SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PALM BEACH COUNTY ANNOUNCES AVAILABILITY OF SUMMER ACTIVITIES AND LEARNING PROGRAMS

With the school year officially coming to a close and summer plans being made, the School District of Palm Beach County is happy to provide parents with information regarding a number of great summer activities, learning programs, camps, and reading lists, which provide students with opportunities to continue learning throughout the summer.

To view a complete list of the available programs, simply visit www.palmbeachschools.org/parents. Many of the District summer activities and learning programs still have openings, and scholarships may be available.

Pierce Hammock Elementary recently honored four students that have received the Principals Honor Roll continuously for the last five year, starting from first grade, all the way through fifth grade. Principal John Carvelli and Assistant Principal Christie Schwab presented the students with medals and awards recognizing the tremendous accomplishment.  

Three of the four students have been at Pierce Hammock since Kindergarten.  The students are Michelle Costner, Ajani Frank, Cari Cantrell and Emily Steffee.

For more information please contact Dr. Carvelli at john.carvelli@palmbeachschools.org or 561-633-4500.

Student media productions from eight Palm Beach County schools took first place in the Region 5 Jim Harbin Student Media Festival. The schools are Freedom Shores Elementary, Jupiter Farms Elementary, North Grade Elementary, Western Pines Middle, Roosevelt Middle, Independence Middle, Suncoast High, and Seminole Ridge High. 

 The student productions were selected as the top media productions in their school, then District, and will now move on to the State Competition. First, second, and third place winners of the State Competition will be honored at an awards ceremony at the FAME Annual Conference in November. Florida Association for Media in Education (FAME) sponsors the Jim Harbin Student Media Festival to encourage students of FAME members to communicate through media production and to recognize and reward outstanding presentations.

Click for Jim Harbin Winners and productions.

For more information please contact Madeline Miller, Media Specialist Jupiter High School, at Madeline.miller@palmbeachschools.org.

Stephanie Nixdorf, the Choral Director and Musical Theatre Director at Sunocast High School is one of 217 music teachers from across the country who has been announced as a quarterfinalists for the Music Educator Award presented by The Recording Academy^® and the GRAMMY Foundation^®. In total, more than 30,000 initial nominations were submitted from all 50 states.

The Music Educator Award was established to recognize current educators (K – college, public and private schools) who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education and who demonstrate a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education in the schools. A joint partnership and presentation of The Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Foundation, this special award will have its inaugural presentation at the Special Merit Awards Ceremony and Nominees Reception honoring recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award, Trustee Award, Technical GRAMMY^® Award during GRAMMY Week 2014.

As announced on the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards^® by President/CEO of The Recording Academy and GRAMMY Foundation Neil Portnow, TV and radio host/producer and GRAMMY Foundation Honorary Board Chair Ryan Seacrest, and six-time GRAMMY^® winner Justin Timberlake, the award was open to current United States music teachers, and anyone could  nominate a teacher — students, parents, friends, colleagues, community members, school deans and administrators. Teachers were also able to nominate themselves, and nominated teachers were notified and invited to fill out an application.

One recipient will be selected from 10 finalists each year, and will be recognized for his/her remarkable impact on students’ lives. The winner will be flown to Los Angeles to accept the award, attend the GRAMMY Awards ceremony, and receive a $10,000 honorarium. The nine finalists will receive a $1,000 honorarium, and the schools of all 10 finalists also will receive matching grants. The honorariums and grants provided to the finalists and schools are made possible by the generosity and support of the GRAMMY Foundation’s Education Champions Converse, Ford Motor Company Fund, General Mills Box Tops For Education, and Journeys.

The semifinalists will be announced in August. 

For more information please contact Suncoast High School Principal Dr. Linda Cartlidge at linda.cartlidge@palmbeachschools.org or 561-882-3400.

The Suncoast High School Theatre Department, under the Direction of Stephanie Nixdorf, was recognized at the 11th annual South Florida Cappies Gala, at the Broward Performing Arts Center on May 21^st.  The Cappies Awards celebrate achievement in High School theatre throughout Broward and Palm Beach County through a theatre critic mentoring program and an awards program at the end of each theatre season.

Suncoast Theater received 5 awards out of 11 nominations. The Suncoast students receiving awards were as follows:

Joel Gutierrez, Lead Actor in a musical

Kyle Cortes, Choreographer

Taige Mills, Featured Actor in a musical

Melanie Grande, Props

Shoshana Cohen, Props

For more information please contact Suncoast High Musical Theatre Director Stephanie Nixdorf at Stephanie.Nixdorf@palmbeachschools.org or 561-882-3427.

