School news from Marion County Public Schools
Vanguard High Convinces Voters
Vanguard High School convinced more of its students to become registered voters than any other local high school last year. The school claimed the annual travelling trophy as its own thanks to 736 students who registered to vote. The annual competition is coordinated through Supervisor of Elections Wesley Wilcox’s office. He is pictured with VHS Principal Chris Carlisle, accepting the award at a recent school board meeting.
Summer Reading Scores Big
How fun to reward Michael Long, a fifth grader at Dunnellon Elementary, for reading more myON minutes than any other student this summer! The myON Reader fosters student engagement and achievement and gives students access to thousands of books to read. He logged 7,895 minutes of book time and won a new Amazon Kindle in the process. Superintendent Dr. Heidi Maier personally delivered the prize during a recent surprise presentation.
Crowder Named Administrator Leader of the Year
Joanne Crowder often works behind the scenes, organizing visual and performing arts opportunities and working with teachers to enrich art and music programs around the district. That’s why she was named “School Administrator Leader of the Year” by the Florida Alliance for Arts Education. Crowder’s position directly supports teachers and is funded by the referendum renewed by voters last year.
Recognizing Our Veterans
Veterans play a pivotal role in our school district thanks to the real-life stories they share with students. That’s why Marion County Public Schools honors our military heroes with the official “Marion County Veterans Day Ceremony” held at the Ocala-Marion County Veterans Memorial Park in Ocala. This year’s event is set for Monday, November 11th at 11am. Join thousands of people and enjoy live bands, patriotic readings, precision drills and patriotic music during this annual celebration.
Maplewood Joins National Walk Day
This year’s “Walk Your Child to School Day” is set for Wednesday, October 2nd at Maplewood Elementary. Dozens of students and their parents will join together to recognize and avoid dangers during their walk to school. Local first responders set the way for safety, and students learn to recognize what’s dangerous and what’s not. Parents are even surprised sometimes at how quickly their kids stray. The annual event is part of a nationwide effort to keep all kids safe on the walk to school.
Schools Serving Others
Local public schools served as shelters for those escaping Hurricane Dorian, or at least what was projected to be a hurricane in our area. Fortunately, the storm stayed east of us, but still provided ample opportunity to put the safety mindset into practice. Our schools are ready to be used for shelters when necessary.
