Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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Polk State College has prepared a three-phased Return to Campus plan that supports the return of administrators and select personnel to the College's campuses and centers beginning on Monday, July 20. Students should note that most courses will remain online through the Fall 2020 Semester. Students enrolled in select workforce education and training programs will receive specialized information from their program directors and instructors. All students are encouraged to...
Achievement Academy staff members were honored by their colleagues Thursday, May 21. Grace Doran, a Lakeland teacher, was honored as Teacher of the Year. Doran has been a teacher for 34 years, the past 11 years employed at the Achievement Academy. This recognition was especially memorable as she recently announced her retirement scheduled for the end of this school year. Doran's classroom consists of 10 students and two paraprofessionals. The small class size is important as...
It's the scope of Resolution 2019-2020-12 that matters to District One School Board Member Billy Townsend. It reads: Temporary Suspension of School Board Policies During Certain Emergencies Until the Next Meeting of the School Board of Polk County. As matters now stand, this resolution is voted upon at every school board meeting. "That's a pretty big suspension, so I think it behooves us as elected officials just to vote on it each time because it's pretty extraordinary...
While many events in the community have been canceled in the wake of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, one of Florida Polytechnic University's richest student traditions will continue in a virtual environment. The annual Capstone Design Showcase, which features the hard work of seniors challenged to solve industry problems, has shifted from a one-day event to a three-day virtual presentation. "I would love to see an in-person capstone showcase, but given the circumstances we...
Polk County Public Schools' self-funded health plan is on track to become solvent in 2020 - three years ahead of schedule. "Every PCPS employee should be very proud of what we have achieved, because we did it together," said Superintendent Jacqueline Byrd. "We were facing multimillion-dollar shortfalls. The district and the unions took action together, and because we did, the health plan is healthier than it's been in a long time." The work done to stabilize the health plan...
Polk County School Board meetings will be conducted next week via video conference to maintain social distancing due to current health concerns regarding the coronavirus. A work session will begin at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 12, followed by a board meeting at 5 p.m. The work session and board meeting will be livestreamed at youtube.com/polkcountypublicschools These meetings will also be broadcast live on the following channels: Comcast: Channel 7, Frontier: Channel 45,...
Polk County Public Schools will hold an online teacher hiring event from noon to 2 p.m. Thursday, May 21. Future events are planned for 9-11 a.m. June 4 and 2-4 p.m. June 18. The online events include virtual chats that have the potential to lead to follow-up Skype interviews and job offers for teaching positions in the 2020-2021 school year. The school district says it offers one of the highest beginning teacher salaries in the state and a generous benefits package. Click...
Beginning with the fiscal year that starts July 1, existing Polk County Public Schools employees will have the option of being paid twice monthly. "Our employees told us this was something they wanted. We listened, we collaborated closely with our unions, and working together, we made it happen. I'm very proud we are able to give this option to the hardworking people of PCPS," said Superintendent Jacqueline Byrd. For as long as most memories serve, PCPS employees have been...
The Polk County School Board is making arrangements to hold traditional graduation ceremonies in June. Seniors expressing their opinions in an online survey overwhelmingly chose traditional ceremonies over virtual or drive-through graduations. School district officials said they belive they will be able to provide a traditional graduation experience to students and their families while adhering to CDC guidelines. Full details will be announced once the new schedule is...
Polk State College is celebrating more than a thousand graduating students this Spring 2020 Semester and is getting creative to publicly recognize their milestone accomplishments. Due to the need to cancel the May 7 commencement ceremonies to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, Polk State is offering a variety of virtual opportunities for graduates to participate in, including the creation of lifelong keepsakes for them and their families. "Polk State College's 122nd...
Polk County Public Schools and Polk Vision have teamed up to help improve internet access for students through a new initiative: Synced for Students. With campuses closed through the remainder of the 2019-20 school year, PCPS students are engaging with their teachers and lessons online as part of a statewide transition to distance learning. However, the change has been difficult for many families who lack internet service at home, or have limited internet options in their...
Florida Polytechnic University announced that its Spring 2020 graduates will get their chance to walk to Pomp and Circumstance at a special commencement ceremony scheduled for Friday, Dec. 18, 2020. The event will be held at the RP Funding Center, located at 701 W. Lime St. in Lakeland. The COVID-19 pandemic shifted all universities to remote instruction for the rest of the 2019-2020 academic year. It also forced the cancellation of all in-person events on and off campus,...