The School District of Palm Beach County announced that Lee Kolbert, Manager of the Department of Educational Technology, has been nominated for honors in the category of School Technologists at the 2013 Annual Bammy Awards.  Presented by the Academy of Education Arts and Sciences International, the Bammy award is a cross-discipline award recognizing the contributions of educators from across the education field. 

Mrs. Kolbert has been an educator in the Palm Beach County School District for almost 29 years. She enjoys learning, sharing, and blogging and publishes her thoughts at www.leekolbert.com, as well as at The Huffington Post.  Lee says, “It’s fantastic to see educators getting recognition for the hard work they do on a daily basis. I’m humbled by this nomination since there are so many other educators who have made a much greater impact than I.” 

She is passionate about social media and the benefits of its use for networking and professional growth. Lee credits the members of the Educational Technology team for being “the wind beneath her wings.” 

“I hope this is the beginning of a shift in our society where we will see more efforts to recognize the loyalty, hard work, and patience that makes up most of our teachers,” she adds. 

Honorees will be announced on September 21, 2013 at a red-carpet event in Washington, D.C. The Bammy Awards are presented by The Academy of Education Arts and Sciences International, which includes leading educators, education leaders, education professors, journalists, editors, researchers, commentators, advocates, activists, visionaries and pioneers.  The Academy is comprised of a board of governors, a council of peers and the executive committee. 

“Nominees like Mrs. Kolbert are making a difference in education every day. It’s more important now that ever to publicly honor educators and to show what’s right with American Education,” said Errol St. Clair Smith, executive producer of the Bammy Awards. 

Click here to see the list of all the 2013 award finalists. 

 

About the Bammy Awards

The Bammy Awards is a cross-discipline award that identifies and acknowledges the good work being done all across the education village.  The Bammy Awards were created in response to the tremendous national pressure on educators and education leaders to improve student outcomes, the impact of high-stakes accountability and the intense scrutiny that today’s educator’s face. 

The Awards aim to foster cross-discipline recognition of the collective contributions being made to educate children, encourage collaboration in and across the various domains, elevate education and education successes in the public eye, and raise the profile and voices of the many undervalued and unrecognized people who are making a difference in the field. 

 

For more information contact Gary Weidenhamer at (561) 434-8499 or via email at gary.weidenhamer@palmbeachschools.org.

 

 

About The School District of Palm Beach County

The School District of Palm Beach County is the eleventh largest in the nation and the fifth largest in the state of Florida with 185 schools, serving more than 177,000 students who speak 150 languages and dialects. As the largest employer in Palm Beach County, the School District has nearly 21,000 associates, including 12,627 teachers. To learn more about The School District of Palm Beach County, please visit www.palmbeachschools.org.

Recent Dreyfoos graduate Christopher Wan has won a $3,000 prize and 1st place honors in the Environmental Sciences category of the 2013 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair held this past May in Phoenix, Arizona. Stephen Anand, science instructor at the Arts school is ecstatic!  “Chris’s entry was Modeling Estuarine Salinity Using Artificial Neural Networks and his win has put Dreyfoos on the map at the international level,” he stated. 

Christopher Wan, age 17, from Wellington, has been working on similar projects modeling salinity for two years.  He was recognized by the Siemens Foundation in their prestigious STEM competition earlier in the year; was named a ‘MAD (Making A Difference) Scientist’ by Junior Achievement at their Watch a Rising Star event at the Kravis Center; and this past May Christopher was unable to attend the prestigious Palm Beach Post Pathfinder Awards where he was named The Pathfinder winner for Science because he was competing in the Intel science fair. 

Speaking about the 1^st place project Wan submitted, he explains that he put in substantial time and effort into the research. “The first year (11^th grade) I spent about 400 hours on my research. This year I continued my research project with an additional 800 hours in the same field of study. The goal was to develop a model to simulate salinity in the Loxahatchee River as a performance tool. My project allows engineers and environmentalists to predict salinity at any given moment in the river. Currently the South Florida Water Management District has three dimensional models to predict this and they require days to run. My model works instantaneously.”

 Christopher, a Dreyfoos piano major, graduated number one in his class and will be attending Yale University in the fall with plans to major in biochemistry and music performance. For details, contact Magnet Coordinator Jane Grandusky, 561.805.6203 or jane.grandusky@palmbeachschools.org.

 

The School District of Palm Beach County has received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA).

According to GFOA, “The award represents a significant achievement by the entity.  It reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting.  In order to receive the budget award, the entity had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation.”  These guidelines are designed to assess how well an entity’s budget serves as: 

• a policy document
• a financial plan
• an operations guide
• a communications device                                                                                          

Budget documents must be rated “proficient” in all four categories, and the fourteen mandatory criteria within those categories, to receive the award.

