East County Back to School 2023

Back to School

INFANTS - PRESCHOOL

We offer Infant, Toddler, Beginner, Early Preschool and Preschool programs for ages 6 weeks to 5 years of age.

PRE - VPK

Call and schedule a tour today to learn about this newly designed class for your child.

941.200.4250

ALTERNATIVE VPK

We offer alternative VPK programs, both extended day and full day.

SCHOOL AGE PROGRAMS

Before & After Care School programs, ages 5-12: We will drop your child off to their school & pick them up after school. We provide activities, opportunity for school work & a variety of projects each day.

VPK

Our VPK curriculum will prepare your child with the foundational skills needed for success! Our teachers provide your child with an active & engaging curriculum each day! Child must turn 4 before 9/1/23. Classes start August 7!

Also Offering School Holiday Breaks: Winter, Spring, Single Day Holiday

DR. ROGER CLOUGH, owner of Discovery Point Twelve Oaks, has a degree in Early Education/Reading/Early Childhood and a Doctorate of Education. With over 25 years of experience, Dr. Clough’s passion for early education and child development makes Discovery Point Twelve Oaks stand out from the rest!

Big title, big impact

As Jason Wysong started his career in education as a social studies teacher and debate coach at Cypress Creek High School, he never thought about moving up the ladder.

He was focused on opportunities to impact students to prepare them more for college, careers and being good citizens.

Wysong wanted to see more of the “light bulb moments” from his students in which the lessons he was teaching just clicked for them.

As a teacher of all types of social studies from American history and world history to government and economics, he was always finding ways to connect history to the present.

“You have those moments of understanding of family history sometimes that are really personal,” he said. “For me as a high school student, that was learning about the Great Depression and understanding some of my grandparents’ economic and lifestyle choices because of what they experienced, their lived history.”

It wasn’t until as a teacher Wysong saw his principal navigate the tough situations and make hard decisions that come with being an administrator that he was inspired to take the next step in his career and impact more students. He wondered what he would do if he were in the principal’s shoes.

“I had no thought about going into school or district administration, but I think along the way, you see opportunities to have more impact, to do things that positively affect more kids’ lives,” he said. “I’ve always looked forward to the next opportunity to scale up

the work I’m doing to help more students.”

Since 2007 when he took his first school administrative position, Wysong has been moving up and taking on various positions to impact more students.

Wysong’s next step is serving as the School District of Manatee County’s superintendent.

Wysong was sworn in as the superintendent July 3.

“It’s very gratifying and humbling to have this opportunity and this responsibility,” Wysong said. “It’s obviously something I take very seriously. I’m excited to get to work.”

USING YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

As superintendent, Wysong intends to use his 22 years of experience in education and even the skills he learned on his high school debate team to move the district forward.

In his days on the debate team, Wysong said he learned about research and communication as well as how to look at all sides of a disagreement or controversy.

“I always try to understand where other people are coming from,” he said. “I also learned how to frame information and discussion, which has been invaluable for the work I’ve been doing and that I’ll continue to do. I think high school debate is one of those activities where you can grow a skillset that’s transferable to lots of different types of careers and future pathways. It’s come in handy over the years.”

Although Wysong spent the beginning years of his career as a high school teacher, his experience at the administrative level and most recently, serving as the deputy superintendent of Seminole County Public Schools, has given him the opportunity to see and admire

the work of elementary school teachers.

“We entrust our elementary school teachers and leaders with a lot of responsibility, not just academic growth but also so much social development happens in those years,” he said.

“The care and concern that is evident when you walk into elementary classrooms is remarkable. Every chance I get to spend time in classrooms is a good day. I think there are so many unsung heroes in our schools and especially in our elementary schools.”

In his 16 years with Seminole County Public Schools, Wysong said he would often look to see what other districts were doing in terms of innovation. Manatee County was always a district to which he paid attention.

“The districts are similar in size, and I think the community values are similar from what I’ve seen so far,” Wysong said.

“Over the years I’ve had teams from Seminole who visited Manatee to look at a specific program. Manatee was always a district I watched and certainly a district I was interested in when (Superintendent Cynthia) Saunders announced her retirement.”

Now that his dream of

becoming a superintendent is a reality, Wysong is thrilled to get started. His first task: listening.

“Sometimes new leaders come in and they have an agenda they want to complete, and it doesn’t always go well,” he said. “You have to hear what people have already experienced and what they’re looking forward to. That’s true across all stakeholder groups.”

He wants to invest time listening to parents about their expectations and aspirations for their families; the business community about where they see the future of Manatee County and what the district can do to fill industry needs; and employees about how they entered into a career in education and what support they need to continue or finish their career in Manatee County.

THE MAN BEHIND THE TITLE

When Wysong isn’t visiting schools, handling matters of the district or working closely with employees or community members, he likes to travel the country with his family.

