Author: Aretha Vernette

Port St. Lucie’s Sunset Rotary President Larry Breault and Rotary Volunteer Julie Lambert received a huge “thank you” from third graders at Village Green Environmental Studies School after they were presented with free dictionaries and lessons on how to use them via a quick sleuthing activity. During the presentation, the children also learn about the Rotary and its commitment to helping children around the world and their continues effort to raise funds for Big Brothers Big Sisters, the CASTLE program, and anti-bullying programs. Pictured are Breault and Lambert with students proudly displaying their dictionaries.

As kindergarten teacher Patricia Collins stands and shares tidbits about herself, Village Green Environmental Studies School teachers look on with warm smiles and excitement as they ready themselves to welcome her to the Village Green family with applause. The process is repeated more times as they welcome Jacqueline Baptiste-Harris and Margot Williams to first grade, Ashley Foreman to the kindergarten team, and Erin Saunders as the new speech language pathologist. Gina Burns joined the second grade team after this opening day event.

Village Green teacher Christopher Kelly tracks his progress on the professional development learning goal. The professional development session was facilitated using the research-based strategies that teachers use in the classroom to focus on quality instruction in order to help students succeed.

Although Josiah Fullwood is a first-time kindergartner who is scheduled to attend Frances K. Sweet, he has already made a huge impression on teachers at Village Green Environmental Studies School during the opening professional development day. As 100 Book Challenge trainer Meighan Radigan models how teachers should level an incoming kindergarten child for his appropriate reading level, teachers and administrators were both stunned and thrilled that Josiah continued to ascend the reading levels to match first grade reading fluency and comprehension! Josiah shared with the group that he enjoys reading about animals and even pointed out that he saw a fish in the … Read More

Kindergartners at Manatee Academy recently dressed to impress and celebrated Fancy Nancy Day in the media center by exploring (that’s a fancy word for discovering) a Fancy Nancy glitter puzzle, listening to an original story by Media Specialist Debbie Remington titled “Radical Tad”, playing the Rad Tad fishing game, listening to the latest Fancy Nancy chapter book, “Nacy Clancy” and of course sipping sweet tea, pinkies up of course!

The St. Lucie County Young Author Celebration sponsored by the St. Lucie County Reading Council was recently held at Manatee Academy. Over 200 parents and students enjoyed author Donna Gephart, a light lunch, book fair and free books and prizes. Pictured is the organization’s Executive Council, who made the event happen, from left, Vince Scotto, Debbie Remington, Wanda Galey, Dorothy Still and Alma Goff.

Students in Tracey Mathey’s first grade class at Manatee Academy were the first students in the county to get a visit from Mets baseball players pitcher Hamilton Bennett  and baseman Joe Bonfe.  The students loved the story the players read to them tag-team style-especially “Baseball Head”.

Manatee Academy K8 students, from left, Crystal Fissette, Serona Brown, Michael Pecora, Tia Camp, and Naiah James were chosen to represent the school in the All County Elementary Chorus. Attached is a link to the performance which will air on WLX-TV, the St. Lucie County Education Channel, at various times. http://www.stlucie.k12.fl.us/MediaServicesVideos/ACC_2012_WEB.wmv