School District of Palm Beach County

AWARDS, ACCOMPLISHMENTS, RECOGNITIONS
AWARDS :: ACCOMPLISHMENTS :: RECOGNITIONS
DATE	AWARDS
May 2007	Jessica Su, a junior at Suncoast High School is the state student winner of the 2006-07 Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement. The award is given to high schools students across the country who perform at the top on Advanced Placement science and math courses. She received a $2,000 college scholarship from the Siemens Foundation.
May 2007	The Pahokee High School Marching Band received awards in Outstanding Music, Outstanding General Effects and 2nd Place Overall In Class AA Field Show competition as part of its participation in the 2007 Sugar Bowl Football Game and Music Festival in New Orleans. The band performed in pre-game and half time shows at the Super Dome. Band Director Ollice Davis,said it was a “rewarding experience” for the 115 band members, 25 chaperones and a band staff of six.
April 2007	Palm Beach Lakes High School Mock Trial team won the Florida Mock Trial Competition. This is the first time a high school from Palm Beach County has taken the state title. Team members for Palm Beach Lakes include Uriah Ellis, Wesley Mathieu, Lisa Archer, Zack Tortora, Elisabeth Bernard, Tiara Shurns, Julie Conde and Shani Crooks. The Florida High School Mock Trial Competition is an academic competition in which a team of eight students simulate the roles of both attorneys and witness in a fictional trial situation. This is the most hands-on, intensive learning simulation about the trial process available to high school students.
April 2007	Glynis Benson, a 9th grade English and reading teacher at Boca Raton Community High School is the Teacher of the Year for Palm Beach County. Ms. Benson has been employed with the School District of PBC for 19 years. She established the APEX tutorial program and lead Boca Raton High to the top of PB County’s comprehensive high schools in reading gains for quartile one students. As a school-wide effort to improve assessments, Ms. Benson serves as a member of a team at Boca High, which reviews assessments and provides feedback for all teachers.
April 2007	Tammy Ditmars, the Director of the School Age Child Care (SACC) program at Meadow Park Elementary is the Palm Beach County Non-Instructional Employee of the Year. Her SACC program has received the Blue Ribbon of Excellence Award each year it has been under her direction and in 2006 the program received the Department of Children/Families Gold Seal Quality Award. Ms. Ditmars organizes annual luncheons and various community drives which include: Grandparent’s luncheon, Food For Families Drive, and sending cards to nursing homes and patients at the Veteran’s Hospital.
2/6/07	Food Services worker Shirley Gonzalez of Hagen Road Elementary was presented in February with a humanitarian award from the District for her quick thinking in saving a woman's life at an apartment complex where she tutors middle and high school children. Food Services director Steve Bonino and assistant director Lori Dornbusch were on hand to present the award to Gonzalez at the school.
12/2006	Palm Beach Public School has been recognized for its construction and design excellence by a leading trade publication for commercial construction. Southeast Construction gave its "Best K-12 Schools" award to the school located on Cocoanut Row in Palm Beach. Palm Beach Public School, a replacement school, was built by Suffolk Construction and designed by Song and Associates.
12/2006	Dr. Kathi Gundlach has been named the state's School Psychologist of the Year by the Florida Association of School Psychologists. Dr. Gundlach works in the Central Area ESE Prekindergarten Program. She also serves as the local president of the Palm Beach Association of School Psychologists.
12/2006	Three students from Suncoast High School won their division in the K-12/Collegiate Chess Championship held in Orlando, Florida, December 8-10, 2006. Chase Carron and Jared Carron from North Palm Beach and Casey O'Meilia from Palm Beach Gardens won the 9th grade division of the Chess Championship sponsored by the U.S. Chess Federation.
12/2006	Janell Leatherman, from Freedom Shores Elementary, has been named the 2006 Elementary School Counselor of the Year by the Florida School Counselor Association. Ms. Leatherman is a National Board Certified school counselor and serves as the President of the Palm Beach Counseling Association. She joined the School District in 1993 and lives in Wellington.
11/20/06	William Rizzo, a teacher at Seminole Trails Elementary School, was named 2006 Elementary School Science Teacher of the Year by FAST. Mr. Rizzo said, “I am proud to be chosen as Outstanding Elementary Science Teacher of the Year by the Florida Association of Science Teachers. As a Science Lab/Resource teacher working at Seminole Trails Elementary School in West Palm Beach, I was afforded the opportunity to express my passion for science. I feel very lucky to have my position.”
