News From School Board District 2

District 2 Fellowship Concludes 2nd Class of Fellows

Students earn paid summer experience working on policy research proposals

The District 2 Summer Fellowship has successfully concluded its second class, offering high school students a paid summer experience focused on policy research. Over the summer months, the Fellows engaged in projects that enhanced their understanding of local public policy, developed workforce skills, and strengthened their leadership abilities. The program culminated with the students presenting their research projects to the board, covering topics such as college prep access, student advocacy for funding, student government advisory boards, the creation of a student-led course handbook, and strategies for being prepared for high school from day one.

Five fellows were chosen to participate in the latest Fellowship class:

• Kat K. (Colonial HS) and Nandana S. (Lake Nona HS) presented their findings on improving School Board-Student Government relations.
• Areisha G. (Lake Nona HS) created a booklet showcasing a more detailed career outlook for the district’s 33+ Career and Technical Education programs.
• Diego G. (Lake Nona HS) proposed a Day One Information Program to better prepare incoming high school freshmen for college admissions.
• Megha R. (Lake Nona HS) crafted the initial curriculum for Project ACCESS, a pilot project that aimed to connect low-income, high-achieving students with resources that prepare them for admission at the nation’s top schools.

Member Salamanca recently announced an expansion to the Fellowship program, adding an academic year class of Fellows to the program’s offerings. Applications for this program closed recently, and we can’t wait to share more information about what the program is up to very soon.

SBM Salamanca gives a ‘pep talk’ to Fellows at a recent school board meeting.

(Frank Weber/OCPS)

Stellar Award Honorees Announced

Congratulations to our 2024-25 Stellar Honorees in District 2!

Teacher of the Year

● Stephanie Acevedo, Andover ES

● Debra Taylor, Chickasaw ES

● Edwin Ramos, Colonial 9GC

● Regan Stapleton, Colonial HS

● Amy Contogonas, Cypress Springs ES

● Crystal Carrasquillo, Deerwood ES

● Michelle Fisher, Eagle Creek ES

● Lauren Stackenwalt, Engelwood ES

● Tania Rodriguez, Forsyth Woods ES

● Deborah Willingham, Pinar ES

● Carol Moshiri, Roberto Clemente MS

● Alba Franco, Stone Lakes ES

● Tabitha Berzon, Sun Blaze ES

● Danielle Bailor, Three Points ES

● Trista Sanderson, Vista Lakes ES

● Nancy Greifenstein, Hidden Oaks ES

● Bryan Boggiano Verdecia, Innovation HS

● Larry Chambers, Innovation MS

● Nirsa Gautier, Lake Nona HS

● Shari Johnson, Lake Nona MS

● Kathleen Thompson, Laureate Park ES

● Noel West, Liberty MS

● Deborah Oyola, Little River ES

● German Santos, Luminary MS

● Kevin Koziara, McCoy ES

● Cristin Witherell, Moss Park ES

● Rebecca Smith, NorthLake Park ES

● Missty Honeycutt, Odyssey MS

● Jiyoung Kim, Ventura ES

● Dahlia Oliphant, Village Park ES

● Haylea Bettmann, Vista Pointe ES

Support Person of the Year

● Jamien Beluso, Andover ES

● Helena Lima, Chickasaw ES

● Patricia Gonzalez, Colonial 9GC

● Ashley Hermina, Colonial HS

● Marion Sabedra, Cypress Springs ES

● Brandy Taylor, Deerwood ES

● Gabriela Rodriguez, Eagle Creek ES

● Gloria Fandino, Engelwood ES

● Carmen Maldonado, Forsyth Woods ES

● Ariana Quiles, Hidden Oaks ES

● Joan Franco Miranda, Innovation HS

● Brittany Locasto, Innovation MS

● Melissa Bennett, Lake Nona HS

● Ana Saleh Picon, Lake Nona MS

● Laura Shroder, Laureate Park ES

● Clinton Delaney, Liberty MS

● Edgar Mendez Torres, Little River ES

● David Reussow, Luminary MS

● Claudia Gomez, McCoy ES

● Jorge Bulnes Guardado, Moss Park ES

● Williams Nunez Sanchez, NorthLake Park

● Zulma Troche, Odyssey MS

● Herminio (Junior) Alvarado, Pinar ES

● Colombia Ordonez, Roberto Clemente MS

● Yesenia Rivera, Stone Lakes ES

● Maria Peraza, Sun Blaze ES

● Ananda Serrano, Three Points ES

● Santa Santana, Ventura ES

● Kimberly Kopinski, Village Park ES

● Carlos Cepeda, Vista Lakes ES

● Kimberley Fasnacht, Vista Pointe ES

Assistant Principal of the Year

●      Tayler Boyer, Colonial HS

●      Michael Byrne, Eagle Creek ES

●      Kathleen Ramsey, Laureate Park ES

●   Rob Vetter, Moss Park ES

Principal of the Year

● Suzanne Workum, Laureate Park ES

● Eric Unger, McCoy ES

● Lisa Suggs, Vista Pointe ES

Board Policy Updates

Regular School Board Meetings are typically held twice a month on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month in the School Board Chambers, 445 West Amelia Street.

Some recent highlights of the board include:

• Event Observances: The Board changed proclamations to celebrations/observations which will be updated each August and placed on the board agenda. The school board may issue “proclamations” for special occasions and “in memoriams” to recognize the death of notable individuals connected to the district, as needed. View the 2024-25 list.
• Policy EBB Accident Prevention and Safety Program: The Board expanded the role of the School Safety Specialist at each school to oversee district-wide safety compliance. Changes also included introducing new rules prohibiting drones over school property and enhancing safety measures for handling hazardous materials. View policy markups here.
• Metal Detector Pilot Ends: The Board also agreed to end the metal detector pilot program, which had been implemented at several schools throughout the district. The use of metal detectors exceeded our staff’s capacity to create a safe and efficient learning environment and, on multiple occasions, caused students to be late to class and lose learning time due to the bottlenecks they created. While we hope to revisit this issue soon, for now, we have invested resources in other data-driven security solutions, which remain confidential. Your child’s safety is our top priority, and we will continue to explore ways to make the learning environment safer. Read this news article to learn more.

