
Volusia County Schools, in partnership with the Early Learning Coalition and the Florida Division of Early Learning, provides the Voluntary Prekindergarten Program. VPK registration begins for the 2024-25 school year Monday, March 4. To register, contact the registrar at the zoned or preferred school.
VPK is being offered at the following West Volusia elementary schools: Starke and Blue Lake in DeLand, Manatee Cove and Orange City Elementary in Orange City, Enterprise, McInnis in DeLeon Springs, Pierson Elementary, and Discovery, Spirit, Forest Lake, Friendship, Sunrise, Timbercrest and Pride, all in Deltona.
Students must be 4 years old by Sept. 1 of the current school year, and families must obtain a valid Certificate of Eligibility from the Early Learning Coalition of Flagler and Volusia Counties for registration. Transportation must be provided by the parent/guardian.
Obtaining a Certificate of Eligibility requires the following documents: original birth certificate, current shot record (Florida Form 689), current physical record (Florida Physical Form 3040), and two documents as proof of residency in Volusia County school zone, which clearly indicates parents’/guardians’ names.
For additional information, call 386-734-7190, ext. 20505.
Volusia County Schools offers a tuition-based 3-year-old program, which is an opportunity for parents to enroll their typically developing child(ren) in a blended prekindergarten classroom that includes children with different learning needs.
The program features certified teachers, pre-K curriculum, play-based training and inclusion model. This is a tuition-based ($493 per month) full-day program for 3-year-olds at select sites.
Families may be eligible for tuition assistance if attending a Title I school.
To register, contact the school registrar at your zoned or preferred school. The West Volusia schools where the program will be offered include Blue Lake Elementary in DeLand, Manatee Cove in Orange City, McInnis in DeLeon Springs, Enterprise, and Forest Lake, Pride, Discovery, Spirit and Timbercrest, all in Deltona.
To be eligible for the 3-year-old program, the child must be age 3 on or before Sept. 1, and not eligible for VPK.
Potty training is not a prerequisite for enrollment. Transportation is the responsibility of the parent/guardian.
School hours are 7:55 a.m.-2:30 p.m., with no after-school or extended day care provided. Breakfast and lunch are included in this tuition-based program. ELC School Readiness Vouchers are not accepted. Call 386-734-7190, ext. 52233, for information.
Citrus Grove Elementary School
Citrus Grove Elementary School in DeLand will have class picture day Wednesday, March 13.
Deltona Lakes Elementary School
Third-grade students at Deltona Lakes Elementary School will have their SeaWorld Field Study on Friday, March 1.
PHOTOS COURTESY COUNTY OF VOLUSIA
Woodward Avenue Elementary School
Laura Gill, ESE teacher at Woodward Avenue Elementary School in DeLand, and Andrew Milton, a fourth-grader, have been honored by the Volusia County School Board for the exemplification of the trait of honesty, part of the ongoing VCS Schools of Character campaign.
DeLand Middle School
Those eighth-graders at DeLand Middle School who are planning to participate in the 8th-Grade Terriers Gradventure on Saturday, May 11, need to make the first payment of $60 by Friday, March 15, with the second payment being due by Friday, April 19. Students can utilize a one-payment option of $120 by April 19. The fee includes a two-park ticket, a shirt, transportation and dinner.
DeLand High School
DeLand High School alum Bridgette Gordon, who is the first-year head basketball coach at Florida A&M University, has directed the team to winning six conference games in SWAC play for the first time in school history. The team has also, for the first time since 2017, won six conference games in a season.
It is time to mark your calendars for DeLand High’s Homecoming on Friday, Sept. 20, when the Bulldogs meet the Deltona Wolves in Spec Martin Memorial Stadium.
Deltona High School
The School Advisory Council at Deltona High School will meet at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 12, in the Learning Commons.
Deltona High grad Blake Hinson, who plays basketball for the University of Pittsburgh, is the team’s leading scorer, with 479 points for a 19.2 average per game. Pitt is currently, 17-8, on the season. Hinson also averages five rebounds per game, while recording three blocked shots to date.
University High School former football players
Several graduates of University High School in Orange City are also playing college football, as are Jalyx Hunt and Lorenzo Lingard, who were mentioned in a recent column. Noble Thomas plays for the Oregon State Beavers, who finished the year at 8-4. Thomas was a defensive back, who recorded eight solo and seven assisted tackles, with three pass breakups. Oregon State played in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl against Notre Dame in El Paso, Texas, Dec. 29.