11/16/06	Five schools have been awarded SECME/NASA Mini-Grants of $500 each. The funds, awarded by SECME, Inc. are designed to provide enrichment activities for students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). In addition, the funds also support the SECME (Science, Engineering, Communication and Mathematics Enhancement) clubs in the schools. The five SECME coordinators and schools are: Erich Landstrom – Boynton Beach High School Gilda Vecchione – Pine Grove Elementary School Kisha Jarrett – Northboro Elementary School Mary Swigert – Jupiter High School Susan Swain – Rolling Green Elementary School
11/18/06	The Santaluces High School Marching Chiefs won the 2006 FMBC Class 4A State Championship at the Florida Marching Band Championships held in St. Petersburg on Saturday, November 18. The Marching Chiefs swept all captions, winning Music, General Effect and Visual on their way to their 2nd FMBC State Championship in as many years.
11/2006	Tracy Smith, a teacher at the Bak Middle School of the Arts, was named 2006 Middle School Science Teacher of the Year by the Florida Association of Science Teachers (FAST.) “When I heard the news about winning this award, I was stunned and excited, said Ms. Smith. I am honored in being recognized statewide for something that I enjoy doing every day; inspiring and instilling a love for science in my students. Being a role model to young adults is important to me, and I hope that by doing so, I can continue to raise the interest level of science for all students and even increase the role of women as future science educators.”
10/2006	Sally Rozanski, Secondary Social Studies Administrator, received the state Outstanding Professional Development Practices Award at the Florida Association for Staff Development (FASD) conference. The secondary program, "Increasing student achievement by strengthening literacy and social studies content knowledge through content enhancement routines" was recognized for providing a model of outstanding professional development.
10/2006	Hidden Oaks Elementary School in Lake Worth earned state recognition for their staff development initiative, “Infusing Technology into the Curriculum.” Hidden Oaks demonstrated Outstanding Staff Development Practices in Delivery and Follow-up through the use of document cameras, LCD projectors, voice enhancement, Kidspiration, Timeliner and more. This Outstanding Staff Development Practices in Delivery and Follow-up was awarded to the school by the Florida Association for Staff Development (FASD) at the state conference in St. Petersburg.
10/18/06	Recipient: PB Gardens High School The PBC Hotel and Lodging Association held their Annual Hotel Day Trade Show and Awards Luncheon at the WPB Marriott. The Five-Star Magnet Program and Business Advisory Board partner, PB Gardens Marriott, were both recognized at this event. The Tourism, Hospitality, and Resort Management Magnet Program received a scholarship for $1000 to help support extra curricular activities for their magnet students. This is the fourth year in a row they have received this scholarship. The magnet program, Business department head Sherry Renner and magnet coordinator Arty Falk, also received the “Allied Partner of the Year.” The PB Gardens Marriott and their General Manager, Roger Amidon, won “Hotel of the Year.”
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DATE	ACCOMPLISHMENTS
May 2007	Rockets at Pierce Hammock Elementary! "The rockets shot off into the air. They went over 1,000 feet high! The parachutes shot out and they drifted safely down to us" writes Briana Posner a 4th grade students at Pierce Hammock Elementary when referring to the rockets built by the fourth grade classes. What a way of celebrating the end of FCAT testing!
May 2007	Senella Johnson and Nancy Brito, Department of Assessment Specialists, had the opportunity to observe the FCAT Handscoring training process conducted by CTB McGraw-Hill in conjunction with the Florida Department of Education. Ms. Johnson observed the Eighth Grade FCAT Writing+ and Ms. Brito observed the Fourth Grade Reading Short and Extended Response process. They both agree that the training is rigorous and comprehensive. Educators are invited each year to observe and comment on the process. The scorers MUST be college graduates. Their degree and/or work experience must be in the subject they are trained to score. After the training, the scorers must pass a qualifying exam to begin scoring the actual student responses. Full detail of the FCAT Handscoring process may be found in the following Florida Department of Education web site: http://www.firn.edu/doe/sas/fcat/pdf/handscoring.pdf
4/20/07	Loxahatchee Groves’ Volunteers and Sponsors Turned 2007 Carnival into a Great Success - Ladies from the Loxahatchee Groves PTO would like to extend special thanks to Ron and Sharon Jarriel, Willie Sans, Commissioner Jess Santamaria, Callery Judge Grove, Hackmeadow Farms, The Royal Inn and many other sponsors and volunteers who made success possible for the annual carnival celebrated on April 20. This year’s participation was the best ever! Thanks to all students, parents, faculty, staff, and local businesses for the great work and continuing support.
