Message from
Ed Pratt-Dannals
Superintendent of Schools

We are facing a budget shortfall again this year, which could be as high as $125 million. This coupled with $106 million in cuts made over the past three years is making it more challenging to provide the adequate resources to properly address the needs of our students.

Throughout March, I will be hosting a series of community meetings to discuss the school system's current and upcoming financial situation, available revenue, challenges and the district's plans to meet its mission of providing all students with high quality educational opportunities.

I urge you to attend one of our upcoming Budget Community meetings to learn about ways you can assist our schools and learn of the achievements that our students are making every day.

Parents and community members are urged to attend these meetings to gain an understanding of the budget shortfall facing our schools. Your feedback is important. Please join me at one of the following meetings

• Thursday, March 11 - Sandalwood High School, 2750 John Prom Blvd, 32246

• Tuesday, March 16 - Peterson Academies of Technology, 7450 Wilson Blvd., 32210

• Thursday, March 18 - Jean Ribault High School, 3701 Winton Dr., 32208

• Tuesday, March 23 - Mandarin High School, 4831 Greenland Rd., 32258

All community meetings begin at 6 p.m.

Thank you for your support of public education. Together, we'll continue to provide a high quality education to every student and prepare our children for the complex challenges they will face in today's changing world.

Sincerely,

Ed Pratt-Dannals
Superintendent

FCAT Information

This month, students will be taking the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). This is an important test for our students, and it's important for our parents, guardians and community to understand the FCAT.

Below are answers to some commonly asked questions:

What is the purpose of the FCAT?
The FCAT measures student achievement of selected benchmarks in mathematics, reading, science and writing from the Sunshine State Standards (skills and competencies that Florida students should be able to learn from an early age). The FCAT also includes norm-referenced tests in reading and mathematics, designed to permit comparisons between the performance of Florida students and the performance of students throughout the country.

Who takes the FCAT and why?
All public school students are required to take the FCAT in the following areas: writing in grades 4, 8 and 10; reading and mathematics in grades 3 through 10; and science in grades 5, 8 and 11.

How do students prepare for the FCAT?
Teachers help students prepare for the FCAT throughout the school year. Students can also prepare for the FCAT at home, and parents are encouraged to help their students get ready for these important tests.

How can I help my child be successful on the FCAT?

• Help your child prepare with practice tests. The Florida Department of Education provides full-length FCAT reading and mathematics practice tests. Parents, teachers and mentors can use these sample tests as additional resources to increase students’ comfort level and familiarity with the FCAT. To access the practice tests, go to http://fcat.fldoe.org/. Additional resources to help your student prepare for the FCAT are www.fcatmentor.com and www.fcatexplorer.com.

• Before taking the test, be sure that your child is well rested and has eaten well-balanced meals to ensure a healthy body and a healthy, active mind.

• Encourage your child, especially when he/she does well. A positive outlook helps children do their best. However, don't be too anxious about your child's test scores. The best advice you can give your child is to "just relax and do your best."

Answers to more of your questions, plus a schedule of testing dates, helpful resources and links are available on our Web site.

Five Finalists Named For Teacher of the Year

Congratulations to the five teachers who have been selected as finalists for the 2010 Duval County Teacher of the Year!

These five were chosen from 159 school representatives. The 159 were narrowed to 15 semi-finalists based on their informational packet, which included information about their professional development, classroom practices and knowledge of current educational topics.

The District Selection Committee interviewed the semi-finalists and narrowed the list to the following five finalists:

• Zachary Champagne, teacher at Mandarin Oaks Elementary;
• Joe Gilbert, physical education teacher at Lake Forest Elementary;
• Evelyne Ng, kindergarten inclusion teacher at Biscayne Elementary;
• Shannon Wine, primary inclusion teacher at Woodland Acres Elementary; and
• Terry Woodlief, visual arts teacher at Chaffee Trail Elementary.

"The Teacher of the Year program honors and recognizes teacher excellence and is a representation of the more than 8,000 teachers in our district," said Superintendent Ed Pratt-Dannals. "These five finalists competed in a rigorous process that examines their teaching philosophy and practice and is a testament to their hard work in the classroom."

The 2010 Duval County Teacher of the Year will be announced at the EDDY Awards on Thursday, April 29, 2010, at the Hyatt Regency. The EDDY Awards are hosted by the Schultz Center for Teaching and Leadership and the Jacksonville Public Education Fund. Duval County’s Teacher of the Year will then go on to compete for the state-wide title.

To see pictures of our finalists for Teacher of the Year, visit the DCPS' flickr photostream.

For EDDY Awards tickets or sponsorship information, please contact Cheryl Grymes at 348-7715.

It's a March of Words at Crown Point Elementary

Students and staff at Crown Point Elementary recently joined together to display some of their favorite words and help prepare each other for the FCAT during the annual Vocabulary Parade.

Inspired by the book Miss Alaineus, A Vocabulary Disaster by Debra Frazier, the Vocabulary Parade was planned by the school's Reading Team.

The biggest challenge, according to second-grade teacher Devy Pasco, was planning how to give all students the opportunity to not only participate in the parade, but also watch their peers as they participated, and discovered the route around school. In a school with a student population of nearly 1,200, this was no easy task.

The solution was to have two parades, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, and have half of the students from each grade participate in one of the time slots. This allowed students from every classroom the opportunity to see a mixture of students from kindergarten through fifth grade.

Pasco also said the Reading Team decided at the beginning of the year to have the parade right before FCAT to help students with their vocabulary.

"Vocabulary is such an important component for the test, so we are really glad that the students will have the parade to reinforce the words they have been learning in class," said Pasco.

Each class was given the task to pick an academic subject, such as math, reading, science, etc., and then pick their theme and words.

