Curriculum and Instruction News

Elementary “Summer Stretch” Online Learning Starts June 1

This summer we have an awesome opportunity for students in grades K through 5 called Summer Stretch. The Summer Stretch program has exciting activities in Math, Reading, Science, and Social Skills to stretch their learning all summer long! Official start date is Monday, June 1st. There are multiple activity options to engage your child for up to six weeks, ending Friday, July 10th.

When kids participate in Summer Stretch, they will enjoy

  • interactive math games,
  • interesting articles to read and videos to watch,
  • fun and engaging science activities to complete, and
  • relaxing and calming videos and activities to practice social skills.

Career and Technical Education Update – February 2020

February is Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month! We would like to thank each of the CTE teachers in our elementary, middle, K-8 and high schools for making their programs special for the students in the St. Johns County School District!

The High School Showcase was held in January at the World Golf Village Convention Center. Current 8th and 9th grade students wishing to apply to a Program of Choice and their parents were welcomed to attend and speak with student ambassadors, teachers and the administration for each high school, St. Johns Virtual School, First Coast Technical College and St. Johns River State College.

Program of Choice Booklet 2020-2021Students apply to Program(s) of Choice through their HAC account. The application window opened January 9th and closes February 3rd at 5:00 pm. Visit the Career & Technical Education website for Program of Choice information and directions on applying. The Career and Technical Education office phone number is 904-547-4870 and we are happy to answer your questions and help you with the process.

Academy Nights were hosted by each high school throughout the month of January. Career Specialists attended each middle school and shared the options available for each high school.

Please check out our 2020-2021 Programs of Choice booklet. The cover was designed by Nease Communications Academy student, Joseph Faranda.

Be sure to see more highlights on our CTE Twitter account, @CTEsjcsd


Program Highlights from around the District

Bartram Trail High School

Bartram Trail High School Academy NightThere was a packed house at the annual Academy Night at BTHS. Potential future bears and their parents listened to our AMAZING Academy students share their high school experiences and later toured the campus.


Creekside High School

Creekside High School academy studentsAt CHS, 59 FBLA members qualified to compete at the State Leadership Conference in March. These students participated in the District Competition, which took place on January 17. Cyber Patriots: Creekside teams took 1st, 2nd, and 4th place in the State of Florida in the Platinum (top) Division. We also have a freshman team that took 3rd place in the State in the Gold Division.


Pedro Menendez High School

Pedro Menendez High School FBLACongratulations to the PMHS FBLA members who competed at the District 27 FBLA Competition. They competed in interviewing skills, sports and entertainment management, public speaking, business ethics, and entrepreneurship. Go Falcons!

Flagler Hospital Academy of Medical and Health Careers currently has over 60 students conducting rounds in various departments at Flagler Health+ hospital. Fifteen students received their EKG certification in December and the HOSA club had 5 members qualify for state competition in Orlando!

The VyStar Academy of Business and Finance has nearly 80 students certified in Microsoft Word, Excel or both and is working hard toward their third certification in PowerPoint. These are excellent business skills directly transferable to real-world applications. Also, the student-run VyStar branch has opened over 40 new accounts this year!


Ponte Vedra High School

CONGRATULATIONS to the Academies FBLA Chapter members on their recent placements at the District Competition.

PVHS FBLAPVHS had 55 members qualify to compete at the District and of those, 40 members won a spot to continue on to the State FBLA Competition. It will be held in Orlando in March.

FL Department of Education Seeking Public Input On Civics Instructional Materials

Webinar

A webinar will be provided by the Florida Department of Education today at 4:00 pm EDT.

Review the Civics Materials

The Florida Department of Education invites the public to provide their input on the Civics instructional materials and end-of-course exam on Floridacivicsreview.org.

