Author: KATHERINE AVRA

Ms. Maribel Lein, FPC Retirement Upon an average look, it would appear that Fort Pierce Central High School is built like many other schools in our district. Concrete pillars, posts, eaves, roofs, and walking paths line any school but there is something different holding up Fort Pierce Central. For over 24 years, Ms. Maribel Lein has been the Executive Assistant Extraordinaire for Cobra Nation even opening the new school site. Though her job was assisting the Principal, Ms. Maribel was more than an assistant to each and every Cobra who stepped onto campus. There would truly not be a Cobra … Read More

Middle school band students from around the district got a first-hand experience of what it takes to play in the bright lights of a Friday night football game on October 6, 2023. These students accompanied Fort Pierce Central High School’s Marching Cobras at Lawnwood Stadium when Central played the Palm Bay Panthers. Band students from Allapattah Flats, Southern Oaks, CAST, Renaissance Charter School of St. Lucie a,nd Palm Pointe got the opportunity to be a Marching Cobra for the night. The middle and high school band students played the National Anthem together at center field and the traditional fight song … Read More

Congrats to our exceptional Cobra Stars! Peter Miserocchi, Teacher of the Year Quintin Guillaume, School Related Employee of the Year Sue Ann Garcia, Distinguished Minority Educator of the Year Thamara Belizaire, Outstanding First Year Teacher Each year Cobra Nation looks within our family to highlight especially brightly shining stars. Though this year was no different, we are beyond proud of our Cobra stars and will be cheering them on during their next shining moments in the spotlights of greatness!

Cobra Band Director Mr. Joshua Daniels and the entire Cobra Nation family are proud to recognize the INCREDIBLE student musicians who have been selected to attend either the annual Festival of Winds Honor Band or the Tri-State Band Festival Honor Band for the 2023 year! These festivals are based on director nomination and will each host students from November 30th – December 3rd on their respective campuses for a week of outstanding music-making lead by some of the best band directors from universities across the country serving as clinicians.     The Festival of Winds is hosted by the University of South Florida and recognizes … Read More

Over the River and Through the Woods New Cobra teacher Ms. Tiffany Gardner and her students proudly present their fall show Over the River and Through the Woods. The story follows Nick, a modern young professional living in NYC. His loving grandparents never let him forget where he belongs–New Jersey with his boisterous, tender-hearted, well-fed Italian American grandparents. When he is offered an important promotion in Seattle, Washington, Nick threatens to break his routine of visiting his grandparents every Sunday for dinner. Besides the usual tactics of emotional blackmail, in order to keep him home, these wily elders cook up … Read More

Taking time to honor and acknowledge our brave cancer survivors is the Cobra Way! In the recent Friday night lights, Mr. Gardner stands with Mrs. Cindy Swertfager presenting flowers and speaking to Cobra Nation. The courage displayed to Cobra Nation affirms that pride and family are two undisputed values at Fort Pierce Central. Thank you to all survivors, supporters, and loyal Cobra Nation!  

Filling our brains starts with tasty treats, yummy refreshments, and collaboration to fuel ourselves for success! Seniors met in the Cobra Cafeteria with their counselors, success coaches, senior sponsors, and administrators who led student success sessions for best practices for the SAT. Students meet in small groups for SAT prep. Learning together makes in-depth test preparation more successful for Cobras. Best of luck Cobras!  

Mrs. Minden’s Creative Photography students are working on the Element of Art, Shape in Photography. In their lesson, the students have been instructed to use people as their subjects and to “think outside the box.” The students enjoy working outside using their creativity to meet the requirements of the assignment. Each student is responsible for orchestrating their subjects to create the perfect shape for their photo composition.

Cobra Nation had another great week, especially in the 9th grade. Students had the opportunity to receive valuable information from IRSC’s Take Stock in Children on scholarship opportunities awarded to freshmen as they meet qualifications. Also, we wrapped up the topic “Building a Rapport with Teachers.” Ms. Brown’s students asked thoughtful questions to our amazing guests, who were able to provide valuable input, experience, and feedback. Thank you to all the Cobra guest speakers: Ms. Artega, Mr. Guillaume, Ms. Devries, Ms. Parker, and Ms. Alanis for taking the time out of their busy schedules to share with our future leaders. … Read More

Fort Pierce Central High School students enjoyed sampling the possibilities of their academic futures this week at the district’s college fair. Dozens of universities and colleges came out to introduce our students to their academic institutions and their program offerings. Students filled out interest cards, talked about admission expectations, and scholarship opportunities. Cobras left the fair feeling more informed and ready to make plans towards their post-high school success. Thank you to Mrs. Armada, 12th grade Assistant Principal, and Mrs. Herbert, Counseling Director for coordinating our student participation.

