Class Notes 10.16.14

+ SunRidge SRO receives gift of hearing

Winter Garden Police Department officer Donna Willix nominated Cathy Burrus for hearing aids through the Beltone Hearing Care Foundation.

Willix, who works with Burrus at SunRidge Middle School as a school resource officer, wrote of how Burrus excelled in assisting students to meet their needs. Burrus assists students in getting to their classrooms and helps in the lunch room. She struggles with her hearing loss on a daily basis but continues to go beyond her duties at the school. 

Burrus suffers from a binaural hearing loss. She will be receiving two hearing aids, including a lifetime of cleanings and service from the Beltone Clinic, 2462 Maguire Road in Ocoee.

“It’s an honor to reward Cathy for being a caring and dedicated role model to the students at SunRidge Middle School,” Beltone’s Scott Distler said.

+ Board shapes magnet policy

During the Orange County School Board Work Session Oct. 7, Orange County Chair Bill Sublette and the School Board discussed the district’s Magnet Program and the development of a Magnet Program Policy.

School Choice Services staff created operational procedures to support a pending policy with guiding principals that include K-to- 12 alignment, capacity, community partnerships, industry certifications and higher education partnerships.

Some recommendations previously discussed for future expansion include a nursing program, international studies, IB primary years program, teaching academy/lab school, gifted, world languages, visual and performing arts, and STEM. In addition, the district is ready to replicate some of the best magnet programs to offer additional choices geographically throughout the county. The district also is reviewing the expansion of whole-school programs or zoneless magnets. These are magnet schools that are whole-school programs and do not have attendance zones or boundaries.

The district will host another work session Nov. 13. At that session, School Board members will have another opportunity to discuss the draft policy before it will go to a vote during a regular school board meeting.

+ Wilsen earns master’s degree

Anne Wilsen graduated with a master’s degree in hospitality and tourism management in August from the  University of Central Florida.

She graduated in December 2011 from UCF with a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management.

Wilsen is the daughter of Fred and Rosemary Wilsen, of Ocoee.

+ Southwest Middle honors one of its own

Southwest Middle School recently named Laura Cilento its 2014 Support Person of the Year.

Cilento is the school secretary, and she will be recognized at an upcoming Orange County Public Schools dinner.

+ Ocoee SGA attends meeting

The Ocoee High School Student Government Association recently attended the Florida Association of Student Councils District 3 meeting at Colonial High School.

Students attended a presentation about mental health awareness, participated in workshops, and networked with other SGA students from schools from four different Central Florida counties.