- April 19, 2024
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FFA Forestry team wins first place
The Bunnell Senior FFA Forestry team won first place in its district Oct. 18, in the Forestry Career Development event.
The contest requires students to demonstrate their skills in diagnosing forest disorders, managing forests and forest inventory and applying approved silviculture practices. The participants spent hours honing their skills with the help of Greg Dunn, of the Florida Forest Service.
This year's forestry participants were Austin Davis, Jessica DiMaria, Miranda Kuleski, Mckenzie Smith, Katie Freddell, Bryan Simmons, and Andrew Tindell. Not only did they place first as a team but also placed individually in the top three in each of the different categories of the event.
Davis won first in general knowledge, equipment identification, tree identification, timber cruising, and second in forest disorders; DiMaria placed first in forest disorders, second in tree identification, and third in general knowledge; Kuleski placed second in compass/pacing, equipment identification, general knowledge, and third in forest disorders; and Smith placed third in equipment identification.
These foresters will continue to push themselves to be prepared for State Finals in Perry, in November.
Forest lands cover approximately half of Florida’s total land area, providing clean air, clean water, wildlife habitat, recreation and more than 5,000 consumer products that are used each day.
Imagine students cross social boundaries during Mix It Up at Lunch Day
Students at Imagine School at Town Center recently joined more than one million other students across the country to help break down social and racial barriers by participating in the 11th-annual Mix It Up at Lunch Day.
The event, launched by the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Teaching Tolerance project in 2002, encourages students to sit with someone new in the cafeteria for just one day. Many schools plan similar barrier-busting activities throughout the day. Some use the event to kick off a yearlong exploration of social divisions.
Stacey Mundo, Imagine Acceptance advisor, was pleased with the participation for the first year of participation.
“A club at our school, Imagine Acceptance, sponsored this activity to continue a school-wide discussion about the importance of not only of tolerance, but of acceptance,” she said. “We are especially proud of our Imagine Acceptance student members that have truly taken on a leadership role with this club and are encouraging positive change with their peers.”
Cafeterias are the focus of Mix It Up because that’s where a school’s social boundaries are most obvious. Thousands of schools nationwide participated in the event this year.
“Mix It Up is a positive step that schools can take to help create learning environments where students see each other as individuals and not just as members of a separate group,” said Teaching Tolerance Director Maureen Costello. “When people step out of their cliques and get to know someone, they realize just how much they have in common.”
Imagine raises $5,500 for breast cancer research
Imagine School at Town Center participated in the Making Strides Against Cancer walk in Daytona Beach. They raised close to $5500 and through the support of the staff and students were within the top 10 fundraisers for the event, out of almost 300 teams.
“Our team name was Imagine the Difference We Can Make, and we did it to show our support for an important person in our Imagine family who is battling this disease now,” said team leader and second grade teacher Maryann Hilton. “It was an awesome experience.”
Flagler Palm Coast SGA win at Southern conference
The Flagler Palm Coast High School Student Government Association attended the Southern Association of Student Councils Conference Oct. 26-29, in Orlando, bringing home one first place and two second place finishes in the Outstanding Project Competitions. The conference happens every fall and rotates through 15 South East States.
“Two reasons we don't go regularly is the conference often falls the week of or weekend prior to our homecoming and depending on the location, travel is costly,” said SGA advisor Cheryl Perry. “This year the timing and location were perfect.”
The school enters contests at the state level every year, but the last time it attended the Southern Association Conference was in 2007.
The competition breaks down like this: The association has created 12 different categories; for example, school spirit, school service, community service, homecoming projects, environmental and technology. A school is allowed to enter one project in each of the different categories.
“The idea is to pick your very best project, write up a report and then enter it against all the other schools,” Perry said.
FPC chose to enter three projects; Freshmen Success Day,which took second place in the academic incentive category; Powder Puff / Faculty Court, which took first place in the homecoming project category; and Insanity Games, which took second place in the school spirit category.
Students who traveled to the competition were SGA President Aliyah Smith, Rachel Secunda, Bailey Perosa, Gemma Picano, Madison Worley, Charlie Picano, Justyn Perry and Austin Smith.
Florida Prepaid College Board announces enrollment period
The Florida Prepaid College Board has announced its 2012-2013 annual enrollment period. Beginning Oct. 15, parents can purchase a Florida Prepaid College Plan to prepay higher education costs at this yearʼs plan prices until the Jan. 31, 2013, deadline.
This open enrollment season, families can select one of four prepaid plans, which will cover tuition and most mandatory fees at Florida’s 12 state universities and 28 colleges.
In 2011, The Project on Student Debt found that 49% of 2010 graduates left college with more than just a degree — taking with them an average debt of $21,000.
“With college tuition rising at alarming rates in the U.S., we recognize how critical it is for families to start saving for their childrenʼs future higher education costs today,” said Duane Ottenstroer, chairman of the Florida Prepaid College Board. “The consumer-friendly savings options and comprehensive prepaid plans give Florida families an opportunity to safely secure funding for their childʼs college education, allowing families on any budget to begin planning for their child or grandchildʼs future with peace of mind.”
The Florida Prepaid College Boardʼs plan options include a two-year Florida college Plan, a
four-year Florida college plan, a 2+2 Florida plan, and a four-year Florida university plan.
For more information on plan options or to sign up online for the Florida Prepaid College Plan, families can visit www.myfloridaprepaid.com or call 1-800-552-GRAD (4723).
