November 2020

The School District of Palm Beach County celebrates teachers every day, with a special effort put into Thank a Teacher surprises on Thursdays. In that spirit, November 20 is a day set aside annually to honor students who aspire to take the helm of a classroom and have future ambitions for a career in teaching.

The Economic Council of Palm Beach County has announced that the nomination process for the 2021 William T. Dwyer Awards for Excellence in Education is currently open. Nominations must be submitted online by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, December 16, 2020.

Officer Wilburn, who works at Westward Elementary, remembers her School Police officer from her years at Roosevelt Middle School. He inspired her to become an officer and recently surprised him as one of his newest colleagues in uniform.

Alexandria Ayala has been sworn in to the Palm Beach County School Board. Ayala will represent District 2 for a four-year term. District 1 member Barbara McQuinn and District 5 member Frank Barbieri were sworn in to serve new four-year terms after winning their respective re-election campaigns.

Thanks to COBWRA (Coalition of Boynton West Residential Associations), Hidden Oaks K-8 added a Buddy Bench to its campus. Learn more about the initiative and how it teaches students to be a buddy, not a bully.

The Department of Multicultural Education is hosting another Family Engagement Night on Tuesday, November 17 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The event will take place online using Google Meet.

The gaming club at John I. Leonard High School was quick to jump at the chance to provide support, when the American Heart Association approached them with an opportunity to focus on their health while also helping others.

Palm Beach County School District Police Department K9s Murphy, Onessa, Cali, Neo, Tango, Maggie, Jade and Kobee have received bulletproof and stab-proof protective vests, thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc.

School food distribution sites will be closed the week of Thanksgiving Break. As a result, School Food Service will be distributing extra meals during the previous week’s Tuesday and Thursday free grab-and-go food distributions at 97 schools in the District.

This past July, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum held its annual Arthur and Rochelle Belfer National Conference for Educators, a program designed to help participants bring effective Holocaust education to their classrooms.

During the week of November 9–13, schools throughout the country will join the National Association of School Psychologists in celebrating School Psychology Week, highlighting the important work school psychologists and other educators do to help students succeed.

District operations crews have surveyed all public school campuses and bus routes, and are NOT reporting any significant damage.

The decision to close schools takes into account the probability of high sustained winds and gusts that would likely make school bus travel unsafe. The District’s decision is also based on forecasts indicating excessive rainfall and the possibility for local flooding.

It’s important for students to be smart and safe while using technology, and in response, TechSafe lessons will be offered at every school in the District.

Two Palm Beach County District-operated schools have been recognized by the users of Niche as top schools in the state of Florida

The School District of Palm Beach County proudly announces the four nominees for the 2021 Principal of the Year.

The application window to apply for the School District’s 300+ Choice and Career programs for the 2020-2021 school year is now open.

The Florida Department of Education recognizes November as Florida Family Engagement in Education Month, a time to celebrate the crucial role parents and families play in their children's education.