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.
Marching Sharks selected to participate in NYC St. Patrick's Day Parade!
SRHS IB Students Recreate "Ellis Island" for Liberty MAgnet IB Students
Elks "Americanism" Essay Contest
Some of our elementary and middle school students recently submitted essays to the 2018-2019 Elks Grand Lodge Americanism Essay Contest. This contest was for students in 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grades, and the topic of the essay was, "What Makes You Proud of America?" Last year, six of our SDIRC students placed in the district level, and one student from Oslo Middle School, Rachel Estillore, continued on to WIN the state competition. This past summer, our state winner received an all-expense paid trip to the Orlando State Convention, where she read her essay and received $500 in prize money.
The 2018-2019 Elks "Americanism" Essay Contest Winners were recognized in a ceremony on March 5th at the Vero Beach Elks Lodge #1774. The following students are our district finalists:
Division I
1st Place, Joniah Holson, Rosewood Magnet School
2nd Place, Joshua Gerner, Sebastian Elementary School
3rd Place, Lilyana Wilsnack, Sebastian Elementary School
Division Il
1st Place, Brittany Perez, Storm Grove Middle School
2nd Place, Salvatore Burrell, Storm Grove Middle School
3rd Place, Gianna Walker, Storm Grove Middle School
The essays of Joshua Gerner, Lilyana Wilsnack, Salvatore Burrell, and Brittany Perez have already won at the District level, and have moved forward for judging at the state level.
Congratulations to these students, and good luck to those who moved on to the state competition!
Thank you to the Elks Lodge #1774 for your support of our students and teachers in Indian River County!
step into kindergarten in our school district!
VBHS HOSA
Vero Beach High School HOSA- Future Health Professionals, formerly known as Health Occupations Students of America, which is a national career and technical student organization endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education and the Health Science Technology Education Division of Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE), took a Field trip to One Blood Orlando Campus to learn about, and experience, the blood donation process from donor to patient. We can't wait to see how these future health professionals change the world!
VBHS Wrestlers HEaded to state competition
The Vero Beach Wrestling Team recently competed in the Regional Wrestling Championships and qualified two wrestlers for this year's State Wrestling Championships.
Congratulations to Senior Nate Gagnon, and Junior Isaiah Davis, who both finished in 3rd place, and qualified to move on to the State Championships.
This is the first time in over ten years that VBHS has had two wrestlers representing the school in the State Championships.
The State Wrestling Championships are being held at the Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee, today, Friday 3/8, and Saturday 3/9.
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
Acceptance and Non-Acceptance letters were mailed out on 2/15. Families have until March 8th to enroll their student(s) once they are accepted to a Magnet School.
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.
Veteran of the Month: Jason M. Patzer
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
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