6/27/10 School Board Update

This is not an official message from the Osceola County School Board or the Osceola County School District. I am solely responsible for all content. Feel free to forward this message to any interested party. All feedback is encouraged,

6/21/10 Had YMCA basketball practice. While we had won the previous Saturday, the team missed to many lay-ups. So we worked on break away lay-ups. Good practice and lots and lots of running. We can’t afford to run out of gas.        

6/23/10 Spent at Putnam County Schools. Met Putnam Superintendent Tom Townsend in the morning at Crescent City HS. Toured both Crescent City and Interlachen HS. Crescent City HS has some chronic leaks in the roof. One bad one in the gym. Helping them understand some enabling legislation for facility improvements. FL statute 1013.23.

6/24/10 Was spent in Panama City at Gulf Coast Community College. Joe Sorci from Florida Architects invited me to the ground breaking of their new Advanced Technology Center. His firm is the architect for the project at GCCC. Florida Architects also did the design work for the new Tupperware Brands Boys and Girls Club that opened a couple of weeks ago in Kissimmee. So I am happy to come and support his firms efforts. After the ground breaking stayed for a GCCC Board of Trustee meeting. GCCC President Dr. Kerley made comments about HS students and their college readiness. I stayed and talked to him after the meeting about AVID and how it helps students get ready for college. Surprisingly he had never heard of AVID.

6/25/10 Got to give a speech to new families who have adopted their foster children as permanent family members at the Osceola County Courthouse, with Judge Waller presiding. St Cloud Council member Jay Polachek and Osceola County Commissioner Fred Hawkins also got to address the attendee’s. Being asked to participate in this event and throwing out the first pitch for Celebration Little League this past April are the two coolest things I have ever gotten the honor to do as a result of being elected. Speaking to these newly expanded families was particularly gratifying for me.

I shared how my sister and I had been brought up by our parents, and closed by sharing that both my sister and myself were adopted. I also gave the newly adopted children advice on that they can score huge points with their parents by asking on a daily basis: "Please tell me what I can do to help out around here". I also shared with them that if they are ever doing something so bad that they can’t tell their parents or teachers about it, then they should not be doing it at all.

Just got back from a weekend at St. Pete Beach. A buddy I went to HS with lives over there and his daughter got married last night. It seemed like just yesterday she was born. This buddy and I graduated HS together and we were team mates on an undefeated HS track team our senior year. His mom was one of my HS English teachers, and it was great seeing her too. She was a very tough teacher. The bride and groom are both HS teachers and the MOB is a Principal in Hillsborough County. Nice to be back home.

Finally, the Osceola Classroom Teachers Union sent out a questionnaire for all current school board candidates to complete. If anyone would like a copy of my responses to them just email me back.

With any luck the FL Dept. of Education might actually get FCAT results out this week!!

Have a great week everyone.

Jay Wheeler/Osceola County School Board-District One

cell/407-973-4141