May 20, 2016 Volume iV, ISSUE 8Story Board is an interactive newsletter. All sponsor ads and text in blue are links!

BPS SPRINt may superhero

Cocoa High instructional assistant, Louise “Lou”

Rowe, was selected as this month’s BPS/

Sprint Superhero. Looking at Rowe, one sees

a compact woman who shares her office with

colorful rafting tubes and beach balls that tower

over her. She packs a lot of energy into her

small frame.

Rowe was selected as this month’s recipient for

her work with the Crosswinds Youth Services

students who attend Cocoa High. “I work with

students who might need a little extra help

here and there,” Rowe explained. “I check on

them and make sure everything’s going okay. I

welcome them to the school and make sure

they know where they are going. I continue to

monitor them.”

She follows 30 kids around all day making sure

they are on task, where they are supposed to be,

and comfortable within the vast campus of the

school. “She gives these kids an adult on campus

who loves them and cares for them,” said Dr.

Stephanie Soliven, principal. “She literally follows

them all day long so they are dealing with the

transition of a new school with the support of

an individual.”

Crosswinds provides services to youth in

transition, youth in the juvenile justice system, or

youth who may need respite from their families.

Crosswinds provides emergency crisis shelter for

Lou Rowe celebrates her selection as the BPS/Sprint Superhero for May 2016 with her colleagues at Cocoa High.

BPS STORYBOARD - May 20, 2016 - VOLUME IV, ISSUE 8 - PAGE 1

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students. Some of these students stay at Cocoa

High for just a few days until their families pick them up. Some students stay longer.

Rowe has also taken on stocking a closet for any student or family member of a student who

might be in need. This closet contains clothing, shoes, school supplies, backpacks, and toiletry items. Donations are provided by teachers, the

local community, and business partners.

Rowe also works with students in the Cocoa YMCA program that serves middle school age students. One of these students was having trouble getting along with others at the beginning of the year. “Now he is getting along

very well with others,” Rowe said. “I think the biggest thing is seeing these students grow up

and mature as the year goes along. They finally realize they need to buckle down and do what they need to do.”

Rowe works with YMCA students throughout the school year and in the summer. Here she coordinates games, sports, crafts, technology, and fun. “Working with all of these different kids keeps me young,” Rowe said.

BPS STORYBOARD - May 20, 2016 - VOLUME IV, ISSUE 8 - PAGE 2

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Lou Rowe works with students at Cocoa High to fill a closet for students in need.

The newest graduate of the University of West Florida’s (UWF) educational leadership program is BPS fifth grade teacher, Valerie Rigdon. Rigdon teaches at Tropical Elementary in Merritt Island and she has a reputation for making reading fun and giving kids a love of literature, according to her colleagues.

Last week, the BPS News team surprised Rigdon in her classroom and presented her with goodies and a cap and gown from UWF. She and her class were participating in a readers’ theater at the time. The Merritt Island resident was selected as the UWF Shining Scholar for May 2016. “Our professors nominate several candidates, but Valerie was a standout,” UWF regional representative, Becky Richardson said. “Her professors mentioned her integrity and high level of quality work.”

“The thing we hear about Mrs. Rigdon the most is her great love and passion for reading and literature. We want to instill that passion in our students. They go into her classroom and they come out loving reading,” said Samantha Alison, Tropical’s principal. “Her love of reading permeates the halls of Tropical. We are blessed to have her here. She’s truly an asset to our school.”

Rigdon recently completed her second master’s degree. This one in educational leadership along with her master’s in elementary education from UCF, her undergraduate degree in speech/communications from Palm Beach

Atlantic College, and her passing score on the Florida Educational Leadership Examination (FELE) will give her the opportunity to seek out and apply for a job in school leadership.

Rigdon has been at Tropical all of her 14 years of teaching. She found the flexibility of the UWF program to fit in with her schedule. “I enjoyed the challenge of learning how to collaborate through online webcasts and webinars. The professors took an active role and motivated me to grow in many aspects of leadership,” she said. “I particularly enjoyed the practical experiences that I had at Tropical. My administration gave me many administrative opportunities from handling the front office, to discipline, budgeting, planning an academic support program, creating new schedules, analyzing and presenting data, attending PTO and SAC meetings and handing out awards at award ceremonies.”

Tropical Teacher Takes Reading to Top

Tropical Elementary teacher Valerie Rigdon is presented with the UWF Shining Scholar from Becky Richardson.

