September 22, 2023

Meet Your SCPS Leadership Team

To begin the new school year, each week, you'll meet a different member of the SCPS leadership team and learn more about what education means to them.

Mike Rice

Assistant Superintendent for High Schools

Student Correspondent Feature Story

Story by Isaiah Macri, Staff Reporter at Hagerty High's The BluePrint

Will’s World

Will Seavers doesn’t let his disability stop him from being a highlight of Hagerty

You are having a bad day—maybe you just flunked a math test or had a falling out with a close friend. As you mope to your next class, you’re approached by a friendly face and can’t help but smile. This face is junior Will Seavers.

Will is someone who’s never let his disability stop him from putting a smile on others’ faces and living his life to the fullest. From simply spreading positivity to winning a gold medal in the Special Olympics, Seavers is someone who enjoys life and has become a beloved face around campus.

Will lives with Williams Syndrome, a condition caused by gene deletion within chromosome number 7 which affects learning and physical health, specifically the heart. Some may think living with a disability is a constant challenge, but Will shatters these assumptions.

“He likes to work, he likes to do well,” Yenny White, Will’s aide who attends class with him, said.

Will is not someone to let his condition get in the way of enjoying his life—he can’t be anyone but himself.

Markham Woods Middle School Chorus Program Exemplifies School Culture of "Family"

Mrs. Antmann, choral director at Markham Woods Middle School, implemented a program that has become a HUGE hit for students and parents alike.

Known as the Big/Little program, older students (Bigs) are anonymously paired with younger students (Littles) and assigned activities including letter writing to encourage getting to know one another and creating bonds to help students connect with one another and the school culture of family and belonging.

The culmination of this program included a "reveal party" where Littles FINALLY got to meet their Bigs! Students loved this experience, and we are so thankful for all of the staff and families who participated in making this program possible.

Layer Elementary Students Love Literacy

Layer Elementary recently kicked off their Sunshine State program students are excited to get READING!

Book tokens and book tags are given out every week to all students who have passed an AR test on the books. Those who attain the highest club levels are invited on the WLMN news and celebrate together at their Sunshine State parties!

Special thanks go out to Layer's PTA for their donation of all the Sunshine State books.

In the Spotlight

Oviedo High Student Training for Olympics

Congratulations to Oviedo High School sophomore Matthew McDonald. He is partway through his first camp at the United States Olympic Training Center with Team USA.

This is the beginning of the Olympic selection for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Lyman High Students Presented with Prestigious Florida Space Grant Consortium Award

This week, Lyman High School students were awarded the NASA Space Grant "Plant the Moon Challenge Award" for their exceptional work on the experimental challenge.

Students conducted an 8-week grow period test to study the optimal lighting and soil amendment conditions for their crops grown in lunar highland regolith simulant (Moon dirt).

Students worked together to design their plant growth experiments including setup structure, amount of water used, and nutrients added to the regolith simulant.

During the experiment, teams engaged in weekly activities and virtual events that supplemented their hands-on project activities with STEM activities and content related to the NASA Artemis mission, the first step in the next era of human exploration to establish a sustainable presence on the Moon to prepare for missions to Mars.

NASA will utilize data from student experiments to inform their research.

SCPS Leaders Celebrate Career Milestone

Two members of the SCPS Leadership team, Mike Rice, Assistant Superintendent for High Schools, and Amy Elwood, Assistant Superintendent for Student Support Services both received their 20-year SCPS Service Pin from Superintendent Beamon.

We are so thankful to have their dedication to serving our students and families. Congratulations Mike and Amy!

Community Support

Longwood Police Department Kick Off New Initiative to Build Relationships and Support Students

Longwood Police Department officers are excited about a new initiative to engage our youngest citizens in the City of Longwood. The program called Bus Stop Buddies encourages officers to step out at bus stops to build positive rapport with the students. From a crime prevention standpoint we also know it is a great time to talk to the kids about safety issues, bullying prevention and other crime prevention topics!

Please give us a shout out on our social media if your student tells you they have a new Bus Stop Buddy !!

Community Partners Donate $10,000 to support Lake Brantley High

The Altamonte Springs Police Department and Picerne Real Estate Group proudly awarded the Lake Brantley High School Young Men and Women of Excellence $10,000 to support their work cultivating our community's future leaders.

This innovative program develops its members into successful leaders while promoting a way of life that exemplifies excellence. Students are empowered by establishing mentorships, team building, and learning the necessary skills and strategies to achieve their goals.

Wekiva Elementary and Community Partners Host Bike Rodeo

Wekiva Elementary students were treated to a special experience, a bike rodeo! The Seminole County Sheriff's Office Crossing Guard team joined Carl the Safety Bear to help students complete a bike safety challenge course including ensuring proper helmet fit.

We love the incredible support we receive from our community partners.

Free Family Event

Free SCPS SCPS/UF Community Math Night

Free SCPS Parent Mental Health Forum

Free Parent Webinar from Nemours Children's Hospital

What's Worrying America's Kids - Nemours KidsHealth surveyed 500 youth, ages 9 to 13 to find out what is worrying our children. Join their experts as they discuss the results and help to prepare parents and caregivers to help their kids effectively deal with worry based on their child's age.

SCPS School Board

Our Mission

The mission of the Seminole County Public Schools is to ensure that all students acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to be productive citizens.

400 E. Lake Mary Blvd.

Sanford, FL 32773

407-320-0000

www.scps.us

Seminole County Public Schools

Educational Equity - Notice of Nondiscrimination

Any form of discrimination or harassment can be devastating to an individual's academic progress, social relationship and/or personal sense of self-worth. As such, the School Board will not discriminate nor tolerate harassment in its educational programs or activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation, gender status, or gender identity), disability (including HIV, AIDS, or sickle cell trait), pregnancy, marital status, age (except as authorized by law), religion, military status, ancestry, or genetic information, which are classes protected by State and/or Federal law (collectively, "protected classes").

The Board also does not discriminate on the basis of protected classes in its employment policies and practices as they relate to students.

Equal educational opportunities shall be available to all students, without regard to the protected classes, age (unless age is a factor necessary to the normal operation or the achievement of any legitimate objective of the program/activity), place of residence within the boundaries of the District, or social or economic background, to learn through the curriculum offered in this District. Educational programs shall be designed to meet the varying needs of all students.