape, masking tape, a marble and a two ounce plastic cup at the end to catch the marble. Students were able to identify the locations where the energy transformations occurred. Pictured, from left, are Zack Johnson, Gabrielle Gersternecker, and Cameron Cardona.

October 15-19 is National School Lunch Week, a perfect time to recognize St. Lucie West K-8 food service manager Carole Schutt, who recently received a national credential as a school nutrition specialist from the National School Nutrition Association. Ms. Schutt is the first food service manager in the state of Florida in achieving this recognition. Congratulations! Pictured are Ms. Schutt, left, with Director of Food Services Deborah Wuest.

Northport K-8 students in Dorothy Still’s seventh grade class and Tracey Healy and Nichole Robinson’s fifth grade classes participated in a primary source lesson given by retired Army 1 helicopter pilot Bill Shaw. Shaw invoked his experiences as a pilot for Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Ford, Nixon and Johnson and gave students specific and historical data on Army 1, Camp David and types of jets and helicopters he piloted. He also gave specific advice on what type of classes to take for careers in different military interests. Also, Korean War veteran Peter Popolizio, Vietnam era veteran Bill Arnold, World War II veterans John … Read More

The Lincoln Park Academy (LPA) Wind Symphony performed a concert recently featuring the student members of the Jazz Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Steel Drum Band, Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble. The band members played a wide variety of literature for this concert and interacted with the audience. Assistant Superintendent of Fine Arts Dr. Kevin Perry is shown above as a guest conductor for the Wind Ensemble. The ensembles will perform again at the annual Winter Concert on Thursday, December 6th at 6:30pm in the LPA auditorium.