CLICK HERE TO WATCH SUPERINTENDENT'S SCHOOL VISIT JANUARY 15, 2021

You're invited: IGNITE Education Teacher of the Year Celebration

Sarasota County Schools Announces Graduation Rate

SARASOTA COUNTY, January 7, 2021 – The Florida Department of Education reported today that the graduation rate for Sarasota County Schools for 2019-20 was 92.5 percent. The district remained well above the state graduation rate of 90 percent.

Program Spotlight: FLDOE’s “Just Read, Florida!”

Learn more about one of the state’s reading programs.

Talking to Your Child About Body Safety

Insights from a school-based mental health therapist:

Is it Okay to be ‘Best Friends’ with Your Child?

Insights from a school-based mental health therapist:

Booker Middle Raises the Bar in Student Identity and Achievement

Last week, Booker Middle School took the area by storm with two significant student successes in the State of Florida and in Sarasota County.

Visions of the Black Experience Film Series Features Booker High Students’ “Into the Storm”

Booker High School’s acclaimed student-made documentary —“Into the Storm”— has been selected as a featured film in the second annual Visions of the Black Experience film series.

Pine View School Teacher Selected for National History Day Fall Webinar Series

Mrs. Carol LaVallee – a teacher at Pine View School – is one of only 98 teachers selected for a National History Day® (NHD) fall professional development program.

Venice High Drama Presents “The 39 Steps: A Radio Play”

Inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's classic tale and performed as a live 1930's radio play, this romantic thriller-comedy is a fast-paced ride through the signature would of the Master of Suspense.

Booker High VPA to Showcase “Phantasmic,” – October 30

Booker High School’s Visual & Performing Arts Center will host a farewell performance – “Phantasmic,” – in the existing theatre building at 7:00 PM on Friday, October 30th

Digital Design Teacher Paves the Way for Meaningful Careers by Creating Magical Monsters

The Monster Show exhibit will be open at Selby Library in Sarasota Mondays through Thursdays, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM, and Fridays and Saturdays, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM. The exhibit runs from September 21st through November 9th.

Sarasota High School Praises AICE Students on Another Successful School Year

SARASOTA COUNTY, September 21, 2020 – This past school year, Sarasota High School had one of its most successful school years in its history of participating in the Cambridge University AICE program.

Booker Middle VPA Finds a Highflying Bright Spot in Difficult Times

Booker Middle School’s Visual & Performing Arts program is partnering with the USF Center for PAInT, and Circus Arts Conservatory to bring a new Circus Arts program to Booker Middle School.

North Port High School Celebrates Spring 2020 Cambridge AICE Program Results

SARASOTA COUNTY, September 3, 2020 – North Port High School is happy to announce that for the 2019-20 school year, students in their Cambridge AICE program earned over 1350 passing scores with 97 students achieving their AICE Diploma.

Pine View School Teacher Selected for National History Day Summer Webinar Series

Mrs. Carol LaVallee – a teacher at Pine View School – is one of only 98 teachers selected for a National History Day® (NHD) summer professional development program.

Highlight of Student Work – “Putting Out Fire … with Gasoline? A Pragmatic Path toward Clean Fuels”

Please join us as we celebrate North Port High School rising senior, Nicholas C. Margiewicz, for his recently published piece in The Bridge 50(2). © National Academy of Engineering, Washington, DC.

Helping Your Child Cope with Back-to-School Stress

Insights from a school-based mental health therapist; preparing children for going back to school amidst a pandemic.

Booker High VPA Film & Animation Student Piece Selected for Film Festival

Booker High School’s Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) Film & Animation students' animated short, "Empty Nest”, was selected for screening in the 17th annual "Animation Block Party" film festival — one of the nation's largest festivals featuring solely animation.

District’s Pupil Support Services Department to Host “2020 ESE Summer Institute: Shining Star – You Make the Difference”

SARASOTA COUNTY, July 21, 2020 – The Pupil Support Services department of Sarasota County Schools will soon virtually host their 2020 Exceptional Student Education (ESE) Summer Institute on Wednesday, July 29th.

Reading Recovery – End-of-Year Success Stories & Reflections

Please join us as we highlight the end-of-year success of some of our Reading Recovery students & teachers!

