Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
Sorted by date Results 151 - 162 of 162
More than 900 communities have lost their local newspapers in recent years. The print version of the Lake Wales News was nearly 100 years old when its owners decided it no longer was viable. Market conditions, printing costs and lack of advertisers contributed to its demise. Enter LakeWalesNews.net. Nearly two dozen area residents have come together and volunteered to create a free, online news site. The goal is to serve as a watchdog of the public interest and a promoter of community spirit. Local businesses already have...
Many people are aware of Steven Covey's "7 Habit's of Highly Effective People" impact in the business world. But one Lake Wales Charter school has been using it for eight years now as one of the foundations of its educational approach. Recently, Polk Avenue Elementary was honored as a prestigious Leader in Me "Lighthouse School". While thousands of schools across the United States use the program, only a few hundred schools have earned the Lighthouse designation. Leader in Me...
You might say that Samantha Havens is the Dale R. Fair Babson Park Elementary School Teacher of the Year because she hits all the right notes. Now in her ninth year at the Lake Wales Charter System, the school's music teacher earned a bachelor's in music education from Warner University in 2010, where she was inspired by Dr. Steven Darr. "Dr. Darr taught me that if you want something to be spectacular, then you need to put in the time and effort," Havens noted. "He is...
Based upon a Florida TaxWatch independent assessment, Polk State College and others in the Florida College System offer a good return on a student's investment based upon low debt and higher anticipated work-life earnings of their graduates. The Florida TaxWatch, an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit taxpayer research institute and government watchdog, announced at a press conference the results of their independent assessment of the economic impacts of the Florida College...
An experienced cast and a script full of twists and turns lead to an entertaining evening of live theatre in "The Assassin's New Friend." The psychological thriller runs through March 31 at Lake Wales Little Theatre. Bok Academy educator Jeff Herman plays Kendrick, the "crazed man" plotting to kill attorney Douglas Brendan, played by engineer John Durbin. Both are veterans of multiple shows, as is apparent in their performances. Herman's portrayal of the "psycho" Kendrick...
You'll be on the edge of your seat during the production of "The Assassin's New Friend" through March 31 at the Lake Wales Little Theatre. Written by John Kaasik, the play is directed by Lake Wales Charter Schools Human Resources Director Dr. Julio Acevedo. March 15 is opening night and the play runs three weekends with performances at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and at 2 p.m. on Sundays. "This is a really good play because it has comedy, suspense, action and drama so...
Polk County School District officials unveiled a plan this week to offer high school students a Lake Wales option by adding grades 9-12 to the current McLaughlin Middle School. McLaughlin would increase its fine arts programs and add a high-tech academy if the proposal is approved by the School Board. Board Chairman Lynn Wilson expressed his immediate and strong opposition to the idea, but the other six Board members seemed at least open to the possibility. School Board...
A week-long observation in all seven Lake Wales Charter schools culminated with a special community event at Eagle Ridge Mall with hundreds of staff, students, families and local supporters celebrating Disabilities Awareness Week. Charter Schools participated in a variety of activities designed to help students, teachers, staff, families and the broader community understand the importance of supporting special need students – children with disabilities – and their fam...
Tera Dent has, one way or another, always been a cheerleader. For four years, it was on the sidelines at Warner University, where she was getting her elementary education degree. Today, it's as Hillcrest Elementary's "K Academy" Director, working to support the academic needs of struggling students who were retained along with incoming students who are academically ahead of their peers, work that led to her being named the school's 2018-19 Teacher of the Year. "I love that...
Bok Academy North teacher Margaret Thomas has a daily tradition with her sixth grade students. Every day, she likes to greet them with a question, something that simultaneously can entertain and educate her youngsters at the same time. It's part of the reason she has been named as the school's first-ever Teacher of the Year. Bok North opened its doors this past August. "It is the highlight of my day," she said of her routine, which sets the tone for entering a classroom that...
Principal Donna Dunson may or may not have shed a few tears when she was interviewing Lillian Anderson a while back. But what is clear is Dunson was convinced Anderson needed to teach at Lake Wales High School, and that she was going to do whatever it took to get her there. Seven years later, Anderson has been named Teacher of the Year for the Lake Wales Charter System, honored recently along with teachers and support staff from each of its seven schools during the system's...
Three Lake Wales Charter schools were among 21 schools in Polk County recognized recently as Five Star School award winners by the Florida Department of Education. Dale R. Fair Babson Park Elementary School, Hillcrest Elementary School and Polk Avenue Elementary School were among about 700 schools statewide to receive the honor for the 2017-18 school year. The Five Star School award honors schools for exemplary community involvement and their commitment to incorporating...