April 2007	Pierce Hammock Elementary School "1st Annual Western Community Fair" raised over $7,000 during the fun-filled 3 days activities. The money raised will be used to purchase much needed teaching materials. Thank you to Bob LaRocca of Red's Backwoods BBW for the generous donation and the delicious food. Also, extended thanks to all who attended and supported the event.
April 2007	The Student Council at Wellington Elementary School raised $1,200 in pennies to collaborate with the Boynton Beach not-for-profit organization Forgotten Soldiers Outreach Inc. The activity was spearheaded by the Student Council and overseen by Mrs. Debra Harrington, Mrs. Kelly Jo Mills and Mrs. Cathy West. The 1st Battalion 6th Marines Bravo company will enjoy receiving more than 400 poems, letters and over 60 care packages from the students of Wellington Elementary. Congratulations to all for a job well done!
April 2007	H.L. Johnson Elementary School students, parents and staff have again demonstrated their generosity by reaching out to the community and participating in the Pennies for Patients fundraiser. This joint effort raised $2,374.93 to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. What a great way to support the non-for-profit organizations!
March 2007	Boca Raton High Teen, Diana Handwerker, Named “Teen Of The Year” - Diana Handwerker, a 12th grade student at Boca Raton Community High School, was named 2007 Humane Teen of the year by the National Association for Humane and Environmental Education (NAHEE).
1/26/07	Math Games Raised Money for School Patrols On January 26, 2007, Pierce Hammock held their 3rd annual Family Math Games Night. For one hour parents and children played math games while Mr. Eassa, Principal, grilled hotdogs and Mrs. Koerner, Assistant Principal, served chips and sodas. The money raised went to support the Pierce Hammock Patrols. A BIG Thank You goes to all the P.H. staff and volunteers who helped out to make a fantastic evening!
1/2007	Atlantic IB senior Andrei Kamalov has been declared a Regional Scholar for this year's statewide Sunshine State Scholar Competition. The Sunshine State Scholars Recognition Program for Florida high school seniors was initiated in 1997 to recognize excellence in mathematics and science. Andrei is one of 10 winners in the entire state from 6 regions to earn this honor. He will compete in Tallahassee with the other 9 regional scholars for the state title at the Finals Competition Sunday-Tuesday, March 11-13, 2207. The top performer in the State competition is designated the Statewide Sunshine State Scholar in Mathematics and Science.
1/9/07	Displaced more than two years ago by Hurricane Jeanne, students and faculty returned to the Indian Ridge school campus on Tuesday, January 9, 2007. The Indian Ridge School homecoming brought them to a new 76,545 square foot facility. For more than two years, the faculty and students of Indian Ridge have been located at the South Area Middle School of Choice in Lake Worth. The new school, built by Morganti Group International, is located at 1955 Golden Lakes Blvd. in West Palm Beach. This is the same campus site as the previous school. With 253 student capacity, the cost of the new facility is $13,190,811.
12/06	Debra Neeson-Okell wrote the “Best Practices” page of the December issue of the trade publication Section 504 Compliance Advisor. Neeson-Okell is Section 504 Coordinator for the District. The article was about how she works with the District’s food service staff to address students’ food allergies, to make sure food served is safe to eat and provided in a way the student avoids feeling uncomfortable among peers. It is the third time Neeson-Okell has authored an article for the national publication. “It’s good because it gets national exposure for the District. It also helps in networking to seek input to address special situations.” A school’s responsibility to protect a student’s health and his or her ability to attend class dates to federal legislation from the 1970s. “In 1973, Congress passed Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act which is principally civil rights legislation for persons with disabilities. Although it originally focused on employment issues, Section 504 was modified in the mid-1970's to include school issues. For public schools receiving federal funds, Section 504 prohibits discrimination against any student who may be eligible for protections under the act,” Neeson-Okell said.
12/9/06	Twenty four District employees sorted 336 boxes of food weighing a total of 16,800 pounds at the United Way food sorting project on Dec. 9 at Northwood Baptist Church. The District received a letter of thanks from Daryl K. Houston, Director of the Volunteer Center of the United Way of Palm Beach County.
9/20/06	At Wellington Elementary, a joyous celebration was held to commemorate the noteworthy success in earning an ''A" grade from the state of Florida for the fourth year in a row! More than 500 students, parents, faculty and staff enjoyed an evening of food, fun and music. Principal PJ D'Aoust and the rest of the Wellington community looks forward to another great year!
