Sarasota County Schools News

SARASOTA – Students at Suncoast Polytechnical High School wrapped up the school’s first year in existence by having their exhibits on watershed conservation judged by two panels of business and community leaders on May 29.

The first group of judges evaluated the overall quality of student watershed exhibitions that already had been narrowed down to the top eight projects in previous judging sessions. A second panel judged the exhibits based on their demonstration of 21st century workplace skills. Awards were presented to students for the “final four” exhibits.

The judges included Caroline Zucker, chairwoman of the School Board of Sarasota County; Shirley Brown, school board vice-chairwoman; Rita Lowman, chief administrative officer of American Momentum Bank; Nina Powers, sustainability outreach coordinator for Sarasota County Government; Andy McPherson, chief operating officer for the Manchester Group; Mary Williams, president of AAA Superior Machining; Terry Trimmer, business development liaison with Cape Surgery Center; Charlie Yeagley, producer/director with Sarasota County/City of Sarasota’s Access Sarasota TV (Comcast 19/Verizon 32) and Mary Torruiso, youth education specialist with the Southwest Florida Water Management District.

“The final judging of student exhibits this week was the culmination of what our students have been working on all year,” said Jennifer Putnam, principal of SPHS. “The project was the perfect opportunity for our students to get hands-on experience understanding and dealing with an issue that affects our entire community — the health of our natural resources.”

The year-long watershed awareness project, which involved various events and student assignments at SPHS and at other schools in the district, was part of a larger community effort to engage citizens in the critical issue of protecting the local watershed, the area of land that water flows across as it moves toward a common body of water, such as a stream, river, lake or bay. The project was supported by grants from the Education Foundation of Sarasota County and the Southwest Florida Water Management District and coordinated with the Florida House board of directors.

The health of the Southern Coastal Watershed, which stretches 60 miles along the southern part of central Florida’s gulf coast, determines the quality of the area’s water bodies, large and small. Conserving water and preventing water pollution are the keys to maintaining a healthy watershed and overall quality of life.

Throughout the school year, the SPHS class of 2012 applied research, technology and presentation skills to assist in this community project. At Mote Marine Laboratory students participated in water-quality studies, observed the ecosystem and completed a service project to promote healthy beaches. At Myakka River State Park students completed water-quality studies, made observations from the tree-top canopy walk and helped remove invasive plants.

Students presented exhibitions and presentations demonstrating their research and mastery of the subject, applying what they learned to help tackle a real issue facing the community — in this case, watershed sustainability.

About SPHS:

Suncoast Polytechnical High School, Sarasota County’s technical high school, is located at 4650 Beneva Road, Sarasota. Each year the school will add a new freshman class of 150 students until the student body reaches 600 students in the 2011-2012 school year. As they progress through their high school career, SPHS students will take courses at Sarasota County Technical Institute, which shares a campus with the school, as well as signature courses that are only available at SPHS. More information is available at www.SarasotaCountySchools.net/SPHS.

SARASOTA COUNTY – According to the 2009 FCAT results released by the Florida Department of Education Thursday (May 28), the percentage of Sarasota County students who tested as proficient in reading increased or held steady in six out of eight grade levels, compared with last year’s results. The percentage of students proficient in mathematics rose or remained the same as 2008 in five out of eight grade levels.

The information was part of the Florida Department of Education’s release of district and individual school results of the Spring 2009 Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test reading and math sections administered to students in grades four-10, and science tests taken by students in grades five, eight and 11. The third-grade FCAT reading and math results were released previously. The state also released the grade 10 FCAT passing rates.

Details of the 2009 FCAT results for Sarasota County are as follows:

Reading, grades three-10

• Compared to last year’s results, the percentage of district students scoring in reading achievement levels 3-5, indicating reading proficiency, increased or held steady in six out of eight grade levels. Percentages increased in grades four through seven and at grade nine, held steady at grade three and declined at grades eight and 10.

• Compared to statewide results, 2009 district reading proficiency rates (those scoring in achievement levels 3-5) were higher in all grade levels. The differences ranged from 12 points higher in grade three to 6 points higher in grade 10.

Mathematics, grades three–10 

• Compared to 2008, the percentage of Sarasota County students who tested as proficient in math increased at grades three, four, six and nine and remained constant at grade seven. Percentages fell at the other grade levels.   
  
  
• The district’s proficiency rates in mathematics are higher than state rates by 7 to 9 percentage points at the elementary grade levels and 8 to 12 points in middle school. Local results are 10 and 4 percentage points higher than state results in grades nine and 10, respectively.

