U. B. Kinsey/Palmview Elementary School of the Arts Wins Lighthouse ArtCenter Awards

The Lighthouse ArtCenter Art Gallery located in Tequesta is featuring their 42nd Annual Kindergarten to 12th grade Community Student Exhibition from May 2 through May 23, 2012.  Art teachers from local schools submit the best student art work from the past school year to exhibit in this beautiful exhibition. An arts awards reception was recently held for students K through 5th grades.

Congratulations to the following U. B. Kinsey/Palmview students for their hard work and incredible artistic talents: Eduardo Culmer won 1st place for Kindergarten, Nia’Symone Francisco won 2nd place for 5th grade and the school Group Project won Best of Show.

U. B. Kinsey/Palmview is one of the oldest elementary school campuses in Palm Beach County, opening in 1929.  The school is a Title I school.  According to Principal Adrienne Howard, “We offer visual art studio classes, a full music program including award winning strings and chorus, keyboard, band, a TV production/communications program featuring broadcasting of the morning news, dance; both modern and ballet, and many other arts areas for our students.  We help them to prepare for the auditions to Bak Middle School of the Arts so they may have the best chances for furthering their creative studies.”

For more information please contact Sharon Campbell, Magnet Coordinator at 561-671-6517 or sharon.campbell.1@palmbeachschools.org.

More than 1.1 billion people in the world lack access to safe drinking water; this is one of the reasons why Benoist Farms Elementary is raising money to help a school in Nicaragua with no running water.  The school set the goal to collect $750 to purchase a hand washing station for the school.

The students, teachers and staff members at Benoist Farms were been able to raise over $1800 through various activities and just recently through a Water Walk. Everyone gathered in the parking lot and walked around the bus loop to support this cause. “Running water is a luxury in many countries around the world. We are happy to create awareness among our students as to the importance of issues like this and how we can come together as a community to help others,” said Mrs. Kimberly Rogers.

This initiative is in conjunction with the non-profit organization H20 for Life which connects schools in the United States with schools in developing countries to complete WASH (WAter, Sanitation, and Hygiene) in Schools projects.

Students are able to build an allegiance to and an understanding of their partner school through curriculum and experiential learning while raising funds for WASH in Schools projects. 100 percent of contributions raised by schools goes directly to partner school projects.

To obtain more information about H20 for Life visit www.h2oforlifeschools.org.

For more information contact Kimberly Rogers at (561) 383-9700 or via email at kimberly.rogers@palmbeachschools.org.  

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 Public Affairs Contact: Natalia Arenas – (561) 357-7662 – natalia.arenas@palmbeachschools.org

Samantha Kerker, 17, a junior at Atlantic High School, was recently named one of America’s top 10 youth volunteers of the year at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., by The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. As a National Honoree, she will receive $5,000 award, an engraved gold medallion, and a crystal trophy for her school. She also will be able to choose a nonprofit charitable organization to receive a $5,000 grant from The Prudential Foundation.

Samantha has founded a student club with chapters in all 28 high schools in Palm Beach County to promote monthly service projects benefiting poor people. She is now working to send 60 students on a poverty-focused mission to a third-world country.

“We are so proud of Samantha.  Not only has she raised money and traveled to Nicaragua, but she has taught other students the importance of making a difference in the world.  Sami’s determination to help others and raise global awareness is inspirational,” said Kelly Bruce, the school guidance counselor.

According to the event organizer, the 10 National Honorees, who range in age from 12 to17, were selected from 102 State Honorees and more than 26,000 applicants based on the initiative, effort, impact and personal growth demonstrated in the course of their volunteer service. The recognition ceremony was part of a four-day celebration that brought the top two youth volunteers from each state to Washington, D.C., with their parents, to be recognized for their outstanding acts of community service.  These 102 State Honorees – one middle level and one high school student from each state and the District of Columbia – were personally congratulated by New York Giants quarterback and 2012 Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning at a gala dinner reception at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History on Sunday, May 6, 2012.

About The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, created in 1995 by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), are designed to emphasize the importance our nation places on service to others, and to encourage all young Americans to contribute to their communities.

For additional information, please contact Kelly Bruce at kelly.bruce@palmbeachschool.org.

[Editors: Full-color pictures of the Spirit of Community Awards program logo and medallions are available at http://spirit.prudential.com. Digital photos of the National Honorees are available by calling Harold Banks of Prudential at 973-802-8974 or 973-216-4833.]

Suncoast Community High School and Alexander W. Dreyfoos Jr. School of the Arts have made the U.S. News 2012 list of America’s top high schools.  U.S. News analyzed more than 21,000 public high schools across the United States.  Suncoast is ranked 28th and Dreyfoos is ranked 60th in the national ratings.  In the Florida ratings, Suncoast is 3rd, Dreyfoos is 8th, Spanish River Community High School is 30th and Boca Raton Community High School is 36th.