When a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award is granted to an entity, a Certificate of Recognition for Budget Presentation is also presented to the individual or department designated as being primarily responsible for its having achieved the award.  The certificate was presented to Shirley M. Knox, School District Budget Director.

For budgets including fiscal period 2012, over 1,340 entities are expected to receive the Award.  Award recipients have pioneered efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and provide an excellent example for other governments throughout North America.

The Government Finance Officers Association is a nonprofit professional association serving over 17,800 government finance professionals throughout North America.  The GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Awards Program is the only national awards program in governmental budgeting.

For more information please contact Stephen J. Gauthier at (312) 977-9700.

The School District of Palm Beach County announced that the 5^th Annual Learn Green Conference & Expo will take place on Monday, November 11, 2013 at A.W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts. This is the best opportunity for teachers, students, administrators, community members and experts in the field to learn from each other and discuss different programs and ground-breaking initiatives. 

Save the date and take advantage of Florida’s Green Schools Conference! Learn about school grounds enhancement, community partnerships, curriculum Integration, school sustainability, management and innovative programs and practices and so much more. Last year more than 900 participants attended and the marketplace featured 90 different vendors ranging from curriculum resources to environmentally friendly equipment. 

Teachers will be eligible to earn in-service points for attending the conference and submitting the required documentation. Registration will be available soon. 

Details at www.learngreenconference.com 

Are you interested on showcasing a program, project or activity from your school or company? Presentation proposals are being accepted until June 30, 2013.  For sponsorship and exhibitor space call 561-688-7602. 

For more information contact Susan Toth, Pine Jog Environmental Center, at 561-686-6604 or via email at stoth2@fau.edu. 

 

About The School District of Palm Beach County

The School District of Palm Beach County is the eleventh largest in the nation and the fifth largest in the state of Florida with 185 schools, serving more than 177,000 students who speak 150 languages and dialects. As the largest employer in Palm Beach County, the School District has nearly 21,000 associates, including 12,627 teachers. To learn more about The School District of Palm Beach County, please visit www.palmbeachschools.org.

The School District of Palm Beach County is offering the Summer Food Service Program throughout Palm Beach County. The School District has sponsored this program for the past 15 years.

List of Feeding Sites for Summer Food Service Program

Nutritionally balanced meals will be provided to all children regardless of  race,  color,  sex,  disability,  age,  or   national  origin  during  summer vacation  when  school  breakfasts  and  lunches  are  not available.  All children 18 years old and younger are eligible for meals at no charge and there will be no discrimination in the course of the meal service.

The  programs  are  only  approved  for  geographical  areas  of   need where 50  percent or more of  the children qualify for  free and reduced price meals during the school year.

Summer Food Service sites that are located at schools provide meals to all children in the immediate vicinity in addition to those enrolled in summer school.     

                              

Any person who believes he or she has been discriminated against in any USDA related activity should immediately write or call:

USDA

Director, Office of Civil Rights

1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.

Washington, D.C.  20250-9410

(800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TTY)

USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

 

For more information please contact School Food Service Field Manager, Peter Wood at 561-383-2003 or peter.wood@palmbeachschools.org.

Ten (K-12) teachers from Palm Beach County will be visiting the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum June 10 – 12, 2013 in an effort to obtain firsthand knowledge about the Holocaust and develop lesson plans.  Norman Frajman, a Holocaust Survivor will accompany the teachers and staff. 

The group that will be traveling includes:

• Ramona Eddlemon – Lantana Elementary
• Marcia Bedasse – Instructional Specialist K-12
• Risa Bender – Boca Raton Middle School
• Darrell Schwartz – Royal Palm Beach High School
• Alma Asuncion – I Teach History Grant Coordinator High School
• Maureen Carter – K-12 Holocaust Studies
• Noelle Smallman – Forest Park Elementary
• Joshua Burns – Omni Middle School
• Jennifer Ludwig-Scoz – West Boca Community High School
• Desirae Watler – Forest Park Elementary School
• Ellen Bimston – Staff member
• Norman Frajman – Holocaust Survivor 

While in the nation’s capital the teacher group will meet with members of Congress, Lois Frankel and Ted Deutch, in addition to Lauren Markoe, a reporter from the World Religions Press to discuss Holocaust Education and the legacy of the Holocaust. Their conversation will reflect the significance that this has in our society and the importance to remember it, study it and teach it to our younger generations. 

