The School Board of Orange County held its regularly-scheduled board meeting at 4:45 p.m. at the Ronald Blocker Educational Leadership Center. These are the highlights:
Policy revisions approved
The changes to the policies being revised include language from enacted laws and Florida Department of Education requirements, as well as the clarification of the process by which a parent or a resident of the county can object to the Board’s adoption of instructional materials and/or request reconsideration of library materials already in use.
Board Policy IJ: Instructional Resources and Materials
Board Policy IJL: Library Materials Selection and Adoption
Board Policy KEC: Concerns about Instructional Resources (Repealed and incorporated into IJL)
Proclamations adopted for May 2023
National School Nurse Day – May 10, 2023
School Board recognitions
Leadership Orange graduating Class of 2023
For the last 13 years, the Leadership Orange program has given more than 320 citizens a chance to experience first-hand what it takes to educate nearly 209,000 students every day. The twenty-six members of this year’s Leadership Orange Class came from all over the district, representing many unique interests and diverse backgrounds and identities. For the past eight months, class members spent one day each month visiting elementary, middle and high schools, the West Campus of Orange Technical College and even the Pine Hills Transportation Center. They learned everything that they could about our building program, school budgeting, teaching and learning, community engagement, Exceptional Student Education and operations, which included getting behind the wheel of a school bus.
Student saves his classmate
Rosemont Elementary fourth-grade student Jake Salas King jumped into action and helped his classmate and fellow fourth grader, Kyan Calvin Burton, by using the Heimlich maneuver to dislodge a piece of candy that was stuck in his throat. Thankfully, Kyan is feeling much better and attended the school board recognition ceremony with Jake this evening.
Elementary nursing skills program (see photo at top of page)
Ivey Lane Elementary’s third- through fifth-grade students had the privilege to learn nursing skills at an unusually young age during an eight-week program provided by the Central Florida Black Nurses Association of Orlando (CFBNA). CFBNA nurse Judith Clark and other nursing instructors taught the students CPR and additional life-saving techniques. The course also provided the schoolchildren with a chance to receive hands-on medical training while learning real-world science.
Student received Congressional Award Gold Medal
University High junior Andre Graves received the Congressional Award Gold Medal. The gold medal is the highest Congressional Award a youth can receive. The Congressional Award provides opportunities for youth to unleash their potential by achieving personal goals focused on volunteerism, character development and fitness. For the past two years, Andre completed nearly 500 volunteer public-service hours; more than 250 hours of personal development; 200 hours of physical fitness; and explored Peru during a two-week trip. Andre will be presented with the award during the 2023 Congressional Award Gold Medal Summit in Washington, D.C. in June.