U.S. News partnered with the Washington, D.C.-based American Institutes for Research (AIR), which implemented U.S. News’s rankings methodology. According to U.S. News, “To determine the Best High Schools national rankings, schools were first analyzed at the state level in terms of how well students in each school performed on state assessments, taking into account the test scores of disadvantaged students (low-income, Hispanic, and black), who tend to score lower on tests.  High schools that made it through this analysis were then eligible to be ranked nationally, in terms of college readiness. U.S. News determined the degree to which schools prepare students for college-level work by analyzing student success in Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) programs, both of which include college-level courses.”

Two Palm Beach County teachers have been awarded the Herbert C. Lee Scholarship through the Palm Beach County Fellowship of Christians and Jews to the Facing History and Ourselves Seminar in Boston, Massachusetts this summer.  The two teachers are Krystal Lamb from Park Vista High School and Teodora Kamburov from Boca Raton High School.

For more than 30 years, Facing History and Ourselves has believed that education is the key to combating bigotry and nurturing democracy. Facing History and Ourselves works with educators throughout their careers to improve their effectiveness in the classroom, as well as their students’ academic performance and civic learning. Through a rigorous investigation of the events that led to the Holocaust, as well as other recent examples of genocide and mass violence, students in a Facing History class learn to combat prejudice with compassion, indifference with participation, and myth and misinformation with knowledge.

Upon return from Boston, both teachers will infuse Facing History strategies and content into their classroom.

For more information please contact Maureen Marullo-Carter, Program Planner for Elementary Social Studies and Holocaust Studies at maureen.marullo@palmbeachschools.org .

Allamanda Elementary School in Palm Beach Gardens is a proud recipient of a BallenIsles Charities Foundation Grant in the amount of $12,000 to fund classroom libraries and iPads for students with special needs.

The BallenIsles Community Volunteer Group was recently honored as the Gold Award Level Business Partner winner of the year at The School District of Palm Beach County Volunteer and Business Partners Awards Breakfast held at the Kravis Center May 2, 2012.

Allamanda nominated the BallenIsles Group for this award based on the outstanding partnership and mentoring BallenIsles community members have forged with Allamanda students.

Marilu Garcia, Allamanda Elementary School principal, said, “BallenIsles is an integral part of the Allamanda family we couldn’t do without.”

For further information, please contact Mrs. Garcia at 561-803-7200 or marilu.garcia@palmbeachschools.org .

Recently, fifteen Royal Palm Beach High School students headed off to the 2012 Future Business Leaders of America State Leadership Conference in Orlando, Florida.  It was a record setting turnout for competitive students, with more than 4,000 students participating. 

With the help of generous scholarships which were provided by Gold Coast Federal Credit Union and Gold Coast’s Chief Executive Officer, Robert Delaney, Royal Palm Beach High School had fifteen students competing, as well as three delegates.

These students and their areas of competition are listed as follows:

Tyler McGrath (10^th grade) – Accounting I

Kevin Abinader (12^th grade) and Mahendra “Randy” Deoroop (11^th grade) – Accounting II

Lionel Muñoz (12^th grade) and Jennipher Castillo (12^th grade) – Business Law

Christopher Miccieche (10^th grade) – Business Mathematics

Quincy Jeanty (11^th grade), Bryan Baker (11^th grade), and David Alves (11^th grade) – Business Plan

Nicholas Spigarelli (12^th grade) – Economics

Thuy Tu (12^th grade) and Louis Hernandez (12^th grade) – Entrepreneurship

Gabrielle Marionakis (11^th grade) and Erica Lloyd (11^th grade) – Global Business

Kevin Deal (11^th grade) – Health Care Administration

Austin Lombardi (12^th grade), Makeshia Johnson (12^th grade), and Domingo Reyes (12^th grade) – Delegates

All of the students performed very well and were extremely dedicated participants in their respective events. In many cases, the students opted to miss the senior prom to compete at the state level.  One such senior was Lionel Muñoz, who placed third in the competition for Business Law.

For the second year in a row, Royal Palm Beach High School has had a student place in one of the top five positions for the Business Law division. Lionel Muñoz was the only Palm Beach County student to place in this division, and will represent both Royal Palm Beach High School and the State of Florida at the upcoming National Leadership Conference on June 29- July 2, 2012 in San Antonio, Texas.

Lionel, who will attend Florida International University in the fall, is the second national competitor in the last three years from Royal Palm Beach High School. “I promise to do my best and  bring back a national trophy to all my friends here in Florida,” said Lionel.

For more information contact Tiffany Taylor at (561) 753-4000 or via email at tiffany.taylor@palmbeachschools.org.  

