“Preparing the Next Generation Today”
Sumter Summary
VOLUME 19, ISSUE 6
SUMMER 2015
Superintendent, Richard A. Shirley
Board Members
Haydn Evans, District 1
Christine Norris, District 2
David A. Williams District 3
Kenneth P. Jones, District 4
Kathie L. Joiner, District 5
Sumter Schools have gone GREEN!
Last school year, Lake Panasoffkee Elementary Principal, Bridget Veal received an email from Rachel Silver of
Southeast RCAP asking if her school wanted to participate in a grant to increase recycling in schools. When
Ms. Veal forwarded the email to her staff, an “eco-friendly,” new teacher, Anna Worley, jumped right on
board! LPES promoted the program by sponsoring a “logo contest,” with the winner receiving a class party,
having their design created into a school banner (featured left) and being featured in the local news media.
Since that time, LPES has been able to decrease their expenses for refuse immensely. Garbage pickup used to
be scheduled for two days a week and recycling scheduled for once a week at their school. Now, the numbers
have switched and their estimated cost savings is around $3,000 per year! When other area principals learned of
this, they agreed to bring the recycling program to their schools. BES Principal, Rob Piwowar said, “The
program is sure to be successful due to the support it has received from our staff, especially our custodial staff,
who have dedicated their
time and effort during lunch
to ensure that all students
know how to recycle.”
Inside this issue:
Teacher of the Year!
2-3
Math Olympics
Volunteer Reception
4-5
Century Link Grant
(WWES)
STEM Grant
6-7
WES students SHINE!
Adult Ed Classes
8-9
Earth Day
Student Spotlight
Save the Date!
10
Another exciting “byproduct” of the recycling program is that students are beginning to “catch” each other
throwing away things that could be recycled. At some schools, it has bled over into campus cleanliness with
students stopping to pick up trash on sidewalks and grassy areas and recycling anything that qualifies. “It didn’t
take long for students to catch on, and now we are so excited it has grown county wide,” said Anna Worley,
LPES teacher and recycling sponsor.
With a year of recycling under their belt, LPES has “upped the ante” by challenging teachers to use less copies
in their classrooms each month. According to Principal, Bridget Veal, “Recognizing everyone’s efforts is really
crucial. It’s so easy to slip back in to old habits, but Ms. Worley is on the ball with gentle reminders during
faculty meetings.” Ms. Worley added, “Something that I believe helps a great deal are the posters, flyers and
bulletin boards we keep up throughout the year to help keep everyone on target.”
While district recycling efforts may have begun in school cafeterias, they have now infiltrated the classrooms!
Both class and school recycling projects were displayed at the Sumter County Fair this year and student
recycled art projects were also seen at the Sumter Environmental Education Center on Earth Day. Local
businesses, such as Home Depot has also donated pavers to create school gardens in order to raise student
awareness about growing their own food and learning about plant life. In the spirit of “paying it forward,”
Lake Panasoffkee Principal, Bridget Veal said, “We are excited to share the successes we’ve experienced with
recycling and are looking to improve the program next year with ongoing incentives and hands on projects.”
PAGE 2
SUMTER SUMMARY, SUMMER 2015
Kudos to our TEACHER OF THE YEAR!
The Florida Teacher of the Year program recognizes outstanding instructional staff members for their
contributions to their schools. Selecting the Teacher of the Year is an honor for Sumter District Schools.
The top three finalists were selected by a committee of district administrators who reviewed each application
and portfolio. An out-of-district committee used classroom observations, interviews, and nomination
information to select the district Teacher of the Year. Representatives from each school were formally
recognized at the School Board Meeting on March 17, 2015. Congratulations are in order for all 2015
Teacher of the Year nominees for the knowledge, skills, and gifts they bring to inspire students of all
backgrounds and abilities in Sumter District Schools.
2015 Teacher of the Year District Winner:
2015 Teacher of the Year Finalists:
Ash Ugur of Wildwood Elementary School
“Cookie” Tadlock of South Sumter High School
Jewl-Lee Lessem of South Sumter Middle School
2015 Teacher of the Year Outstanding School Nominees:
Jaimie Kinney
Bushnell Elementary School
Landrea Sherman
Lake Panasoffkee Elementary School
Ed Napoleon
Sumter Alternative School
Elizabeth Plummer
Webster Elementary School
Richard Hampton
Wildwood Middle High School
PAGE 3
SUMTER SUMMARY, SUMMER 2015
Sumter Math Olympians ARRR Impressive!
Ahoy, Mateys!
