Education Bulletin

Lake Highland Prep students volunteer

On Wednesday, Sept. 21, 562 Lake Highland Prep students – pre-K through 12th grade – and 73 parents volunteered their time at 32 different charities across Orange, Seminole, and Osceola counties, including Second Harvest Food Bank, The Mayflower Retirement Community and Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando. This event, named the Heart of a Highlander, was held on the school year’s first student holiday/teacher work day. Participation in the Heart of a Highlander was not for class credit; nor was it a requirement. It was a completely optional event organized by the Lake Highland Parent Association. More than 1,300 volunteer hours were logged that day.

Walk to School Day promotes safety

International Walk to School Day is a global event that involves communities from more than 40 countries walking and biking to school on the same day. It began in 1997 as a one-day event. Over time, this event has become part of a movement for year-round safe routes to school and a celebration – with record breaking participation – each October. Today, thousands of schools across America – from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico – participate every October. Walk to School Day 2016 is scheduled for Oct. 5.

National Merit Scholarship semifinalists named

Officials of National Merit Scholarship Corporation recently announced the names of approximately 16,000 semifinalists in the 62nd annual National Merit

Scholarship Program. These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,500 National Merit Scholarships worth about $33 million that will be offered next spring. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship award, semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the finalist level of the competition. About 90 percent of the semifinalists are expected to attain finalist standing, and about half of the finalists will win a National Merit Scholarship, earning the Merit Scholar title. Local semifinalists include Edgewater High School student Jonathon C. Slaski; Orangewood Christian School student Nicholas C. Reed; Geneva School student Andrew S. Mathias; International Community

School student Carole E. Pearson; Lake Howell High School student Jared S. Sedlak;

Trinity Preparatory School students Lauren M. Cameron, Aliya Centner, Safia Centner, Martha Clarke, Alexander P. Guguchev, Leah W. Hardgrove, Margarita L. Ilagan, Prianca Nagda, Rakhi Mira D. Patel, Varun P. Patel, Timothy Rotermund, James S. Toscano and Bradley M. Van Allen; and Winter Park High School students Julia L. Finfrock, Hannah Geller, Courtney A. Larson, Kevin Li, Edwin J. Rivera, Anna M. Steltenkamp and Judin Thomas.

Johanna Lopez receives Queen Smith Award

Orange County Public Schools 2017 Teacher of the Year Johanna Lopez is the winner of the 2016 Queen Smith Award. The Queen Smith Award for Commitment to Urban Education was established in October 1998 in celebra¬tion of Smith’s unwavering commitment to children, her community, and her church. Lopez was nominated by colleagues within Orange County Public Schools. Lopez is now an instructional coach for OCPS in Multilingual Services. She previously taught at Colonial High, where she worked for 17 years. She believes in caring teachers and an appreciation for one’s heritage and culture as important ingredients for student success. Lopez will be awarded a $5,000 check and a plaque honoring her significant contributions to education. The presentation will be during the Oct. 19-23 Council of the Great City Schools 60th Anniversary and Annual Fall Conference in Miami.