Author: LYNNE Gruszka

Northport K-8 eighth grade Clownfish boys are supporting the school’s Relay For Life team this year by stepping into some big shoes! The theme this year is “Old Hollywood Glamour” and the boys are raising money for the event bypaying $5 per day to wear high heels. The Clownfish team leader Dru DeHart came up with the great idea to help support Relay For Life, and the boys have been vying to wear the shoes. The fundraiser for eighth grade boys runs October 30-November 16, and for seventh grade boys from November 27-December 19. The idea supports one of the school’s goals of providing … Read More

Northport K-8 sixth grade Starfish students and instructors joined forces to compare and contrast the Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon man recently as part of a unit of study. Students studied the characteristics of the two as well as weaponry and methods of survival. As a culminating activity, teachers dressed the parts of Wilma Flintstone, Betty Rubble and Pebbles Flintstone and encouraged students to compete in a “Deadliest Warrior” Survivor game. Each group of five students were given “dino bone survival scenarios” to read and then determined which man, Neanderthal or Cro-magnon, would survive the scenario. Students were engaged in the game and used critical thinking … Read More

Northport K-8 School community “walked the walk” and “talked the talk” recently at the school’s second annual Unity Day. Students made posters, banners, flags and signs and walked a route marked by the physical education instructors to offer support and to empower students against the harmful effects of bullying. Third grade teachers Melanie Polascak and Diana Lankow appeared on the morning announcements with important messages about bullying, teen girls painted their pinkie fingers blue in unity against girl bullies, classes watched clips about bullying and important lessons filtered the school classrooms about bullying. Several parents came to join their own children … Read More

Northport K-8 first grade students in Rachel Ellsworth, Laura Poveromo, Pam Mishler, Dulce Olivera, Michelle McCloskey and Christine Santos-Nurse’s classes received a very special visit from Smoky the Bear and Forest Ranger Bolduc recently to talk about the dangers of forest fires. The rangers read a special story about Smokey the Bear, showed the students the equipment and clothing worn by the rangers during a forest fire and even brought  their heavy equipment for students to peruse in the front of the school. Rangers talked about who to call if a student sees smoke, what to do if matches are found and … Read More

Northport K-8 students in Judy Fowler’s fifth grade class are preparing their annual winter garden this year with the help of a group of interested parents. During the next few months, students will learn to care for their plants by weeding, fertilizing, aerating the soil and spraying for insects. Students will also learn to use various weather instruments such as thermometers, hygrometers and rain guages. Some of the plants students are planting and tending are swiss chard, kohlrabi, tomatoes, peppers, cabbage and strawberries. Students will exhibit their garden journal, their produce and gardening projects at the Saint Lucie County Fair in February. Pictured, from … Read More

Northport K-8 School has been selected as a World-Class School, the highest distinction that can be awarded by schools that utilize the Imagine Learning program to teach students whose first language is not English. The Imagine Learning Lab is fascilitated and directed by instructor, Mary Toto and paraprofessional Marian Morales. The achievement is the result of hard work, committment to the program and perseverance by instructors and administration. The ESOL lab at Northport opens 45 minutes before school begins to allow parents and their children to come into the lab to learn English together. The Imagine Lab is a learning environment filled … Read More

Northport K-8 students in Dorothy Still’s seventh grade class and Tracey Healy and Nichole Robinson’s fifth grade classes participated in a primary source lesson given by retired Army 1 helicopter pilot Bill Shaw. Shaw invoked his experiences as a pilot for Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Ford, Nixon and Johnson and gave students specific and historical data on Army 1, Camp David and types of jets and helicopters he piloted. He also gave specific advice on what type of classes to take for careers in different military interests. Also, Korean War veteran Peter Popolizio, Vietnam era veteran Bill Arnold, World War II veterans John … Read More

Northport K-8 students in Susan Matteson’s eighth grade reading class and Lorri Lamm’s second grade class collaborated on a great lesson in building literacy skills and forging friendships recently in the school’s courtyard. The eighth grade students selected beautiful picture books and beginning reading books from the school’s media center, then shared the books with their second grade reading buddies.  The eighth graders read the books using expression and a lively pace, demonstrating fluency and enthusiasm. The second graders then read the books back to the older students using the same model of reading skills demonstrated by the eighth graders. The lesson was … Read More

The Senior and Adult Volunteer of the Year for the 2012-2013 school year have been selected at Northport K8 School. Suzi Scott, pictured on the left, Adult Volunteer of the Year, has served Northport for four years and has volunteered in a variety of available categories. Mrs. Scott served as PTO president for two years, chairwoman for the Adequate Yearly Progress committee, and a member of the School Advisory Council and Title 1 committee. Kay Egan, Senior Volunteer of the Year, at right, has served Northport students and teachers for five years as media assistant and assistant to several teachers in the lower school … Read More

Northport K-8 School sixth grade science teacher Amanda Sartain has won the FAST Award of Promise. The Florida Association of Science Teachers each year selects a science teacher from the state of Florida who has three to five years of experience and has demonstrated an interest and aptitude for teaching science. Some of the qualifications include participation in professional organizations showing leadership at the local, state and national level, maintaining an innovative and exciting classroom/labratory environment, uses innovative materials and new approaches to teaching science, effectively uses community resources and guest speakers and continuously practices professional development through workshops and conferences. Mrs. … Read More

