Category: Press Releases

Ms. Valerie Arendas a teacher at Port St. Lucie High in Fort Pierce was among 23 teachers selected to be a Behring Teacher Ambassador for National History Day® during the 2016-2017 school year. To be selected recipients must show outstanding creativity, commitment and inspiration in developing students’ interest in history education. Candidates must be excellent classroom teachers who are past winners of the Behring Teacher Award in their state or affiliate program. Arendas was awarded the Florida Behring Teacher Award for classroom excellence in National History Day’s Senior division in 2012. The 2016–2017 National History Day theme is Taking a … Read More

ST. LUCIE COUNTY – Celebrate Music in Our Schools with area bands and choral ensembles as they fill the Fenn Center with the sound of music on April 7 at 7:00 p.m. The public is invited to attend this free concert sponsored by St. Lucie Public Schools. With over 500 students from across the District performing, audiences will enjoy a wide range of musical selections as students showcase their talents for their community.  The concert, hosted by Jane Whitaker, will be presented in round robin style. The theme for this year’s celebration is Music Inspires! According to Whitaker, “Music is a … Read More

ST. LUCIE COUNTY – In a recent awards ceremony, students, parents, teachers, and community members from across the county gathered to celebrate the winners in the various categories of this year’s Science and Engineering STEM Fair competition. Students were judged on their challenging scientific questions, their research practices, and their problem solving procedures. From this elite group, 14 students were selected to compete this March in Lakeland at the State level competition, and three students will take their projects to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) this coming May in Phoenix, Arizona. Congratulations to the following students … Read More

St. LUCIE COUNTY — Superintendent E. Wayne Gent announced Rafael Sanchez as the new executive director of Human Resources for St. Lucie Public Schools (SLPS) which is St. Lucie County’s largest employer. Sanchez will relocate from his role as Human Resources Assistant Director of Montgomery County Public Schools in Rockville, Maryland to assume his new position in April. “The recruitment and retention of quality educators and support staff is critical to the quality education all students deserve,” said Gent.  “Hiring the best and the brightest is our goal for our schools and our community. We recognize the need to maintain … Read More

ST. LUCIE COUNTY – In a report of information compiled annually by the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE), St. Lucie Public Schools (SLPS) once again moves closer to the head of the class in regard to top efficiency ratings for cost per capital outlay. In 2014-2015, the District was ranked 11 out of 67 school districts by reducing costs from $201.00 to $197.00. This compares to a ranking of 15 for the 2013-2014 academic year. This information is compiled annually from the financial data provided by school districts to the FLDOE. According to a memo from the FLDOE, this data … Read More

ST. LUCIE COUNTY — In a live broadcast on Saturday, February 20, 2016, from Lincoln Park Academy, St. Lucie Public Schools (SLPS) and the Education Foundation of St. Lucie County announced this year’s line-up of educational superstars. Mr. Jeffrey Johnson, Sr. took top honors as St. Lucie County’s Teacher of the Year. Mr. Johnson is a champion of students at Dale Cassens Educational Complex where he supports students in the areas of science and mathematics. Joining him on the stage during the Night of the Stars gala were School Related Employee of the Year Mr. Charles Pilson from Manatee Academy, … Read More

ST. LUCIE COUNTY — Nardi Routten, a fourth grade instructor at F.K. Sweet Elementary and Glenna Sigmon, a first grade instructor at Palm Point Educational Research School at Tradition have been selected to be part of an elite pool of 40 professional educators from across the state of Florida to participate in the Florida Teacher Leader Fellowship Program. The University of Florida Lastinger Center for Learning partnered with the Center for Teaching Quality (CTQ) to host this program. It is designed to support Florida teachers and their leadership practices. Participants will benefit from a three-pronged focus: improving the quality of … Read More

ST. LUCIE COUNTY — The district grade awarded to St. Lucie Public Schools (SLPS) increased from a C to a B this year. This is a significant accomplishment despite the fact that learning gains were not included in the calculations. It is important to note that two SLPS realized multi-grade increases: Rivers Edge Elementary moved from a D to an A and Morningside Elementary advanced from a C to an A. An additional six schools also increased their school grade rating. Individual school ratings throughout the county did not change drastically with the majority of schools remaining the same as … Read More

ST. LUCIE COUNTY — St. Lucie Public Schools (SLPS) Superintendent E. Wayne Gent accepted a rebate check from Florida Power and Light (FPL) in the amount of $97,440.00 during Tuesday’s School Board Meeting. The rebate resulted from the recent installation of a new Thermal Energy System (TES) at Lakewood Park Elementary. The District has had a long-standing commitment to maximizing the efficiency of its facilities, and the installation of such systems in local schools has proven effective. Schools with systems such as these have demonstrated an average savings of approximately 50 percent in energy costs. “Every dollar is important to … Read More