“This is the first trip to Washington, D.C. for several of our teachers and we are delighted to bring awareness about this important part of history. This trip is funded by a grant from inSIGHT,” added Mrs. Maureen Carter, Holocaust Studies Program Planner. 

For more information contact Maureen Marullo Carter at (561) 434-8933 or via email at maureen.carter@palmbeachschools.org.

 

 

About The School District of Palm Beach County

The School District of Palm Beach County is the eleventh largest in the nation and the fifth largest in the state of Florida with 185 schools, serving more than 177,000 students who speak 150 languages and dialects. As the largest employer in Palm Beach County, the School District has nearly 21,000 associates, including 12,627 teachers. To learn more about The School District of Palm Beach County, please visit www.palmbeachschools.org.

The Florida Department of Education (FDOE) has released the FY2013 Spring End-of-Course (EOC) Assessment results for Algebra 1, Geometry, Biology 1, and U.S. History.  In May of 2013, the following numbers of School District of Palm Beach County (SDPBC) students participated in EOC assessments: Algebra 1 EOC: 16,198; Geometry EOC: 10,950; Biology 1 EOC: 12,650; and U.S. History EOC: 9,150.

A preliminary analysis of this data revealed the following.

Overall, the SDPBC percentage of first-time test-takers scoring Level 3 or above on EOC assessments was higher or the same as that of Florida.   

·         From FY2012 to FY2013, the SDPBC increased:

o   The number of students participating in algebra courses and significantly increased the performance of Algebra 1 EOC first-time test-takers by ten percentage points; and

o   The performance for Algebra 1 EOC students in grades 9-12.

·         In FY2013, SDPBC outperformed Florida at most grades on the Algebra 1 EOC .

·       In FY2013, the performance of the SDPBC’s Geometry and Biology 1 EOC first-time test-takers was similar to that of Florida. 

·         In FY2013, the SDPBC had the same average T-score as Florida on the U.S. History EOC.

Executive Summary Here

The Florida Department of Education (FDOE) has released the FY2013 results for the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT 2.0) for all students tested in Reading at grades 3-10, Mathematics at grades 3-8, and Science at grades 5 and 8.  In April of 2013, approximately 105,000 School District of Palm Beach County (SDPBC) students took the FCAT 2.0 test in Reading, approximately 78,000 in Mathematics, and approximately 26,000 students took the FCAT 2.0 test in Science. 

Overall, SDPBC had a higher percentage of proficient students than Florida and the five largest Florida school districts at most grades in Reading, Mathematics and Science and more than a majority of SDPBC students scored proficient or above at all tested grades and subjects.

• In FY2013, the SDPBC had a higher proficiency rate than Florida and the five largest Florida districts in a majority of grades and subjects

o   At grades 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, and 10 in Reading,

o   At grades 4, 5, 7,  and 8 in Mathematics, and

o   At grades 5 and 8 in Science. 

• From FY2012 to FY2013, the SDPBC increased performance by at least two percentage points in grades 6, 9 and 10 reading, and in grades 3 and 4 Mathematics.
• In FY2013, the SDPBC had a majority of students scoring proficient or above at all tested grades in Reading and Mathematics.

The attached Tables 1 through 5 report the percent of students proficient in Reading, Mathematics, and Science for the SDPBC, Florida, and selected school districts.  Results for individual SDPBC schools are available on the Department of Research, Evaluation and Assessment website at: http://www.palmbeachschools.org/dre/FCAT.asp

Executive Summary Here

The School District of Palm Beach County School Food Service Department is hiring 4, 5, and 6 hour cafeteria workers with a starting pay of $8.68 per hour with some positions offering benefits. 

When? June 10, 2013 from 9:00am to 3:30pm.

Where? Work Force Alliance located at 1951 North Military Trail, West Palm Beach

All applicants should bring a resume listing previous job experience.  Please contact Lana Gray with Work Force Alliance to schedule an interview appointment at 561-340-1060 ext. 2324.

For more information please contact Lori Dornbusch with School Food Service at lori.dornbusch@palmbeachschools.org or 561-383-2000.

This year marks the 21^st year of CAFCI’s student assistance program recognizing students’ achievement in Palm Beach County schools and colleges. To date, CAFCI has given 96 monetary awards totaling $45,890. The theme for this year’s ceremony was, “Beyond the Finish Line.” 

