by Kerry Padrick | Oct 31, 2018 | School News
Port St. Lucie High students explored Florida Polytechnic University’s STEM Integration labs. Hosted by Dr. Ryan Integlia, John Picchiarini and Chris Medley’s students participated in demonstrations with wearable electronics, Arts and STEM integration, optoelectronics, supervised machine learning, artificial intelligence, and renewable energy just to name some of experiences!
The visit is the first step in this year’s collaboration project between Port St. Lucie High Technical Design students and Florida Polytechnic University students.
Look for more to come!
by Kerry Padrick | Oct 29, 2018 | School News
On Saturday November 3, test drive a new Buick and help Fort Pierce Westwood High School (FPWHS) located at 1801 Panther Lane in Fort Pierce, receive up to $10,000. Garber Buick GMC in Ft. Pierce will have new Buick vehicles at the school for this Test Drive Event from 8:00am-3:00pm. For each two-to-three minute test drive, Buick will donate $10.00. When the event exceeds 100 test drives, Buick will double the donation to $20.00. The goal is to reach the maximum donation of $10,000 for the day!
Participants will sign-in at the main entrance of FPWHS’s campus where they will have easy access to the test drive range. Drivers must be 21 years of age or older and have a valid driver’s license and proof of insurance. There is a limit of two donations per household.
Visitors to the campus will also benefit from the services of other community organizations such as the Sheriff’s Office with fingerprinting services for children, the Humane Society with on-site adoption opportunities, and the Health Department with flu vaccinations (first come, first served).
Principal Joseph Lezeau is eager to host the drive event. “Garber Buick GMC is a remarkable community partner in education. This event will help our school raise funds for extracurricular activities and competitions for students who are active in productions and competitions that take place far beyond the regular school day. Fundraisers like this help us provide the means for our students to showcase their talents at high level competitions and events.”
About Garber Buick GMC
Garber Buick GMC is a full-service GM dealership at 5255 U. S Highway One in Ft. Pierce. The property features a new car showroom, state-of-the-art service department, business offices, parts department and a Quick Lane Oil Change. They have room to display hundreds of new Buicks, GMCs and GM Certified Pre-Owned vehicles. Garber Buick GMC also has a large Collision Center that is supported by all Insurance Companies. Consumers have rated Garber Buick GMC #1 in Customer Service on the Treasure Coast. The Garber family has been in the automobile business for over 100 years beginning with Garber Buick in Saginaw Michigan established in 1907. Garber Automotive Group has 15 dealerships representing 14 manufacturers. The company is known for their civic leadership in the communities where they do business. To that end, Garber Buick GMC has a Community Room free to use for group meetings and non-profit organizations. The Community Room can accommodate up to 40 people with tables, chairs and a 60” TV for presentations. Garber Buick GMC’s website is www.garberbuickgmc.com.
About St. Lucie Public Schools
St. Lucie Public Schools (SLPS) proudly serves students as the highest-ranking District on the Treasure Coast and fifth in Florida with a graduation rate of 90.1 percent. As a B rated District, there are no failing schools, and SLPS is ranked among the top one-third of Florida’s districts for student achievement. The District also has the distinction of being recognized as one of St. Lucie County’s Best Places to Work. The mission of SLPS is to ensure all students graduate from safe and caring schools equipped with the knowledge, skills and desire to succeed. For more information, visit http://www.stlucieschools.org.
by Kerry Padrick | Oct 29, 2018 | District News
Dear St. Lucie County School District Employees:
Join the Healthy St. Lucie Coalition Billion Steps Challenge! This is a community-wide movement to increase physical activity and healthy living in St. Lucie County. As of October 24, 2018, we have 1,164 registered participants and 119 teams, representing 32 unique organizations including private business, local schools, Indian River State College, a variety of nonprofits, churches, neighborhoods, parks and recreation, healthcare, and city/county employees. Together we have accrued 723,594,847 steps. We need your help to achieve our goal!
This challenge is completely FREE, and is a great way to maintain your fitness goals, while sparking some healthy competition among coworkers, family or friends. Join now and help Healthy St. Lucie achieve our first goal of one billion steps by December 31, 2018, and then continue on with us into 2019 as we set our sights on the next goal.
