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SCTI cuts ribbon to dedicate new facilities | | |
OPEN FOR BUSINESS: School district officials and guests cut the ribbon April 15 to officially open the new facilities at the Sarasota County Technical Institute. (Click on photo to see full caption, more photos and complete story.)
SARASOTA - Students, school district officials and representatives of the business community celebrated the grand opening of the new Sarasota County Technical Institute buildings with a ribbon-cutting ceremony April 15. An open house was held April 16.
"We are so proud of our new buildings and the opportunity to serve Sarasota County employers," said Todd Bowden, director of SCTI. "The new facilities we are officially opening today, and those that will open in two years after our next phase of construction, will allow us to help meet the region's workforce development needs for the next 40 to 50 years." Read more...
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Bay Haven's Owens is Teacher of the Year | | |
THUMBS UP: Sarasota County School District Teacher of the Year Melissa "Missy" Owens gets behind the wheel of a 2011 Chevy Cruze, hers to drive for a year courtesy of Sunset Chevrolet.
SARASOTA - Melissa "Missy" Owens, a third-grade teacher at Bay Haven School of Basics Plus in Sarasota since 1984, was named Sarasota County School District 2011-12 Teacher of the Year March 23.
The announcement was made at the annual Teacher of the Year luncheon at Michael's on East in Sarasota, co-produced by the school district and the Education Foundation of Sarasota County. The event was attended by about 250 people, including many of the 41 individual school teachers of the year for 2011-12, administrators, sponsors and guests.
In her 26 years at Bay Haven, Owens has inspired her own students to become teachers, including some current students who spoke about their "awesome" teacher in a video shown at the luncheon. Read more...
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New school websites showcase students | | 
HAIR-RAISING EXPERIENCE: First-grade student Samantha McLeod feels the effects of static electricity as she touches a Van de Graaff generator during Family Science Night Feb. 18 at Lakeview Elementary. The event is featured in the photo galleries on the home page of the school's new website.
SARASOTA COUNTY - Since January 2010 the school district's Communications and Community Relations Department has been implementing a project to help schools redesign and manage their websites. As of April 2011, new websites have been launched for 24 schools, including Lakeview Elementary, Venice Middle/Oak Park South and Booker High, with 17 more school sites scheduled to debut by December.
On each school's home page, photo galleries highlight recent school events and family activities, fostering a sense of community. While home-page designs are specific to each school, showcasing school colors and team mascots, the locations of standard buttons and links are consistent on all new sites. This standardization makes it easier for parents to navigate sites for children of various ages in the same family who attend different schools in the district. Students also become accustomed to the standard layout as they matriculate from one school to another.
The new school sites are popular with students, parents and staff. Visits to the district website, SarasotaCountySchools.net, have increased by more than 40 percent over last year, as more people use the new school sites and click through to the district site. To visit all school websites, click here.
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PALS honors volunteers and business partners | | |
STAND-OUT SENIOR: Sarasota County Schools Superintendent Lori White and PALS Community Advisory Board President Ron Carr (right) present the 2011 Senior Outstanding School Volunteer Award to Bob Burtwell at the PALS Partners in Education Recognition Event April 12 at the Venice Community Center.
VENICE - More than 350 people gathered at the Venice Community Center April 12 to honor the Sarasota County School District's outstanding volunteers and business partners. ABC 7 news anchor Scott Dennis served as master of ceremonies for the annual PALS Partners in Education Recognition Event.
In addition to those receiving awards, attendees included school board members, district administrators, principals and staff members of several schools, and members of the PALS Community Advisory Board. The recognition event and the work of PALS are funded by the Education Foundation of Sarasota County.
Superintendent of Schools Lori White spoke about being inspired by the generosity and dedication of the district's volunteers and business partners during challenging budgetary times. "I look out at your faces and it gives me such a positive feeling about our community," she said. Read more...
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