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DATE	RECOGNITIONS
School Board Recognitions 6/27/07	Click here for details and photos Superintendent's Efficiency and Effectiveness Award Winner, Florida History Fair Winner, SUNSPRA Award Winners, Humane Society's National Humane Teen of the Year
5/19/07	The Wellington High School Band’s Majorette Squad, coached by Adrienne Brady, had a busy and successful spring competition season, ending in a state championship and qualifying for Nationals. On May 19, eleven members of the squad attended the DMA State Competition. They obtained four 1st places and one 2nd place, and qualified for the DMA National Competition. The 11 members will perform in the DMA Nationals to be held in Charlotte, NC, in July.
School Board Recognitions 5/16/07	Click here for details and photos Phi Delta Kappa Scholarship Winners, Palm Beach Lakes High Mock Trial Team 1ST In State, Pat Oliphant Memorial Student Technology Service Scholarship Winners, etc.
May 2007	The Wellington High School chapter of the Tri-M Music Honor Society has made a donation of $694 to the VH1 Save the Music National Foundation. The money was raised during a St. Patrick’s Day Benefit Concert on March 17, hosted by the honor society in the Wellington HS Cafeteria. The benefit concert featured performances by Tri-M members, food from Toojays Restaurant of Wellington, and a silent auction. “We are so grateful for this vital support, which helps the Foundation continue to restore instrumental music programs in public schools around the country. In fact, in 2008 the Foundation will restore full instrumental music programs in more than 200 schools in 35 communities across the U.S. The Foundation’s goal is to ensure that all public elementary and middle school students, regardless of socio-economic conditions, have access to a complete, quality education that includes music” said Ariel Usatin, Development Coord. for VH1 Save the Music.
May 2007	Character Counts Honoree at H. L. Johnson Elementary School. Congratulations to James Embrey, 5th grade student at H.L. Johnson who was recognized for outstanding character traits during a special county-wide dinner at Palm Beach Central HS. For his outstanding character qualities, the Sun Sentinel also showcased him in the edition of May 13. In recommending James for this award, his teacher Jennifer Davison wrote "James possesses many wonderful character traits. He is responsible, caring, trustworthy, fair and respectful and is a lieutenant on the H. L. Johnson Safety Patrol. I can count on James to be helpful in the classroom and with other students. He automatically will help anyone who is in need without being asked." Kudos to James Embrey for a job well done!
School Board Recognitions April 2007	Click here for details and photos Health Care District and Health Department, Schools Win State Design Awards, Bioscience Career and Education Month, etc.
April 2007	Special thanks to all teachers, parents and students who participated in a Day of Science at Pierce Hammock Elementary School. Kindergarten teachers spent weeks organizing the fun-filled learning day of Science Experiments. In groups of five, the future scientists were circling the classrooms with paper and pencils ready to try everything that was available at the tables. Each table had an experiment, a 5th grade leader, and a parent volunteer supervising the experiment. Congratulations to all who participated for all the support and the great job done!
3/31/07	The Wellington Middle School Dance Team finished 3rd, 4th and 5th place during Nexstar National Talent Competition held at the Omni Auditorium of the Broward Community College on March 31, 2007. This talented team competed for the first time with students from many studios and schools throughtout South Florida and their routines were selected from more than 300 routines. Congratulations for such an outstanding work!
School Board Recognitions 3/21/2007	Click here for details and photos
March 2007	“Jump Rope for Heart” event at Pierce Hammock Elementary raised a total of $5,908.39. Thank you to the students, parents and staff for supporting the American Heart Association and Congratulations to Mrs. Linda Frick, Personal Fitness Educator and Mrs. Janet Duncan, Physical Education Teacher for a job well done!
