08.05.21 Back to School by Orange Observer

THE OBSERVER 2021

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THE OBSERVER 2021

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HORIZON HIGH SCHOOL

HORIZON HIGH

Elevating the pursuit Principal Laura Beusse is excited to welcome students to Horizon High School and Water Spring Middle this year. AMY QUESINBERRY COMMUNITY EDITOR

orizon High is one of two new high schools opening in West Orange County for the 2021-22 school year. The school is opening for about 1,300 students in ninth through 11th grades and has a capacity of 2,776. School Board members chose the name Horizon High “as a reference to the horizon of opportunities that the school will provide students and reflects the Horizon West community where the school, previously known as Site 113-H-W-4, is located,” according to Orange County Public Schools. An additional school, Water Spring Middle, will open tempo-

rarily in a wing of Horizon High this August while a permanent campus is built. Horizon High will have a full performing arts department, including band, orchestra, chorus, theater, dance and guitar. There will be designated labs for art, music, science and computers, in addition to multipurpose lab space. For athletes, the school offers fields for baseball, softball, track and football, as well as practice fields. “I am so proud of this school and community already, and I know it’s only going to get better,” Principal Laura Beusse said. “I wanted the experience of opening as a principal — in the principal’s position to have the opportunity to establish the culture of the school and the traditions of the school.” Horizon will offer the typical SEE HORIZON PAGE 8

10393 Seidel Road, Winter Garden PHONE: (407) 992-0597 Horizon_hs@ocps.net PRINCIPAL: Laura Beusse, laura.beusse@ocps.net ARCHITECT: SchenkelShultz CONTRACTOR: Wharton Smith

BY THE NUMBERS

40-PLUS

number of on-site bus stacking capability

69.8

site acreage

number of bus driver spaces

117.3

budget in millions of dollars

300

maximum vehicle stacking capability

850

number of parking spaces

2,685

student capacity

2,776

student stations

372,493

gross floor area in square feet

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A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINICPAL

Welcome to Horizon High School — Home of the Hawks. We are so eager to welcome a new staffulty and a new student body along with parents and the community to the newest jewel of the Horizon West area. Our motto is “Elevate The Pursuit” as we commit to rise above challenges and obstacles to prepare ourselves for the amazing opportunities on the horizon and to pursue those opportunities by improving in all areas every day. We have an amazing staff on board who is working hard to provide a rigorous curriculum in all areas that will challenge students to achieve at the highest levels. We highly encourage students to challenge themselves by taking honors, AICE, AP, CTE and dual-enrollment courses to earn professional certifications on their path to becoming ready for college and/or careers. We also urge all students to get involved! We will offer the full array of student organizations outside the classroom, along with a robust athletic and performing arts program. Now more than ever, it is important that we reconnect and re-engage to enjoy the full high school experience. Welcome home, Hawks!

LAURA BEUSSE PRINCIPAL, HORIZON HIGH AND WATER SPRING MIDDLE SCHOOLS

Water Spring Middle to open on Horizon High campus Water Spring Middle School is the newest middle school in the West Orange County area for the 2021-22 school year. WSMS students will meet on the campus of the new Horizon High for the next two years while their campus is being built adjacent to Water Spring Elementary. All middle-school classrooms will be located primarily on the third floor, and students will have their own stairwell. Times for lunch, drop-off and pick-up

WATER SPRING MIDDLE SCHOOL

Temporarily at 10393 Seidel Road, Winter Garden PHONE: (407) 554-1814 EMAIL: waterspring_ms@ocps.net WEBSITE: waterspringms.ocps.net

— as well as all clubs and athletics — will be separate from the high school. Laura Beusse is the principal of both the middle school and

PARENT SIGN-UP: Parents can register for school updates by texting a code to 81010. The code for sixth grade is @WSMSOCPS6; for seventh grade, @WSMSOCPS7; and for eighth grade, @WSMSOCPS8.

high school; Dr. Brian K Sanchez Corona is the assistant principal at the middle school. “We are thrilled to open the doors to this new school in the fall of 2021 where students and staff will join together to create a true community school,” Beusse and Sanchez Corona said. “As we embark on this journey together, the most important thing will be to have a strong and healthy collaboration between home, school and community.” A number of teachers will be leading classes at both the high school and middle school levels. — AMY QUESINBERRY

THE OBSERVER 2021

HORIZON HIGH SCHOOL

ALMA MATER

Horizon High Choral Director Linda Boot wrote the composition and the lyrics for “Elevate the Pursuit,” the alma mater for HHS. She also wrote the one for Windermere High School. All acclaim and praise to Horizon High, our home where earth meets the sky.

What makes Horizon High unique? Horizon High has a program that is new to Orange County Public Schools —a full commercial culinary kitchen, and Principal Laura Beusse is eager to see her students get to work in that new and exciting learning environment. “It’s a lot like the food network, (with) cameras where students can create; it’s all digitized,” she said. “It’s an amazing culinary kitchen, so we’re excited about that.” Another unique aspect of Horizon High is that two schools will temporarily share the campus. Although this is Hawk country, Wildcats will be sharing a portion of the campus. Water Spring Middle students will report to Horizon on their first day of school — and for the next two years as their school is under construction near Water Spring Elementary less than three miles away. Beusse is serving as principal of both schools; each has its own assistant principal. “What we’re excited about (is) those students will eventually be Hawks,” Beusse said. “Our performing arts teachers, our math teachers … they will start laying the foundation for their programs while the students are in middle school.”

We raise our song with comrades dear and voices strong and clear. In your faithful halls, on your fields of play, we learn to soar each day. As we elevate in the pursuit, to thee we do salute.

PARENT SIGN-UP Beusse said it is important for her to make sure the middle-schoolers don’t feel lost on campus. “I’m also committed to making sure the middle-school students feel like they are at their own school,” she said. “This is their school, as well, so when we put out branding, flags, colors, you will see middle-school flags as well as high-school flags.” School spirit will play an important role on the campus as everyone — at both Horizon and Water Spring — supports one another equally, especially on game day.

“We will have Wildcat Wednesday, where we ask the students to wear the middle-school colors,” Beusse said. Water Spring students participate in sports on Wednesdays, so the campus will bleed navy, teal and white mid-week. Fridays mean a sea of purple and orange on campus as students support the Horizon Hawks. “We are one family, but at the same time we want the middle-school students to have their own experience and the high-schoolers to have their own experience,” she said.

Horizon High parents can register for school updates by texting a code to 81010. The code for ninth grade is @HHAWKS2025; for 10th grade, @ HHAWKS2024; and for 11th grade, @ HHAWKS2023.

BACK TO SCHOOL 2021

HORIZON HIGH SCHOOL

FOUNDING FACULTY & STAFF PRINCIPAL

Laura Beusse

ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS

Glenda Hammons Wessal Kenaio Anthony Russell

DEANS

Wendy Cartwright Morgan Ficquette Ashton Watts

GUIDANCE

Corinne Ambrose Martha Guido Holly McGregor Shannon Renfro Heather Zoller

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Career and Technical Education programs that other schools have, including Project Lead the Way with engineering and biomedical tracks. “We have the whole gambit of CTE and STEM programs,” Beusse said. Beusse said it was important to her to reach out to the community to learn what families and students were looking for before creating a culture at the school. “Principals come and go, and the culture remains, and it becomes ingrained and imbedded,” she said. By creating a culture backed by the community, Beusse expects to build a school atmosphere that makes everyone feel pride and inclusion. Excitement is mounting as Day 1 of the 2021-22 school year nears, and Beusse is ready to see the campus filled with Horizon Hawks, to have the academic programs launched and to feel the “There’s so many things I’m excited about,” she said. “I’m so excited that this past week we had students on campus for cheer camp and band camp. It’s a shot of adrenaline, a shot of hope that the school is going to come to life with students.” And she’s looking forward to

making sure her students are well-rounded. “So many things are so important, high test scores and competition … but at the end of the day, this is high school, and students should be able to make memories, and we need to find a balance for them,” she said. Beusse said the time was right for her to open a new high school. She has opened several other OCPS schools in her career, including Ocoee High as an assistant principal and Ocoee Middle School in a tech support role. She opened the Apopka Ninth-Grade Center prior to that. OCPS will have 205 schools for the 2021-22 school year.

CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE n April 2019: Design, permitting and bidding n November 2019: Early site package n February 2020: Main building package, structural n August 2020: Main building package completed n Summer 2021: Move-in

ENGLISH/ LANGUAGE ARTS

Stan Banks April Brown Darlene Brown Kelli Davis (Reading) Brad Duerksen David Lingum Olivia Mindermann Kimber Montague Shannon Muenker Ashley Olson (Reading) Dane Wisneski

MATH

Jonathan Benson Jeremy Craig Joshua Joyner Marcal Joyner Jessica Keefe Ethan Mankoff Megan Mullaney Correira Wendy Nail Aaron Shkoler

SCIENCE

Tanneka Balduf Kenneth Bowles (Physics/PLTW) Melissa Brisbin Brandon DeLoach Katie Faulkner David Hellinger Jesse Jecusco Stacie Marty Andrew Metler Andrea Ross Graig Smith

SOCIAL STUDIES Kathryn Gennaria Lonny Herndon Jared Holmgren Ryan Hudnall Justin Muenker Mell Rupp

THE ARTS

Linda Boot (chorus) Charlene Cannon (band) Dylan Cox (art) Christine Murphy (art) Andrea Newhouse (orchestra) Patrick Tyler (TV production) Nicholas Wainwright (theater)

WORLD LANGUAGE Lucille Hageman Erin Laureano Melissa Wood

CTE

D’uane Howard Shannon Semien David Weigle

ESE

Karen Broughton Jessica Johnson

Dennis Thomas Cheryl Watson

ADDITIONAL STAFF Maria Cunha Jainae Davis Scott Drabczyk Waleska Figueroa Rivas Larance Ford Kimberly Fromentin Jeff Gallup Evangelina Gardon Elizabeth Hassan Ashley Hoffman Debbie Hollingsworth Belinda Irizarry Stephanie Jornd Johnny Lai Brittany Mills Michelle Ocampo Paulette Randolph Maribel Rios Elsa Rosales Krista M. Rowland Sherrie Siers Katlyn Starks Yin May Wong

