Author: LYNNE Gruszka

Northport K-8 middle grades track team under the tutelage and coaching of Joy Miller, ESE paraprofessional, have won accolades and a trophy at the final track meet of the season this year. The team competes with other track teams from K-8 and middle schools across the school district. The Northport K-8 School track teams practices every school day during the spring training and competition. There are twelve students on the team, five boys and seven girls. The competition was held this year at Lawnwood Stadium. Coach Miller said, “My girls and boys were determined to win!” Northport girls brought home … Read More

Northport K-8 School Culinary Arts students, under the direction of instructor, Rachel Ellsworth, visited Publix grocery store on St. James Drive recently to learn about skills necessary for a career in the baking and cooking industry. Students visited the bakery department and learned about sanitation procedures and skills necessary to decorate beautiful cakes. Students were allowed to try their hand at icing and decorating cakes. Students also visited the butcher shop and learned all about the meat cutting and wrapping procedures. The butcher explained all about temperature control, sanitation and cleanliness guidelines. Publix department managers and store employees were extremely … Read More

Northport K-8 middle grades Ensemble Choir participated recently in the 10th Anniversary of Disney Festival. Thirteen girls, accompanied by Northport K-8 staff and parents, represented Northport with aplomb. Students performed an arrangement of Michael Jackson’s hit “ABC” as well as “Hot Chocolate!” with show choir ability. The girls received an “Excellent” rating and were thrilled with the professionalism of larger groups from across the state. Northport Choir Director, James Kirk said, ” The girls were on point! Job well Done!” Pictured are chaperone, DeLacy Bembry, choir director, James Kirk and the participating girls.

Northport K-8 School is proud to offer to Northstar team 6, 7, and 8 grade students the opportunity to design, build and implement a STEaM Photonics Lab. The lab allows students to excel in many areas including science, math, engineering and technology that have not previously been explored. Students are utilizing the engineering design process and work in groups to develop a design plan using criteria and constraints, implementation and modification, as well as trouble shooting and executing their final design. Every step is recorded following the engineering notebook criteria for validation through replication by other students. Every procedure employs … Read More

Northport K-8 fifth graders in Judy Fowler, Tracey Healy, Melanie Polascak, Carla Caldwell and Lisa Wiedrick’s classes hosted Mrs. Olga Drucker, a Holocaust survivor recently. Mrs. Drucker spoke to the students in the media center about her experiences living in Nazi Germany as a child and her experiences as part of a special group of children who were transported out of Germany into other countries called “Kindertransport!” Mrs. Drucker spoke to the children with a quivering voice of experience about real life history. Northport K-8 School was able to secure Mrs. Drucker as a speaker through a partnership with the … Read More

Northport K-8 School Big Brother, Big Sister Mentor Merisa Moroz has won a $1000 Scholarship for the University of North Florida from the Children’s Services Council. Merisa attends Mosaic Digital Academy and has served as a mentor this school year. Northport is thrilled to have a strong partnership with Big Brothers, Big Sisters and the AmeriCorps tutoring branch of the organization as well as the many programs offered by the Children’s Services Council. Merisa tutors and mentors two kindergarten children from Tiffany Tredor’s class at Northport and says that she “loves to meet with the kids and be a positive … Read More

Northport K-8 students, teachers and parents united recently to complete the Young Author’s program. The Author’s program is a wonderful opportunity for students to demonstrate that they have learned the writing process effectively. The entire school completes the book as a community program using common language in a commitment to engaged learning. Students learn to flesh out their characters and setting with concrete vocabulary words and phrases. Students prewrite, reflect, edit, illustrate and then revise their books for publication and presentation. Each year, the media center is transformed into a wonderland with a different theme as a backdrop to showcase … Read More

Northport K-8 School kindergarten students in Melody Nieves hosted Port St. Lucie mayor, Joanne Faiella recently. Mayor Faiella graciously accepted the invitation by Big Brothers, Big Sisters AmeriCorps tutor, Alex Neelan who tutors several of the kindergarten students. Mrs. Nieves prepared the students by having them make welcome signs in the front office, on the classroom door and in the classroom. Students were thrilled to hear about the duties of the mayors job and Mrs. Faiella answered the question so eloquently that the kindergarteners eagerly asked more questions. Mayor Faiella spoke about her experiences teaching in a private school and … Read More

Northport K-8 teachers, staff and students went head to head recently in a playoff basketball game in the school gymnasium. Students participated in an FCAT pep rally and wrapped the afternoon up with a basketball game that thrilled not only the middle school students but the staff and teachers as well. The students drove hard but could not beat the teachers. A rematch will be held after the final FCAT test is wrapped up and shipped. The school has worked extremely hard to instruct, teach and encourage the use of test taking strategies and to motivate their students to do … Read More

