As the curtain falls on an exhilarating fall semester, it is time to reflect upon the extraordinary achievements of our Brevard Public Schools student-athletes. From the fields to the courts and from the Cape Coast Conference (CCC) to the State Playoffs, these young talents have not only showcased their athletic prowess but have also become ambassadors of resilience, sportsmanship, and teamwork!

Astronaut High:

• Boys Cross Country - CCC Champions; District Champions; Region Champions; 3rd Place in State Playoffs
• Individual Swimming & Dive - (Ryleigh Rendina) - District Champion in 1m Dive; 6th Place in State Playoffs in 1m Dive
• Volleyball - District Champions

Bayside High:

• Boys Bowling - Reached State Playoffs
• Volleyball - Reached State Playoffs

Cocoa Beach Jr./Sr. High:

• Individual Cross Country - (Isaac Cerveny) - Region Champion
• Individual Swimming & Dive - (Jaden Haddock) - District Champion in 1m Dive; (Abby Clayton) - District Champion in 100m Backstroke

Cocoa High:

• Football - CCC Champions; District Champions; Region Champions; State Champions
• Individual Golf - (Thomas Makela) - District Champion

Eau Gallie High:

• Individual Cross Country - (Nicholas Hernandez) - District Champion
• Football - District Champions

Edgewood Jr./Sr. High:

• Individual Bowling - (Ian Harmon) - 6th Place in State Playoffs
• Boys Cross Country - 5th Place in State Playoffs
• Boys Swimming & Dive - District Champions in 400m Freestyle Relay
• Individual Swimming & Dive - (Connor Brown) - District Champion in 200m Freestyle; (Aaron Gordon) - District Champion in 100m Freestyle

Heritage High:

• Boys Bowling - CCC Champions; District Champions
• Girls Bowling - District Champions; 5th Place in State Playoffs
• Football - District Champions

Melbourne High:

• Girls Cross Country - Reached State Playoffs
• Boys Swimming & Dive - Reached State Playoffs

Merritt Island High:

• Boys Bowling - District Champions; 5th Place in State Playoffs
• Individual Cross Country - (Brooke Yates) - District Champion
• Volleyball - District Champions; Region Champions; Semifinalists in State Playoffs

Palm Bay Magnet High:

• Individual Swimming & Dive - (Lucas Smit) - District Champion in 1m Dive; 2nd Place in State Playoffs in 1m Dive

Rockledge High:

• Boys Swimming & Dive - District Champions in 200m Medley Relay; Region Champions in 400m Freestyle Relay; 3rd Place in State Playoffs in 200m Medley Relay and 8th Place in State Playoffs in 400m Freestyle Relay
• Girls Swimming & Dive - District Champions in 400m Freestyle Relay and 200m Freestyle Relay; 7th Place in State Playoffs in 200m Freestyle Relay and 6th Place in State Playoffs in 400m Freestyle Relay
• Individual Swimming & Dive - (Mackenzie Wyatt) - District Champion in 100m Backstroke; (Elena Rollen) - District Champion in 100m Freestyle and 200m Individual Medley, Region Champion in 200m Individual Medley, and 8th Place in State Playoffs in 200m Individual Medley and 100m Freestyle; (Chaz Schuijt) - District Champion in 100m Butterfly and Region Champion in 100m Backstroke; (Carmen Patterson) - District Champion in 50m Freestyle; (Avery Ford) - District Champion in 200m Freestyle

Satellite High:

• Boys Cross Country - District Champions; 8th Place in State Playoffs
• Girls Cross Country - CCC Champions; District Champions; 4th Place in State Playoffs
• Girls Golf - District Champions
• Girls Swimming & Dive - CCC Champions; District Champions

Space Coast Jr./Sr. High:

• Girls Bowling - CCC Champions; District Champions; State Runner-ups
• Individual Bowling - (Emily Street) - 2nd Place in State Playoffs
• Individual Swimming & Dive - (Orion Parreault) - 5th Place in State Playoffs in 1m Dive