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LAKE BUENA VISTA HIGH SCHOOL

Welcome, Viper Nation! The staff at Lake Buena Vista High School is ready to welcome its first students to campus and build Viper Nation from the ground up. DANIELLE HENDRIX ASSOCIATE EDITOR

hen Lake Buena Vista High School opens its doors for the first time this fall, it will make history. That’s because it’s one of two high schools that will be opening simultaneously in the same district. Not only that, but it’s also just the second time in OCPS history in which two high schools and a middle school are opening together — but with the middle school housed inside a high-school wing. Lake Buena Vista High, located off Daryl Carter Parkway in Southwest Orange County, has been built to relieve

Dr. Phillips and Freedom high schools. It’s welcome relief for the two schools, which have been battling overcrowding issues for a while now. For Principal Dr. Guy Swenson, it’s important to pay homage to both schools that will be feeding into Lake Buena Vista. In fact, that’s how Lake Buena Vista High received its colors: light blue to honor Dr. Phillips, and red to honor Freedom. “The fun is just, ‘How can we create something from scratch where we aren’t held to whatever that tradition is?’” Swenson said. “That’s been a joy, and it’s been great to talk to a lot of different educators that are joining us … about those things.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

LAKE BUENA VISTA HIGH SCHOOL 11305 Daryl Carter Parkway, Orlando, FL32836 PHONE: (407) 315-7940 lakebuenavistahs.ocps.net PRINCIPAL: Guy Swenson, guy.swenson@ocps.net ARCHITECT: SchenkelShultz CONTRACTOR: Pirtle

BY THE NUMBERS

Months of construction

2,784

Student capacity

372,295

Gross floor area in square feet

Site acreage

777

Parking spaces

Bus loop capacity

300

Car stacking capacity

115

Budget in millions of dollars

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SHAPING A SCHOOL It’s not Swenson’s first go-around at opening a new high school, but it’s the first time doing so as a principal. Swenson comes to Lake Buena Vista High from Olympia High, where he’d been since it opened in 2001. In fact, a lot of the pre-planning rituals give him déjà vu. “I really am thinking a lot about how my first day of pre-planning with my teachers is exactly 20 years after I went to the first day of pre-planning at Olympia as a teacher, and now I’m a principal,” he said. “It’s such a full-circle moment for me, something I’ll talk about with the faculty. Who knew I’d be doing this again but as the leader of the school?” For the past year, Swenson has been in planning mode — hiring staff, collaborating with fellow educators and keeping the lines of communication open with a community he hopes will embrace its new school. As with anything new, there have been ups and downs. One of the most fun parts has been defining what Lake Buena Vista High will be. “The fun is sitting around with an assistant principal or teachers I’ve been hiring and saying, ‘What kind of school do we want? What’s the culture that we want? What do we want to accomplish? How do we want to make this different? What kind of kids are coming here, and how do we really serve them in the right way? How do we get them connected to the school?’” he said. Two commonalities Swenson said he’s noticed with much of his new staff are their desire to be part of starting something new

there’s like 10 schools built with that same design — and there’s quite a lot of really nice features, and some of them we’re just discovering as time goes on,” he said.

and their commitment toward creating a positive, student-centered culture. “There’s this energy among them all,” he said. “That’s been refreshing. That’s been terrific.” Then there are the challenges. Right now, he said most of them have to do with supply-chain issues. Although all the basics are in place, other items will be delayed due to circumstances outside anyone’s control. “It’s not too different from building a house or putting in a pool or those things that a lot of

people have done before where nothing is here on time, or things are installed and it doesn’t quite work,” he said. “This is the nature of building a gigantic building. The pandemic and the supply-chain issues are hitting us pretty hard, and there’s a lot of equipment that will not be here on time.” However, he said, the good news is that the building is here, and it’s beautiful. “It has so many improvements over the typical OCPS high school design that I had at Olympia —

VISION FOR THE VIPERS Nevertheless, the team is pressing forward and focusing on the true heart of Viper Nation: the students. Bringing the Lake Buena Vista vision to life has been a collaborative effort from the start. At the beginning of the year, Swenson and his team offered both virtual and in-person community meetings for students and parents. This allowed the team to open the lines of communication but also receive feedback. The next steps are staff pre-planning and the school’s sneak peek, which took place Aug. 2. “I hope that (students and parents) embrace this by seeing that we’re bringing two feeder high schools together that have different traditions, different expectations, different strengths and weaknesses,” Swenson said. “We’re trying to create something new where we’re really the hub of the community. I hope they see we’re creating a school in which CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

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LAKE BUENA VISTA HIGH SCHOOL

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“I’m really working hard to make sure they understand they’re all my students — every single one — and that we want to create a place here where they really all do have a seat at the table.” — Dr. Guy Swenson

What makes Lake Buena Vista High Unique? If you ask Principal Dr. Guy Swenson, the answer is simple: He and his staff have put together a curriculum that has career and technical education, along with postsecondary readiness, at its core. “One of the things the state of Florida wants every high school to do is not only get (students) a high school diploma, but to also get them ready for their postsecondary life, and so they need some postsecondary education,” he said. That comes in the form of various courses focused on postsecondary preparation — Advanced Placement, Cambridge and the Alpha Academy — as well as the Viper Social Justice Academy, a humanities-based interdisciplinary program. Then there are career and technical education courses. “We started from the getgo,” Swenson said. “The first thing we put in place were these programs. Our computer education, our digital photography, our culinary institute that we have, our engineering program that we have — all of these programs were really thought of first, and then we kind of fit everything else around it. We carried that theme when they were doing course selection with students. The first thing that they had to choose before they chose English was, ‘What is your postsecondary pathway?’ That really has been a godsend for us.” The overarching purpose is to give each student the opportunity to leave high school with not only a diploma but also a college credit or a certificate from a career and technical education program.

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LAKE BUENA VISTA HIGH SCHOOL

FOUNDING FACULTY & STAFF PRINCIPAL Guy Swenson ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS Bridget Bresk Carol Morris Sheri Robb

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all of the students have a voice, are seen and heard, and that I as a principal am doing what I can to reach out to them. “I’m really working hard to make sure they understand they’re all my students — every single one — and that we want to create a place here where they really all do have a seat at the table,” he said. And with a host of special programs, academics and other extracurriculars, each student will have plenty of options to choose from. That includes Advanced Placement courses, three different academies, career and technical education, a robust athletics program and the arts. With school just around the corner, it’s showtime. Seeing students fill — and hopefully fall in love with — their new school is what Swenson is most looking forward to. “I’m really looking forward for kids being back together, and for me working with kids, working with teachers and seeing really good instruction,” he said. “I’m looking forward to seeing this building come to life with students and teachers. … My favorite moment is when I see kids that love their teachers — that is the fuel that keeps me going every time.

“The faculty and staff are so excited,” he said. “It’s a level of excitement that I have never seen at an established high school. We’re ready for kids to come in, and we are ready to create a brand-new school and have Viper Nation get going.”

CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE n April 2019: Design, permitting and bidding begins n September 2019: Early site package begins n January 2020: Main campus construction (structural) begins n March 2020: School groundbreaking n July 2020: Dr. Guy Swenson named inaugural principal n December 2020: School is named; colors and mascot revealed n June 2021: Project completed n August 2021: School opens to public

ADMIN. SUPPORT Lauren Bradley William Connell Reina Daigle Amelia Gillis Mariela Laracuente Gordana Petrusic Kristal Powell Elionexis Rodriguez Perez Ladara Royal Cassandra Santiago Alejandro Parnika Saxena Gerald Scott Lauren Smith Cynthia Wilson Shavonne Tejada Keyana Terry Jessica Torres ARTS Lisa Cameron William Cunningham Andrew Minear Leslie Kupetz Christine Guerrero CLASSIFIED Bresly Oralus Diana Williams Eileen Johansson Harold Jacobs Jaelin Dawson LaSonya Jackson Latrice Jones Marvin Grant Rosemary Carsello Shahira Negron Rivera Violo Baloye ENGLISH/ LANGUAGE ARTS Leticia Aiken Kara Charboneau Cecilia Diaz Kerry Evans Michael Kellen Stacey Lake Emily Lilavois Morales Suvani Rodriguez Mirrett Saad Jennifer Sandman Maggie Scarbro Eric Scrivens Vivian Triche Jose Unamuno Suzanne Wilcox John Woodward

ESE Miriam Brody Scott Carnevale Lee Anne Kline Lindsey Mackin MATHEMATICS Lauren Brantley Brian Hinz Angela Hogan Gregory Keith Warren Light Nickesha Smith Todd Rullen Hamlet Tavares PHYSICAL EDUCATION Brittney Webb Joseph Rienzi Sasha Brown PROJECT LEAD THE WAY/CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION Jaymes Arbuckle John Bullock Michael Cacciatore Robert Carmody Gerrick Smith Jennifer Whitmore Justo Rivera Sandy Jensen Valerie Powell SCIENCE Stephanie Alexander Kimberly Davis James Fielder Amy Jensen Zachary Morgan Amber Schinzing Hunter Taylor SOCIAL STUDIES Vin Bello Brian Charboneau Erin Eberhardt David Mangrum Jennifer Parm Callahan Porcher Terry Rutledge Bibi Sineus WORLD LANGUAGES Arlene Garcia Dariana Hidalgo Marianela Martinez Pierre Malvoisin

BAY LAKE ELEMENTARY 12005 Silverlake Park Drive, Windermere PHONE: (407) 217-7960 baylakees.ocps.net SCHOOL GRADE: A PRINCIPAL: Lakeitha Mincey MASCOT: Lions ENROLLMENT: 729 PTO PRESIDENT: Leah Fenton (new president TBD) SPECIAL PROGRAMS: Art club, Battle of the Books, chess club, Lyrical Lions, National Elementary Honor Society, news crew, running club, safety patrols, STEAM club, student council FUN FACT: Each year, fifthgrade teachers select one student from their class who consistently goes above and beyond expectations. These students are nominated for the Heart of a Lion award, which was created to recognize the spirit of learning and citizenship within the school. FROM THE PRINCIPAL: “Greetings, Bay Lake Lions! As your new principal at Bay Lake Elementary, I am excited to meet each of you this upcoming 2021-22 school year. The entire Bay Lake Team is also looking forward to your return to the campus. … We hope you are enjoying your summer break spending time with family and friends. Please remember to read, rest and relax.” — Lakeitha Mincey

