School Zone
Points of Pride
Living Legends Read to Students During Black History Program
On Monday, February 23, members of Matthew Gilbert High School's 1958 State Championship football team read the stories of African American sports heroes to some sixth-grade students at Jean Ribault Middle School.
Students Kalvin Martin and Isaiah Turner served as emcees for the event and the girls' chorus opened the program by leading the crowd in the singing of the Negro National Anthem, Lift Every Voice and Sing.
1958 state champion Leon Smith recited the poem, "Work" by Henry Van Dyke. Smith exclaimed, "When vagrant wishes beckon me astray, this is my work; my blessing, not my doom; Of all who live, I am the one by whom, this work can best be done in the right way." He told the students that he had learned this poem when he was their age, and explained the significance of hard work and doing one's best at both school and home.
Students were later broken into groups and led to tables where the state champs read stories of triumph of legendary African American sports figures like Robert "Bullet Bob" Hayes, who was a member of their 1958 championship team.
Team member Enoch Webster, who read the story of retired football player Eddie George, also showed his group a news article which documented that he had outrun Bob Hayes, who was once considered the world's fastest man, during a race.
After the reading breakout sessions, school principal George Maxey presented the team with a certificate of recognition and spoke of the team's legacy, informing the students about the importance of knowing their history. Maxey explained that the team has only recently received recognition for their accomplishment more than half a century ago because times were different for African Americans during the 1950s. He also explained that one in three African American males in Duval County Public Schools does not graduate, and that they should leave a legacy of success instead of one of failure and dropping out.
Lee High Robotics Team Comes in First at UNF Competition
Robert E. Lee High School’s Robotics Team recently won first, second and fourth places at the first annual UNF Robotics and Automation Society Robotics Competition.
"This is a significant accomplishment for our school, as Lee was the only high school represented at the university-level competition, and is the latest in a long string of successes for the robotics team," said Jeff Cumber, technology teacher at Lee and team sponsor.
In the past four years, Lee's Robotics Team has been regional finalists twice, with their biggest success coming in 2007 as they garnered International Finalist honors at the Global Conference on Educational Robotics held in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The competition at UNF consisted of a maze that the robots were required to navigate. The dimensions of the maze were not known before the competition, and the robots were rated on completion of the course, time of completion, and mechanical and sensor system design.
The Lee High teams adapted well. The first-place team was the only one to solve the maze, and did so in 51 seconds using a combination of proximity detectors along with predictive algorithms. They were also awarded best system design.
The second-place team used a wall-following algorithm with touch sensors that allowed their robot to get about ¾ of the way through the maze. They were also awarded best mechanical system design.
The fourth-place team also attempted to use a wall-following method, and completed the first leg of the maze before faltering.
The Robotics Competition was sponsored by the UNF Robotics and Automation Society, IEEE, and Eta Kappa Nu.
Puppets Visit DCPS Elementary Students to Teach Healthy Living
Students at Cedar Hills and Greenfield elementary schools have learned the importance of making healthy lifestyle choices in a fun and interactive way by watching the EXTREME Health Challenge presentation by MicheLee Puppets.
MicheLee Puppets provides arts performances at schools throughout the state, addressing topics that are relevant to young people, such as health, literacy, bullying, divorce and environmental conservation. Puppetry and theater are effective in communicating difficult messages in a compelling and non-threatening way.
The EXTREME Health Challenge program was developed to combat the rise in childhood obesity and promote healthy lifestyle choices. It is a 40-minute theatrical production using wacky and entertaining puppet characters that teach students the importance of good nutrition and active lifestyles in a game show format.
The $2,400 performance was brought to the schools in part due to generous contributions from the following sponsors: Aetna Foundation, BlueCross BlueShield of Florida, Darden Restaurants Foundation, Edyth Bush Charitable Foundation, Florida Hospital, Health Foundation of South Florida, Publix Super Markets Charities, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, United Arts of Central Florida and The Walt Disney World Company.
For more information about MicheLee Puppets, visit
www.micheleepuppets.org.
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