Northport K-8 eighth grade students in Sandra Tyndale’s reading classes are enjoying a special section of books that are particularly chosen for seventh and eighth graders at the school.  Students can select from Young Adult Choices (YAC) books to tweak their reading enjoyment. The YAC books are being promoted in four schools in the district: Manatee Academy, Treasure Coast High School, Dan McCarty School and Northport K-8 School. The chosen books are shelved and marked separately to encourage young adults to read. The books, all very new and up to date, provide middle and high school students with an opportunity to … Read More

Northport K-8 first grade students in Laura Poveromo, Dulce Olivera and Christine Santos-Nurse’s classes recieved a visit from Officer Daniel Smith of the Fort Pierce Police Department. Students sat in a group in the outdoor garden area and had a lengthy conversation with Officer Smith, who spoke to the students about how to keep themselves safe when playing outside and to make sure to keep their porch lights on and doors locked to help prevent break ins. He also spoke about the importance of laws and equated laws to school rules. Officer Smith also explained all the tools and equipment that he … Read More

Northport K-8 students in Susan Matteson’s eighth grade critical thinking class are selecting books to prepare to demonstrate enthusiastic reading with an engaging and lively pace with Lorri Lamm’s second graders. Students will pair together to read and enjoy new books. The brand new books are a product of the media center’s partnership with the Northport K-8 School PTO. The books were purchased through a community book fair called Titlewish. Titlewish is an online zone offered through Follett Book Company. The Titlewish program allows the parents, grandparents and community members to purchase library ready books. The Northport PTO donated $1,500 for exciting, new … Read More

Staff from Northport K8 School participated in the Bowl for Kids Sake event at Superplay recently. Team members got their teeshirts, picked out bowling balls, teamed up and continued to enjoy a wonderful evening filled with cameraderie. The Northport team was recognized for the largest donation in their time slot. One of the main missions of the teachers and staff of the school is to promote positive interactions among colleagues and to participate in community action initiatives with the betterment of students and community building always uppermost in mind.  The Big Brothers, Big Sisters Bowl For Kids Sake event is yet … Read More

Northport K-8 students in Rose Rumer’s K-5 Autism classes have been working diligently for over a year to put together a fabulous work of art! The piece, depicting Egyptian pyramids and a panorama of stars, was created using sand, water and glue. Palm trees made of layer upon layer of tissue paper frame the bottom of the art.  The piece and many others like it will be on display at the Disability History and Awareness Expo on Saturday, September 29 at Indian River State College from 8:15 am until 12:20 pm.  The Expo is an opportunity for the community to learn about … Read More

Northport K-8 students work diligently to achieve common core standards and the bar for student expectations has been set high. Students are rewarded for results with high grades, good behavior and cooperative learning. Positive Behavior Support, or more commonly known as PBS, is utilized every day at the school. Students recently were rewarded with orange wrist bands and tee shirt day on the sixth grade Dolphin team and the eighth grade Mariners team held a PBS field days event. Students were rewarded for achievement in their behavior and willingness to cooperate with teachers and other students. Pictured is Northport eighth grade Mariner Javonte … Read More

Northport K-8 second grader Breanna Guillaume and her classmates learned an excellent lesson in character development recently. One day, U. S. Army veteran Bill Arnold was visiting the school, and he lost his keys.  Breanna found the keys, and ran up to Mr. Arnold to return them. Mr. Arnold was so overwhelmed with gratitude that he returned to the school to award Breanna with an American flag pin and a good lesson that character counts to the students in Denise Fields’ second grade class.  Pictured are Mr. Arnold, Breanna,and Ms. Fields.  Northport students are rewarded for good character as well as … Read More

Northport third graders in Melanie Polascak’s class contructed a quilt for hope to learn about the history of September 11, 2001. Ms. Polascak used a PowerPoint slide show to tell the students all about the Survivor Tree at Ground Zero, the story of one small pear tree that survived the devastion of that day. The instructor encouraged the students to have hope for the future and like the pear tree, America will survive tough times. The third graders were extremely proud of their quilt, and Ms. Polascak’s lesson allowed students to digest elaborate information in a concrete yet simple manner!

Northport K-8 Northstar students in Mala Woessners gifted and enriched middle grades classes used the tragedy of 9/11 to listen to two famous presidential speeches of hope, renewal and triumph over enemies of the United States. Students listened to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt address members of the U.S. Congress when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, and compared and contrasted the speech of President George Bush addressing the nation when Muslim extremists attacked the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11, 2001. Students cited evidence and made inferences using the primary sources and made note of several important characteristics. Both … Read More

Northport K-8 middle grades chorus,  under the direction of instructor and new choral director James Kirk have been diligently preparing for their debut as a distinguished chorus.  Students will don dress attire and sing an arrangement of America The Beautiful by Katherine Lee Bates at the school’s first assembly of the year.  Students will sing at the September 11 Commemoration to be held on September 10 in the Northport gymnasium.  Mr. Kirk previously directed at Alfred Ely Beach High School in Savanna, Georgia.  Mr. Kirk began directing in 2004.  The debut should prove to energize the Northport Choral Department and … Read More