TC Sentinel — Education

Port St. Lucie Teacher, Students Revive Oak Hammock K-8 Garden

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 09:53:47 +0000

A teacher-led volunteer effort is breathing new life into the school garden at Oak Hammock K-8 in St. Lucie County, with students and staff working together to restore one of the campus's most cherished shared spaces.

The garden has long served as a gathering place and point of connection for the Oak Hammock community, but it had begun to show its age and needed renewed care, according to school officials. Rather than wait for a formal fix, a group of teachers and students took the initiative themselves.

Leading the effort is Mrs. Miller-Grant, the school's sixth-grade World History teacher, who organized colleagues and students into a volunteer team now actively refreshing and reimagining the space. The work remains in progress, but the transformation is already visible on campus.

School gardens at K-8 campuses like Oak Hammock carry particular weight. They bridge grade levels, giving younger students and middle schoolers a shared sense of ownership over something living and growing. That kind of cross-community investment is rare, and the garden project reflects it directly. The teamwork on display is as much a part of the story as the garden itself, school officials noted.

The revival also speaks to a broader culture of student agency within St. Lucie Public Schools, where campus improvement efforts increasingly draw on the energy and ideas of the students who walk those halls every day.

The garden project is ongoing. Families and community members interested in the progress at Oak Hammock K-8 can follow updates through St. Lucie Public Schools district communication channels.

This article was generated with AI assistance using publicly available information. It was reviewed and approved by a human editor before publication. TC Sentinel uses AI writing tools in accordance with FTC guidelines.

Fort Pierce Teachers Tour Jackson Drugs to Boost Pharmacy Tech Training

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 22:02:07 +0000

Pharmacy Technician teachers from Fort Pierce Westwood Academy stepped outside the classroom and into a working pharmacy, joining St. Lucie Public Schools Career Coaches for an educator learning round at Jackson Drugs Pharmacy in Fort Pierce.

The visit gave FPWA instructors a firsthand look at the daily workflows, professional environment, and workforce expectations their students will encounter during upcoming clinical training — bridging the gap between what students learn in the classroom and what the healthcare industry actually demands.

Natasha Ramlagan, president and owner of Jackson Drugs Pharmacy, led the tour and discussed the company's expansion plans and its mission to grow in direct response to community needs. Ramlagan explained how local demand shapes the pharmacy's services, workforce requirements, and long-term vision, and how education partnerships play a central role in sustaining that growth.

The learning round is part of St. Lucie Public Schools' Classrooms2Careers initiative, which connects educators and career coaches directly with local employers to strengthen career and technical education programs. By visiting industry partners before students arrive for clinical rotations, teachers can align classroom instruction with the real conditions students will face working alongside licensed pharmacists and their teams.

Career Coaches will carry the insights from the Jackson Drugs visit into their one-on-one advising sessions with students, using the firsthand industry knowledge to guide conversations about high-demand healthcare careers, workforce expectations, and the pathways available in St. Lucie County. That grounded, local context can be the difference between a student who pursues a healthcare career and one who never realizes the opportunity exists.

For Fort Pierce Westwood students, the payoff is practical: teachers who have seen the pharmacy floor, met the staff, and understood the pace of real operations are better equipped to prepare them — not just for clinical training, but for careers that are hiring now in their own community.

High school students in St. Lucie County interested in exploring pharmacy, healthcare, or other local career pathways can connect with district Career Coaches Terrence Platt or LeiNitia Robinson through St. Lucie Public Schools.

Palm Pointe K-8 Claims First in St. Lucie Fair's Middle School Art Display

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 22:02:07 +0000

Palm Pointe K-8 claimed first place in the Middle School Division of the 2026 St. Lucie County Fair School Display Contest, earning top honors for an exhibit that showcased the school's student talent and artistic vision.

The win puts Palm Pointe at the top of the county's fair competition among middle school programs — a recognition that reflects both the quality of its student work and the sustained effort of the educators who shaped the display. For families at the school, the award signals a thriving arts program and a campus culture that takes student creativity seriously.