The public can access all agendas, minutes, and meeting notices on BoardDocs.

Facilities Update

District 2 continues to see rapid development and our schools are continually improving to meet students and family needs.

Recent community meetings:

• Site 97-E-SE-2: Delays from real estate negotiations, a shift in project location, and additional drainage requirements postponed site acquisition and construction. This pushed the project's opening date from 2025 to potentially 2026. Member Salamanca held a community meeting about these challenges in mid September.
• Colonial HS Comprehensive Renovation: Construction has kicked off on renovations to the CHS main campus. Improvements include, but is not limited to: a new state of the art life skills lab, improved classroom technology, and more.

Please join SBM Salamanca for these upcoming community meetings:

• Wed. Oct. 23 at 6:00 PM at Laureate Park ES Site 130-E-2 40% Construction Meeting

Lastly, SBM Salamanca has also been working with the YMCA, Northlake Park HOA, and School/Community leaders on the North Lake Park Community School Comprehensive Renovation. We hope to share more details as talks progress.

SBM Salamanca speaks with Principal Reussow at Colonial HS during a recent school visit.

(Dariel Cruz/OCPS)

Lake Nona HS Government Welcomes SBM Salamanca

SBM Salamanca was back in the Lion’s den late September after being invited by the Lake Nona High School Student Government to do a teach-in on the importance of civic engagement.

She led workshops with students to form healthy debate over current issues, like the Half Penny Sales Tax, and heard concerns from student leaders.

Thank you Mr. Adkins, LNHS SGA Citizenship Development Committee, and Nandana Sojin for the invitation!

SBM Salamanca speaks to a class of students in Lake Nona HS’s Student Government. (Dariel Cruz/OCPS)

OCPS Opens New Global Family Welcome Center

With OCPS families coming from 199 countries and speaking more than 100 languages, I’m excited to share that the district has created a vibrant community of support and connection! The new Global Family Welcome Center, located at the John T. Morris complex in southwest Orlando, is designed to help families who don’t speak English or are new to the United States with enrollment, language screenings, and academic support. The resources will not stop at enrollment. Staff will provide ongoing assistance to ensure a smooth transition for students and their families. Click here to learn more about the Global Family Welcome Center.

Super Scholars Return to Connect, Promote Success Initiative

SBM Salamanca supported the launch of Super Scholars Success Initiative in July

In Orange County, more than 500 students have been admitted to the nation’s top 20 colleges and universities and service academies since 2021. Each school year, these students are recognized as “Super Scholars,” a program to celebrate academic achievements and admittance to a top school.

Recognizing the value Super Scholar alumni have, District 2 School Board Member Maria Salamanca, as a Super Scholar alumna herself, is sponsoring the re-launch of the Super Scholars Success Initiative. First started by Salamanca and her fellow OCPS alumna Jomayra Herrera as recent college graduates in 2016, the program paused in 2020 while the pandemic affected in-person events. The revived initiative will seek to prepare recent Super Scholar graduates for a transition from high school classroom to college lecture hall.

The program kicked off in late July with an alumni panel discussion on the college experience and adjusting to college. More than 50 alumni and members of the 2024 graduating Super Scholar class attended.

Dariel Cruz Rodriguez, a rising third year at the University of Chicago and alumnus of Colonial High School, is spearheading the revival of the legacy program with the support of Salamanca.

“This is a valuable cohort of alumni. Super Scholar alumni have attended schools like Princeton, Harvard, and even my school UChicago, and have gone on to work at some of the highest levels of government and the corporate world. That’s why it’s important we offer mentorship between these decorated alumni and our newly-minted Super Scholars,” Cruz Rodriguez said.

The program, supported by both Salamanca and the district’s Foundation, is recruiting Orange County graduates who are attending or have attended a top school to offer mentorship opportunities and host college application workshops.

“This is all part of giving back to the school communities that have done so much for us when we were students in the district,” said Maria Salamanca, District 2 School Board Member.

Panelists and attendees pose for a group photo. Alumni and graduating seniors attended.

(Frank Weber/OCPS)

Closing Message

A lot of things happened over the summer and our community continues to grow, with the addition of Luminary Middle and Innovation High to the OCPS D2 family. I am hopeful about what the future holds for District 2, which to date is the School Board District with the largest growth seen in the entire county.

I visited both Luminary Middle and Innovation High last week with my team to see the school in action while classes were in session. I can assure you, the staff at these schools are some of the most talented in the district and they are all very excited about being able to shape the identity and culture of these new schools.

As things keep changing, the best way to keep in contact is by connecting with me on social media. These newsletters are bi-monthly, but our social media is updated daily with new news around the district.

It has been, and continues to be, my honor to be your elected representative on the School Board. Thank you for trusting me with your child’s education.

Elevating student success,

Maria Salamanca

School Board Member, District 2

SBM Salamanca inspects the new grounds of Luminary MS with the principal. (Dariel Cruz/OCPS)

SBM Salamanca meets with student

leaders in the new Coast Guard JROTC at Innovation HS.

SBM Salamanca visits the new Agriculture/FFA program at Luminary MS. (Dariel Cruz/OCPS)

SBM Salamanca speaks to Innovation HS’ new Principles of Entrepreneurship class.

445 W. Amelia St.

Orlando, Florida 32801

Phone 407-317-3200

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