Titusville High:

• Boys Swimming & Dive - CCC Champions; District Champions; District Champions in 400m Freestyle Relay; Region Champions; 6th Place in State Playoffs and 5th Place in State Playoffs in 200m Freestyle Relay
• Individual Swimming & Dive - (Hayden Lester) - District Champion in 100m Backstroke and 200m Individual Medley; (Jaxson Brookshier) - District Champion in 500m Freestyle and 200m Freestyle and Region Champion in 200m Freestyle; (Brayden Hunt) - District Champion in 50m Freestyle

Viera High:

• Individual Cross Country - (Addison Elwell) - District Champion; Region Champion; 6th Place in State Playoffs
• Boys Golf - CCC Champions; District Champions
• Girls Golf - CCC Champions; District Champions
• Individual Golf - (Alexander Bercea) - District Champion; (Hannah Hall) - District Champion
• Boys Swimming & Dive - District Champions; District Champions in 200m Freestyle Relay
• Girls Swimming & Dive - District Champions
• Individual Swimming & Dive - (Lucas Brown) - District Champion in 200m Freestyle and 500m Freestyle; (Sadie Dempz) - District Champion in 1m Dive, Region Champion in 1m Dive, and 3rd Place in State Playoffs in 1m Dive; (Brady Zink) - 6th Place in State Playoffs in 100m Backstroke and 8th Place in State Playoffs in 100m Butterfly
• Volleyball - CCC Champions; District Champions; Region Champions; State Runner-ups

West Shore Jr./Sr. High: 

• Individual Swimming & Dive - (Nicole Riopelle) - District Champion and Region Champion in 50m Freestyle; (Colin Guan) - District Champion in 50m Freestyle and 100m Breaststroke; (Eliza Hicks) - District Champion in 1m Dive, Region Champion in 1m Dive, and 7th Place in State Playoffs in 1m Dive

“Our BPS student-athletes had a tremendously successful Fall season…! Brevard was well-represented in all sports at all levels of the FHSAA State Series by our BPS schools. I am extremely proud of our student-athletes and coaches for their accomplishments, and I want to thank the Athletic Directors, school administrators, and parent volunteers for all of their tireless efforts behind the scenes to help make this success possible. I am fortunate to be part of such an outstanding sports community here in Brevard,” District Director of Athletics Kevin Robinson said.

We celebrate the triumphs that have marked the fall sports season and recognize the dedicated efforts of Brevard County’s student-athletes, coaches, trainers, athletic directors, and volunteers on another successful season. Congratulations to all!

Brett Bolton of Rockledge High School began playing sled hockey when he was eight years old. He quickly developed a passion for the physicality and speed of the game. Following an invitation to a development camp by USA Hockey, he secured a spot on the development team. After a two-year stint on the development team, Brett was selected as one of the 17 members of the U.S. Men's National Sled Hockey Team.

Brett's notable achievements with the U.S. Men’s National Sled Hockey Team include:

• Making his U.S. National Sled Team debut at the 2022 International Para Hockey Cup, contributing to the team's championship.
• Scoring two goals and providing two assists in five games, leading to a first-place finish at the 2022 Para Hockey Cup.
• Winning a gold medal at the 2023 World Para Ice Hockey Championship.
• Skating in three games and recording an assist during the 2023 International Para Hockey Cup, which contributed to the team's first-place finish.
• Being awarded Player of the Game after a dominant performance in a preliminary round game of the 2023 Para Hockey Cup. He later played a crucial role in securing the U.S.'s eighth consecutive tournament title in the 2023 Para Hockey Cup Championship.

Brett's success is rooted in a volunteer-run program in Rockledge, the Space Coast Blast, which is an inclusive sled hockey program with an impressive track record of nurturing seven Team USA sled hockey players. The program also boasts another BPS student, Sebastian Hardcastle, who also attends Rockledge High School.