His family loves traveling to the Pacific Northwest, including Alaska and the Oregon coast.

“We like most of the places we experience,” he said. “We say, ‘Hey, we’re going to come back here again,’ and then there’s always some other neat place to go and see.”

Among the places he’d like to return are Maine and Alaska.

But when schedule constraints don’t allow him to get away, Wysong said he’ll dive into a book. When it’s not a book on education, the books usually have a connection to history.

“I always find historical fiction interesting,” he said. “Writers are trying to honor the past but with an interesting story line. When I read nonfiction, I love things from the founding of the country and the early republic.”

Among his love for travel and books is also his love for desserts.

“The hardest decision for me at a restaurant is what to order on the dessert menu,” he said.

Throughout his career, Jason Wysong has been looking for the next opportunity to make a bigger impact.

“You have to hear what people have already experienced and what they’re looking forward to. That’s true across all stakeholder groups.”

Jason Wysong

A MESSAGE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT JASON WYSONG

educate the children of Manatee County. We all understand that the future of our community depends on the success of our students and our schools.

Regarding the school district’s aims and goals, I want you to know that the safety of our students and employees is, and always will be, our No. 1 priority.

including principals, teachers, law enforcement officers, school guardians, secretaries, bus drivers, food service workers and more. All of us are invested in the safety of our students and schools.

support and resources they need.

I want to know what programs and strategies are working and what we can do to improve outcomes for all students.

people are flocking to, we need to work together to effectively plan for future new schools and programs.

Iam truly excited to be in Manatee County as superintendent of the school district for the start of the 2023-2024 school year. It is an awesome privilege to serve our students.

I thank the school board and community for entrusting me and my fellow district employees with the honor of working hand-in-hand with our parents and families to

We understand the trust our parents and families place in us when they put their child on a school bus or drop them off at school each morning. There is no greater responsibility, and we will never take this duty for granted.

Every adult who wears a School District of Manatee County ID badge wants your students to be safe and successful in our schools.

I hope it provides comfort to know that there are more than 6,000 employees and individuals committed to the safety of your children each day,

Manatee County is respected across Florida for being an innovative school district for implementing engaging new academic options such as Woz Ed Career Pathways, Garner Holt Animatronics and the Guy Harvey Academy of Arts and Science. We are proud of that progress and will support and sustain programs that enhance academic opportunities for our students.

As superintendent, I can’t wait to spend time in our schools seeing our teachers and students in action.

I look forward to visiting classrooms to talk with students about what they are learning and to ask teachers and principals if they have the

Retaining our current school district employees is another major priority.

To keep our educators and support employees, we need to make sure the community knows about the excellent work happening in our schools and that our teachers and staff feel the support of the community.

When there are vacancies, we need to bring the absolute best educators to Manatee County — teachers who can inspire and motivate students.

Accommodating exceptional growth is also a prime priority, especially in east Manatee.

While it is exciting to be a part of a community that

On Aug. 10, I encourage everyone to practice the utmost grace and care as students, parents and buses return to our roads, sidewalks and schools. We appreciate your patience during the first few weeks of school as we adjust to the rhythm of a new school year, especially when it comes to bus routes and transportation.

I look forward to seeing you in our schools and in the community, and let’s have a great school year!

SCHOOL YEAR AT A GLANCE

2023-2024 Manatee County public schools key dates

5 Teachers return; record day; no classes

8 District in-service day; no classes

9 Students return 15 Martin Luther King Jr. Day; all district sites closed

SEPTEMBER

NOVEMBER

1 Professional learning; early release 10 Veterans Day; all district sites closed 20-22 Hurricane make-up days

20-24 Thanksgiving break

23 Thanksgiving Day; all district sites closed

DECEMBER

7-15 Hanukkah

13-21 Middle and high school exams (tentative)

19-21 High school early release

21 End of second grading period

22-31 Winter break; all district sites closed

JANUARY

1-4 Winter break; all district sites closed

FEBRUARY

19 Presidents’ Day; all district sites closed

MARCH

6 Professional learning; early release 14 End of third grading period 15 Record day; no classes 25-29 Spring break; all district sites closed

29 Good Friday; all district sites closed 31 Easter

APRIL 22-30 Passover

MAY

17-24 Middle and high school exams (tentative)

22-24 All schools early release

24 Final day for students

27 Memorial Day; all district sites closed

Record day; final day for teachers

Construction continues

Construction crews are hard at work at various East County schools to build additions and work on renovations before students return for the 2023-2024 school year Aug. 10. The school district is working to address the growth, especially in the eastern part of the county.

Mike Pendley, an executive planner for the School District of Manatee County, said the district is projected to have 7,077 additional students over the next 10 years, with the most students coming at the elementary level at 3,255 students.

Even with Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy opening its upper school, which will hold sixth and seventh grades and freshmen and sophomores in its first year of being open, there are traditional schools still over or near capacity.  There are additions being constructed at Freedom and Tara elementary schools as well as Carlos E. Haile Middle School and Lakewood Ranch High School.