ST. LUCIE COUNTY — David Finch is a humorist and author of The Journal of Best Practices, a New York Times best-selling memoir. As part of the FAU CARD Autism Lecture Series, this free speaking engagement will take place on March 10, 2016, from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM at the St. Lucie Public Schools District Office located at 4204 Okeechobee Road, Fort Pierce. Finch himself was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome shortly after he was married in 2003 and has since focused on a personal self-improvement journey. Using his own life story and his humorous delivery style, this former semiconductor … Read More

ST. LUCIE COUNTY — Excitement is in the air as the 28th Annual Night of the Stars gala draws closer.  This ticketed event scheduled for Saturday, February 20, at the Lincoln Park Academy Auditorium in Fort Pierce will honor outstanding educational and support staff professionals in St. Lucie Public Schools (SLPS).  A VIP welcome reception is planned for 5:00 PM and the awards ceremony is set to begin at 6:00 PM.   This year’s categories will include: Teacher of the Year, School Related Employee of the Year, Distinguished Minority Educator of the Year, and Outstanding First Year Teacher of the … Read More

Throughout the state of Florida, this week is celebrated as Student Services Week to laud the contributions of student services professionals. School counselors, school nurses, school psychologists and school social workers dedicate their efforts to supporting the academic, behavioral, social, physical, mental and emotional development of all students. In sync with this is National School Counseling Week, sponsored by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA). Both are celebrated from Feb. 1–5, 2016, with the latter honing special public attention on the unique contribution of professional school counselors within U.S. school systems and how students are different as a result of … Read More

The only thing missing was the red carpet as a parade of well-wishers honored the three finalists for St. Lucie Public Schools’ (SLPS) Teacher of the Year. On Monday, Sandra Oliveira (St. Lucie West Centennial High School), Heather Knab (Floresta Elementary), and Jeffrey L. Johnson, Sr. (Dale Cassens Education Complex) were surprised with the news, flowers, and balloons by a team from St. Lucie’s Education Foundation and School Board. In his first year as the Superintendent of Schools, E. Wayne Gent commented that he could not be more proud to serve in any other District. “Our Teacher of the Year … Read More

ST. LUCIE COUNTY – Voluntary pre-kindergarten (VPK) and kindergarten educators from across the District will convene on Fort Pierce Central High School’s campus for the Kaleidoscope of Movement Conference on Saturday, January 30, 2016. A wide array of talent development sessions will target early learning needs for four to six-year-old children with special sessions designed to support important learning opportunities for infants and toddlers. Interested public and private educators may register for this free event by contacting Dr. Mary Huffstetter at Mary.Huffstetter@stlucieschools.org. A strong early learning initiative has grown in St. Lucie Public Schools (SLPS) for the last four years … Read More

ST. LUCIE COUNTY — Graduation rates continue to climb in St. Lucie Public Schools (SLPS) with a reported 75.5 percent rate for the 2014-2015 academic year. According to the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE), SLPS realized a 2.3 percent increase from last year’s rate of 73.2 percent and an increase over the last six years of more than 10 percent. Most impressive were the increases at Lincoln Park Academy (LPA) and St. Lucie West Centennial High School (SLWCHS) of 6 percent and 5.7 percent respectively. With LPA boasting a rate of 98.6 percent and SLWCHS touting 82.3 percent, both schools … Read More

ST. LUCIE COUNTY — Today’s Iron Chefs have nothing over the talented student chefs who will be competing for tasty votes during the 3rd Annual Culinary Showcase on Wednesday, December 9, at the City of Port St. Lucie Civic Center on US Hwy One. From 5 pm to 7 pm, the public is invited to sample the cooking creations from the St. Lucie Public Schools’ five high school culinary arts programs (Fort Pierce Central, Fort Pierce Westwood, Port St. Lucie, Treasure Coast, and St. Lucie West Centennial High Schools) and two middle school programs (Northport VPK-8 and St. Lucie West … Read More

ST. LUCIE COUNTY — On Wednesday, December 2, 2015, Fort Pierce Central High School (FPCHS) will accept the Super Bowl Honor Roll Wilson Golden Football — a symbol of distinction bestowed upon the school on behalf of Robert Weathers (FPCHS Class of 1978) and the National Football League (NFL). The induction ceremony in which FPCHS will become part of the community of schools that have contributed to Super Bowl history will take place during an in-school basketball game. Select high schools across the country will receive a commemorative Golden Football produced by Wilson for each player or head coach who … Read More

In a surprise announcement, Aneesa Dial of Fort Pierce Westwood High School’s Marine and Oceanographic Academy (MOA), learned that she is one of 14 finalists for the Leaders 4 Life (L4L) Fellowship Program offered through the Take Stock in Children program at Indian River State College (IRSC). This is a prestigious statewide fellowship which is designed to provide highly motivated Take Stock in Children scholars who have demonstrated strong leadership skills, moral character, and academic success with the financial resources, services, and support needed to ensure student success throughout college. Six students will become “fellows” as winners of the L4L … Read More