October was a great month for BPS

BPS Celebrates National Principals Month Throughout October

Each week this month, followers of the Brevard Public Schools Facebook page were asked to nominate their Principal for our Fill the Fridge contest! One winner was chosen each week to have their lounge areas stocked with snacks and drinks for their staff members. Pictured to the left is last week's winner, Principal Mitzi Robinson of Pinewood Elementary School. Additionally, last week, each of our amazing school leaders was surprised with a little something special to show our appreciation. We are incredibly thankful for everything they do for our students.?

Rockledge High Graduate Receives the First Harry T. And Harriette V. Moore Memorial Scholarship

Congratulations to Mr. Dalyn Sims, the inaugural recipient of the Harry T. And Harriette V. Moore Memorial Scholarship.?This $3500 scholarship was awarded in partnership with the American Federation of Teachers, the Florida Education Association, the Brevard Association of School Administrators, Senator Tony Hill , Chair of the Commissioner of Education's African American History Task Force, and the Brevard Federation of Teachers.

2021 Graduate of Rockledge High School, Mr. Dalyn Sims said in his scholarship essay:?"Like the Moores, I want to be known as the young man that motivated my people, got involved, took a stand for his generation, and formed as a TEAM for change and equality. We (my generation) have to understand that we are the world's Moores, Dr. King, Malcolm X, John Lewis, and Barack Obama (just to name a few). I want to lead, educate, motivate, and be of encouragement for all races."

Harry T. Moore was hired in 1925 to teach at Cocoa's only black elementary school and was promoted to the principal of the Titusville Colored School in 1927. Harriette V. Moore was hired in 1928 as a first-grade teacher at Mims Elementary School. She worked alongside Harry in the movement to improve the lives of and attain equal justice and opportunity for Florida's Black citizens and Brevard County's Black educators and students. In 1946, Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore were not offered contracts for the next school year by the Brevard Public School Board due to their activism. On Christmas night in 1951, the educators and activists were victims of a bombing of their home in Mims. On February 23, 2021, the School Board of Brevard County recognized the unjust firing of the Moores, and this scholarship was established to honor their legacy. We are thrilled to award it to Mr. Dalyn Sims.

Brevard Schools, Space Coast TPO Participate in 2021 Walk to School Day

On Wednesday, October 6th, students from 23 different Brevard schools?joined thousands across the world in celebrating International Walk to School Day.?Brevard Public Schools? and the?Space Coast TPO ?have partnered together to participate in the International Walk to School Day for 21 years.

Walk to School Day events work to create safer routes for walking and bicycling and emphasize the importance of issues such as increasing physical activity among children, pedestrian safety, traffic congestion, concern for the environment, and building connections between families, schools, and the broader community. This year's Walk to School Day garnered media attention from three different local news agencies!?

Brevard Public Schools Celebrates Red Ribbon Week

This year's Red Ribbon Week theme was "Drug Free Looks like Me." Red Ribbon Week occurs annually and aims to educate and inspire kids to stay drug-free. Schools across Brevard celebrated Red Ribbon week by holding special activities and assemblies, and by participating in themed spirit days!

You can learn more about Red Ribbon Week and its mission by clicking here .

University Park Students Learn Robotics from the Best in the Business

?University Park Elementary school has partnered with Northrop Grumman to bring robotics opportunities to our students.

A team from Northrop Grumman visits University Park twice per month. They are helping students build an underwater robot for an upcoming competition!?

Northrup Grumman has also supported University Park's STEM teacher, Mrs. Shorts, in learning more about robotics and 3D printing. Thank you, Northrop Grumman!?

West Melbourne School for Science Holds Ceremony to Commemorate Mosaic Project

WMSS held a beautiful ceremony to celebrate the conclusion of a mosaic art project that has been in the works for over two years. The ceremony included a choral performance, guest speakers, and ribbon-cutting.