Plans for the new K-8 school, which will be the first traditional public school of its kind in East County, are moving forward. The district has hired HKS Architect and Williams Design Group to design the

school and NDC Construction as the construction manager.  The school, which is projected to have 750 elementary and 750 middle school students once open, will be on approximately 40 acres south of Academic

Avenue and a quarter-mile east of Uihlein Road. The district estimates it will open in August 2025.

The long-awaited addition at Lakewood Ranch High School will be completed this school

year and feature 20 new classrooms and two science labs. The two-story building will be located behind Building 5, and there will be covered walkways connecting the two buildings.

Over the next five years, the district is tentatively planning to construct a 10-classroom addition at Braden River High School, construct  a new high school near Premier Sports Campus, construct a new elementary school a mile south of the intersection of Rutland Road and north Rye Road, renovate Myakka City Elementary School and construct an eightclassroom addition at R. Dan Nolan Middle School.

Here are the construction projects happening in East County this school year:

FREEDOM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Eight-classroom addition

Project budget: $4 million

Estimated completion: July

Enrollment in 2022-2023: 572

Capacity: 746

New capacity with addition: 910

TARA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Renovation and four-classroom addition

Project budget: $35.3 million

Estimated completion: August 2025

Schedule: Phase 1- sitework scheduled to be complete Aug. 3; Phase 2- renovation of Building 2 scheduled to be completed in February 2024; Phase 3- renovation of Building 3 scheduled to be completed in June 2024; Phase 4- construction of addition scheduled to be completed August 2024; Phase 5- renovation of Building 1 scheduled to be completed October 2024; Phase 6- Renovation of Building 4 scheduled to be completed February 2025; Phase 7- renovation of Building 5 scheduled to be completed June 2025; Phase 8- renovation of parking lot 2 and the bus loop scheduled to be completed August 2025.

Scope of work: Four-classroom addition, improved traffic queuing, roof replacement, plumbing, new mechanical system, security upgrades to administrative and reception areas, removal of portables and more.

Enrollment in 2022-2023: 529

Capacity: 701

New capacity with addition: 773

LAKEWOOD

RANCH HIGH SCHOOL

20-classroom addition with two science labs

Project budget: $18.2 million

Estimated completion: January

Enrollment in 2022-2023: 2,439

Capacity: 1,818

New capacity with addition: 2,300

HAILE MIDDLE SCHOOL

Renovation and 10-classroom addition

Project budget: $43.7 million

Estimated completion: October 2024

Scope of work: 10-classroom addition, roof systems replacement, mechanical systems, improvements to campus safety and security and more.

Enrollment in 2022-2023: 735

Capacity: 889

New capacity with addition: 1,087

K-8 SCHOOL

New school

Estimated cost: $97 million

Estimated opening: August 2025

Possible phasing: Once the elementary portion of the school is complete, the district could move forward with the middle school wing followed by the gymnasium and the middle school athletic facilities.

Capacity: 750 elementary students, 750 middle school students

Bright future for scholarship recipients

Every student in the state has the opportunity to go to college for free in Florida if they choose.

The Florida Department of Education’s Bright Futures Scholarship program gives students the opportunity to receive four types of scholarships, which the FDOE funds through the state lottery.

More than 950,000 students have received scholarships through the Bright Futures Scholarship program.

Shannon Fleming, the director of secondary curriculum for the School District of Manatee County, said the program can benefit all students.

“Post secondary education is expensive, and any opportunity we can get our students to graduate either debt free or with less debt is the biggest benefit to all,” she said.

Each of the scholarships have their own specific requirements, such as achieving a certain ACT or SAT score and completing a certain amount of volunteer service hours or work hours.

New to the program as of the 2022-2023 school year, students will be eligible for the scholarship if they complete 100 paid work hours instead of service hours.

As of July 1, students will be able to combine volunteer service hours and work hours to meet the requirements.

Fleming said the new option opens the door for more students to be eligible.

“It’s probably the most helpful for our students who have other obligations,” Fleming said. “They don’t have a lot of extra time necessarily to go volunteer. They might be taking care of siblings. They might have other household obligations. Anytime we can remove barriers for our students to be able to be eligible for scholarships, I think that’s huge.”

The biggest challenge students face is reaching the service hour requirement or work hour requirement.

Fleming encourages students to start chipping away at their hours their freshman year.

“One hundred hours over

Every student in Florida can receive a post secondary education for less money through the Bright Futures Scholarship program.

four years is probably not overly difficult,” she said. “We have a lot of clubs and organizations that promote community service, and they’re out there searching for the opportunities for students and presenting them to them. We have students that graduate with more than 100 hours.”

Students have until the last day of their senior year to complete their hours.

