Celebrated Broadway, television and movie musical director and producer Michael Rafter has been working with the performing arts department and student thespians at Fort Pierce Central High School, sharing his experience, insight and strategies with the students necessary to produce a successful show, from selecting the script to closing the final curtain.  He will continue to collaborate with FPCHS in future drama productions. Rafter has worked extensively on Broadway supervising the music for Jersey Boys, The Sound of Music, The King & I, and Thoroughly Modern Millie.  He conducted Gypsy both on Broadway starring Tyne Daly, as well as the TV movie … Read More

Several third grade students at Mariposa Elementary recently were treated to a special lunch with their teachers, Michele Graci and Susan New. The students had to read six or more of Florida’s Sunshine State Readers’ books to be invited to the event. Two of the students, Emmanuella Coupet and Geovanny Reyes, actually read all 15 which is quite an accomplishment. The students who were invited voted on what they wanted to have for lunch.  During lunch,  students were awarded certificates stating their accomplishments along with a small gift. Pictured, from left, are Emmanuella Coupet, Kailey Ouellette, Eve Cantrell, Ronald Marquez, Lawrence … Read More

Northport K-8 School students in Jennifer Gomez’s fourth grade class studied tessallations in math class and processed the new information by making their own tessallations, which are a pattern of shapes that fit together with no spaces and no overlapping.  Students used their textbooks and a book by author and tessallation artist M.C. Escher to comprehend the new information and to design their own tessallations.  Students took squares, drew lines in the squares, used vertical and horizontal lines and cut out the square.  Students then fit the pieces back together, traced more pieces, flipped and slid the pieces to form a … Read More

Northport K-8 School second grade students in Barbara Greenwood’s class used a real cow’s stomach lining called tripe, a cow’s heart and a cow’s kidney to perform inspections and learn new information about the human body. Students examined each body part and determined the functions of each organ.  They understood after the in-depth lesson that the kidney removes the waste products from the body, the heart pumps and has chambers, and that the stomach lining keeps the stomach strong so it doesn’t rupture and  the stomach digests foods. The hands on lesson was a real eye opener for the kids as … Read More

Members of the inaugural chapter of the National French Honor Society in any St. Lucie County public school were inducted recently at Fort Pierce Central High School. Some 13 students with an unweighted GPA of a 3.5 or higher, and enrolled in French III, IV or Advanced Placement, earned the distinction.  Pictured with induction plaques, front row from left, are Schnineline Orelien, Franklin Sanchez, Charline Charlestin, Sarah Jean-Mary, Michael Alexander, Darron Irving, Ameline Limorin, Isabel Lezama, Patrice Bennett and Nancy Luxama. Behind the students are teachers William P. Johnson and Elie Yvrose.  

The Port St. Lucie High School Jaguar Battalion once again displayed its prowess for ceremonial color guard events during a ceremony for the annual Caribbean American Festival held at Sportsman’s Park recently. The festival is a friendly competition between Caribbean-American residents in Port St. Lucie.  The color guard, led by cadet 1st Lieutenant Andrew Miller, consisted of cadet Corporal Robert Hopkins, cadet Corporal Chaz Pollino, and cadet Corporal Tyrone Salazar. The Caribbean American Festival’s participants greatly appreciated the excellent performance by the Color Guard and anticipate next year’s event.

Northport K-8 teachers and students followed the initiative of the St. Lucie County School Board Wellness Manager Carlye Fabrikant and participated in the program “Take A Walking Lunch Instead of a Working Lunch!”  Teachers and students followed the new healthy walking path mapped out at the school on their lunch breaks and planning periods. Participation in wellness activities has increased at the school this year as students, faculty and staff have participated in a variety of walks, runs, healthy eating plans, weight watchers classes and on campus zumba classes.  Pictured on the healthy walk, from left, are Northport K-8 media specialist … Read More

Floresta Elementary School students, from left, Olivia Saurel, Victoria Nunez, and Joshua Perez share their kindergarten writing in the front of Floresta Elementary School. Victoria and Joshua, from Syliva Johnson’s class, wrote about what they want to be when they grow up, and Olivia, from Mary Moore’s class, wrote about why she likes school. The students are making great progress in their writing.