WHY I LOVE MY SCHOOL “I am excited to go back to Bay Lake Elementary School, because I am ready to go to first grade. I want to learn how to tell time.” — Dale Williams III, first grade

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

BAY MEADOWS ELEMENTARY 9150 S. Apopka-Vineland Road, Orlando PHONE: (407) 876-7500 baymeadowses.ocps.net SCHOOL GRADE: B PRINCIPAL: GeRai Johnson Mays MASCOT: Koalas OPEN HOUSE: 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 23 ENROLLMENT: 658 PTA PRESIDENT: Mari Lynn Darrach SPECIAL PROGRAMS: Gifted program, extended day, run club, Scrabble club, art club, Troupe, strings, Accelerated Reader, FASTT Math FUN FACT: Bay Meadows Elementary celebrates its 31st anniversary this year. CASTLEVIEW ELEMENTARY 9131 Taborfield Ave., Orlando PHONE: (407) 612-4205 castleviewes.ocps.net SCHOOL GRADE: N/A PRINCIPAL: Dr. Julie Helton MASCOT: Dragons OPEN HOUSE: 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 23 ENROLLMENT: 819 PTO PRESIDENT: Bethany Traylor SPECIAL PROGRAMS: National Elementary Honor Society, House Council, chess club, STEAM club, coding club, Girls on the Run

FUN FACT: Castleview has a house system in which all staff members and students are sorted into one of four different houses. The students work to earn points for their house, and the school celebrates the overall house winner each quarter. FROM THE PRINCIPAL: “Dear Dragons, I am so excited to see you again for another amazing year at Castleview Elementary! I cannot wait to watch you learn and grow throughout the year. We will have so much fun along the way, so get ready for a great adventure!” — Dr. Julie Helton

WHY I LOVE MY SCHOOL “Castleview is an amazing place to learn and grow. Each day, our teachers and staff make learning fun, and they challenge us to be the best we can possibly be.” — Davis Cornelison, fourth grade

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

16 CITRUS ELEMENTARY 87 N. Clarke Road, Ocoee PHONE: (407) 445-5475 citruses.ocps.net SCHOOL GRADE: C PRINCIPAL: Robert Walker MASCOT: Honeybees ENROLLMENT: 472 PTA PRESIDENT: Jamie Folts SPECIAL PROGRAMS: Student Council, chess club, art club, music club, book club, news crew FUN FACT: Citrus Elementary turns 22 this year.

BACK TO SCHOOL 2021 WHY I LOVE MY SCHOOL “I am excited to return to Citrus, because I have made a lot of good memories (attended since kindergarten) and looking forward to making new ones. I can’t wait to see all my friends, teachers and Mr. Walker. I am also excited to attend chess club, science club, Student Council and gifted. I have also made friends for life.” — Makayla Mason, fifth grade

FROM THE PRINCIPAL: “Hello and welcome back, honeybee students. I hope you have had a restful, relaxing and rewarding

summer this year. … Your staff and teachers have been working hard in preparation for this school year and are excited to see all of your smiling faces. … As we move into this school year, I want to challenge each of you to go BEEyond

by joining any one of the enrichment clubs and/or organizations offered here at Citrus. As always, BEE Respectful, BEE Responsible, BEE Safe, and BEE a Problem Solver.” — Robert Walker

DILLARD STREET ELEMENTARY 311 N. Dillard St., Winter Garden PHONE: (407) 877-5000 dillardstreetes.ocps.net SCHOOL GRADE: C PRINCIPAL: Tiffany Smid MASCOT: Dougie the Dragon ENROLLMENT: 474 SPECIAL PROGRAMS: Boys on the Track, Girls on the Run,

patrols, after-school and Saturday school tutoring, Battle of the Books, garden club, Science Enrichment, art club, chorus club, strings, technology center project-based learning opportunities FUN FACT: Nearly all 650 Dillard Street Elementary students live within a two-mile radius from the school, making

Dillard Street Elementary a true neighborhood school. FROM THE PRINCIPAL: “I am honored to be the principal of Dillard Street Elementary and look forward to working with our talented educators, supportive parents and amazing students again this year.” — Tiffany Smid

DR. PHILLIPS ELEMENTARY 6909 Dr. Phillips Blvd., Orlando PHONE: (407) 354-2600 drphillipses.ocps.net SCHOOL GRADE: A PRINCIPAL: Christine Rogers MASCOT: Eagles MEET YOUR TEACHER: 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 5 ENROLLMENT: 700 SPECIAL PROGRAMS: After-school programs include YMCA, chess club, Kidzart and more FUN FACT: Dr. Phillips was recognized for being the top recycling school in the Southwest Learning Community. FROM THE PRINCIPAL: “As principal at Dr. Phillips Elementary, I couldn’t be more proud of the students who come to school each and every day eager to learn, the dedicated teachers who provide rigorous instruction and the supportive parents and community members who volunteer countless hours at our school in order to make it an exceptional learning environment. Go Flying Eagles!” — Christine Rogers

THE OBSERVER 2021

FROM THE PRINCIPAL: “I am so excited to have all our students back into the building.

WHY I LOVE MY SCHOOL “I can’t wait to see all of my friends and play at P.E.! And actually see my teacher smile without a mask!” — Sophia Taliaferro, fifth grade

We have the best school in OCPS. I am so proud to be the principal of such a wonderful community. I hope everyone had a happy and safe summer.” — Dr. Angela Murphy-Osborne SPECIAL PROGRAMS: Girls on the Run, Caring Cougars, karate, soccer, golf, tennis, dance, chorus, pottery, fitness, Film Academy, gymnastics, chess, Spanish, art, piano, guitar, coding, virtual reality, cheer, Life Champs, National Elementary Honor Society, Gifted program, strings, drama club, news crew, safety patrol, recorder club, chimes FUN FACT: The school has received the Five Star School award every year since 2009.

KEENE’S CROSSING ELEMENTARY 5240 Keenes Pheasant Drive, Windermere PHONE: (407) 654-1351 keenescrossinges.ocps.net SCHOOL GRADE: A PRINCIPAL: Sherry Donaldson MASCOT: Cougars ENROLLMENT: 1,176 PTO PRESIDENT: Maridith D’Amico

FROM THE PRINCIPAL: “Hello KC Cougars! I am so excited to welcome all you back to a new year! We are ready to make this the best year ever! There are several activities that we are starting, such as meditation and movement. Many of you had a great experience this summer, and I received wonderful feedback on the program. Also, we are bringing back chess and STEMbased activities! I hope you are ready for a phenomenal year! We will see you soon!” — Sherry Donaldson

WHY I LOVE MY SCHOOL “I am excited to start school, because I will learn more things, and if someone asks me a question I will know how to answer. I am excited to see all of my friends and my second-grade teachers from last school year, and I am happy to meet new people and see how my friends have changed and grown up over the summer.” — Denali Gogola, third grade

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

INDEPENDENCE ELEMENTARY 6255 New Independence Parkway, Winter Garden PHONE: (407) 217-7727 independencees.ocps.net SCHOOL GRADE: A PRINCIPAL: Dr. Angela Murphy-Osborne MASCOT: Eagles ENROLLMENT: 846 PTO PRESIDENT: Danielle Taliaferro SPECIAL PROGRAMS: Eagle Anchor Chorus, chess club, golf, gymnastics, soccer FUN FACT: Independence Elementary has a diverse student population with students from more than 30 countries.

BACK TO SCHOOL 2021

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

OCOEE ELEMENTARY 400 S. Lakewood Ave., Ocoee PHONE: (407) 877-5027 ocoeees.ocps.net SCHOOL GRADE: C PRINCIPAL: Kandace Goshe MASCOT: Cardinals MEET YOUR TEACHER: 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 5 ENROLLMENT: 790 PTO PRESIDENT: TBD SPECIAL PROGRAMS: Chess club, Music Ensemble, Boys on Track, Girls Run the World, tutoring, Safety Patrol, Junior Additions FUN FACT: Ocoee has many families who have grandparents and great-grandparents who also attended Ocoee Elementary. Parents recognize teachers at the school from when they were students.

LAKE WHITNEY ELEMENTARY 1351 Windermere Road, Winter Garden PHONE: (407) 877-8888 lakewhitneyes.ocps.net SCHOOL GRADE: A PRINCIPAL: Dr. Pamela Crabb MASCOT: Dolphins ENROLLMENT: 468 CO-PTO PRESIDENTS: Elvan Smail and Jennifer Stanich SPECIAL PROGRAMS: ESE, Gifted, art club, math team, Battle of the Books Club, safety patrol, morning news crew FROM THE PRINCIPAL: “It is with great pride and excitement that I introduce myself as the newly appointed principal of Lake Whitney Elementary School. I have been dedicated to the field of education for more than 30 years, and I am eager to work with you as a partner in education to ensure your child’s success. … I was fortunate to be one of the teachers that opened Lake Whitney Elementary, and all three of my children attended Lake Whitney Elementary from the time it opened until they graduated in fifth grade. This year is going to be a year of opportunity as we continue to provide academic experiences and acceleration for our students that are rigorous, relevant and will help them build relationships while making real-world connections.” — Dr. Pamela Crabb

WILLIAM S. MAXEY ELEMENTARY 602 E. Story Road, Winter Garden PHONE: (407) 877-5020 maxeyes.ocps.net SCHOOL GRADE: A PRINCIPAL: Carletta Davis-Wilson MASCOT: The Mighty Wildcats ENROLLMENT: 486

WHY I LOVE MY SCHOOL “I love Maxey Elementary, because it is a great place to learn! I have learned how to read informational and literary texts. I also learned how to add, subtract and multiply. My favorite elective class is art, because I enjoy painting and playing with clay. I’m very excited about going back to school, because I can’t wait to see my friends, teachers and Principal Davis-Wilson.” — Ava Thompson, second grade

