City of Dunedin recognizes school achievement

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For the second year, the City of Dunedin sponsored its Annual Mayor’s Top Apple Awards program, which recognizes the achievements and contributions by schools in Dunedin.

The City’s program provides several opportunities for recognition, both in overall school grade achievement or maintenance, and categories of achievement within each school. Last week,  Dunedin city officials recognized the schools and district employees for accomplishments that occurred during the last school year. There were six categories.

  • Achievement in the Arts:  Recognition of a school’s accomplishments in the artistic and cultural realm.

    Dunedin High received the City of Dunedin's Mayor Top Apple Award for Achievement in the Arts.

Dunedin High School

Extensive success and recognition by the Florida School Music Association regarding the success of the DHS performing arts programs, including the Scottish Highlander Marching Band, the Jazz Ensemble, the Highlander Symphonic Winds, Chorus, Pipe Band, Orchestra, and Advanced Placement Music Theory programs.

  • Excellence in Technology:  The school that embraces the newest technology through innovative programs.

Dunedin Highland Middle School

Microsoft Office Certification for seventh and eighth grade students, with 100 percent of the students earning a Microsoft Office Specialist certification in at least one area of specialization, with others working towards bundle certification.

  • Green Apple: Recognition of a school’s environmental achievements that influence a “Going Green” economy.

Garrison Jones Elementary School

Annual canned food drive with students collecting the most cans of any school in the City annually.

  • Health & Wellness Initiative:  The school that shows exemplary initiative in creating a wellness program.

Curtis Fundamental Elementary School

Creation of extensive student and faculty wellness programs including SPARK, which involves students participating in high levels of physical activity daily; Nutrition Bag, which is intended to encourage physical activity with the family at home, and Wellness Wednesday, where teachers encourage students to be active for an additional 10 minutes daily, above and beyond P.E. and recess activity.

  • Visionary Leadership: The Principal who shows exceptional leadership and guidance.

Principal Christopher Bates, Dunedin Highland Middle School

Partnered with the Greenwood Community and the Greenwood Substation to provide extra tutoring opportunities    for students

Initiated the “Heat Program” where students are called into his office to provide a personalized review of the needs for students who are falling behind in their school work

Initiated extensive mentoring programs, including “Under their Wing” and the “Talented Two” programs.

  • Top Apple:  Recognition of those schools within the City that either earned an “A” grade from the State Board of Education, or, improved their letter grade from the previous year.

Garrison Jones Elementary

Curtis Fundamental Elementary School

Academie Da Vinci

Athenian Academy