February 2024
Vol. 49, Issue 5
An Orange County Public Schools Employee Publication
A “Stellar” Night to Remember It was a night to remember at the Rosen Shingle Creek for 510 stellar OCPS employees on Friday, February 2. Each stellar honoree had been selected as among a special group of the best teachers, support personnel, assistant principals and principals in our district.
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They were led in a procession by the Windermere High Winter Guard, congratulated by the superintendent and school board, and served dinner while the Dr. Phillips High Jazz Quartet played. The honorees, dressed in their finest, posed for selfies with their guests and supervisors, took home prizes and found their names on congratulatory boards outside the ballroom. “I hear over and over again that our most brilliant staff are those individuals who show how much they care, listen intently, and truly value the students they teach, the staff they support and the community they serve,” said Superintendent Dr. Maria F. Vazquez. “There is no doubt you are here as an honoree because you do all of that with love and patience, and much more.” At the end of the evening, winners were named in the four categories. Turn the page to read why they have been chosen to represent OCPS.
Principal of the Year Becky Watson East River High
OCPS alumna Becky Watson’s educational path shaped her life and career. “I did everything the hard way as a student. Neither one of my parents graduated from high school, so it was really important to me to break that cycle,” said the East River High principal. “I had a teacher in high school who was incredibly supportive. Every time I tried to give up, every time I tried to do things that would keep me from finishing high school, she refused.” That educator inspired her to become a teacher. Becky leads by example, from doing pushups in the Red Zone on Friday nights to playing UNO with students at lunch. She makes employees and students feel loved and supported by attending many events, even out of town. Becky’s schools show vast reductions in turnover and increases in measures of school climate.
Assistant Principal of the Year Charisse Hurdle Rolling Hills Elementary
While at both Rolling Hills Elementary and in her previous role as assistant principal at Riverside Elementary, Charisse Hurdle has focused on improving teaching. A former juvenile probation officer, Charisse said she noticed “a troubling correlation between a lack of education and young children’s involvement in the juvenile justice system. I knew that in order to break that cycle, I would need to provide a safe space for students to learn, build relationships with adults, and feel like their unique skills and abilities are accepted.” She has demonstrated leadership skills and an ability to help transform low-performing, fragile schools. At Riverside, she had a key role in the school’s increase from a low D to a high C. She also volunteers her time developing future leaders in an after-school mentoring program for her school’s fifth-grade girls.
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Support Person of the Year Rina Santiago Evans High
Beside managing finances as the external bookkeeper at Evans High, Rina Santiago is a compassionate advocate for students. She encourages youth overcoming personal obstacles to succeed academically. She has become indispensable, consulting daily with multiple colleagues to see how she can best assist. Rina also goes the extra mile to reduce truancy by conducting weekly home visits and calling parents. Last year, Rina and fellow staff members visited more than 1,500 families and made 1,000 phone calls. “We go knocking on their doors and we tell the parents how grateful we are that their kid is at our school,” she said. “Parents even say, ‘Oh my God, you took the time to come here and tell us that.’ And we leave out of there with their parents being so excited.” As a result, Evans High saw an 87% improvement in attendance and/or grades among struggling students.
Teacher of the Year Sara Hudson Prairie Lake Elementary
Sara Hudson creates a welcoming environment in and beyond her fifthgrade English Language Arts classroom at Prairie Lake Elementary. In her 11 years as a teacher, she has developed deep relationships with students and families that last. “In my classroom, I say I don’t just enroll a student, I enroll their entire family,” she said. “We hung out on Wednesdays and went to the park and did relay races. I got a chance to get to know the parents and the families and the kids. And they get to see that I’m a person as well.” She creates a culture of high expectations and expects students to set goals. She also transforms her room into student-inspired locations such as the jungle and an operating room. “When you put the energy, and you put the time into it, it can truly change the trajectory of a child’s life. And you won’t even know.”
Congratulations to all of our honorees!
See the November issue of the Orange Peal for the complete list. 3 3
CTE Month
This February marks a momentous CTE Month for Orange Technical College, in a year of major change for career and technical education for OCPS. In 2024, the new OTC-West and Main campuses will open their doors to students striving to advance their education and take advantage of the opportunity to learn skilled trades. OTC-West will be a hub for learning in Construction Trades, Welding Technology, Human Services and earning apprenticeships, while OTC-Main will focus on Health Science. Both campuses will offer Adult Education opportunities to students. “We are very proud of what Orange Technical College is accomplishing for our community and for the beautiful new campuses that our Facilities Department is constructing for them,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Maria F. Vazquez.
Mark your Calendars
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OTC – West is under construction near West Orange HS
The OCPS celebration of Black History Month 2024 will debut at ocps.net and on the OCPS YouTube channel.
