Volusia County Schools has announced that it will continue to provide free school breakfast and lunch for all students during the 2023-24 school year. These free meals are made available through the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) under the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program.
This provision eliminates the collection of family-income applications for free and reduced-price meals and ensures all students receive a nutritious breakfast and lunch each day at no charge. All school sites within Volusia County qualify to operate the CEP.
Students attending Ivy Hawn Charter School, Pace Center for Girls, Richard Milburn Academy West, Richard Milburn Academy East and AMLKids will also continue to receive meals for free.
Directly certified families enrolled in state assistance programs will still receive their eligibility letter for after-school care and voluntary prekindergarten benefits.
For more information, call School Way Cafe at 386-734-7190, ext. 50832, email to swaycafe@volusia.k12.fl.us or visit k12.vcsedu.org/school-way-cafe.
Those students who plan to participate in high-school athletics must have a physical examination on file at their school prior to the start of practice. These athletes also have several other forms that need to be filled out and returned to their school prior to that start in participation. Contact your high school’s athletic department for these forms or information about athletic participation.
DeLand High School Athletics
The DeLand High School Lady Bulldogs’ volleyball team will start its 2023 season with a Green and Gold Game Saturday, Aug. 5, in the Bulldog gym, with the time to be announced. The team will participate in the Spruce Creek Preseason Jamboree Thursday, Aug. 17.
The regular season will open Tuesday, Aug. 29, when the Lady Bulldogs play host to Windermere High School, with matches at 5:30 p.m. for the junior-varsity team and at 7 p.m. for the varsity team. The teams then will travel to Tampa Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 2 and 3, to take part in the Nike Tournament of Champions.
During the regular season, the Lady Bulldogs will play host to New Smyrna Beach, Seabreeze, Timber Creek, Spruce Creek, Orange City University and Seminole.
The team will travel to Hagerty, Winter Springs and Lake Brantley.
The dates for the matches will be published in this column weekly prior to the week of competition.
Other special events for the team will include the Five Star Tournament Sept. 23 and 26 at New Smyrna Beach High School, the Top Select Tournament Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, and the Dig Pink Tournament at the DME Sports Academy in Daytona Beach Oct. 6 and 7. The FHSAA District Tournament will take place Oct. 17-21, with the regional and state tournament following.
Stetson University Athletics
The Stetson University Hatter men’s soccer team will open its 2023 season with a 9 a.m. match with Daytona State College Friday, Aug. 11, on the Hatter soccer field, followed by a Wednesday, Aug. 16, match on the road with Georgia Southern at 6 p.m.
The Lady Hatter women’s soccer team starts its season at home with a match against South Florida at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 10. On Sunday, Aug. 13, the team goes to Boca Raton for a match with Florida Atlantic at 6 p.m.
College honors
Yasmin Perez, of Deltona, has graduated from Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus with a master’s degree in business administration.
— Send school news to Tony Tussing via email: at flacoach43@hotmail.com.
Every child in school should be provided a basic HEALTHY lunch free of charge, eliminate the payment system all together. Schools are no place to separate the haves and have-nots and one group of parents should not be forced to pay for lunch programs for others they themselves can not benefit from. Again, keep it simple and provide one basic HEALTHY lunch for all school children.