On behalf of the staff, students and parents of Palm Pointe Educational Research School @ Tradition, Principal Debra Snyder proudly accepted The Golden Apple Award presented by Port St. Lucie Mayor Joann Faiella. This Mayoral Recognition was received for being an “A” rated school as designated by the Florida’s Department of Education for the fifth consecutive year. Mayor Faiella expressed her gratitude to the school’s staff for their hard work and dedication to education. She thanked the students and parents for their continuous support as well. In addition to the award, a banner was presented which will be proudly displayed … Read More

Congratulations to Treasure Coast High School junior Will Barr, a member of St. Lucie Public Schools’ Academic A Team and one of six students selected for the State of Florida’s Academic A Team (Team Florida). Will also received a $1,000 scholarship for his participation with the local team, which placed fourth in the state competition, just shy of advancing to the final stage of the competition.

As a motivational kick-off to this year’s FCAT testing, students at Floresta Elementary School participated in the second annual “Tunnel of Encouragement.” Kindergarten through second grade students lined the main hallway, holding up colorful pom poms and creative signs and posters, while heartily chanting “Do your best on the test!” Students in third through fifth grade filed past this positive and energizing tribute from the younger students, to the cafetorium where they were provided inspiring words of encouragement from Principal Iseman, Assistant Principal Menikheim, and a very special video guest from the Miami Heat. It was an exciting event especially … Read More

Students in Shirley Helton’s fifth grade class at Fairlawn Elementary School celebrated Earth Day by writing poems and composing songs to honor our Earth. The culminating activity was to make and enjoy dirt pudding. Pictured are Brooks Holmes, left, and Jacob Ridle sharing their poems.

First grade students at Mariposa Elementary enjoyed releasing butterflies after studying and journaling their lifecycle over the past three weeks. First grade teacher Toni Baptiste is pictured helping first grade students release a butterfly.

Third and fourth grade students in gifted programs at F.K. Sweet Elementary School culminated a unit on the Middle Ages with a Medieval Feast. Students made surcoats, worn by knights, and baked trenchers (bread plates) to eat from. During the unit, students modeled castles, created a Coat of Arms, learned the art of illumination, and experimented with catapults. Pictured, from left, are D’Marvelous Reid, Joshua Caldwell, Quinlen Meservey, and Cameron Dodd.

Members from the Samuel Gaines Academy’s National Honor Junior Society are packing food for the Elks Weekend Backpack Program, a project to provide meals on the weekends to children in need. Pictured, from left, are Edgar Carrasco, Edith Raya, Adriana Calderon, Ebony Young, and Michaela Kelly.

The Facilities and Maintenance Department has awarded 2012 Summer Youth Internship Scholarships to high school students for the summer program. Congratulations go to Chard Phebe, pictured, senior at Treasure Coast High, awarded $1,500; Austin Fountain, senior at Ft. Pierce Central awarded $500; Lincoln Sterling, senior at Treasure Coast High awarded $1,000; Nickesha Deallie-Jerry, senior at St. Lucie West Centennial awarded $1,000; Mikeline Jean, senior at St.Lucie West Centennial awarded $1,000; Omar Guerrero, junior at Ft. Pierce Central awarded $250; and Cassandra Babington, junior at St. Lucie West Centennial awarded $250. 2012 Interns were selected by the Facilities and Maintenance Department … Read More

The Samuel S. Gaines Academy’s Lady Colts basketball team won the 2013 St. Lucie County Interamurals Girls division A basketball championship with an overall win 26-10. Thank you to Donella Crenshaw and Shauna Cobb for devoting their time and talent in leading the girls to become champions. Pictured standing, from left, are Donella Crenshaw, Beina Jerome, Michaela Kelly Leroyeisha Thomas, and Jade Murray. Sitting, from left, are Mishla Pierre, Destiny Hill, and Aleshia Johnson.

Project Citizen is designed to help students learn how public policy is initiated and implemented at the various government levels. A significant portion of the Civics curriculum is allotted to this project. Students are responsible for identifying a community problem, examine alternative policies, develop a policy, and develop an action plan as a solution. The students in John Hett’s Civics class felt the problem of senior citizen (age 65 and over) depression is largely overlooked. Their research indicated 20% of seniors nationwide could be classified as clinically depressed. According to verifiable data the largest contributor was isolation. After investigating available … Read More

“Bugz” are taking over Danya Etter’s music class at Allapattah Flats K-8 School. Kindergarten through third grade students have been buzzing through this musical and are excited to perform for their parents and teachers on May 14, 2013. Some of the bugs include Lady Bugs who are in charge of proper etiquette, Army Ants who will handle picnic security, Fireflies will light up the stage, and butterflies that are to make everything surrounded by them beautiful. The students and teachers alike are eager for their upcoming debut. Bugz pictured, from left, are Jared Moorer, Shanna Graham, and Haylie Barbour as they rehearse their parts.

