Manatee Academy’s monthly SUNDAY BRUNCH had a special guest for December. The Big Guy himself Ho-Ho-Ho’ed his way into the library and children were treated to something better than candy canes from Santa — free, brand new books TO KEEP! Families also enjoyed Mrs. Remington’s world-famous chocolate-chip pancakes after snapping pictures with bigger-than-life holiday characters, singing Christmas carols, and checking out up to 10 books!

For the second year, Manatee Academy 7th grade students have partnered with the Indian River Oyster Reef Restoration Project and the 4 H Foundation in building an oyster reef off Harbor Point Park in Ft. Pierce. The students use the natural water filtration ability of the oysters to promote a better water quality in the lagoon system. They have been involved in enrichment lessons that promote real world application of how humans impact the Earth’s water. The unit includes a series of research labs in oyster anatomy along with dissection and water quality testing. The students will return to the … Read More

Students and staff were “Feelin’ Groovy” at our Rockin’ Family Night. Parents learned about websites they can use with their children at home. We also had Deputy Lopez from the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Department talk to parents and students about Internet safety. Students were also able to shop for books with their families in our Scholastic Book Fair. Other highlights of the evening were performances by our administrators singing “Feelin’ Groovy” and Mrs. Remington and Mrs. Valinote performing as Sonny and Cher. Manatee Academy is currently promoting family literacy by encouraging families to read together for 20 minutes per … Read More

Manatee Academy’s Student Government and Honor Society will be hosting a 5k Run/Walk to support the fight against hunger. The event to benefit the Treasure Coast Food Bank will be held on January 23, 2016. Registration is available online at www.active.com and search for “Manatee” or participants can obtain registration information from Charles Pilson at Manatee Academy (340-4745). The first 125 participants to register will receive a free t-shirt!

Manatee Academy middle school students are so excited about the Grand Reopening of Pages Cafe (which serves one item and one item only: BOOKACCINOS!) that they were lined up before school today! Students use Manatee dollars to purchase the fabulous beverage that they can sip while reading a book in our Media Center. Media Specialist AKA Barrista (or BOOKarrista) Debbie Remington loves discussing and recommending books with her patrons as she prepares their BOOKaccino!

Manatee Academy was fortunate to have the dynamic Patty Mayer from our local Red Cross speak to 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classes.  Debbie Remington,  Manatee’s media specialist organized the event. The Pillowcase Project is a preparedness education program for children in grades 3 – 5 which teaches students about personal and family preparedness, local hazards, and basic coping skills. Generally given as a 40-minute presentation by Red Cross volunteers, the program leads students through a “learn, practice, share” framework to engage them in disaster preparedness. Students receive a sturdy pillowcase upon completion of the program in which they are encouraged … Read More

Manatee Academy supported the Million Father March with a morning of “Donuts for Dads”. Over 120 fathers and other special guests arrived to enjoy a special morning with our students. Many of our guests also had the opportunity to peruse the BookFair and walk their children to class. We are quite thankful for the amazing support of our families and community!

Kindergartners at Manatee Academy recently dressed to impress and celebrated Fancy Nancy Day in the media center by exploring (that’s a fancy word for discovering) a Fancy Nancy glitter puzzle, listening to an original story by Media Specialist Debbie Remington titled “Radical Tad”, playing the Rad Tad fishing game, listening to the latest Fancy Nancy chapter book, “Nacy Clancy” and of course sipping sweet tea, pinkies up of course!

The middle school science fair was a wonderful opportunity for students to explore their curiosity and dive into hands-on experiments. Manatee Academy’s middle students dove right in with some of the most intriguing projects involving the investigation of how various factors influence growth and reactions. For example, one student’s topic was studying the pH levels in basil water and how it affects plant growth. Another student explored the growth of rock crystals by dissolving substances like salt or sugar in water and observing how they form crystals over time. These types of projects allowed students to engage with both the … Read More

Manatee Academy K-8 recently unveiled an exciting new addition to its campus—a book vending machine designed to promote literacy and reward academic success. The brightly colored machine, filled with a wide range of engaging and age-appropriate books, will serve as an incentive for students who excel in Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), i-Ready progress, and academic performance. Students who meet specific goals will receive a special token, allowing them to select a book to keep and take home. This innovative approach not only encourages reading but also motivates students to stay on track with their academic and behavioral goals. … Read More