Kyle Metiam went on to play football at Warner as a running back this past season. He ran for 473 yards and seven touchdowns, while catching 16 passes for 155 yards, good for one touchdown. He also played some defense, recording three solo and two assisted tackles.
Joel Vargas went on to West Florida as a defensive lineman, and made six solo and eight assisted tackles, with one forced fumble.
Honored athlete
Sarai Simpson, who lives in DeLand and is the daughter of RJ Simpson, is now a student-athlete at Iowa Western, where she is on the track-and-field team. She was recently named the Athlete of the Week by the ICCAC Conference for her efforts in the shot put.
FHSAA state girls weightlifting
Several athletes from West Volusia made the trip to Lakeland for the FHSAA State Girls Weightlifting Championships. Those gaining places in the top 10 were Payton Woerner of Deltona High School, and Taylor Lane, Jocelyn Garcia and Amya Ramos, all of Taylor Middle-High School in Pierson.
Woerner placed sixth in the state in 2A competition in the Olympic Division by lifting a total of 320 pounds in the 169-pound division. The three girls from Taylor Middle-High competed in the 1A Traditional Division, with Lane placing fifth in the 110-weight division, while Garcia was ninth. Lane lifted 230 pounds, and Garcia’s total was 220 pounds. Ramos was in the 139-pound division and lifted a total of 305 pounds, placing her ninth in the state.
DeLand High School Athletics
The DeLand High School tennis teams opened their season with the boys winning two matches, while the girls split one and one.
The boys topped Mainland, 4-3, and shut out New Smyrna Beach, 7-0.
In their two matches, Bulldogs winning single-match play were sophomore Tyson Sarnes (2), sophomore Weston Millett (2), junior Mark Higbee, junior Rishi Patel, junior Corbin Brown, junior Alexzander Opreanu and junior Zachary Sampson.
The girls topped Mainland, 8-0, but lost to New Smyrna Beach, 7-0. Those winning at single play were senior Faith Duncan, freshman Jocelyn Hill, junior Aria Fernandez-Gonzales, freshman Julia Yocum and sophomore Tiffany Chu.
The baseball team downed Oviedo, 6-2, while the softball team won, 15-5, over Space Coast, and the flag-football team stopped Seminole, 20-0, all in preseason play.
The flag-football team is having a fundraiser, asking fans and friends to donate to the team. Call the high school, and ask for Damion Dunn.
The DeLand High sports calendar has the softball team at Seabreeze at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 29, with the junior varsity playing at 4:30 p.m. That same day, the tennis teams play host to Pine Ridge at 4 p.m.; the baseball team is at Flagler Palm Coast at 7 p.m., with the junior varsity playing at 4 p.m.; and the flag football team competes at Pine Ridge at 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Friday, March 1, sends the baseball team to Deltona at 6 p.m., while the track team goes to the Olympia Invitational at 4 p.m.
On Saturday, March 2, the junior-varsity softball team goes to Matanzas.
Monday, March 4, has the baseball team greeting Westport at 4:30 p.m., with the softball team hosting Taylor at 4:30 p.m.
On Tuesday, March 5, the flag football team welcomes Taylor at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m., with the softball team going to Matanzas at 4:30 p.m.
Wednesday, March 6, has the tennis teams competing in the Five Star Tournament. The junior-varsity baseball team faces Deltona at home at 4:30 p.m. that same day.
The beach volleyball team welcomes Middleburg at 4:30 p.m. on the DHS campus near the track Thursday, March 7.
The baseball team faces Deltona at 4:30 p.m. on campus Friday, March 8, with the track team at the Spruce Creek Invite at noon.
College honors
Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, recently announced the dean’s list for the fall 2023 semester, which includes Anthony Caron, Class of 2027, of Deltona, and Andrew Korkus, Class of 2026, of DeBary.
Daniela Martinez, of DeLand, has been named to the dean’s list at Rochester Institute of Technology for the fall 2023 semester. Martinez is in the studio arts program. Rochester Institute of Technology is in Rochester, New York.
— Send school news to Tony Tussing via email: at flacoach43@hotmail.com.