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.
Sebastian River High School Dance Inclusion Show
School Spotlight: Gifford Middle School
To celebrate international Antarctica Day on December 1, researchers with the International Thwaites Glacier Collaboration, a UK-US program studying Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica, along with other Antarctic experts, organized Skype conversations between polar researchers and elementary, middle, and high school students. Gifford Middle School seventh grade science students were selected to Skype with Sasha Leidman, a researcher at Rutgers University. Dr. Leidman’s research now focuses on Greenland but, he did extensive work in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica.
To prepare for the conversation, students read about Dr. Leidman’s research and viewed video clips about his projects. Dr. Leidman also sent some photographs he took during his field work. Students wrote down questions they had about his research, glacial melting, wildlife encounters, what it was like to conduct research in these harsh climates, and what preparation they needed to become polar scientists. The students were mesmerized throughout the 50-minute conversation. Today, the world came to GMS!
Student Spotlight: Treasure Coast Elementary School Chorus
Pelican Island Elementary School Performs at the Vero Beach Airport
The Pelican Island Elementary Performing Arts program displayed the talents of the Chorus and some of our most talented Kindergarten students at the Vero Beach Airport, as they welcomed Santa for the event.
Textbook Adoption Information
Magnet School registration
The School District of Indian River County will be accepting magnet school applications between December 1, 2018, and February 1, 2019, for the kindergarten classes of 2019 – 2020. In order to enter kindergarten for the next school year, students must be 5 years old on or before September 1, 2019. Applications will be accepted until February 1, 2019, at 5 p.m. Kindergarten slots are filled by a lottery conducted in mid February. 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.
Student applications will be given a computer generated number to determine their rank in the lottery. Families will be notified by mail of their acceptance or non-acceptance. Kindergarten siblings of students currently attending one of the three magnet schools will automatically be accepted, if they have an application on file by 5:00 pm on February 1, 2019.
Veteran of the Month: Peter Sayles
Peter and his wife, Gail
Peter Sayles, United States Marine Corps, Combat Veteran of the Vietnam War.
Peter is the facilitator of the "Toys for Tots" program for North Indian River County. Peter is also President of the Victory Center Military Store at the Indian River Mall. The Victory Center is a non-profit store, whose profits are used to pay for a gathering place for veterans at the mall. Thank you for your service, Mr. Sayles!
December's Casual for a Cause
The Salvation Army exists to meet human need wherever, whenever, and however we can. When you give locally, you ensure that the people in your community get the help they need.
From family tracing to disaster response, The Salvation Army offers a wide variety of services worldwide.
Addiction Dependency
For those in need, the Salvation Army runs a number of addiction rehabilitation programs. We believe in taking the holistic approach, not just helping the client to overcome their addiction, but attacking the roots of that addiction.
Emergency Response
From sites of natural and man-made disasters to places of human conflict, the Salvation Army is there to provide compassion and practical support to those in real and sudden need.
Health
For almost as long as The Salvation Army has existed, it has operated hospitals and clinics in some of the most needy areas of the world. That remains true today. The Salvation Army’s medical services are most effective, influential, and sustainable when they link to health-related community development, which gives local people the opportunity to participate.
International Projects
International Project and Development Services (IPDS) seeks to equip all Salvation Army centers to be catalysts of sustainable change in their communities. IPDS works though a culture of listening to the voices of the local community and then seeking to assist the aspirations of the community to be realized.
Social Work
The Salvation Army is one of the largest social care providers in the world. There are social programs running in almost every country we operate in.
support education tags available now!
Each time a tag is sold $20 goes toward the Education Foundation of Indian River County to fund classroom and school grants!
The full release is on December 14th. Hurry, and buy your plate today!
2018-2019 FREE TOMAHAWK WRESTLING PROGRAM
2018-19 TOMAHAWK WRESTLING PROGRAM
The Vero Beach High School Wrestling Program is offering a FREE Program for any youth in the Indian River School District between the ages of 7 and 14.
Registration date is Monday, December 17th, 2018.
Registration will take place at the Vero Beach High School Cafeteria from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm. The Program is designed to teach Student Athlete techniques in the area of Wrestling. The program is free. The wrestlers will be responsible for registration, wrestling shoes, and headgear.
The program will run two days per week and will start Tuesday, January 8th, and run on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The program is free of charge.
If you have any questions, you can contact Ken Colao, Head Wrestling Coach, at 914-456-7475 or at Kenneth.Colao@Indianriverschools.org.
2018-19 Tomahawk Wrestling Program
Registration date: Monday, December 17 ,2018
Where is Registration: Vero Beach HS Cafeteria
When Is Registration: 5:30pm - 7:00pm
Who can Register: Any Indian River School District Student, ages 7 - 14
Cost: Free
Learning Ally for Students with disabilities and reading accommodations plans
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.
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
Posting of flyers does not imply endorsement or recommendation by the School District of Indian River County.
School District of Indian River County's Strategic Plan
Click below to see our District's Strategic Plan
Follow Us!
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