The Connection
Connecting you to the School District of Indian River County
Welcome to the Connection!
Welcome to The Connection, our new weekly newsletter connecting you to important news, events, and activities happening in the School District of Indian River County. This newsletter will highlight events throughout all grade levels and include district news. We are looking forward to your input in The Connection and hope that you will submit important news and information to be considered for publishing. Please email socialmedia@indianriverschools.org to submit potential highlights.
We wish you a safe and relaxing Spring Break! Our schools will be closed the week of March 18th-22nd, and we will be welcoming students, teachers, and staff back on March 25th. The District office will be open Monday-Wednesday 3/18-3/20, and closed on Thursday 3/21, and Friday, 3/22.
VBHS Philharmonic Orchestra places top 3 in national competition
Cindy Emerson, 2019 Principal of the Year State Finalist!
The Florida Department of Education has announced that Cindy Emerson, Principal at Vero Beach Elementary School, is a State Finalist for the 2019 State of Florida Principal of the Year. After receiving the good news, a gathering of students, teachers, family members, and District staff, was planned to surprise Mrs. Emerson first thing Monday morning.
At the end of October, 2018, Cindy Emerson was named District Principal of the Year by our school district. Cindy moved forward as our nominee to compete in the State Principal of the Year competition against 43 other district nominees from various school districts around the state. After completing an extensive application packet, and eagerly waiting over 4 months for an official announcement, Cindy was selected as 1 out of 5 state finalists.
"Living Voices" at SRMS
The story follows Sarah as she hides for two years in the basement of a clock store until she is discovered and sent to the Westerbork prison camp. At Westerbork, Sarah is reunited with Anne. After a few weeks, Sarah and the Franks are put on a train to Auschwitz.
In Auschwitz, Sarah and Anne are tattooed with numbers, shaved, and forced to stand in the cold for long roll calls before beginning their day of forced labor. The men are separated from their families and Anne becomes ill. After a few months Anne, her sister Margot, and Sarah are shipped to another camp called Bergen-Belsen.
In Bergen-Belsen, both Anne's and Margot's health grows worse. Margot becomes so weakened that she dies from a fall; days later, Anne dies from typhoid.
At the end of the war, Sarah is liberated and reunited with her brother. Living a new life in America, Sarah is sent a copy of Anne's diary. Sarah learns that she must never forget; through memory, her friend lives on.
Don't forget to watch the Marching Sharks in the NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade!
"little Elites" at Rosewood Magnet
Little ELITES is a new program for children ages 6-12 with intellectual disabilities, developmental delays, and autism designed to introduce them into the world of sports. Little ELITES stands for Elementary Level Introduction to Entry-level Sports.
The program includes physical activities focused on developing fundamental motor tracking and eye-hand coordination. It also concentrates on the application of these physical activities through a sports skills activity program and developing skills consistent with Special Olympics competitive sports.
The event was held at Rosewood Magnet and was set up on the field by the playground behind the school. The students will be participating in track and field events to show the skills they have learned. Each student received a medal of participation.
Veteran of the Month: Rev. Sylvester McIntosh
Reverend McIntosh is a wonderful member of our veterans community and is a leader throughout the state of Florida. Rev. McIntosh is a member of American Legion Post 181 in Gifford, and was appointed by the City of Vero Beach City Council to serve on the Veterans Memorial Island Sanctuary Committee. He is a frequent speaker at events where he shares his thoughts and inspiration to our youth. He was recently awarded (retroactively) the Silver Star for his heroism in the Vietnam War. His gallantry saved many lives.
STEP into kindergarten in our school district!
fortifyFL security app
We are pleased to announce that the FortifyFL app is LIVE. Now, any student, educator, parent, or member of the public can report school safety concerns directly to law enforcement and school administrators anonymously and easily through the FortifyFL app or www.getfortifyfl.com. The app, which is available for download on Apple and Android mobile devices, is critical to ensuring all Florida schools are safe environments where students and educators can experience and share the joy of learning without fear. We hope that you will become familiar with this tool and help us spread the word about it with our students and their families. Please note that the official app’s logo will look exactly as it does in the graphic above.