The eleven students awarded 2013 scholarships are:  

Kaitlyn Cameron – Graduated from Wellington High School and plans to attend Palm Beach State College 

Rachelle Eloizin – Graduated from Atlantic High School and plans to attend University of South Florida 

Brad Lewis – Graduated from Seminole Ridge High School and plans to attend Palm Beach State College 

Gillian Strowbridge – Graduated from Royal Palm Beach High School and plans to attend Florida A&M University 

Vinnet Douglas – Graduated from Atlantic High School and plans to attend University of Miami 

Darius Hodges – Graduated from Palm Beach Lakes High School and plans to attend University of Alabama 

Sara Pengelley – Graduated from Suncoast High School and plans to attend University of Florida 

Sashia Thompson – Graduated from Seminole Ridge High School an plans to attend Barry University 

Robert Simms – Graduated from Palm Beach Central High School and plans to attend Palm Beach State College 

David Gouge – Graduated from Suncoast High School and plans to attend University of Florida

Brandon LaRosa – Graduated from Dreyfoos School of the Arts and plans to attend Florida State University 

Lifetime members of CAFCI Mr. and Mrs. Lauriston Simms partnered with CAFCI and presented the award to Sashia Thompson who plans to pursue studies in nursing. Mr. Simms who is the owner of an assisted living facility, is passionate about nursing and donates annually to the award. The Amanayea Abraham Award went to Rachelle Eloizin. The late Amanayea Abraham was one of CAFCI’s strongholds and was very instrumental in the organization’s activities.

 

The Vivian A. Ferrin Scholarships were awarded to two Eagle Scouts, David Gouge and Brandon LaRosa by Rhonda Ferrin-Davis, daughter of the late Vivian Ferrin. These scholarships were made as a tribute in Vivian Ferrin’s honor to graduating seniors who are from CAFCI’s Boys Scout Troup 111 and who have attained the very prestigious rank of Eagle Scout. 

Requirements for the scholarships include a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above, a letter of acceptance from the college of choice and an essay to demonstrate interest and knowledge of Caribbean culture and affairs. 

Students who meet the requirements are invited to an interview after which the selection for awards is made. This year’s interviewing was conducted by committee members, Dr. Elaine Ealy, Junette Powell, Nadine White-Boyd, Esq. and Dr. Cedric Lynch. 

Mayor Matty Mattiolli of the Village of Royal Palm saluted the recipients and wished them success. Past award recipients Tiffany Williams (2012), Vasthi Ciceron (2011) and Nico Brown (2005) shared their experiences with the audience. Williams and Ciceron are both current students at the University of Florida (UF) and have just completed their first and second year respectively. They both volunteered as hostesses at the ceremony. Nico Brown graduated from University of Central Florida (UCF) in 2010 with a degree in mechanical engineering and is currently working as a resident engineer for the physics department at UCF. Rochele Brown, another past recipient and who will graduate from Darmouth College this year participated in the ceremony via Skype and shared experiences of her journey. 

Guest speaker at the ceremony was Dr. Stephanie Nance, principal at Crestwood Middle School. With the creative infusion of poetry, “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes at the start of her address to the awardees and “Invictus” by William Ernest Henley at her closing,  Dr. Nance did more than deliver support and advice. She strongly urged the prospective college students to realize that each of them will have his or her own race to run. She reminded them that there may be obstacles along the way.

“Your will to succeed,” she stressed, “will determine if that obstacle remain an obstacle or if that obstacle becomes an opportunity.” A life-long lesson from which all could learn was very ably put by Dr. Nance, “Life is also about sacrifice, we must always remember and reflect upon those that helped to pave the way for our growth and success.”  

For more information contact Dr. Elaine Ealy at (561) 753-5000 or via email at elaine.ealy@palmbeachschools.org.

 

 

 

About The School District of Palm Beach County

The School District of Palm Beach County is the eleventh largest in the nation and the fifth largest in the state of Florida with 185 schools, serving more than 177,000 students who speak 150 languages and dialects. As the largest employer in Palm Beach County, the School District has nearly 21,000 associates, including 12,627 teachers. To learn more about The School District of Palm Beach County, please visit www.palmbeachschools.org.

The Annual Beginning Teacher of the Year and Mentor Teacher of the Year Awards Ceremony took place at Fulton-Holland Education Services Center June 4^th. The Department of Professional Development and the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County, Inc. co-sponsored the event in support of first year teachers and mentors.

The awards were presented to elementary, middle, and high school first year teachers and mentors employed by the School District of Palm Beach County, who have been recommended by their principal for demonstrating excellence. 

The Beginning Teacher of the Year Award winners are:

Allison Riordan - Hidden Oaks Elementary School

Patreka McKelton – Bear Lakes Middle School

Timothy Reen - Park Vista High School

The Mentor Teacher of the Year Award winners are:

Kimberly Madore – Elbridge Gale Elementary

 Jimi McCoy Hataway – Independence Middle School

Ernest Anderson – Boynton Beach High School

 

Each award recipient received $350 to be used for planning lessons and/or supplies for their classrooms.

