Kindergarten students at Windmill Point Elementary School enjoyed a visit from Josh the Otter.  Students learned all about the Water Safety and Literacy Project!

Windmill Point Elementary School invited students from Treasure Coast High School to join the elementary school students.  These older “book buddies” had a wonderful time reading with their new friends!

Kudos for Sam Gaines Academy AVID students for volunteering to tutor struggling students during seventh period, two days per week, for three weeks prior FCAT Writes! The awesome student tutors are, from left, Jesus Gill, David Osorio, Wayne Farmer, Allison Schiavi, Dana Bennett, Sherneice Robins, Bianca Castillo, and Shania Farmer.  Without the one-on-one tutorial ESE and ESOL student received by these outstanding and unselfish students, these struggling students would not achieve the writing scores they will achieve when test score come back.  Pictured, Sherneice Robin and Shania Farmer tutor Kenia Santizo Guerra, an ESOL student for the FCAT Writes test.

Samuel Gaines Academy offers an after school tutoring program called A+ Tutor U.  Participating students were recognized with medallions and gift cards for the academic growth they have made in the program throughout the year. Pictured, top row from left, are Matt Roy, Yohan Purkiss, Jesus Cuevas, Kemmy Brianvil, and teacher Kimberly Masters.  Bottom row, from left, are Jesicca Pena-Altamirano, Tomarrow Flucker, and Tom Flucker.

Gaines Academy kindergartners, from left, Mauricio Murillo-Rojo,  Angel Raya, and Roberto Luna Jr. from Tracy Davis’ class were full of excitement flying their paper-bag kites. The students made the kites during a writing assignment where they had to write step by step directions on how to make a paper-bag kite.

Gaines Academy recently intalled new picnic tables outside the gym to help promote a positive school environment.  Some of Kimberly Masters’ third grade students were the first to take advantage of using these tables while enjoying their lunch. Pictured, left side front to back, are Fernanda Carrasco, Daisy Guzman-Esquivel, and Gabriela Armendariz. Right side, front to back, are Lopez Bourjolly, Edwin Lozano, Kaitlyn Logan, Kimberly Masters.

The Northport K-8 Media Center radiated beauty, power, strength and a sense of family recently as the students and teachers celebrated and honored Women’s History.  Each year during March, Northport Media Center transforms into a center for women’s culture.  The program this year was dedicated to Connithea Arrindell and also to the strong, powerful and fearless women of the United States military.  The acts in the program included  Spanish teacher, Vicki Baird singing “I Am The One,” third grade teacher Tiffany Tredor playing her violin, eighth grade student Taylor Greger singing “Wind Beneath My Wings,” seventh grade girls in Dot Still’s … Read More

Palm Pointe Educational Research School @ Tradition second grade students Hayden Tate, from left, Riley Holtzclaw and Matthew Tucker are learning about graphing.  Students in Lorrie Rudzinski’s class did a science experiment with blubber.  They estimated how long they could keep their hand in ice water with and without the blubber, graphing their results.

Kindergartners from Fairlawn Elementary recently experienced Colombian culture by watching a Colombian dance company preform many traditional dance from Columbia at the Sunrise Theater in Fort Pierce.  The students were mesmerized by the music and the brightness of the costumes.  It was truly a wonderful experience for these young students.

First grade students from Terra Zdenek’s class at Palm Pointe Educational Research School @ Tradition dress up to participate in “ Green Day” along with the administrators for $1.  The money collected is being donated to the Relay for Life program to help in cancer research.