The Lake Sumter State College math crew recently captained the “PI-rate” themed 28th Annual Math
Olympics. High schools from both Sumter and Lake counties were invited to bring two teams (Teams A
and B) of up to four PI-rates each to compete in a friendly and fun math competition. The battle
this year was comprised of twenty-two high school teams. The top four schools won a coveted LSSC
Math Olympics trophy. In order to spread around the loot, there was one treasure (award) per school.
Shiver me timbers!
This year, Montverde Academy in Lake County recaptured the largest treasure after Tavares
High School captured the top prize last year.
Blow me down! The final standings for this year were as follows:
1st place: 320 points Montverde Team A
2nd place (but only one trophy per school): 245 points Montverde Team B
2nd place (trophy): 203 points South Sumter Team B
3rd place : 172 points Wildwood Team A
4th place: 168 points Mount Dora Team A
5th place: 157 Leesburg Team B
6th place: 143 East Ridge Team A
7th place: 141 Tavares Team A
8th place: 138 Lake Minneola Team B
9th place: 117 East Ridge Team B
10th place: 115 Mount Dora Team B
LSSC President and PI-rate Dr. Charles Mojock piloted the ship with a warm welcome and words of encouragement for
the participants until pirate music played and he had to walk the plank (aka: go to a Planning Council meeting).
The LSSC Captain, Sybil Brown, and her PI-rate crew executed a great event with all hands on deck. Their hard work
and planning paid off with a fun-filled afternoon. The whole PI-rate crew was involved with writing questions, supplying
answers, obtaining treasures and supplying food. Congratulations to the math teams from both SSHS and WMHS.
Ye represented Sumter County well! Yo Ho!
SUMTER SUMMARY, SUMMER 2015
PAGE 4
We love our Volunteers a LATTE!
Each year, the Florida Department of Education asks school districts to submit nominees in the youth, adult and senior categories for state
recognition. It is a pleasure for Sumter District Schools to honor these partners in education. The following volunteers were recognized at the
April 21st School Board Meeting:
Outstanding School Volunteer of the Year Award:
Beatrice Richards– BES
Christina Montgomery– LPES
Regina Hillary– WES
Emily Woody– WWES
Elaine Holm– SSMS
Robert Thompson– SSHS
Pastor Daniel Hahn– WMHS
Continental Nine Hole Ladies Golf Association– Pre-Kindergarten
Outstanding Service to Schools Award:
Outstanding Service to the District:
First Baptist Church of Bushnell- BES
Florida Department of Health in Sumter County
Lake Panasoffkee United Methodist Church- LPES
Suncoast Credit Union
Linden Baptist Church– WES
CEMEX
Parady Financial– WWES
The Colinas Group
McDonalds of Bushnell -SSMS
Southwest Florida Water Management District
James Morris– SSHS
Wildwood Rotary Club
Sonny’s Barbeque and Winn Dixie of Bushnell– SAS
Duke Energy
New Covenant United Methodist Church– WMHS
Tutors for Kids
Webster Travel Park– Pre-Kindergarten
City of Bushnell
The Silver School Award, which requires that total student volunteer hours equal at least half of the total number of students
in the school, was awarded to: South Sumter High and Wildwood Middle High
Swim Safe, Sumter!
The Sumter County Health Department is accepting registrations for summer swimming
lessons. Students ages 3-12 are invited to attend. There is a $10 fee per student. Classes
will begin in June in Bushnell and in Wildwood. Classes will be
available on a first come, first served basis. Only one session is
allowed per student, per year. Each session consists of eight classes
held Monday-Thursday for two weeks. The third week of each
session is used for weather-related make-up classes. For more
information, call: 352-569-3116, or email inquiries to: Janice.Berry@FLhealth.gov.
PAGE 5
SUMTER SUMMARY, SUMMER 2015
WWES: Turning SMART into Genius!
The Teachers and Technology grant program, sponsored by CenturyLink’s Clarke M. Williams Foundation, is a very
competitive award. The program, which has been offered since 2008, gives grants to schools in CenturyLink’s local
service areas on behalf of teachers who have developed specific plans to innovatively implement technology in their
classrooms. Across the country, more than 1,000 grant applications were received. In Florida, 96 teachers applied
through their school district-wide education foundation, with 25 winning schools selected by a review committee
comprised of community members and a CenturyLink representative. The winning teachers’ schools received grants to
be used to purchase technology to benefit students in the classroom. Wildwood Elementary School won $8,600.00
grant from the CenturyLink Foundation for innovative technology projects.
