Every sports team that is eligible for the district playoffs can submit the cumulative GPA for the team when it is a 3.0 and higher. The GPAs must be unweighted.  The top 10 schools in each sport receives points with ten points awarded for a first place finish, nine points for second, etc. The school in each class with the highest cumulative point total for the school year will be named the champion and receives a plaque.

Naming team academic champions started in the 2010-11 school year. That year, East Lake High was Class 5A Academic Team Champion. For the last two years, the Eagles have earned the Class 8A title.

Class 8A Academic Team Champions – Standings 2012-13

After three rounds of questions that ranged from American history, to currency, to poisonous snakes, a champion was indeed crowned.

Safety Harbor Middle School bested the others and won the district’s 37th annual Quiz Bowl. Bay Point Middle finished second and Seminole Middle captured third.

The competition started a week ago with 11 middle schools. From that competition, six teams made the final round. The other teams in the final round were Palm Harbor Middle, Dunedin Highland Middle and Azalea Middle.

The students answered questions from a variety of subjects, including social studies, economics, math, science and language arts. The teams consisted of five players. The first team to hit a buzzer and answer the question correctly was awarded points.

The Pinellas Education Foundation and the Stavros Center helped sponsor the quiz bowl.

To view more photos from the final competition, scroll down.

The 16th annual Battle of the Books district competition will be held in the conference hall of the Administration Building, 301 Fourth St. SW, Largo Florida, 33779.  The program will be hosted by Fox 13’s anchor Mark Wilson who anchors the 5:00 PM news and NewsEdge weekdays.   The high school competition will begin at 8:00 AM, elementary school competition is slated for 10:30 AM and the middle school competition will begin at 1:00 PM.

To watch the video and learn more, Click Here.

Jacklyn Marie Spatzer and Louis Diaz were named the 2013 Largo High School scholarship winners and received $1,000 each toward college.

Jacklyn participated in numerous extracurricular activities including junior varsity  volleyball, varsity soccer, Blue Band, National Honor Society and the Spanish Honor Society. Jacklyn also serves as a volunteer at the Pinellas County Animal Shelter. She plans to attend St. Petersburg College in the fall.

Louis will attend the University of Florida, where he plans to major in Business. Louis participated in the Science Club, Interact Club, Senior Council and Spanish Honor Society. Louis volunteered at Mildred Helms Elementary, the RCS Food Bank and the Warren Backpacking Program.

“We had a great group of applicants for these two awards,” said Laurie Bunce, chairman of the chamber’s Scholarship Review Committee. “It was very difficult to narrow our choices to two. We believe that Jacklyn and Louis exemplify the spirit and commitment required to succeed. We look forward to following their progress and sharing in their success.”

The baskets were created and presented by Publix.

Seniors at Largo High were honored by the Central Pinellas Chamber of Commerce for their exemplary work both in school and in their communities. Publix provided the baskets.

The awards honor efforts by PMAC to promote diversity and understanding of other cultures. Click here for a full list of award winners.

PMAC is a multicultural student leadership program designed to empower students to have a positive, sustainable impact on the culture and climate of their schools and communities. The program became a School Board mandate in order to ensure that students had the right to attend a school where all ethnic and cultural heritages are welcomed and respected.

The multicultural committee members represent a balance of students by gender and grade level, and represent a cross section of the racial, religious, and cultural backgrounds of the students at the school.

The graphic design work of a Seminole Vocational Education Center student will soon grace the website and other marketing materials of a local business.

Bryce Wickersham, a junior, won first place in the logo design contest for Pinellas County Reptiles, a business with locations in Largo and St. Petersburg that sells reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates. Bryce received a $100 cash prize and a $100 gift certificate to Pinellas County Reptiles.

Shannon Preston, a sophmore, placed third. She received a $25 cash prize and a $25 gift certificate to the shop. Robert Simpson, a senior, earned an honorable mention.

All three of the students are in the Commercial and Digital Arts program at Seminole VoEd.

PCS Newsroom

Association names Teacher of the Year recipients — The Pinellas County Health, Physical Education and Drivers Education Association announced its winners for this year’s Teachers of the Year recognition.