Frances K. Sweet Elementary School third graders are busily working on math. They all participated a Math-a-thon to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The students happily completed their Funbooks knowing that they were doing the math for a good cause.

Fourth graders in Joanna Toto’s class at Windmill Point Elementary School are learning about energy. As they progress through the unit, they are creating an “Energy Flip Book” with all of the information they are learning about mechanical, sound, electrical, light, solar, heat and thermal energy. It is a great reference tool while giving the students a hands-on activity they can use in the future. Pictured, from left, are Andre Gomes-Lopez and Donald Harris.

Northport K-8 School sixth grader Tatiana Hamilton from Ellen Weiss’ class spent some very engaging and quality time on her homework recently. Tatiana baked a homeade cake depicting a cell study using edible items. The cake was an excellent portrayal of the cell demonstating ribosomes, lysosomes, mitochondria, cell membrane, endoplasmic reticulum, golgi apparatus and cytoplasm. Weiss’ students processed new information and literally “digested” the information into interesting and easily visualized little bites. Students celebrated the finale of their science FCAT by bringing in their cell cakes to share with the rest of their class. Pictured is Tatiana Hamilton with her “cell cake.”

Recently, 44 cadets from St. Lucie West Centennial High School Navy Junior ROTC took an Orientation Field Trip to the Key West Naval Air Station. The cadets stayed in the same barracks the sailors stay in. On the first day, after a long bus ride, the cadets met up with 25 other cadets from Key West High School at the beach at Fort Zachary Taylor. All of the cadets had a great time as they shared their NJROTC experiences. On the second day, the cadets toured the flight line and watched F18 Super Hornet fighter jets take off. Then they … Read More

Twelve students, two from each of St. Lucie County’s six public high schools, were selected by their teachers for their aptitude and interest in science, to participate in a job shadowing experience at Vaccine Gene Therapy Institute (VGTI) in Port St. Lucie. VGTI is recognized as a world class research institute that uses cutting edge technology and is on the frontier of science in the development of vaccines and immunotherapies that will improve human health around the globe. VGTI research focuses on treating and preventing AIDS, cancer, tuberculosis and the diseases associated with emerging viral infections. The VGTI job-shadowing experience … Read More

Students from St. Lucie West Centennial High School’s Health Occupations Students Association (HOSA) earned top honors at a recent State Leadership Conference. Centennial High HOSA members Dru’ Curtis, Lisa Pressendo, Mary Hartley, Natassha Pena-Morales, Alejandra Perez-Mercado, Michael Riley, Alexia Stewart, Kedisha Christie, Jennifer Rodriguez, Danilo Perdomo, and Tony-Ann Walker had high hopes for the competition, and were not disappointed! Lisa Pressendo won first place and Mary Hartley took fourth in Massage Therapy, Dru’ Curtis took third in Medical Terminology, and Jennifer Rodriguez won a Recognition Award for her HOSA Happenings Newsletter. Dru’ Curtis and Jennifer Rodriguez will go on to … Read More

Third through fifth grade students at Savanna Ridge Elementary participated in a recent school spirited pep rally. Third grade students lead the 4th and 5th graders in a remix song about taking on the challenge of the FCAT and passing it with no problem! Each grade level came in their designated class T-shirt and showed their spirit through a friendly competition on the song they learned. Principal LaTanya Greene led the students in a motivational speech that gave the students the boost they needed for the upcoming testing. Teachers and students had a great time showing their spirit and enthusiasm … Read More

The students in Celeste Hartsfield’s second grade class at F.K. Sweet Magnet School are learning about different shapes and their attributes, as well as how to make patterns with the shapes. Students had a great time making their own hats by using shapes and making them into patterns. Pictured, from left, are Aamar Black and Alexander Ramos.

Awards for school displays at the 2013 St. Lucie County Fair were presented at the April 9, 2013, St. Lucie County School Board meeting, and the Kiwanis Sunrise Club also presented annual monetary awards to schools. The theme of the 2013 fair was, “500 Years of Florida Heritage.” For the elementary division, first place went to Lawnwood Elementary, $500; second place went to Windmill Pointe Elementary, $250; and third place to Village Green Environmental Science School, $100. Honorable mention and $50 went to F. K. Sweet and Weatherbee elementary schools. In the middle school division, first place and $500 went … Read More