For additional information about the awards or the ceremony please contact Dr. Gina Stafford at (561)776-3663 orgina.stafford@palmbeachschools.org.

The Sunshine State School Public Relations Association (SUNSPRA) announced the 2013 Sunshine Medallion Award Winners and Palm Beach County is proud to have four winners this year. These initiatives reflect the dedication of our teachers, administrators and families to ensure that our students are receiving the highest level of education.   

• Promotional Videos, Large District

Wellness Rewards Premium Discount Promotional Video

This comprehensive video explains the process that District employees have to follow in order to take advantage of the Wellness Rewards Premium Discount Program. 

The video was produced by Officer Frank Fanelli from the School Police Training Unit and Donna Winter, Assistant Wellness Coordinator as “The Wellness Fairy” in support of Director, Dianne Howard; Manager, Marilyn Boursiquot and Wellness Coordinator, Kimberly Sandmaier. 

Attending to accept this award is Donna Winter, Assistant Wellness Coordinator, Risk & Benefits Management. 

• Special Purpose Publication – Large District

Palm Beach County Middle School Poetry Competition. The book includes the winning entries for the 2013 Palm Beach County Middle School Poetry Competition. In addition, the publication features the winning cover designed by Laura Francois and the bookmark designed by Maria Valenti students at Palm Springs Middle School. 

Attending to accept this award is Laura Costello, English teacher, Palm Springs Middle 

• Wellness Annual Report – Large District

Wellness Promotion Policy Annual Report – 6th Edition

This annual report reflects the historical journey that embraces the wellness progress of Palm Beach County.  Since the creation of this important district policy and process a “Wellness Promotion Task Force” was developed and now comprised of over 1000 members. The goal of this task force is to encourage a proactive approach to holistically address the health, wellness and safety of all school children, staff, parents and the community. 

​Attending to accept this award is Steve Bonino, District Chairman of  The Wellness Promotion Task Force.

• Themed Promotion – Take Steps to a Healthier You!! Breakfast Club

This project originated and is being implemented at Okeeheelee Middle School with the purpose of increasing the number students that eat breakfast at school.  The club combines a tutoring program and the opportunity to enjoy a healthy and well balance meal. Students begin their day getting help in the different core subjects and when they are done they have breakfast.  The project correlates with the First Lady’s, Michelle Obama, campaign to make schools a healthier environment.

 

​

 

Attending to accept this award is Carmen Moreira, Title I Coordinator, Okeeheelee Middle School. 

SUNSPRA is an organization dedicated to the needs, goals, and professional development of public relations experts who specialize in education communications. In fact, it is the definitive organization for Public Relations professionals in Florida with ties to the National School Public Relations Association Network. Their mission is to widespread support for Florida public education by engaging all key stakeholders in student success and public school improvement.

Awards will be presented on Wednesday, June 19^th, 2013 during the FASA Summer Conference being held at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay.

 

 

About The School District of Palm Beach County

The School District of Palm Beach County is the eleventh largest in the nation and the fifth largest in the state of Florida with 185 schools, serving more than 177,000 students who speak 150 languages and dialects. As the largest employer in Palm Beach County, the School District has nearly 21,000 associates, including 12,627 teachers. To learn more about The School District of Palm Beach County, please visit www.palmbeachschools.org.

Iris Neil, Transition Program Planner, was recently honored with the Florida Division on Career Development and Transition’s Making a Difference Award. Ms. Neil was recognized for her tireless efforts to support the transition process of students with disabilities.  “Her vision for each student and her commitment and belief that all students share the promise of the future is exemplary,” said Will Gordillo, Director, Exceptional Student Education Department.

As the Transition Program Planner in the Exceptional Student Education Department, Ms. Neil has helped with the establishment of multiple post-secondary programs for students with cognitive disabilities in Palm Beach County.  She diligently worked to create a post-secondary college program at Lynn University and collaborated with Project TEN in writing the Florida Consortium TPSID grant. She has worked with several charter schools to bring the unique programs, such as Project SEARCH to the district and created a Modified Occupational Completion Points program, called CORE (Career Opportunities and Related Education) at a technical charter school.  She created off-campus programs throughout the district for special diploma graduates to continue their education in a community environment.  These programs called ACCESS (Assimilation to Community, Careers, and Self-Sufficiency) are located in area businesses and government agency facilities.  She negotiated contracts with each entity to provide space without fees to the district. 