Science, grades five, eight and 11

•  The percentage of Sarasota County students proficient in science stayed the same at grade five, increased at grade eight and declined at grade 11.

 Grade 10 FCAT graduation requirement passing rates

• A student must score at the proficiency level on the FCAT reading and math in order to graduate. The first opportunity to take the graduation-required FCAT is in 10^th grade. Sixty-two percent of Sarasota County 10^th graders passed FCAT reading and 84 percent passed FCAT math in 2009. The percentage of students who passed decreased by 1 percentage point from last year in both subject areas. State passing rates remained constant and are lower than those for Sarasota County.

     Reports of district, state and school-by-school summary results are available on the Florida DOE Web site at www.FCAT.fldoe.org.

Seasoned volunteer Bob Burtwell shares a smile with April Hawkins of the MetLife Foundation at the Older Volunteers Enrich America Awards ceremony on May 1 in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Earlier this month, Robert “Bob” Burtwell, a volunteer for Laurel Nokomis School and the Cyesis program, was one of 26 people honored by the Older Volunteers Enrich America Awards. The awards program, sponsored by the MetLife Foundation and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, encourages adults over the age of 50 to get involved in their communities, particularly during tough economic times when resources are tight.

“Bob Burtwell has always been a winner in our eyes,” said Nancy Dubin, principal of Laurel Nokomis School. “We are thrilled that he is receiving this well deserved national recognition for the difference he makes in the lives of students and his community.”

The Older Volunteers Enrich America Awards program is now in its seventh year of honoring the contributions of older volunteers. The 26 men and women recognized in the 2009 ceremony in Washington ranged in age from 56 to 89. The award winners, selected by a blue ribbon panel, were named in three categories: Community Champion, which honors those who use their time and talent to make their community a better place to live; Mentor, which recognizes older volunteers who are devoted to working with young people and their families; and Team Spirit, which pays tribute to older volunteers who assist their fellow seniors.

Burtwell, 79, of Venice, Fla., earned top recognition in the Mentor category. He was selected based on his 10 years of volunteer work at Laurel Nokomis School (K-8) and at Cyesis, a drop-out prevention program for pregnant teens and young parents. “Mr. Bob,” as he is called by students at Laurel Nokomis, is a Master Gardener (a certified gardening teacher) who volunteers as a classroom assistant in the horticulture class, where he teaches kids to enjoy the earth. At a local nursing and assisted living facility, Burtwell and the students arranged planters that residents could enjoy and take care of from their wheelchairs, a true intergenerational experience. He is currently working on renovating a neglected playground into a garden to attract and observe birds.

Burtwell and his fellow honorees received engraved awards and the organizations that host the volunteers received monetary awards.

SARASOTA COUNTY – Author Roland Smith will visit all Sarasota County public middle schools this week (May 26-29) to talk about his book “I.Q. Book One: Independence Hall” and the writing process. Smith’s suspenseful novel for young adults received the Mom’s Choice 2009 Gold Award for Juvenile Fiction. The book is the story of a 13-year-old boy who helps solve a mystery involving Philadelphia’s historic Independence Hall and national security.

All sixth grade students in the district were given a copy of “I.Q.” as part of the Starbooks reading program. Smith’s visit is part of the program, which is designed to encourage middle school students to read through the involvement of peers, parents, teachers, media specialists and literacy coaches.

Starbooks is being funded by a $217,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, part of Literacy Empowers All Families (LEAF), a multi-year initiative to promote and improve literacy among children of all ages.

Earlier this school year, Jordan Sonnenblick, author of “Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie” visited area middle schools to talk about his book. Special family events also were part of the Starbooks program.

More information about Roland Smith and his novel, “I.Q.” is available at www.RolandSmith.com.

SARASOTA – About 90 Brentwood Elementary School fifth-graders are scheduled to visit the Mote Aquaculture Park (MAP) on Wednesday (May 27) to learn about fish biology, aquaculture and best fishing practices in the Mote Marine Laboratory Kids Fishing Clinic. Mote Marine spokeswoman Hayley Rutger said the students will spend about five hours visiting six various educational stations to study fish and fishing.

Sessions are planned about fish and their habitats, the life stages of fish, and how to protect fish and ocean environments. Students also will study Mote’s innovative methods of recirculating water, which makes it possible for the lab to locate a fish farm 17 miles inland.

The students also will learn practical fishing skills such as how to safely handle tackle, cast rods, and to catch and release fish. They will test their new fishing skills at the MAP snook demonstration pond, where Mote staff will help them identify their catch, measure it, and check it for an identification tag that can be read with an electronic wand.

