Year: 2012

Teachers Abigail Prager, left, and Erin Bunnell of Parkway Elementary School model analyzing an historical primary source document in order to answer the document-based question (DBQ), “Early Jamestown: Why Did So Many Colonists Die?” They were among a group of 36 teachers trained on October 15 in the Common Core-aligned literacy strategies used throughout the DBQ Project method. With this method, students analyze and corroborate information from multiple documents to write an evidence-based argumentative essay. This method shows great promise for integrating literacy skills with content knowledge. The four schools participating in the pilot are Dan McCarty School, Lakewood Park, … Read More

The Bluebird Educational Productions (BEP) organization which supports music education and appreciation in St. Lucie Public Schools recently received an anonymous donation from a local patron so that a deserving student could have a instrument of their own to pursue their love of music and perform in their school’s band and music programs. Cole Maxwell of Lincoln Park Academy was selected to receive a new alto saxophone courtesy of the donation. BEP, which sponsors music appreciation and performances in St. Lucie Public Schools, is currently promoting its Recycling in the Key of E program, which puts refurbished musical instruments in … Read More

The annual Planting Day at Rivers Edge Elementary School always refreshes the campus with new seasonal beauty. Students in Lorraine Bernard’s fourth grade class Jamar Gullett, Emily Plank, Paige Parrett and Sofietta Perfetti work at planting flowers and mulching their classroom garden just outside their door. Thanks go to the students and volunteers for making the campus a more welcoming place to be.

Rivers Edge Elementary hosted an exciting family event recently to put books in to the hands of students, Bingo for Books. Pictured is third grade student Kayla Filippini from Barbara Ditrapani’s with her dad enjoying a robust game of Bingo mixed with science trivia questions. Every student went home a winner!

Fifth grade students at Morningside Elementary School will have the opportunity to learn and apply STEM skills beyond the classroom through an Innovation Generation grant from the Motorola Solutions Foundation, the charitable arm of Motorola Solutions, Inc. The Motorola Solutions Foundation provided $50,000 for a second year to challenge Florida’s district-wide local education foundations to inspire students through projects designed to help them solve real-world problems in science, math, technology and engineering (STEM) areas this school year through a grant to the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations (CFEF). St. Lucie County Education Foundation’s project was one of 10 chosen to … Read More

The Port Saint Lucie High School Jaguar Battalion hosted the annual Treasure Coast Raider Meet at Port Saint Lucie High School recently. Participating schools included Port Saint Lucie High School, Ft. Pierce Central High School, St. Lucie West Centennial High School, Ft. Pierce Westwood High School, Okeechobee High School and Treasure Coast High School. Treasure Coast High School has an Air Force JROTC unit, St. Lucie West Centennial has a Navy unit, and the remainder are Army JROTC units. The Jaguar battallion won first place overal, Treasure Coast High School won second place overall, and a tie for third place … Read More

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