Northport K-8 School students in Shana Cicio, Melody Nieves, Nancy Yost, Tiffany Tredor and Kara McNair’s kindergarten classes have delved into a Community Helpers project recently. Students took an in-depth look at community members who affect their lives. After classroom discussions and questions, students interacted with guest speakers who work in the community. Students met as a group in the media center and welcomed Mrs. Rose Cash, Northport Maintenance Foreman, Sgt. Chris Cicio of the SLC Sheriff’s office and Paula Earll, client advisor from Chase bank. Students listened to the speakers intently in a series of scheduled visits and then … Read More

Northport K-8 School students in Shana Cicio, Melody Nieves, Nancy Yost, Tiffany Tredor and Kara McNair’s kindergarten classes have delved into a Community Helpers project recently. Students took an indepth look at community members who affect their lives. After classroom discussions and questions, students interacted with guest speakers who work in the community. Students met as a group in the media center and welcomed Mrs. Rose Cash, Northport Maintenance Foreman, Sgt. Chris Cicio of the SLC Sheriff’s office and Paula Earll, client advisor from Chase bank. Students listened to the speakers intently in a series of scheduled visits and then … Read More

Northport K-8 middle grades science instructor, Dr. Laura Woodworth from the Northstar team celebrated a major victory for students recently. Dr. Woodworth rewarded forty students who achieved an 80% or above on the science Progress Monitoring Predictive test with a very special hand made lunch. Woodworth prepared the luncheon of Pirate’s pork, Black Gold and Jewels on rice at home and served her students and fellow instructors with the assistance of her father and husband. The celebratory luncheon not only promoted positive interactions with colleagues and students but also promoted success, hard work and the thrill of achievement. Dr. Woodworth … Read More

Northport K-8 School is celebrating National Library Week along with schools and public libraries across the country! This year the observance is April 13 -19. The theme this year is “Lives Change @ your library!” National Library Week was first sponsored in 1958 by the American Library Association or ALA. The week was started as a response to concerns that Americans were spending too much time listening to radio, television and music and were reading much less. More and more, libraries are at the forefront of the community as family budgets perhaps become smaller. The library offers a world of … Read More

Northport K-8 School 8th grade Mariner student, Albert Morgan will be attending a very special three day conference in Anaheim, California this month. Albert will be representing the Chuck Hill Unit of the Port St. Lucie Boys and Girls Club on Marion Street. Ten other local students from the unit will be attending with Albert as well as Unit Director, London Reeves. Students raised the money to attend the leadership conference through fundraising. The Keystone Conference attendees are called Keystones. The Keystone Conference has three main goals for the students, community involvement, academic success and career exploration. Students will visit … Read More

The Northport K-8 School Media Center offered students an opportunity to showcase their multifaceted talents in a terrific Women’s History and Girl’s Empowerment Program recently. The program highlighted the accomplishments of women role models in history, Northport teachers and staff, mothers, daughters, and students. Students were empowered to shed poor role models like Miley Cyrus, Amanda Bynes, Britney Spears and Beyoncé and to look for strong women who have made important changes in the world. Women’s struggles and successes were highlighted in a PowerPoint presentation that included music, news clips and clips from actress Hilary Swank playing the role of … Read More

Northport K-8 middle grades students participated in a writing contest themed, “What Does Being A Woman Really Mean?” Students from all across the spectrum of writing capabilities wrote beautiful and meaningful essays that were included in the school’s annual Women’s History Program held in the media center recently. The essay contest, spearheaded by New Horizons’ Prevention Specialist Maryanne Warren allowed students to think deeply about female characters in their lives and how each has proven influential. Third place winner is Andrew Moscuzza, second place is Emily Avery and first place winner is Misty Hall, all eighth grade Mariner team members. … Read More

Northport K-8 kindergartners took part in a pilot study at the school called “Sounds For Intelligence!” The program consists of brain-strengthening sound exercises. The core techniques include a series of sounds vocalized while visualizing parts of the brain, eyes, ears and back of the neck. The exercise is less than five minutes when used correctly each morning, and helps to create balance in brain function. Phonemic Intelligence uses a small unit of sound called a phoneme. The phoneme also carries intelligence and knowing. Phonemic Intelligence was first introduced as “Mind Sound Technology” in the USA, Canada and India. It has … Read More

Selected Northport K-8 middle grades students have been specially trained to serve as school ambassadors to help showcase the great events and opportunities that are available to the students, families and community members at the school. Northport has many, many community partners including military members, first responders, service therapy dog handlers and many guests who require movement within the school. The selected students have been trained to offer their guests specialized services within a cordial and warm atmosphere, and willingly offer their hand and polite conversation while transporting guests to any location on the campus grounds. The students consider being … Read More

Northport K-8 School kicked off its second book fair of the school year themed “Cruise Into Reading” by inviting Clifford the Big, Red Dog to shake the hand of parents in the parent drop off area and to welcome students into school to check out the book fair. Big Brothers, Big Sisters AmeriCorps tutors Renee Simpson and Alex Neelan are taking turns donning the red suit to intrigue the students into visiting the book fair and to promote the joy of reading to the students and parents at Northport K-8 School. The AmeriCorps tutors have become an integral facet of … Read More