The event is being sponsored through a grant from the Fish Florida Foundation, which is providing transportation, education materials, and a free rod and reel for every student. Mote’s Kids Fishing Clinic program also is sponsored by Get Reel, Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Guides and Recreational Anglers, Gyotaku Artists and Cracker Barrel Restaurants.

The Kids Fishing Clinic is one of many programs Mote Marine offers to help children become responsible stewards of the sea. Information about Mote Marine summer camps and other programs is available at www.mote.org/education.

Jessica Cervantes (front left) and her stepfather José Serna (front middle) are the 1,100th family to receive a TeXcellence computer in the 2008-09 school year. Back row (left to right): Kelly Morrell of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice, Texcellence Program Coordinator Alina Klein, Texcellence trainer Jym Froelich and Venice High assistant principal Mike Jennings.

SARASOTA – Venice High School’s media center was the scene this week, when 29 South County families braved an early evening thunderstorm to learn how to attach a keyboard to a CPU, navigate around a full suite of software, and take home their very own computers. On Wednesday night, the TeXcellence Computer Donation program delivered computer number 1,100 to Woodland Middle School’s Jessica Cervantes. The program donated additional computers to families after reaching that milestone, the goal for the 2008-09 school year, and will continue to donate computers this summer.

More than 2,500 families have received refurbished home computers, training and technical support since the program was launched in the spring of 2007. The program is a collaborative effort of Sarasota County Schools and the Education Foundation of Sarasota County.

“It is phenomenal to see students and parents coming to school together for such a positive reason,” said Mike Jennings, Venice High’s assistant principal. “Having a computer at home is going to be a big help for homework and reports, and just the promise of getting one has boosted attendance for some.”

Jennings hosted the event, welcoming guest Kelly Morrell from Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice to help celebrate the milestone. The Foundation has made a commitment of $150,000 to the program for the current and next school years.

TeXcellence has become a model for public/private partnership in the region. Grants from the Dart Foundation and the ANS Foundation launched the program in its first year, and their support continues to guide the program. Dozens of other contributors – individuals, businesses, civic groups – are making gifts in multiples of $250, the cost of supplying one computer for a family. District personnel and the Sarasota PC User's Group offer training and tech support. The PC User’s Group also assists with refurbishing the computers, loading them with educational and home office software supplied by Computers for Youth, a national non-profit organization. The schools, Sarasota County government, and area businesses are providing equipment and storage space. Publix Super Markets donated over 1,000 gently used computers from its Lakeland, Florida headquarters.

Starting in February 2009, with the help of major grants from philanthropist Al Weis, ANS Foundation and Gulf Coast Community Foundation of Venice, families may also choose the option of adding Internet access. For an initial set-up fee of $40, families receive a year’s subscription to broadband service, security, and parental controls.

Alina Klein, TeXcellence coordinator, is gearing up for 2009-2010. “We have thousands more eligible families who really want and need these computers, who are truly motivated to help their children succeed.”

Dedicated to quality education for all children, the Education Foundation of Sarasota County is an independent, not-for-profit organization that works in partnership with the community and Sarasota County public schools. With the support of individuals, families, companies and foundations, the Education Foundation awards more than $1,200,000 each year to initiatives including the TeXcellence Computer Donation program, Teacher of the Year, Academic Olympics, classroom grants, fine arts programs, and literacy initiatives. For more information visit EdFoundation.net or call 941-927-0965.

SARASOTA COUNTY – The Florida Department of Education released the statewide spring Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test Sunshine State Standards third-grade results Thursday (May 21). In Sarasota County public schools, the tests were administered in March to more than 3,100 third-graders. The group included students with disabilities and English-language learners.

The Sunshine State Standards are the basis for the curriculum at each grade level and reflect what the FLDOE has specified that students must know. Students must score at achievement levels 3-5 on the FCAT to be considered proficient in a subject.

In Sarasota County, the percentage of third-grade students scoring at levels 3-5 held constant with the 2008 results, at 83 percent in reading. The percentage of students scoring at levels 3-5 in mathematics increased from 85 to 87 over last year. Statewide, the performance of third-grade students decreased slightly in reading and increased by 2 percentage points in math.

In order to be promoted to the fourth grade, third-grade students must attain an achievement level of 2-5 or qualify for an exception. The parents of third-graders scoring at level 1 who do not qualify for an exception will be given the opportunity to have their children take an alternate assessment test.

The chart below compares the local and state 2009 percentages of students scoring in the different achievement levels with the 2008 percentages. Percentages may not add up to 100 due to rounding.