Another challenge students might face is achieving the SAT or ACT scores required to earn a Florida Academic Scholars or Florida Medallion Scholars award.

Fleming said some students might need to put in more time preparing for the tests, such as taking ACT or SAT prep classes.

All students must apply for the scholarship by submitting the Florida Financial Aid Application by Aug. 31 the same year of graduating high school.

Fleming said if students do not apply before the deadline, they will not be eligible for Bright Futures scholaships.

Students who do not intend

to enroll in a college, university or technical program immediately following high school graduation can still apply for the Bright Futures Scholarship program and later apply within five years of high school graduation to have the award reinstated.

Fleming said students who plan to attend a private Florida institution can also reap the benefits of the Bright Futures Scholarship porgram. Students will receive a comparable amount.

Requirements for all students:

n Be a Florida resident and a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen

n Complete the Florida Financial Aid Application by Aug. 31 after high school graduation

n Earn a standard Florida high school diploma

n Be accepted by and enroll in a program at an eligible Florida public or independent postsecondary institution

n Be enrolled for at least six non-remedial semester credit hours per term

Here are the different Bright Futures Scholarships and their requirements:

FLORIDA ACADEMIC SCHOLARS

This scholarship covers 100% tuition for students who attend a public Florida college or university.

Requirements:

n 3.5 weighted GPA

n 100 volunteer service hours, 100 paid work hours or 100 hours combined

n Required 16 high school course credit

n Achieve minimum ACT score of 29 or SAT score of 1340 by June 30 of the student’s high school graduation year

FLORIDA MEDALLION SCHOLARS

This scholarship covers 75% of tuition to a public Florida institution.

If a student is in an associate’s degree at a state college, the student could receive full tuition coverage. For example, a student enrolled at Florida State University could receive

75% coverage, while a student at the State College of Florida could receive 100% coverage.

Requirements:

n 3.0 weighted GPA

n 75 volunteer service hours, 100 paid work hours or 100 hours combined

n Required 16 high school course credits

n Achieve minimum ACT score of 25 or SAT score of 1200 by June 30 of the student’s high school graduation year

GOLD SEAL VOCATIONAL SCHOLARS

This scholarship is for students in a career education or certificate program.

Requirements:

n Weighted minimum 3.0 GPA in non-elective high school courses

n Take at least three full credits in a single career and technical education program

n Achieve these minimum scores:

n ACT scores of 19 in reading, 17 in English and 19 in math

n SAT scores of 24 on the reading test, 25 on the writing and

language test and 24 on the math test

n Florida Postsecondary Education Readiness Test scores of 106 in reading, 103 in writing and 114 in math

n Complete 30 volunteer service hours, 100 paid work hours or 100 hours combined

GOLD SEAL CAPE SCHOLARS

This scholarship is for students enrolled in a career education or certificate program. Once students complete an Associate in Science degree program that leads into a Bachelor of Science degree, students could receive an award for a minimum of 60 credit hours toward a Bachelor of cience degree program.

Requirements:

n Earn a minimum of five postsecondary credit hours through CAPE industry certifications

n Complete 30 volunteer service hours, 100 paid work hours or 100 hours combined

Bumps in the road to higher education

The road to a higher education has changed.

Students are taking more advanced classes earlier in their education.

Going to college doesn’t always mean being in person on campus every day.

Simply applying to universities let alone earning admission has become a gauntlet. There’s no cruising through the first years of high school anymore.

“You need to start thinking about college in eighth

grade,” said Sarah Harding, a student success coach with the Education Foundation of Sarasota County. “It’s unfair, but that’s how it works. You have to take a certain number of advanced courses. You can take high school-level courses in junior high.”

The Education Foundation of Sarasota County provides free college support and guidance.

Completing advanced level coursework is just one part of the challenge.

Resumes, supplemental essays and high test scores are required for public universities.

The middle 50% of students admitted to the University of Florida has a 4.4 to 4.6 GPA and an ACT score between 30 and 34, according to 2022 UF student data. With University of Florida’s admission rate at less than 30%, Harding said a 4.0 is no longer a guarantee, which is

part of the reason high schoolers are taking the ACT or SAT at least three times.

“You used to have a composite score, now you have a SuperScore. To be competitive, you get to take the highest score from each subsection. The scores for all these schools have

gone up,” said Cheryl Haller, a college and career advisor at the Student Success Center at Sarasota High School.

ALTERNATE ROUTES

The competitiveness of university admissions, along with the increasing costs of tuition, books and housing, have more students pursuing alternative routes. For some that means a blended model or fully remote degree.

“This generation is becoming more aware of the cost of living and the cost of housing. They’re having more realistic conversations (about their futures),” Harding said. “Some students are going that route to stay at home and save money. They’re still excited to join (clubs and on-campus activities).”