Rigdon celebrates the UWF recognition with her class at Tropical.

BPS STORYBOARD - May 20, 2016 - VOLUME IV, ISSUE 8 - PAGE 3

Satellite High physics teacher Lucretia Balch and calculus teacher, Bob Mentillo, recently developed and applied an integrated lesson plan called “Clash of the Scorpions,” tasking calculus and physics students with a real world STEM application project of designing and constructing a balsa wood dragster (model car) powered by carbon dioxide.

The lesson plan was created over the summer of 2015, when BPS offered a summer training program for math and science teachers called “Synergize Me,” which enabled teachers to develop integrated lessons involving the two curricula.

Once their dragster was complete, students placed their projects up for competition in several

categories including best of show, most artistic design and fastest speed, which had a racing component.

“These teachers truly developed a lesson/project where students were engaged, learning real world math and science, and helped them become quality 21st century learners,” said Julie Wagner, math resource teacher.

Cars Powered by Carbon Dioxide

Ryan Stephens, left and John Golden, students at Satellite High, developed a dragster that runs on carbon dioxide.

BPS STORYBOARD - May 20 2016 - VOLUME IV, ISSUE 8 - PAGE 4

https://www.facebook.com/BrevardPublicSchools/posts/1200481666638346

Visit ccuFlorida.org/founders for ways to save money with our special deposit & loan offers.Share account with a one time membership fee required. Membership is available to Brevard,Orange, Osceola, Indian River, Volusia, and Polk County residents. Federally insured by NCUA.

We appreciate you. Thank you for all you do!

All paid community coaches who do not hold a state-issued teaching certificate must hold the athletic coaching certification in order to be hired. The BPS consists of three college-course equivalent in-service courses that have been approved by the Florida Department of Education. The courses are mandated by the Department of Education and cover the following topics: athletic coaching theory; sports medicine; and sport specific training.

Each course is a 60-hour equivalent course with objectives stated in the master in-service plan for Brevard County. Along with the sports medicine course, a valid certificate in CPR from the American

Red Cross is required for certification.

The Office of Professional Learning and Development offers all three athletic coaching courses free of charge to our community coaches and teachers each year. The coach must submit certificates of completion and copy of the CPR card to Joanne Bogle in the Professional & Learning Development office. For information regarding current course offerings and registration, contact Bogle at 321-633-1000, ext. 209.

Athletic Coaching Endorsement

Proud BPS business partner, Community Credit Union (CCU) does many rewarding things for the District. Their efforts include providing funding for schools’ non-restricted funds through its $chool Buck$ program, high school mascot themed debit cards for each high school and the community, and fiscal education to students courtesy of its education director, Deborah Blair. Recently student tellers from Croton, Harbor City and Enterprise Elementary Schools in CCU’s Money Masters program visited the CCU branch in Rockledge. The students took a tour and gave feedback about their experiences this year. CCU president and chief executive officer, David Brock, gave a talk about leadership and praised the students’ commitment to the job.

Money Masters is a student

Money Masters is a student run branch of CCU, open weekly at the schools. Student tellers are trained to encourage other students to save via student savings accounts. “Student tellers learn soft skills as part of this job,” Blair said. “Leadership, responsibility, customer service, and the importance of saving money.”

Community Credit Union’s president and CEO, David Brock (right) greets students

Business Partners Share Expertise

BPS STORYBOARD - May 20 2016 - VOLUME IV, ISSUE 8 - PAGE 5

Marinated Flank SteakFlank steak is a perfect cut of meat to marinade before you leave for work and pop on a hot grill when you get home in the evening. Pair it with a green salad and potato salad from the supermarket. Here are three marinade suggestions:

Ingredients:

1/3 C. vegetable oil

1/3 C. honey

1/3 C. soy sauce

2 t. onion powder

1 garlic clove; minced

1 t. dry ginger

2 lb. flank steak

Preparation:

1. Place all ingredients (except steak) in a jar and shake well.

2. Place steak in a long glass casserole dish. Using a table fork, poke small holes into steak.

3. Pour marinade over meat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 8-12 hours.

4. Preheat grill. Grill each side 6-10 minutes to desired doneness. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing thinly across the grain.