Samuel Gaines Academy recently presented the kindergarten and first grade resource showcase for the month of April. Students demonstrated activities learned in music from Merritt Tilson using different instruments and sang a melody of animal songs.  Megan Schwenger’s computer students displayed on the screens illustrations of the animals they made  using computers.  Patt Reynolds’ first grade media students presented a flannel board story and  puppet show, and kindergartners sang Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. Pictured are  Coach Lynn Camarotti’s first grade students recreating the awaking of a butterfly to music using a parachute.

Thanks to all the efforts put into the event by the parent task force, the Southport Middle School Science Curriculum night was a huge success.  The South Florida Science Museum was one of the community participants that evening. Activities included: Goop!- Quick sand, Match Missiles, Screaming Balloons, the science of tie dye and how to make homemade ice cream.  There were erupting earthquakes, kinetic roller coasters, silly putty, science brain teasers and many other fun activities.  Megan Guyer and her “team” put together another remarkable curriculum evening.   The event was a great opportunity for parents and students to be able … Read More

Students in Juliette Thelusma’s fourth grade class at Northport K8 School created a reflection journal recently depicting the elements of literature.  Students defined each element, then created an example and drew a picture to deepen understanding of each element.  The elements students reflected on were figurative language, alliteration, hyperbole, idioms, similes, metaphors, onomatopoeia, pun and personification. Examples from student Rheanna Buckman’s book included personification, “The sun is smiling on a field of flowers” and hyperbole, “I am so hungry, I could eat a horse!”  Students then shared their books with peers, parents and teachers.  Students represented newfound knowledge in an … Read More

Pictured from left, Mary Fowler, Mikki Greer, Courtney Crooks, Beth McMillen carry the Samuel S. Gaines Academy banner at opening ceremonies for St. Lucie West’s Relay For Life event.  The team held events throughout the year to raise money to support the American Cancer Society’s research. Fund raisers included a Pie-In-The-Face contest, Caps for a Cure and Crazy Sock It To Cancer day. Not pictured but also attending the event from SGA were Megan Schwenger and Jen Bozone.

Students in Tracey Mathey’s first grade class at Manatee Academy were the first students in the county to get a visit from Mets baseball players pitcher Hamilton Bennett  and baseman Joe Bonfe.  The students loved the story the players read to them tag-team style-especially “Baseball Head”.

At Windmill Point Elementary, students in Jeannine Lockart’s fourth grade class received a special banner from their reading buddies from Nancy Cordero’s first grade class to wish them good luck on the FCAT!

Northport K-8 students from Mala Woessner’s Northstar team performed a play called Women Who Wowed History about famous women such as Joan of Arc, Eleanor Roosevelt, Susan B. Anthony, Emily Dickenson, Abigail Adams, Amelia Earhart and Queen Elizabeth I.  The famous women sat in semi circle and were interviewed by Oprah Winfrey about their contributions and famous quotes. The students showcased the best of Northport K-8 School literacy programs. Principal Glenn Rustay also participated in the Family Reading Festival by encouraging students to read to him in the Read To A VIP section of the festival.  Over 20 authors participated … Read More

Allapattah Flats seventh grade students, Maya Sanders , left, and Ashley Bowers express their creativity through writing and illustration.  Both students demonstrated their concept by recreating their own version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.  Students’ work includes a title, various characters, and a moral.  Lastly, students presented their story to the class.

The Lincoln Park Academy Odyssey of the Mind Team won first place at the recent state competition, and will move on to World Finals at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.  There they will be performing the solution to their posed problem along with teams from all over the globe. The scores for these performances, along with the scores they receive for a spontaneous creative thinking event, will determine where they place in the World Finals for creative thinking and problem solving. Pictured, front row from left, Amanda Corrick, Bianca Favata, Gabrielle Donate, and Neha Reddy. Back row, from left, Robert Bacchus, Jr., Garrett Malone, Coach Judi … Read More

Students at Allapattah Flats K8 worked diligently on FCAT skills as they prepared for the test, and will continue to keep up their brisk pace as they dig into the fourth quarter.  In science, students will be working on a variety of topics, like physical and chemical changes, forms of energy, heat, sound, and motion.  In math, students are beginning to dive into an introduction to fifth grade skills that will prepare them for their move into the next grade.  To top it all off, fourth grade students had some excitement as they welcomed their new classmates. The ducks have … Read More

Students in third through fifth grade at Bayshore Elementary were given the opportunity to write poems as part of the Young Writers of America contest.  Students wrote poems about their wish for the world or what their family means to them.  Pictured are Shandy Ernest, left, and Jadyn Smith from Janet Baraniak’s third grade class who wote poems for the contest.