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 Public Affairs Contact: Natalia Arenas – (561) 357-7662 – natalia.arenas@palmbeachschools.org

WHAT :     1st Annual Boca Middle Auction

WHEN :     Saturday, May 12, 2012 at 6 :30 PM

WHERE :   Boca Raton Club

WHO :        Boca Raton Middle School

WHY :        To raise fund for technology to upgrade school

Tickets on Sale Now: $40 per person –  sponsor a teacher for $35

Students at Wynnebrook Elementary will be traveling around the world to different countries represented in their school on May 17, 2012 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in the Cafeteria.

The purpose of this event is to encourage children to appreciate the wealth of different cultures, traditions, beliefs and lifestyles and to respect and celebrate diversity as part of the richness of life.

Parents will also be participating with booths representing their own cultures. “It will be like a great journey around the world.  Each child in the school will receive a passport and walk around to different countries,” said Mrs. Leslie Millar.

Wynnebrook Elementary is located at 1167 Drexel Road, West Palm Beach, Florida 33417.

For more information contact Leslie Millar at (561) 598-7414 or via email at leslie.millar@palmbeachschools.org.  

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 Public Affairs Contact: Natalia Arenas – (561) 357-7662 – natalia.arenas@palmbeachschools.org

Worldstrides Heritage Festivals is a national educational accredited performance festival organization that has been around for over 30 years helping to enrich the lives of students through music and performance opportunities. They provide renowned performance venues and exciting destinations that help foster a lifetime of music appreciation each year for thousands of Directors and tens of thousands of students from all over the country.”

“I am so happy for our students. They have worked so hard to reach this accomplishment.  I am very grateful to work with outstanding administration, parents, and most of all the students,” said Edrick Rhodes, the band director.

 Here are the accomplishments of West Boca Raton High School Band:

• National Concert Festival: World Strides Heritage Festival Anaheim California April 25^th through April 29^th
• Four Ensembles entered, Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Jazz Band and Percussion Ensemble
• All Ensembles scored first in their class, with a prestigious Gold Level Standing given (92 grade or higher)
• Grand Championship of festival
• Received Gold festival award to participate in a future event with other Gold rated concert ensembles throughout the country
• Special award given to Wind Ensemble French Horn Section as top performing section in Festival
• Met Jay Leno with three members of group participating in skits under his Jay Walk segments. Student Lydia Castillo, Parent Saul Rubin and Band Director Edrick Rhodes. Skits to air on the Jay Leno Show Tuesday May 8^th if selected.

The group is comprised of two bands: the Wind Ensemble which is referred to as the Top Band and the Symphonic Band. Both bands performed on Friday, May 4^th, 2012, at the State Concert Festival  and received Superiors (highest rank), and, according to the Band Booster president, they were the only high school band in Palm Beach County to achieve this honor.

For more information, contact Sharon Kelley at (561) 756-0810.

Graduations will take place from May 17 through May 29 with the majority of the graduation ceremonies taking place at the South Florida Fairgrounds.  2012 high school graduation information, including schedules, participating restaurants and a site map, can be found on the School District website at http://www.palmbeachschools.org/community/Graduation_info.asp .    Please see schedule for dates, times, and locations for all high school graduations.

New items this year include a 2012 graduation participation restaurant flyer and a grounds map for the South Florida Fairgrounds.  Participating restaurants offer a wide variety of discounts from 10% off the entire check to a free meal for the 2012 graduates.  The grounds map identifies entrances and exits to the South Florida Fairgrounds from Southern Boulevard, Fairgrounds Road, and Sansbury’s Way.

For more information, please contact Eric Stern at 561-434-7450 or eric.stern@palmbeachschools.org.

During National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week (May 6-12, 2012) and throughout the school year, school psychologists are giving talks at their schools or other work locations as part of this national effort to raise awareness about the importance of student mental health.

According to Kim Berryhill, North Area School Psychologist and President of the Palm Beach Association of School Psychologists, “The best place for parents to learn about their child’s mental health wellness is their child’s school. School psychologists, along with other school mental health professionals, work to ensure that supports are available to help students who struggle with mental health problems.  A professional alliance has been developed with Palm Beach County community providers to help coordinate services and interventions between school and home.”

The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) is partnering with Speak Up for Kids as part of their commitment to help school psychologists promote students’ mental wellness.

Speak Up for Kids connects parents and teachers with professionals such as school psychologists in their school or community for free talks on mental health, learning problems and other issues relating to raising healthy, happy kids.

Click here CooperativeAgreementAgencyMatrixSY2010 for the School District of Palm Beach County’s Summary of Programs Offered by Agencies within Palm Beach County.

For more information please contact Ms. Berryhill at 561-904-7719 or kim.berryhill@palmbeachschools.org .

Carver Middle students have been working side by side with Atlantic High’s Construction Academy on a Learning Landscape that will be used by Carver teachers as an outdoor learning tool.  A Literacy grant from Dollar General and supplies and support from the City of Delray Beach enabled the construction of a 30 X 30 ft installation in the courtyard that serves as an outdoor learning space as well as artistic design that beautifies the campus.