“We were excited to see the
innovation and creativity in
this year’s grant applications,” said Eric Genrich,
Vice President, Central
Florida CenturyLink. “It’s
encouraging to see teachers’
enthusiasm for bringing new
learning tools and techniques
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WMHS AVIDLY seeks Parental Involvement
As the school year comes to a close, Wildwood Middle High School continues to encourage parent
involvement and student achievement. During the AVID and AP Parent Night, parents and students were
exposed to AVID and AP courses. Ms. Ellis and Mrs. Ragar took the lead in helping parents learn about the
additional resources and learning that AVID has to offer. Parents and students were informed by Ms.
Tate, AP College Board presenter, about the importance of taking rigorous coursework in AP courses. Benefits of AP course
work included: Challenging yourself, earning college credit, and
broadening college and career choices. Mr. Maloney provided
information about the Khan Academy and its partnership with
College Board. Parents were encouraged to register for free and
use video resources so students could receive additional instruction at home. Khan Academy supports student learning and motivates them to learn. Students at Wildwood Middle High School
will continue to have a variety of educational opportunities.
WMHS AVID/AP Parent Night
PAGE 6
SUMTER SUMMARY, SUMMER 2015
Duke Energy: “Growing the Stem” in Sumter Co.
Sumter District Schools were fortunate enough to receive ten $500
grants from Duke Energy. These grants have helped teachers expand
learning and implement hands-on STEM projects (Science,
Technology, Engineering and Math) in their classrooms. Heather
Davis, a 2nd and 3rd grade Math/Science teacher at Webster
Elementary School tells of her experience below:
“For the STEM grant, my students were able to complete and
experience all of the elements of the scientific method process, while
furthering their understanding of force, motion, and angles,” said
Davis. “Students implemented their learning about angles in the
team’s designs and construction of a roller coaster. Each team also
made a presentation of the projects and the team’s data,” she added.
For the STEM project, students wrote a hypothesis and designed a
roller coaster. On the first day of the project, students were put into
two teams. Each team included a captain to help supervise the
project, handle materials, and keep their team on task. Ms. Davis
assigned each team with the number of angles to include within their
coasters. Then, each member of the group drew a design of a roller
coaster.
From that point, students were instructed to look at the designs and
decide, as a team, which roller coaster would be the best to use,
considering the materials available and length of time for completing
the project.
After the teams chose a design, they began to build their coasters.
Every day, students
showed their teacher what they had
accomplished. Students also did several quick labs, such as:
Moving out desk and chairs and tossing balls around to watch gravity at work and creating friction with their hands and clothing.
Throughout the quick labs, Ms. Davis’ students worked collaboratively and discussed how force, friction and gravity effected motion.
“The hardest part of this experiment, as their teacher, was not to give
too many suggestions on the coaster’s structures,” said Davis. “I had
to let them learn whether it would work or not so they could discover
and correct their own mistakes,” she added.
We extend our many thanks to community partners for making
hands-on learning experiences like these possible for our students.
MORE GOOD NEWS: Suncoast Credit Union also awarded Sumter District Schools with
nine, “I Do Math” grants in the amount of $400 each. These grants help teachers expand
hands-on math learning, including: financial literacy, running a mock business, and fieldtrips.
PAGE 7
SUMTER SUMMARY, SUMMER 2015
WES: Where Readers and Writers SHINE!
At Webster Elementary, good times were shared throughout this
school year and parents were encouraged to join in! Literacy events
which encouraged student and parent participation were scheduled in
the morning and evening hours to accommodate different schedules.
Events such as: AR Nights, Building Better Readers, I-Moms,
All-Pro Dads, the Scholastic Book Fair, Math Night, and Science Fair
were all well-attended and brought much positive feedback from
parents. Red Ribbon Week and Literacy Week added a little fun to
students’ daily routine. With scheduled dress-up days, students never
knew who would be teaching their class from one day to the next!
Even with the excitement of having special days at
school, students stayed focused on reaching their
academic goals. From the first nine weeks to the
third nine weeks, WES students went from 35%
reaching their AR goal to 55% of students being able
to join in the fun of eating ice cream treats and
jumping in bounce houses. The Rev-Up Reading
Contest helped students focus on time spent reading.
Parents were involved by helping their child read nightly and record the number of minutes
read on Rev-Up Reading bookmarks. The top classes
in each grade level were rewarded with “race track”
food.
Students cheered on their racecars as they
zoomed around the track in the media center.
Students who met their Success Maker goals were
also rewarded with fun treats such as: ice cream, snow
cones and popcorn. Being recognized for achieving
academic goals is part of the fun times in school.