Join us for our STEAM Fest
VPK Registration Information
VPK applications may also be turned in at Fellsmere Elementary School on March 4th, from 3:30 p.m.- 5:30 p.m. and Indian River Academy on March 6th, from 3:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m.
Families who may have questions about the lottery process can visit our VPK page on the District website (www.indianriverschools.org/vpk (click on the "How to Apply" tab).
Applications will NOT be accepted without a child’s Certificate of Eligibility, which is processed and approved through the Early Learning Coalition. The Early Learning Coalition Family Portal link can be found here ( https://familyservices.floridaearlylearning.com/) or on our “How to Apply” tab, as well.
Traditional Public School Choice Open Enrollment
Open Enrollment
Elementary (Kindergarten) & Secondary (6th and 9th)
Open enrollment for Public School Choice will be from March 1 through April 15. A computer driven lottery will be conducted for all applicants received during the open enrollment dates. All applicants will receive a letter by April 30 informing them of their placement for the following fall semester. All accepted applicants will have 10 days to enroll at their accepted school. If applicants do not register by the 10th day, their spot will be given to the next applicant on the waiting list.
Elementary (1st – 5th) & Secondary (7th - 8th) (10th – 12th)
Applications can be submitted at any time though out the year and will be placed on the waiting list by the date the application was received. Student Assignment will monitor openings at the schools every first Wednesday of the month. If there are openings, we will call the next student on the waiting list for the seat.
All Public School of Choice placements are accepted in accordance with program capacity, class size, and racial balance. Preferential treatment is considered for the following:
- Dependent children of active duty military personnel whose move resulted from military orders.
- Children who have been relocated due to a foster care placement in a different school zone.
- Children who move due to a court-ordered change in custody due to separation or divorce, or serious illness or death of a custodial parent.
- Students residing in Indian River County school district.
All applications that are received after the open enrollment date will be placed on the waiting list by the date that the application has been received.
**All students who are accepted through public school choice may remain at the school chosen by the parent until the student completes the highest grade level at the school.**
Application Procedures
In-County parents have the option of requesting that their child(ren) attend a school outside their zoned school by completing the Public School Choice Application.
Out-of-County parents have the option of requesting that their child(ren) attend a school in Indian River County. Preference for Public School Choice is given for in-county residents, active military, foster care students, and to students that have a court ordered change of address, before offering seats to out-of-county residents (Florida Statute 1002.31).
For more information, visit: https://www.indianriverschools.org/cms/one.aspx?pageId=2649383
Interscholastic & Intrascholastic Extracurricular Activities
Students who wish to play a sport at a school that is not their zoned school will need to complete the Public School Choice Application with the Student Assignment Office.
All Public School of Choice placements are accepted in accordance with program capacity, class size, and racial balance.
A student may not participate in a sport, if the student participated in that same sport at another school during that school year, unless the student meets one of the following:
- Dependent children of active duty military personnel whose move resulted from military orders.
- Children who have been relocated due to a foster care placement in a different school zone.
- Children who move due to a court-ordered change in custody due to separation or divorce, or serious illness or death of a custodial parent.
- Students residing in Indian River County School District.
Magnet School registration
Magnet School applications are still being accepted; however, they will not be placed in the lottery.
Students who turned in applications by February 1st, and were not accepted through the lottery, will be placed on a wait list by their lottery number. Any applications submitted after Feb. 1st, will be placed behind those not accepted in lottery, by date and time submitted.
For families submitting late applications:
Families may indicate only ONE choice of a magnet school. The three magnet schools in Indian River County are Osceola Magnet, with a math and science focus; Rosewood Magnet, with a Core-Knowledge curriculum; and Liberty Magnet, with an international studies focus. Families who apply for their student to attend a magnet school must agree to follow the requirements of the Magnet School Commitments. Applications can be picked up at the School District office at 6500 57th Street or any of the magnet schools.
