The annual Martin Luther King, Jr., parade drew thousands on Monday, January 16, lining 25th Street and Virginia Avenue in Fort Pierce. Annie Kate Jackson, pictured at left, and Jay Lundy were the emcees of the televised presentation of the parade which is airing on WLX The Education Channel. Click on the link to the Media Services page for broadcast times. http://www.stlucie.k12.fl.us/MediaServicesVideos/weekly.pdf

White City Elementary kindergartners had a special visitor from the community share about her cultural heritage.  Mrs. Yatabe grew up in Japan near Tokyo.  The students learned about Japanese customs and traditions and compared and contrasted them with American customs and traditions.  The students  also learned about origami and made their own samurai helmet! They tried the origami samurai hat on a stuffed Pokemon beanie baby.   She concluded the lesson by writing the word “dream” using Japanese symbols and helped each student to write their own name in Japanese.

Bayshore Elementary students and staff are excited to be participating in Odyssey of the Mind.  Odyssey of the Mind is an enrichment program that provides participating students with an opportunity to be creative problem solvers.  Pictured is third grade student Kyle Ingleton painting a prop that will be used during the state-wide competition.

Bayshore Elementary third grade students have been learning to play the violin, xylophone and the recorder.   Ariah Davenport (left) and Tayla Belony (right), play the violin during the third grade PTO performance.

Local businessman and philanthropist Larry Lee was recognized at the January 10, 2012, St. Lucie County School Board meeting for his Lighthouse Foundation’s contributions, particularly a specific event where 250 students, 25 teachers and 25 other chaperones and principal D. David Washington from Fort Pierce Magnet School of the Arts were able to go to a Miami Marlins baseball game and meet Marlins player and fomer Westwood High School standout Charles “C.J.” Johnson. Pictured, from left, are Elker Harris of Fort Pierce Magnet, Superintendent Michael Lannon, school board chairman Carol Hilson, Larry Lee, foundation member Olivia Watkins, and principal Dr. … Read More

Students  Zarah Gampp and Taylor Brennan in Ms. Portillo’s sixth grade reading class at Allapattah Flats K-8 read in a cozy corner of the room.  Students are encouraged to routinely read independently upon completion of their classwork.  Way to go Zarah and Taylor!

Fourth graders at Allapattah Flats K8 have been working together on Social Studies projects based on Florida history. They spent time researching their topic, as well as creating a timeline and poster board, complete with a description, pictures and an oral presentation. From left, Riley Franklin, Gabriella Maimone, Alexis Allen, and Chyna Nazario proudly display their work.

The St. Lucie County Nutrition and Food Services department has been the driving force for eight local schools to earn grants from the Florida Dairy Council and the NFL’s Play 60 initiatives. The schools must be committed to healthy eating plus activity promoting exercise. The schools include Mariposa, Lakewood Park, F. K. Sweet elementary schools, Manatee Academy K8, St. Lucie West K8, and Port St. Lucie, Treasure Coast, and St. Lucie West Centennial high schools. Pictured is the team from F. K. Sweet with their mock check.

Congratulations to Jonathan Burgos, eighth grade St. Lucie West K8 student who was selected as a recipient of the 2012 President’s Challenge/Take Stock in Children Scholarship. The Deerbrook Charitable Trust, St. Lucie County Education Foundation, Fort Pierce Sunrise Kiwanis Club, Indian River State College Foundation and many other local businesses and organizations sponsor this program to recognize and encourage student achievement. The scholarship covers two years of study at IRSC and two years at a Florida public college or university.

Students visiting the media center at Mariposa Elementary School are learning how to use Powerpoint to help present their research projects.  Students are taught by media specialist Charlotte Pennington on how to create powerful slide presentations by using photos, clipart, music, audio recordings, text, and animation to help make their research project come alive.  Many of the projects created in the media center will be used in the morning news show, WingsTV, for all to view.   