More students are either starting at State College of Florida and transferring to a four-year institution or earning an associate’s degree in an in-demand field, like computer science, software development, hospitality or nursing,

Students face more competitive college admissions, shifting career pathways and increased expectations from employers.

and entering the workforce. Students are finding alternative ways to fund their postsecondary plans, such as tuition reimbursement programs.

“A student working at Starbucks full-time gets the full cost of a B.A. online via (Arizona State University). You can really make it your own,” Harding said. “There’s a lot of hidden knowledge that students aren’t aware of — you have to speak to somebody in the know. It’s like looking at a main road and not being aware of 100 shortcuts that will take you to the same path.”

MEDIA INFLUENCE

Students’ job interests are diverse as ever, but with a new variable — the doubleedged sword of social media. Anecdotally, it’s encouraging Sarasota High School students to think more like entrepreneurs, whether that’s as influencers or as small business owners.

But social media also has the effect of showing students

RESOURCES

The Education Foundation of Sarasota County provides free college and career advising services to area students. For more information, visit EdFoundationSRQ.org

State College of Florida IT/Coding Academy offers affordable and flexible trainings, bootcamps and certifications in cybersecurity, cloud computing and software engineering. For more information, visit Coding.SCF.edu

extraordinary achievements without an accurate representation of the work needed to reach that position.

“More kids are interested in entrepreneurship. They see social media personalities in luxury vehicles, taking trips,” said Diana Berris, who is a student success coach with the Education Foundation of

Sarasota County.

Berris said the reality of long hours of scripting, filming and editing is lost on many students when they watch social media influencers. Others with dreams of emulating social media real estate moguls are surprised to learn about the licensing requirements, dayto-day business and long hours of real estate agents.

“So many students come through the door and say, ‘Well, I saw this on TikTok.’ But It doesn’t represent what paths are really like,” Berris said.

Another common career interest of late is criminology, seemingly inspired by true crime Netflix shows, YouTube channels and podcasts.

“(Students say) ‘I want to do forensics.’ Are you strong in math and science? They just don’t realize the amount of education required for certain positions they see on TV,” Berris said.

SKILLS TO PAY BILLS

Employers demand candidates with soft skills. Written and

verbal communication are still at the top of the list, said Desh Bagley, director of IT/Coding Academy at State College of Florida.

“Employers are expecting more independence (and that they’re) capable of doing the initial research on their own. And knowing what questions to ask,” Bagley said.

That might mean using online platforms to troubleshoot and find answers and solutions as well as how to use generative artificial intelligence.

“Students who are coming out of college now, if they don’t know how to use generative AI for image and text production they’re going to be behind,” Bagley said.

That’s in addition to other expectations employers have of young hires.

“Students are expected to know how to do the job faster,”  Bagley said. “A four-year degree is good, but what industry partners are looking for is computer science degrees to look more like nursing — hands-on experience and a

practicum.”

That’s opened another path to high schoolers looking to get a foothold in the workforce — coding bootcamps, which along with online learning have gained in credibility in recent years, according to Bagley.

Since its founding in 2021, the State College of Florida Coding Academy has had 25 students graduate from a bootcamp and find a job placement. Most SCF Coding Academy students have been professionals making career changes, but the programs in cybersecurity, software development and cloud computing are open to anyone 18 years and older. SCF Coding Academy has programs and camps for students K-12.

“My four-year (computer science) degree from USF is probably now equivalent to a six-month bootcamp,” Bagley said.

With the rapid pace of software development and innovation, it’s more important than ever, Bagley explained, that students are prepared for a lifetime of learning.

Ages

6 weeks - 5 years

They like to move it, move it

sion meant doing 50 push-ups. Now, he’s lucky if kids complete 30.

Whatever you see when you picture gym class in your mind, it’s probably not how it looks anymore.

Whether your vision includes climbing ropes up to the top of the gym or shuttling around on scooters just big enough to fit a sitting child, using your feet as a motor and racing your friends, it’s all different now.

Kyle Mason, a gym teacher at Booker Middle School, isn’t a fan of this particular change in attitudes.

Mason said he comes from an era where a school fitness ses-

Mason is worried kids are less interested in being active and more interested in sedentary activities. He’s made it his goal to get his students to see the importance of consistent exercise, especially when the individual units he is teaching are not their favorite.

“This is one of the only classes where the goal is to have fun,” Mason said. “They get to try sports they haven’t tried before. The hope is something will hit a nerve and they’re like, ‘I actually love doing this.’”

Some of Mason’s more outthere experiments include table tennis, lacrosse, ultimate frisbee and spikeball. They also play traditional sports like basketball and soccer.

Spikeball is a sport that is essentially volleyball, but instead of hitting a large ball

over a net, players stand in a circle and hit a tiny ball off a trampoline placed in the middle of the circle.

But it’s not all team sports.

At Booker, Mason said, gym teachers use Fridays as a planned period of general fitness training. This might mean a mile or half-mile run; it might mean completing fitness stations, like push-ups and sit-ups; or it might mean completing a PACER test, one of the lone relics from days of gym classes past still standing.