Ms. Neil is also the Chair of the transition council, Council for In-Transition Youth (CITY) Committee. She has inaugurated the Start Transition and Realize Success (STARS) Conference.  She has also planned and coordinated the conference for the past eight years. Furthermore, Ms. Neil works with others to replicate successful programs.  She was involved in the development of Florida Consortium’s annual Hartwick Symposium. This conference provides opportunities for districts across the state to learn how to create and support post-secondary programs.

Ms. Neil has volunteered for 10 years to serve on the Florida Division on Career Development & Transition (DCDT) Board. She collaborates with others across the state to plan their annual Visions Conference.  Ms. Neil also supports other districts in responding and assisting them with the replication of all programs. 

For more information please contact Mr. Gordillo at will.gordillo@palmbeachschools.org or 561-434-8626.

The Historical Society of Palm Beach County was pleased to present Dreyfoos School of the Arts with the special exhibition Alexander W. Dreyfoos: Man of Vision, Culture and Community.  In attendance at the presentation on May 16, 2013 were Alexander Dreyfoos, Jeremy Johnson, President and CEO of the Historical Society; Dr. Susan Atherley, Principal of Dreyfoos School of the Arts; Grier Pressly, Chairman of the Board for the Historical Society; and School Board Member Jenny Prior Brown.

The exhibition was first unveiled in December 2012 at the Society’s 11^th Annual Archival Evening and has now found a permanent home to be enjoyed by students and faculty of the school which bears Mr. Dreyfoos’s name.

Archival Evening is the premier benefit event for the Society, supporting the preservation of the Archives and History Museum. The evening and its accompanying exhibition pay tribute to individuals whose achievements have substantially contributed to the unique character of this region. Alexander W. Dreyfoos, was selected as the 2012 Honoree in acknowledgement of his achievements in cultural leadership throughout Palm Beach County and for his role as a contemporary icon in both business and philanthropy.  The exhibition celebrates his professional and philanthropic career, including the Video Color Negative Analyzer (VCNA) that revolutionized the printing of color photography in 1964, which he designed with his partner and friend George Mergens. 

More information about Alexander Dreyfoos can be found in the Society’s Archives Collection and Research Library. Please contact the Curatorial Department at 561-832-4164 or visit www.historicalsocietypbc.org.

The Historical Society also operates and maintains the Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum in the 1916 Court House in downtown West Palm Beach.  Mr. Dreyfoos is included in the “Notables” exhibition in the People Gallery. Admission is always free.  The Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM.

For more information please contact Melissa L. Sullivan, Historical Society of Palm Beach County, Advancement & Communications at melissasullivan@historicalsocietypbc.org or 561-832-4164 ext. 106.

Kayla Abramowitz, a student at Palm Beach Gardens Elementary has been collecting new and used DVDs to donate to children’s hospitals in an effort to help children feel better.  When her project started April 1, Kayla’s original goal was to collect 100 DVDs to donate to Miami Children’s Hospital, but a newspaper article about her brought in an overwhelming response of donations as well as more media coverage. In just two months, Kayla has collected around 1,300 DVDs.

Kayla mentioned the idea to her Girl Scout Troop and two other members of the troop decided they wanted to help. All three girls – Kayla, Alice Browning, and Kylee Walker – are 5^th graders at Palm Beach Gardens Elementary. They met with the principal, Marie Caracuzzo, and she loved the idea and offered to allow them to collect DVDs at the school.

Thursday morning, June 6^th at 8:00 AM, Palm Beach Gardens Mayor Bert Premuroso will be at the school to appear on the morning announcements.  He will be congratulating the students and staff for their community service work, collecting 260 DVDs for children’s hospitals.

Kayla’s ultimate goal is to donate 100 DVDs to every major children’s hospital in the country.

For more information please contact Ms. Caracuzzo at marie.caracuzzo@palmbeachschools.org or 561-366-6500 or for the latest on what Kayla Cares 4 Kids is doing, check out Facebook page: www.facebook/KaylaCares4Kids.com

Eight Palm Beach County high school seniors have been awarded $5,000 per year scholarships for four years based on their enrollment at a four year post secondary institution. (Total scholarship award $20,000.00 per student).

The scholarship awards are provided by The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, a national education philanthropy based in Los Angeles that seeks to ensure that every student in an urban public school has the opportunity to succeed. 

The Broad Prize honors urban school districts that demonstrate the greatest overall performance and improvement in student achievement in the nation while reducing income and ethnic achievement gaps.

The School District of Palm Beach County was one of four finalist for the 2012 Broad Prize.

