As evidenced by the twinkling lights and festive decorations that adorn our schools, along withthe music and theatrical performances, our district is filled with the holiday spirit. It’s easy to feel joy this year, as we have so much to be grateful for and to celebrate.
When we saw that Hurricane Milton was headed our way, we opened up six of our schools across the county as shelters for residents who needed a safe place to go. A number of our employees played a crucial role during that time by helping transport people to the shelters and working to make them as comfortable as possible. The goodwill didn’t stop there, because after Milton passed, the community donated clothes, shoes, toiletries, non-perishable items and more to help affected families in our district.
Our partners continue to play an important part in our successes. We were thrilled to recently recognize the one-year anniversary of the Lemerand Center of Excellence , an after-school tutoring and enrichment program, and to kick off another year of the special place that serves not just the whole child but the whole family. Up to 70 students from two of our Title 1 elementary schools receive tutoring, snacks, dinner and support in an environment that encourages and supports the discovery of the full potential for educational, social and economic growth for the child and their family. We are so grateful to philanthropist L. Gale Lemerand, Daytona State College and Food Brings Hope for making this possible.
We also appreciate our partners for their participation in helping to get our students not just college-ready, but workforce-ready via our Career and Technical Education Programs and Academies. Because of them, we held our inaugural CTE Workforce Expo, an event that brought together 75 business partners and a few hundred of our high school seniors interested in post-graduation opportunities.
While I encourage our students to get plenty of rest and enjoy relaxing with their families this holiday season, I have also challenged them to keep reading over the winter break. Students who log 400-599 minutes of reading can earn an hour of unlimited play at a local arcade or a Sky Zone jump pass if they read 600 minutes or more.
I hope we all take some time this holiday season to reflect on the good we achieved together and what we have yet to accomplish. I know if we continue to show up for each other, we will see the promises of the new year fulfilled.
Warmest wishes and happy holidays,
Dr. Carmen J. Balgobin
Superintendent of Schools
