School Zone
Chalk Board
ABC’s
(Anti-Bias Classroom) of Black History
In a January 2007 Teaching Tolerance web site article,
Camille Jackson provided resources to help teachers and
students connect history with contemporary racism and
racial disparities.
Click here to access the web site article.
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Character
Education’s February 2007 Newsletter
Character education is responsible for teaching students
how to take responsibility for their actions and to
treat others with respect; showing students that there
are specific payoffs in life for doing those things;
modeling that behavior for students every second that
they are with us during the day, and expecting them to
do the same; and creating an atmosphere at school where
students can safely practice those behaviors until such
behavior becomes the norm. To read the February 2007
newsletter, please
click here.
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Douglas
Anderson School of the Arts’ 21st Annual
Extravaganza
On Friday, February 16, the talented students of Douglas
Anderson School of the Arts will present their 21st
Annual Extravaganza at the Times-Union Center for the
Performing Arts. The evening begins at 6:30 p.m. in the
main lobby where a collection of work by DA’s visual
arts students will be on display. In addition, several
student-produced short films will be playing in the
lobby. Guests also will have a chance to bid on many
special items and art work by local artists in a silent
auction to benefit the DA Foundation. At 7:30 p.m., the
show will begin in the Moran Theatre, and the audience
will delight in a variety of unique performances from DA
students, including a Mozart piano concerto, a short
film accompanied by dance, a performance by DA’s
award-winning jazz ensemble, popular theatre selections,
and so much more. To purchase tickets, call
Ticketmaster at 353-3309, or visit the
Ticketmaster web site.
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Duval
County School Board District II Community Meeting
On Thursday, February 22, School Board Member Nancy
Broner will host a community meeting at Fletcher High
School. The general public is invited to attend this
meeting, which will begin at 6 p.m. The Duval County
School Board conducts community meetings in each
member's district, providing parents and residents with
an opportunity to share their thoughts, reactions and
experiences with Duval County Public Schools.
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EXCELerator™
Schools Project Adds Four Schools
The College Board expanded its EXCELerator Schools
Project to include four additional schools in Duval
County. In addition to the present schools
participating in this project, the
additional schools include Andrew Jackson, First Coast,
Jean Ribault and William Raines high schools. Prior to
latest four schools being accepted into the EXCELerator
Schools Project, Duval County Public Schools provided
funding for the schools to begin implementing specific
College Board programs and services. The newly-added
schools join the four existing EXCELerator
Schools—Robert E. Lee, Samuel W. Wolfson, Sandalwood,
and Terry Parker high schools.
In addition to our local
schools, there are 19 other College Board EXCELerator
Schools located in Hillsborough County, Denver and
Chicago. The project, which complements the College
Board’s new school development efforts in New York, is
part of a project launched in 2006. Early indicators
suggest that these schools are increasing the level of
student aspirations and academic performance.
Over the course of the next
four years, the College Board will continue to partner
with select school districts to improve graduation and
college readiness rates, especially for low-income and
minority students. With an emphasis on equity, the
EXCELerator Schools Project supports high schools as
they create a culture of high achievement and high
expectations; promotes a rigorous college-preparatory
curriculum; increases access to that curriculum; and
fosters post-secondary aspirations in all students. By
the end of the 2007-2008 school year, more than 45,000
students will benefit from the EXCELerator Schools
Project.
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FCAT
Champs Walk
On Saturday, February 10 from 9 a.m. to noon, William M.
Raines Principal Nongongoma Majova-Seane and Ribault
Principal Royce Turner invite Raines and Ribault
students and parents—past and present—to join them for
the Raines Vikings and Ribault Trojans FCAT Champs
Walk. The event will take place in the Auditorium at
Raines High School and refreshments will be served. A
special prize will be awarded to the school with the
most participants.
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FCAT
Television Program on Comcast
Starting at 6:30 p.m., Monday, February 19, Comcast
Cable will air a 30-minute program to inform parents and
students on the importance of preparing for the FCAT.
The program also will address FCAT test-taking
strategies for reading, math and science. The show will
air at 6:30 every evening on cable channels 14 and 99
starting Monday, February 19 to Sunday, February 25.
Check your local listings for exact dates and times.
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February
2007 Benefit Bits…You Need to Know!
To read the latest updates from DCPS’ Employee Benefits
Department about your health benefits,
click here.