Gifted teachers in St. Lucie County schools went to Saturday school recently at Morningside Elementary to learn how to solve the Rubik cube and utilize it in their classrooms. Morningside Elementary teacher Brad Culbertson, whose lessons have been featured in US News and World Report magazine, shared the engaging standards-based curriculum with 10 fellow teachers as they learned how to harness the cube for b ehavior management, creative problem solving, logical thinking skills, and that relic — delayed gratification! Lessons were discussed and modeled, and teachers were given opportunities to develop lesson plalns utilizing the cube in math, science and in classroom … Read More

Eight St. Lucie Public Schools have been recently recognized by the University of South Florida and Florida Department of Education as outstanding Positive Behavior Support (PBS) Response to Intervention B model schools by meeting specific criteria and utilizing innovative, creative, and functional ways of supporting PBS behavior approaches in their respective school. The PBS process results in the creation of effective intervention plans that will impede problem behaviors, teach new skills, and create support systems for the student. The PBS process is a team-based approach that relies on a strong collaboration between families and professionals from a variety of disciplines … Read More

The Windmill Point Elementary School kindergarten classes enjoyed holidays from around the world.  Each class “traveled” to a different teacher so that they could learn about a specific country.  Shown in the photo are students from Carmela Innamorato’s class, from left,  Adrian Andrade, John Paul Gorman, Thomas Coleman, Omari Fenn, and Nirayana Rodriguez.

Second graders in Lisa Green’s class at Mariposa Elementary School invited parents and family members in for an annual Multi-Cultural Feast.  After students presented a reader’s theatre, recipes from across the globe were shared by all.  It provided the unique experience of trying foods from other cultures without actually going anywhere!  It was fantastic to see that so many parents were able to attend or send in authentic cuisine from their culture!Pictured, are Carmen Mendoza (William’s mother), William Biffle, and Ashley Mendez-Hernandez.  

Mariposa Elementary School first grade students in Laura Lenihan’s class solved different ways to add numbers 2-12 during their math activity. Students worked in partnerships to play the game “Roll the Dice”. Pictured, from left, are students  Ana Arcenteles and Jesse Balderas working together.  

 The anxious, edge-of-seat reaction from my students when Kevin Moore,  Alan Damisse , and Kevin Parkes volunteered their free time to speak to 7th graders at Samuel S. Gaines Academy in Fort Pierce was a proud moment. Keeping the undivided attention of thirteen- year –olds is quite the daunting task. Most people would be intimidated by ninety teenagers gawking at them, but these confident, accomplished young men definitely played it cool. Not only were they well-spoken, but they were charming, funny, and engaging. Kevin Moore, a paramedic student at Indian River State College, was the first to take the floor. … Read More

Southport Middle School’s “Book Buddies and Beyond” club members recently greeted residents from The Palms Retirement Community of St. Lucie West. The students performed a Reader’s Theater version of “Finding Neverland” for their guests.  Greeting guests, from left, are Chris Yates, Bryon Peralta, Myrria Roux, Rebecca Moore, and Tiara Perch. 

Northport K-8 third grade students in Linda Beidler, John Fallon, Tiffany Tredor, Diana Lankow, Glenda Taylor, Melanie Polascak , Becky Reuther and Janine Wiecks classes received a special visit from sheriff’s deputy Boger and his K9 partner Molly recently.  Third graders read an informational text about police dogs and then learned first hand how deputies locate drugs.  Molly is a seven year old canine and is an aggressive finder.  When Molly sniffs drugs, she paws, claws and becomes excited to reveal the hidden contraband.  The community lesson was an extension of previously learned knowledge utilizing complex text and was an … Read More

Kailey Alford and Jasmine Choung, first grade students at Palm Pointe Educational Research School @ Tradition were guest weathermen (women) on the Morning Show which airs each morning at the school.  The girls earned the privilege by turning in their earned rocket fuel which is a positive behavior support (PBS) program used at the school.  Keep up the great work girls!  

First grade students at Palm Pointe Educational Research School @ Tradition learn about friendship.  The students were asked what qualities they would like in a friend and then they wrote “wanted posters” advertising for a friend.  Pictured from left are Michael Brown, David Sanchez, Jessica Jean-Baptiste and Taylor Bush.  Way to go Rockets!