Booker High VPA to Host “Glory” on Friday, July 3

SARASOTA COUNTY, July 2, 2020 – On Friday, July3, Booker High School’s VPA Music department will proudly present its first-ever online concert: “Glory”. The concert will be streamed on the program’s YouTube channel.

Inside a Child’s Mind – Insights from a Mental Health Therapist

Screaming, crying, whining, eye rolling, hitting, kicking and more are all things that teachers and parents may be a little too familiar with...

District to Receive $50,000 Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts

Sarasota County Schools receives Art Works award of $50,000 for Social Emotional Learning Through Arts Integration.

District Seniors Selected as TeamUP Council Award Winners

Please join us as we celebrate and recognize this year’s student winners!

Managing Meltdowns with Mindfulness during COVID-19

Insights from a school-based mental health therapist; managing meltdowns with mindfulness during COVID-19.

Florida Center: Being a “Good Enough” Parent During COVID-19

Valuable insights from a school-based mental health therapist; helping parents and children adjust to changes from COVID-19.

North Port High School Recognized as a Florida Arts Model School

The Florae Alliance for Arts Education recently recognized North Port High School as a Florida Arts Model School, with an additional Florida Arts Achieve School designation.

Booker High VPA: Ringling Collaboration has Lasting Effects in “Legacy.Left.”

SARASOTA COUNTY, March 4, 2020 – Booker High School’s VPA Dance department will dig into the past to present its upcoming showcase, “Legacy.Left.” at 7:00 PM, March 6 & 7 in the VPA Theatre. One of the pieces embraces the John and Mable Ringling legacy, a cornerstone of Sarasota’s heritage.

How to Protect Your Child in an Increasingly Digital Age

Advice from a school-based mental health therapist on protecting children in the digital age.

Booker Middle Drama Students Bring History to Life for a Younger Generation

SARASOTA COUNTY, February 21, 2020 – Booker Middle School’s Visual & Performing Arts program is partnering with Gulf Gate Elementary School to bring history to life through arts integration.

First Lady Casey DeSantis Releases Guidelines for “The Facts. Your Future.” Video Competition

$34,000 in cash prizes available for students and schools for winning videos highlighting substance abuse prevention

Booker High JROTC to Host Marker Placement Ceremony at Oaklands-Woodlawn Cemetery – February 19

SARASOTA COUNTY, February 11, 2020 – Booker High School’s Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) program will host a marker placement ceremony at the Oaklands-Woodlawn Cemetery for African-Americans (1037 Gillespie Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236) at 10:00 AM on Wednesday, February 19. The event will pay tribute to veterans and community members who are buried there.

Booker High VPA Theatre Students to Present Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” – February 20-22

SARASOTA COUNTY, February 11, 2020 – Booker High School’s Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) theatre department will present William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” during three 7:00 PM shows from Thursday, February 20— Saturday, February 22 in the VPA theatre. The productions will be directed by Sunny Smith.

Sarasota Middle School’s "Joyful Voices" on Their Way to Nashville

SARASOTA COUNTY, February 5, 2020 – On February 13-17, students in Sarasota Middle School’s (SMS) "Joyful Voices" choir, under the direction of Nadia Sawa, will be travelling to perform in Nashville, TN, also affectionately known as "Music City, U.S.A.”. This is the first time the SMS choir will be travelling out of state to perform.

Booker High Students to Adapt Stephen King’s “The Last Rung on the Ladder” Into Film

Students enrolled in Booker High School’s Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) Film & Animation program will soon be adapting best-selling author Stephen King’s short story “The Last Rung on the Ladder” into a film.

Pine View School’s High School Choral Program Hits All the Right Notes

SARASOTA COUNTY, December 17. 2019 – Pine View School’s high school choral program has had a remarkable first half of the 2019-20 school year. From prestigious performances to rigorous competitions, these students have impressed audiences near and far with their undeniable musicality!

