Author: Leslie Taylor

This semester, our third-grade teachers, students, and their families embarked on an exciting literacy journey with a grade-level book study of The Wild Robot. Families read the book together at home, while teachers guided weekly discussions in class about themes, characters, plot twists, and predictions. The experience brought everyone closer—connecting classrooms and homes through the joy of reading. To celebrate, we hosted a Family Movie Night, where students and parents enjoyed watching the film adaptation together. This collaborative effort not only sparked enthusiasm for reading but also strengthened the bond between teachers and families, creating a shared commitment to literacy … Read More

Our recent Chapters of Tomorrow Literacy Fall Festival was a wonderful celebration of reading and career exploration! Each grade level hosted creative activities that connected literacy to future opportunities, including writing “Future Me” stories, dressing up for a photo booth, hunting for sentence strips in a haystack to build stories, and enjoying interactive reading stations. Students also had the chance to meet and interview community partners about their careers, making real-world connections to what they learn in the classroom. We are grateful to our amazing partners for joining us: SLC Fire Department (House 14), Ghostbusters, Blue Cross Blue Shield, SLPS … Read More

Halloween at West Gate K-8 turned into a literary celebration for Book Character Day! Our fabulous first grade teachers took flight as “UFLies”, proudly sporting their UFLI foundations books and bringing letters to life with flair and imagination. This team of talented educators never ceases to amaze with creativity, commitment, and a whole lot of character! Their costumes sparked joy and curiosity, reminding students that every book holds the power to inspire. From wings to wisdom, these educators truly soared into the spirit of learning and fun! Pictured from left to right: Dawn Artiles, Melissa Lushbaugh, Jessica Siev, Ana Maria … Read More

Middle schoolers celebrated Principal and A/B honor roll with a picnic in the park and a visit to the snack shack. West Gate listened to the Mustangs regarding finding different ways to celebrate academics aside from traditional ceremonies.   

West Gate K8 first graders, third graders from Mrs. Jurek’s and Ms. Bowman’s class, and Mrs. Franklin’s 5th grade class, wrote to the Veterans on this past weekend’s Honor Flight to Washington DC. The amazing part of how stars aligned is that Alex Beck, a student in Mrs. Franklin’s class mentioned to her that he believed his grandfather would be on this exact flight and that he would love to surprise his grandfather with his thank you card. Such a gratitude lesson for our students in support of their service to our country.

The West Gate K8 annual distinguished award winners were announced, as voted on by their colleagues. Please congratulate the following amazing educators: Diana Steiner – School Related Employee of the Year, Monique Rivas – Distinguished Minority Educator of the Year, Todd Millett – Outstanding First Year Teacher of the Year, and Victoria Randolph – Teacher of the Year.

The gardening project made some progress over the summer! We had our first crop of tomatoes and beans, yardlong beans, and students in summer school were able to taste them. The school district maintenance department installed a spigot for us to access water closer to the garden area. Thank you for enduring the high heat to make this happen. Safety first! We also received a generous donation from our PTO and the supplies we ordered have already arrived. The next steps include the art students continuing to add color to the area and the leadership classes and student council will … Read More

West Gate K-8 faculty and staff are partnering with UF IFAS Family Nutrition Program, PTO, SLPS Child Nutrition Services, and the Department of Health to RE-vitalize the campus garden. Our goal is to provide farm-to-table experiences for all of our students with an emphasis on healthy living.   We received our first donations and are on our way to a beautiful educational space on our campus. We kick off the project on Saturday, April 22nd, Earth Day.  Pictured are Michelle Estrella (ELA teacher), Victoria Randolph (Interventionist), Lucille Nembhard (Para), Kim Moore, and Jennie Buntin (UF). Absent are Evan Jones (OT), Jason … Read More

Dr. Sam Gaines, local businessman and former School Board member, invited students from Fort Pierce Westwood Academy WEST Prep’s African American History class to tour his childhood home and business and share stories of local history. The students were mesmerized by the depth of historical accounts Dr. Gaines has and the familial knowledge of multiple generations of residents. Dr. Gaines shared his memories of a segregated Fort Pierce and the progress through his lifetime. Stone Brothers Funeral Home was a beautiful, antique-filled setting with historical relics of death certificates, ledgers, and furniture since 1917. Pictured below from left to right: … Read More

WEST Prep earned straight Superior ratings for the Chorus and Women’s Ensemble in performance and sight reading on their MPAs (Musical Performance Assessments). They are headed to the state competition.   

