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An "A" Rated District for 10 Years 

 
Martin County
 School District
500 East Ocean Blvd.
Stuart, FL 34994
(772) 219-1200
Inside This Issue:
Career Academies in the Spotlight
New Tiger Woods Learning Center Campus
Grand Opening of Stuart Parent Resource Center
MCHS Students Give Mig a Makeover
Students Honored for Perfect FCAT Scores
CGE Students Jump for World Record
Miss Florida Visits the ESC
Pumpkins Produce Learning at PSE
School Board Meeting Dates
         
November 15, 2011:
GIS Presentation
3:30 P.M.
School Board Workshop
4:00 P.M.
Regular School Board Meeting
6:00 P.M. or
 Immediately following School Board Workshop
  
Unless otherwise noted, meetings are held in the School Board Meeting Room of the MCSD Administrative Offices, 500 East Ocean Boulevard, Stuart.
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"Martin Minute"
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Office of Public Information and Community Relations. 
For more information, please contact
 Cathleen Brennan at: 
MCSDnews@ martin.k12.fl.us.

Nancy Kline

Career Academies In the Spotlight at District's High Schools  

 

Dear Parents and Community Members:

 

As we edge closer to the start of the holiday season, it is truly an exciting time.  I have enjoyed participating in a variety of events and activities, including recent high school homecoming celebrations.

  

In addition, the District, in partnership with the Economic Council of Martin County and the Education Foundation of Martin County, has held key events aimed at raising awareness in the community about our many high school Career Academies.  On October 24th, the Career Academy Showcase was held at Martin County High School.  This free event was open to the public and included displays showcasing each of the District's 24 Academies and related organizations, as well as live demonstrations by students.  It was inspiring to see how many students and parents took advantage of this incredible opportunity to learn about the many benefits of participating in a Career Academy, including earning college credits and industry certifications.  We would like to thank all of those who made this event such a success.

 

The District is working with local business leaders, the Economic Council, Career & Technical Education teachers, and District staff to enhance our current Career Academies.  We want to ensure our programs continue to meet the dynamic needs of our students and prepare them for the 21st Century Workforce.  It is a fact that skills pay bills. The more skills our students have when they graduate high school, in addition to their rigorous core academic courses, the more competitive they can be.  On October 31st, we held a planning session to explore critical areas of our Career Academies.  We are excited to be working with our community partners to benefit our students.

 

Budget Committee

 

Finally, I would like to provide a brief budget update.  The District's Budget Committee began meeting in October regarding the upcoming FY 2013 budget.  The Committee includes School Board members, community members, union representatives, the Martin County Taxpayers Association and District staff.  The Budget Committee meetings are open to the public. Information regarding the meetings is available on the District's website. We will continue to keep families and staff updated as we move through the budget process.

 

Thank you for your support of our schools and for all that you do to help our students be successful. 

 

Sincerely,

Nancy Kline

Superintendent

Martin County School District

New Tiger Woods Learning Center Campus Kicks Off at Murray Middle
Tiger Woods Foundation's After School Program
Students in the Tiger Woods Learning Center Campus work on a computer activity as they learn about genetics.
 
When the last school bell rings for the day at Murray Middle School, the hunt for clues begins for about 50 students enrolled in the school's new Tiger Woods Learning Center (TWLC) Campus, which is funded through a partnership with the Tiger Woods Foundation.

The TWLC Campus, which is free, provides students with hands-on experiences in science, technology, engineering, and math (also referred to as STEM). Thanks to a "CSI" type theme, students are learning about the different career paths involved in Forensic Science and how STEM and college play vital roles. "Students participating in this TWLC curriculum study fingerprints, hair samples, and even different kinds of ink. They have also staged a crime scene and are using their forensic skills to solve a mystery. It's very cool what they are learning to do," said Principal Kit Weir.

The first session of the afterschool program began in late September with about 50 students. It wraps up by Winter Break; the next session will begin in January. "We had a lot of applications from students wanting to participate. They love it," continued Weir.


The Tiger Woods Foundation developed the campuses to expand the groundbreaking Tiger Woods Learning Center in Anaheim, California, to local communities around the country. Each campus is custom-built for the young people in each community, providing local students with access to innovative programs and the latest technology.
Grand Opening of New Stuart Parent Resource Center 
 Grand Opening of New Stuart Parent Resource Center

On October 27th, the District celebrated the grand opening of the new Stuart Parent Resource Center.  The new facility is located at the Salerno Learning Center and serves parents and teachers of students at the following Title I schools:  Port Salerno Elementary, Hobe Sound Elementary, SeaWind Elementary, Pinewood Elementary and J.D. Parker School of Science, Math and Technology.  A separate Parent Resource Center in Indiantown serves Warfield Elementary and Indiantown Middle.