MEET YOUR TEACHER: 3 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 5 SPECIAL PROGRAMS: Visual & Performing Arts Magnet; full-day Voluntary Prekindergarten and full-day PreK ESE programs; National Elementary Honor Society; clubs, dance, art, drum, basketball and more FUN FACT: Proud to be a Kids for Peace Kindness Certified School FROM THE PRINCIPAL: “Maxey Wildcats! Welcome to a new school year. For our new and returning students, I am excited to see you and looking forward to making more great memories together. Last year proved that our staff and students are resilient, flexible and determined. Although we experienced challenges from the pandemic, our journey has taught us to persevere, innovate and create opportunities for acceleration. I want to thank all of our families and community partners for their continued support. This year, we will accelerate growth and engagement through cooperative hands-on learning in all areas. Students will participate in the arts, be challenged in math and STEM and work hard to meet individual reading goals. Greatness awaits! Enjoy the rest of your summer, and see you soon.” — Carletta Davis-Wilson

WHY I LOVE MY SCHOOL “I love my school, because it has the best and kindest teachers, as well as fun and friendly classmates.” — Melanie Kemp, fourth grade FROM THE PRINCIPAL: “We have been enthusiastically planning and preparing for this upcoming school year, and we are ecstatic about having ALL of our students and staff return to campus. We look forward to seeing you in a few weeks.” —Kandace Goshe

THE OBSERVER 2021

PRAIRIE LAKE ELEMENTARY 8723 Hackney Prairie Road, Orlando PHONE: (407) 884-2220 prairielakees.ocps.net

WHY I LOVE MY SCHOOL “What I love most about my school is that we are treated and act like a family.” — Vera Mogulich, fifth grade

WHY I LOVE MY SCHOOL “I am looking forward to seeing my friends and learning new things in math and science. I’m also looking forward to finding out who my new teacher will be.” — Logan Fisher, fifth grade

SCHOOL GRADE: C PRINCIPAL: Dr. Robert Strenth MASCOT: Panthers ENROLLMENT: 900 SPECIAL PROGRAMS: Many clubs (robotics, SECME, gardening, art, comic book, NEHS, chess, etc.) and performance groups (chorus, recorders, etc.) throughout the year. FUN FACT: The school selects a different theme each year. FROM THE PRINCIPAL: “Greetings, Panther Family! I hope all of you had a wonderful summer, and we are very excited to have everyone back on campus this school year. It is going to be an awesome school year!” —Dr. Robert Strenth

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FROM THE PRINCIPAL: “We’re looking forward to having the Bobcat Family back together for a great year of learning.” — Jim Weis

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

PALM LAKE ELEMENTARY 8000 Pin Oak Drive, Orlando PHONE: (407) 354-2610 palmlakees.ocps.net SCHOOL GRADE: A PRINCIPAL: James Weis MASCOT: Bobcats ENROLLMENT: 634 PTA PRESIDENT: Meredith Fisher SPECIAL PROGRAMS: Kids Who Care, Mighty Mentors, National Elementary Honor Society, running club, art club FUN FACT: Palm Lake has a nature trail and outdoor classroom called the Bobcat Nature Trail.

BACK TO SCHOOL 2021

SAND LAKE ELEMENTARY 8301 Buena Vista Woods Blvd., Orlando PHONE: (407) 903-7400 sandlakees.ocps.net SCHOOL GRADE: A PRINCIPAL: Kathleen Phillips MASCOT: Stingrays OPEN HOUSE: Sept. 21 ENROLLMENT: 590 PTA PRESIDENT: Mindy Rehse SPECIAL PROGRAMS: Sand Lake Elementary School offers

a wide variety of extracurricular activities, including Lego League, sports, coding and the arts. FUN FACT: There was once an alligator found in the bike rack. Wildlife officials came to remove the 4-foot creature. Seems as though even animals want to come to school at Sand Lake!

WHY I LOVE MY SCHOOL “I like learning with games and activities, and I love the playground!” — James Mills, first grade

FROM THE PRINCIPAL: “Sand Lake Stingrays: I am looking forward to a year full of learning, new adventures and making amazing memories. With the support of our awesome families, I know this year will be the best year yet! We cannot wait to have everyone back together. Remember, Stingrays, seek excellence and surf into your best selves!” —Kathleen Phillips

SPRING LAKE ELEMENTARY 1105 Sarah Lee Lane, Ocoee PHONE: (407) 877-5047 springlakees.ocps.net SCHOOL GRADE: B PRINCIPAL: Patty Harrelson MASCOT: Blue Jays

ENROLLMENT: 575 SPECIAL PROGRAMS: Various clubs (running, book, art, dance, sign language, origami, robotics and STEM, coding, chess, science and math); multicultural events

FUN FACT: Spring Lake has a house system, and all students are sorted into one of our four houses. Quarterly house competitions are something that everyone looks forward to.

SUMMERLAKE ELEMENTARY 15450 Porter Road, Winter Garden PHONE: (407) 554-1774 summerlakees.ocps.net SCHOOL GRADE: N/A

PRINCIPAL: Delaine Bender MASCOT: Gators ENROLLMENT: 1,046 PTO PRESIDENT: Joseph Marrero SPECIAL PROGRAMS: Clubs in the works, including chess

club, Battle of the Books, Student Council, art & music club FUN FACT: Summerlake opened its doors for the first time last year in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

CREATIVE AND INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION •

Challenging, individualized curriculum that maximizes learning capabilities through critical thinking, creative problem-solving and hands-on education.

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Nurturing educators certified in child development, with more than 50 years of combined education experience.

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Fun, interactive learning environment with low student-to-teacher ratios and modern classrooms.

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Outstanding range of subjects including languages, art, music, science, public speaking and character development. Expansive indoor/outdoor play areas featuring a gym and playground equipment.

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NOW ENROLLING! East Orlando 2 Years - 2nd Grade: (407) 431-0085

Winter Garden 12 Months - 5th Grade: (407) 391-3780 Preschool | Elementary School | Camps | After School* *Available at our Winter Garden location only

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ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

THE OBSERVER 2021 serving central florida families for 31 years

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

Specializing in

FROM THE PRINCIPAL: “It is with utmost joy that I look forward to welcoming back ALL of our students to our campus this year! This year, we will be welcoming VPK students for the first time, too. Regardless of your SUNSET PARK ELEMENTARY 12050 Overstreet Road, Windermere PHONE: (407) 905-3724 sunsetparkes.ocps.net SCHOOL GRADE: B PRINCIPAL: Jay Gangwisch MASCOT: Eagles ENROLLMENT: 950 PTO PRESIDENT: Jennifer Grunewald SPECIAL PROGRAMS: Eagles United leverages social-emotional learning to promote positive relationships; National Elementary Honor Society; Student Council FUN FACT: The school has a house system to help promote community and social emotional learning.

Best practices in dance education Age-appropriate curriculum for all ages and interests Whole-child development and academic integration through dance WHY I LOVE MY SCHOOL “I love SunRidge, because the teachers are nice. I love SunRidge because I can make new friends and learn a lot of new things every day.” — Malena Thomas, fourth grade experience last year, know that we will do everything possible to make this year at SunRidge Elementary one that you will remember fondly as you grow as Eaglet students who SOAR in all you do!” — Douglas Farley

Family-centered training and performance activities Individual client connections

Classes in

photo credit: Ansa du Toit

Ballet Tap

Jazz

Modern Pointe

Contemporary

Scottish Highland Ask about our adult options too!

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SUNRIDGE ELEMENTARY 14455 SunRidge Blvd., Winter Garden PHONE: (407) 656-0809 sunridgees.ocps.net SCHOOL GRADE: B PRINCIPAL: Douglas Farley MASCOT: Sunny the Eagle MEET YOUR TEACHER: 3:30 to 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 6 OPEN HOUSE: 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday Sept. 21 ENROLLMENT: 660 PTO PRESIDENT: James Szabo SPECIAL PROGRAMS: Orchestra, soccer, drama, Discover After School, chess FUN FACT: SunRidge has made it a tradition to bring snow to the school every December.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

BACK TO SCHOOL 2021 WESTBROOKE ELEMENTARY 500 Tomyn Blvd., Ocoee PHONE: (407) 656-6228 westbrookees.ocps.net PRINCIPAL: Vidal “Alex” Reyes MASCOT: Wildcats ENROLLMENT: 556 PTO PRESIDENT: Suzie Howard SPECIAL PROGRAMS: After-school program, Kidsart, music, golf, gymnastics, tutoring FUN FACT: Westbrooke Elementary awards the Tomyn Award each year to students who show outstanding effort in all academic areas, possess leadership qualities, consider both peers and community, and have continuous school spirit.

THORNEBROOKE ELEMENTARY 601 Thornebrooke Drive, Ocoee PHONE: (407) 909-1301 thornebrooke.ocps.net SCHOOL GRADE: A PRINCIPAL: Korey Bawden MASCOT: Barracudas ENROLLMENT: 671 PTO PRESIDENT: Jennifer Julian

WHY I LOVE MY SCHOOL “Thornebrooke is an awesome school, because our teachers are the best at helping us learn — even math.” — Dylan Julian, fourth grade

SPECIAL PROGRAMS: Award-winning visual- and performing-arts programs including strings; ESE cluster program for the area; many after-school events FUN FACT: Thornebrooke Elementary recently had three Odyssey of the Mind World finalists and one world champion. FROM THE PRINCIPAL: “I am extremely excited to welcome back our students and families for the 2021-22 school year. I know that this school year will be filled with phenomenal memories for our students and they will continue to show success both in and out of the classroom. This year at Thornebrooke, we are focused on ‘Inspiring Greatness, Everywhere,’ and we can’t wait to inspire our students to be the best that they can be.” — Korey Bawden

TILDENVILLE ELEMENTARY 1221 Brick Road, Winter Garden PHONE: (407) 877-5054 tildenvillees.ocps.net SCHOOL GRADE: A PRINCIPAL: Agathe Alvarez MASCOT: Tigers ENROLLMENT: 550 SPECIAL PROGRAMS: Champions before- and after-school program FUN FACT: Tildenville employs a two-way dual-language program in which students learn in English and Spanish while receiving 45 minutes of French instruction a week.

WATER SPRING ELEMENTARY 16000 Water Spring Blvd., Winter Garden PHONE: (407) 554-1610 waterspringes.ocps.net SCHOOL GRADE: N/A PRINCIPAL: Amy Klaber MASCOT: Otters ENROLLMENT: 1,145 SPECIAL PROGRAMS: Dance, drama, chorus, ORFF ensemble, variety of sports, before- and after-care through Champions FUN FACT: Water Spring opened in August 2019. Ollie the Otter was created by a community member and named by its “Otterly Amazing” community.

