The second annual District Project Citizen Showcase was held recently at Samuel S. Gaines Academy. Middle and K-8 schools presented their best projects developed by students in their seventh grade civics classes. The projects highlight a solution to a school or community public policy problem. The projects demonstrate extensive research, writing, collaboration, and application of civic knowledge in a student-developed project. The top six entries (three from each St. Lucie County Congressional district), will be displayed in Tallahassee at the State Capitol and selected projects will then advance to the state showcase in Orlando later this spring. This year’s showcase was … Read More

On the January Professional Development Day, the staff at F.K. Sweet Elementary had a Marzano training on several of the design questions featured in his book. Teachers worked in groups to share activities that could be used as part of an effective classroom. Sharing their presentation, from left, are Jody Horton, Dorain Newbern, and Deanna Scotto.

Floresta Elementary School teachers and staff engaged in a CHAMPS training recenetly.  This professional development was interesting, relevant, and practical for teachers and anyone who works with children, especially in an educational setting.  At the core of the program’s success, is the philosophy that when teachers are clear in their expectations, students can and will make appropriate academic and behavior choices.  The CHAMPS program offers teachers the ability to create a thoughtful, clear set of expectations, tailored to each individual teacher’s classroom routines and expectations.  The program aligns with the Positive Behavior Support program already implemented, and Rti requirements.  The result … Read More

Floresta Elementary School fourth and fifth grade students competed in the 2011-2012 Scripps Spelling Bee.  First place winner was Anthony Martens from Valerie Doyle’s fifth grade class, and second place winner was Jacob Lucrezia, from Michael Bogin’s fourth grade class.  Congratulations to winners, and to all those who competed.

Floresta Elementary School participated in the annual Martin Luther King Parade.  Thanks go to committee chairman Danielle Eugene, advisor Cemera Clancy, members Raina Ingrum, Sandy Pagliughi, Sharon Koen, and volunteer Jinny Holler, for their contributions in designing the float.  Huge thanks also go to  Betty Carling, Sylvia Johnson, Sandy Pagliughi, Elish Mancuso and Linda Menikheim for their support of this event by marching alongside the float, to Doug Abbuhl, Celeste Hartsfield and Grace Duvelsdorf for support and guidance in the preparation of this event, and all the teachers and students who made or provided posters for our float.  Parent volunteer Carlos Fundora not only offered … Read More

Small group instruction is a daily part of the reading routine in Morgan Haupt’s kindergarten class at F.K. Sweet Elementary. Students have access to leveled readers that compliment the new reading series. Za’Niyah Taylor, Skylar Monroe, and Shinyla Williams think that learning to read is cool, and look forward to reading with their teacher.

Fairlawn Elementary students in Shirley Helton’s fifth grade class received top honors in the 2012 DAR American History Essay Contest, sponsored by the Cora Stickney Harper Branch of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. The district winners for the American History Essay competition pictured, from left, are second place winner AnsleyBrowning, first place winner M’KenziShaw-Hampton, and third place winner Liam Felix. A tea honoring these St. Lucie County winners will be held Saturday, February 18, 2012 at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church.

It’s time to Boggle again for third graders at F.K. Sweet Elementary. Approximately 20 students meet each Tuesday morning to play the popular word game Boggle with their peers, and sponsors,Barbara Whellams and Morgan Haupt.  Danielle Murray and Janyla Rolle are pictured having fun creating words.

The students in Traci Lott’s second grade class at F.K. Sweet Elementary work cooperatively to create Thinking Maps with the spelling skill of the week. Students sort words into a tree map based on the weekly skill, record their words individually on paper, and then use those words as a launching point for other engaging word work activities. From left, A’myah Combs, Blake  Ooms, Shadalou Fernandez, Abbey Brosnihan, and Dylan Rizzo ejoy working together.  

Fairlawn Elementary students Rodney Belezair, Jocelyn Ruiz, Lauryn Chesney, and Liam Felix  in Shirley Helton’s fifth grade class won first place in the Florida State Elementary Division of the Florida Stock Market Exchange Challenge. Students were given an account where they could buy and sell stocks just like the real Stock Market. This opportunity allowed the students to learn how the US economic system works as they analyzed news regarding the economy and markets; applied and increased their math, reading, and writing skills; strengthened their computer and Internet skills; worked together and made decisions in teams; used the newspaper, Internet, and other resources to research … Read More

Four students from Russel Bolig’s civics class earn first place in the Allapattah Flats K8 Project Citizen showcase. The winning project Driving Miss Daisy, discussed the topic of placing driving restrictions on drivers 70 and older. Nathan Hinkley, Brianna Cumberbatch, Janeliz Torres and Laura Carvalho presented a convincing case as to why they thought these restrictions would be beneficial to society. The two top projects advanced to the district Project Citizen Showcase held at Samuel Gaines Academy. Russell Bolig, Nathan Hinkley and Brianna Cumberbatch take a moment after the school event to show off their winning project. Congratulations to all!

