Author: Lydia Martin

  St. Lucie Public Schools (SLPS) invites fathers and male caregivers to come back to school!  On September 28, a movement across the state of Florida will be put into motion whereby fathers and male caregivers are encouraged to bring their child to school, sign a pledge of involvement, and demonstrate the value of being involved in their child’s education — Dads Take Your Child to School Day. Dr. Kevin Perry leads the effort for SLPS. He explained, “The movement in SLPS began two years ago and grew out of recognition of the power of male involvement in the education … Read More

Commissioner Kim Johnson welcomed 21st Century Program Managers Terrence Platt and Kimberly Roberts to his talk show — Coffee With The Chair. They discussed Lights on After School, an upcoming afterschool expo designed to spotlight activities available to children in St. Lucie County. Commissioner Johnson celebrated the effort to bring attention to the rich variety of programs available to children before school, after school, and during summer months. To learn more about opportunities local youth have to explore interests and discover talents, mark your calendar for October 17th (4:00 to 7:30) and stay tuned for more details.

Student artists from St. Lucie Public Schools (SLPS) channel their talents in a tribute to the heroes of 9/11.  Through a collaborative art project between SLPS and the City of Port St. Lucie, students are helping to beautify the city by painting murals that will be transferred to wraps for traffic utility cabinets throughout the city.  A special 9/11 tribute cabinet created by art students at Lincoln Park Academy will be unveiled at the upcoming remembrance ceremony for 9/11 victims and first responders.  The ceremony, which begins at 8:30 AM, will take place at the Port St. Lucie Civic Center, … Read More

For the latest news regarding Zika resources and updates, visit the website for the Florida Department of Health in St. Lucie County. http://www.floridahealth.gov/index.html  

September is Attendance Awareness Month – an opportunity to bring attention to and support building a habit of good attendance. St. Lucie Public Schools (SLPS) Superintendent E. Wayne Gent emphasized the importance for all students to attend school regularly.  “Regular attendance is vital for our students’ success. Chronic absenteeism negatively impacts student achievement and graduation rates. Our goal is to give every student the best opportunity for success in life, so let’s help create habits of positive attendance early in their academic careers.” Showing up for school has a huge impact on a student’s academic success starting in kindergarten and … Read More

Healthy Schools, in cooperation with St. Lucie Public Schools and the Florida Department of Health in St. Lucie County, are excited to kick off the “Teach Flu A Lesson” program in 2016! Every year thousands of children miss valuable time in the classroom because of the dreaded flu. If that isn’t bad enough they carry it home with them, infecting loved ones, and causing them to miss work and school. Based on data from other counties in Florida, as well as in other states, we know the in-school flu vaccination program works and STOPS the flu in its tracks. So … Read More

St. Lucie Soars is an early literacy effort launched by St. Lucie Public Schools that includes a community initiative in partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters.  A component of the program involves the recruitment of volunteers/mentors to support reading efforts in kindergarten through grade three. Community members are asked to consider becoming volunteers for St. Lucie Soars by donating one hour each week to read with a child.  Information and registration are available through the St. Lucie Public Schools homepage at www.stlucieschools.org.  Interested volunteers will find registration information, a mentor guide, a training video, and more through this online portal. … Read More

SUPPORT YOUR CHILD’S SCHOOL AND CLASS Buy your Coupons for Classrooms book today and help raise money for your child’s school as well as for teacher grants and high school senior scholarships.  Each book costs $25.00 and just using it twice will save you the dollars you paid for the book. https://issuu.com/savearound/docs/st_lucie_county_fl?e=18348958/15118567 For ordering information, contact the St. Lucie Education Foundation at 429-5505 or click on this link:  https://www.educationfoundationstlucie.org/

  September is Attendance Awareness Month. Improving attendance and reducing chronic absence is not rocket science, but it does take commitment, collaboration and tailored approaches to the particular strengths and challenges of each school or community. Across the nation, schools, communities and advocates have successfully taken steps to ensure children are attending school more regularly. Help to ensure our children are in school each day.    

Florida’s educational leaders are providing opportunities for fathers to engage more fully in their children’s education and to strengthen the connections between fathers and schools through the celebration of Dads Take Your Child to School Day. Your child’s school will share specific information with you.  In the meantime, mark your calendar and plan to join in this statewide movement on September 28, 2016.

For accurate and up-to-date information and resources on the Zika virus, the following web links from the Florida Health Department in St. Lucie County are valuable resources: Zika Virus Updates http://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/zika-virus/index.html Spill the Water Campaign http://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/spill-the-water/   https://youtu.be/ayVop5Dx0YQ