Ingredients:

1 C. soy sauce

3 T. brown sugar

¼ C. pineapple juice

2 lb. flank steak

Preparation:

1. Put soy sauce and brown sugar in a 2 C. glass measuring cup. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir to dissolve. Cool slightly. Add pineapple juice.

2. Follow steps 2 through 4 above

(Calling all BPS cooks. Send us your favorite recipes for summertime. Think green salads, dishes featuring summer fruits, and grilled meats.

If we feature your recipe in an upcoming issue of Storyboard, we’ll send you two movie tickets. Send submissions to Foley.Debra@brevardschools.org)

Ingredients:

½ C. soy sauce

½ C. red wine

Ground black pepper

2 lb. flank steak

Preparation:

1. Place soy sauce and wine in a jar and shake well.

2. Place steak in a long glass casserole dish. Cover well with pepper. Using a table fork, poke small holes into steak.

3. Follow steps 3 and 4 above.

BPS STORYBOARD - May 20, 2016 - VOLUME IV, ISSUE 8 - PAGE 6

From Sharon Mager’s kitchen

From Ginny Morris’ kitchen

From Michael Francisco’s (BPS digital producer) kitchen

Edgewood Jr./Sr. High teacher, Ryan Cilsick, will receive the National Marine Science Educators’ Outstanding Teacher Award at the National Marine Educators Association (NMEA) national conference in June in Orlando. NMEA is an organization of classroom teachers, informal educators, university professors, and scientists from around the world who strive to advance the understanding and protection of freshwater and marine ecosystems.

“I come to work every day getting to talk about and teach about a subject I love; the ocean. and to get rewarded for this, I am one of the luckiest teachers around, Cilsick said.

PE Teacher Wins TPO Award

Edgewood Teacher Wins Award

The Space Coast Transportation Planning Organization (SCTPO) presented the annual Bicycle, Pedestrian and Trails Advisory Committee (BPTAC) Awards at last month’s TPO Board meeting. BPS employees, Longleaf PE teacher, Tina Stofflet, and Rachel Winsten, K-12 PE, health and driver’s ed resource teacher, were among the winners.

BPTAC Awards are given to individuals or organizations that have excelled in promoting safe bicycling and walking in the community. Stofflet was selected for her dedication to her students; she teaches the Florida Traffic and Bicycle Safety Education Program every year at Longleaf in Melbourne. She also stresses the importance of bicycle/pedestrian safety and helmet use with her students through her active

participation in Walk to School Day and Bike to School Day at the school level.

Winsten has served as an essential contact for the county and school board’s annual collaboration of the bicycle/pedestrian program. The program has a record number of teachers participating in the program and the number of schools participating in Walk and Bike to School Days has grown to new heights. “Simply put, the TPO’s education program would not be near as successful without Rachel’s support,” said Kim Smith, SCTPO bicycle/pedestrian education coordinator.

Longleaf PE teacher, Tina Stofflet and PE resource teacher, Rachel Winsten accept awards for their work on safe bicycling and walking in the community.

BPS STORYBOARD - May 20 2016 - VOLUME IV, ISSUE 8 - PAGE 7

New Buses Roll into Compounds

All four BPS bus compounds will begin receiving 2017 model year buses this month. Nineteen of the IC brand 77 passenger buses and 19 of the Thomas brand buses will arrive in time for summer activities. These buses have the Seon surveillance camera systems installed and active. These cameras capture and record student and driver behavior. They enable bus drivers to see students inside and outside the bus. The new buses will also have the Zonar tracking

equipment installed for activation at a future time.

Bus driver Jacqueline Walker explained all of the new

features of the bus including a wider, easier to maneuver step area for boarding and unloading, wider windshield, better air conditioning controls for all zones, lots of cameras, and more spots for

drivers to stow equipment. “We are all going to like the safety and new features on these buses,” Walker said.

Nominees from all 50 states were received in this year’s Music Educator Award™ presented by The Recording Academy® and the GRAMMY

Foundation®. Joani Slawson, music teacher at Saturn Elementary in Cocoa was selected as a quarterfinalist. This award recognizes teachers who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education and who demonstrate a commitment to the broader

cause of maintaining music education in the schools, according to the GRAMMY Foundation website.

Slawson was also a recipient of the Yale 2011 Distinguished Music Educator award. She was one of only 50 music educators from across the nation selected for her outstanding accomplishments teaching music in public schools. In addition to teaching at Saturn, Slawson is a private voice teacher and the conductor of the non-profit Brevard Children's Chorus.