Help Seminole VoEd secure grant by voting by May 17 — Seminole Vocational Education Center has entered the Seeds of Change Share the Good grant program contest. The nationwide program provides funds to organizations for the purpose of developing and supporting sustainable community-based gardening and farming programs and initiatives.

Fun and free summer reading program open to students in grades K-5! — Pinellas County Schools is offering – free of charge – an exciting, online summer reading program for elementary students that will help avoid summer learning loss, and provide students with the chance to win prizes.

Bay Point Middle celebrates 50th anniversary — Bay Point Middle School in St. Petersburg held its 50th anniversary celebration at the school on Saturday, May 11.

The Pinellas Association of Library Media/Technology Specialists awards given — The Pinellas Association of Library Media/Technology Specialists (PALMS) has announced winners for the Pinellas Administrator of the Year recognition program and the Pinellas Library Media/Technology Specialist of the Year award.

Tampa Bay Times

Grego changing top administrative team at Pinellas County Schools — After seven months on the job, superintendent Mike Grego is shaking up the top leadership at the Pinellas County School District.

Pinellas County Schools holding a job fair for teachers — The Pinellas County School District is holding an invitation-only job fair for teachers as part of its effort to recruit the best teachers.

Editorial: Finding a new route to school — When a region starts providing more efficient options for people to get around, all kinds of things are possible.

Tampa Tribune

Pinellas schools hope new program will help students, save money — For years, Pinellas County Schools officials have debated what to do with chronically disruptive students.

State Impact Florida

What The Florida Teacher Evaluation Lawsuit Could Mean For Other States — The Florida Education Association’s lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the state’s test-based teacher evaluations — if successful — could become a model for teacher’s union across the country, Governing magazine reports.

The purpose of the association is to align with the principles and ideals of the American Alliance of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.  The organization strives to improve the quality of instruction in health, physical and driver’s education through the maintenance of high professional standards and closer cooperation among its members, state and national associations and other educational personnel and associations.

Currently, there are 215 members in the Pinellas County Health, Physical Education and Drivers Education Association.

This year’s award winners are:

Elementary Physical Education Teacher:

Julie Woodka   – Curtis Fundamental Elementary

Rick Stevens    – Sexton Elementary

Elementary Physical Education Assistant:

Denise Corbin    – Curtis Fundamental Elementary

Susan Manley     - Curtis Fundamental Elementary

Middle School PE:

Karla Jasen    – Oak Grove Middle

Keith Griffin  – Lealman Intermediate

Donna Baldwin – Tarpon Springs Middle

Rookie PE Teachers:

Brad Bernstein    – Calvin Hunsinger

Whitney Reichard – Tyrone Middle

Health Teacher of the Year:

Marcia West   – Osceola Middle

Seminole VoEd has submitted an application for a public school garden program as part of its ongoing horticulture and environmental classes. The garden is being developed to educate and feed low-income families in an area with access to few grocery stores. Not only will the garden provide fresh produce, but it will offer opportunities for physical activity to children and families as they work in the garden.

One $25,000 grant and 15 $10,000 grants will be awarded.

To vote, visit the website at www.SharetheGoodGrant.com, which will take you to a Facebook page. “Like” the page and vote by entering the school’s zip code of 33776, which will take you to the program, entitled “Seminole Seeds of Change.” You may vote once a day. The 50 proposals that receive the most votes will move on to a final judging phase. Grant recipients will be announced on or about June 4. Seminole VoEd is the only Pinellas County School entered in the grant competition.

Called Ticket to Read, the program helps children build fluency, and strengthen vocabulary and comprehension skills, through stories from social studies and science content areas. Students can play anytime and anywhere they have access to a computer with Internet connection. The program is available in English and Spanish.

The interactive program rewards students with tickets that can be used to “purchase” items in their own, virtual “Clubhouse.” They will also have the chance to win trophies and certificates, and they can help their school win cash awards ranging from $50 to $500.

All Pinellas County Schools elementary students are eligible to enjoy the program for free. For information, click here.