Message from
Ed Pratt-Dannals
Superintendent of Schools

Learning Doesn't Stop During Summer

Summer is in full swing, which for many families means summer vacations, baseball games, and trips to the park and pool. While the summer should definitely be a time for students to relax, it is also a great opportunity for them to prepare for the 2009/2010 school year.

Visit our Web site for details about programs and educational activities that will keep students academically engaged over the summer and give them a head start for the upcoming year.

Also, be sure to visit the Jacksonville Public Library's Web site for a list of reading and writing programs, as well as creative activities and events offered to both children and adults.

Help students find a variety of activities this summer that are not only enjoyable, but also provide them with a valuable learning experience.

Don't forget - The 2009/2010 school year begins on Monday, August 24, 2009. For more important dates, please review the DCPS District Calendar .

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Ed Pratt-Dannals
Superintendent

Superintendent's Academies See Success

This summer, more than 2,400 DCPS' students enrolled in one of the district's new Superintendent's Summer Reading & Mathematics Academies. These academies provide students with additional learning opportunities and extra support, which builds a stronger foundation in the key areas of reading and math.

Due to money received through the federal economic stimulus package, the district was able to expand its normal summer school programs offered to students in grades 1-12. The Superintendent's Summer Reading & Mathematics Academies were established for elementary, middle and high school students attending Turnaround and Correct II schools.

The five academies are: the Primary Reading Academy; the Reading & Mathematics Academy; the Superintendent's Bridge Academy; the DCPS, FCCJ and Bethel Baptist Church Summer Intervention Academy; and the Superintendent's College Bound Academy. (A full description of each academy is available here.)

Challenger Students Visit the Moon at Space Explorer Camp

Future astronauts, engineers, scientists and mathematicians are being trained this summer at the Kirby-Smith Middle School Challenger Learning Center's Space Explorer Camp.

The Space Explorer Camp, led by Senior Flight Director Sheree Kearns and Flight Director Philip Walker, helps students discover the wonders of space exploration aboard the Challenger Learning Center's spacecraft and Mission Control simulators. This is the 10th year the center has offered the camp, and it is open to students throughout the area.

"Our Space Explorer Camp provides students with the opportunity to experience hands-on enrichment activities in science, math and technology," said Kearns. "We need to provide real activities that will inspire and educate students in the areas of science and technology."

During the week-long camp, students learn about space exploration, rocketry, robotics and more. They participate in activities such as building and launching rockets, creating catapults and stratovolcanoes, constructing wind-powered solar vehicles, and competing in Space Science Jeopardy.

For many students, their favorite part of the week is participating in simulated space missions in the center’s orbiting space station and Mission Control room, which was designed after NASA’s Johnson Space Center. During these simulations, students visit the moon and Mars, get an up-close look at a comet as it travels across the galaxy, and act as the Emergency Response Squad, as they construct and deploy a new satellite, and retrieve important data about the Earth and its environment.

Students also take a field trip to the Kennedy Space Center and Sally Corp.

While many of the students are experiencing Space Explorer Camp for the first time, several students have returned for additional camps and are designated as Navigators. The Navigators, along with a few volunteers who were STAR Interns at the Challenger Learning Center during the school year, assist the new trainees throughout the week.

Dayshon M., a former STAR Intern and student at Kirby-Smith who will be enrolling at Stanton College Preparatory School next year, says he enjoys volunteering at the camp so that he can help other students learn about space exploration and technology.

Navigator Sarah T., who attends Susie Tolbert Elementary, says she wants to be the first woman to land on Mars, and that the Space Explorer Camp has taught her a lot about space travel and science.

Traveling to space is a dream for many of the students, and also for Sheree Kearns who has wanted to become an astronaut since she was a little girl.

"I have always wanted to be an astronaut, and I am still pursuing that dream by applying with NASA frequently," she said. "Until then, I am teaching a subject I love and am passionate about, and inspiring the next generation of moon walkers. Maybe I will be the oldest woman in space – I am teaching my students to never let go of your dreams and to work in a field you love."

Veterans Receive Diplomas from DCPS

In April, the Duval County School Board approved a recommendation to allow veterans to receive their high school diploma during Duval County graduation ceremonies or at a monthly School Board meeting.

Summer Lunch for Jax Kids

Each year, more than 12,000 Duval County children may receive nutritious snacks and lunches at no cost to parents through the Summer Lunch Program.

The Jacksonville Children's Commission and the Florida Department of Education/USDA are providing free lunches to Duval County children under the age of 18 now through Friday, Aug. 14.

Visit www.jaxkids.net or call the Commission at 904-630-6430 for eligibility requirements and a complete list of summer lunch sites.

In This Issue...

July 2009

• Superintendent's Message
• School Schedule Change
• Superintendent's Academies See Success
• District Calendar
• Community Input Needed
• Students Visit the Moon
• Veterans Receive Diplomas
• Board Meeting Recap
• Inside DCPS
• Summer Lunch for Jax Kids
• Stay Informed
• Contact Us

School Schedule Change

For the 2009-2010 school year, class schedules will be adjusted to shorten the school day by 45 minutes.

*Please note: There are exceptions to this adjustment.

Please visit our Web site for a complete list of school schedules.

District Calendar

July

14	Magnet Long-Range Plan Meeting - LaVilla School of the Arts - Student Focus Group 4 to 6 p.m.; Community Meeting 6 p.m.
27	District Advisory Council (DAC) Meeting - DCPS Administration Building, 6th Floor Conference Room, 6 p.m.

August

4	School Board Meeting - DCPS Administration Building, Cline Auditorium, 6 p.m.
24	First Day of School for Students

Community Input Needed

Magnet Long-Range Plan Meeting

Board Meeting Recap

At its monthly meeting on July 7, the Duval County School Board and Superintendent Pratt-Dannals recognized schools and local veterans for their outstanding accomplishments and contributions to Duval County Public Schools:

Inside DCPS

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

Superintendent
Ed Pratt-Dannals

Stay Informed