Webster Elementary is also pleased to announce their school’s Tropicana Speech Contest
winners. First place winner, 5th grader, Cheyenne Shirley, gave her speech on the topic of Air
Force One. In the near future, Sumter County may have a fly-by with Ms. Shirley as a
passenger! The second place winner, 5th grader, Madison Shoaf, shared an informative speech
on the state of Utah. Members of the audience
started to make vacation plans after hearing about
this beautiful state!
Fourth grader, Gideon
Strickland, the third place winner, gave an informative and entertaining speech on under-appreciated
eco-systems. We wish good luck to these students as
they go on to represent Webster Elementary School
in the district Tropicana Speech competition.
SUMTER SUMMARY, SUMMER 2015
PAGE 8
Shape Up at Summer Boot Camp!
This year has been very busy for the Sumter Adult and Community
Education Center! They’ve graduated two classes of Certified Nursing Assistants, ran a C.N.A. Saturday skills refresher class and a
C.N.A. Challenge course, completed a full Air Conditioning, Refrigeration, and Heating I program, offered on-line enrichment courses,
and increased enrollment in GED® prep and ESOL classes.
Now, they are preparing for SUMMER BOOT CAMP! Have you
always wanted to earn that high school equivalency diploma? Join the summer program NOW. You must be at
least 18 years old, withdrawn from school, and willing to work hard!! The summer program is $30 for which you
will receive expert instruction, small classes, TABE testing, a GED® study guide, and up to four GED® Ready
practice test vouchers (must qualify with TABE scores of 9.0 or higher). Classes are offered in Sumterville and
Wildwood, morning, afternoon, and evening. The program runs from June 1 – June 25, Monday through Thursday. ENROLLMENT CLOSES ON MAY 22! Don’t delay!! Graduate with your high school equivalency
diploma this summer.
ESOL classes will also be offered from June 1 – June 25. Classes will run at the Sumterville campus on
Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 5 – 8 p.m. Cost is $30. The emphasis will be on Family Literacy!
On-line classes are also offered through Sumter Adult ED and include popular titles such as: Medical Terminology, Speed Spanish, Grammar Refresher, Effective Classroom Management, and Creating Wordpress Websites.
New classes begin every 6 weeks. Next classes start June 17. For more information, visit our website at:
aec.sumter.k12.fl.us and click on the On-line Learning tab, or call: 352-793-5719, extension 51200.
5 District Championships for Raider Athletics
Girls
all
Softb
Girls
Football
Baske
tball
Congratulations to
each team and
their coaches!
Bas
eba
ll
Boys
k
Trac
SUMTER SUMMARY, SUMMER 2015
PAGE 9
EARTH DAY
The 8th annual Earth Day celebration, which took place at the CEMEX Center Hill Quarry, home of the Sumter
Environmental Education Center, (S.E.E.C.) was a resounding hit with the community! More than 900 people
attended and enjoyed environmental awareness activities and literature provided by 24 agencies, businesses, and
schools. The partnership between the Sumter County School Board and CEMEX has resulted in a wonderful
resource for the students of the district. Students have been involved in habitat restoration activities, fish studies,
wetlands monitoring, and other programs to grow their knowledge and appreciation for Florida’s fragile environment.
Due to the generosity of our community businesses and CEMEX
vendors, we were able to hold the event and even grow participation!
Visitors received free, recyclable shopping bags when they arrived.
They were entered into gift drawings and lunch was free of charge!
Without a doubt, the longest line was at the Grumpy’s Ice Cream
stand, where visitors and volunteers alike returned multiple times!!
Right behind Grumpy’s Ice Cream in popularity were the CEMEX
mine tours. Visitors were thrilled and fascinated by the guided trips.
Supt. Rick Shirley with
Tommy Dener of CEMEX
Welcome Desk
Earth Day exhibitors included: Dade Battlefield, Florida International
Teaching Zoo, Thomas E. Langley Medical Center, The Rock Guy, Florida Native Plant Society,
Sumter County Public Library, Florida Forestry Service, Southwest Florida Water Management District, UF/IFAS Extension Service, Audubon
Center for Birds of Prey, Florida Industrial Phosphate Research, Flatwoods Consulting, and Sumter Electric Cooperative. Many of the exhibitors
donated items for the popular prize giveaways. The bloodmobile workers from Florida’s Blood Centers were extremely pleased with the generosity
of donors. They collected 22 units of blood exceeding the original goal of 13 units.
