Does Your School Have What it Takes?

Seven hundred and thirty-six Florida schools earned Five Star School Awards for 2002-2003. Sixty-six of those are Broward schools. Could your school be next?

The Florida Department of Education first offered the Five Star School Award for the 1994/1995 school year. It was designed to recognize schools with exemplary programs that fully integrate school and community involvement to produce higher student achievement. Five groups comprise the stars of the award: Community/Business Partnership, Family Involvement, Volunteers, Student Community Service and School Advisory Councils/School Decision Making.

Many schools have strong programs in one or more of the areas, explained Connie Wotton of the District's Volunteer Services Department, which oversees the Five Star Award process in Broward County, but outstanding schools develop strong programs in all five areas. According to Ms. Wotton, these components must work together to demonstrate that active community involvement is vital to higher student achievement. In order to qualify for a Five Star School Award, a school must achieve 100 percent of these criteria.

"It took our school two years to be able to document everything we needed in order to successfully apply for Five Star designation," said Glenda Hidalgo McMurray, Assistant Principal and Five Star Coordinator at Sandpiper Elementary School in Sunrise. Sandpiper is celebrating its inaugural year of Five Star designation. But Ms. Wotton points out that principals, assistant principals and other school personnel say that the process of working toward a Five Star School Award brings its own rewards, even if the award is not attained. "Whenever parents, families, business people and other community members are welcomed into schools and included in the educational process, learning opportunities are expanded and the education of students is enriched," she said.

According to Ms. McMurray, the award is "recognition for what we do every day. People don't always realize the difference between a Five Star School and a non-Five Star School," she added. "Schools may look the same on the outside, but the difference is on the inside. It's in how we deal with our partnerships, our community involvement, our student work and our parent training. It makes people in the community want to work with us because they know that we know what we're doing. We're very proud," she said.

Additional information about the Five Star School Award - including helpful tips to get you started - is available by calling the District's Volunteer Services Department at 754-321-2040 or online at
www.broward.k12.fl.us/communityinvolvement/
volunteers.htm.

Five Star Award Benefits
• Five Star Schools, their families and communities share a unique and rewarding educational experience because of the qualifying activities
• The award identifies schools having programs that can be used as models for other schools
• It serves as an assessment tool for schools to use to measure the success of their programs, even if they do not meet all of the criteria
• The portfolio provides an outstanding history of the school
• Information gathered for the award supports information helpful in school accreditation
• The portfolio becomes an excellent public relations tool for the school

Five Star Award Criteria Highlights
• Receipt of the Golden School Award
• A minimum of 60% of families positively involved more than once during the school year
• A minimum of 50% of students involved in community activities
• School Advisory Council meetings at least eight times during the year, with an average attendance of 80%
• A 2003/2004 grade of "C" or above on the state's A+Plan

Bit of History
In 1922, Joseph Wesley Young, the founder of Hollywood, donated land for Hollywood Central Elementary School. The school opened later that year. The school served 37 students, but Hollywood experienced phenomenal growth and by 1925 the community's school children numbered 900. Fort Lauderdale's population also continued to grow, and in 1922 the concept of "Ward Schools" (neighborhood schools) developed. 

Learn more about the history of Broward County Public Schools by visiting
www.browardschools.com/history


Appointments/Reassignments
The Board approved the following appointments at its January 20, February 3 and February 17, 2004 meetings:

Gary Grigull, Curriculum Specialist, Autism; Harry LaCava, Area Superintendent, North Central; Barbara Leslie, Director, Food & Nutrition Services; Ruben Parker, Director, Transportation Services; Tara Rodger, Manager, SSS/ESE Electronic Management System; Elizabeth King, Specialist, Dropout Prevention/Program Development and Improvement;

David Jones, Principal, Coral Glades High; Lida Yocum, Due Process Coordinator;

Interim Principals: Bonnie Clemon, Seagull School; Krista Herrera, "OO" Middle; Marilyn Holmes, "Y" Elementary; Davida Johnson, A.C. Perry Elementary; Philip Bullock, Miramar Elementary; Wendy Doll, Cooper City High;

Interim Assistant Principals: John Murphy, South Plantation High; Bryan O'Toole, Fort Lauderdale High; Darius Saunders, Miramar High; Brian Kingsley, Olsen Middle; Angela Brown, Pine Ridge Alternative Center; Ernest Hamilton II, Lauderdale Manors Elementary; Rosado Willowphine, Lauderdale Manors Elementary; and Theresa Thelmas, Chapel Trail Elementary.

The Board also approved the following reassignments: Percival Holness, Systems Analyst III, Exceptional Student Education and Janet H. Ward, Assistant Principal, McFatter Technical Center.


Watch Dr. Till's Show on BECON

Dr. Till's monthly program on BECON - Community Forum with Dr. Frank Till - now has a regular time slot. This program, which features Dr. Till with a variety of guests from the District as well as the community, can be seen on Thursdays at 7 p.m. on BECON TV.

Featured guests on the program discuss many different topics of interest to the Broward community. Topics presented thus far this year include: Boundaries, Tools for Schools and Mentoring. Check your local cable company for the BECON channel.