Atwater Elementary in the final stages of construction

NORTH PORT – Sarasota County’s newest school, Atwater Elementary in North Port, held a kick-off celebration May 21. Because the school is still under construction in preparation for its opening Aug. 24 for the 2009-10 school year, the event was held in the Woodland Middle School cafeteria, 2700 Panacea Blvd. in North Port.

All families of students who are planning to attend Atwater Elementary were invited to the kick-off. The new school’s colors (red, white and navy blue), mascot (the All Stars) and uniforms (polo shirts in the school colors) were announced. Principal Kirk Hutchinson introduced the school’s staff. There were activities for the children and displays by the school’s business partners, as well as refreshments and door prizes.

The school name was approved by the School Board of Sarasota County on April 21. It was recommended by a naming committee because of the school’s location near the intersection of E. Price Boulevard and Atwater Street. A majority of the approximately 650 students at Toledo Blade who will attend the new school next year also voted for the name Atwater Elementary. Students who will attend the new school also helped select the school colors and mascot.

Atwater Elementary School is currently in the final stages of construction on Huntsville Avenue, one block south of the intersection of E. Price Boulevard and Atwater Street. The design for the school is a re-use of the plan for Lamarque Elementary, with some variations. It is also similar to Cranberry and Tatum Ridge (Sarasota) elementary schools. The 124,000-square-foot school was designed by BRPH Architects/Engineers (architects of Lamarque, Cranberry and Tatum Ridge schools) and is being built on 35 acres by Jon F. Swift General Contractors. It will include 970 student stations.

The location is adjacent to the future Atwater Community Park, which will include youth ball fields. The school district is working closely with Sarasota County Emergency Management to build the school as an enhanced hurricane shelter, designed to withstand wind speeds of 180 miles per hour rather than the standard 130 mph.

Atwater Elementary, like nearby Woodland Middle (opened in August 2008), incorporates “green” features into its construction. These include the use of regional building materials, recycled-content materials and low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) materials; energy-efficient heating and air conditioning; minimized water usage; efficient storm water management and drought-tolerant landscaping.

SARASOTA — The Sarasota County School District will hold an informational meeting and orientation session from 2 to 4 p.m., Thursday, May 28, at the district’s administrative offices, 1950 Landings Blvd. (blue awning building), Room 220. The meeting is for those interested in opening a new charter school in the 2010-2011 school year. Attendance is recommended for all charter school applicants.

School district representatives will present information on charter school legislation, application procedures, review and approval processes and timelines. After the presentation, staff will answer questions from the applicants and arrange for technical assistance.

Proposals for new charter schools may be made by individuals, teachers, parents, a group of individuals, a municipality or a legal entity organized by the State of Florida. As the sponsor for all charter schools in the district, the School Board of Sarasota County monitors and reviews each charter school’s compliance with the Florida Department of Education requirements and the achievement of student performance goals established in the charter school contract.

Applications for new charter schools for the 2010-2011 school year will be accepted until 4:30 p.m., Friday, July 31, 2009. The applications may be submitted in person or by mail to Charter Schools Supervisor Deb Metheny, 1960 Landings Blvd., Sarasota, FL, 34231. Metheny can be reached by phone at 941-927-9000, ext. 32171.

SARASOTA – In a collaborative effort to help district staff members know their status before the end of the school year, Sarasota County Schools administrators and representatives of the Sarasota Classified/Teachers Association have reached an early conclusion to negotiations for the 2009-2010 contract year. The new contract is subject to school board approval and ratification by the SCTA membership.

Superintendent Lori White said the early agreement is consistent with the district’s commitment to conclude the budgeting process as soon as possible so staff members who are affected by reductions will know their employment status by the end of May. In order to meet that time line, the district started its budget discussions in November, putting it far ahead of most other districts in Florida in its budgeting process.

Staffing decisions are in progress. Instructional staff members are expected to know their status this week and classified staff assignments are to be completed by the end of the month.

One key provision of the agreement is a significant reduction in the number of supplemental contracts available for athletic coaches, academic team leaders and department chairs. That change is expected to reduce costs by about $800,000.

Another major agreement was reached in the reduction of planning time for middle school teachers. That change will save the district about $1 million and still maintain the team concept that is central to instructional delivery in middle schools.

The budget will not allow an across-the-board raise for staff. The district will, however, honor its contractual commitment to give so-called “step” increases to employees who are eligible because of an additional year of service. About half of the district staff will receive a step increase of about 1.5 percent. Staff members who are at the top of their salary range will receive no step increase.