On June 26, 2019, Governor Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 807, which amended section 1003.4156, Florida Statutes, to require the following:

“All instructional materials for the civics education course must be reviewed and approved by the Commissioner of Education, in consultation with organizations that may include, but are not limited to, the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship, the Bill of Rights Institute, Hillsdale College, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, iCivics, and the Constitutional Sources Project, and with educators, school administrators, postsecondary education representatives, elected officials, business and industry leaders, parents, and the public. Any errors and inaccuracies the commissioner identifies in state-adopted materials must be corrected pursuant to s. 1006.35. After consulting with such entities and individuals, the commissioner shall review the current state-approved civics education course instructional materials and the test specifications for the statewide, standardized EOC assessment in civics education and shall make recommendations for improvements to the materials and test specifications by December 31, 2019.”

Accordingly, the Florida Department of Education is seeking public input on the Civics instructional materials and Civics End-of-Course Assessment Test Item Specifications. Public input is encouraged through the online EdCredible® platform. EdCredible® provides all stakeholders with open access to participate in the review process. Stakeholders are required to open an account using their valid email address before providing input. The review will close on October 15, 2019.

To offer further insight into this opportunity, the department will offer a public webinar to discuss the review on August 22, 2019, at 4:00 pm EDT. This optional public webinar is intended to provide background on the Civics instructional materials state adoption process and the history of the Civics EOC Assessment, including stakeholder involvement in determining its content, development and setting of achievement level expectations. Neither attending the live webinar nor viewing the recorded webinar are required in order for stakeholders to participate in the public review of the Civics instructional materials and EOC assessment test item specifications.

If you are interested in attending, please register for the webinar. After registering, a confirmation email will be sent containing information about joining the webinar. A recording of the webinar, as well as the presentation and a transcript, will be posted on the Florida Department of Education’s website for those who are unable to attend.

Elementary STEM Education

Museum of Science and History
Outreach Program: Red Rover Robotics

Elementary schools in St. Johns County had an increased focus on STEM education throughout the 2018-2019 school year. One of the most exciting opportunities for all fifth graders was a partnership with the Museum of Science and History (MOSH) of Jacksonville. The MOSH outreach program, Red Rover Robotics, took place in every elementary and K-8 and provided fifth-grade students with a team-based robotics challenge which utilized math standards, block coding, scientific reasoning, and the nature of science standards. STEM activities spark student interest and foster development in science, technology, engineering, and/or math.

STEM Lesson Study Program

Using grant funding from Florida Power and Light (FPL), and administered through the Investing in Kids (INK!) local education foundation, a year-long lesson study project is underway for middle school science and math teachers.

Earlier this year, one math teacher and one science teacher from each participating middle school observed a model lesson developed and presented in the classroom of a lead teacher. Following the observation, teachers met as a team to discuss and refine the lesson for their own use and the use of others. School-based coaches and district subject-area specialists assisted with lesson development, debriefing sessions and professional development.

Individual participants are currently delivering a lesson in their own schools with their own students while being observed by a coach and subject area specialist. The coach and specialist will offer feedback to the teacher in a post-observation conference.

The final phase of the project will be for the teacher teams to meet in the summer to refine selected lessons into a format suitable for publication in the appropriate middle school math and science curriculum maps.

Participants have reported that the process has been highly beneficial to themselves and most importantly to their students. They plan to serve as a resource for the process at their home schools and hope that FPL, INK! and SJCSD will find a way to continue a lesson study program for the 2019-2020 school year.

Robotics Clubs 2018-2019

This year, we have expanded our after school robotics clubs in the elementary and middle schools from nine clubs to a total of 15. Our clubs compete in a range of competitions that include, First Lego League, First Tech Challenge, Wonder League, and VEX Robotics.

