Homes Bring Hope has announced a $25,000 commitment from Bank of America to support the new organization’s efforts to help hardworking people qualify for homeownership.
Homes Bring Hope works with clients to help them qualify for homeownership. It casts a wide net of collaboration to help buyers who can qualify to buy a new or renovated home at cost and greatly reduce real estate closing costs.
Collaborators include Bank of America, Realtors, surveyors, commissions, survey work and title professionals, other nonprofit agencies and more.
For its part, Bank of America has long supported FBH Community organizations, of which Homes Bring Hope, Food Brings Hope and VCan are members, with Forough Hosseini, founder of Homes Bring Hope and senior vice president of ICI Homes.
Bank of America is a charter supporter in Hosseini’s nonprofit agencies, each of which is an FBH Community organization. FBH Community is an overarching organization formed to help students and hardworking families reach their full potential.
Working together, FBH Community organizations share best practices, and pursue grants and other sources of funding.
The National School Public Relations Association has honored Volusia County Schools with three 2021 Publications and Digital Media Excellence Awards. The awards recognize outstanding print and web-based writing, design and graphics with three levels of honor — excellence, merit and honorable mention.
The prizes are awarded according to publication type, and type and size of organization. Each entry is judged on the overall excellence of the entry, as well as its quality compared to other entries in the category.
Volusia County received an “excellence” in the category of Internet/Intranet Website with Volusia County Schools’ Website Redesign and, in the category of Video (produced in-house) with Volusia County Schools’ African American History Month.
Volusia County Schools also earned a merit honor in the category of Special Purpose Publications with Volusia County School Strategic Plan 2020-2023.
With the start of school Monday, Aug. 16, numerous things need to be done. Those trying out for athletic teams need several papers filled out and signed, while also needing a physical prior to starting to practice.
Also, if you have moved into the area or to a new neighborhood that changes the school that your child attends, please visit the school they will attend as soon as possible and not wait for the day school opens.
Most of the schools will have schedule pickup prior to the start of school, as well as orientation for those first attending the school. Contact the school or go on its website to find out when these activities will take place.
The majority of the elementary schools will have “Meet the Teacher Day.” Check on when this will take place.
At these gatherings, needed school supplies may be addressed. Listed below are some of those days that this column is familiar with; however, if it is not listed, that does not mean that the school is not having one.
DeBary Elementary School
DeBary Elementary School’s “Meet the Teacher Day” is Friday, Aug. 13. Those students with last names starting with A-L will be at 1 p.m., while the rest will be at 2 p.m.
Forest Lake Elementary School
Forest Lake Elementary School in Deltona will have “Meet the Teacher Day” 9-11 a.m. Friday, Aug. 13.
George Marks Elementary School
George Marks Elementary School in DeLand will have “Meet the Teacher” 9-10:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 13, for first- through fifth-graders, but kindergarten families will meet 5-6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 12.
George Marks has created a food pantry on-site for families in need.
The school has also created a free wash/dryer program for George Marks families who need assistance with laundry. Families are invited to come after school hours during the school week to wash their household laundry free of charge. Soap and laundry supplies are provided in this service under a federal grant. Anyone interested in utilizing this program simply needs to call the school and arrange a time. The program is open now for use.
Orange City Elementary School
Orange City Elementary School will split the day with its “Meet the Teacher Day” on Friday, Aug. 13. At 9 a.m., VPK and kindergartners through second-graders will meet, while third- through fifth-graders will meet at 10:30 a.m.
Woodward Avenue Elementary School
Woodward Avenue Elementary School in DeLand will have three sessions of “Meet the Teacher” Friday, Aug. 13. Prekindergarten through first grade meet 11-11:30 a.m.; grades two and three will meet 11:40 a.m.-12:10 p.m.; and grades four and five will meet 12:20-12:50 p.m.
Deltona Middle School
Deltona Middle School will have sixth-grade orientation and schedule pickup Monday, Aug. 9, with students attending 10 a.m.-noon, followed by a parents meeting noon-1 p.m. The Parent Teacher Student Association will sell hot dogs and soda for $2 beginning at noon.
Seventh- and eighth-grade schedule pickup will be 9-11 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 12, in the gym.
Galaxy Middle School
Galaxy Middle School in Deltona will have seventh- and eighth-grade schedule pickup 3-6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 12. Sixth-grade orientation and schedule pickup will be 4-6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 11.
DeLand High School
DeLand High School is offering parking passes for $40 (reduced from $65) if purchased in the summer. The cost is $50 (reduced from $75) if purchased on or after the first day of school.
A lunch pass costs $25; the student must meet eligibility and have parental permission to leave campus for lunch. The lunch pass privilege fee will be collected in lieu of class dues to cover the cost of class events, ceremonies, celebrations, publications, campus improvements and school-spirit items for the student body.
Physical-education uniforms (only if a student has PE on schedule) cost $10 per shirt and $10 per pair of shorts.
Athletic passes are available, which cost $50 for students and $70 for adults.
Bowling practice for returning bowlers will begin 3-4:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 9, at Sunshine Bowling Center in DeLand. Completed paperwork and clearance on the home campus are required to participate. This will be Aug. 9-12. Tryouts for newcomers will begin 4-5:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 16, and run through Wednesday, Aug. 18.
Garon Keuten is the head coach for both the boys’ and girls’ Bulldog bowling team.
Stetson University
Stetson University College of Law professor Roberta K. Flowers has been appointed vice president of the board of directors of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, an association of attorneys dedicated to improving the quality of legal services provided to older adults and people with disabilities.
Second Nature, a Boston-based independent nonprofit organization, awarded Stetson University a $10,000 grant from its Acceleration Fund, which will be used to support collaboration among university and community groups focused on memorializing African American experiences through enhanced access to regional cycling trail networks. Stetson was among eight colleges and universities to receive awards.
Stetson University athletics
A record 254 Stetson University student-athletes received ASUN Honor Roll selection. This number surpassed the Hatters’ previous all-time high of 250, set last year.
Overall, 86.1 percent of Stetson student-athletes who compete in the ASUN posted a GPA of 3.0 or better.
College honors
Evan Olowiany, of Orange City, has been named to the dean’s list for the spring 2021 semester at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro.
Scott Luckart, of Deltona, has graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Tufts University in Massachusetts.
Lizette Bloodworth, of Deltona, has been named to the spring 2021 quarter dean’s list at Palmer College of Chiropractic’s Florida Campus in Port Orange.
— Send school news to Tony Tussing via email: at flacoach43@hotmail.com.