Northport K-8 administration, instructors, students and staff are proud to showcase our Congressional District 16 Project Citizen first place winners. Students researched, wrote letters, listened to speakers and wrote an action plan to get students energized and incorporate more heartily in a student driven school health plan. The theme of the project is “Put Down the Fork and Pick Up the Pace!” Pictured from left are Sabrina Wing, Northport Project Citizen instructor, Mary Ellsworth, Gabrielle Mejia, Cameron Templeton, Myles Jackson, Director of District Project Citizen, Tim Norfleet and St. Lucie County School Board Chairman Carol Hilson.

Juding and ceremonies for Project Citizen, 2012, at Sam Gaines Academy was held recently.  As the hostesses, students and staff members were extra excited to impress the judges and community.  After several weeks and months of grueling work, it was finally time for students to present their projects. There were three groups from Gaines Academy — one group was from Mary Gokcen’s seventh grade civics class, in which students created a project that focused on the problem of bullying.  The other two groups presented their projects on FCAT.  The first group was from John Davino’s first period civics class, and included, pictured from left, … Read More

The giant banner hanging from the auditoria walls with a smile greeted, “Welcome to Family Writing Night and Thanks for Joining SGA as we FLEE into Writing.”  Kristen Register (AVID teacher and coordinator), her AVID team, Matthew Roy (7th Grade Language Arts teacher and Department Chair), SGA teachers and staff hosted Family Writing Night.  In this school wide celebration of writing, seven AVID students from Katie Ludwig’s 7th grade, Language Arts class played the role of “writing teacher.”  Leonor Barron, Kayla Conaway, Neillande Francois, Aleshia Johnson, Loudrige Josue, Minnie Murray, and Edith Raya confidently taught and modeled how to use FLEE Maps to … Read More

Northport K-8 third graders in Tiffany Tredor, John Fallon, Diana Lankow, Linda Beidler, Melanie Polascak, Glenda Taylor and Janine Wiecks classes celebrated literacy,  as well as Positive Behavioral Support or PBS, through team building activities recently.  Students paid Northport SAIL Notes to choose from sharing cookies and milk with their stuffed animals while listening to traditional fairy tales, watching a movie while munching popcorn, listening to German folktales and creating a mask to represent the character, playing a board game or attending a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party from the tale Alice In Wonderland. Pictured is a sampling of third graders who … Read More

 Morningside Elementary School recently held it 2011-2012 Spelling Bee. Pictured, from left, are Assistant Principal Jennifer Hedeen, first place winnre Raisa Asim, third place winner Rodney Calixte,  second place winner Bianca Morris second place, Principal Cortina Bell-Gray and in the back, bee coordinator Jean Constantine.

  Morningside Elementary students Yasmine Taveras, Jocelyn Ortega, Leilani Warner, Emily Casler and Summer McDonough enjoy dancing together at the Dress Code dance that the PBS team sponsored. Students in grades K- 5 were able to attend the dance if they were in dress code the entire first semester of the school year.

Students at White City Elementary enjoyed a visit from Commack, a very special Golden Retriever. Commack is a therapy dog certified by Bright and Beautiful Therapy Dogs, Inc. He has been specially trained to support students as they read and spend time with him. Students are looking forward to future visits from Commack!

The National Junior Honor Society volunteered at the Golden Corral Restaurant in Fort Pierce.   The students earned time towards their required community service hours as well as giving their tips to the school to be used towards several planned activities.   It was a fun night and we hope to make this an annual event. Pictured is Ximena Paz as she cleans up the tables after a long night of working as a server for NJHS.

St. Lucie West K8 eighth grade science teacher Debra Quintero has been selected to present at the 2012 National Science Teachers Conference in Indianapolis in April.  Pictured are Ms. Quintero and Todd Hilgendorff, of Farnsworth Middle School, Guiderland, New York, who will share a series of lessons based on their experiences working with marine researchers in the North Atlantic.  Their session is entitled Authentic Research Experiences in the Inquiry Science Classroom.