Mrs. Avra’s Ceramics II students started off the year by sampling a dozen textures. Texture is an Element of Art that describes and interprets the perceived or actual surface feeling of an object. Students were encouraged to investigate textures from nature by taking a walk outside, exploring their homes from garage to kitchen, and observing textures during their day-to-day lives while filling up a sketchbook page of 12 texture thumbnails, some in color, exploring high contrast, overlapping, depth, and the four qualities of line: thin to thick, light to dark, straight to undulating, and continuous to interrupted. After compiling their … Read More

Gardening Club President, Senior Jessica Aguilera tends to the newly planted and sprouting microgreens and gourds in the hydroponics unit. The FPC Gardening Club is operating in its second year. Students have been planting fall season seeds and germinating Florida-hearty plants. From adding to the collective compost and churning new soil, Gardening Club members get the full experience of planting and growing from the ground up. The club is looking forward to planting the donated palm tree from Principal Gardner (name coincidence), harvesting from the hydroponics unit, and applying for a grant through SLC Child Nutrition Services to create planter … Read More

A Cobra Tradition Another wonderful FPC Senior Breakfast for the 23-24 Graduating Class! Thank you to the Senior Class Sponsors Ami Foreman and Marian Davis. A special thank you to Mrs. Santoro for the celebratory balloons. All students enjoyed the outing with their classmates. Experiences and moments like Senior Breakfast make senior year the most memorable time in young lives!

Students in Ms. Darlene Brown’s class welcomed honored guests into their class for the day. Cobra staff members took time from their busy schedules to speak with students in Leadership Techniques classes. The lesson was focused on Building a Rapport with Teachers.  “Students came up with some great questions to interview our guest speakers,” shared Ms. Brown. “During the interview, guests spoke about their job and what a typical day looks like for them, as well as offered tips for ninth-grade success. Building rapport with their teachers pays huge dividends for students as they advance in school, in life, and … Read More

Students in Mrs. Donnelly’s AICE Language class completed a Rhetorical Devices Scavenger Hunt to figure out what Dr. King used to make his “I Have a Dream” speech so memorable.

Commemorating Heroes from 9/11 Saturday 9/9/2023, Patriots from across the Treasure Coast gathered to commemorate 9/11, first responders, and America’s Veterans. Ft. Pierce Central High School’s Raider team provided 10 volunteers and 6 competitors in the first Cadet Challenge physical fitness competition. Cadets from four JROTC programs and the Sea Cadets participated in a 3.43 mile ruck march and then the competitors each did as many push-ups, sit-ups, and pull-ups as they could in 2 minutes in each event. In the end, the Ft. Pierce Central team came out victorious. They received a plaque and a donation of $250. The … Read More

Goody Bags & Relationships are Keys to AP Testing Success at Fort Pierce Central High School! Donuts and flowers among other icons were laid out as future name tags to be decorated by students in Mrs. Coffer’s AP Spanish class. “We were not sure exactly what the name tags were going to be used for, but we liked decorating them,” explains Senior Astrid Ayala-Arevalo, pictured above with Mrs. Coffer. Astrid chose a donut design on which to decorate her first name and initial of her last name. Mrs. Ela Coffer, a veteran Spanish teacher started making goody bags for her … Read More

  A Zine a Day Fort Pierce Central High School Visual Art teacher Ms. Emily Royo hosted a recent artist talk with Florida Designer Naomi Taher and her drawing students. Aligned with Florida’s Sunshine State Standards, Ms. Royo infuses relevant context, and contemporary practices, and introduces local artists. Taher and Royo are FAU alumni and former classmates. Currently a Senior Graphic Designer at FAU, Taher frequently works with Zines, 2D collages that combine text and imagery layered on folded papers. Zines are mini-collections of art and visual journals that collect personal thoughts for visual expression. Taher trades her Zines with … Read More

Friends, Fun, & Cobra Community FPC held its annual fall Club Rush or student involvement fair on Friday, September 8th. During both lunches, Cobra Nation’s courtyard was flooded with students being welcomed and introduced to over 20 student organizations, clubs, and unique interest groups. Club Rush is where new Cobras become part of the Cobra family and returning Cobras sample new groups to join. Fort Pierce Central has something for everyone. From athletics, health sciences, dance, military-service, faith-based groups, fashion, gaming, outdoors, and academic-focused clubs, to special interest, competitions, social clubs, debate, and community service organizations, Fort Pierce Central offers … Read More

Senior & Freshmen Breakfast One honored tradition at Fort Pierce Central is our annual senior & freshmen breakfast. To support the milestone transition of elevating to high school, FPC brings 12th and 9th graders together for a time to connect, plant roots, and form bonds that support new friendships. A campus becomes a community–a home away from home, and a family when traditions bring us together while differences fade away. Common interests paired seniors and freshmen with interesting ice-breaker activities followed by sharing high school experiences. Though these conversations can start out tailor-made, the exchanges quickly become filled with light-hearted … Read More