Author: CASANDRA FLORES

The third graders of Allapattah Flats K8 School could not imagine being any busier!  A large group of  third graders has been participating in a novel study of “Because of Winn Dixie”.  As they are reading the novel, students are involved in a wide range of activities, incluidng completing thinking maps, participating in small group discussions, and creating a character scrapbook. The novel study group is anxious to complete this book and see what they will be reading next!  Pictured are DrewAnn Parks, Alyssa Hartman, Lauren Bishop, Hannah Taylor, and Nicholas Kennedy hard at work on the pages of their character … Read More

First graders at Allapattah Flats K-8 School are hard at work making observations of living things.  They are really enjoying learning about plants.  First graders are learning about the needs of a plant as well as the parts of a plant. They planted grass in cups and transformed the cups into their very own stylish Plant Pals.  They are enjoying watching their grass grow and they are looking forward to giving their Plant Pals a haircut!  Pictured are Bailey Lobrutto, left, and Dylan Cravey from Haley Lenarcic’s class showing off their Plant Pals.

The Allapattah Flats school familycongratulates the top two students in the Middle School Spelling Bee.  The competition was strenuous as the students were extraordinary spellers, full of the competitive spirit. Gabrielle Bather and Jaime Hilaire were the top two middle school competitors with Jaime Hilaire staking his claim as first place winner. Congratulations to all students who participated, you did a fantastic job! Good luck to Jaime who will go on to participate in the district spelling bee. Pictured are Jaime, right, and Gabrielle.

Stacey Mulder’s sixth grade students at Allapattah Flats are sending out New Year’s letters to friends and family members across the states and many different countries.  Students used the correct form to write a friendly letter. Students included words of cheer, encouragement and even expressed holiday wishes. Letters were  mailed in hopes of sharing the holiday spirit. Pictured are students Christian Hicks, Kyle Cornett,Tavaress Smith, Valaree Harper, Kista Leonardo, Jason Schales, Shelby Abdella,  Lauren Martocchio, Rolphe St. Hilaire, Chandler McCaskill, Alexandra Belline, Jillian McDonald, asia Higgs, Taylor Brennan, Antonio Veloz, Gregory Smith, and Erik Sheley.

The Allapattah Flats school family congratulates the top two students in the elementary school spelling bee.  The competition was fierce as the students were phenomenal spellers and they were each very determined to do their best. Diego Teran and Bryant Melton were the top two in elementary with Bryant Melton as the first place winner. Congratulations to all students who participated, you did a fantastic job! Good luck to Bryant who will go on to participate in the district spelling bee.

Allapattah Flats middle grades students are very excited as they celebrated their paperback library’s reopening this school year.  It is now home to over 1,300 books with multiple copies of most titles.  New additions also include comfortable furniture and rugs so that students can relish in this comfortable, inviting setting while we stay committed to fostering and instilling a love for reading as shown with this group of eighth grade students, Francisco Andrade, Niva Guerrier, Omari Cobb, Corey Lewis, Precious Joseph and Chris Cliff.

Allapattah fifth graders have been learning and identifying different natural disasters. Students were recently visited by fire-medic Josh O’Brien from Martin County Fire Rescue. Students learned about fire extinguishers, how to plan for an emergency at home, how to exit a smoke filled room safely, and the special equipment needed for a firefighter to stay safe during a fire. They were also given the opportunity to solve mock emergency situations. Fire-Medic O’Brien spoke to the students about the importance of fire safety and the dangers of not taking the issue seriously. Pictured from left are Felix Valentin Jr., Adam Iacisfoli, Fire-Medic … Read More

Reading Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer  inspired Nanette Serrano’s kindergarten class to put on their thinking caps and write about Rudolph. Students were excited to write about a reindeer that was different but broke down barriers to become a hero. The students did a great job of expressing their feelings about what they liked best. They shared their writings with their classroom peers and displayed them on the bulletin board for everyone to see. Pictured is inspired writer, Tyronique Johnson.