Tim Sachse, director of the Construction Academy started the project by bringing past and current Atlantic High students to discuss the Academy program with Carver students.  They also discussed how they would create the Learning Landscape together.  Construction Academy students surveyed the land and the Carver students primed and painted tires as well as cleared the land for the installation.

Carver students logged over 300 community service hours on the project and were rewarded with a trip to the Construction Labs at Atlantic High and a tour of the Eagle Nest II, the green home being built by the Atlantic High Construction Academy students. The early exposure of the Carver students to this award winning Academy fosters positive attitudes towards high school and provides insights into the great experiences ahead for Carver Middle School students.

For more information please contact Carver Middle School Principal Lena Roundtree-Wallace at 561-638-2100 or lena.wallace@palmbeachschools.org .

Vita Nova, Inc., is a non-profit organization that provides independent living services such as vocational training, education preparation, and life skills development to young adults currently homeless or previously in foster care.  The Vita Nova Fourth Annual “Tempt Your Senses” Gala was recently held in West Palm Beach.

Dr. Irvine Nugent, Leo Armbrust, Denise Pagan, Dr. Tom Pearson and Susie MacDonald

The evening featured an art competition presented by 10 talented young students from the Palm Beach County School District who displayed a beautiful variety of their original artwork and photography. Guest had the opportunity to vote for their favorite piece of art. Denise Pagan, from John I. Leonard High School, won the People’s Choice Award for her original piece called “My Space”. 

For more information please contact School District Arts Education Administrator Tom Pearson at tom.pearson@palmbeachschools.org .

The Florida Council on Economic Education (FCEE) announced the winners of the Competition Of Decision-making with Ethics (C.O.D.E.). Suncoast High School and Spanish River High took top honors. Out of 56 team videos that were submitted from three school districts, the top nine videos were uploaded to Youtube for public voting. Voting for this new state-wide program to introduce business ethics education in Florida classrooms has just been completed and the top three student videos can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/user/OwnYourCODE?feature=mhee.

Winners are:

Statewide Champions: Team Virtuosos:  Corinee Thomas, Gerald Djajaputra, Brian Callahan, Matthew Bleefeld, Jillian Herman

Teacher: Tazeen Rashid  – Suncoast Community High School, Riviera Beach

Business Partner/Mentor: Jonathon Lowe, Predictive Consulting, LLC

2nd Place: Skynet: Raoul Dolcine, Christopher Basara, Melanie Gold, Hayle Henderson, Aleksandar Iricanin

Teacher: Tazeen Rashid  – Suncoast Community High School, Riviera Beach

Business Partner/Mentor: Jonathon Lowe, Predictive Consulting, LLC

3rd Place: BusyNest: Ellyn Snider, Brandon Thal, Andrew Santos, Elizabeth Oester, and Marisa Rosen

Teacher: Deb Carter – Spanish River High School, Boca Raton

Business Partner/Mentor: Christina Morrison, Christina Morrison Pearce, P.A., CPM, CDPE

Together, with leading educators, ethicists, and business leaders, the FCEE has developed a unique interactive program that puts high school students on the front lines of a hypothetical business, where they have to make critical ethical and competitive business decisions.  After a series of lessons and classroom instruction, students were presented with a business case study, a dilemma, in which they made a series of key business and ethical decisions.

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

Each year thousands of students from across the state of Florida gather in Orlando to compete in business related events. The annual Future Business Leaders of America State Leadership Conference broke records this year, with the largest Florida conference in history at over 3,500 students.

For the third year in a row, Watson B. Duncan has ranked as the largest Middle Level Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter in the state and in the Nation. This year, the accomplishment was heightened by Duncan also receiving the highest percentage increase in membership for a large chapter, adding 93 members this year. Duncan’s membership now stands at 284 members. Not only is Duncan’s chapter large; they are talented as well.

Seventh graders, Elizabeth Fortini, Brooke Golzbein, and Caroline Mauser took 3^rd place in Webpage Creation, while eighth graders Samantha Kanach and Danielle Mangialetto scored 4^th in Desktop Publishing. In addition, of the 14 Middle Level students completing the highest level of the Middle Level Achievement Program (MAP) 7 were Duncan students. Students receiving this outstanding recognition include Morgan Bianchi, Emily Campana, Alyssa Chaljub, Alessandra De Silva, Breana Frazier, Alondra Medina and Caitlin Walsh. Duncan had more students complete the Enterprise Level of MAP than any other school in the nation.

“The FBLA State Leadership Conference is a memorable experience for all in attendance,” according to Watson B. Duncan Pre-Academy of Finance teacher Kate Wynn. “The members from Watson B. Duncan are looking forward to representing Palm Beach County again next year”

For more information please contact Pre-Academy of Finance Teacher Kate Wynn at kate.wynn@palmbeachschools.org .

