Port Salerno Elementary School Educator Named District's Literacy Teacher of the Year |
|
Ms. Kristin Guillen, a reading intervention teacher at Port Salerno Elementary School, has been named the Martin County School District's (MCSD) 2021-2022 Literacy Teacher of the Year.
The Florida Literacy Association's K-12 Literacy Teacher of the Year Award is presented annually to an individual who has made significant contributions in the teaching of reading and literacy. Ms. Guillen was selected as the District's award winner for her contributions to student growth, achievement and the overall learning environment at Port Salerno Elementary.
"On behalf of our School Board and entire Martin County School District learning community, I am proud to recognize Ms. Guillen as our 2021 Literacy Teacher of the Year," Superintendent John D. Millay shared. "Ms. Guillen is dedicated to our mission of educating all students for success and committed to ensuring all students grow in their love of reading."
Ms. Guillen's name and nomination packet will be submitted to the Florida Literacy Association for consideration in the statewide competition. The statewide winner will be announced in early November.
Congratulations, Ms. Guillen!
|
|
2020-2021 School Grades Released by the Florida Department of Education |
|
The Florida Department of Education (FDOE) released district and school grades for the 2020-2021 school year on September 20, 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and instances of decreases in student performance on statewide assessments, the FDOE granted schools and school districts the choice of "opting in" to their grades for the year. If a school or school district did not elect to opt into their grade, the grade the school or school district earned for the 2018-2019 school year would remain in effect. Four District-operated schools elected to opt-in to receive their school grade for last school year.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has presented numerous challenges to our systems of teaching and learning, with impacts to student achievement being felt throughout our local area, state and nation," Superintendent John D. Millay shared. "In the Martin County School District, we recognize that while school grades are one indicator of student growth and performance, they are not the only indicator nor the most important. Our faculty and staff remain focused on our mission of educating all students for success. The foundation of this is about ensuring every child is experiencing growth and making progress toward achieving his or her highest potential each day. We are equally committed to reviewing what is working well in our schools and identifying opportunities for improvement. I am proud of our students, employees and families for their continued engagement and commitment to success." Read more...
|
|
Quarantine Protocols for Students Updated in Accordance With New Florida Department of Health Rule |
|
On Wednesday, September 22, 2021, the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) issued updated quarantine protocols for Florida students under FDOH rule 64DER21-15. A notable change to the protocols is as follows:
Section 3 PROTOCOLS FOR STUDENTS WITH EXPOSURE TO COVID-19
- Allow the student to attend school, school-sponsored activities, or be on school property, without restrictions or disparate treatment, so long as the student remains asymptomatic; or
- Quarantine the student for a period of time not to exceed seven days from the date of last direct contact with an individual that is positive for COVID-19.
In accordance with this updated regulation, the Martin County School District has updated its contact tracing and parent/caregiver notification processes:
1)Parents/caregivers will be notified if an FDOH-verified positive case is identified in any of their child's classes or school-related activities, including school bus transportation, meals or extracurriculars.
2)Parents/caregivers will be advised of the FDOH's updated rule and that as long as their child remains asymptomatic, it will be their choice to determine whether or not their child will quarantine.
3) As part of the notification process, the District will ask parents/caregivers to contact their child's school if they do plan to have their child quarantine so that the correct attendance designation is recorded in our Student Information System. Florida Department of Education Rule 6AER21-01 counts students' days in quarantine as an educational activity for the purpose of pupil attendance. Students whose parents elect to have them quarantine following potential exposure to a positive case will continue to have access to curriculum and instructional personnel in accordance with this rule. Read more...
|
|
Martin County School Board Presented With Plaque Honoring Master Board Designation |
|
Pictured L-R: Superintendent John D. Millay, School Board Chair Marsha Powers (District 2), School Board Member Victoria Defenthaler (District 3), Ms. April Griffin (Florida School Boards Association), School Board Member Christia Li Roberts (District 1) and School Board Vice-Chair Tony Anderson (District 4). |
|
On Tuesday, September 21, 2021, Ms. April Griffin of the Florida School Boards Association presented Superintendent John D. Millay and the Martin County School Board with a plaque in recognition of their designation as a Master Board. The Master Board Program, which is a skills-based team curriculum for Florida school boards and superintendents, is designed to strengthen the governance team’s ability to work effectively, efficiently, and collectively while maintaining a focus on student achievement and factors contributing to the success of schools.