Enrollment is open at Polk State College for the Summer 2020 Semester, which will be fully online to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. The semester will begin on May 6. Currently enrolled students are also able to register for Fall 2020 Semester classes starting April 13. Open enrollment for fall will start on June 1 and classes will start on August 17. Students currently enrolled at Polk State may register for classes through their PASSPORT accounts. Dual enrollment...
Starting Thursday April 9 the Lake Wales Charter School bus drivers will start delivering meals to 18 locations along five routes. Meals will be available to children 18 and under regardless of where the student attends school. Social distancing of at least six feet is mandatory for neighborhood pickup locations. If able, masks and gloves are highly recommended for the safety of all. Children need to be present to receive the meals. Meals will be delivered Monday through...
As Polk State College moves to an online learning environment for the remainder of the 2020 Spring Semester to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, faculty and staff have partnered and are taking innovative approaches to convert courses, motivate students, and assist each other through the challenging circumstances. Classes will resume online on Monday, March 30, including dual enrollment courses and Polk State's three collegiate high schools. For weeks, faculty have been...
Polk State College will continue all classes online through the Summer 2020 Semester to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. The College suspended instruction on March 16 and resumed all classes, including dual enrollment and Polk State's three collegiate high schools, online on Monday, March 30, for the remainder of the Spring 2020 Semester. Due to the evolving public health emergency, faculty and staff are also preparing for a fully online summer semester. "Polk State...
Polk County Public Schools April 1 began distributing 60,000 internet-accessible devices to families in need. Parents should receive device distribution instructions from administrators at their child's school. Parents should not go to their child's school until they receive notification from the school about days devices will be distributed and instructions for receiving a device. Devices will be provided only to students enrolled in each school. Parents will need to present...
Polk County Public Schools has released its Instructional Continuity Plan, which details how learning will continue for the district's students while schools remain closed through April 15 in response to coronavirus (COVID-19). "I commend my staff for their diligent work on this plan. For weeks, they have carefully considered the dynamics of our district: our English Language Learners, our students with special needs, and the areas of the county where internet access is scarce...
Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland is experiencing a significant increase in the number of students applying to become Phoenixes. At only two-thirds of the way through the 2020 recruitment cycle, the University has received 31% more freshman applications compared to this time last year. This includes a 44% increase in applicants from out of state. The new numbers are a stark contrast to the current trends in postsecondary enrollment throughout the nation. Higher...
Teachers and education students from Polk County (and beyond) are welcome to attend Polk County Public Schools EdCamp. The free professional development opportunity will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Jan. 25 at Florida Southern College's Roberts Academy at 1140 Frank Lloyd Wright Way in Lakeland. The event is billed as a unique professional experience where teachers will learn from other teachers in discussion groups, not lectures. For more information, please see our...
Lake Wales Charter Schools has a new tracking system for all of its bus riders. Called Reaxium, students are being issued identification badges that will check each on and off the bus during the school day. The new system has been in a testing stage for several months, and went live for all schools and buses on Jan. 13. According to school officials, the program will help improve student safety and efficiency in bus route management. "The new system will allow parents and...
Polk State College serves nearly 3,000 students each year through its dual-enrollment, early-admission, and collegiate high school programs, providing a variety of accelerated-learning and cost-saving opportunities for students and their families. Dual-enrollment and early-admission options allow Polk County students from all public secondary schools, most area private high schools, and home-education programs to take college courses and earn credit toward both their high...
The Lake Wales Charter Schools Foundation has kicked off it's 2019-20 giving campaign, committed to improving the educational opportunities for all students in the community, according to campaign chairman and Foundation chair James Tully. With the opening of Bok Academy North two years ago, the charter system now operates seven schools, serving a total of approximately 4,750 students. For the fiscal year that ended June 30, the system realized overall revenues of $39.5 millio...
Polk County Public Schools broke ground Dec. 4 on a new high school in fast-growing Davenport. The new school, located adjacent to Davenport School of the Arts, is scheduled to open in August 2021 and will accommodate 2,500 students, providing enrollment relief to nearby Ridge Community and Haines City high schools. It will offer programs in the fine arts, hospitality and hotel management, technology, computer modeling and gaming. At the groundbreaking ceremony,...
More than 550 students with Polk State College's 121st graduating class will walk the stage Thursday, Dec. 12, at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland to receive their diplomas. The commencement ceremony, which is a free ticketed event, will start at 6:30 p.m. at 701 W. Lime St. The ceremony will feature remarks from Polk State President Angela Garcia Falconetti and December 2019 Distinguished Alumna Susan Copeland. "Commencement marks a significant milestone of perseverance and...