The Palm Beach County National Academic Games All-Stars brought home numerous awards  from the recent 47^th Annual Academic Games League of America Tournament held at Oglebay in Wheeling, West Virginia. Click here to view Academic Games Winners.  Competition to qualify for the National Tournament began in September.  After a year of local tournaments and the state tournament in March, thirty-eight students and nine coaches representing seventeen different county schools qualified to represent Palm Beach County at the tournament.

Academic Games is a program dedicated to developing “Thinking Kids” of character, excellence, and integrity by promoting excellence through academic competition.  Students who excel academically have a chance to compete and be rewarded for their accomplishments. Academic Games tournaments challenge students to use higher order thinking skills in the subjects of Language Arts, English, History and Mathematics. Players receive recognition and awards in the same way that sports champions are honored.  Since the national program’s inception in 1966, over 40,000 students in grades 4-12 have competed in the annual Academic Games National Tournament and over 100,000 students have participated in local tournaments.  Each year In Palm Beach County we have over 1200 students compete to represent the district at the National Tournament. 

According to Nancy Kinard, Academic Games Advisor and K-12 Mathematics Manager, “Our students showed the rest of the country that we proudly represent Palm Beach County.”

For more information please contact Ms. Kinard at 561-434-8250 or Nancy.Kinard@palmbeachschools.org .

Palm Beach Public School is hosting a fun filled and educational event on Saturday, May 5, 2012 from 10 a.m. to 2:00 p.m as a part of the celebrations of Melanoma Awareness Month organized by the Richard David Kann Melanoma Foundation. 

There will be continuous activities, such as decorate your own sun visor, water tattoos featuring the foundation’s mascot “Sunny”, balloon artist Dino Dave, story time readings from books about sun safety geared for young children, giveaways, free Derma View screenings, (showing the damaging effects of the sun that you can’t see in the mirror) and sun-safety vendors. Spanish literature will also be available. 

The event will also feature the Palm Beach Public Book Fair in the Media Center with a special book selection regarding sun safety. Music Director, Andy Matzkow from Palm Beach Public, along with his orchestra, will perform a variety of pieces including special “sun-themed” selections. 

Students Against Melanoma (S.A.M.) Club members will hold a mock peaceful demonstration for no indoor tanning using the 9^th to 12^th grade “Melanoma Monday” Public Awareness posters created for the art contest. 

In 2001, The Board of Palm Beach County County Commissioners declared the first Monday in May, as Melanoma Monday for the Richard David Kann Melanoma Foundation. 

For more information contact Lisa Richman at (561) 655-9655.

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 Public Affairs Contact: Natalia Arenas – (561) 357-7662 – natalia.arenas@palmbeachschools.org

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announced that the School Board of Palm Beach County has received the 24th annual Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network (KCAAEN) and National School Boards Association (NSBA) Award.

Darrell Ayers, Vice President of Education for the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, School Board Member Marcia Andrews, and School District Arts Education Administrator Tom Pearson

The School District was chosen from nominees around the country for their outstanding support of high-quality arts education. Florida Alliance for Arts Education (FAAE) was proud to nominate the Palm Beach County School Board for this award.  The Palm Beach County School Board received the FAAE Leadership Award in 2009 and thus was eligible for nomination to the national award.

A national review panel selects the school district that receives the honor each year. School districts selected for this national honor must demonstrate:

• Support for four disciplines in arts education programs including visual arts, music, theater, and dance. 

• Instruction and programming must be available for all students throughout the district. 

• The ways in which the school district develops collaborative partnerships with the cultural resources available in the community are also an important consideration in reviewing nominations. 

The Kennedy Center/National School Board Award, which includes a $10,000 prize, was presented to the School Board on April 23, 2012 at the National School Boards Association’s annual conference in Boston, MA.

For more information please contact School District Arts Education Administrator Tom Pearson at 561-434-8161 or tom.pearson@palmbeachschools.org .

The Palm Beach County School District Police Department along with the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office has concluded the third phase of “Operation D-“ with the arrest of seven Palm Beach Central High School students. Three adults and four juveniles were arrested today for delivering narcotics to undercover police officers posing as students. The three-month undercover operation is the latest effort to enforce drug free safety zones that have been successful in deterring criminal activity. More arrests are expected according to School Police.

Teamed up with local and county law enforcement agencies, these investigations have led to over 100 arrests throughout Palm Beach County. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office provided assistance during this latest enforcement effort and will be utilized to help identify the source of illegal narcotics being provided for sale in our schools.

The defendants in this operation will all be charged with felonies in violation of Florida State Statute 893.13; Delivery of Marijuana within 1000 feet of a School.