SCTA President Pat Gardner said the agreement represents a good-faith effort by district staff to minimize the impact of the economic slowdown on students. “Teachers and staff are prepared to make whatever adjustments are required in their assignments and work loads to ensure that students continue to have a stable environment at school and reach their highest academic potential,” Gardner said.

Superintendent White said she was proud of and grateful for the high degree of professionalism demonstrated on both sides of the bargaining table. “The willingness of all of us who are dedicated to the welfare of our students to collaborate for their benefit in even the most personally trying times assures me that the district will emerge from this budget crisis as a more cohesive and successful team,” she said.

White also reiterated her commitment to ensuring that as many unassigned staff members as possible are placed in vacancies that will occur over the summer and into the 2009-2010 school year. She said she is confident that the majority of unassigned staff will be placed by the end of the first semester.

SARASOTA COUNTY – Students in grades six through 12 who need to retake required courses will have the opportunity to attend summer school this year at Sarasota High School or North Port High School. The program will operate at the two locations from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, from June 8 through July 16.

Information and registration forms are available at all middle and high schools and on the school district Web site at SarasotaCountySchools.net. From the center of the home page below the news headlines, there is a link in the “SarasotaCountySchools.net Essentials” column titled “Summer School Information.” Clicking on that link leads to the registration forms for grades six, seven and eight Academic Course Recovery and for high school (grades nine-12) Academic Course Retrieval. The forms can be downloaded and printed. Completed forms may be turned in at the administration office of any middle school or high school in the district. The registration deadline is Thursday, May 21.

Currently registered middle school students who received a grade of F in Language Arts, Mathematics, Science or Social Studies, and high school students who received an F in Algebra IA, Algebra IB, English I or English II, may participate in summer school. Each student will be permitted to retake only one failed course.

Each student will work at his or her own pace and will be expected to attend each day of the program until successfully completing the course. Although they may finish earlier, students should plan on attending all 24 days of instruction. If they successfully complete the course requirements, students will receive a replacement grade for the course. There are no fees. Bag lunches will be available at no cost.

Parents of middle school or high school students with questions about summer school may call the school district’s Curriculum and Instruction Department at 941-927- 9000, extension 34100. Parents of students in grades five or lower who have questions about summer school should contact their school office.

Mary Cournoyer, School-Related Employee of the Year

SARASOTA – Mary Cournoyer, a 29-year veteran of the Sarasota County School District, has been named the 2009 School-Related Employee of the Year. The longtime certification specialist was selected from among the 2,300 classified employees who work throughout the district’s schools and departments. The announcement was made at a luncheon Friday (May 8) at Michael’s on East.

As with the annual Teacher of the Year honors, prospective School-Related Employees of the Year are selected from among several nominees. There were 47 classified employees nominated for the district-wide designation; many of them attended the luncheon.

Cournoyer began her career with the school district in 1980. She worked as an administrative assistant in the Curriculum and Human Resources departments before being named the district’s certification specialist in 1989. In that role Cournoyer is a liaison between the school district and the certification office of the Florida Department of Education, assisting instructional staff and applicants with all areas of teacher certification.

“Mary does outstanding work,” said Mike Jones, executive director of Human Resources and Labor Relations for Sarasota County Schools. “She takes perfect charge of her responsibilities and sets an example for those who work with her, as well as those she serves.”

Roy Sprinkle, director of Human Resources and Equity, said “Mary has impacted more employees on a one-on-one basis than anyone I know. I doubt if you could find more than a dozen teachers or administrators who have not turned to her for help at some point in their careers. When the state DOE has a certification question they can’t answer, they call Mary.”

Cournoyer’s grand prize is the use of a new silver Toyota Corolla for a year, courtesy of Germain Toyota of Sarasota. She also received a $1,200 savings bond from the school district’s administrators’ organizations, a gift certificate for Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse from the Coca-Cola Bottling of Sarasota and a gift basket from Barnes & Noble Booksellers. Winning at the local level also qualifies Cournoyer as a nominee for the Florida School-Related Employee of the Year.

The Lead Sponsor of the School-Related Employee of the Year for the third consecutive year is Germain Toyota of Sarasota. Partner Sponsors are School District Administrators (SDA), the Education Foundation of Sarasota County and Tandem Construction. The Patron Sponsors is Kraft Construction Company. Supporting Sponsors are Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Sarasota Classified/Teachers Association (SC/TA), Sarasota County Association of Educational Office Professionals (SCAEOP), Sights and Sounds AV, and School Based Administrators (SBA). Community Friend is Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Sarasota. McKenzie Wilkins Photography is donating its services to photograph the event. Thanks to the generosity of these sponsors, including funding and in-kind donations, no school district funds are used for the School-Related Employee of the Year program.