Prague Youth Film Festival to Showcase Booker High Students’ “Into the Storm”

SARASOTA COUNTY, December 13, 2019 – Booker High School’s acclaimed student-made documentary —“Into the Storm”— was selected to appear in the Prague Youth Film Festival, where it will be seen and adjudicated by industry professionals from around the globe

Behind the Curtain of Sarasota High School Theatre’s “White Christmas”

SARASOTA COUNTY, December 10, 2019 – From December 11 to December 14, Sarasota High School will be hosting performances of “White Christmas”. With show stopping numbers, a bit of romance, some mischief, and a lot of heart, this is the musical we have all been dreaming of!

Booker High School to Showcase “Tuck Everlasting”

SARASOTA COUNTY, December 10, 2019 – The award-winning Booker High School Visual & Performing Arts (VPA) Theatre department will present the area premiere of “Tuck Everlasting”, a musical based on the cherished children’s novel by Natalie Babbitt.

How School-Based Therapy is Destigmatizing Mental Health

“My family thinks I’m crazy … is there something wrong with me?”. This is a phrase I’m used to hearing when I take on a new client.

Booker Middle School Teacher Recognized by CFES Brilliant Pathways for Preparing Students for College and Careers

SARASOTA COUNTY, November 8, 2019 – When Booker Middle School Principal Dr. LaShawn Frost asked Haley Shaffer to become a CFES Brilliant Pathways liaison, she knew the social studies teacher would take the award-winning program to even greater heights.

Reading Recovery Initiative in Sarasota County Schools Outperforms National Average for Third Consecutive Year

SARASOTA COUNTY, November 4, 2019 – The results are in: Reading Recovery in Sarasota County Schools has outpaced the national average of success for this widely implemented literacy intervention for the third year in a row.

Safe Trick-or-Treating Tips Every Parent Should Know

SARASOTA COUNTY, October 25, 2019 – As a school-based mental health therapist and the mother of two teenagers, I have put a lot of thought into Halloween and trick-or-treating safety over the years.

Record-breaking 803 Superintendents Pledge to Prioritize Attendance in 2019-20 School Year

Sarasota County Schools contributes to record-breaking pledge to prioritize attendance.

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) is All Day, Every Day

Monday mornings get a bad rap, and they get even worse when national headlines such as “UN Meeting Reveals a World in a Really Bad Mood” flood our minds. Negative headlines such as this set the tone for the entire day, and if you are like me, you may wonder if you took one deep breath throughout the day... Read more to learn about Sarasota County Schools' approach to Social and Emotional Learning (SEL).

Booker High School VPA Theatre to Open Season with Rough Magic

The Booker High School VPA theatre department will present Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa’s “Rough Magic” as the VPA season opener.

Booker High School Students Collaborate with Award-winning Children’s Author

Award-winning children’s book author Ethan Long will collaborate with students from the Booker High School Visual & Performing Arts (VPA) Film & Animation department to create an animation for his story “Empty Nest”.

Forty Carrots Family Center – Celebrating 25 Years of Serving Sarasota County

Since 1993, more than 40,000 families from all walks of life have been strengthened through Forty Carrots’ programs and services, which can mitigate the negative effects of toxic stress, poverty, abuse and other adverse environments.

Booker High School’s Kaleidoscope of Creativity Program Awards $16,000 in Scholarships

SARASOTA COUNTY – This past school year, several students in the Booker High School Visual & Performing Arts Program were awarded scholarship money to provide funding relief for enrollment in summer pre-college or collegiate programs in the arts.

Allison Hamley Named 2019 Venice-Nokomis Rotary Teacher of the Year

Learn more about the amazing Venice Elementary teacher that received the 2019 Teacher of the Year award from the Venice-Nokomis Rotary Club

Family Members ‘Major’ in Mental Health at Parent University

The Florida Center for Early Childhood’s team of school-based mental health therapists took on new a role this summer – they served as “professors” at Parent Universities across the county.

Commissioner Corcoran Releases New Back-to-School Reading List

Read all about Commissioner Corcoran's new Back-to-School Reading List

Career & Technical Education: Opening Opportunities for Students in an Ever-Changing World

Learn more about the benefits of CTE and how this immersive program is helping to shape our future.

Unplug and Connect: 4 Ways to Limit Screen Time this Summer

A few tips on how to get your child to unplug and engage this summer.