Brent Skogen, another Booker teacher, said the PACER tests, which are designed to measure aerobic capacity, work more or less the same as they always have: kids run back and forth across a 30-meter space, with the time they have to complete the run decreasing every minute.

Skogen said students are encouraged to remember their

scores from previous tests so they can improve on them throughout the year.

“You would think they hate it, but we actually get good participation,” Skogen said. “Everyone is doing it at the same time, so no one’s going to get laughed at (for their score). Everyone’s going through it, and they do pretty well.”

As much as youth attitudes about fitness have changed, teachers are dedicated to get ting as much effort out of their students as they can. There are no slack-off days, even as the year comes to a close.

At Lakewood Ranch’s Dr. Mona Jain Middle School, sixth grad ers spent their final week of the year completing key tasks, teacher Andrea-don Griffin said. That includes completing a unit of instruction on dancing, which requires students to break into teams and com plete a dance as a unit.

While that was happening, Griffin said, students were also reviewing field sports they had learned throughout the year and updating their overall fitness data, to see which students hit their goals for the semester. The well-rounded mix of activities makes sure everyone is interested in some-

“There’s a lot going on,”

goal is to get kids like Ahmonie Mannings to understand the value of lifetime fitness.

SCHOOL OF ROCK |

Lakewood Ranch

SCHOOL OF ROCK | Lakewood Ranch

SCHOOL OF ROCK | 8741 State Rd. 70 E, Bradenton (exit 217 off I75) (941)842-7625

Lakewood Ranch

8741 State Rd. 70 E, Bradenton (Exit 217) (941) 842-7625

8741 State Rd. 70 E, Bradenton (exit 217 off I75) (941)842-7625

Lakewoodranch.schoolofrock.com

LakewoodRanch.SchoolOfRock.com

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Gym teachers say they want their students to form a habit of being active.

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Our Mission

To grow in God’s unchanging word and share it with a changing world

Affordable Tuition

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Committed to Faith and Excellence

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Tune up arts education

The theater group performed “Finding Nemo Jr.” while the band, choir and orchestra sections put on recitals. An art exhibit was on display in the cafeteria.

While schools were closed for summer break, some halls and classrooms were filled with music.

Manatee County students were hard at work developing their musical abilities during the School District of Manatee County’s first visual and performing arts camp.

The camp was a part of the district’s plan to revitalize its visual and performing arts programs after involvement in the programs throughout the district dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the pandemic, schools throughout Manatee and Sarasota counties adjusted the way they taught visual and performing arts due to the districts having to accommodate the move to a remote or hybrid learning model as well as not having the resources needed to ensure students could learn and perform safely.

Angela Hartvigsen, a fine arts program specialist for Sarasota County Schools, said online and even hybrid arts education does not accomplish the same results as in-person programs, she said.

Since the pandemic, the districts have been working to boost their programs and get more students involved.

Manatee’s two-week camp, with sections for band, choir, theater, orchestra and art, was attended by 331 students entering sixth grade through ninth grade. It contained two tracks — intermediate/advanced for students with previous experience and beginner for kids dipping a toe into the arts pool for the first time.

The camp’s finale was a summer showcase held at Parrish Community High School.

“It was an awesome showcase,” said Jeramiah Bowman, the curriculum and instructional specialist for visual and performing arts for the School District of Manatee County. “We had kids performing after seven days of instruction. All the kids were really supportive of each other. The staff were fabulous.”

Bowman’s hope is the campers will bring their excitement back to school in August. He wants beginners to continue their arts education in the upcoming school year and then come back to another free arts camp next summer.

But Bowman is a realist. He knows two weeks of playing the clarinet or painting watercolors isn’t going to erase the learning gaps and emotional trauma students suffered because of school closures and remote learning.

But an arts boot camp can get students jazzed, Bowman believes, and that can carry over into learning in general and improve mental health.

Part of the push for arts education in Manatee County comes from the district’s expansion from Science, Technology, Engineering and Math to include arts, thanks to a voter referendum.

In March 2018, Manatee voters approved a 1-mill property tax referendum, which called for more instructional time for students, pay increases for teachers and staff and the expansion of STEM and career and technical education programs. In November 2021, voters renewed the referendum and included funding for visual and performing arts programs.

The referendum, grants and other funding sources helped underwrite the summer camp, restore arts staff positions cut during the pandemic, provide transportation to see performances at area arts venues and other schools and more.

After arts programs saw lower involvement as a result of the pandemic, schools are boosting their offerings.

The deterioration in a student’s vocal or musical ability isn’t measured with the same rigor at the secondary level as proficiency in math or reading. But there is no doubt that this year’s artistic performances showed marked improvement over the 2021-2022 year, according to Hartvigsen.

