JANUARY 1-8, 2013
Garden lessons come alive
Parents can stilll earn a thing or two from students. And during a student cooking demonstration Monday, they learned cooking healthy doesn't have to be expensive. "I've never made oatmeal from scratch, but my son seems to like it and it's cheap,"said Stephan Brown, a parent at [ http://www.sun-sentinel.com/topic/education/schools/elementary-schools/dillard-elementary-school-ORGOV0000208.topic ]Dillard Elementary School, as he and his son tasted various home-cooked dishes.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/fl-healthy-eating-parent-class-20130107,0,7067665.story
Broward schools get vegetable gardens
Students at five Broward schools are getting a hands-on lesson in healthy eating with a new in-school vegetable garden program created by the Broward Education Foundation.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/01/03/3166234/broward-schools-get-vegetable.html
School counselor goes to Connecticut to offer helping hand
Though the bullets that killed 20 children and six teachers rang out more than 1,300 miles away, for Jennifer Shepard, a special needs therapist in [ http://www.sun-sentinel.com/topic/us/florida/broward-county/fort-lauderdale-PLGEO100100403070000.topic ]Fort Lauderdale, it hit very close to home. "When I heard about it, it was instant, I knew I had to go," said Shepard, 39, who immediately booked a flight to Newtown, Conn., after the massacre at [ http://www.sun-sentinel.com/topic/education/schools/elementary-schools/sandy-hook-elementary-school-OREDU000812.topic ]Sandy Hook Elementary. "It could be your co-worker; those could be your kids."
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/fl-local-counselor-goes-to-conn-20130104,0,1050887.story
After 20 years, teacher gets a thank you to remember
Kevin Dorival, 32,sat before his fifth grade teacher on Friday and handed her one final writing assignment – his first published book – and the biggest thank you a teacher could ask for. It was the first time in more than 20 years that Sonji Wyche saw her student since he graduated from Park Ridge Elementary School in [ http://www.sun-sentinel.com/topic/us/florida/broward-county/deerfield-beach-PLGEO100100403060000.topic ]Deerfield Beach in 1992. But he said her lessons still inspire him, and he thanks her for that in his autobiography, "The Courage to Believe." http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/education/fl-former-student-thanks-teacher-20130104,0,7272236.story
Band students play their way to state recognition
It's like the Olympics for middle school band students — but instead of javelins and soccer balls, they perform with tubas and bassoons. "It's a pretty big deal," said seventh grader AnnaLee Bossory of [ http://www.sun-sentinel.com/topic/education/schools/middle-schools/falcon-cove-middle-school-OREDU0000394.topic ]Falcon Cove Middle in [ http://www.sun-sentinel.com/topic/us/florida/broward-county/weston-%28broward-florida%29-PLGEO100100403290000.topic ]Weston, whose school had an unprecedented six students qualify for Florida's All-State Band this year.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/education/fl-all-state-band-students-20130101,0,1006155.story
Class collects items to help wildlife center
Rachel Supnick's love of animals has motivated her to help the furry and feathered inhabitants of the Sawgrass Nature Center & Wildlife Hospital. The 9-year-old has recruited her third-grade class at Manatee Bay Elementary School in Weston to help the [ http://www.sun-sentinel.com/topic/us/florida/broward-county/coral-springs-PLGEO100100403030000.topic ]Coral Springs facility.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/weston/fl-cn-rachel-0106-20130104,0,1700371.story
Mark of excellence
OUR OPINION: New international scores put Florida students ahead; South Florida schools lead state, too
It can be easy to lose track of Florida’s accomplishments after a decade-plus of education reform. True, money for public education has plummeted over the past five years as the state experienced a severe economic downturn. And, yes, there’s still too much teaching to the FCAT, though that test will be changing to common score standards for year-end exams on key subjects, a better gauge of student learning..