3rd Annual Sarasota Police Department ‘Pack the Patrol Car’ July 8 - August 2, 2019

Help the Sarasota Police Department 'Pack the Patrol Car'!

From Teacher to School Therapist: 5 Lessons I Learned on my Journey

A local school therapist shares her insights on children's mental health

JFCS of the Suncoast’s Book Drive & Distribution Benefits Fruitville Elementary Students, Among Others

Charitable giving is hardly a “Novel” concept for our friends at JFCS of the Suncoast!

Pine View Students Among Top Honorees in Florida History Day Competition

Pine View's Quinn and Devin Gulliver are ready to take their history expertise to a "national" next level

Sarasota County Schools Gets Ready to “Dive Into Reading” This Summer

Students are set to "dive" into great books with Sarasota County Schools and Gecko's this summer!

District Receives National Endowment for the Arts Grant

Sarasota County Schools and Any Given Child Sarasota are pleased to share that the school district has been awarded a $45,000 National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grant

Habitat Sarasota and Suncoast Technical College Complete Affordable Home Funded with SHIP Dollars

Learn more about the innovative partnership between Habitat Sarasota, Suncoast Technical College (STC), and the Sarasota Office of Housing and Community Development (OHCD)

Booker High School’s Engineering Program Ignites Passions, Empowers Females

Booker High School empowers engineering-inclined female students to harness their potential

Pine View School’s Kevin Zhu Places Second in State STEM Fair Engineering & Competes at Intel ISEF

Kevin shares the inspiration for, and rationale behind, his award-winning project

Bay Haven Students Experience “Careers in Tech Expo”

Students explore exciting future careers at annual Careers in Tech Expo

Lamarque Elementary Students Share Kindness and Love

On Tuesday, May 7th smiles were present on the faces of young and elderly alike in North Port.

ESE Program Specialist Elizabeth Lewis Receives “Making a Difference” Award

Congratulations to our very own Elizabeth Lewis! She was recently recognized at FDCDT’s VISIONS XXVI: Charting the Course, a transition planning institute and conference held in St. Augustine.

Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week Shines Light on Mental Health in Early Childhood

A piece by Melissa Bradley, director of school-based mental health therapy at the Florida Center for Early Childhood, in recognition of Children's Mental Health Awareness Week

Sarasota Middle School’s Odyssey of the Mind Team Heads to World Finals

Some amazing students from Sarasota Middle School will soon find themselves performing for the world… the Odyssey of the Mind World Championship, that is!

Meet Record-Breaking 10-Year-Old Playwright, Viviana

Viviana is a normal fifth grader. Her favorite colors are robin’s egg blue and sea foam green. In her spare time, she enjoys reading Harry Potter and playing with her dog, Millie. She also really likes watching random videos on YouTube.

Pine View’s Claire Critchett Wins Florida Governor’s Black History Month Essay Contest

The following award-winning essay was written by Claire Critchett. Claire was the only middle school student in the state of Florida to win this essay contest. She received a four-year Florida College Plan scholarship provided by Florida Prepaid College Foundation.

Booker High School's "Into the Storm" Featured at Sarasota Film Festival

The Booker High School VPA Digital Film and Motion Design Department will premiere its full-length documentary, “Into the Storm,” as a part of the Sarasota Film Festival’s Special Education Events at 6:30 p.m. on April 9 at the Municipal Auditorium.

Pine View School Clubs Set to Deliver Fresh Produce to Families in Need

Several service clubs from Pine View School will soon distribute more than 40,000 pounds of fresh produce and other food to low-income families in Sarasota.

Alta Vista Elementary Wins Measured Treasure Math Challenge

How often do you guesstimate the amount of money that’s sitting in your change jar at home? Some use fancy formulas to figure it out, but one community volunteer wanted to put local students to the test to do the hard work for them.

Innovative New CFES Course at Booker Middle School Takes College and Career Readiness to Next Level

Booker Middle School Principal Dr. Lashawn Frost is dedicated to ensuring that every one of her 800 students is on track to be college and career ready.

Lunchtime with Officer Roy

School Resource Officer Roy loves to visit with his kids at Lamarque Elementary!

Pine View School's Lenny Gross

PE Aide Leonard “Lenny” Gross is a bit of a legend at Pine View School.