Outstanding Music Teacher

Saturn Elementary music teacher, Joani Slawson has been nominated for an award from the GRAMMY Foundation.

Bus driver Jacqueline Walker explains new features on the 2017 buses.

BPS STORYBOARD - May 20, 2016 - VOLUME IV, ISSUE 8 - PAGE 8

Last week dozens of this year’s teachers of the year from all schools met for a half day summit at the Rockledge Country Club. The event was organized in order to expose these outstanding teachers to opportunities for teacher leadership in the district. The day was sponsored by the BPS teacher leadership council.

The council works to promote teacher advocacy, leadership, communication, and service throughout the school district. The group works behind the scenes to accomplish these goals by sponsoring special events, communicating with teachers, district leadership, and supporting pre-service and novice teachers.

“The idea behind this district-wide initiative began in 2010 when Dr. Lucy Haddock and I reflected on our journey as district teachers of the year,” said co-chair Christina Donohue. Donohue is the literacy coach at Andersen and Sherwood Elementary and a 2010 teacher of the year. “We realized that our district did not fully (continuously) utilize the opportunity to tap into our most valued resources…our teacher leaders. Brevard is an exemplary school district and our presence should be noticed at state-wide educational conferences

and in our business community. By promoting our teacher leaders and helping them gain the leadership skills they desire to reach their professional goals, we improve the educational journey of many.”

Event highlights included a lively presentation from the current district teacher of the year, Mark Peters from Port Malabar Elementary. Peters took the group through an activity that reminded attendees that movement is important. “Our teachers were up and moving- waking up their brain and body…. Just in time to hear Brian Dassler’s presentation,” Donohue said.

Dassler, the deputy chancellor for education quality for the Florida Department of Education provided the participants with professional development on Growth Mindset. This program encourages teachers to work together and collaborate on activities for students and in support of each other.

The summit’s keynote speaker was Michael Cadore, a public safety coordinator at Eastern Florida State College. His talk covered working together as a team, setting examples for young people, and remembering to slow down to pay attention to the younger generation.

Leadership Council sponsors TOY Summit

BPS STORYBOARD - May 20, 2016 - VOLUME IV, ISSUE 8 - PAGE 9

BPS Storyboard is a publication of Brevard Public Schools for employees published by the Department of Community Relations.

Michelle Irwin, director Debra Foley, editor Dan Jankowski, layout Abby Rex, assistant

Contributing editors:

Dinah Kramer

Brevard Public Schools, 2700 Judge Fran Jamieson Way, Viera, Fl 32940For more information call 321-633-1000, ext. 796. To submit editorial copy or to place an ad, please contact foley.debra@brevardschools.org.

BPS Hosts 2016 Business Partner of the Year Awards

Superintendent Dr. Desmond Blackburn (left) and School Board Chairman Andy Ziegler (right), present Grand Canyon University’s Mark Kaczmarek with the business partner of the year award.

Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bayside is awarded mid-size business of the year.

BPS STORYBOARD - May 20, 2016 - VOLUME IV, ISSUE 8 - PAGE 10

BREVARD COUNTY, FLA. – Brevard Public Schools celebrated its business partners of the year during a ceremony at the Educational Services Facility in Viera on April 21. Community Credit Union took the top award and was submitted to the state as the district’s business partner of the year.

Additionally, all the Brevard Five Guys restaurants were the large business of the year, Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bayside won for mid-size business, and the small business winner went to the law office of Amy B. Van Fossen. Calvary Chapel in West Melbourne was named

the non-profit business partner of the year, ReMax Elite received Rookie of the Year status and Courtney & Braswell Financial Group won the district-wide business partner of the year award. Sherwood Elementary’s Stacey Nemetz, was named the business partner coordinator of the year.

The individual Shining Star award was presented to Titusville Fire Department’s Heather Gilmore, and special recognitions were given to Grand Canyon University for its support of teachers and to Indian River City United Methodist Church for its love of our students. Over 100 businesses and school personnel attended the ceremony and were awarded certificates for supporting the program at the school level.

“Our schools continue to reap the rewards from the business partner program,” said Debra Foley, district program coordinator. “As relationships grow, more and more businesses feel a part of our school communities. We welcome them.”

For more information about the event, please contact Foley at 321-633-1000 ext. 529 or foley.debra@brevardschools.org.