With school starting Monday, Aug. 14, all those driving in the morning and late afternoon need to pay special attention to students being out on the roads walking to and from school, as well as waiting for school buses.
Drivers should also be aware around schools since there may be a backup of traffic, with parents bringing and picking up students. Be careful!
General school hours are as follows:
Elementary schools (kindergarten-fifth grade) regular hours 7:50 a.m.-2:30 p.m., with early-release hours 7:50 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Middle schools (grades six-eight) hours 9:30 a.m.-4:15 p.m., with early-release hours 9:30 a.m.-3:15 p.m.
High schools (grades nine-12) hours 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., with early-release hours 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Early-release days are usually Wednesdays, when students are dismissed an hour early. In August, the 16th, 23rd and 30th will be the early-release days.
FortifyFL is a suspicious-activity reporting tool that allows you to instantly relay information to appropriate law-enforcement agencies and school officials. You can find more information on FortifyFL by going to www.vcsedu.org.
FortifyFL was created and funded by the 2018 Florida Legislature as part of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act.
NASCAR will be hosting a Youth Track Walk for all students within the Volusia County district at Daytona International Speedway prior to the Coke Zero Sugar 400 Saturday, Aug. 26. A $10 ticket includes both the walk and a reserved grandstand seat. Adult tickets cost $40. This offer is open to all Volusia County Schools families.
To purchase youth tickets or for questions, call Jillian Hoy at 386-200-4055, email jhoy@nascar.com, or go to https://fevo.me/volusiaczs400.
The Volusia County School Board is not affiliated with this event/program in any manner, nor does it endorse or assume any responsibility for any activities which may occur in connection with it.
Volusia County Schools is glad to report that during the recent Florida Department of Education 2024 Teachers of the Year Banquet, Vonda Morris, the VCS Teacher of the Year, was honored with the 2023 Mary J. Brogan Excellence in Teaching Award.
One of Volusia County Schools’ business partners, the Gourmet Kitchen, won the Florida Department of Education 2023 Commissioner’s Business Recognition Award.
Florida PTA’s Reflection Program has announced the art winners. Earning a Merit Award were Anna Sutherland of Freedom Elementary in DeLand and Mildred Kauth of George Marks Elementary in DeLand. Chase Grebosz from Citrus Grove Elementary in DeLand earned an Award of Excellence.
Sunrise Elementary School
Sunrise Elementary School in Deltona was one of several schools to earn the Superintendent’s Attendance Challenge Award, which is presented for the highest reduction in absenteeism. The award was presented to Principal Tracy Buckner.
DeLand Middle School
DeLand Middle School Principal John Devito also received a Superintendent’s Attendance Challenge Award for the school’s reduction in absenteeism.
Deltona Middle School
The Volusia County School Board has appointed Dr. Stephen Hinson as the principal of Deltona Middle School.
Deltona High School
Deltona High School Principal Mike Micallef was presented with the James “T” Tom Russell’s Great Strides in Attendance Award for having the highest reduction in absenteeism compared to the past school year.
West Volusia high-school football
Fall Football Classic games are slated to take place Friday, Aug. 18, with the regular season opening Friday, Aug. 25.
The classic games schedule for West Volusia teams is as follows: DeLand plays host to West Orange in Spec Martin Memorial Stadium; Deltona goes to Oviedo High; Pine Ridge of Deltona heads to Celebration; and Orange City University greets Auburndale. Deltona Trinity Christian Academy and Taylor Middle-High of Pierson do not have games scheduled at this writing.
All games are at 7 p.m., except Pine Ridge plays at 7:30 p.m.
Regular-season games start Friday, Aug. 25. DeLand greets Mainland; Deltona hosts Merritt Island; Deltona Trinity goes to American Collegiate Academy in Clearwater; Pine Ridge hosts Winter Springs; Taylor goes to Winter Park Trinity; and University plays host to Hagerty. All games are at 7 p.m.
DeLand High School Athletics
The DeLand High School Lady Bulldog volleyball team opens Thursday, Aug. 17, when they compete in the Preseason Jamboree at Spruce Creek High School.
Stetson University Athletics
The Stetson University Hatter men’s soccer team opens with a home match at 9 a.m. Friday, Aug. 11, against Daytona State College. The team returns home at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 19, against Rollins College.
The Lady Hatter soccer team opens with a game at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 10, against USF, and returns home at 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 17, against the University of Miami.
Twenty members of the Stetson women’s rowing team have received MAAC Academic Honors by earning a GPA of 3.2 or higher: Mallory Holland, Eileen Seif, Caley Petersen, Sadie Jensen, Katrina Early, Germaine Smart-Marshall, Asia Erickson, Maia Starrwalker, Cailin Mitchell, Cassandra Bradley, Frances del Toro Pacheco, Cheyenne Justice, Gianna Robinson, Madison Geib, Julia Hickey, Savannah Clarke, Ana Cumming, Jayline Santiago, Brooklynn Poff and Cimone Williams.
The Stetson lacrosse team has earned academic honors from the IWLCA by having a team GPA of 3.2 or higher, while five members earned 2023 IWLCA Division 1 Academic Honor Roll honors. Those earning individual honors were Georgia Goering, Isabella Fernandez, .Caroline McLaughlin, Juliana O’Hara and Aine Williams. Each of these athletes must be a junior, senior or graduate student with a GPA of 3.5 or higher.
College honors
Lizette Bloodworth and Erika Henderson, both of Deltona, graduated with a Doctor of Chiropractic degree June 16 from Palmer College of Chiropractic’s Florida Campus in Port Orange.
— Send school news to Tony Tussing via email: at flacoach43@hotmail.com.