WHISPERING OAK ELEMENTARY 15300 Stoneybrook West Parkway, Winter Garden PHONE: (407) 656-7773 whisperingoakes.ocps.net SCHOOL GRADE: A PRINCIPAL: Lee “Kip” Montgomery MASCOT: Wildcats ENROLLMENT: 1,182 PTO PRESIDENT: Tremaine St. Hill SPECIAL PROGRAMS: Dramatic Education, guitar, tennis, golf, chorus, STEM club FUN FACT: WOE has two Wildcat mascots! They are brothers named Willie and ROAR.

WHY I LOVE MY SCHOOL “The reason I love my school is because I see warm smiling faces and there is a new adventure every day.” — Izzy Figueroa, fifth grade FROM THE PRINCIPAL: “We look forward to an exciting school year at Whispering Oak. We will be living our ‘Excellence’ every day as we grow and learn together. Students, you are the most important people entering our school, and we can’t wait to begin our learning adventure.” — Lee “Kip” Montgomery

THE OBSERVER 2021

Art Classes for All!

August 16: FALL I Session Starts October 18: FALL II Session Starts

The Jessie Brock Community Center 310 N. Dillard St., Winter Garden, 34787

Early Bird Discount!

YOUNG ARTISTS

ADULTS AT ALL SKILL LEVELS

Take $10 OFF a class with codes:

Pint Size Picassos

PAINTING & DR AWING

First-time students call 407.671.1886 before registering. Sound of Their Wings, Nicora Gangi, Pastel

Painting & Drawing I Ages 8-12 Mike Goodge, Instr. Saturdays, 9–10:30am

Painting & Drawing II

Drawing I

Prayong Deeying, Instr. Mondays, 6–8pm

Watercolor

Prayong Deeying, Instr. Mondays, 3–5pm

Ages 11-16 Fontaine Rodgers, Instr. Wednesdays, 3:30–5pm

Pastel Harmony

Festive Clay

Acrylic Pour

Ages 8–14 Belinda Glennon, Instr. Tuesdays, 3:30–5pm

Intro to Drawing & Painting Cathy Hempel, Instr. Thursdays, 6–8pm

CER AMICS Functional Pottery Belinda Glennon, Instr. Tuesdays, 6–8pm

Nicora Gangi, Instr. Tuesdays, 9:30am–12:30pm John Connell, Instr. Wednesdays, 10am-1pm

Intro to Oil Painting Cathy Hempel, Instr. Wednesdays, 6–8pm

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Plus Winter Garden Residents Enjoy Crealdé Member Discounts!

Ages 4-8 Mike Goodge, Instr. Saturdays, 11am–12pm

EDUCATIONAL CHILD CARE WITH A PURPOSE! OPEN ENROLLMENT FOR THE NEW YEAR! ◆ State-of-the-art security system with cameras in every classroom ◆ Internet link between child’s room & your PC ◆ 6 weeks to VPK, plus before & after-school care for elementry-school ages ◆ Oversized outdoor covered playground structures with softplay and a splash pad ◆ Faith-based learning center GIVE US A CALL TODAY TO SCHEDULE A TOUR Hours of Operations: 6:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. Monday thur Friday

(407) 395-0077 ◆ 220 Windermere Road Winter Garden, FL 34787 www.ChildrensLighthousePOF.com ◆ Email: info@childrenslighthouse.com

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21FALLONE through August 2 21FALLTWO through October 4

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

BACK TO SCHOOL 2021

WINDERMERE ELEMENTARY 11125 Park Ave., Windermere PHONE: (407) 876-7520 windermerees.ocps.net SCHOOL GRADE: A PRINCIPAL: Dr. Diana Greer MASCOT: Mustangs ENROLLMENT: 641

WHY I LOVE MY SCHOOL “I have loved attending Windermere Elementary School for five years, and I am especially excited for this year, because I will be part of the amazing News Crew! Dr. Greer and all the staff at WES make it a safe and fun place to learn.” — Jack Elder, fifth grade

PTO PRESIDENT: Maile Aiwohi-Castro SPECIAL PROGRAMS: Piano, gymnastics, Bricks for Kidz, computer coding club, Finnegan Irish Dance, soccer, Victory Martial Arts, Soundtek, LifeChamps Martial Arts, Kidz Art, Kids Cook, Drama Kids, Elevate Sports, American Sign Language, baton, Science Seekers, fencing, guitar, chess club, Girls on the Run FUN FACT: Windermere Elementary has served elementary-school students among the lakes and citrus groves of West Orange County since 1889. FROM THE PRINCIPAL: “We are excited to kick off the 2021-22 school year and welcome back all our Mustangs to in-person learning. Our teachers and staff have been busy planning and preparing classrooms to welcome back our students. … I appreciate the support of our families and community as Team Windermere Achieves Excellence Together.” — Dr. Diana Greer

WINDY RIDGE SCHOOL 3900 Beech Tree Drive, Orlando PHONE: (407) 296-5100 windyridgek8.ocps.net SCHOOL GRADE: A PRINCIPAL: Charles Jackson MASCOT: Silverhawks ENROLLMENT: 1,176 SPECIAL PROGRAMS: Magnet program for ESE students FUN FACT: This is a community school with lots of parent involvement, and some current teachers were students here themselves.

sTuDenT physiCAls $30 On-site services include X-Rays, IV rehydration, drug screens, work & DOT physicals, auto accident evaluation & injury care, and FDA approved Covid-19 testing.

Office Now Open 9am-7pm, 7 Days a Week Walk-In Clinic

FROM THE PRINCIPAL: “Welcome to Windy Ridge K-8 School, a school of excellence and innovation. Our goal is to help develop the minds of our students through rigorous academics, the arts, character development and athletics. Through our partnership with our families and the community, we are focused on creating an environment where students are provided with a variety of activities that will lead them to becoming well-rounded citizens.” — Charles Jackson

FDA Appr

TELEMEDIC INE AVAILABLE 407-960-218 8 Quality healt h at your finge care Seven Days rtips, a Week 9am-7pm

MIDDLE SCHOOLS

WHY I LOVE MY SCHOOL “I’m excited about the teachers and seeing all my friends. Horizon West is great, because of the staff and teachers.” — Presley Skodnik, seventh grade

BRIDGEWATER MIDDLE 5600 Tiny Road, Winter Garden PHONE: (407) 905-3710 bridgewaterms.ocps.net SCHOOL GRADE: A PRINCIPAL: Andrew Jackson MASCOT: Bobcats ENROLLMENT: 1,707 SPECIAL PROGRAMS: YMCA, National Junior Honor Society, Student Council, soccer, volleyball, basketball, track, intramural sports FUN FACT: Bridgewater Middle was designed as a relief school for Lakeview Middle and Gotha Middle. It opened in 2006. CHAIN OF LAKES MIDDLE 8700 Conroy-Windermere Road, Orlando PHONE: (407) 909-5400 chainoflakesms.ocps.net SCHOOL GRADE: B PRINCIPAL: Cheron Anderson MASCOT: Ospreys MEET YOUR TEACHER: Thursday, Aug. 5: 4 to 4:30 p.m. virtual session; 4:30 to 6 p.m. in person ENROLLMENT: 1,220 SPECIAL PROGRAMS: Ospreys Who Care, Beta, Thespians, STEM, Orchestra, YMCA, Project Lead the Way FUN FACT: Chain of Lakes has one of the best middle school performing-arts departments in the county.

GOTHA MIDDLE 9155 Gotha Road, Windermere PHONE: (407) 521-2360 gothams.ocps.net SCHOOL GRADE: B PRINCIPAL: Monica Emery MASCOT: Grizzlies MEET YOUR TEACHER: 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 5 ENROLLMENT: More than 1,100 PTO PRESIDENT: Karissa Martin and Kim Murphy SPECIAL PROGRAMS: YMCA; Clubs include NJHS, Student Council, STEM/Project Lead the Way FUN FACT: Every year, the school creates its annual LipDub video that includes staff, teachers and students.

WHY I LOVE MY SCHOOL “I love my school, because the teachers help me understand things that I didn’t understand before, they help me express my feelings and with that it makes things easier as I feel I always have a friend to talk to if needed.” — Breckan Russo

FROM THE PRINCIPAL: “We are so excited to welcome you to the 2021-22 school year! This year our focus is, ‘I am and I can!’ All students are writers and readers and artists and

scientists. We’re looking forward to actually SEEING all of the students and accelerating learning for all of them!” — Monica Emery

HORIZON WEST MIDDLE 8200 Tattant Blvd., Windermere PHONE: (407) 554-1570 horizonwestms.ocps.net SCHOOL GRADE: N/A PRINCIPAL: Michelle Thomas MASCOT: Hornets ENROLLMENT: 1,263 PTSO PRESIDENT: Marcy Ready SPECIAL PROGRAMS: Dance, Accelerated Courses, CTE, arts and photography, Spanish and French, performing arts FUN FACT: More than 42,000,000 pounds of concrete were used to build Horizon West Middle. That is the same as 42 fully loaded Boeing 747 jets. And more than 300,000 man-hours from construction workers were needed to build the beautiful school. FROM THE PRINCIPAL “Horizon West families: Welcome to the 2021-2022 school year. We are so excited to have all our students back, buzzing around our campus. Remember: The first day of school is just few short days away on Aug. 10. Take this time to get ready for an amazing year. Our goal and responsibility is to help each student develop a passion for learning, a respect for self and others, and the skills to become a creative independent thinker and problem solver. Our theme for this year is #hornetsbackandbetterthanever! We know that our returning Hornets and our incoming sixth-graders new to the hive are going to be great leaders and scholars in our school and community.” — Michelle Thomas