 

The Parent Resource Centers operate in a library-style setting, in which parents and teachers can "check-out" a variety of educational materials and games that are matched to meet each student's individual needs.  Parents can also take part in classes designed to get them more involved in their child's education, including learning to use the District's Pinnacle system (online gradebook) and other educational resources.    

Martin County High School Students Get Hands-On History Lesson 
MCHS Teacher Ryan Kinne with Russian Mig
MCHS Automotive Collision Repair teacher Ryan Kinne with the 1952 Mig UTI. 

 

After weeks of work, students in the Automotive Collision Repair Career &Technical Education (CTE) Academy at Martin County High School are getting ready to show off their efforts to give a 1952 Mig UTI a makeover.

The students have spent hours buffing, shining, and repainting the Mig to get it ready for display at the Stuart Air Show. "Some of the hardest parts were doing the Mig's stars because they are so complicated. It's a three color star and there's a lot involved in that," said Automotive teacher Ryan Kinne. "This has been a really positive experience for the students. They liked working on the Mig. They liked being involved."

The Russian jet fighter is owned by the Road to Victory Museum in Stuart. Todd Harris and Mark Smith, the owners of Crown Collision and Dangerous Curves, are overseeing the restoration work. They will be using the aircraft to help raise funds to support Honor Flights, which provides free trips for World War II veterans to visit the memorial in Washington, D.C.

They came up with the idea to partner with Martin County High School's Automotive Collision Repair CTE Academy after a recent visit to the school. "We just thought what a great fit. How cool is it for the students to have the chance to work on a Mig! They will likely never have a chance to touch a piece of history like this again," said Smith.

MCHS Auto Collission and Repair Students with Russian Mig
MCHS Automotive Collision Repair students with the Mig after painting the fighter jet's red star

Superintendent Nancy Kline agrees. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.   Most of today's students have only read about the Cold War in history books. This experience brings those lessons to life. It's something the students will be able to learn from and never forget," said Mrs. Kline.

 
More than 500 Students Honored for Perfect FCAT Scores!
 
SeaWind Elementary During the FCAT Recognition Ceremony
SeaWind Elementary Principal Birgit Ager with students at the FCAT Recognition Ceremony.
On September 27th, more than 500 students in grades 3 through 11 were recognized by the Martin County School Board for earning perfect scores on the reading, math, science and/or writing portions of the FCAT.  The ceremony was held at the Jensen Beach High School Auditorium and was standing room only. Students from each school also posed for group photos after receiving their certificates!
 
Citrus Grove Students Jump for a World Record 
Kids Jump for World Record at CGE
Citrus Grove Elementary students do jumping jacks to help set a World Record.

On Wednesday, October 12th, students at Citrus Grove Elementary did their part to help National Geographic Kids set the Guinness World Record title for the most people doing jumping jacks in a 24-hour period!
 
At Citrus Grove, 578 students jumped for the cause.  They hope to find out soon if their efforts are going into the record books, but regardless, the students enjoyed taking part.   "My goal as an elementary Physical Education teacher is to make exercising FUN!  Children that exercise are happier and children that are happy make better learners," said Citrus Grove Elementary Physical Education Teacher Daniel Rendell.
 
To break the record, more than 20,000 people worldwide need to complete one minute of jumping jacks during the required time frame. 
Miss Florida Visits the Environmental Studies Center
Miss Florida Visits the ESC
Miss Florida with Mrs. Kirkham's 2nd Grade Class from Citrus Grove Elementary with (back row) Charlie Carr (ESC Teacher), Dianne Pierce (ESC Coordinator), Jerry Karnas (Everglades Foundation), Miss Florida Kristina Janolo, Superintendent Nancy Kline, and Citrus Grove Teacher Ms. Kirkam

On Tuesday, September 27th, Miss Florida Kristina Janolo visited the District's Environmental Studies Center (ESC). She toured the ESC and spoke with students about the importance of preserving our natural resources, such as the Everglades and local waterways, and conservation. "The children were so excited to meet Miss Florida. They were impressed with her message about caring for our environment," said Dianne Pierce, the Center's Coordinator.
Pumpkins Produce Fun Learning at Port Salerno Elementary
 
Pumpkins Create Fun Learning at PSE
It's a sign of the Fall season at Port Salerno Elementary. Students in Ms. Tara Zilly's 5th grade class put lots of pumpkins to good use! They received the small pumpkins from the Food and Nutrition Services Department as part of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable grant program.
 
Port Salerno Elementary Pumpkins
Not only did the students learn about the nutritional benefits of pumpkins, they also used the festive gourds as part of their studies.  They measured their mass, weight, circumference, height, and width using math tools.  In addition, they used a scientific approach to predicting how many seeds would be inside their pumpkins. "The students loved it!  They were going home and counting how many seeds were inside to see if their predictions were accurate," said Zilly.