Important Announcement:

What's Happening

Lake County Schools’ Director of Teaching & Learning selected for ASCD 2013 class of emerging leaders

Kati Pearson, Director of the Teaching & Learning Department at Lake County Schools, was recently selected as one of 25 educators for the 2013 Emerging Leaders program by ASCD.

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Leesburg High Bands release 2013-14 schedule

The Leesburg High School Bands, the Swarm of Sound, recently released schedules for the 2013-14 school year.

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Philanthropy at Cypress Ridge Elem.: A rockin‘ good time at Hard Rock Café

When one of the students at Cypress Ridge was diagnosed with Leukemia about six years ago, the students and staff wanted to do something to make a difference for this student and his family.

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Beverly Shores Elem. third graders make a global impact

Third graders at Beverly Shores Elementary recently learned about being good citizens and doing good deeds through their Social Studies lessons and wanted to put it into practice.

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Summer hours for School District begins today; summertime school consolidation ramps up

With students heading off for summer vacation, the Lake County School District, including District offices and school sites, began summer hours today.

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State releases FCAT 2.0 scores, end-of course exams for Lake County Schools

The remaining Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) scores were released today by the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) for reading in 4th-10th grade, math in 4th-8th grade, science in 5th and 8th grade, and end-of-course (EOC) exams for Algebra I, Biology I, Geometry and U.S. History. (FCAT scores for 3rd grade reading and math as well as 4th, 8th and 10th grade writing were released two weeks ago.)

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Tavares High School’s AP Government classes visit Lake County Courthouse

Toward the end of the school year, AP Government teachers Thomas Utsman and Brent Balkaran took their students on an educational field trip to the Lake County Judicial Center.

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Lake County Association of Educational Office Professionals awards 7 seniors with scholarships

The Lake County Association of Educational Office Professionals recently awarded seven Lake County seniors with scholarships at its annual banquet.

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South Lake High HOSA collects crutches for cause

A fundraising campaign at South Lake High School to support a national effort to collect one million mobility devices and distribute them in Africa has turned into one of the largest benefit drives in school history.

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Premier Program: Gray Middle School FFA recognized as tops in the state

With numerous state honors and awards garnered each year, nothing may top winning the Premier Chapter Award for the Groveland Middle School FFA program.

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Summer Reading List Encourages Kids to Keep Learning
Summer break is just a month away and the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) is encouraging kids to keep learning while they are outside of the classroom. More than 150 books have the department’s official seal of approval as good picks to entertain young readers and prevent summer learning loss.

Years of research confirm students lose vital reading and math skills, with some researchers estimating at least a month of learning loss, during each summer break. Prolonged breaks deteriorate student learning gains and widen the achievement gap among low-income students. The more students practice reading, math and critical-thinking skills during the summer months, the better prepared they will be to graduate high school ready for college and careers.

“Empowering a child with the ability to read has a transformational effect on their future success in life,” said Commissioner of Education Dr. Tony Bennett. “The new Common Core State Standards underscore the importance of reading and literacy, and we must do more to ensure kids don’t fall behind while they’re out of the classroom. If we can help kids love to read, we’ll ensure they are lifelong learners.”

The FDOE is also encouraging parents to get involved in their children’s reading activities this summer. Some tips to help children get excited about reading are to read aloud to young children, take children of all ages to the library and allow them to choose their own books, or to create light-hearted sibling rivalry by encouraging a competition to see who can read the most books over the summer months.

Examples of great books to enjoy from the 2013 summer reading list include

·         Grades K-3:   Charlotte’s Web, E.B. White
·         Grades 4-5:   The Black Stallion, Walter Farley
·         Grades 6-8:   Old Yeller, Fred Gipson
·         Grades 9-12: The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway

Visit the department’s Summer Reading List or Just Read, Florida! website at www.justreadflorida.com for more information.

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Education Works -- Information & Updates from FDOE

Preliminary FCAT 2.0 Writing Results Show Improvements in Scores
The Florida Department of Education released preliminary FCAT 2.0 scores last week that confirmed significant gains in writing. Florida’s fourth-grade students saw the biggest increase with a nine-point improvement in the percentage of students scoring at 3.5 and above. And minority students posted strong results with the percentage of African-American and Hispanic students scoring 3.5 and higher increased by six and four points respectively. Use the FCAT 2.0 Results Interactive Search page to view FCAT scores filtered by state, district and school levels.

Governor Scott Releases FAQ on Teacher Raises
You’ve probably heard that Florida teachers will receive a salary increase during the 2013-2014 school year. Governor Rick Scott has released a helpful document explaining how the salary increases will be distributed. For more information, visit Florida K-12 Salary Increases Frequently Asked Questions.

Parents, teachers Hum “Pomp and Circumstance” During FSDB Graduation
When the speakers went out at the beginning of the Florida School for the Deaf & the Blind’s graduation ceremony, attendees hummed “Pomp and Circumstance” until the final graduate was seated. Florida Department of Education’s Chancellor of Public Schools Pam Stewart even joined in on the tune. During her remarks, she thanked attendees for jumping into action by saying “these graduates needed to be honored with all the respect of ‘Pomp and Circumstance.’”

Commissioner Bennett Surprises Student Art Contest Winner With Award and Pizza Party
On Friday, Commissioner Bennett stopped by Deltona High School to surprise recent digital art contest winner Emmanuel Ramirez and tour the computer lab where he created his contest-winning design. Commissioner Bennett shared with the Ramirez family that representatives from Daytona State College, Seminole State College of Florida, University of Florida and the University of Central Florida have agreed to give the 11th grader a tour of their design programs. All of the students in Manny’s class who submitted images to the art contest were rewarded with a pizza party.

Special Discounts and Events Available for Florida Educators
Are you one of Florida’s 192,000 public school teachers? Then don’t miss out on special discounts and exciting offers just for teachers. The Blue Man Group at Universal Orlando - in partnership with the Florida Education Foundation - is offering special discounted tickets to performances until July 7, 2013. Sign up for the Florida Department of Education’s Just for Teachers newsletter or visit the Special Discounts and Promotions for Florida Teachers page for additional offers.

Hire Florida Grads Website Helps New Graduates
If you are a recent Florida graduate or you know someone who is, visit HireFloridaGrads.com before June 9 at 5 p.m. to complete a “mini-profile” for the opportunity to be connected with Florida employers. Your profile will be provided to the local regional workforce board in your community – which works daily with employers seeking talent – and will remain available to employers seeking local workforce assistance after the portal closes on June 9.

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