MIDDLE SCHOOLS

BACK TO SCHOOL 2021

LAKEVIEW MIDDLE 1200 W. Bay St., Winter Garden PHONE: (407) 877-5010 lakeviewms.ocps.net SCHOOL GRADE: C PRINCIPAL: Antonio “Tony” Roman MASCOT: Red Devils MEET YOUR TEACHER: 3 to 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 5 ENROLLMENT: 799 PTO PRESIDENT: Becky Grieser SPECIAL PROGRAMS: Boys and Girls Club After-School Zone; Fellowship of Christian Athletes; National Junior Honor Society; Student Council; Spanish Honor Society; the following clubs — Book, Chess, Cooking, Drama, Intramurals, Jazz, various sports FUN FACT: Lakeview previously served as a high school and junior high. FROM THE PRINCIPAL: “I hope you are enjoying your well-deserved summer and are feeling relaxed, refreshed and ready to start a new school year. ... Our amazing teachers are preparing for the new year, our enthusiastic office staff is ready to greet and assist you. We are definitely an energetic and caring community with the common goals of nurturing responsible, caring students and promoting high-level learning. I am honored to be part of a great community, where parents, teachers and students care for each other, and I look forward to collaborating with you to ensure our students can achieve their highest potential and strive for success.” — Antonio “Tony” Roman

WHY I LOVE MY SCHOOL “What I love about my school is that it is exciting, fun, and I get to spend time with my friends. I love the diversity in our magnet program and enriching my first language. Teachers at my school are caring and kind.” — Leandria Negron-Ramos

OCOEE MIDDLE 300 S. Bluford Ave., Ocoee PHONE: (407) 877-5035 ocoeems.ocps.net SCHOOL GRADE: B PRINCIPAL: Samuel Davis MASCOT: Cardinals MEET YOUR TEACHER/OPEN HOUSE: Sept. 30 ENROLLMENT: 1,326 SPECIAL PROGRAMS: Multiple digital electives earning Digital Tools Certificates and Industry Certification, FFA Program with an agriculture Land Lab FUN FACT: Ocoee was built as a demonstration school for the state. FROM THE PRINCIPAL: “Our hope for the coming school year is to navigate a safe return to togetherness. Positive relation-

SOUTHWEST MIDDLE 6450 Dr. Phillips Blvd., Orlando PHONE: (407) 370-7200 southwestms.ocps.net SCHOOL GRADE: A PRINCIPAL: Raymond Yockel MASCOT: Sea Lions ENROLLMENT: 1,528 SPECIAL PROGRAMS: AVID National Demonstration School and Site of Distinction, Autism Spectrum and Intellectual Disabilities Center School FROM THE PRINCIPAL: “We hope that you have been having a wonderful summer so far! Thank you for your continued support of Southwest Middle School, and remember, GO SEA LIONS!” — Raymond Yockel

WHY I LOVE MY SCHOOL “I love my school, because the teachers are always willing to help, and I met one of my best friends there.” — Paisley Callis

ships and personal connections between teachers, students and the community are critical for overall student success. It’s a hierarchy of needs, and the 2021-

“I like Ocoee, because of the staff, quality of the buildings and classrooms. ... There (are) so many students with all completely different personalities and passions, so it is really easy to find a friend.” — Emily Marsden 22 school year will see a return to safely connecting with those around us. Let’s make 2021-22 our best year yet!” — Samuel Davis

THE OBSERVER 2021

FROM THE PRINCIPAL: “After a unique and challenging year-and-a-half, we are very excited to safely welcome back all of our students this school year. I am honored to be a part of the SunRidge family. Our teachers, staff and leaders are among the best! Welcome to our incoming sixth-graders, new and returning

MIDDLE SCHOOLS

SUNRIDGE MIDDLE 14955 SunRidge Blvd., Winter Garden PHONE: (407) 656-0794 sunridgems.ocps.net SCHOOL GRADE: A PRINCIPAL: Amy McHale MASCOT: Eagles MEET YOUR TEACHER: New students: 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 5. Returning students: 1 to 3 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 5 ENROLLMENT: 1,385 PTSO PRESIDENT: Shaune Poole SPECIAL PROGRAMS: School of Innovation focused on Problem Based Learning and Student Voice and Choice FUN FACT: SRMS has a student-led organization called Acts of Kindness “AOK” Club.

WHY I LOVE MY SCHOOL “What I like about SunRidge Middle School is that the counselors and administrators are really nice and helpful. Art is one of my favorite classes, because we can express ourselves and have a lot of fun projects. Ms. Foltz, Ms. Redden and Coach Williams are a few of my favorite teachers. They are always willing to help students learn and make learning fun.” — Sydney Silberstein, eighth grade students. I am looking forward to a fantastic year of learning and growing together through innovative practices and experiences.” — Amy McHale WATER SPRING MIDDLE Temporarily on Horizon High campus, 10393 Seidel Road PHONE: (407) 554-1814 waterspringms.ocps.net SCHOOL GRADE: N/A PRINCIPAL: Laura Beusse MASCOT: Wildcats MEET YOUR TEACHER: 1 to 3 p.m. Friday, Aug. 6 PTO PRESIDENT: Josh Howard SPECIAL PROGRAMS: Cambridge Lower Secondary School, dance, PLTW, French, ASL FUN FACT: Students will attend school on the Horizon High School campus for two years.

HIGH SCHOOLS

BACK TO SCHOOL 2021 OLYMPIA HIGH 4301 S. Apopka-Vineland Road, Orlando PHONE: (407) 905-6400 olympiahs.ocps.net SCHOOL GRADE: A PRINCIPAL: Christy Gorberg MASCOT: Titans ENROLLMENT: 2,951 PTSA PRESIDENT: Brooke Benson SPECIAL PROGRAMS: APEX Academy, DREAM Academy, Advanced Placement courses, National Honor Society, the arts, athletics, JROTC/NDCC FUN FACT: This year, Olympia High is hosting a Freshman Frenzy and a Sophomore Stampede, both of which are events for freshmen and sophomores to learn more about the school’s various programs and extracurriculars.

HORIZON HIGH 10393 Seidel Road, Winter Garden PHONE: (407) 554-1814 horizonhs.ocps.net SCHOOL GRADE: N/A PRINCIPAL: Laura Beusse MASCOT: Hawks CAPACITY: 2,776 SPECIAL PROGRAMS: The school has applied to become a Cambridge school, which offers the Cambridge AICE Diploma. It also will have a commercial culinary arts program and career/technical education courses. FUN FACT: The football stadium is on campus, and the baseball and softball fields are lighted. One of the school’s mottos is “Elevate the Pursuit.” FROM THE PRINCIPAL: “I look forward to working with you to create a culture of excellence and community as we Elevate the Pursuit in all areas. Go Hawks!” — Laura Beusse DR. PHILLIPS HIGH 6500 Turkey Lake Road, Orlando PHONE: (407) 355-3200 drphillipshs.ocps.net SCHOOL GRADE: B PRINCIPAL: Dr. Suzanne Knight MASCOT: Panthers ENROLLMENT: 3,176 SPECIAL PROGRAMS: Advanced Placement (AP), Air Force JROTC, AVID, Business Academy, Medical Academy, the arts, athletics FUN FACT: Dr. Phillips High almost was not named as it is today because of a decision made by the Orange County School Board to stop naming schools after individuals. However, a convincing presentation by former Dr. Phillips Charities President Jim Hinson to the School Board resulted in naming it after a thriving community.

LAKE BUENA VISTA HIGH 1305 Daryl Carter Parkway, Orlando PHONE: TBD lakebuenavistahs.ocps.net SCHOOL GRADE: N/A PRINCIPAL: Dr. Guy Swenson MASCOT: Vipers ENROLLMENT: 1,333 SPECIAL PROGRAMS: Advanced Placement (AP), Alpha Academy, Cambridge Academy, Social Justice Academy, National Defense Cadet Corps, arts programs, athletics, National Honor Society FUN FACT: Lake Buena Vista High School is opening its doors at the same time as its sister school, Horizon High School, in Horizon West. FROM THE PRINCIPAL: “This is a great opportunity for students to be a leader, because they can be the first on their team, in their club, in their band or chorus. The leadership opportunities here are countless, and this is such a great time to get connected to your community and school. These are memories that will last for a lifetime.” — Dr. Guy Swenson

OCOEE HIGH 1925 Ocoee Crown Point Parkway, Ocoee PHONE: (407) 905-3000 ocoeehs.ocps.net SCHOOL GRADE: C PRINCIPAL: Lisa Karcinski MASCOT: Knights ENROLLMENT: 2,479 SPECIAL PROGRAMS: Digital Learning Pilot School FUN FACT: Last basketball season, Ocoee made it further than it ever had in postseason play. The Knights made an appearance in the regional final for the first time in school history. The Knights finished the season at 22-8.

WHY I LOVE MY SCHOOL “Returning back to school this year feels more exciting than ever. This past year definitely forced everyone to face many unexpected obstacles in our everyday lives, school being one of them, for all students globally. It’s exciting to see the progress science has made and the opportunities it has opened up since the start of the pandemic. ... As a high school senior, it’s very exciting to see a light at the end of all of this.” — Emily Onoyan, 12th grade

FROM THE PRINCIPAL: “It is my pleasure to welcome everyone back for another great year at Olympia High School. We are all excited to have students back in our classrooms and hallways filling them with energy and enthusiasm for learning. It is our goal to help every student feel welcomed, connected and part of our Titan family.” — Christy Gorberg

THE OBSERVER 2021

WINDERMERE HIGH 5223 Winter Garden-Vineland Road, Windermere PHONE: (407) 347-0980 windermerehs.ocps.net SCHOOL GRADE: B PRINCIPAL: Andrew Leftakis MASCOT: Wolverines ENROLLMENT: 3,200 SPECIAL PROGRAMS: Cambridge AICE, Windermere dynamic scheduling model, National Defense Cadet Corps, Advanced Placement, the arts, athletics, agriculture, various pre-majors FUN FACT: The first graduating

WHY I LOVE MY SCHOOL: “I love West Orange because of the amazing community we have cultivated. Whether it’s our working together to run events that raise our school’s spirits and help the community or all of us cheering together at a Friday night football game, our school always works together as one big team. Our community is also very diverse, with people from all different backgrounds, yet we all are able to work wonderfully to do amazing things. This all comes together to make West Orange an excellent place to be and one that I love dearly.” — Sean Lewis, NHS president

class at Windermere High was the Class of 2019, with just more than 700 students. FROM THE PRINCIPAL: “Welcome to Windermere High School, home of the Wolverines, where we are ‘achieving greatness with honor.’ … Our teachers and staff stand ready to encourage and support this academic journey. Thank you for trusting your child’s academic future to us. I promise to do everything in my power to help make high school an amazing experience for your child.” — Andrew Leftakis

Audition NOW for the Opera Orlando Youth Company 2021-22 Season

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FROM THE PRINCIPAL: “We are so excited to see our Warriors back on campus, and we are looking forward to an amazing but safe 21-22 school year! We strive to give every student a voice in their education, so if you need something, please reach out! Also, it is our goal that every student participates in an activity that has an extra-curricular component, so find something you love and get involved!” — Dr. Matthew Turner

HIGH SCHOOLS

WEST ORANGE HIGH 1625 Beulah Road, Winter Garden PHONE: (407) 905-2400 westorangehs.ocps.net SCHOOL GRADE: B PRINCIPAL: Dr. Matthew Turner MASCOT: Warriors ENROLLMENT: 2,650 PTO PRESIDENT: Patty Tozzi and Rose Sirois SPECIAL PROGRAMS: Culinary Arts, Building Construction, Engineering, Ag/FFA FUN FACT: West Orange is a true community school that has a large number of volunteers donating more than 20,000 hours of service each year.