School Police Chief James Kelly said, “We will continue to take the necessary action to maintain the School Board’s goal of providing a safe and nurturing school environment that is free of drugs, alcohol, firearms, and harassment, and where standards of appropriate and ethical behavior are upheld.”

The 3^rd Annual Model United Nations (MUN) at Okeeheelee Middle School will be held on Tuesday, May 15, 2012 fom 9:00 am to 3:00pm in the library.  The MUN is a culminating activity for all 8th grade International Spanish Academy (ISA) students, highlighting their understanding of global issues and modern diplomacy. 

A number of resolutions will be considered with 11 nations represented by students to discuss worldwide issues and determine plans of action to solve them. The committees that have been organized include environmental, human rights, socio-economic and security.

By the end of the assembly students will have presented their opening statements,  investigate, deliberate and debate issues that need to be addressed and taken a vote to develop resolutions.

The International Spanish Academy (ISA) is a choice program of study in affiliation with the Ministry of Education in Madrid, Spain.  

Guests are welcome attend and simultaneous translation will be available to monolingual guests. 

For further information, please call Nitza Maldonado at (561) 434-3236 nitza.maldonado@palmbeachschools.org or Dr. David Samore, Principal, at (561) 434-3260 david.samore@palmbeachschools.org.  

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 Public Affairs Contact: Natalia Arenas – (561) 357-7662 – natalia.arenas@palmbeachschools.org

Over 600 volunteers, community partners, school administrators and support staff attended the School District’s 2012 Volunteer and Business Partners Awards Recognition breakfast.  Sally Sevareid with KOOL, 105.5’s Mo & Sally Morning Show was the Mistress of Ceremonies for the event which celebrated school volunteers, business partners and community involvement in education.  School Superintendent Wayne Gent recognized the Volunteers and Business Partners for the major contributions they make to our schools and students every day.

This year, 37,000 people volunteered over a million hours of service to help students and schools achieve academic success.  Leslie Millar, the Volunteer Coordinator at Wynnebrook Elementary was presented Clear Channel Radio’s School Volunteer Coordinator of the Year Award.  The Palm Beach County Outstanding Student, Adult and Senior School Volunteers were also recognized.  Keli Hodges from the Alexander W. Dreyfoos Jr. School of the Arts is the Student Volunteer of the Year, Kendra Palumbo from Eagles Landing Middle and Del Prado Elementary is the Adult Volunteer of the Year and Marilyn Schneider from S. D. Spady Elementary is the Senior Volunteer of the Year.  Ms. Hodges and Ms. Palumbo were also honored as State Volunteers of the Year. 

The School District has over a thousand valuable business partners. Twenty-five of these partners were honored with “Outstanding Business Partner Awards.”   In addition to honoring these business partners this year’s School District Business Partner Hall of Fame winner was announced. The Hall of Fame is made up community partners who have won recognition awards year after year and continue to play critical roles in supporting schools and students. Members of the Hall of Fame have also been recognized at the state level by the Commissioner of Education.  Washington Mutual had the honor of being the first partner in the Hall of Fame, followed by Columbia Hospital, Nutrition S’Mart, Wachovia Bank, The Anne and Sam Klein Jewish Coalition for Literacy, The City of Delray Beach and The Mary and Robert Pew Public Education Fund.

Superintendent Wayne Gent, School Board Chairman Frank Barbieri, Back-to-Basics Inc., Donald and Beverly Perham, School Board Member Chuck Shaw and School Board Member Karen Brill

This year’s Hall of Fame award was presented to Back-to-Basics Inc., an active partner with schools in Palm Beach County for 26 years.  Students in 40 Palm Beach county schools received school uniforms. Beverly Perham, the founder of Back-to-Basics gives selflessly in an effort to help improve the self-esteem of children in Palm Beach County schools. Last year, Ms. Perham supplied over 6,000 students school uniforms, socks, sneakers, underwear and Christmas toys totally over $240,000. She feels that if students do not have the basics to start school, they have already begun school with low self esteem. This valuable partnership continues to significantly contribute to the school district initiative of developing all students for academic success.

School District Community Partners, Costco Wholesale, Office Depot Foundation and Wells Fargo were honored for receiving the Florida Commissioner of Education Business Recognition Award.

For more information please contact the School District Volunteer Coordinator Debi Elfen at 561-434-8789, deborah.elfen@palmbeachschools.org or School District Business Partnership Coordinator Jimmy Peterkin at 561-434-7323, jimmy.peterkin@palmbeachschools.org .

In recognition of the Kravis Center’s “generous support for our students and teachers,” the School Board of Palm Beach County honored the Center at its regular meeting on April 18. Representing the Kravis Center at the recognition presentation were CEO Judith A. Mitchell, Senior Director of Programming W. Lee Bell, Director of Education Tracy C. Butler, Dr. Barbara Golden, Ph D., a member of our Board of Directors and Chair of the Kravis Center’s Education Advisory Committee, and Joseph Sanches, another Kravis Center Board member and Chief of Support Operations at the School District of Palm Beach County.