“Listening to music performances or looking at artwork in our spring art show, it’s clear the quality is coming back,” she said.

In Sarasota schools, teachers have brought in adjuncts to work with students. Young students are paired with older students who act as mentors to encourage their artistic progress, Hartvigsen said.

One sign of the improvement in Sarasota’s arts education, Hartvigsen said, is the number of arts instructors nominated as the 2023 Teacher of the Year. Among 40 nominees, five taught either dance or music.

The winner of Teacher of the Year was Tim Ferguson, a music teacher at Garden Elementary School in Venice.

The districts are working with community partners to showcase student work and host performances around Sarasota and Manatee counties.

Sarasota County Schools collaborates with some of the area’s arts institutions including Art Center Sarasota, Venice Art Center, Sarasota Orchestra and Venice Symphony.

In May, Sarasota students displayed their artwork in the North County K-12 Spring Art Show at Art Center Sarasota, and the Venice Art Center hosted the district’s South County Art Show.

Hartvigsen and Bowman want to encourage students to get involved in the arts as early as sixth grade, which is students’ first opportunity to dive into arts programs.

“When students get to sixth grade, they decide whether they want to pursue the arts. In music, you can pick from band or orchestra. You can have art class every day instead of once a week. It’s the entry way into what will become a seven-year experience,” Hartvigsen said.

School District

Something for everyone

The thought of extracurricular activities might conjure up images of students hovered over a chess board or choosing photos for a yearbook, but extracurricular activities have undergone a major evolution over the past few decades.

Not only are there quadruple the options, there are activities children of the 1970s and ’80s could have never imagined— gamer clubs, for one.

Minecraft has become a popular video game amongst elementary and middle school students. It’s a game that can be played and coded, so students’ grow with the game as their computer skills develop.

Minecraft Club is one of an

array of options offered to students at Wilkinson Elementary School in Sarasota. The school offers six to 10 clubs per semester and more than half of its students access clubs at least once during the school year.

Media Relations Specialist for Sarasota County Schools

Kelsey Whealy said clubs are created based on student interest and the availability and interest of teachers and staff members because all clubs must have a faculty sponsor.

Clubs appease a multitude of interests from providing service opportunities to playing esports to helping students learn more about career fields. The list goes on.

For students looking for hands-on activities, Wilkinson offers RC Car Club. Students

CLASSES BEGIN AUGUST 21ST

design, build and race remote controlled cars.

“Most of our clubs are handson and students thrive. They get to develop new skills and interests when they are participating in a club,” RC Car Club Leader Shannon Quinn said. “After-school clubs encourage positive behaviors among the

students. They want to be there and are excited.”

RC Car Club members must commit to attending the annual RC Custom Car Open at the Suncoast Science Center. Two tracks are set up behind the facility for students to test their designs.

Another activity requiring

community involvement is the Mock Trial Club, offered at high schools across Sarasota and Manatee counties. Club members prepare for a mock trial before a real judge.  Students learn critical thinking, debate, public speaking, ethics, professionalism and teamwork. But those are just a few of the clubs offered by local schools.

Riverview High offers the Crochet Club and the Better Together Club that make a point to include students with special needs in social activities. Sarasota High School offers the Helping Hands Photography Club that assists local nonprofit organizations by taking photos for their publications. Braden River High offers a Dungeons and Dragons Club.

“It’s important to offer a variety of clubs because students have different interests. Some may love to sing and others may love to run; others may want to learn art,” Quinn said. “They get to develop new skills and interests when they participate in a club.”

With differing interests amongst students, faculty are introducing new clubs and activities.

Gifted student eligibility a complete package

to be part of a gifted program. Some students are accepted with a slightly lower IQ depending on socioeconomic concerns.

Every parent knows his or her child has special gifts. Whether those gifts qualify a student for a gifted student program is another story, often requiring an extensive evaluation by school personnel.

Do straight “As” qualify a student as gifted? Can a student with lower grades who is exceptional in one specific area qualify? Is IQ a factor?

The school districts in Manatee and Sarasota counties focus resources on identifying gifted students and developing educational plans for those students.

IDENTIFYING GIFTED STUDENTS

The School District of Manatee County has a nomination form that sets the process of evaluation in motion. Teachers, parents and students themselves can nominate a student for the gifted program.

Cheryl Hughes, the exceptional student education gifted coordinator for Manatee said the district is constantly training teachers so they identify students who would be a good fit for a gifted program.

In Sarasota County Schools, referrals should primarily be made by “classroom teachers or parents’ request.”

State guidelines also have specific requirements when it

comes to placing students in a gifted program.

At the top of the list is IQ.

Nicole Cox, the head of the

exceptional student education program, said the School District of Manatee County requires a 130 IQ for a student

Cox said the IQ score is vital, but having a high IQ and great grades doesn’t mean a student automatically is enrolled in a gifted program. They look at other characteristics such as motivation and leadership.