 Kindergarten students are very eager and motivated to celebrate the winter season. They each labeled a snowflake with a book they are reading from the school library. It is fun to see the enthusiasm as they read books and share them with the class. Students proudly display the number of books they read on the kindergarten hallway bulletin board.

Students in Ann Hartman’s first grade class at Allapattah Flats K8 listen attentively as Craig Perry from Huntington Learning Center reads a special holiday story, “Oliver All Alone”.  Students listened to the story in the special Gator Reading Room.  Mr. Perry helped foster the students love of reading, and kept them engaged by asking purposeful questions throughout the story. What a special treat for the students. Pictured, back row from left, are Jimmy Fanning, Enrique Mojica, Andre Hale, Mia Horowitz, Angelica Maldonado, Courtney Waithe, Antonio Alves, and Jayden Torello.  Front row, from left, are Michael Brown, Emily Middlebrook, Craig Perry, Cordelia Raeburn, Kes Barber, Isabelle Veloz, and Parkyr … Read More

The Allapattah Flats K8 girls volleyball team recently participated in the district tournament and finished as 2011-2012 district runner-ups.  Congratulations and great job to the super six, Ryleigh Veith, Shannon Braessler, Valerie Trujillo, Gabby Bather, Madeline Lawson, Tiara Evans and Coach Justin Allen.

Four outstanding employees have been selected at Allapattah Flats K8 for their dedication and effort to the school, students and district and they will represent the school in the annual employee recognition program. The employees are reportedly irreplaceable, committed to the students, staff and community, and truly make a difference each day.]Pictured, from left, are Melissa Nelson, School Related Employee of the Year, Mary Ellen Barrett, Teacher of the Year, Danya Etter, Outstanding First Year Teacher, and Tekia Montgomery, Distinguished Minority Educator of the Year.

Parents of first grade  students at Allapattah Flats K8 listen attentively as Craig Perry from Huntington Learning Center gives a “Homework Helper” presentation.  Mr. Perry explained the importance of having a special place to do homework, how to handle your child’s frustration with homework, and reinforced the importance of parents working with teachers as partners in their child’s education.  Pictured, from left, Craig Perry, Tracy Vasquez, April Dunlop, Nicole Ancewitz, Katie Veloz, and Kelly Smith.  It is rewarding to see the community, school and parents work together to create a fantastic partnership in children’s education!

Second grade students’ behavior in Sherrie McLemore’s class is reinforced through the “Gift Giving Tree.” As the students are following the PBS school-wide expectations of Responsibility, Safety and Respect they receive positive praise and are given a Gator Buck. When they receive two Gator Bucks they may trade them in for a gift ticket which go into a jar and the teacher randomly draws tickets throughout the day. The students are able to choose a gift from off of or under the tree. The tree is loaded with gifts such as books, pens, pencils, candy, stickers, puzzles and much more! Angelo … Read More

First graders at Allapattah Flats K-8 enjoyed a visit from the Children’s Museum of the Treasure Coast to learn about nutrition and healthy eating habits.  Students learned about the food pyramid, healthy eating, and the importance of exercise.  Isabelle Veloz, from Ann Hartman’s first grade class, enjoyed making her very own yogurt parfait with the help of Joyce Thomasson from the Children’s Museum of the Treasure Coast.  Eagerly waiting their turn to make some yogurt are Cordelia Raeburn and Antonio Alves.

As more holidays approach, first graders in Ann Hartman’s and Pamela Owens’ classes reflect back on a special event they enjoyed at Thanksgiving. Last month first graders recited poetry, shared what they were thankful for, and had a fantastic Thanksgiving Feast with their friends and family.  First graders and their parents enjoying the delicious feast, from left, are Jaydin Torello, Vera Horowtitz, Samantha Roeder, Mia Horowitz, and Jason Horowitz.   Parents had a wonderful time hearing what their students are thankful for, and enjoying a fabulous meal!

Bridget Valinote’s reading classes continue their enthusiasm about The Hunger Games. In studying character development, they recently made mock Facebook pages for their favorite character by analyzing character traits and expressing them in creative art form as seen in the photograph of Paige Sucharski.