 Manatee Academy K8 newlyweds Caleb Bihari and Ashley Drum spent part of their honeymoon teaching impoverished children on the island of St. Lucia.  Their experience was made possible by the Sandals Foundation and their “Reading Road Trip” excursion.  Every Thursday a van leaves the comfort and luxury of the Sandals resort to go to Balata Primary school in Babonneau.  Volunteers sign up in the resort lobby for the opportunity to interact with the faculty and students and see what schooling is like for children in St. Lucia. “When I heard that this was a possibility I absolutely wanted to go,” Bihari … Read More

By Sean Scott and William Benagh, Port St. Lucie High School Three Port St. Lucie High School ROTC Jaguar cadets have been selected to attend Florida’s American Legion Boys’ State and Girls’ State, the starting point for many successful young people. These programs are coordinated by the American Legion, and thanks to Post 318, cadet First Sergeant Troy Conover and cadet Second Lieutenant Jeremy Dardon have the opportunity to travel to Florida State University in Tallahassee. Cadet First Lieutenant Devynn Rhodes will also be traveling to Florida State University to participate in Girls State. She was selected by Rita Woodburn, … Read More

Sixth grade Panther team students at Forest Grove Middle School had the unique opportunity to welcome and honor a returning veteran,  Captain Brandon Joseph Richard Gray, USAF. Captain Gray is the son of Rik Gray at Lincoln Park Academy and Pam Gray at Forest Grove Middle School. Captain Gray has just returned from a six-month tour in Afghanistan. He wanted to visit the school to thank staff and students for all of the cards, letters, and gifts that were sent to him and his troops during his deployment.  Sixth grade Language Arts teacher Ilyssa Greene sponsored the outreach. Students have been thrilled to receive letters as well as several … 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

Fifth grade students in Tekia Montgomery’s elementary art classes at Allapattah Flats K-8 are re-introduced to the concept of enlarging.  They will create enlarged drawings from small pictures using a grid technique. Students will use T- squares and work together to make a large grid where they will transfer their original drawings into a larger scale. This year’s theme is under the sea. This particular project is done every year, and although this project is a bit of a challenge for the students, it seems to be a favorite! Pictured are Calendra Holbrook and Jorge Liberate taking their time with … Read More

The Southern Oaks Middle School Social Studies Department, headed by Christopher Maxon, held its annual Geography Bee recently.  Students first competed in class competitions featuring questions regarding local, city, state, country and world geographical sites until each team had a winner along with a few who were nominated by faculty.  The top 11 students were selected to compete in front of the judges in the Geography Bee.  Upon answering questions about rivers, lakes, mountain ranges, etc. all over the country and world, and allowing three incorrect answers before elimination, sixth grader Eunique Robinson took first place with only 1 missed question.  Eighth grader Kevin … Read More

This week in the Mariposa Elementary School media center, media specialist Charlotte Pennington read to the kindergarten, first and second grade students “Ricky Ricotta’s Mighty Robot” by Dav Pilkey.  Before the story began, Mrs. Pennington brought out a tin can robot she made at home.  She explained to the students how she made it while the students sat wide-eyed.  The robot prop was an excellent introduction to the chapter book.  After the book was read, the students were instructed how to draw Ricky, one of the main characters. Pictured, from left, are Lea Cesiro, Cameron Peterson, Taline El-Khoury, and Stephanie … Read More

Students in Marsha Reese’s sixth grade Language Arts classes at Allapatah Flats K-8 read the novel Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor. After completing an evaluation of the character relationships and their impact on the conflict in the novel, the students used their character analysis to design projects that would show how the novel ‘s characters (set in 1933 Mississippi) would fare in present day society. Projects ranged from journal entries to skits. Pictured, from left, are Faith Rice, Rebekah Peraza, and Gracie Jimenez showing off social network profiles that they created for different characters.

Students in Danya Etter’s music class at Allapattah Flats K8 are currently working towards their “black belt” in recorder for Recorder Karate. Recorder Karate is a fun and exciting way to learn all about the instrument and after playing each song, one can earn a different belt color as in karate. This week the fifth graders focused on the popular classic “Ode to Joy” by Ludwig Van Beethoven. Once they master the art of the song, they will begin to test for their black belt. Students are eager to practice in and out of the classroom. Pictured, from left, are Daniel Broland, Jordan … Read More