Student Peyton H. came to school dressed as his word, cube. His costume was a rubik’s cube, and he also displayed a poster with the definition of his word and a list of all the different types of cubes.

"Seeing the look on the students' faces and how proud they were to display their words was great," said Pasco. "I hope when they think of the Vocabulary Parade they remember that words can be fun and meaningful, and that it helped them find the fun in learning."

School Spotlights

Local Students Participated in Paul Robeson Scholar Athlete Summit
Florida Senator Anthony "Tony" Hill and Duval County School Board Chairwoman Brenda Priestly Jackson recently hosted the Paul Robeson Scholar Athlete Summit for more than 900 local students.

Fun & Learning at Family FCAT Night at Ramona Blvd. Elementary
Ramona Boulevard Elementary Principal Donna Frank and her staff know how important it is for not only their students to understand and do well on the FCAT, but also for their parents to thoroughly understand the test and how to help their child prepare. So, administrators and staff returned to school on a Tuesday evening to host a FCAT Family Night and State of the School address.

Writers' Boot Camp Brings Fun Learning Strategies to Windy Hill Elementary
The school hosted a Writers' Boot Camp, a fun and interactive way to get their fourth-graders excited and better prepared for the FCAT Writing test.

Olympic Gold Medalist Motivates First Coast High Students at MLK, Jr. Luncheon
High school seniors from First Coast High who have been accepted to and are considering attending the University of North Florida recently had the opportunity to attend a special Martin Luther King, Jr. Luncheon.

Magic and Art Come to Alden Road Exceptional Student Center
Magician Kevin Spencer from Hocus Focus recently joined the students and staff at Alden Road Exceptional Student Center for a wonderful time of entertainment.

Looking for more school stories? Visit our Spotlight on Education section or tune in to dcpsTV to see what's going on at your local school!

Upcoming Events

Symphony of Students
Join Communities In Schools of Jacksonville as they celebrate 20 years of helping kids stay in school and prepare for life.

On Thursday, March 11th, at the Times-Union Center's Jacoby Symphony Hall, Communities in Schools will be hosting Symphony of Students. Special guest performances include national recording artists/musicians, Nuttin' But Stringz and local poet, Al Letson. Proceeds from the event support Communities In Schools so they can continue to provide programs to students in Duval County.

For tickets and information, visit www.cisjax.org or call 904-354-5918.

State of Florida's Task Force on African American History Town Hall Meeting
Florida Statue 1003.42(2)(h) mandates African American history be taught in public schools throughout the entire school year. As a result of this statue, the State of Florida’s Task Force on African American History was created to increase the awareness of the relevance of the Statue.

To learn more about this statue, join the task force for a community and town hall meeting on Friday, March 26. The meeting will be held at the Ritz Theatre & LaVilla Museum, 829 North Davis Street, beginning at 5 p.m.

JTA's Summer Youth Program is Back

Spring break is just around the corner, which means that summer vacation will soon follow.

When students buy a Summer Youth Pass for the month of June, they'll receive the month of July free. August can be added for only $15 more - that's three full months of transportation to the beach, the mall, movie theaters and summer jobs for only $45. This limited-time offer expires Wednesday, June 30, 2010.

As an additional benefit, JTA has partnered with the Jacksonville Suns baseball team to offer free admission to valid, current-month Summer Youth Pass holders during Sunday and Wednesday games. For more details call 904-630-3100. Passes are on sale and may be purchased at the JTA Administration building at 100 North Myrtle St., the Rosa L. Parks Transit Station at State and Union streets or online at www.jtafla.com.

For volunteering, work or play, the JTA Summer Youth Pass Program keeps students on the move.

In This Issue...

March 2010

• Superintendent's Message
• 2010 Census
• FCAT Information
• District Calendar
• Five Finalists Named For TOY
• Board Meeting Recap
• Keep up with DCPS
• March of Words at Crown Point Elementary
• Inside DCPS
• School Spotlights
• Stay Informed
• Upcoming Events
• Newsletter Connection
• Summer Youth Program
• Contact Us

2010 Census

It's in our hands!

District Calendar

March

3	Student Early Release Day
11	Budget Community Meeting - Sandalwood High, 6 p.m.
16	Duval County Council of PTAs/PTSAs Meeting - DCPS Administration Building, Cline Auditorium, 10 a.m.
16	Budget Community Meeting - Peterson Academies, 6 p.m.
18	Budget Community Meeting - Ribault High, 6 p.m.
22	District Advisory Council (DAC) Meeting - DCPS Administration Building, 6th Floor Conference Room, 6 p.m.
23	Budget Community Meeting - Mandarin High, 6 p.m.
24	Student Early Release Day

April

1	Teacher Planning Day (schools closed)
2	Spring Holiday (schools and district offices closed)
5-6	Spring Holiday (schools and district offices closed)
5-9	Spring Break (Schools Closed)
12	School Board Meeting - DCPS Administration Building, Cline Auditorium, 6 p.m.
14	Student Early Release Day
20	Duval County Council of PTAs/PTSAs Meeting - DCPS Administration Building, Cline Auditorium, 10 a.m.
26	District Advisory Council (DAC) Meeting - DCPS Administration Building, 6th Floor Conference Room, 6 p.m.
28	Student Early Release Day

Board Meeting Recap

At its monthly meeting on March 2, the Duval County School Board and Superintendent Pratt-Dannals recognized schools and employees for their outstanding accomplishments and contributions to Duval County Public Schools.

Keep up with DCPS!

Duval County Public Schools has a Facebook page. To follow us, visit Facebook and select 'Become a Fan' at the top of the page.

Inside DCPS

Duval County Public Schools
1701 Prudential Drive
Jacksonville, FL 32207
www.duvalschools.org

Superintendent
Ed Pratt-Dannals

Stay Informed