School Board member Chuck Shaw; School Board member Marcia Andrews; Kravis Center Chief Executive Officer Judith A. Mitchell; Kravis Board member and Education Advisory Committee Chair Dr. Barbara Golden; Kravis Senior Director of Programming W. Lee Bell; School District Chief of Division of Support Operations, Kravis Board member and Kravis Building and Grounds Committee Chair, Joseph Sanches; Kravis Director of Education Tracy C. Butler; School Board member Jenifer Prior Brown and School Board member Karen Brill

The School Board took special notice of the Kravis Center’s numerous education-related programs, including our annual A.C.E. (Arts Can Empower) Institute, the Alan Lebow Award for Excellence in Shakespearean Performance, ArtsCamp and ArtsScholars, Beyond the Stage, Broadway League Education Grants and Family First Nights® on the Road, Kravis-on-the-Road, Kravis On Broadway Student Workshops, Professional Development Workshops, Stage Awakenings, Spotlight on Young Musicians and the Pleasant City Arts Education Immersion Program.

The Palm Beach County School Board also saluted student-friendly outreach efforts at the Kravis Center, such as providing bussing and transportation, admission waivers to S*T*A*R Series performances and offering Master Classes as well as the Student & Educator Rush Ticket Program which offers 50% off tickets, based on availability.

Sixty public and private schools in Palm Beach County that have made the grade in going “green” during this school year, celebrated their efforts at the fourth annual Green Schools Awards Luncheon held in their honor at the Kravis Center’s Cohen Pavilion on April 30^th.  Fifteen of these outstanding schools received some “green” for going green in the form of cash awards. 

The top Green Schools received cash awards totaling more than $8,000 for demonstrating exceptional leadership as models for implementing green school programs and practices. All cash awards are intended to help these schools continue to grow their “green” projects.  The cash awardees were announced at the luncheon for receiving top scores on the Green Schools Rubric:

1st place – Saint Joseph’s Episcopal School – $2,000

2nd place – Marsh Pointe Elementary – $1,000

3rd place – Roosevelt Community Middle – $500 

3rd place - Berkshire Elementary – $500

3rd place – South Grade Elementary – $500

In addition, “Judges Choice Awards” were given to schools that demonstrate excellence in specific areas. The following schools were selected: 

• The Chastain Charitable Foundation awarded $500 to Saint Ann Catholic School for overall excellence in greening their school’s practices and curriculum.
• Florida Department of Transportation’s SchoolPool Program awarded $750 to Palm Springs Middle for Sustainability in Transportation practices.
• Pine Jog Environmental Education Center awarded $500 to Meadow Park Elementary to a Green School which showed great promise.
• Florida Power and Light awarded $500 to Timber Trace Elementary for making strides in Energy Conservation.
• GetPaid2Recycle.com awarded $500 to Wellington High for their Community Involvement.
• Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County awarded $500 to Jerry Thomas Elementary for excellence in their Recycling and Waste Reduction Programs.
• Slow Foods Glades to Coast awarded $250 to Timber Trace for their Gardening initiatives with honorable mentions to Palm Beach Central and Santaluces High Schools.
• Audubon Society of the Everglades awarded $500 to Clifford O. Taylor/Kirklane Elementary for Overall Excellence.

The program recognizes schools for taking a holistic and innovative approach to going green that incorporates school ground enhancement, resource conservation, curriculum connections and community involvement with a school wide commitment and focus on sustainability. The Green Schools Recognition Program is coordinated by the FAU Pine Jog Environmental Education Center in collaboration with the School District of Palm Beach County and with the support of a host of community partners including the Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County; Florida Power & Light; Florida Department of Transportation’s SchoolPool, Audubon Society of the Everglades, the Chastain Charitable Foundation, Get Paid 2 Recycle, and Slow Foods – Glades to Coast.  The program was launched in 2008 with support from the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties.

“Schools are the natural place to teach the next generation how to care for our environment, and schools should lead the way in showing our community how to be more sustainable” says Patti Hammond, Assistant Recycling Team Manager for the Solid Waste Authority. 

According to Susan Toth, Director of Education at Pine Jog, recognition will be given to “Green Schools of Promise,” “Green Schools of Quality” and “Green Schools of Excellence.”  “These levels illustrate that ‘going green’ is a journey, and that schools should be acknowledged for their efforts along the way,” Toth adds. 