http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/01/02/3165245/mark-of-excellence.html
Not all police officers to remain as kids return to school
In the immediate aftermath of the Newtown, Conn., massacre, police patrols were boosted at South Florida's elementary schools. But three weeks later, as students get ready to return from holiday break, cities are weighing whether these measures should continue. Some, like [ http://www.sun-sentinel.com/topic/us/florida/broward-county/fort-lauderdale-PLGEO100100403070000.topic ]FortLauderdale and [ http://www.sun-sentinel.com/community/news/boyntonbeach?track=tax-boyntonbeach ]Boynton Beach, are going back to business as usual. But others, such as Plantation, [ http://www.sun-sentinel.com/topic/us/florida/broward-county/pompano-beach-PLGEO100100403240000.topic ]PompanoBeach and Weston,will continue providing additional police presence.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/education/fl-broward-school-sros-after-break-20130105,0,5103741.story
Sunrise commissioner: Use retired cops to patrol schools, save money
Full-time police officers patrol every school in Sunrise, but Commissioner Larry Sofield says retired cops can do the same job for much less. Hiring retired officers to patrol the city's schools would save taxpayers at least $870,000 a year — or $79,000 per job, Sofield estimates.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/broward/sunrise/fl-sros-sunrise-cheaper-20130102,0,4366835.story
Broward bans naming schools after living people
If you want a [ http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/ ]Broward County public school named in your honor, you'll now have to meet some strict criteria — and you won't be around to see it happen. A School Board policy passed in December says schools can still be named after civic or education leaders of "local, state, national or international prominence," but the honoree must be dead for at least two years. The policy affects district-run schools, not charter schools.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/education/highered/fl-broward-school-building-names-20121231,0,5562307.story
School bus-battery thefts delay student pickups
Battery thefts from15 [ http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/ ]Broward County school buses delayed student pickups on the first day back to school after the holiday break. "There were some delayed routes,"said Nadine Drew, a Broward School District spokeswoman. "There were several late arrivals at school this morning." Drew did not immediately know how many routes were affected or how many students were temporarily stranded Monday morning.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/fl-broward-school-bus-break-ins-20130107,0,5411683.story
Batteries Stolen From Several School Buses in Broward
Batteries stolen from 16 buses at lot in Pompano Beach.
http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/Batteries-Stolen-From-Several-School-Buses-in-Broward-185879162.html
Scott's goal of tax cuts a mixed result
Gov. [ http://www.sun-sentinel.com/topic/politics/government/rick-scott-PEPLT00007609.topic ]Rick Scott was following a well-read playbook when he campaigned in 2010 to kick-start the economy in part with deep property tax cuts. It just didn't come off as scripted…. Schools statewide responded by cutting back on arts, physical education and athletics, and by reducing staffs. Though the base level of per-pupil funding provided to classrooms had been eroding since it peaked at $7,263 in 2007, it shrank in 2011 to $6,224. Parents took notice. "His impact was felt last year where [per-pupil funding] went down," said Linda Nestor, president of the [ http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/ ]Broward County Council of PTA/PTSA. "It still is not up to the level it was the year before he took office, even though costs have gone up."
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/os-scott-jobs-property-taxes-20130102-27,0,3402158.story
Crash victims mourned
More than 150 gather to remember 3 who died in I-95 crash in Deerfield
More than 150 people lit candles, held hands in prayer and sang Amazing Grace on Sunday night to mourn the death of a mother, her daughter and her nephew. Friends and family gathered at Pompano Community Park to remember Nadege Theodore, 37, her daughter, Lyn, 15, and nephew Guivens Daverman, 16, who died when the SUV they were traveling in Wednesday was involved in a three-car collision and careened into a lake south of Hillsboro Boulevard off Interstate 95. Both teenagers were sophomores at [ http://www.sun-sentinel.com/topic/education/schools/high-schools/blanche-ely-high-school-OREDU0000431.topic ]Blanche Ely High School.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/fl-victims-memorial-service-20130106,0,623231.story
