News from FUTURES Foundation for Volusia County Public Schools
Celebrating 25 Years of Support for Volusia County Public Schools
      FUTURES Education Foundation

Established in 1985 to increase business and community involvement in public schools and to provide programs and activities beyond the financial capabilities of the school district, the nonprofit foundation is the only organization that provides assistance to all public schools in Volusia County. 

www.FuturesVolusia.org
     Volusia County Schools
      Volusia County Schools
Upcoming Events
Dec. 8: Tomorrow's Leaders Seminar on Economic Development

Dec. 16: Mini-Grant Awards Reception; Board Meeting

Dec. 17: Take Stock in Children Leadership Council Meeting

Jan. 12, 2010: Bowl-A-Thon West Side Meeting

Jan. 14: Bowl-A-Thon East Side Meeting; Bowl-A-Thon Business Luncheon

For details, visit www.FuturesVolusia.org
Bowl-A-Thon Rolls
in February

The goal of the 2010 Bowl-A-Thon, Feb. 20 through March 14, is to triple participation in the fundraising event, enlisting more than 5,000 bowlers, participating either live or "virtually" in Wii Bowling for Education, and raising $55,000 to support Volusia County public school classrooms. 

This year, the event will expand to retail establishments and public spaces, as teams sign up to participate in bowling events using Nintendo Wii game systems. All public schools in Volusia County will field bowling teams for the Bowl-A-Thon itself, plus other teams and individuals can participate in Wii bowling events at sponsored locations.  
 
For sponsorship opportunities, contact Beth Butera, FUTURES Director, at (386) 255-6475 ext. 50730.
bowling ball
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FUTURES Delivers for Public Education in 2009
25th Logo
Greetings!

FUTURES has been busy since August providing programs for Volusia County Schools' staff and students, including:
  • Implementing FUTURES School Match program, funding $75,000 in school grants supporting academic achievement.
  • Continuing to oversee the progress of 107 students in our Take Stock in Children college scholarship program, and keeping in contact with the 31 former students who have graduated from college.
  • Committing to distribute $60,000 in mini-grants to classroom teachers this month.
  • Organizing an Educator Intern shadowing program pairing community leaders with district- or school-based administrators.
  • Implementing the Tomorrow's Leaders leadership training program for high school juniors.
  • Recognizing the transportation staff during Bus Safety Week.
  • Announcing the Elementary Principal of the Year Marilyn Travis of Read-Pattillo Elementary School, Secondary Principal of the Year John Polsinelli of Holly Hill Middle School, and Superintendent's Outstanding Achievement Award recipient Margaret Haley of River Springs Middle School.
  • Kicking off the Teacher of the Year celebration with a reception sponsored by Space Coast Credit Union.
As we prepare to pause for the winter break, we wish you and yours a wonderful holiday season!
Teacher of the Year Finalists Announced

In November, Volusia County Schools announced five finalists for 2011 Teacher of the Year from a pool of candidates nominated by every public school in the district. (For a list of the 70 school-level Teachers of the Year, click here.) The finalists are:
  • Kristy Kuches, mathematics teacher, Heritage Middle
  • Patty Lapinsky, reading and writing intervention teacher, Starke Elementary
  • Mario D. Ochoa, Army ROTC teacher, Spruce Creek High
  • Amy A. Ringue, reading and language arts teacher, Ormond Beach Middle
  • Kathleen Weaver, agriscience teacher, Hinson Middle
A Teacher of the Year sub-committee spent more than a week reading every application to select the top candidates.Those applications were then read and ranked by a larger committee who chose the finalists.

This month, the finalists are to be visited by a team responsible for deciding the district's winner, based on observing teaching in the classroom and an  interview with each candidate. The winner will be named at an awards ceremony at 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5, at the Hilton Daytona Beach Ocean Walk Village. The district honoree then will be nominated for the state Teacher of the Year program and will serve as Volusia's representative of quality education throughout the 2010-2011 school year.
 
The Teacher of the Year celebration is co-sponsored by FUTURES Foundation and the Daytona Beach/Halifax Area Chamber of Commerce. 
ERAU Donates To Support Science-Friendly Mini-Grants
Embry-Riddle logo
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is a regular donor to the FUTURES Mini-Grant program, always earmarking its support for a science-oriented proposal. Most recently, ERAU has contributed $500 to fund Susie LeFils' proposed project, "Think Like a Scientist," and $500 toward teacher Mike Cimino's project, "Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Will You Make This Motor Spin at All?" LeFils teaches at Forest Lake Elementary School and Cimino at Heritage Middle.

"For us as a university, part of our community support and giving back is by supporting the FUTURES Foundation," says John Mark Adkison, ERAU's director of athletic development and FUTURES board member. "That money goes directly back to supporting education and teachers."

He sees a natural marriage between his institution of higher learning and efforts to engage teachers and children at the primary and secondary level in science, particularly engineering and aviation. Plus, there's an opportunity for ERAU students and faculty to volunteer some intellectual horsepower to selected projects as part of an academic mission or outreach. "We are making that available to teachers who are receiving these grant monies," Adkison says.

Thanks to ERAU and contributors like it, look for $8,000 more than usual in Mini-Grants to be distributed this year on Dec. 16. The ceremony will be from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at Mainland High School's Performing Arts Building, 1255 W. International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach.

This year's Mini-Grants will bring the total value of awards given over the years to $1.126 million.