The celebration of Mother’s Day is a beautiful tradition – one that has endured and grown for more than 100 years. It’s a time to reflect on our own mothers and our roles as mothers.
As a School Board member and longtime teacher, I have had the pleasure of knowing so many mothers who love and care deeply for their children. This month, I salute all of you – moms, grandmothers, foster moms, and women who nurture our children. Enjoy your special day!
May is also the time to prepare for another big tradition – graduation. Ceremonies for the Class of 2021 will be held June 3-6 at the Ocean Center. We are so excited to celebrate the outstanding graduates of our 10 high schools!
Although the venue will not be able to accommodate as many guests this year due to the pandemic, we have made arrangements for each graduate to receive up to six tickets. Health and safety guidelines will be in place including mandatory face-coverings and socially distancing to the greatest extent possible.
With attendance being limited, Volusia County Schools will professionally live-stream the ceremonies to allow extended family to watch remotely. The ceremonies will also be recorded and posted on our website, www.vcsedu.org.
I’m also so pleased to share with you that the prestigious Cambridge International program has selected VCS as its District of the Year for medium-size U.S. school districts for this school year. We doubled our student enrollment in Cambridge International in our first three years of participation and had a 94% pass rate for the program’s Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) diploma.
VCS’ vision is to create life-long learners prepared for an ever-changing global society, and the Cambridge International program’s broad, international curriculum provides a strong foundation for our students as they prepare for college and careers.
Congratulations to our Cambridge International high schools – Deltona, New Smyrna Beach, Pine Ridge, Seabreeze, and University.
On a final note, I want to encourage our families to take advantage of VCS’ summer programs, especially this year as we have faced the challenges of learning during the pandemic. This summer’s academic offerings will be a mix of traditional brick-and-mortar and virtual options. A list is available at www.vcsedu.org/summer-programs.
If your student is eligible for this additional summer instruction, please sign up. We want to give your child an academic boost to provide him/her as many opportunities as possible to be successful next year.
For all families, please make time this summer to read, participate in enrichment activities, and use online resources to keep your child’s skills sharp. Learn together! One great way to keep your student’s brain in good shape is to participate in the Summer Reading Program we offer in partnership with the Daytona Tortugas. All the details are on our website. It’s fun, and there are rewards!
The last day of the 2020-2021 school year will be Friday, June 4. I wish you all a safe and fun summer.