Twelve schools participated in the First Lego League this year:

Wards Creek
Cunningham Creek
Mill Creek
Webster
RJ Murray
Crookshank
RB Hunt
South Woods
Otis Mason
Gamble Rogers
AB Landrum
Switzerland Point

These schools had the opportunity to compete in local area qualifying competitions, where they were able to show off their robot design, robot coding, and teamwork. Gamble Rogers Middle School placed 1st in their Robot Design and placed 5th out of 23 teams overall. Webster Elementary competed for the very first time and placed 13th out of 22 teams at their qualifying competition. Another first-year team, Wards Creek earned the RoboThrasher award at their competition.

Three teams from Palm Valley Academy participated in the Wonder League Robotics Competition. One team advanced to the Invitational Round, one of 350 teams selected out of over 7,000 teams worldwide.

Sebastian Middle School STEAM Eagle Inquiry Hour Exhibition

Students at Sebastian Middle School worked diligently each Wednesday for eight weeks during their Eagle Inquiry Hour on a project to address one of the following essential questions:

6th Grade: What do you need in order to survive?
7th Grade: How can we innovate health technology for kids?
8th Grade: How can we sustain life while living in challenging spaces?

Students presented their projects to an external audience of parents and community members March 29.

STEM Careers are explored in every high school!

Allen D. Nease High School Stellar Academy of Engineering
Bartram Trail High School Design Academy
Information Technology Academy
Creekside High School Academy of Emerging Technology
Academy of Engineering & Environmental Sciences
Pedro Menendez High School Academy of Architectural & Building Sciences
Flagler Hospital Academy of Medical & Health Careers
Ponte Vedra High School Academy of Biotechnology and Medical Research
Academy of Information Technology
St. Johns Technical High School Academy of Coastal and Water Resources
St. Augustine High School St. Johns County Aerospace Academy

 

STEM Career Academy Highlights

Creekside High School Academy of Engineering and Environmental Sciences

Mr. Davenport and his engineering students teamed up with the St. Johns Housing Partnership to construct a wheelchair ramp for a family in St. Augustine. More than a dozen students dedicated their Saturday afternoon for the cause, which was a meaningful way for students to fine-tune their design and engineering skills while giving back to the community.


St. Augustine High School St. Johns County Aerospace Academy

Captain David Thompson, FAA safety inspector, visited the Aerospace Academy at St. Augustine High School for a UAV discussion and demonstration. The Academy operates drones in Area 17, an approved UAV airspace.


Nease High School Stellar Academy of Engineering

Students recently attended Construction and Career Days of Northeast Florida at the Jacksonville Equestrian Center. It included more than 80 businesses offering hands-on exhibits, trade show booths, lessons on large-scale construction equipment, and opportunities for students to interact with professionals in the fields of Construction and Engineering.

Career and Technical Education Update – January 2019

February is Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month. Throughout the month, the CTE Department will highlight the wonderful work accomplished in our classrooms.

Career Academy Highlights:


Project Innovation

Project Innovation is a Career Academy district competition to encourage students to apply skills developed in their Career Academy programs in new and unique ways to benefit society or the environment.  This year 571 high school students participated on 145 Career academy teams at six high schools.

1st Place – Nease High School  Stellar Academy of Engineering: Richard Bachmann, Maanasi Vadlamani, William Mitchell
Project: Aqua Engineers

A water collection device absorbs humidity from the air and transforms it into potable water for people in third world countries who struggle with access to drinkable water. The device is self-sustaining and cost-efficient.


St. Augustine High School

St. Johns County Academy of Future Teachers

  • The Teaching Academy received the 2019 Florida Future Educators of America Outstanding Chapter Award.
  • Level 4 Teaching Academy students, attended the November School Board Meeting to support the curriculum for their unit of study on the Organization of American Schools.

St. Johns County Aerospace Academy

  • Aerospace classes completed an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) build through a project-based learning unit.
  • Aerospace Academy seniors took home 3rd place in this year’s District Project Innovation competition. The team designed a fire fighting drone that could take fire rescue to the next level.
  • Seven Aerospace Academy juniors were selected as the 2018-2019 Northrop Grumman High School Involvement Program (HIP) interns. They will spend four hours each month during their junior and senior years, completing STEM projects under the guidance of Northrop Grumman engineering mentors.