Last month, Manatee Academy K-8 held their annual Cookies for Santa Event. This festive gathering has become a cherished highlight for families, offering a variety of activities that captured the magic of the season. Children enjoyed making reindeer treats and decorating sparkling snowflakes, unleashing their creativity in the craft stations set up throughout the event. The school also featured their annual holiday shop, where kids could pick out and wrap gifts for their loved ones, adding an extra layer of excitement to the festivities. In the spirit of giving, families also brought toy donations for the Christmas 4 Kids organization, … Read More

The Manatee Academy K-8 Purple Pirate Monkeys Envirothon team, coached by Richard Maller and Judith Nova,  took first place for the Indian River lagoon category at the recent Regional Envirothon Competition. The Envirothon is a nationally based competition for middle to high school teams of students which promotes environmental awareness, science skills and research. The Purple Pirate Monkeys have been working in partnership with local members of the Divisions of Environmental Protection and Forestry, and the Savannas Education Center for the past two years, and have had several division awards during the past two regional games. Pictured, from left, are Samantha Lumbi, … Read More

Students and staff at Manatee Academy hosted a Taylor’s Teddy Bear Drive. The students collected 1,733 Teddy Bears that were dispersed to our local agencies: St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Department, St. Lucie County Fire District, Port St. Lucie Police Department, and Fort Pierce Police Department. Taylor’s Teddy Bear, Inc. is a non-profit organization started by Taylor’s mother, Megan Bishop. Taylor was a 4-year-old boy who passed away two years ago near North Perry Airport during an airplane accident. The organization collects teddy bears donated by the public, which are then given to first responders to give to children to help … Read More

Manatee Academy K-8 6th grade ELA students recently took part in an exciting classroom debate, tackling the statement: “The disadvantages of technology outweigh the benefits.” Over the course of a week, students carefully prepared for this challenging debate as the culminating activity for their Unit 3 lessons. Throughout the unit, they explored various stories that examined the positive and negative impacts of technology on society. This in-depth exploration allowed students to develop well-rounded perspectives and engage in meaningful discussions about the role of technology in their lives. By the end of the week, the students successfully demonstrated their ability to … Read More

Last month, Manatee Academy K-8 held its 2025 Taylor’s Teddy Bear Drive. Taylor’s Teddy Bears is a nonprofit organization founded in memory of Taylor Wade Bishop, who tragically lost his life in a plane accident on March 15, 2021. In honoring Taylor’s compassionate spirit, the organization seeks to bring comfort to children in distress by providing teddy bears to first responders. These small, comforting gifts are intended to be distributed by firefighters, police officers, and sheriff deputies to children they encounter in crisis situations. The goal is to offer a sense of security and warmth to children facing some of … Read More

Mrs. Remington, Manatee Academy’s media specialist, set a school-wide challenge to read 3,000 pages in one day. After two hours in (because students were already at 9,000 pages) she upped the ante to 30,000!!!  Our voracious students surpassed our goal and read 76,106 pages in one day!!! The challenge?  Kiss an exotic animal on live TV!  Mrs. Remington kissed our own Vet Prep lab rats, “Iggy” and “Izzy”(although Mrs. Remington nicknamed them both “Icky”)! It is quite apparent what she will go to great lengths to encourage reading at Manatee!

Manatee Academy’s Pre-Vet class organized a fantastic school-wide collection program this year for “Save the Chimps,” a local animal sanctuary that cares for about 300 rescued chimpanzees. Students donated over 535 items to this local organization. The goal of the non-profit animal sanctuary is to provide endangered chimpanzees a private, comfortable existence in an environment which simulates a natural habitat as closely as possible. Every chimp costs $16,000 per year to support, and chimps live to an old age of 80 years on average. To encourage donations, Mrs. Friend’s eighth grade Vet Prep students designed an EXPO which was held … Read More

On Saturday, April 23, Saint Lucie County middle schools participated in the District championship track meet at Lawnwood Stadium. For the third year in a row, the girls team from Manatee Academy took home the championship. The boys team outperformed expectations and were a close runner up, finishing only 12 points away from their second consecutive trophy.  Head coach Chuck Pilson credits a rigorous training regiment that started in September to prepare his athletes for success. The girls team, composed of 6th-8th grade students, dominated the field. Manatee finished first in every event except two and more than tripled the … Read More

Manatee Academy’s Grandparents had an opportunity to visit with their grandchildren in celebration of Grandparents Day. They enjoyed visiting the classrooms, completing crafts, and reading to students. They completed their visit with a tasty treat. Thank you to all the families that made this day special for students!