Volusia County Schools is presenting its first ESE Resource Fairs: Community Collaboration for Unique Abilities. The first was Nov. 16 at Mainland High School, while the second will be at DeLand High School at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30.
Volusia County Schools states that this is a community collaboration designed to help parents and caregivers understand the educational opportunities for children with unique abilities.
This ESE Resource Fair is for parents and caregivers of children in pre-K through 12th grade who are in, entering into or suspected of needing ESE services (IEP, 504).
Participating agencies include Volusia County Schools, Easterseals Northeast Central Florida (including Early Steps, Autism Center of Excellence, School Therapy, Pediatric Navigator), AdventHealth, Presbyterian Counseling Services, Disability Solutions for Independent Living, UCF CARD, Child Find/FDLRS, Early Learning Coalition of Flagler & Volusia Counties, Boys and Girls Clubs of Volusia and Flagler Counties, attorney Ed Dimayuga of the Legal Aid Society, The ARC of Volusia, Halifax Health and Brooks Rehabilitation Adaptive Programs.
Blue Lake Elementary School
Blue Lake Elementary School in DeLand congratulates Jerome Butler as its Student of the Month.
Five Blue Lake teachers were awarded mini-grants by FUTURES Foundation for Volusia County Schools: Tehmina Flowers for Academic Fitness Stations, Steliana Hindalova for Blue Lake Salutes America, Melissa Luedeke for Let’s Get Printing, and Kristen Tatum and Heather French for Wonder-Filled Winter Fest.
Discovery Elementary School
Kayleen Hernandez-Garay, who teaches at Discovery Elementary School in Deltona, received a FUTURES mini-grant, as well as a Creativity Award.
Freedom Elementary School
The PTA at Freedom Elementary School in DeLand will present Winter Wonderland 9-11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 10. The cost is $2 per person, and all students must have an adult present. Those planning to attend must bring a permission form with $2 to their teacher by Tuesday, Nov. 29. Checks can be made out to the Freedom PTA.
Three Freedom Elementary teachers received mini-grants from FUTURES: Astrid Rivera, Deborah Cohen and Brittney Minotta.
McInnis Elementary School
McInnis Elementary School in DeLeon Springs has two activities just around the corner: the PTA Dance, on Friday, Dec. 2; and the Spelling Bee, on Monday, Dec. 5.
Timbercrest Elementary School
Three teachers at Timbercrest Elementary School in Deltona received FUTURES mini-grants: April Jaques, Mary Frenzel and Beth Vanderkooi, who also received a Creativity Award.
DeLand Middle School
The FFA program at DeLand Middle School earned some important honors at the Volusia County Fair & Youth Show: Easton Howell received Grand Champion honors, Cara Davis was honored as Champion Junior Showman, and DeLand Middle FFA was named the Champion Chapter.
River Springs Middle School
Yolanda Loften Sims of River Springs Middle School of Technology and Innovation in Orange City has been named the school’s Rookie Teacher of the Month.
DeLand High School
During the weekend after Hurricane Nicole came through the area, DeLand High School had a beautification project planned. However, because of the hurricane, this event has been postponed, with the future date to be announced soon. The project involved making flower beds and removing moss, trash and debris.
Deltona High School
These Deltona High School teachers earned honors for the month of October: coach Christine Ramer, Teacher of the Month; Cecille Carlisle, Classroom of the Month; Fernando Gomez, Newcomer of the Month; and Anna Thompson, Staff Member of the Month.
West Volusia high-school football
The only football team in West Volusia that was in the playoffs was DeLand High, who faced Kissimmee Osceola in the first round of the FHSAA football playoffs. DeLand lost that ballgame to Osceola, 30-28, and ended its season with a 6-5 record.
Deltona High finished the year with a 7-3 mark. Deltona and DeLand were the only two out of six teams in West Volusia to have a winning season. Orange City University finished at 3-7, Pierson Taylor closed out the year at 1-9, and Deltona Trinity Christian Academy finished at 1-8. Pine Ridge of Deltona was the only school not to gain a win, and finished at 0-10.
DeLand High School Athletics
The DeLand High School Lady Bulldog golf team moved on to the FHSAA regional tournament and finished sixth out of 12 schools trying to earn a berth at the state championships. DeLand had a 329 score for the tourney, while Lake Mary, who would go on to be the state champs, played the course with a 280 score.
Junior McKenzie Coody was the low medalist for DeLand with a 73. She was followed to the clubhouse by senior Sydney Knight at 82, senior Kylie Theessen at 86, sophomore Evie Cohen at 88, and sophomore Josie Knight at 93.
The Bulldog boys’ soccer team downed Deltona, 8-0, in their season-opener, scoring five of those goals in the first half. Senior Aurelio Silva scored the hat trick, or three goals, while sophomore Denilson Williams, junior Joe Lupica, senior Andreas Tate, freshman Samer Ponce and junior Jeshua Roldan each had one goal. Tate and Santiago Fuentes teamed together for the shutout in the goal net.
The Lady Bulldog soccer team opened at Oviedo and lost 8-0.
According to the Bulldog athletic calendar — which should be checked, especially because of the interruptions caused by Hurricane Nicole — the DeLand girls’ basketball team will play at University at 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 28. On Tuesday, Nov. 29, the DeLand boys’ soccer team plays at University at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
The girls’ soccer team competes at New Smyrna Beach at 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29. The boys’ basketball team plays host to Lake Brantley at 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. that same day, and the girls’ basketball team faces Forest Lake Academy.
The Lady Bulldog weightlifters will compete at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30, at Matanzas.
The girls’ soccer team will play at 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1, at Deltona.
Stetson University Athletics
The Stetson University Hatter men’s basketball team opened the 2022-23 season with a sound victory over FSU. The Hatters led throughout the game, winning 83-74. Luke Brown scored 27 points for the Hats, while Wheza Panzo added 12 points with seven rebounds. Alvin Tumblin had 15 points, and Cyncier Harrison scored 11 points with five assists.
The Lady Hatter basketball team downed Flagler College in exhibition, 79-52, with Jordan Peete scoring 18 points and gathering in two steals and a blocked shot. Jaelyn Talley scored 13 points with five rebounds and four assists; Skylar Treadwell added 10 points to the total, with seven rebounds and two blocks. Alyssa Hargrove scored 10 points and four assists.
The ladies opened their season at Miami, losing 80-56, with Talley getting 15 points, Khamya McNeal adding 15 points with three steals, and Treadwell collecting eight rebounds.
The Stetson volleyball team was stopped by North Florida, 3-1 (26-24, 22-25, 18-25, 20-25).
The cross-country program at Stetson earned the right to participate in the NCAA Southeast Regional. The men didn’t have a team score, and the ladies finished 20th out of 32 competing schools.
The top runner for the Lady Hatters was Cheyenne Durda, who finished 86th out of 231 competitors. with a 21:42.30 clocking for the 5K race. Parker Hines was 101st for the men, with a 32:09.90 time for the 10K race.
The Hatter football team traveled to the cold North, where they were defeated by St. Thomas, 23-0. They finished their 2022 season Nov. 19 when they played host to Presbyterian in Spec Martin Memorial Stadium.
The Hatter athletic calendar has the Lady Hatters basketball team at the Las Vegas tournament playing Louisiana Tech on Friday, Nov. 25, and playing other teams on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 26 and 27, depending on wins and losses.
On Sunday, Nov. 27, the men’s basketball team plays at Campbell at 1 p.m. On Friday, Dec. 2, the women’s basketball team plays host to Denver at 7 p.m. in the Edmunds Center.
— Send school news to Tony Tussing via email: at flacoach43@hotmail.com.
