HIGH SCHOOL

WENDY M c PHERSON TO TAKE HELM AFTER 9 YEARS AT MARATHON HIGH SCHOOL

The center

Following a $1 million renovation, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary’s EcoDiscovery Center in Key West will reopen on Saturday, April 15, with a Community Day celebration from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. featuring coffee with the superintendent, games and hands-on activities for children and families, and tours of the re-imagined visitor center and exhibits. This event is free, as is admission to the Eco-Discovery Center itself, located at Truman Waterfront Park.

The Eco-Discovery Center first opened in 2007, but its 6,000 square feet of exhibit space has been renovated through grants from the Monroe County Tourist Development Council and the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. About the Eco-Discovery Center Visitors venture through a self-paced tour featuring mangrove and coral reef ecosystems, with

COMMUNITY DAY SCHEDULE

9-10 a.m.: Coffee with the Superintendent & games and activities for kids and families

10 a.m.: Ribbon-cutting ceremony and opening of exhibits

10-11 a.m.: Guided tours of the Eco-Discovery Center

11 a.m.-noon: Guided art, science activities and

Sanctuary numerous hand-on opportunities to learn about some of the 6,000 species of sea life that call Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary home. Modern-day pirates discover a shipwreck trail marking the abundant maritime history of the Keys, including voyages that often came to a sudden, and tragic, end along treacherous shallow reefs. Additional exhibits focus on conservation and coral restoration, while a 100-seat theater features an exclusive 20-minute film on the cultural impact of the Keys. The Eco-Discovery Center is one of the few free attractions in Key West, located along the Truman waterfront on the way to Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park and Beach.

The Eco-Discovery Center is open Fridays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; hours may be expanded in the future as staffing allows.

— Contributed educational interactive carts

Noon-1 p.m.: Guided tours of the Eco-Discovery Center and guided art and science activities

1-2 p.m.: Guided art, science activities and educational interactive carts

2-3 p.m.: Mission: Iconic Reefs presentation and guided tours of the Eco-Discovery Center

The College of the Florida Keys (CFK) has named Wendy McPherson as the first principal of CFK Academy, the college’s new collegiate charter high school. She will start full-time with the college in July after completing a nine-year tenure as principal of Marathon High School in June.

“Dr. McPherson is a veteran educator who knows the Keys community and understands the importance of educating our next generation. She is an effective and highly engaged academic leader,” said Jonathan Gueverra, CFK president. “Under her leadership, the CFK Academy is well positioned for a strong launch and a successful future that will benefit our students, their families, and the community at large.”

McPherson began her career of more than 30 years as a teacher at Sigsbee Elementary for 11 years before working as a district administrator and English/language arts coordinator. She then served as an assistant principal at Sugarloaf School and Marathon High School before becoming principal of Marathon High School. McPherson was named Principal of the Year twice by the Monroe County School District, in 2016 and 2022. She holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Florida State University, a master’s degree in educational leadership, curriculum and instruction from University of West Florida, and a doctorate in educational leadership from Southeastern University.

CFK Academy, which opens in August, is a tuition-free charter high school authorized by the Monroe County School District. With a focus on college and career readiness, the curriculum centers on science, technology, engineering and math and career technical education. The school will use project-based learning experiences that provide students with hands-on engagement in the learning process to develop skills, knowledge and character. CFK Academy students are encouraged to earn college credit — at no cost to the student — through the college’s dual enrollment program in classes located on the same campus as the high school. Motivated students can graduate with a high school diploma as well as an associate degree, certificate, and/or industry certification.

Applications for the 2023-24 school year are available at cfk.edu/ cfkacademy. CFK Academy will start with grades nine through 11 in its inaugural year and will add grade 12 in the 2024-25 school year. — Contributed

Break out the kites for the fight of a lifetime

Moderate winds out of the east combined with an east current created epic sailfish tailing conditions off of Marathon last month. The ocean water had a high level of sediment, which gives it a powdery appearance, and makes sailfish easy to spot as they migrate through the Florida Keys.

To catch these majestic billfish, you need to have quality live bait. Bait can include goggle eyes, big pilchards or ballyhoo. The most effective way to hook into a sailfish in these conditions is to sight cast to them. This technique requires an angler with bait ready to pitch at a moment’s notice and everyone on board keeping a sharp eye looking for a fish coming down the waves. A sailfish in these conditions may look like a black garbage bag suspended a few feet below the surface.

I prefer a light tackle set up to make this fish of a lifetime a fun fight: a seven-foot medium to light action rod paired with a 6500 series spinning reel spooled with 20-pound monofilament. To join the 30-pound fluorocarbon leader to your main line, I implement a Bimini twist to an Albright knot. A 5/0 circle hook will allow the fish to get hooked in the corner of the mouth with a very low chance of it becoming fatally gut hooked.

Even though you are allowed to legally harvest one sailfish a day, it is highly frowned upon in our fishing community, as these fish are not good table fare. When they are released healthy, they will live to fight another day, and several catch-andrelease tagging programs have seen the same fish caught several times.

Several tournament boats caught double digit numbers of sail-