Brevard Public Schools is pleased to announce that Thien-Nhi Nguyen, a senior at West Shore Jr./Sr. High School, has been selected as the Brevard nominee for the 2023-2024 U.S. Presidential Scholar Academic Award, as announced by Brevard Public Schools’ Office of Secondary Programs.

Established in 1964, the mission of the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program is to recognize and honor superior high school seniors. Nguyen emerged as the district nominee from an impressive pool of candidates.

Thien-Nhi has maintained a cumulative unweighted GPA of 4.0, a weighted GPA of 4.67, stellar SAT scores, and contributed over 380 hours of community service. Thien-Nhi is also highly active in extracurriculars, including Minds Without Borders, hospice volunteering, senior class president, and more. Currently, Thien-Nhi eagerly awaits acceptance into some of the country’s most prestigious colleges and universities.

All state-selected scholars are honored for their accomplishments during the National Recognition Program, held in Washington, D.C. During this trip, U.S. Presidential Scholars are guests of the U.S. Department of Education and the White House Commission. They enjoy an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., where they meet with government officials, educators, and other accomplished individuals. To commemorate their achievement, the scholars are awarded the Presidential Scholars Medallion at a ceremony sponsored by the White House.

Congratulations to Thien-Nhi! 

We would also like to spotlight our school-level semi-finalists: 

• Ryleigh Rendina, Astronaut High School
• Emmanuel Richter, Brevard Virtual School
• Kira Furton-Sparks, Cocoa Beach Jr./Sr. High School
• Jayden Ramey, Eau Gallie High School
• Layla Hernandez-Acosta, Heritage High School
• Samantha Sanchez, Melbourne High School  
• Michael Barbuto, Melbourne High School
• Brian Mitchell, Viera High School

On Tuesday, Dec. 19, Titusville VFW Post 4228 presented a $1,000 check to Titusville High School’s B.L.A.S.T program. This donation will allow the B.L.A.S.T Program to expand community learning experiences for their Exceptional Students Education (ESE) students.

The Brevard Learners Achieving Successful Transition (B.L.A.S.T) program was designed to meet the needs of ESE students who are 18-22 years old. B.L.A.S.T. focuses directly on transition opportunities and postsecondary goals of students who have deferred their diploma.

This student driven/teacher led program strives to work toward a level of independence for every student in the four core principles of transition: Independent Living, Vocational and Employment, Personal and Social, and Recreation and Leisure.

From Dec. 1-2, Merritt Island High School hosted the "District 11 One Act Theatre Assessments." Twenty-five schools from Brevard County and Osceola County presented their one-act plays. The top four schools were selected by a panel of judges to perform at the Florida Theatre Festival in Tampa, FL, from March 13-16, 2024.

Out of the top four schools, three are from BPS:

• Melbourne High School - Jon and Jen
• Palm Bay Magnet High School - Greater Tuna
• Viera High School - Head Elf

The following BPS students received All-Star Cast honors:

• Raphael Agee, Rockledge High School
• Acabella Dias, West Shore Jr./Sr. High School
• Micah Wiggins, Viera High School
• Ella Hornquist, Cocoa Beach Jr./Sr. High School
• Antonio Ananayo, Space Coast Jr./Sr. High School
• Connor DeRoche, Satellite High School
• Jaden Smith, Palm Bay Magnet High School
• Addison Hunt, Edgewood Jr./Sr. High School
• Sanaya Salter, Merritt Island High School
• Wesley Restrepo, Melbourne High School
• Allyson Mowery, Bayside High School
• Fiona McDonald, Cocoa High School

The following BPS students/schools received individual honors:

