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Click Here to view a video of Superintendent Melba Luciano introducing families to this exciting new program.
Free Nutritious Meals For Children All Summer Long WHAT? Free food all summer long WHO? Kids and teens 18 and under WHERE? At a location near you!
Even though it is summer break, learning and good nutrition for students is still a priority. As such, the Osceola School District will once again be participating in the federally-funded Summer Food Service Program to provide free, nutritious meals for children Monday – Friday during the months of June, July, and August 2013. All sites are located in low-income areas where at least fifty percent of the children are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals. The following sites are open to all children in the community ages 18 and under:
Poinciana Parks and Recreation, located at 395 S. Marigold in Kissimmee
Feeding 6/17/13 through 8/9/13
Breakfast: 8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
Lunch: 12:30 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Oak Street Park Community Center, located at 717 N. Palm Avenue
Feeding 6/17/13 through 8/9/13
Lunch: 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Afternoon Snack: 3:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
New Hope Center, located at 513 Barn Street in Kissimmee
Feeding 6/17/13 through 8/9/13
Breakfast: 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Lunch: 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
In addition to the above mentioned locations, all public schools will be open to serve breakfast and lunch to the community with the exception of Harmony High School, Harmony Community School, New Beginnings, and Celebration K-8. For meal service times, please contact your local school.
Osceola County also has 47 "enrolled" sites, where only children enrolled in the summer program can participate. The Summer Food Service Program for children is a federally-funded program operated nationally by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and administered by the Florida Department of Education. The program was established to ensure that children in needy areas could continue to receive nutritious meals during school vacations that are comparable to those served under the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs during the school year.
2013 FCAT Reading and Mathematics Summaries
Highlights include:
• The Osceola School District increased the percentage of students scoring at or above Level 3 in reading in Grades 8, 9, and 10.
• The Osceola School District increased the percentage of students scoring at or above Level 3 in math in Grade 4.
• Twenty-one Osceola elementary schools, or 66%, maintained or increased the percentage of students scoring at or above Level 3 in Grade 4 math.
• Seventeen Osceola elementary schools, or 53%, maintained or increased the percentage of students scoring at or above Level 3 in Grade 5 math.
• Twelve Osceola middle and multi-level schools, or 67%, maintained or increased the percentage of students scoring at or above Level 3 in Grade 6 reading.
• Fifteen Osceola middle and multi-level schools, or 83%, maintained or increased the percentage of students scoring at or above Level 3 in Grade 8 reading.
• Eleven high schools in Osceola County, or 79%, maintained or increased the percentage of students scoring at or above Level 3 in Grade 9 reading.
• Twelve high schools in Osceola County, or 80%, maintained or increased the percentage of students scoring at or above Level 3 in Grade 10 reading.
The following summary compares student performance between 2012 and 2013.
School District Offices To Be Closed On Fridays During Summer For Cost Savings As the Osceola School District continues to look at ways to save money in this time of economic instability, the district will save on utility costs and operational costs by implementing a four-day work week during the summer months. Beginning on June 10, 2013, through the week of August 5, 2013, the school district's administrative offices and school front offices will be open to the public Mondays through Thursdays during the following hours:
--Mondays - Wednesdays -- 7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
--Thursdays -- 7:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Some district facilities may be open on Fridays for teacher trainings, school-based events, or maintenance work. For the week of July 4, 2013, regular work hours (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday) of 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. will be followed. School District offices will be closed on Thursday, July 4.
Osceola School District's Extended Day Summer Camp will run Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. from June 12 - July 12 at ten sites during Summer Session 1: Koa Elementary, Pleasant Hill Elementary, Reedy Creek Elementary, Kissimmee Elementary, Mill Creek Elementary, Partin Settlement Elementary, Ventura Elementary, Hickory Tree Elementary, Lakeview Elementary, and Narcoossee Elementary. A second session will be held from July 15 - August 9 at the following seven sites: Deerwood Elementary, Reedy Creek Elementary, Pleasant Hill Elementary, Partin Settlement Elementary, Ventura Elementary, Lakeview Elementary, and Michigan Avenue Elementary. Extended Day's administrative offices will remain open five days a week throughout the summer to support the camp sites.
The Osceola School District's Voluntary Prekindergarten Program (VPK) will run Monday through Thursday, June 11 through August 10, from 7:45 a.m. until 4:45 p.m. at the following locations: Highlands Elementary and the Osceola Center for Early Learning at Ross E. Jeffries Education Center. This free program is open to incoming kindergarten-age students who have not already attended a VPK program. A Summer Adventures in Learning program (SAIL) is also being offered to students who have attended VPK during the school year and would like additional summer instruction for a small fee. The hours are the same as the VPK program, and is being offered at The Osceola Center for Early Learning at Ross E. Jeffries Education Center.
Superintendent Melba Luciano Kicks-Off Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge For Students In an effort to build a consistent, year-round culture of reading throughout Osceola's school community, Superintendent Melba Luciano is challenging students to read 10 million minutes over the summer as part of Scholastic’s Summer Reading Challenge starting May 6, 2013.
"When school lets out in June each year, our students battle the 'Summer Slide' – the loss of academic skills when students are not in school," said Superintendent Luciano. "Research has proven that when children read over the summer, they return back to school in the fall at or above the reading levels they were at the end of the school year."
Scholastic’s Summer Reading Challenge is a fun and exciting program that is proven to keep students reading over the summer. This challenge has students log their reading minutes online in an effort to break the world record of reading, while also meeting the goal of reading 10 million minutes in Osceola County alone. Each student’s reading minutes will be combined for their school’s total reading minutes, and can be viewed real time on the Scholastic Summer Challenge website over the summer at http://www.scholastic.com/summer/. A mobile app can also be downloaded from the site where kids can log their reading minutes, and parents can track their students' reading and access expert reading tips. Students who participate can earn virtual prizes on the site and possibly win a visit for their school from Dav Pilkey, author of the popular Captain Underpants series. The top 20 schools across the nation with the most reading minutes will be listed in the 2013 Scholastic Book of World Records. Last year, Reedy Creek Elementaryin Osceola County earned the ranking of 20th in the nation, and the school appears in the latest edition of the Scholastic Book of World Records.
To help promote the challenge, Clear Channel Radio’s eight local stations will be airing summer reading announcements that remind parents to read with their children and remind students to log their reading minutes.
Parents and students are encouraged to visit the following sites for suggested summer reads:
-- Florida Department of Education's Summer Reading List at http://www.justreadfamilies.org/SummerReadingList.pdf
-- Just Read, Florida! at www.justreadflorida.com
Prekindergarten Registration Begins
Osceola School District's prekindergarten registration has begun for the 2013/2014 school year. As spaces are limited, parents are now encouraged to register for an appointment as soon as possible.
Osceola School District's prekindergarten program is a dynamic learning environment that prepares four-year-old children to be successful in kindergarten. This success is achieved by the use of a research-based language arts and math curriculum and quality intervention programs. Learning environments are enriched by the use of technology, a violin program (at certain locations), and the use of a Conscious Discipline Program to address the social/emotional needs of students. The fun, academically-enriched, and socially-interactive learning atmosphere helps each child reach their highest potential.
Further information about the district's prekindergarten program may be obtained by calling 407-870-4911 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday - Friday.
Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response
to a public records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing.