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February
2007 DCPS Health and Wellness Newsletter
To read the latest issue of DCPS’ Health and Wellness
Newsletter,
click here.
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Interim
Education Commissioner
As of March 1, Jeanine Blomberg will serve as Interim
Commissioner of Education. Blomberg began her career at
the Department of Education in 1976. Throughout her
career, she has served as Deputy Commissioner for
Accountability, Research and Measurement and as Deputy
Commissioner of Finance and Operations. Blomberg has
extensive experience in education policy, analysis and
research, and is a recognized authority on public
education funding and business management practices.
She has a bachelor’s degree in business and is a
certified public manager.
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National Take Your Family to School Week, February 11—17
The national Parent Teacher Association (PTA) created
this special designation to give parents a new
perspective on their children’s school day, show
children that families and communities value education
and offer schools a way to invite families into the
school and build relationships with parents. Take Your
Family to School Week is supported by education,
business, and community leaders throughout the nation.
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National
Women’s Heart Day Health Fair
Help make the River City a heart healthy community and
receive a free screening for your personal heart risks.
Tell your mothers, sisters, daughters, co-workers and
friends about the impact of heart disease on women, and
encourage all of them to attend this year's free health
fair!
When: Friday,
February 16, 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Where: Jacksonville
Indoor Sports, 3605 Philips Highway, Jacksonville
For more information, call Rebecca Humbard at
718-4595, or send
an e-mail.
To see a flyer with more information about the event,
click here.
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Normandy
Village Elementary School’s Third Annual Science
Literacy Night
On Thursday, February 15 from 6 to 8:30 p.m., Normandy
Village will present its Third Annual Science Literacy
Night. Participants will include representatives from
MOSH Extreme Science, Zoofari Outreach, Jacksonville
Avicultural Society, and the Mensa Society. Author Joe
Andrew and Patrick Laffey from Jefferson Davis Middle
School will also attend the event. Parents and students
also will learn how to perform a science experiment. If
you have questions or need more information, send
an e-mail.
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REAL
School Episode #1006—Diversity &
Multiculturalism at DCPS
Duval County Public Schools is committed to providing
its students with an education that emphasizes
diversity. This month’s episode of REAL School
focuses on “Diversity & Multiculturalism at DCPS.”
This episode’s Top Teachers
segment profiles two teachers from Pine Forest
Elementary School for the Arts, Kim Augstein and Tish
Hubbard, and shows how they used World Children’s Day as
a way to introduce their students to counterparts in
Indonesia and Taiwan. In Ms. Augstein’s class, the
students researched and wrote country reports and also
communicated with pen pals in these countries. In Ms.
Hubbard’s art class, the students created artwork which
they exchanged with the students overseas who also sent
their artwork to their American counterparts.
The Star Students segment
profiles Rewa Choudhary and Hunter Briley. Rewa
Choudhary is a student at Stanton College Preparatory
School who moved to America from India. Recently, she
was awarded a full scholarship to any Florida public
university of her choosing by Governor Jeb Bush for
winning the state’s Hispanic Heritage Awareness Month
essay contest. Hunter Briley was recently awarded a
full appointment and scholarship to the United States
Naval Academy, which is valued at more than $250,000.
He attends Paxon School for Advanced Studies. Both of
these students discuss why it’s important to learn about
other cultures.
The Top Programs segment
profiles the teacher and students involved in the Salsa
Club at A. Philip Randolph, and it follows them to a
local competition where they show off their newly
acquired dance skills. Also profiled is the ESOL
program at Englewood High School. The teacher and
students discuss the challenges of arriving recently
from another country and having to learn English and
perform well, academically, in order to progress to the
next grade.
In the My School segment, we
hear from Englewood High School Principal Alvin Brennan
about all the things that make his school great,
including the fact that it is arguably one of the most
diverse schools in Jacksonville with over 80 languages
represented within the school. And, Englewood students
from around the world participate in the “Speaks Out”
segment, and answer the question: Why is it important to
learn about other cultures?
This episode of REAL School originally aired on
WJCT Channel 7 (Comcast Channel 8) on Sunday, February 4
at 10 a.m. If you missed the episode, it will re-air on
Comcast Channel 14. (Check your local listings for
dates and times.)
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