"Data demonstrates the direct correlation between the effectiveness of the governance team - the Superintendent and School Board - and student achievement," Ms. Griffin shared when presenting the award to Dr. Millay and School Board Members.
The Martin County School District is one of just 20 Florida school districts that currently hold Master Board designation.
|
|
Spring 2021 Score Reports to be Sent Home With Students |
|
The Martin County School District has received students' individual score reports for Spring 2021 statewide assessments from the Florida Department of Education. Schools will sort the received reports and send students' individual records home with them no later than October 4, 2021.
Parents/legal guardians of students who took any of the following assessments last spring should be on the lookout for the appropriate personal score report(s) in their child's belongings:
- English Language Arts (ELA), Mathematics or Science Florida Standards Assessment (FSA)
- Biology, U.S. History, Civics or Geometry End-of-Course Exam (EOC)
As the score reports are distributed to school districts in hard copy format from the Florida Department of Education, they will not be available for viewing in the FOCUS Parent Portal. Read more...
|
|
Your Calling is Calling! District Currently Hiring for a Variety of Positions |
|
#ThankAnMCSDPrincipal: District Proud to Celebrate National Principals Month |
|
Each October, school districts throughout the country celebrate National Principals Month in recognition of the essential role that principals play in educating all students for success. Please join us in recognizing our #MCSDMagnificent school leaders by leaving your message of gratitude here!
|
|
Health & Wellness Resources |
|
Bookmark our symptom screening tools (English and Español). Monitoring your child's health daily is key to preventing the spread of illness. To help protect their health and the health of those around them, keep your child home from school when they are ill.
Our screening tools will help you quickly assess your child for a wide variety of symptoms, advising what action is recommended and providing listings for local healthcare providers. If your child or a family member in your home is awaiting a COVID-19 test result, the Florida Department of Health in Martin County (DOH Martin) requires all unvaccinated students in the household to remain home.
Team MCSD - please click here to access our employee symptom screener. You will be able to find local care providers who participate in our Florida Blue network and seek care as necessary.
Many local physicians and pharmacies are offering COVID-19 immunizations to interested individuals aged 12 and up. Please click here to locate a provider near you. The CDC and DOH Martin advise that the COVID-19 vaccine is the best, long-term way to fight the virus.
COVID-19 testing is available throughout our community. Click here to view upcoming opportunities for free PCR testing through the Florida Department of Health in Martin County (DOH Martin). Click here to view testing opportunities offered by local pharmacies and physicians.
|
|
|
Learn more about our Career & Technical Education programs.
|
|
|
Saturday, October 2, is National Custodian Day! Please join us in celebrating our #MCSDMagnificent custodians for their dedication to keeping our campuses clean and pristine!
|
|
|
Tuesday, October 5, is World Teachers' Day. Related to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's theme is "Teachers at the Heart of Education Recovery." Please join us in celebrating our outstanding Martin County educators for their commitment to educating all students for success!
|
The Martin County Parent Teacher Association (PTA) Council will host leadership training on Saturday, October 9, at Martin County High School. The training will be held from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Leaders from the Florida PTA will be present to lead sessions about budget/treasury, standing rules/bylaws, member engagement and reflections. Whether you are a seasoned PTA member or looking to form new relationships with parents and teachers at your child's school, this event promises to be a great way to get connected! Space is limited - please register as soon as possible here.
|
|
|
Wednesday, October 20, is an early release day for students. Students will be dismissed two hours earlier than normal. Please click here to view our 2021-2022 school calendar.
