School Zone
Points of Pride
Two DCPS’ Students Win National Poison Prevention Week Poster Contest
The National Poison Prevention Week Council recently announced that two Duval County Public Schools’ students are the winners of the 2009 poster contest’s nine to 13-year-old category.
Shannon Donnelly, second-place winner, and Elizabeth Utset, third-place winner, are both ninth-grade students at
Stanton College Preparatory School. Both students received formal letters from the national council, Target gift cards and award certificates.
Shannon’s poster, titled “Children Act Fast, So Do Poisons,” and Elizabeth’s poster, titled, “Watch Out for Poisons!,” can both be viewed at
www.fpicjax.org by clicking on the News link for NPPW 2009.
“Children can be a powerful force for education within their family,” said Kristin Lolmaugh, Chair of the Council. “We are delighted to work with the Poison Control Centers to encourage children to participate in educating their community about this important issue.”
The National Poison Prevention Week Council, in conjunction with the American Association of Poison Control Center, sponsors the poster contest each year as part of a year-round effort to educate communities about ways to prevent accidental poisonings at home. Shannon’s and Elizabeth’s posters were selected from entries that were submitted to the Florida/USVI Poison Information Center – Jacksonville.
The annual National Poison Prevention Week is the third week in March and is designed to highlight the dangers of poisonings and how to prevent them. For additional information on the poster contest and steps the public can take to help prevent accidental poisonings, visit the council’s Web site at
www.poisonprevention.org.
Carter G. Woodson Elementary Hosts First Community Outreach Day
Hundreds of students and their families recently spent a Saturday afternoon at
Carter G. Woodson Elementary for its first annual Community Outreach Day.
Special visitors included Duval County Public Schools' Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals, Deputy Superintendent Pat Willis and Executive Director for Turnaround Schools Jackie Byrd, as well as School Board member Betty Burney and State Representative Mia Jones.
The event, which was sponsored by one of the school's business partners, A. B. Coleman Mortuary, was an opportunity for Carter G. Woodson Elementary to become a focal point of the local community, providing parents with instant access to the resources they need to help their child grow into productive citizens in society.
Inside the school's gym, organizations such as the YMCA, Jacksonville Public Library, Clara White Mission, Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, and Boys/Girls Scouts, were on hand to provide students and their parents with helpful information and resources.
Students also had the opportunity to meet their teacher for the 2009-2010 school year, and tour their classroom. To help jump start the school year, Aetna handed out free backpacks filled with school supplies to every student in attendance.
Outside of the school, students had a blast on the inflatable bouncy houses and enjoyed music from a local DJ. Ashley Street Catering provided free lunches, while Shands Mobile provided free health screenings.
Principal Cheryl Quarles-Gaston thanked the local vendors, community members and parents for their support, and encouraged the parents to stay involved all year at Carter G. Woodson Elementary.
Navy Command and GCA Beautify Terry Parker Campus
Terry Parker High School recently welcomed volunteers from the U.S. Navy, as well as employees of GCA Services Group (the custodial contractor for Duval County Public Schools) for the third annual "GCA-Navy Day."
Throughout the day, volunteers participated in a massive spruce up of the Terry Parker campus, including building flower beds, pressure washing, weeding, laying three dump truck loads of mulch, as well as other general cleaning duties.
Steve Gritzuk, the senior regional manager for GCA Services Group, coordinated the revitalization project, and more than 37 personnel contributed to the effort.
Principal Addison Davis thanked all the volunteers for the difference the partnership brought to the Terry Parker campus.
"We appreciate the support of the Navy Command and GCA, and are thankful for their hard work and dedication," said Davis.
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