NOW CASTING!

UCP CENTRAL FLORIDA — WEST ORANGE CAMPUS 1297 Winter Garden Vineland Road, Suite 110, Winter Garden PHONE: (407) 904-0135 ucpcfl.org PRINCIPAL: Thomas Brickel MASCOT: West Orange Wave ENROLLMENT: 180 SPECIAL PROGRAMS: Flexible instructional delivery both on campus and online; services to students with special needs; speech, physical and occupational therapy; clinical counseling; behavior-support services; 21st Century after-school enrichment program; morning care and after-school care; Movie Club FUN FACT: The school will have a new campus for the 2021-22 school year.

IMMUNIZATION AND PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS REQUIREMENTS

n Physical exam within one year of school entry. n Valid Florida DH 680 Immunization Form (Any color paper is acceptable for the DH 680 form; blue paper is not required.)

PRE-KINDERGARTEN

All series must be completed prior to entry into kindergarten n DTaP Series* n Polio Series* n Hepatitis B Series n H. Influenza Type B (HIB) Series* n Pneumococcal Conjugate Series (PCV)* n 1 dose of Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) n 1 dose of Varicella (Chickenpox) * Age-appropriate doses

KINDERGARTEN TO SIXTH n DTaP Series* n Polio Series* n Hepatitis B Series n 2 doses of Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) n 2 doses of Varicella (Chickenpox)

SEVENTH THROUGH 10TH

n DTaP Series n 1 dose of Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis (Tdap) n Polio Series n Hepatitis B Series n 2 doses of Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) n 2 dose of Varicella

11TH AND 12TH

n DTaP Series n 1 dose of Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis (Tdap) n Polio Series n Hepatitis B Series n 2 doses of Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) n 1 dose of Varicella

NOTES

n DTaP Series: If final dose was administered before 4 years of age, an additional dose is required. n Polio Series: If last dose was administered before 4 years of age, an additional dose is required. A fourth dose is not required if the third dose is administered at 4 years of age or older. If the fourth dose was administered prior to the fourth birthday, a fifth dose of polio is required. n Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis Booster (Tdap): Tdap may be administered prior to seventh grade starting at age 7 years. Please contact the Florida Department of Health in Orange County’s School Health Program at (407) 858-1438 or the Immunization Program at (407) 836-2502.

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THE OBSERVER 2021

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CALENDAR

Protect your family. Prepare for their future. Jo Barsh, Agent 317 West Road Ocoee, FL 34761 Bus: 407-299-0301 Fax: 407-578-6373 jobarsh.com M-F 8:30 - 5:30pm Sat and Evenings by Appoint

AUGUST

n Tuesday, Aug. 10: First day of school

SEPTEMBER

n Monday, Sept. 6: Labor Day holiday (schools and district offices closed)

OCTOBER

I can help with both.

n Thursday, Oct. 7: End of first marking period n Friday, Oct. 8: Teacher workday/student holiday n Monday, Oct. 11: Begin second marking period n Friday, Oct. 29: Teacher professional day/student holiday/ teacher non-workday

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Structured, yet flexible.

n Monday, Feb. 21, 2022: Presidents Day holiday (schools closed; district offices open)

MARCH

n Thursday, March 10, 2022: End of third marking period n Friday, March 11, 2022: Student holiday/teacher workday n Monday to Friday, March 14 to 18, 2022: Spring Break (schools closed; district offices open) n Monday, March 21, 2022: Begin fourth marking period

MAY

n Wednesday, May 25, 2022: End of fourth marking period/ last day of school for students n Thursday to Friday, May 26 to 27, 2022: Post-planning for teachers n Monday, May 30, 2022: Memorial Day holiday (schools and district offices closed)

You can do it. We can help.

PRIORITY 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

DATE Oct. 29 Nov. 22 Nov. 23 Nov. 24 Feb. 21, 2022 March 18, 2022 March 17, 2022 March 16, 2022 March 15, 2022 March 14, 2022

CURRENT USE Professional Day Thanksgiving Break Thanksgiving Break Thanksgiving Break Presidents Day Holiday Spring Break Spring Break Spring Break Spring Break Spring Break

Editor and Publisher / Michael Eng, meng@OrangeObserver.com

On Campus Homeschool Small classes equal individual attention

FEBRUARY

Observer

Homeschool

The West Orange Times & Observer and West Orange Observer are published once weekly, on Thursdays. The Observer papers can also be found free in many commercial locations. 361736-1

Online

n Friday, Dec. 17: End of second marking period n Dec. 20 to 31: Winter Break

n Monday, Jan. 3, 2022: Teacher workday/student holiday n Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022: Students return to school. Begin second semester/third marking period n Monday, Jan. 17, 2022: Martin Luther King Jr. holiday (schools and district offices closed)

BAD WEATHER MAKE-UP DATES

y.org ictoryAcadem www.ChristianV (407) 281-6244

On Campus

DECEMBER

JANUARY

Notice of Nondiscriminatory Policy as to Students: Christian Victory Academy of Central Florida, Inc. admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the bases of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

If you wish to subscribe to the West Orange Times, call (407) 656-2121 or visit our offices at 661 Garden Commerce Parkway, Suite 180, Winter Garden, FL 34787. To advertise, please call (407) 656-2121 or email contact@OrangeObserver.com.

PRIVATE SCHOOLS

33 CENTRAL FLORIDA CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 700 Good Homes Road, Orlando PHONE: (407) 850-2322 cfcaeagles.org SCHOOL PRESIDENT: Dr. Clayton Cloer MASCOT: Eagles ENROLLMENT: 227 SPECIAL PROGRAMS: Student clubs include art, Bible, chess, debate, poetry, praise band, step team and student government. FUN FACT: The school’s Class of 2021 earned $2.2 million in university scholarships. THE CRENSHAW SCHOOL 2342 Hempel Ave., Gotha PHONE: (407) 757-2241 crenshawschool.com HEAD OF SCHOOL: Tanya Williams ENROLLMENT: 250 SPECIAL PROGRAMS: Small class sizes allow students to engage in their natural capacity for intellectual analysis, problem-solving and independence of thought, as well as mastery of lifelong skills, including debate, discussion, writing, reading, questioning and experimenting. FUN FACT: The accredited kindergarten-through-12 college-preparatory school was founded by Brenda Crenshaw, who was a private instructor to Justin Timberlake and Lance Bass. FAMILY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL 671 Beulah Road, Winter Garden PHONE: (407) 656-7904 familychristianschool.org PRINCIPAL: Terri Schneberger MEET YOUR TEACHER: 2 to 3 p.m. Aug. 5 ENROLLMENT: 128 FUN FACT: Family Christian was established to provide a quality education based upon God’s Word. It is designed as an extension of the Christian family, to work with parents in educating children from a Christian perspective, to facilitate an understanding of their personal relationship with God and a Christian world view. The teaching approach reflects a commitment to in education through strong curricula based on Biblical principles.

FUN FACT: The First Academy boasts a 100% college acceptance rate for its graduating seniors, who have received over $70 million in scholarship offers.

THE FIRST ACADEMY 2667 Bruton Blvd., Orlando PHONE: (407) 206-8602 thefirstacademy.org PRINCIPALS: Dr. Shayne Grove (Upper School); Dr. Natalie Holter (Middle School); Jennifer Jackson (Lower School); Head of School Dr. Steve Whitaker MASCOT: Rowdy the Royal ENROLLMENT: 1,400 PARENT ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT: Katherine Johnson SPECIAL PROGRAMS: Concurrent courses (courses with university credit); dual enrollment (college courses) and Advanced Placement (college credit); gifted program; aquaponics curriculum

FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL: “We are so thankful for our students. They are what make TFA such a special place. We can’t wait to usher in a new school year that will provide a fulfilling, engaging and joyful experience for our families when they return on Aug. 11.” — Dr. Steve Whitaker, head of school

WHY I LOVE MY SCHOOL “I’m looking forward to senior year. As a student body president, I’m looking forward to making it a great year for everyone and having a good time.” — Kat McSorley, 12th grade

PRIVATE SCHOOLS

BACK TO SCHOOL 2021

FOUNDATION ACADEMY Upper School: 15304 Tilden Road, Winter Garden; Lower School: 125 E. Plant St., Winter Garden; Lakeside Campus: 8464 Winter Garden-Vineland Road, Orlando PHONE: Upper: (407) 877-2744; Lower: (407) 656-3677; Lakeside: (407) 204-9672 foundationacademy.net PRINCIPALS: Sarah Reynolds, Upper School; Angel Whitehead, Lower School, Plant Street Campus; Amanda Donaho, Lower School, Lakeside Campus MASCOT: Lions MEET YOUR TEACHER/WELCOME BACK OPEN HOUSE: 9 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 10; Tilden Welcome Back Open House, 3 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 10

WHY I LOVE MY SCHOOL “I feel like the teachers at FA really get to know you as a person and not just any other student. Everyone is warm and welcoming. FA feels like home.” — Ellie Perfetto, sophomore