|
|
|
October is National Bullying Prevention Month, an annual event designed to prevent instances of childhood bullying while promoting kindness, acceptance and inclusion in schools and communities. On Wednesday, October 20, students and staff are encouraged to wear orange in a message of unity and compassion.
|
|
First-quarter report cards will be posted on Monday, October 25. Please be sure to view your child's grades and attendance in the FOCUS Parent Portal. If you do not currently have access to the FOCUS Parent Portal and would like to claim your account, please click here.
|
|
|
Conference nights are coming soon! Please be on the lookout for specific registration instructions coming from your child's school. Elementary school conferences will be held Wednesday, October 27, from 5-8 p.m. Middle school conferences will be held Thursday, November 4, from 5-8 p.m. High school conferences will be held Wednesday, November 3, from 5-8 p.m.
|
|
|
Student ID badges are an essential component of our safety plan and many other on-campus functions. Please ensure your child is wearing their school-issued badge each day.
|
|
|
Around the District Photo Gallery |
|
Students in Ms. Spooner's Advanced Placement (AP) Research class at Jensen Beach High School recently visited the Martin County Library System's Hoke Branch to learn more about the different resources offered by the library. Students learned how to access the library's catalog and databases for research they perform as part of their coursework. They were excited to receive their library cards and gain knowledge that will help them as they progress in their studies.
|
|
Advanced Placement (AP) Psychology students at Martin County High School used a hands-on, collaborative approach to learn about neurons this week.
|
|
Students have enjoyed serving as official taste testers for our Food & Nutrition Services Department's Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program. The program allows students to enjoy a variety of items as healthy snacks during class. Students at Pinewood Elementary School enjoyed creating a tally sheet of which fruits they liked during taste testing. They created a graph of the results, which tied into their current math lessons.
|
|
Students in Ms. Kujawa's class at Felix A. Williams Elementary School proudly displayed their favorite books about friendship and inclusion this week. Students have enjoyed taking part in "Start With Hello" activities which emphasize empathy and empower them to end social isolation.
|
|
The faculty and staff of Dr. David L. Anderson Middle School celebrated school bus operators and assistants for their commitment to our students last week. Our bus operators and assistants are often the first employees students see each morning and the last they see each afternoon. In addition to being safe transporters, they are confidants, mentors, mediators and cheerleaders. Please join us in saying "thank you!"
|
Superintendent John D. Millay joined District and school leaders for a learning walk at Warfield Elementary School recently. Learning walks allow faculty and administrators to collaborate as they identify best practices and opportunities for improvement that will lead to the best possible outcomes for all students.
Dr. Millay continues to enjoy witnessing students and teachers engage in learning related to the new Benchmark curriculum, which is the English Language Arts (ELA) program that was recently adopted by the School Board for all students enrolled in District-operated schools. The curriculum is fully aligned to the Florida Department of Education's new B.E.S.T. standards for student learning.
"One of the many things I love about the new ELA series is that it incorporates different subject areas, including science content, throughout the curriculum," Dr. Millay shared. "It's so important for our students to continue making connections across all areas while building their literacy and writing skills. I am appreciative of our School Board for making this great academic investment in all Martin County students. Our students and teachers are truly enjoying diving into these lessons. The engagement has been fantastic to see."
|
Fourth-grade students at J.D. Parker Elementary School worked through some real-world math problems this week. Students examined multiplicative comparisons, working in pairs to pull equations and find solutions to word problems.
|
|
"We are learning about the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans to the history, culture and achievements of the United States," Ms. DiGrazia shared. Press play above and enjoy!
|
Students in Ms. Patterson's classes at Indiantown Middle School recently used an apparatus known as a gravity well to visualize the attraction of massive objects due to gravity. The sun exerts a deep and vast gravity well relative to other bodies in our solar system, which keeps the planets rotating around it. Students made predictions based on initial observations and tested their theories about speed and orbital shape!
|
|
We are #ALLINMartin👊 and ready to help ALL students achieve their #MCSDPotential🌟 in the 2021-2022 school year! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
