Author: Sandra Oliveira

William Ortiz graduated in 2019 with a BA in History and International Affairs from Florida State University.  He has just been nominated as an alternate for a Fulbright Teaching Assistant position in Columbia. In the summer of 2019, William was accepted into the Charles B. Rangel Summer Enrichment program as a 2019 “Rangel Scholar.”  The Rangel Program is a joint program between the US Department of State and Howard University.  The goal of the program is to enrich undergraduate students and recent graduates with knowledge of the inner workings of the State Department and potential career paths. William says:  “We … Read More

Did you know that 95% of U.S. adults support organ donation but only 58% are registered as donors?   Currently, there are 5,938 people in the State of Florida waiting for an organ.  St. Lucie West Centennial HS HOSA students are looking to change those statistics. All too many times, we hear of a friend, or a family member, or a neighbor needing an organ transplant.  Occasionally, our community loses someone too early to a tragic accident.  The St. Lucie County Tax Collectors office along with their Chief Deputy and long-time school administrator, David Washington, have forged a partnership with St. … Read More

FBI Agent Gavin Gumbinner visited the Law Academy at SLW Centennial High School and met with Ms. Oliveira’s and Ms. Baumgarten’s classes.  The students learned about how to become an FBI agent, the responsibilities of an FBI agent and he answered general questions that the students had.

Ms. Willems’ AICE Marine Science Students participated in “A Day in the Life of the Indian River Lagoon,” an annual citizen science and participatory project, where environmental partners, students, and teachers collaborate to simultaneously collect scientific data at sites along the 156 mile stretch of the lagoon.

SLW Centennial High School Criminal Justice Students in Ms. Baumgarten’s and Ms. Oliveira’s classes had the opportunity to learn about Emergency Management Systems in St. Lucie County.  Speakers included: Frank Amandro, Assistant Director for the Public Safety Department; Billy Weinshank, Emergency Management Safety Planner; Karen Kozac, Radiological Coordinator Assistant; and Sue McNichol, Human Resource Coordinator.  Students learned about different types of emergencies and how to respond to them, emergency planning and preparedness, career opportunities in emergency management, and how criminal  justice degrees and careers fit in with emergency management.    

The Treasure Coast Inter-Agency Transition Council gives the Navigation Award to five people from the four-county area.  It is given to those we are leading the way by navigating transition services for supporting the successful transition of persons with disabilities from school to post-graduation.  Penny Scialdo, School-Based ESE Specialist, has always been a proponent of seamless, positive transition for her students.  We appreciate all she has done for the students in St. Lucie Public Schools. A big congratulations to Penny for her outstanding service!    

More than 150 Health Science 10th and 11th grade students at St. Lucie West Centennial High School learned Hands-Only CPR. These students were taught by Mary Higgins, Elizabeth Durkee, and their Certified Nursing Assistant students. Students learned how to recognize the need for CPR, how to call 911, and how to push hard and fast in the center of the chest to the beat of the classic disco song “Stayin’ Alive.” The American Heart Association’s Hands-Only CPR method at this beat can more than double a person’s chances of survival. This method has been shown to be as effective as … Read More

Mrs. Durkee and Mrs. Higgins’ Allied Health classes and HOSA-Future Health Professional members partnered up with Communities Connected for Kids for their annual Making Christmas Bright project. CCK oversees child-welfare services in Okeechobee and the Treasure Coast, and Guardians for New Futures, which helps meet the unfunded needs of children in foster care. The project has served thousands of children in Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee and St. Lucie counties. For the fourth year, students, student groups, faculty and staff from all over the Centennial campus, jumped at the chance to participate in this year’s toy drive. We were even fortunate … Read More

St. Lucie West Centennial High School’s Jaynell Pittman and Kevin Smith have been selected as the Florida Interscholastic  Athletic Administrators Association’s Female and Male Sportsmanship Award winners in Class 8A-9A.

PrepVolleyball.com has been working since November attempting to identify the top varsity-playing sophomores (Class of 2020) in the country in 2017. This recognition is based on outstanding High School Varsity Achievement for the 2017 season. SLW Centennial Sophomore, Kailey McKnight made it onto the Elite Honorable Mention List. Kailey McKnight, 5-9 OH, St. Lucie West Centennial (Port St. Lucie, Florida) — First Team All-Area and the team’s Offensive MVP, McKnight recorded a county-leading 358 kills and added 274 digs and 58 aces and passed 298 serves for the Eagles in 2017. “She is a standout when it comes to her … Read More

Students in Centennial’s Medical Academy participated in HOSA’s toy drive this holiday season.  They are making Christmas bright for children on the Treasure Coast and Okeechobee.  The HOSA students collected over 175 gifts for the children.    

Kailey McKnight tried out for Team USA Volleyball. Tryouts were held in 32 cities across the United States, and this Centennial Eagle was one of fifty-five girls selected to move to the next level of competition. Kailey will compete with the best this summer as part of USA Volleyball HP (High Performance) A1 National Select Training Team. We are very excited and proud of Kailey. Congratulations Kailey!    

Congratulations to all of the early childhood students who passed their 40-hour DCF statewide training course for all childcare workers in the Florida. Mrs. Wester and Mrs. Serynek took 60 students to IRSC on May 9 to take this test.  As a result of passing this exam, students also have an opportunity to work with young children in the Eagles Nest Preschool on the campus of SLW Centennial High School.  This is an excellent CTE program in our county providing great opportunities for our students.  

Junior, Sloan Sizemore, won 1st Place in the Individual Performance Category at the St. Lucie Public Schools History Day Fair. Sloan will be competing next at the State History Day Fair in Tallahassee. Congratulations Sloan!      

Congratulations to Centennial’s Wrestling Regional Qualifiers:  Mike Jimolka, 4th place; Garrett Graeser, 2nd place; Tonasis Rolle, 4th place; Kevin Smith, 3rd place; Jacob Holtz, 4th place; JoJo Alford, 4th place; and Logan Henik, 4th place. Go EAGLES!  

Special Award – Publix Good Science Award Chaffee Wood and Ozzie Venereo  – “P-Bass Pickups” 1st Place Engineering Chaffee Wood and Ozzie Venereo – “P-Bass Pickups” 2nd Place Engineering Tyler Tarrant – “Magnetic Levitation Model” 2nd Place Biomedical & Health Science Melene Joseph – “Is Hearing Damaged If You Listen to Loud Music?” 3rd Place Plant Science Samantha Ashabranner and Henry Nguyen – “Is Black Light White?”    

More than 117 Health Science A&P 10th and 11th grade students at St. Lucie West Centennial High School learned Hands-Only CPR this week. These students were taught by Mary Higgins’ First Responder and Dual Enrollment students. First Responder classes are available to students who have completed the Allied Health Program as a senior elective. First Responder students prepare for careers in emergency medicine by becoming CPR certified as Health Care Professionals, completing web based classroom instruction and skills in advanced first aid techniques, followed by a shadowing opportunity at various St. Lucie County Fire Stations. They will also take a … Read More

SLW Centennial Young Floridian candidates participated in a mock luncheon and interview in preparation for the official luncheon and interview at IRSC. Thank you to all of the guest judges who participated.  

SLW Centennial’s Athletic Director, Steven Ripley, has been awarded the CMAA Certification. CMAA is the acronym for Certified Master Athletic Administrator. He is now part of a very elite group of Athletic Administrators. Only five percent of all athletic directors in the United States have achieved the CMAA level. His dedication and commitment is impressive. We appreciate what he does for Centennial, the Athletic Department, and the student athletes.