The WEST Prep band received 2 Superiors and 2 Excellents with an overall rating of Superior at their MPAs (Musical Performance Assessments). The band has qualified for State. The WEST Prep Auxiliary also qualified for State. Four solos received Excellent rating and the Group Ensemble received Superior Rating.

The time and effort our Ag panthers put in each year is impressive and this year it all paid off. While all exhibitors from FFA and 4H from across the area did an incredible job, WEST Prep swept the top awards and we could not be more proud of them. Grand Champion Heifer- Philip Black Reserve Grand Champion Heifer- Reed Blankenbaker Sr I- Grand Champion Grooming- Philip Black SR I- Reserve Grand Champion Grooming- Allison Kohler Sr I- Reserve Grand Champion Showmanship- Allison Kohler Sr II- Grand Champion Grooming- Reed Blankenbaker Sr II- Reserve Grand Champion Grooming- Elizabeth Rufo Sr … Read More

Fort Pierce Westwood Academy: The WEST Prep Magnet came out in solidarity to support the FFA/Ag students and their tremendous efforts showing their steer, swine, and small animals. St. Lucie County School Board members Debbie Hawley and Troy Ingersoll joined proud Principal Joseph Lezeau and the Admin team with several panthers in the food booth at the fairgrounds. The food booth is the largest fundraiser for the Agricultural program and it is no wonder why. The bbq served is excellent and the customer service is always stellar.

All homeroom classes were charged with brainstorming, designing, and implementing community service projects. Several classes created Valentine’s Day cards for the elderly and their teachers delivered them for them. Showcased here are cards from Ms. Hoffman’s, Ms. Owen’s, and Ms. Tillman’s classes. Ms. Tillman’s classroom had several groups and one named themselves the “KCP Post-Its”. The K is for Kindness, the C is for Compassion, and the P is for Poverty. They developed a mission statement and will be doing monthly projects moving forward.

WEST Prep celebrated their faculty and staff by having a PopUp Spa party for self-care and relaxation before they left for the winter break. There were several stations that panthers could choose from to tailor their self-care wishes. Station set ups included vision boards, coloring, sensory, stretch/yoga, massage, infused water and facials.

This photo is Mrs. Jn Paul and her Pharm Tech 7 students celebrating Pharmacy Technician Day. Mrs. Jn Paul began our Pharm Tech program when Westwood High School transitioned into WEST Prep and this will be her first certified and employable class. These students will be completing a 7-course program in 4 years by having double block classes annually. The students have shown commitment and endurance and deserve this celebration with their teacher.

Mrs. Hoots, a first year educator and Art teacher at WEST Prep, has been collaboratively planning with many different departments on campus to infuse art and content across our STEAM campus. Showcased here is a collaboration between the African American Studies and the Literacy Committee. Through the African American Studies lens, they read about coded quilts and their use in helping escaped slaves navigate the Underground Railroad. The Literacy Committee helped design a Writing to Learn element to synthesize the unit and practice reading and writing skills. Students further examined Faith Ringgold’s contemporary quilts and the Drawing classes used geometric … Read More

The Fort Pierce Westwood Academy: The WEST Prep Magnet PBIS Team created a PBIS T-shirt and Logo Contest to allow students to showcase their artistic and design talents. There were 13 students who submitted artwork and the judges had a challenge to choose the one to represent the T-shirt for the 21-22 school year. The Winners of the contest are: 2nd Place tie to Rayna Duzart (Grade 12) and Bella Gentry (Grade 9). Each will receive a $50 gift card. 1st place is Jaime Espinoza Hurtado (Grade 10) and he will receive a $100 gift card. Congratulations to all of … Read More