Academy of Law and Homeland Security

  • Law and Homeland Security students attended the Florida Public Service Association (FPSA) Regional competition, held at the SJR State St. Augustine campus. The students placed in all categories and took home 1st place in the Evidence Packaging, High Risk Traffic Stop, Prepared Speaking, and Fingerprinting competitions.

Creekside High School

Academy of Emerging Technology, Sponsored by Citi

  • Creekside High School Digital Media Academy students toured Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD).
  • Students competed at the FBLA National Leadership Conference in Baltimore, MD. With roughly 14,000 students attending from around the globe, competing in approximately 60 various events, Creekside students placed in the Top 10 in the country:
    • Thomas Talbot, 9th place, Economics
    • Joe Parimucha, 9th place, Introduction to Information Technology
    • Clay Carter, Daniel Malloy, and Matthew Zweibohmer, 1st Place, Network Design (winning $1,200)
  • Students in the IT Principals Cybersecurity course were treated by Citi on a tour of their facility.

Academy of Engineering and Environment Science

  • Creekside High School, along with the American Water Works Association (AWWA) hosted the 8th Annual Model Water Tower Competition. Joey Watson, a senior in the Academy of Engineering and Environmental Sciences won 1st place at the event! The prize included a $200 scholarship!
  • Freshmen students in the Environmental Sciences attended the Guana Education Center. Students worked with scientists to collect water samples and pull seine nets to determine healthy estuarine environments for species biodiversity.

Allen D. Nease High School

Stellar Academy of Engineering

  • Nine ladies with Nease’s Stellar Academy of Engineering took their engineering skills and knowledge to Pacetti Bay Middle School, to run a STEM event with 8th grade girls.  Led by Academy Instructor Morgan Hunter, the ladies participated in a gingerbread tower building contest. This was a wonderful way to introduce the 8th grade girls to engineering concepts and skills, as well as have the opportunity to work with older students already in the Academy program.

Pedro Menendez High School

Flagler Hospital Academy of Medical and Health Careers

  • Forty students from the Flagler Hospital Academy of Medical and Health Careers participated in an employee orientation.  These students are beginning their semester of rotations at Flagler Hospital and will shadow over 40 different departments in the hospital and a few other locations to get hands on experience in various medical careers.

Academy of Architectural and Building Sciences

  • Drafting and construction students toured Nocatee Spray Park Construction Site.

St. Johns Technical High School

Academy of Culinary Arts

  • Students from the Academy of Culinary Arts were recently treated to a fun-filled and educational day at the Raintree.

Academy of Coastal and Water Resources

  • Students St. Johns County Utilities’ drinking water and wastewater facilities.  They observed first-hand how our drinking water is pulled from the Aquifer, processed and distributed to our municipalities.  The students also traveled to a wastewater facility to examine the many processes necessary to clean and reclaim the wastewater that is pumped from our homes and businesses.
  • In August, a new group of St. Johns Technical High School (SJTHS) students began their internship at Carlisle Interconnect Technologies. During the initial tour, the SJTHS students saw four alumni.

Bartram Trail High School

Vystar Academy of Business and Finance

  • Zachary Breitbart (junior) just won State DECA president for SY19-20 for Bartram
  • Over 30 students qualified for DECA State competition in Orlando at the end of February

Design Academy- Architecture

Congratulations to Joy Dorst, who was one of 5 finalists for the Teacher of the Year for the St. Johns County School District


Ponte Vedra High School

Academy of International Business and Marketing

  • Students in Marketing are preparing to be Social Media Caddies for The Players Championship in March.

Academy of Biotechnology and Medical Research

  • Two students were selected and completed a summer-long internship with the Mayo Clinic.