BLACK HISTORY
A Celebration of Education, History and Culture 5 5
A Funny Thing Happened
Brought to you by the Letter
N
It’s the little things that can make a teacher feel the generation gap. Andrea Matlin was introducing the letter N to her VPK scholars at Little River Elementary by pulling items starting with that letter from a tub. The last item she was going to show her students was a newspaper. Before pulling it out, she said: “You might not know this one. But before iPads and YouTube, Ms. Matlin used to get information from THIS!” When she revealed the newspaper to the students, only one girl responded by saying “newspaper!” Ms. Matlin excitedly asked the girl how she knew that word... to which she said “Because my mom and dad watched a movie about old people.” #facepalmmoment #feelingold Submit your A Funny Thing Happened to
Andrea B. Matlin VPK Teacher Little River Elementary
orangepeal@ocps.net.
If your submission is selected, you will receive an exclusive Orange Peal prize package.
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QUIZ Will You Be the Winner?
Send the answers to these three questions to orangepeal@ocps.net. One winner will be drawn from among the correct responses to win an Orange Peal prize package. 1. Which two Orange Technical College campuses are debuting new 1. facilities this year? __________________ 2. Which Stellar winner met families at a park on Wednesdays? __________________ 3. 3. What school did Deputy Steve retire from?_______________
Best of Social Media In each issue, the Orange Peal will recognize one top social media post on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). Want us to consider your school or department’s post? Send a link to orangepeal@ocps.net for consideration.
Avalon Middle
Big congrats to four young artists at Avalon Middle School! Their artwork was selected to be featured for the month of May in the 2024 OUC Conservation Calendar!
Oak Ridge High
The JV basketball team at Oak Ridge High knows how to entertain! After scoring their second win of the season, the team made a reel celebrating the W and trust us, it will put a smile on your face!
“With the support of their art teacher, Ms. Lemmerman, they used a rain barrel as their canvas to make a powerful statement about the importance of water conservation,” the school wrote.
CLICK IMAGE TO SEE POST 7
Killarney Elementary Grab the tissues! Killarney Elementary School surprised Deputy Steve with an amazing clap out on his last day of work as he headed into retirement. Students and staff lined the hallways to give him high-fives and handmade cards and his squad from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office even showed up to join the celebration!
Around OCPS Shingle Creek Elementary School’s Filipino exchange teachers shared their cultural dances and food with other educators and staff during a celebration in December.
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Five OCPS media specialists received the 2023 Florida Power-Library School Award at the Florida Association for Media in Education conference in November, and were recognized at the Dec. 12 school board meeting.
The Jones High Student Advisory Council provided the school board with a presentation and its Master Singers performed holiday songs at the Dec. 12 school board meeting.
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Olympia High Lead School Counselor August Perrotti was recognized by District 4 School Board Member Pam Gould for providing his students with academic guidance to succeed in school and life at the Dec. 12 school board meeting.
Sixteen teachers were recipients of the 2023-2024 Phoenix Foundation of Central Florida Morning Glow Teacher Impact Grant Awards and were recognized at the Dec. 12 school board meeting.
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Sixteen OCPS paraprofessionals graduated from the Rollins College Pathways to Teaching program’s third cohort, and were recognized at the Dec. 12 school board meeting.
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Best OCPS Photos
By Frank Weber
Game on!
Fifteen schools were selected to receive $5,000 Lockheed Martin STEM Classroom Grants through the Foundation for Orange County Public Schools.
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Food for Thought
Food and Nutrition Services shared the district’s best practices food truck tours to about 90 visitors to the School Nutrition Industry Conference’s pre-conference hosted by the School Nutrition Association.
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“Hive” Five to the winners of the Spanish Spelling Bee!
The district Spanish Spelling Bee was held Jan. 17 at Cypress Creek HS. Congratulations to winners (from left to right): Manuel Alejandro Dominguez Monnott, 8th grade, Mater Academy Narcoossee, 2nd place; Katerin Sofia Puerto Duque, 8th grade, Corner Lake MS, 1st place; Mikaela Jaramillo Gonzalez, 6th grade, Arbor Ridge K-8, 3rd place.
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Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024 SeaWorld, Orlando
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Master’s Degree Scholarship Opportunity The Addition Financial Foundation is offering two $2,500 scholarships to Addition Financial account holders studying in a master’s level program in the state of Florida or online. To apply for the Joseph A. Melbourne Jr. Annual Scholarship, a letter of recommendation focused on community service and two 100-word essays are required. Completed applications are due by Feb. 29 at this link. Scholarships for six high school seniors with accounts at Addition Financial are also available as part of the program.
The Orange Peal is a publication by OCPS employees and for OCPS employees. It launched in April 1974 as a newsletter for all OCPS employees “from principals to custodians.” With a name encompassing the symbols of the orange and the school bell, the Orange Peal was intended for “the good news of this school system [to be] ‘rung out’” -- in other words, to peal. Editor: Designer: Contributors:
LAUREN ROTH KIMBERLY BOULNOIS SANDRA CARR JANINE GONZALEZ
ANDY ORRELL FRANK WEBER SAMANTHA WEISS
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