EVALUATION PROCESS

After the nomination is received, the “screening” process begins, often by a school counselor in Manatee County. After a screening in Sarasota, students are referred to a school psychologist for an evaluation.

In Sarasota, all gifted evaluations are performed at a student’s zoned district no matter whether that student attends another district school, a private school or is homeschooled. Each school has an Exceptional

IQ, motivation, leadership and more figured into the equation before moving a student into the gifted program.

Student Education liaison.

Motivation, leadership and critical skills are examined. A psych examination is performed to see if the student is a good fit. An IQ test is performed. A consultation with the parents is scheduled. When all the information is gathered, teams meet to discuss the student and the possibilities.

The identification and evaluation process has nothing to do with exclusion but rather finding ways to allow students to reach their full potential.

“Entering a student in a gifted program gives them the opportunity to interact with their like-minded peers,” Cox said. “It challenges them. These students often look at things differently than other students. When they are together, they challenge each other. We don’t want a student sitting in a class thinking, ‘I am smarter than the teacher.’

“But we don’t want to pull those students out of their (regular) class all the time. They have to live in the real world.”

ENTERING THE GIFTED PROGRAM

If the student appears ready in Manatee County, a parental consent form needs to be signed. Then an education plan is developed. The plan might be implemented with the student only being taken out of a regular class once or twice per week.

“A lot depends on the number of gifted students in a classroom,” Cox said. When they do come out of a regular class, they might get together with gifted peers to delve more deeply into a subject.

Sarasota has a gifted or accelerated magnet program where students meet in a classroom on a daily basis with all gifted students, taught by a teacher qualified to work with gifted students. The program “focuses on accelerated curriculum — grade-ahead instruction in English, language arts and math.”

Gifted magnet schools are Fruitville, Venice and Toledo Blade elementary schools;

GIFTED 101

From the National Association for Gifted Children

The characteristics that parents often notice first include:

■ Advanced vocabulary, heightened sensitivity, remarkable memory and rapid learning

■ Gifted and talented children are constantly learning from their environment, seeming to know things without the effort required to learn it

How do I support my child at home?

■ Collect resources on your child’s topics of interests.

■ Make time to talk to your child every day and encourage active questioning. Find peers or groups who share similar interests.

■ It can be easy to forget your child is just a child because the child might be able to have adult conversations about advanced topics.

■ Allow your child the freedoms or responsibilities appropriate for his or her individual emotional or social development.

■ Gifted children are often highly observant and sensitive to social issues and fairness. Model the behavior and respect of others you expect of your child.

■ Find opportunities for your child to participate in acts of service.

■ Provide challenges outside of school. Enrichment is incredibly beneficial whether it supplements school content or explores interests or passions.

■ Encourage your child to take risks.

■ Celebrate mistakes as learning opportunities. When you make mistakes, model positive ways to problem-solve and grow.

Booker, Sarasota and Woodland middle schools; and Pine View School and Laurel Nokomis School.

Traditional schools in Sarasota can offer a class where gifted students are placed in a classroom with other gifted children and a qualified teacher. At this level, Sarasota County Schools will allow a student who doesn’t meet the gifted requirements, but who has excelled academically, to be paired with gifted students. The program focuses on enrichment activities and instruction on a grade-level curriculum.

Other programs include a gifted student who remains in a normal classroom being pulled out at times to receive specialized instruction from a qualified teacher.

There also is a “consultation” program where a teacher who is certified to work with the gifted works with the general education teacher in meeting the needs of a gifted student.

Can’t miss this

The school year is an exciting time for academic growth and to see all that a student can learn.

But the school year isn’t just about hitting the books.

Schools find ways to enrich the lives of students through extracurriculars and events that provide opportunities to have fun and show school pride.

Here are some can’t-miss events to look forward to throughout the school year:

SPORTING EVENTS

Time to support your school’s sports teams. Get out to the football field, volleyball court, soccer field or a wrestling match and cheer for your team. Watch as schools compete against their rivals, like the Lakewood Ranch High versus Braden River High football game.

FUNDRAISERS

Whether it’s a spirit night at a restaurant or color run, the fundraisers schools host are a time for students to make memories while also raising money to support the schools.

MANATEE COUNTY FAIR

FFA students across the county spend months prepar-

ing and training their animals to show at the Manatee County Fair. Students are at the barns at their schools twice per day caring for cows, chickens, goats, pigs and more.

THEATER PRODUCTIONS

The School District of Manatee County has hundreds of students with talents in the visual and performing arts. Take the opportunity to see a theater production at Lakewood Ranch High School or watch Braden River High School students bring the magic of Disney to life on stage during its “Night of Magic” cabaret show.

DANCES

High school students can put on their best tux and prettiest dress for prom while elementary students can dance the night away with their moms and dads. Most schools host at least one dance per year.

Throughout the school year, there are fun events for students and their families.