School Zone
Points of Pride
DCPS Students and Teachers "Journey to Xian"
Several Duval County Public Schools students and teachers had the opportunity to participate in the “Journey to Xian” Gala on February 27 at the Main Library, an event meant to enhance private support for the Jacksonville Public Library System.
During the event, Xu Lei, a guest teacher from China currently teaching at Mandarin Oaks Elementary School, sang an inspiring song from the Beijing Olympics.
Chinese students, led by Ribault Middle teacher Yan Lan, also presented traditional Chinese dances. In addition, 16-year-old Stanton College Preparatory student and rising star, James Chang, impressed the guests with his superb piano solo. Several string players from the Jacksonville Youth Orchestra, many of whom are DCPS students, also performed.
After the performances, a crowd of several hundred people witnessed the spectacular unveiling of discoveries from Emperor Qin's 2,000-year-old burial site, which included two terracotta soldiers and a horse.
Shelley Klempf and Julie Petersen were the gala chairs, Rudy York Designs provided the elaborate oriental décor and Sterling’s of Avondale served Asian cuisine.
Secondary Students Honored During Mid-Year Reading Celebration
On Friday, February 20, more than 100 Duval County Public Schools' (DCPS) secondary students (grades 6-12) gathered at the downtown branch of the Jacksonville Public Library (JPL) to attend a celebration in honor of their reading success.
In an effort to encourage and increase reading among middle and high school students, DCPS' Division of Academic Services and the JPL hosted a mid-year celebration for students who have met or who are close to meeting the Superintendent's 25 book challenge.
All DCPS' students who read 25 books are eligible to become a member of the Superintendent's Book Club, and are invited to the 7th Annual Reading Celebration, being held Saturday, May 30, at Metropolitan Park, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Students entered the auditorium to music played by the LaVilla School of the Arts string ensemble, and were welcomed to the event and congratulated on their reading success by DCPS' Supervisor of Reading Arts Rodilyn Bacho-Logsdon, and JPL's Supervisor of Programming, Kathy Tekin.
DCPS' Deputy Superintendent, Patricia Willis, presented each student with a certificate of recognition before everyone ventured to an adjoining room where students enjoyed pizza and a hip-hop-inspired presentation by DCPS teacher and local author Vincent “Cornbread” Taylor.
The event was sponsored in part by contributions from Scholastic, who provided food for the reception and books for all students and chaperones, and the Educational Direction, who provided a Nintendo Wii, which was given out during a raffle.
March "Just Read It" Star of the Month Attends Meet and Greet at Stadium
The Mike Peterson Foundation and Duval County Public Schools announced the March Star of the Month for the Mike Peterson Foundation's "Just Read It" Program. The stars were invited to a meet and greet at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium on Wednesday, March 18. The event included an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the stadium and a special visit with Jacksonville Jaguar Linebacker Mike Peterson.
Students were selected based on their outstanding achievements in reading. These students worked very hard following directions in the classroom, as well as continuing to improve their reading skills.
Congratulations to the following students for being selected as the March Star of the Month for the Mike Peterson Foundation’s "Just Read It" Program:
Elementary School Category:
Moriah Jones - 3rd grade - Pearson Elementary
Maya Church - 3rd grade - Beauclerc Elementary
Kamia Addison - 4th grade - West Jacksonville Elementary
Jon Whelan - 4th grade - Woodland Acres Elementary
Fernando Casanova - 5th grade - Loretto Elementary
Shakisa Knight - 5th grade - St. Clair Evans Academy
Middle School Category:
Marko Sekerovic - 6th grade - Landon Middle
Darnell Pritchard - 6th grade - Jefferson Davis Middle
Auldrey Osorio - 7th grade - Mayport Middle
Alexis Watson - 7th grade - Twin Lakes Academy Middle
Antonio Sadberry - 8th grade - Highlands Middle
Maria Algarra - 8th grade - J.E.B. Stuart Middle
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