• Best Actor - Jaden Smith, Palm Bay Magnet High School
• Best Actress - Kaitlyn Hufstetler, Melbourne High School
• Best Supporting Actor - Seth Fletcher, Palm Bay Magnet High School
• Best Supporting Actress - Addison Hunt, Edgewood Jr./Sr. High School
• Best Cameo Actor - Micah Wiggins, Viera High School
• Best Lead Actor - Zebastian Molina, Palm Bay Magnet High School
• Best Lighting - Satellite High School
• Best Program - Merritt Island High School
• Best Set - Palm Bay Magnet High School
• Best Costume - Viera High School
• Best Stage Manager - Palm Bay Magnet High School
• Best Technical - Palm Bay Magnet High School
• Critic’s Choice - Palm Bay Magnet High School

Congratulations to all the participants for their dedication, talent, and outstanding contributions!

Students in Melbourne High School's International Baccalaureate (IB) and English Language Learner (ELL) programs came together on Friday, Dec. 15, to showcase the rich cultural heritage, unique customs, delectable cuisines, and impressive talents of the school’s diverse student body during their much-anticipated "Culture Festival."

The event was a spectacular display of unity, as students from diverse backgrounds proudly shared traditions from around the world. Countries including Honduras, Nicaragua, Cambodia, Vietnam, Greece, Colombia, Morocco, Ethiopia, Suriname, Jordan, Brazil, India, and more, were well-represented.

Beyond explicitly celebrating different cultures, the underlying objective of the Culture Festival was to foster connections and friendships among students, emphasizing the importance of cultural tolerance within the school. The event aimed to create a welcoming atmosphere, ensuring that students from different countries felt genuinely embraced by the school and the community.

A heartfelt thank you goes to Melbourne High’s IB/CP Coordinator, Lesley Cosgrove, and ELL teacher, Michele Hanus, for their dedicated efforts in promoting the diversity of the student body at Melbourne High.

To see how the students prepared for the event, click here.

If you would like to view more photos from the event, click here.

On Dec. 9, the Brevard County Festival of Wreaths hosted its annual silent auction. The event was held at the Parasol Melbourne. Local organizations, businesses, and private donors created 44 festive wreaths to be auctioned off. All proceeds from the event benefited Brevard Public Schools' Students-In-Transition program.

The mission of the Students-in-Transition (SIT) program is to identify students who are homeless, remove barriers to their education, and provide information to appropriate community resources, while keeping the students fully participating in school.

By the end of the event, a staggering $8,331 was raised for the program. These contributions will go a long way in helping homeless students in Brevard County have a brighter, more secure future.

Kathy Whittle is the Heart of Brevard!

The Heart of Brevard is a person who puts their heart and soul into teaching, inspiring, and supporting our children in whatever role they play in BPS.

If you know of a BPS staff member or community partner who is the “Heart of Brevard,” nominate them HERE!

Military Veterans & First Responders, Teach with Us

Calling all military veterans and retired first responders: Become a teacher and make a lasting impact! Get a $4,000 sign-on bonus with a two-year teaching

commitment, plus an extra $1,000 for high-needs subjects. Inspire young minds as you embark on a rewarding journey in education.

Interested in more information? Connect with a recruiter today!

Florida Tech Boundless Opportunity Grant

Did you know about the Florida Institute of Technology Brevard Boundless Opportunity Grant?! 

The purpose of the Brevard Boundless Opportunity Grant is to make Florida Tech more accessible for high-achieving Brevard County students with unmet financial need.

The Brevard Boundless Opportunity Grant provides eligible Brevard County students with additional funds in the amount of the difference between tuition and fees and the student's other gift assistance (including merit-based university and state scholarships). With this grant, an eligible Brevard County student who enrolls at Florida Tech will owe the university zero dollars for tuition and fees.

To receive this grant as part of a comprehensive financial aid package, a student must:

• Reside in Brevard County, Florida
• Complete the FAFSA and be Federal Pell Grant eligible
• Qualify for the Florida Academic Scholarship or the Florida Medallion Scholarship (Bright Futures)
• Apply and be admitted to Florida Tech by May 1

Click here for more information.