Art teachers Mrs. Schott and Mrs. Wessel led the project, investing significant time and planning to bring the school's exhibit to life. Their work coordinating the display — from concept through execution — is credited with setting Palm Pointe's entry apart from competing schools in the division, according to school officials.

The St. Lucie County Fair School Display Contest draws entries from across the district, giving schools a public platform to celebrate student achievement outside the classroom. Placing first in the middle school division is among the contest's most visible honors, putting Palm Pointe's program on display for the entire county.

For the students whose work filled the exhibit, the award offers something beyond a ribbon — public recognition of their craft at a countywide event. Arts competitions like the fair display contest also reinforce the role visual arts programs play in school communities, giving students who may not compete on a field or stage a moment in the spotlight.

Palm Pointe K-8 is part of St. Lucie Public Schools, which serves students across St. Lucie County. Families interested in the school's arts programming can contact Palm Pointe K-8 directly through the St. Lucie Public Schools website for information on upcoming events and student exhibitions.

Port St. Lucie High JROTC Honors Over 40 Cadets at 33rd Annual Ceremony

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 22:02:07 +0000

The Port St. Lucie High School JROTC Jaguar Battalion celebrated its 33rd Annual Award Ceremony on March 25, 2026, honoring dozens of cadets for their dedication, discipline, and accomplishments both inside and outside the program.

More than 40 awards were distributed to top-performing cadets, recognizing qualities central to the JROTC mission: service, loyalty, personal appearance, character, and mastery of JROTC principles. For the families in attendance, the ceremony offered a rare public window into the rigorous standards their students hold themselves to year-round.

Select cadets received special recognition from multiple veterans' organizations, including the Military Officers Association of America, Vietnam Veterans of America, and Korean War Veterans associations. Those civilian partnerships reflect a tradition of connecting active cadets with the generations of servicemembers who came before them — a living link between Port St. Lucie's current students and the broader American military heritage.

The evening's ceremony was not the final word on honors. Additional awards will be presented to cadets during the upcoming Company inspection, extending the recognition process beyond a single night and underscoring the program's emphasis on sustained performance rather than a single moment.

Now in its 33rd year, the Jaguar Battalion has grown into one of the more established JROTC programs in St. Lucie County, producing cadets who go on to military service, college, and careers in public safety and civic leadership. The annual ceremony serves as both a capstone for the school year and a recruitment signal to incoming students at Port St. Lucie High — proof that the program rewards effort and character in measurable, public ways.

For parents of prospective cadets or community members interested in the Jaguar Battalion's programs, contact Port St. Lucie High School directly through the St. Lucie County School District at stlucie.k12.fl.us.

Bayshore Students Strut Bold Designs at St. Lucie Art Expo

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 09:55:17 +0000

Bayshore Elementary School in St. Lucie County celebrated student creativity across art, fashion, and performance at its annual Art Expo, drawing families and community members for an evening that turned school hallways into galleries and its stage into a showcase of young talent.

The event touched every corner of the school. Families saw students compete for attention in the best possible way — through a Jazzy Designer Fashion Show that had the crowd cheering as young designers walked with confidence, wearing bold original looks they helped create. The runway energy matched the onstage performances, where the school's Poetry and Debate Team delivered spoken-word performances that drew both laughter and genuine emotion from the audience.

The Step Team brought the night's most electrifying moment, filling the room with synchronized rhythm and precision that had spectators on their feet.

Between performances, guests moved through hallways transformed into an art gallery, where paintings, drawings, sculptures, and mixed-media pieces covered the walls — evidence of months of work by Bayshore students across grade levels. The range of styles and materials on display underscored how broadly the school's arts programming reaches its student body.

For Bayshore, the Art Expo is more than a single night. It reflects the school's ongoing investment in creative education as a pillar of student development alongside core academics. Events like this give students a rare opportunity to present original work to a real audience — a confidence-building experience that extends well beyond any single grade or subject.