ENROLLMENT: 1,002 students across three campuses SPECIAL PROGRAMS: New entrepreneurial program from Junior Achievement; offering the Naviance curriculum; a college and career readiness program; a new partnership with Orange Technical College offering credit for trade classes FUN FACT: Foundation Academy has been offering a Christ-centered education since 1958. FROM THE PRINCIPAL: “We are so excited for the 2021-22 school year at Foundation Academy. Needless to say, the past 15 months have been filled with so many ups and downs. Last year, we had such a successful school year despite the adversity. However, I am looking forward to what we

are praying will be a year filled with optimism and normalcy. This year at Foundation Academy, we have experienced record enrollment of more than 1,000 students! It is a privilege to welcome more families and students into the FA family. Our mission is to partner with families and church to build a foundation for life. This year is also extraordinary due to the expansion of our Tilden Campus, which serves grades seven through 12. We have new roads, expanded parking, a new athletic annex, and in February, we will have eight new classrooms that will feature science labs and a band room. We just can’t wait until the doors open to our students and FA on Aug. 12! On Foundation!” — Sarah Reynolds, Tilden principal

HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC SCHOOL 5129 S. Apopka-Vineland Road, Orlando PHONE: (407) 876-9344 hfcschool.com PRINCIPAL: Sister Dorothy Sayers MASCOT: Lions ENROLLMENT: 691 SPECIAL PROGRAMS: Altar servers, Catholic Youth Sports Athletics, band, choir, Kids For Jesus (K4J), Odyssey of the Mind, ScienceMath Olympiad, oration contest, science fair, school musical FUN FACT: HFCS has been voted as one of the top private schools in Orlando by various local media outlets for five consecutive years.

THE OBSERVER 2021

PRIVATE SCHOOLS

WHY I LOVE MY SCHOOL “P.E. is my favorite. I love my school because of P.E. I learn new things like exercise and running. P.E. is fun.” — Alexandria Brown, third grade

“What I love about my school is getting to see my friends, going to chapel on Wednesdays and playing on the playground. My favorite subject is Bible.” — Greyson Jones, third grade today by expanding from our main campus in Ocoee to add a second location in Gotha.

NOTE FROM THE VICE PRINCIPALS: “Hey, Light Christian Academy students! I hope everyone is enjoying their summer break! We miss y’all and look forward to seeing y’all on Aug. 10 for the first day of school! I know it’s going to be a great year!” — Daniel Jones, Main Campus

“I am excited to welcome back students for the start of the 2021-22 school year. This year the south campus will serve families of third- through 12th-grade students. I am looking forward to a great school year seeing my students succeed academically. I am happy that we are going to be able to start our sports programs in the fall. Let’s go, Sharks!” — Kristi Faircloth, South Campus

MONTVERDE ACADEMY 17235 Seventh St., Montverde PHONE: (407) 469-2561 montverde.org HEADMASTER: Dr. Kasey Kesselring MASCOT: Eagles ENROLLMENT: 1,300 SPECIAL PROGRAMS: Thirty-four Advanced Placement

courses, Distinguished Scholar Program for students dedicated to pursuing the highest level of scholastics, Six Study Area Concentration Diplomas for students who have identified a study area of interest that could be their major field of study in college

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LIGHT CHRISTIAN ACADEMY Main Campus: 1105 N. Lakewood Ave., Ocoee, serves K-2 South Campus: 1450 Citrus Oaks Ave., Gotha, serves grades three through 12 PHONE: Main Campus, (407) 656-6314; South Campus, (407) 347-0504 mylcac.com PRINCIPAL: Pastor Thomas Odom VICE PRINCIPALS: Daniel Jones, Main Campus; Kristi Faircloth, South Campus MASCOT: Sharks ENROLLMENT: 100 for Main Campus, 150 for South Campus SPECIAL PROGRAMS: Soccer, basketball, archery, flag football, track and field, volleyball FUN FACT: The school is part of a ministry that has a legacy of using what we have to continue to grow. When the church was originally formed in the 1950s, the congregation met in a wooden house on the property. When the church outgrew the house, it was torn down, and parts of it were repurposed in the construction of the sanctuary. Today, when students walk across the stage at the main campus, they are walking on a section of the original house floor that was used as part of the stage platform. The school continues the ministry’s legacy of growth

PRIVATE SCHOOLS

BACK TO SCHOOL 2021

VICTORY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 1601 A.D. Mims Road, Ocoee PHONE: (407) 656-1295 vbcocoee.com PRINCIPAL: Jason Davis ENROLLMENT: 100 SPECIAL PROGRAMS: A Beka Book curriculum FUN FACT: Victory Christian Academy started in 1985 with one faculty member and 14 students in the K4/K5 program FROM THE PRINCIPAL: “I hope you all have had a wonderful summer! We have been working hard to make this the best year ever at Victory. We are praying the Lord continues to bless you as you finish out this summer! I can’t wait to see you all back in just a few weeks!” — Jason Davis

WHY I LOVE MY SCHOOL “I am really excited to go to VCA this year, because the teachers are so nice and always plan fun things to do. They make learning really easy. I also love recess because there are so many things to do.” — Jacob McFarland, eighth grade

WINDERMERE PREPARATORY SCHOOL 6189 Winter Garden Vineland Road, Windermere PHONE: (407) 905-7737 windermereprep.com HEAD OF SCHOOL: Dr. Mitchell Salerno MASCOT: Butler MEET YOUR TEACHER: Windermere Prep has a variety of back-to-school events for its lower, middle and high school divisions on Monday, Aug. 9, and Tuesday, Aug. 10. Check the school’s calendar for details. ENROLLMENT: 1,548 SPECIAL PROGRAMS: International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme, fine arts program, STEM lessons, Global Games, Juilliard collaboration FUN FACT: Windermere Preparatory School welcomes students of more than 60 different nationalities.

WHY I LOVE MY SCHOOL “In this upcoming school year, I am looking forward to growing as a person, and expanding my communication circle. For me, school is not just about the education Wand learning aspect. It is about growing as an individual and training myself to communicate with others in a kind and respectful way. I cannot wait to start my eighth-grade year at WPS and grow more in who I am as a person!” — Lorrin Taylor, eighth grade

FROM THE PRINCIPAL: “Contagious — in the midst of a pandemic, it is often difficult to see the positive connotation of this word. We are rightly concerned, again, about the spread of COVID throughout our community. Yet, there is a positive connotation to the word contagious and it serves as an encouragement to our students as we begin another school year. Learning is contagious. Laughter is contagious. Grit is contagious. At Windermere Prep, we are excited to welcome our students to campus for the upcoming school year because we know their presence on campus is a sign of hope — hope for today and, more importantly, hope for a bright future. As we navigate this pandemic together, the Windermere Prep community believes that hope is contagious, and we know that our students are ready to overcome the challenges ahead. Go Lakers!” — Dr. Mitchell Salerno

THE OBSERVER 2021

PRIVATE SCHOOLS

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CHARTER SCHOOLS

BACK TO SCHOOL 2021 HOPE CHARTER/ LEGACY CHARTER HIGH 1550 E. Crown Point Road, Ocoee PHONE: (407) 656-4673 hopecharter.org SCHOOL GRADE: Hope, A; Legacy, B PRINCIPALS: Kristy Castellanos, Legacy; Allen Quain, Hope Charter MASCOT: Eagles ENROLLMENT: Legacy: 225, Hope: 435 SPECIAL PROGRAMS: Hope and Legacy specialize in individualized education, remediating and enriching as necessary and assisting all high school students to meet graduation requirements, maintaining a 100% graduation rate.

FROM THE PRINCIPAL: “Eagles, welcome to the 2021-22 school year! We are currently planning fun events for the year and hope that this year is the best year!” —Kristy Castellanos

WHY I LOVE MY SCHOOL “Legacy is where great adventures are found.” — Natalie Segalini, cheer captain

INNOVATION MONTESSORI OCOEE 1644 N. Lakewood Ave., Ocoee PHONE: (407) 876-9344 innovationmontessori.com PRINCIPAL: Patrice Cherico MASCOT: Owl ENROLLMENT: 812 SPECIAL PROGRAMS: Montessori, private preschool program, project-based learning (middle school), Innovation Incubator (high school), Restorative Justice, PEACE education, yoga/mindfulness, band, winter guard, basketball, theater, art, running club FUN FACT: Innovation Montessori Ocoee began as Montessori of Winter Garden Charter School in 2011.

OAKLAND AVENUE CHARTER SCHOOL 456 E. Oakland Ave., Oakland PHONE: (407) 877-2039 Oaklandfl.gov SCHOOL GRADE: B PRINCIPAL: Pamela Dwyer MASCOT: Eagles ENROLLMENT: 535 PTO PRESIDENT: Lynn Orem SPECIAL PROGRAMS: VPK; gifted class; after-school clubs — Lego, Minecraft, American Girl, Guitar and Art; Discover After School Care; additional after-school activities (even if not enrolled in program) such as Cooking Club, Science Club and KidPreneur Club FUN FACT: Students are grouped into “nests” — Trustworthiness, Integrity, Perseverance and Generosity. The groups are brought together monthly.

FROM THE PRINCIPAL: “On behalf of the OACS staff, we are looking forward to seeing our Eagles in what hopes to be a more ‘normal’-feeling year! — Pamela Dwyer

WHY I LOVE MY SCHOOL “I love my school, because I have nice friends and love the playground!” —Ashton Simmes

RENAISSANCE CHARTER SCHOOL AT CROWN POINT 83 West Road, Ocoee PHONE: (407) 573-1080 crownpointcharter.org SCHOOL GRADE: B PRINCIPAL: Brett E. Taylor

WHY I LOVE MY SCHOOL “I like my school, because I get to meet cool teachers that they always encourage us.” — Guiliana Cortes

MASCOT: Royals ENROLLMENT: 1,140 PTC PRESIDENT: Eneida Cortes SPECIAL PROGRAMS: AVID, aquaponic farming interactive class FUN FACT: Renaissance Charter at Crown Point is the first school in CSUSA history to have an aquaponic farm on its campus. FROM THE PRINCIPAL: “Welcome back! We are so excited to get this school year started. We are also excited about partnering with our students and families as we go about the work of teaching and learning in 2021-22.” — Brett E. Taylor

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THE OBSERVER 2021

BACK TO SCHOOL 2021

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