School News - 08/02/12

Dr. Phillips Elmentary kindergartners in Kathy Davis’s 2011-12 class performed Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, with Mrs. Davis starring as the narrator. The special performance was in celebration of the teacher’s 26 years with DPHS and retirement at the end of the school year. Her husband, Mike, who was a conductor with Walt Disney World Resort for 25 years, provided musical accompaniment for the production.

Lake Whitney Elementary’s 2011-12 Green Team took a field trip to Green Sky Growers in historic downtown Winter Garden. The children visited the rooftop garden, which is the first certified green building in the world with commercial-scale, aqua-dynamic farming on the rooftop.

Whispering Oak Elementary student Jordan Gilbert, a 2011-12 third-grader in Lisa Enix’s class, received perfect scores on the math and reading portions of the FCAT. He was recognized by Principal Patricia Ramsey for his outstanding accomplishment.

Bridgewater Middle 2011-12 eighth-grader Gabrielle Erwin received a perfect 500 on the FCAT, earning perfect scores on all three sections — reading, math and science. The Windermere resident also received a near perfect 5.5 on FCAT Writes and 100 percent on her algebra honors End-of-Course exam. Gabrielle, who will attend West Orange High School, was honored by Principal Athena Adams with a Five Star Award. Gabrielle hopes to follow in the footsteps of many of her family members and become a doctor one day.

West Orange Kiwanis Club members visited Ocoee Middle to honor students with B.U.G. — Bringing Up Grades — awards. These students were recognized for having the most-improved Scholastic Reading Inventory scores on their teams.

Southwest Middle 2011-12 seventh-graders Rachel Frank, Philip Khoury and Kristalle Liang were nominated for Orange County Public Schools’ PRISM — Promoting Regional Improvement in Science and Math — Scholar Awards. Rachel was nominated for most-improved mathematics student; Kristalle was nominated for most-outstanding mathematics student; and Philip was nominated for — and won — most-outstanding science student. To be eligible for OCPS’s PRISM Scholar Awards, seventh-graders must participate in clubs and/or competitions related to math, science and technology.

After graduating from Dr. Phillips High in 2003, Bobby Adelson Jr. and Danny Snow began the annual Hug Life Award Scholarship. The men collect their spare change throughout the school year and give one scholarship to a college-bound senior who demonstrates courtesy and respect for fellow students, teachers and administrators, and is active in the community. Congratulations to Zach Pindar for receiving the $1,000 scholarship for the 2011-12 school year. Zach will attend the University of Florida.

Summer Watkins, Olympia High’s 2011-12 student body president, spoke during the school’s commencement ceremony that was held at the UCF Arena. A member of the National Honor Society and a Titans varsity cheerleader, Summer will attend Flagler College in St. Augustine this fall.

Foundation Academy’s 2012-13 student government representatives attended a retreat to discuss future events and prepare for the upcoming school year. The annual event was planned and led by sponsor William Baysinger.

Central Florida Christian Academy students presented Oklahoma as their 2011-12 spring musical. Students in grades pre-K through 12 were involved in all aspects of the production, which was a tremendous success.

The First Academy rising senior Ian Gourlay was selected to participate in the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine that was held earlier this summer at Duke University School of Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, and University of North Carolina School of Medicine. The Southwest resident was selected based on his exemplary academic record, leadership potential and interest in the field of medicine. Since 1993, NYLF/MED has introduced students to professionals from some of the U.S.’s top medical centers and faculty from renowned institutions.

The American Society of Civil Engineers sponsored a statewide competition of the West Point Bridge Design Contest, for which students built virtual bridges. Congratulations to Jared Narzissenfeld, a 2011-12 eighth-grader at Windy Ridge School, and his brother, Benjamin, a 2011-12 sophomore at Olympia High, who each placed first in their respective divisions at the regional competition. The wins advanced the brothers to the state competition.

Hope Now International will hold a free Back to School Bash on Aug. 11 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Amway Center in downtown Orlando. Last year, more than 10,000 students received backpacks filled with school supplies and certificates for haircuts, health and dental screenings, immunizations and more. The goal for this year is 15,000 backpacks. Sponsorship costs are $10 for a student or just $25 for an entire classroom. For more information or to donate, visit www.hopenowinternational.org on the Web.