Palm Beach County Public Schools 2013 Broad Prize Recipients
Last	First	MI	District	High School
Bright	Michael	T	Palm Beach	Suncoast High School
Chery	Kimberly		Palm Beach	Palm Beach Gardens High School
Dauphin	Patricia		Palm Beach	Palm Beach Gardens High School
Dorjulus	Barbara		Palm Beach	Boynton Beach High School
Martinez Rey	Macarena	M	Palm Beach	Atlantic High School
Pierre	Briana		Palm Beach	Lake Worth High School
Pringle	Shelby		Palm Beach	Park Vista High School
Reid	Nykeythia	C	Palm Beach	Suncoast High School

For more details, please visit www.broadprize.com or contact Judy Thomas, Department of Single School Culture © Initiatives at judy.thomas@palmbeachschools.org or (561) 434-8456.

The 2013 Beginning Teacher of the Year and Mentor Teacher of the Year Awards Ceremony will be held in the Board Room at the Fulton-Holland Educational Services Center on Tuesday, June 4th, 2013 from 6:00pm – 7:30pm.  

The Department of Professional Development and the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County, Inc. are co-sponsoring the event in support of first year teachers and mentors employed by the School District of Palm Beach County who have been recommended by their principal for demonstrating excellence.

For additional information about the awards or the ceremony please contact Dr. Gina Stafford at (561)776-3663 or gina.stafford@palmbeachschools.org. 

The Education Foundation of Palm Beach County is pleased to announce that the 2013 License for Learning Mini-Grant application is now available for educators to download and submit for funding of innovative classroom projects and activities.

Through funds collected from the purchase and/or renewal of the Support Education license plates, classroom grants are awarded for programs that support the development of projects that enhance educational opportunities for students. Areas of focus include, but are not limited to Literacy, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) and Career Education.

This opportunity is open to all K-12 public school educators in Palm Beach County. Completed grant applications must be submitted to the Education Foundation no later than Thursday, June 13, 2013.

Go to www.educationfoundationpbc.org for more information or contact Tracy Rudnick at tracy.rudnick@palmbeachschools.org or 561-434-8428.

The Education Foundation of Palm Beach County is a non-profit, 501 (c)(3) organization dedicated to advancing excellence in Palm Beach County’s public education by increasing public awareness and inspiring community and business support for programs focused on learning, literacy, and leadership.

The School District of Palm Beach County is hosting ARTS REVOLUTION 2013, a three-day professional development conference which will be held at Dreyfoos School of the Arts on June 11, 12, and 13. Educators, teaching artists, and community arts professionals are welcome to attend this hands-on, creative series of workshops, which will be presented by Kennedy Center artists Melanie Layne and Laura Reeder, in addition to a host of regional and local artist presenters.

Conference participants will learn about arts integration as approach to teaching, as well as learning a variety of techniques that can be easily implemented in their classrooms. The presenters will show how to combine visual art, dance, music, and drama with core academic subjects to create an exciting, dynamic learning experience for students of all grade levels. Educators can earn up to 30 in-service points by participating.

The conference is free of charge for PBCSD employees and only $60 for others. Interested educators can sign up on Course Registration under “fine arts.” Space is limited, so participants are encouraged to register early.

For more information or to receive a list of workshop descriptions, please contact Arts Integration Project Manager Susan Hyatt at susan.hyatt@palmbeachschools.org or call 561-434-8484.

The School District of Palm Beach County today announced that all job seekers and members of the community are invited to attend the Transportation Job Fair to join a professional services team.  

When? Thursday, June 13, 2013 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 

Where? Central Transportation Facility – 3376 Summit Blvd. West Palm Beach, FL 33406.

Attendees will have the opportunity to apply for jobs available in the Transportation Department including bus drivers, bus attendants, mechanics and mechanics forepersons. In addition to exceptional retirement benefits, competitive pay, health insurance and flexible schedule the School District offers the Commercial Driving License (CDL) training for free to those who qualify. 

Requirements:

1. Safe licensed driver for 5 years
2. Excellent driving record
3. Pass the Department of Transportation (DOT) physical examination
4. Pass the bus driver training course
5. Communicate effectively in English
6. Enjoy working with students  

Follow this link to apply online or call (561) 242-6500 www.palmbeachschools.org/transportation/Employment/index.asp 

For more information contact Carl Boucard at (561) 242-6517 or via email at carl.boucard@palmbeachschools.org.  

 

 

About The School District of Palm Beach County

The School District of Palm Beach County is the eleventh largest in the nation and the fifth largest in the state of Florida with 185 schools, serving more than 177,000 students who speak 150 languages and dialects. As the largest employer in Palm Beach County, the School District has nearly 21,000 associates, including 12,627 teachers. To learn more about The School District of Palm Beach County, please visit www.palmbeachschools.org.