?When Principal Theresa Benson joined the WMSS family in 2019, she felt inspired to beautify the exterior walls of the school and decided to look into the Brevard Cultural Alliance's Artist Residency program. Local artist Mary Moon was matched with WMSS and worked in close collaboration with art teacher Kami Lambert to make Principal Benson's dream a reality. The mosaic features clay pieces made by WMSS students of all ages. Each special piece is themed to represent the School for Science. Looking closely, you'll find everything from rockets to tropical fish to microscopes and test tubes. The shooting star design was inspired by a piece of artwork done by former student, Kahlia Hsieh, who is now a student at West Shore Jr/Sr High. Kahlia's younger sister Cecilia is a fourth-grader at WMSS.

?The project was completed through support of the Brevard Schools Foundation and the Brevard Cultural Alliance. The funding of this project was largely supported by the Florida Department of Arts and Culture. We are thrilled for current and future students and staff to be able to enjoy this beautiful piece of art for many years to come.

Melbourne High Senior Nominated for U.S. Presidential Scholar Academic Award

?The Office of Secondary Leading and Learning is pleased to announce that Devin Pelikan, senior at Melbourne Senior High School, has been chosen as the Brevard Public Schools nominee for the U.S. Presidential Scholar Academic Award.?The mission of this program, established in 1964, is to recognize and honor superior high school seniors.?

Sixty seniors throughout our county were initially identified as meeting the minimum requirements for this prestigious award.?From those sixty students, the following students were chosen as school nominees:?

·????Jackson Bailey, Astronaut High School

·????????Thomas Tibbetts, Cocoa Beach Junior/Senior High School

·????????James McMillan, Eau Gallie High School

·????????Nikhil Iyer, Edgewood Junior/Senior High School

·????????Joshua Briley, Heritage High School

·????????Devin Pelikan, Melbourne High School

·????????Mason Derwitsch, Rockledge High School

·????????Neil Reddy, Satellite High School

·????????Kafranza Gaspard, Titusville High School

·????????Shane Layman, Viera High School

·????????Alexander Budko, West Shore Junior/Senior High School

?Of those eleven students, Devin was chosen based on her Academic Record, Community Involvement and Leadership.

Approximately 600 candidates are named semifinalists, and their names and supporting materials are forwarded to the White House Commission for further review.?In April, the Commission on Presidential Scholars will review the applications of all the semi-finalists, applying the same criteria used by the review committee.?The Commission selects up to 161 U.S. Presidential Scholars each year.

PBMHS Senior Jonathan Dooley Selected as the BPS Representative for the U.S. CTE Presidential Scholar Award

Congratulations to Jonathan Dooley for being selected as the Brevard Public Schools representative for the U.S. CTE Presidential Scholar Award! The mission of this program is to recognize and honor outstanding high school seniors. Nominated students are those who demonstrate excellence in Career and Technical Education.

Jon is a senior Engineering student at Palm Bay Magnet High School with a passion for coding. Jon's teacher, Rebecca Allen, says that "Jon is a joy to work with because of his tireless pursuit of knowledge and personal improvement. He is a great leader because he models the behavior and work ethic you would like to see in every student."

?Jon takes a wide range of AP courses and excels in the CTE areas of Engineering and Game Design. He is currently enrolled in the Pirates to Panthers program at the Florida Institute of Technology, where he has the opportunity to further his studies in computer science. Jon has had great success throughout his high school career including a work-study internship with Northrup Grumman, competing at the State and National Technology Student Association (TSA) conferences, a variety of certifications, and participation in the NASA HUNCH program for Engineering.

School Board Corner

The youngest people in Brevard County were on the minds of each School Board member during an October School Board meeting. Superintendent Dr. Mark Mullins shared a presentation on Thrive by Five. That is the initiative led by Dr. Mullins that will provide resources to new parents before they leave the hospital with their newborns. Health First, Parrish, and Steward medical systems are partnering with BPS to provide new parents with a bag filled with educational supplies. The idea is to support the educational growth of children during their first five years of life which will set them up for success once they begin kindergarten. Thrive by Five officially launched on November 1st.

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