Details about the next Bayshore Elementary arts event or programming information are available through the school's main office. Parents interested in supporting future arts programming can contact the school directly through St. Lucie Public Schools' district website.

Fairlawn Elementary Fun Run Tops Goal With Colorful Sprint

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 09:55:17 +0000

Fairlawn Elementary School surpassed its fundraising goal during its annual Fun Run, drawing students, staff, and families together for a day of school spirit and community support.

Students in kindergarten through fourth grade ran laps around the course, cheering one another on as they circled the track. Fifth graders got their own moment in the spotlight — a Color Run that showered participants in bursts of bright powder, turning the final stretch into a vivid, memorable finish that drew cheers from the crowd.

One detail set this year's event apart from previous ones: students ran on Fairlawn's AstroTurf field for the first time. The new surface added an extra layer of excitement, and students responded enthusiastically to the change.

The event's success rested on the generosity of sponsors, families, and community members whose contributions pushed the school past its fundraising target. The funds raised are intended to support student opportunities at the Port St. Lucie school.

Fun Runs have become a fixture on the elementary school calendar across St. Lucie County, giving schools a way to blend physical activity with community fundraising — a combination that tends to draw families onto campus in ways that traditional pledge drives do not. For a school whose mascot is the Patriots, the day carried an added charge of collective identity.

Families looking to stay informed about upcoming events at Fairlawn Elementary can visit the St. Lucie Public Schools district website at stlucie.k12.fl.us or follow school communications through the district's LucieLink platform.

St. Lucie Observers Praise Forest Grove Middle's Consistent Math Strategies

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 09:55:17 +0000

Eighth-grade math classrooms at Forest Grove Middle School in St. Lucie County drew praise from district observers after classroom visits showed students working through geometry concepts with consistent teacher support and structured independent practice.

The visits revealed that while each classroom carried its own instructional rhythm, a shared framework held across all three rooms. Teachers opened with clear explanations, circulated to monitor student progress, and stepped in with targeted help for students who needed it — an approach that reflects the district's emphasis on making sure every learner advances.

In one classroom, a teacher guided students through the "We Do" phase of the lesson, a collaborative step in which the teacher and students work through problems together before students tackle work on their own. The focus: identifying and calculating interior and exterior angles of triangles, a foundational geometry skill that underpins much of the eighth-grade math curriculum. In two other classrooms, teachers supported students as they independently applied their knowledge to determine interior angles of regular polygons — a step up in complexity that asks students to extend triangle concepts to figures with many more sides.

Students across all three classrooms had access to calculators, draft paper, and reference materials, giving them the tools to work through problems methodically rather than relying on memory alone. The setup reflects a deliberate instructional choice: build confidence through process, not just answers.

The consistency observed across classrooms points to deliberate curriculum alignment within Forest Grove's math department. When students move from one math class to another — or from one grade to the next — shared instructional language and pacing can meaningfully reduce gaps.

Geometry skills, including angle relationships in polygons, appear on Florida's statewide math assessments and form the foundation for high school geometry coursework. For eighth graders at Forest Grove, strong performance in this unit carries stakes beyond the classroom.

Forest Grove Middle School serves students in St. Lucie County's Port St. Lucie attendance zone. Parents seeking information about their student's math progress or instructional approach can contact the school directly or reach the St. Lucie Public Schools district office at (772) 429-3600. The district's next school board meeting is open to the public — dates and agendas are posted at stlucie.k12.fl.us.

St. Lucie West K-8 Third-Graders Tackle Text Comparisons in Group Challenge

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 22:02:01 +0000

Third-graders at St. Lucie West K-8 School tackled a rigorous reading challenge in Mrs. Harvey's English Language Arts classes. Working in pairs and small groups, students compared and contrasted how authors present information across two different texts.

The lesson asked students — who go by the school mascot name Sharks — to dig into text features, key details and text structures, then discuss the similarities and differences in how ideas were explained. Rather than simply summarizing what they read, students cited evidence from the texts to support their thinking and shared observations with classmates.