The Green School honorees in their respective categories are:

2012 Green Schools of Excellence:

Bak Middle School of the Arts

Berkshire Elementary

Clifford O. Taylor/Kirklane Elementary

Jupiter Community High

Jupiter Farms Elementary

Jupiter Middle School of Technology

Marsh Pointe Elementary

Morikami Park Elementary

Palm Beach Day Academy

Pine Jog Elementary

Roosevelt Community Middle

Saint Ann Catholic School

Saint Joseph’s Episcopal School

Saint Mark Catholic School

S.D. Spady Elementary

South Grade Elementary

2012 Green Schools of Quality:

Beacon Cove Intermediate

Benoist Farms Elementary

Cardinal Newman High

Diamond View Elementary

Elbridge Gale Elementary

Everglades Elementary

Grassy Waters Elementary

Greenacres Elementary

Hammock Pointe Elementary

H. L. Johnson Elementary

Hobe Sound Elementary

Hope-Centennial Elementary

Jerry Thomas Elementary

Limestone Creek Elementary

Northboro Elementary

Palm Beach Central High

Palm Beach Gardens Elementary

Palm Springs Middle

Pioneer Park Elementary

Plumosa School of the Arts

Royal Palm School

Santaluces High

Timber Trace Elementary

Unity School

Wellington High

2012 Green Schools of Promise

Academy for Positive Learning

Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts

Boca Raton Elementary

Cholee Lake Elementary

Eagles Landing Middle

Forest Hill Community High

Forest Hill Elementary

Freedom Shores Elementary

Hagen Road Elementary

Hillel Day School

Jupiter Academy

Jupiter Elementary

Lighthouse Elementary

Loggers’ Run Middle

Meadow Park Elementary

Polo Park Middle

Rosarian Academy

West Gate Elementary

Whispering Pines Elementary

In addition to the cash winners, all participating schools were recognized for their commitment to “greening” their school’s practices and curriculum.  Each school received a 2012 Green Schools banner, Green Schools logos, certificates in bamboo frames, and window decals.  Additionally, all schools are profiled on the Program’s website at www.ourgreenschools.com.

To learn more about the 2012 Green School awardees contact Susan Toth at Pine Jog Environmental Education Center, (561) 686-6600 ext. 404 or stoth2@fau.edu. 

About Pine Jog Environmental Education Center

Pine Jog Environmental Education Center is a unit of the College of Education at Florida Atlantic University.  Since 1960, Pine Jog has been fulfilling its mission of developing, modeling and providing educational programs and services which foster awareness and appreciation of the natural world, promote understanding of environmental concepts and instill a sense of stewardship.  For more information, contact Pine Jog at (561) 686-6600 or visit www.pinejog.fau.edu.

For five years in a row, a talented group of about 60 students and 10 teachers from Ludoteca School in Quito, Ecuador have visited several schools in Palm Beach County to bring their message of culture, music and language. The group will be performing in six different schools and at School District’s Headquarters from May 9th to 11th, 2012.  Some of the schools on the schedule are part of the Multicultural Education Department’s Dual Language Program—one of several ESOL program models utilized by Palm Beach County schools. 

The curriculum at Ludoteca School in Ecuador is taught in both Spanish and English and focuses on science and tourism. The visiting students will perform folkloric dances typical to Ecuador, and present the beauty of their country to our students through slide shows; music and dance. The purpose of the trip is to increase mutual understanding between students living in the United States and other regions of the world.

“The Department of Multicultural Education is pleased to extend a warm welcome to the students and teachers chaperones of Ludoteca IB World School.  It’s important for our students to maintain their culture and learn about the culture of others, and this is a great way to achieve that,” stated Sandra  Arroyo, Program Planner. 

Below is the visiting group’s itinerary: 

Wednesday, May 9th 

Berkshire Elementary School

1060 S. Kirk Rd., West Palm Beach, FL 33406

Cultural Presentation at 8:45 a.m.            

School District of Palm Beach County Headquarters

3300 Forest Hill Blvd. (Cafeteria)

 Cultural Presentation at 10:30 a.m. 

Conniston Middle School

3630 Parker Ave., West Palm Beach, FL 33405

Cultural Presentation at 2:00 p.m.

Thursday, May 10th 

W.T. Dwyer High School

13601 N. Military Trail, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418

Cultural Presentation at 9:45 a.m.

Okeeheelee Middle School

2200 Pinehurst Dr., Greenacres, FL 33413

Cultural Presentation at 2:00 p.m.

A special thank you to the staff of Okeeheelee Middle School for providing a snack.

Soccer Game at 4:00 p.m.

Friday, May 11th

Morikami Park Elementary School 

6201 Morikami Park Rd., Delray Beach, FL 33484

Cultural Presentation at 8:30 a.m.       

Forest Hill Elementary

5555 Purdy Ln., West Palm Beach, FL 33415

Cultural Presentation 11:15 a.m.

A special thank you to the staff of Forest Hill Elementary for providing lunch. 

For more information contact Sandra Arroyo at (561) 434-8774 or via email sandra.medrano-arroyo@palmbeachschools.org.

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 Public Affairs Contact: Natalia Arenas – (561) 357-7662 – natalia.arenas@palmbeachschools.org