WCSD recently hosted an inservice training developed by the Florida Department of Transportation for Florida Safe Routes to School (bicycle/pedestrian) at the WISE/Carlene Anderson Training Center in DeFuniak Springs.  The purpose of the professional development, led by trainer Caitlyn Cerame, was to train teachers to introduce children to safe pedestrian behaviors and the concept of traffic. The goal is to teach children the necessary skills to be safer pedestrians whether walking to and from school, to the school bus stop, or other common situations.

The training was designed to:

• Develop knowledge of the most current materials available for teaching bicycle and pedestrian safety skills (curriculum guides, lessons suggestions, equipment, videos) and how to obtain them for use with students. 
• Learn and demonstrate the life-saving traffic safety skills that can be taught to students. 
• Create learning outcomes so students will recognize safety rules and procedures for physical activities like walking and biking to school.
• Help trainers learn to implement curriculum that meets FDOE bike/ped standards for K-5th grade.

Bay Elementary Second grade has been busy with a broad curriculum of applied knowledge and problem solving using STEM and the recent celebrations of Dr. Seuss’ birthday and Read Across America Day through a series of daily centers.  Second Grade student, Rori, read The Butter Battle Book by Dr. Seuss to the class, then each student colored a part of the piece to reveal the hidden message.  Students talked about how we are all different and unique which makes them special.  Teachers read aloud “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish,” and then students used their themes from the book to work math problems graphing and plotting points with goldfish.  After reading “Cat in the Hat” students worked in groups to create a crazy hat for their teammates.  From “Oh the Places You’ll Go!” students were asked to complete a journal playing off of ELA-structured questions that asked students to form an opinion and make predictions about the author’s meaning.  

In STEM, students used applied knowledge of, “How Natural Disasters Can Impact Building Structures,” with hands-on learning.  They built structures and tested their strength with a hair dryer and then problem solved. Keep up the good work Second Grade! Submitted by Lindsey Harp

Mrs. Amanda Callahan’s 3rd grade class at WDE explored the character trait - Love of Learning - by completing a STEM project about the strength of cylinders. The class asked the question, “How many books will one piece of paper hold, when it is rolled into a cylinder?” Students were amazed at how strong a paper cylinder could be! One group was able to stack 16 books!

Submitted by Jessica Dawkins

At our annual AVID Night, 12th grade dual enrolled and AVID student, Nick Morgan, spoke to the students and parents. Nick spoke about his experience in AVID and his first day of college. Thank you, Nick, for sharing with the participants of AVID Night.  Submitted by Kalli McMillan