Jason M. Patzer, served 4.5 years active duty with USMC as an E-4 Non-Commissioned Officer and was honorably discharged. He is one of the founding members of the Next Generation Veterans, Inc. Jason is the Wolf Den leader for Cub Scout Pack 530, organizer of a youth to veteran pen-pal program, and member and volunteer of the Vero Beach Veterans Social Club. Jason is currently the owner of a multi-inspection home company, “First and Goal Home Inspections,” that has been proudly serving IRC for over 5 years. Jason is married to Marcie Patzer, and has 2 sons, Nathan, who graduated from VBHS and is a Marine Corps “Poolie,” and Hunter who attends Citrus Elementary and is a student in the Autism Spectrum Program.
March's Casual for a Cause
March of Dimes leads the fight for the health of all moms and babies. We believe that every baby deserves the best possible start. Unfortunately, not all babies get one. We are changing that.
For 80 years, March of Dimes has helped millions of babies survive and thrive. Now we’re building on that legacy to level the playing field for all moms and babies, no matter their age, socio-economic background or demographics. We support moms throughout their pregnancy, even when everything doesn’t go according to plan. We advocate for policies that prioritize their health. We support radical improvements to the care they receive. And we pioneer research to find solutions to the biggest health threats to moms and babies.
What began with President Franklin D. Roosevelt's personal struggle with polio led to the creation of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, better known as March of Dimes. We pioneered the vaccine research leading to the eradication of polio in the U.S., and then we shifted focus to address some of the biggest health threats to moms and babies with innovations like folic acid, newborn screening, and surfactant therapy.
Today, we educate medical professionals and the public about best practices; we support lifesaving research; we provided comfort and support to families in NICUs; and we advocate for those who need us most, moms and babies. We are stronger and more committed than ever to guiding moms through every stage of the pregnancy journey. We are fighting for the smallest among us and advocating for their health each and every day. And we do so with the tools, technology, and knowledge needed to build a brighter future for us all. For more information visit https://www.marchofdimes.org/
ESE Parent Survey
support education with a fresh, new look!
The Support Education specialty tag has a fresh new look! For the first time in 25 years, the tag has undergone a total makeover.
Since its introduction in 1994, more than $13 million has been raised through the collaborative efforts of the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations (CFEF) and local education foundation members across the state.
While the look has changed, one thing remains the same – when Florida residents purchase or renew their Support Education specialty tag, $20 goes directly back to support education programs in the county where the tag was purchased or renewed. Funds support programs like classroom innovation, education enrichment programs, supporting and recognizing teachers, extra help and mentoring for at-risk students, school supplies and school scholarships.
Visit www.LicenseToLearnFL.com to learn more, purchase, or trade in your current Support Education tag today!
The scholarships are worth $500 each and can be used for reimbursement for the following:
*Tuition and fees for part-time tutoring provided by a person who holds a valid Florida educator’s certificate, a baccalaureate or graduate degree in the subject, an adjunct teaching certificate, or has demonstrated mastery of the subject area knowledge.
*Fees for summer education programs designed to improve reading or literacy skills.
*Fees for after-school education programs designed to improve reading or literacy skills.
*Instructional materials and curriculum related to reading or literacy.
Click to apply: https://www.stepupforstudents.org/for-parents/reading-scholarship/how-the-scholarship-works/
IRCSO Tips Hotline and School Tips Email
School information
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School District of Indian River County's Strategic Plan
Click below to see our District's Strategic Plan
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The School District of Indian River County
Email: cristen.maddux@indianriverschools.org
Website: www.indianriverschools.org
Location: 6500 57th Street, Vero Beach, FL, USA
Phone: 772-564-3000
Facebook: facebook.com/SchoolDistrictofIRC
Twitter: @IRCSchools