That emphasis on evidence-based discussion, often called accountable talk in education circles, is at the heart of Florida's expectations for third-grade readers. Third grade is widely regarded as a pivotal year in a child's academic journey — the year most students shift from learning to read to reading to learn. The skills practiced in Mrs. Harvey's class, including recognizing how an author organizes information and evaluating which presentation helps a reader understand a topic more clearly, are foundational to the state's literacy standards.

Working collaboratively gave students practice articulating their thinking out loud, a skill that builds both comprehension and confidence. Discussing why one text felt clearer or more helpful than another pushes young readers to move beyond surface-level understanding and engage with the craft of writing itself.

St. Lucie West K-8 serves students in kindergarten through eighth grade in Port St. Lucie, part of the St. Lucie County School District. The school's name reflects its location on the western edge of the city, a rapidly growing corridor that has added thousands of families over the past decade.

Parents curious about what their child explored in class can ask their Shark how the two texts were alike, how they were different and which presentation made the content easier to understand — a conversation that reinforces the lesson well beyond the classroom walls.

Martin County School Board Scraps April 7 Budget Workshop

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 19:15:42 +0000

The Martin County School Board has cancelled its monthly workshop, including a budget session, that had been scheduled for Tuesday, April 7, 2026, district officials confirmed.

The cancellation eliminates what would have been a key public opportunity for community members, parents, and district staff to observe board members deliberate over budget priorities for the coming school year. Budget workshops typically rank among the more consequential public meetings on the district calendar, offering a preview of how Martin County schools plan to allocate resources across classrooms, programs, and operations.

No reason for the cancellation was provided in the district's public notice, public records show.

The district has not announced a rescheduled date for the budget workshop as of publication, officials confirmed.

Residents seeking the latest information on upcoming Martin County School Board meetings can visit martinschools.org or contact the district directly. Parents tracking budget decisions that could affect staffing levels, academic programs, or school operations should watch for a rescheduled workshop date.

Fort Pierce Central JROTC Claims Top National Honor, Regional Drill Crown

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 13:54:32 +0000

Fort Pierce Central High School's Cobra Battalion capped a standout third quarter by earning JROTC's highest program honor and a first-place finish at a regional drill competition, the St. Lucie County School District announced.

The battalion's achievement touches every corner of its program — academic rigor, competitive precision and national ambition — and it directly reflects on the students and families who make Fort Pierce Central home. For parents whose children wear the uniform, the honors signal that the investment of early mornings and after-school practices is paying off.

The Cobra Battalion scored 99% on its JROTC Program of Accreditation inspection, earning the designation of "Honor Unit with Distinction" — the highest recognition available under the JROTC accreditation system. The rating places the battalion among the top JROTC programs in the region, according to officials.

On the competition floor, the Male Drill Team earned first place at the Regional Drill Competition, extending what school officials describe as the Cobra Battalion's long-standing tradition of drill excellence. Drill competitions demand weeks of choreographed precision and command presence — skills that translate well beyond the gymnasium floor.

The quarter also produced a milestone for an individual cadet. Cadet Lt. Col. Diana Rivas earned a $2,000 scholarship in recognition of her academic achievement and leadership potential. According to available information,

Looking ahead, the Cobra Battalion is training for the National Raider Competition this spring at Fort Knox, Kentucky, where hundreds of teams from across the country will compete. Raider competitions test cadets in physically and mentally demanding team challenges, and a national stage appearance would mark one of the highest-profile moments in the battalion's recent history.

Fort Pierce Central's Cobra Battalion has built its reputation on what JROTC programs are designed to produce — disciplined, service-minded young people who carry those habits into every part of their lives. The 99% inspection score and regional drill title suggest the program's instructors and cadets are not coasting on that reputation.

Families interested in learning more about the Cobra Battalion or JROTC enrollment at Fort Pierce Central High School can contact the school through the St. Lucie County School District's website at stlucie.k12.fl.us. Results from the National Raider Competition at Fort Knox will be reported as they become available this spring.