South Sumter High School’s Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corp (NJROTC) opened the event with a presentation of the colors. SunSpot
Creations was a popular stop for those who enjoyed unique gem and rock jewelry creations. The fossil dig, sponsored by Thomas E. Langley
Medical Center, was definitely the favorite spot for young and old alike!! Laneve Thompkins of SANDesign (pictured left) offered classes in sand
sculpting Florida native animals and landscapes. Her event was made possible by a generous grant from Suncoast for Kids Foundation, Suncoast
Credit Union. Each Sumter County school had an interactive booth to include: storytelling
sessions, cave drawings, pet rocks, STEM games, and hair accessories made from used plastic
bags. The Wildwood Elementary School Chorus performed several environmental songs and the
South Sumter Middle School Chorus and Band both entertained the visitors with familiar songs.
The crowd was treated to a beautiful medley of tunes by the Wildwood Middle High School Concert
Band and the South Sumter High School Jazz Band.
This event could not have been the phenomenal success it was if we did not have so many
generous sponsors. We would like to express our sincerest thanks to our many partners in this
wonderful, community endeavor. First and foremost,
our presenting sponsors, CEMEX and Dyno Nobel
SANDesign Booth
must be thanked immensely. Without their significant
contributions, the event would have paled in
comparison to last year’s. Other generous partners included: Ring Power Caterpillar Corporation,
who provided and cooked all of the great hotdogs, Suncoast for Kids Foundation (Suncoast Credit
Union), Sumter Electric Cooperative, Flatwoods Consulting Group, The Colinas Group, GeoSonics,
SurvTech, Progress Energy, Holland & Knight, Global Contracting Group, Florida Rope, Duke
Energy, Thomas E. Langley Medical Center, and PanaVista Lodge. All who participated; the 50 +
volunteers, exhibitors and sponsors deserve an heartfelt, “Thank you.” Some donated money.
Others donated goods and services. Several sponsored specific events. Each was such an
important part of the success of the event!
CEMEX Mine Tours
PAGE 10
SUMTER SUMMARY, SUMMER 2015
Student Spotlight
WHS 2010 alumni, Scott Hensley (pictured
2nd from left) is a recent graduate of JU
and is the reining Collegiate National Skeet
Champion! Scott earned this title at the
ACUI tournament in March, which drew
more than 700 athletes competing from 76
universities in all major clay disciplines. As
a result, Scott has been invited to try out
for the US National Team and has gotten
attention from the 2016 Olympic Shooting
team! His brother, Sean Hensley (WHS
2012 alumni) is also part of the JU Sporting
Clays Team and is pictured 3rd from left.
National Teacher Appreciation Day
Tuesday, May 5th
All-County Music Concert
SAVE THE DATE!
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SSHS class of 2011 alumni to UF
class of 2015 alumni! Pictured
LEFT TO RIGHT: Deep Patel: B.S.
in Biology, Kyle Follansbee: B.S. in
Journalism and Chris Wilson: B.A.
in Environmental Geoscience.
All are graduating with a G.P.A.
of 3.0 or higher. Congratulations
to these new college grads!
Administrative Training: 6/2 and 6/3
Curriculum Mapping: 6/3 to 6/11
Clinical Educator Training: 6/4
AVID Summer Bridge: 6/8 to 6/25
Grade Forgiveness Program: 6/8-7/2
3rd grade Reading Camp: 6/8 to 7/2
Custodial Training: 6/9
Extended School Year Program: 6/15-7/16
Algebra 1 Remediation Camp/Testing: 7/6 to 7/16
Core Connections Training: 7/20 to 7/22
NEW TEACHER ORIENTATION: 7/28-7/31
Teacher Pre-Planning: 8/3 to 8/7
Students return to school: 8/10
The All-County Music Concert was incredible! New
WMHS Music Director, Ms. Rebecca True, hosted the
event which involved over 300 students and an audience that packed the WMHS gym! Choirs from South
Sumter Middle, South Sumter High, Wildwood Middle
High and the Villages Charter School joined together to
sing the following selections: Hine Ma Tov, arranged
by Allan Neplan and Brighten My Soul with Sunshine by
Joyce Eilers.
The combined high school bands
performed: River of Life by Steven Reineke, conducted
by Mr. Andy Deen of the TVCS. The combined middle
school bands played: The Harmonious Blacksmith by
George Handel and Overture 1812 by Peter Tchaikovsky, conducted by Mr. Cory Lowery of SSMS. The
encore performance, Through the Vulcan’s Eye by Robert Smith was conducted by Mr. Pete Perrone of SSHS.
Many thanks for supporting these talented musicians!
NEWSWORTHY EVENTS?
The Sumter Summary is a quarterly publication
distributed to all stakeholders to celebrate
success across the district.
If you have
information you would like to see highlighted in
a future edition, please call Allison Nave at:
(352) 793-2315, extension 50223, or email her
at: Allison.Nave@sumter.k12.fl.us