Around the District

Dogs, Volunteers Needed for Wags & Tales Program

Bailey, a pet therapy dog, sits with Director of Community Involvement, Merrie Meyers-Kershaw (left) and Marni Bellavia from the Humane Society.

The Wags & Tales Program - enables children between the ages of 5 -12 years old to read an age-appropriate short story of their choice to a Pet Therapy Dog. The intent of the program is to make reading fun and boost confidence in reading out loud. In order to expand the program, more teams of volunteers and dogs are needed. Both must attend a Humane Society of Broward County Volunteer Orientation and a mandatory two-hour pre-requisite pet therapy-training course. Dogs must be one year or older; spayed/neutered; current on vaccinations; non-aggressive in all situations; interested in people; well-behaved; and able to maintain a down stay position for long periods of time. A Pet Therapy Dog needs to be able to walk well on a leash, not jump and adhere to basic commands. Potential volunteers must be 18 years of age. Those interested in learning more about the program should call 954-266-6856 or send an e-mail to petherapy@hsbroward.com.


Broward Educators honored by Florida Marlins

L to R: Broward Educators Marilyn Holmes, Sharon Ludwig and Tina Recchi and Jennifer Smith of the Florida Marlins. Jane Kozoru poses with Billy the Marlin.

Four Broward educators shared the limelight with Florida Marlins players when they were honored during home games at Pro Player Stadium. Throwing our ceremonial first pitches were Broward and Florida Region V's Teacher of the Year Jane Koszoru; Broward Principal of the Year Sharon Ludwig; Broward Assistant Principal of the Year Marilyn Holmes, and ACCLAIM finalist Tina Recchi.


District Employee Pens Mystery Novel
Magnet Programs Coordinator Christine Kling has a new novel out: Surface Tension. The suspenseful read centers around a female salvage tug skipper operating out of the Fort Lauderdale area who makes a precarious living rescuing luxury yachts and sportfishing boats in the Florida waters. All is well until she responds to a distress call only to find an abandoned boat with a body onboard. Christine received her Masters of Fine Arts in creative writing from FIU and has had articles and stories appear in numerous boating publications. Published by Ballantine Books in hardcover, you can pick Surface Tension up at bookstores or learn more about it at www.ballantinebooks.com. You can also find out more about Christine by visiting her Web site at www.christinekling.com

Third Time's Still a Charm for Financial Reporting
For the third year in a row, Broward County Public Schools earned the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA). The District was honored for its yearly Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR). This award is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by the District. The CAFR has been judged to demonstrate a constructive "spirit of full disclosure" to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the CAFR.


Outstanding Partners Honored
The School Board of Broward County held its annual Partnership Appreciation Luncheon in late May. In addition to many other corporate partners, Office Depot was recognized for its longstanding history of support of all of the District's employee recognition programs and the additional incentives to schools it provides through its 5% BACK program and Star Teacher program; more information on these programs is available at www.browardschools.com.


HRD Web site to Feature Powerpoint Presentation
Becky Shermis, Executive Director of the Human Resources Department (HRD), and Dr. Phil Schlechty, author of Working on the Work, met recently at the PAL Principal Academy. The two discussed the upcoming HRD Web site debut of the Instructional and Motivational Powerpoint presentation that Dr. Schlechty used at Superintendent Frank Till's Leadership Forum.

Becky Shermis, Executive Director of the Human Resources Department (HRD), and Dr. Phil Schlechty