Below, you will find information on how to register, form teams, enlist people to help and enroll in upcoming mini challenges. Let’s continue to work together as a community to get healthy and show the world that St. Lucie County is a healthy, active place to live, learn, work and play.
Best of health,
Jennifer J. Harris
Community Health Promotion Director
Florida Department of Health in St. Lucie County Jennifer.harris@flhealth.gov
About Healthy St. Lucie
In June of 2015, the Florida Department of Health in St. Lucie County met with community partners to begin work on a Community Health Improvement Plan for 2016-2019. This meeting launched the Healthy St. Lucie Coalition to promote health where we live, learn, work, and play.
On January 1 of this year, the Healthy St. Lucie Coalition launched a Billion Steps Challenge to encourage residents in St. Lucie County to be more active. This challenge was initiated as a strategy for the 2016- 2019 Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) to address our high sedentary rates in St. Lucie County.
Getting Started
Creating Your Account
Walker Tracker is the online activity tracking platform we are using to host the challenge. Complete your registration by clicking on the link https://healthystlucie.walkertracker.com/ to answer a few questions and set your personal goals. Walker Tracker will take you through the simple process of synching a device or how to manually track your activity. If you have a smart phone, there is a free Walker Tracker app you can download to stay on top of your progress while you are on the go.
Forming a Team
It is easy to form your own Team! Create a name and then invite others to join. Any registered participant from your organization can join one team, by selecting the TEAM tab on the Walker Tracker website. Before starting a team, please consider a name and how many teams you would like to form.
Naming Your Team
You can pick out any team name, but this system will only let you change it once. So, choose wisely! On your team page, you can post a logo or other graphic and add some information about your team. More teams at an organization creates more friendly competition to keep everyone motivated! If you decide on multiple teams, you may want to consider a naming convention that would allow you to see the teams from your organization. See examples below of teams the Florida Department of Health in St. Lucie County formed.
FDOH-Finance FDOH-Admin
FDOH-School Health
Aligning Your Team for Success
While you may be the “lead” on paper, you can’t do it all by yourself! Consider targeting some key movers to help your team succeed. Some examples:
Registration/Tech Lead
There is always at least one tech savvy person within any group, and your team will be no different. From registration on Walker Tracker to synching a device, some of your team members may need assistance along the way. If possible, try to recruit a tech savvy person to support your team.
Team Cheerleader
Every group seems to have that one person in the office that is always cheering everyone on. Find that person and let them work their magic on your team. They can help encourage members to join, keep members engaged, and find fun ways to help the group celebrate milestones along the way.
Mini Challenges
Keep the momentum going by competing in monthly virtual challenges within Walker Tracker to help participants set and reach new goals. Based on your current fitness level, there are 3 levels choose from
– the HOP, the DASH or the ULTRA. These challenges provide opportunities for teams to be creative (think costumes, healthy potlucks, homemade prizes) and have fun while getting fit. Individual winners for each mini challenge level will receive a prize from a local sponsor, as well as a certificate from the Healthy St. Lucie Coalition. Registered participants of the Billion Steps Challenge will receive a notification email from Walker Tracker with links to register for each mini challenge. See the information below for the dates and descriptions of the upcoming challenge so you can start planning your fun now!
November 15-28, 2018: Turkey Trot
We’re inviting you to stay active, healthy and have a lot of fun along the way in our Turkey Trot Challenge. This is a perfect fall time challenge and a great way to stay true to your fitness habits going into the holiday season. As you walk around the East Coast on the route (shaped like an actual turkey) you’ll discover the milestone pins along the route include health tips to reduce stress, eat better, and improve overall health.
December 5-18, 2018: Winter Wonderland, European Trek
This is a great winter adventure. Travel along a snowflake shared route as you hike through the land and sea of Viking ships, Norse warriors, and the Kraken! Some of the stops we’ll visit; Russia in time for the Nutcracker, Finland for a quick sauna break, Denmark to learn about the original Little Mermaid and check out the wonders of Iceland. The Pacer Viking Ship will lead the way!
Need Help?
Don’t hesitate to contact me if you need any assistance.
Jennifer.harris@flhealth.gov 772-785-5838