Career and Technical Education Update – May 2018

The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) recently published an infographic that connects workforce employability skills with CTE coursework.  These are great reminders for families to review together as they discuss both college and career readiness.

Fact Sheet on Career Readiness and Employability Skills

Fact Sheet on Career Readiness and Employability SkillsACTE has produced a new research-based fact sheet connecting the general workforce skills that employers most need—professionalism, teamwork, critical thinking, oral and written communication, leadership and more—with research demonstrating that CTE helps students develop career readiness and employability skills that have value across industries and career fields.

The research used addresses various aspects of CTE programs, including curriculum, work-based learning, career and technical student organizations and career guidance.

You can access this one-page publication and ACTE’s other fact sheets.


CTE Accomplishments

Pedro Menendez High School Students Win Skills USA Regionals

Masonry instructors and students
Masonry: Instructors Mike Rosenberg and Mike Beville with seniors Tyler Waldron; I’Leisha Smith; Frankie Perry; Emmie Edgar; Kaylee Folckemer; Eric Macy
Drafting students
Drafting Students Pictured: Justin Guerra, Laurence Gosselin, Hannah Hodge

Academy of Architectural & Building Sciences students competed in the Regional Masonry Competition in Starke where their team earned a first place award. Students advancing to the Skills USA State Competition this April in Pensacola, Florida are:

1st Place          Tyler Waldron
2nd Place          Eric Macy
3rd Place          Kaylee Folckemer

AutoCAD regional winners advancing to State are:

1st Place – Laurence Gosselin, Senior
2nd Place – Hannah Hodge, Junior
3rd Place – Justin Guerra, Junior

Ponte Vedra High School (PVHS) Academy of Biotechnology and Medical Research

Four students from PVHS Academy of Biotechnology and Medical Research were invited to present their research at the 55th Junior Science, Engineering and Humanities Symposium at the University of Florida on January 28-30.

  • Emma Kee,
  • Tim Kellett,
  • Courtney Krider
  • Louis Otero

Results of HOSA (Future Health Professionals) regional competition

The following students placed and will move to the State Leadership conference:

Courtney Binaco         3rd          Nutrition

Kaitlyn Copland
Windsyr Maughan      3rd        Health Career Display

Lily Fields
Sarah Fraga
Grace Littler                1st        Forensic Medicine

Claudia Frein
Kaitlin Landolfa
Sarah and Lydia Reimer 1st     Public Service Announcement

Nima Goodman
Naela Luna                  1st        Health Education

Zuri Goodman             1st        Medical Math
Kaley Liang                  4th        Medical Terminology
Julia Romano               1st        Medical Spelling
Gabby Savino              1st        Medical Law and Ethics
Ian Sisto                       2nd         Biomed Lab Science

Creekside High School’s Academy of Emerging Technology and Academy of Engineering and Environmental Sciences

  • Pressel’s classes have be wrapping up their Blue Schools Grant research funded by the St. Johns River Water Management District. The grant included two trips to both Julington-Durbin Preserve and Alpine Groves to test and compare water samples to determine the effects of the area construction on water quality in our community.
  • Cyberpatriot teams placed 5th, 7th. And 8th in the state of Florida, and 1st place for the state in the Gold division.

St. Augustine High School

Career and Technical Student Organization Competition Results:
Florida Future Educators of America (Teaching Academy)

  • Outstanding Chapter Award (5th year in a row)

Florida Public Service Association (FPSA)-Academy of Law and Homeland Security

  • Mason Davis               5th        Incident Report Writing
  • Cheyenne Sneyd          4th        Prepared Poster Display
  • Mason Davis elected Vice President FPSA State Student board
  • Hannah Beregsasy elected Sargeant at Arms FPSA State Student board

Technology Student Association-Aerospace Academy

  • Noah Law won $1,500 in scholarships at the event

Did you know?

145 Career Academy students have already applied for summer internships…the Career Academy team is working hard to find placements for all of them!

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