School Board Recognitions 2/21/07	Click here for details and photos
2/2007	Pierce Hammock Elementary Isabell Lawton 232 volunteer hours
2/23/07	Seminole Ridge High School -- Hawk Senior Receives Orange Bowl Scholarship Each year the Orange Bowl Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Orange Bowl Committee, hosts the Blue Cross/Blue Shield Orange Bowl Foundation Field of Dreams Scholarship Benefit. This year’s benefit was held February 9 at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale. The foundation awarded scholarships to one male and one female athlete each from Palm Beach, Broward, and Dade counties. Hawk senior Kayla Permenter of SRHS, selected as the female scholarship recipient for Palm Beach County, received a $2,500 scholarship and a Compaq laptop. Kayla says she “will put the scholarship to good use as a freshman” next year at the University of Central Florida. Second Annual and BBQ Family Day The Marching Hawk Band will present its second annual BBQ and Family Fun Day Saturday, March 10 from 10:00 to 3:00. There’ll be food and fun for the entire family—crafters, vendors, children's activities, a silent auction, a car show, music performed by area schools, and more. Free admission! For more information, or to rent a booth, call 601-6268. Business Bash a Super Success Our February 15 ‘Business Bash,’ sponsored by the SRHS business partnerships program, drew a large crowd of attendees representing businesses and civic organizations countywide. Over 20 of our clubs, groups, and teams set up displays where visitors could talk to students, sponsors, and coaches, and learn more about our on-campus and after-school activities. In the auditorium, our band, chorus, dance team, and drama department all performed for guests. Business partnership coordinators Mrs. Cathy Probst, Mr. Robert Trepp, and Mr. John Walker sincerely thank the many Hawks who made the bash a resounding success. Forensics The Hawk forensics team delivered an incredible performance last weekend in the Palm Beach County Forensic League tournament at Cardinal Newman: - Lucas Ortiz placed sixth, and David Sleeth fourth, in Student Congress; - Lauren Jones and Krista Rodgers placed fourth in Duo Interpretation; - the Public Forum the team of Julie Edwards and Rabshan Rahman placed first, and the team of Rory Padgett and October Reid placed second; - Laura Belcher placed first in Original Oratory; - Devon Arnold placed first in Declamation. Congratulations to our debaters! Student Government Association (SGA) Seminole Ridge High School played host to the Florida Association of Student Councils District V Convention on February 10. More than 175 students from Palm Beach, Martin, Brevard and Highlands counties attended the convention, organized by Palm Beach Gardens High. Students participated in workshops, attended meetings, and competed in project competitions. Our SGA, under the sponsorship of Mrs. Kelly Dickmann, placed first in the environmental concerns category and third in the faculty-staff relations category. Tennis The Hawks boys’ and girls’ tennis teams hosted their first home match ever on February 20. The Ridge took on Palm Beach Central in an exciting match. Our girls’ team secured its first victory of the season with a score of 4-3, due in no small part to gutsy play from freshman Alix Garic, senior Lia Larrea, and sophomore Fiorella Larrea. The match tipping point came when our first doubles team—Garic and Lia Larrea beat Central’s doubles team in an 11-9 tiebreaker.
School Board Recognitions 1/24/07	Click here for details and photos
12/06	Veteran Environmental Control Specialist Greg Ramsey had the honor of placing a gold bar on the shoulder of his son, Justin Paul Ramsey, upon his graduation in December from the elite West Point Military Academy in West Point, N.Y.
12/18/06	Wellington Elementary First Toy Drive A Big Success! First year toy drive collected hundreds of toys for sister school, South Grade Elementary. The activity initiated by Mr. P.J. D’Aoust, Principal and Mrs. Rose March, Media Assistant received great response from students and their families who donated hundreds of toys to make sure that students from South Grade Elementary would have presents under the tree this year. Kelsie D'Aoust stands in front of some of the many toys that were sent to Wellington Elementary's Sister School, South Grade Elementary, as part of Wellington Elementary's annual toy drive. Head Custodian, Janie Chevalier, and Volunteer Mom, Amy Fisher, load toys into a van for the trip to South Grade Elementary School.
School Board Recognition 12/6/06	Norman Brickell was recently recognized by the School Board of PBC for his tremendous support and dedication to PBC students and the School District’s Dept. of Safe Schools. Mr. Brickell founded the Rodd D. Brickell Foundation to honor his late son. The Foundation provides funding for programs, education and research that aid in the prevention of youth suicide. School Board Chair Bill Graham, School Board member Mark Hansen, Norman Brickell, School Board member Sandra Richmond
School Board Recognitions 11/21/06	Click here for details and photos
School Board Recognitions 10/18/06	Click here for details and photos
10/2006	More than ninety community partners were honored by the School District of Palm Beach County at the annual Business Partnership Recognition Awards Breakfast. In recognizing the businesses, School Superintendent Dr. Art Johnson said, “Public education is the cornerstone of our democracy and enables us to be the beacon of freedom and prosperity around the world. I am inspired everyday by the tremendous support our business and community partnerships provide for public education.” Nutrition S’Mart was inducted into the School District Business Partnership Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame is made up of partners who have won recognition awards year after year and continue to play critical roles in supporting our schools and students. Previous winners were Washington Mutual in 2004 and Columbia Hospital in 2005.
9/26/06	Sally Rozanski, Program Planner, Social Studies K-12 Curriculum, Adult & Community Ed., was recognized for Outstanding Staff Development Practices by the Florida Association for Staff Development Leadership Conference for her initiation and development of "Increasing Student Achievement Through Content Enhancement Routines" for Social Studies teachers.
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