Take Learning to the Next Level!

Semester 1

2018-2019

Edison Park Mission Statement:

To celebrate diversity, encourage crea vity, and nurture a love of learning in pursuit of excellence.

Ready Dancer One

The Edison Park Crea ve & Expressive Arts Elementary School Newsle er

The goal of this newsle er is to increase communica on with stakeholders, showcasing the ways Edison Park is “Taking Learning to the Next Level”!

Edison Park Creative & Expressive Arts Elementary School

Euclid Avenue, Fort Myers, FL 33901

Twitter: @ EPCEA Website: h ps://epe.leeschools.net/

Principal: Mrs. Cherise Trent

Grade 4 students performed “Ready Dancer One” for two live audiences in October. Created by dance teacher, Ms. Peters, students danced their way through the history of video games including Pinball, Pac Man, Angry Birds, Fortnite, and Virtual Reality. Violin and chorus students started the show strong and the dancers thrilled the audience with ballet, tap, lyrical, and jazz performances. Excellent job, grade 4 teachers and students….and a big thank you to the arts teachers!

A+

In order to honor veterans throughout Southwest Florida, students created cards with notes of apprecia on and colorful designs. Led by Mrs. Howarth, Secretary to the Principal, Edison Park student cards were provided to the Department of Veteran Affairs in Lee County. The veterans really appreciated the cards!

Na onal Elementary Honor Society: Edison Park Chapter The newest members of the Na onal Elementary Honor Society were inducted this fall. Fi h grade students were selected based on the four principles of Na onal Elementary Honor Society: Character, Scholarship, Leadership, and Service. Led by Mrs. Peer (gi ed teacher) and Dr. Clements (guidance counselor), students will engage in service projects and develop leadership skills throughout the year. NBC 7 Director, Daryl Lieze-Adams was a guest speaker. Following the induc on ceremony, students and their families were invited to the courtyard for refreshments. We are very proud of the fi h grade students selected and look forward to all they will accomplish in the future.

Happy Veteran’s Day!

Art teacher, Mrs. Flanders, integrated character educa on lessons in art class, resul ng in hundreds of brightly colored rocks with posi ve statements. These hidden gems, located in courtyards, gardens, countertops, and the entrance to the school remind students and staff that we are a school that values posi ve behavior and a tudes. As a PBS School (Posi ve Behavior Support), all students honor the Core 4: Be Respec ul, Be Responsible, Be Safe, and Be A Good Ci zen. Being kind rocks!

Kindness Rocks!

The Ukulele Club meets before school and fills the halls with music. Led by music teacher, Ms. Yorty and strings teacher, Ms. James. Ukulele Club members prac ce various songs in prepara on for community performances. Throughout the holiday season, this talented group cap vated audiences by singing and playing the ukulele. Thank you, Ms. Yorty and Ms. James, for planning special events for this group!

Fall In Love with Art

Let’s Dance!

Fall was in the air in Mrs. Flanders’ art class! Pain ngs of trees with fall leaves were created in kindergarten. Photos shown here were made by students in Ms. Pavese’s class. Other students cre-ated hand-painted, ceramic corn. Older students created hand-painted leaves filled with the things they are most thankful for in their lives.

Students love to learn to dance with a high energy, talented teacher like Ms. Peters. All students at Edison Park Crea ve and Expressive Arts School take dance class during the school day. Kindergarten, as seen in the photograph to the right, is filled with smiling faces because they love to dance!

Ukulele Club

Students par cipated in Na onal “Walk to School Day”. Led by ESE teacher, Mrs. Harring-ton, students enjoyed walking together to get to school. Edison Park Elementary was established in 1927 in the historic Edison Park neighborhood. Many students, who live in this historic area, enjoy walking or riding their bikes to school.

Theatre students learn to speak in front of an audience, carefully ar cula ng their words. Led by theatre teacher, Mr. Carmichael, public speaking becomes a fun thing to do!

Na onal Walk to School Day Public Speaking

Congratulations, Penelope

Bianci

“Do the Right Thing”

Award Winner

PTA hosted another amazing Trunk-Or-Treat night. Parents “Took It to the Next Level” by crea ng amazing trunks with the gaming theme. Hay mazes, a DJ, and food trucks made this night unforge able. Thank you, PTA!

Students learn to weave in visual arts class (teacher: Mrs. Flanders). Great job, students!

Trunk-Or-Treat Weaving

The weather was absolutely perfect for our annual Move-A-Thon! We are so grateful for the generosity of our Edison Park families. The students had so much fun running, dancing, and walking in order to improve their health and raise money for the school. Students were joined by Swampee from the Everblades, the Chic-Fil-A Cow, Too Tall Torie, and the Ft. Myers Miracle mascot. A DJ played energizing music. We are grateful for the efforts of the PTA and volunteers for making the event successful and fun!

Move-A-Thon Success!

We are so excited to announce that 12 of our teachers have been named Golden Apple Nominees! These teachers have been selected by students and are part of The Founda on for Lee County Public Schools Golden Apple Recogni on Program. Mrs. Trent greeted each nominee with a gold star balloon and cer ficate to celebrate. Last year, we were thrilled to have first grade teacher, Mrs. Rose, selected as a Golden Apple Teacher. We hope to have another outstanding Edison Park teacher selected this year!

In collabora on with Project Love and Duck Tape, students joined together during Na onal Red Ribbon Week to pledge to “Be Kind and S ck Together” against bullying. Guidance Counselor, Dr. Clements, leads guidance classes with students focusing on friendship and making posi ve choices. Students learn about the dangers of bullying and make a commitment to treat others the way they want to be treated. At Edison Park, guidance classes are offered throughout the year and have made a posi ve impact on our school culture. During Red Ribbon Week, large banners hung in the halls reminding everyone of our commitment to kindness.

S cking Together Against Bullying

Golden Apple Nominees

Students love to dance in Ms. Peters’ dance class! This folk dancing unit included Do Si Do

dancing and the expressions on the students faces show how much fun they had exploring this form of dance.

Do Si Do

Students created copper ornaments in Mrs. Flanders’ art class. First, students

created a template of their ornament. Using tools with various width points, students added dimension on their copper sheets. Then, they used permanent markers to create colorful ornaments for holiday display. Great job, art students!

Copper Ornaments

Coach Short integrates cup stacking in his physical educa on class. Students collect data and prac ce crea ng various stacking designs. They learn that increased prac ce improves performance, including in academics!

Cup Stacking

Thank you for

your generosity!

Top Earning

Move-A-Thon

Students

Grade 5 students performed “Beauty and the Beast Mode” for two live audiences in November. Created by drama teacher, Mr. Carmichael, students performed a gamers version of the classic tale, “Beauty and the Beast”. The audience loved the 1980’s references and were truly entertained by the outstanding ac ng of fi h grade students. Excellent job, grade 5 teachers and students...and a big thank you to Mr. Carmichael and the arts teachers!

Beauty and the Beast Mode

Students with the most laps

per session were recognized during the

Move-A-Thon.

Move-A-Thon Lap Winners

Reed Hagen

( e) Grades 2-3

Wren Palmer

Most Laps (Girls)

Kael Seneca

Most Laps (Boys)

Hendrix Kohn

( e) Grades 2-3

Riley Fox

Grades k-1

Students begin playing violin in first grade. Led by strings teacher, Ms. James, violin lessons are offered as a class within the school day, as well as before school.

Students show-case their talents throughout the community. Great job, strings!

Violin

There is nothing boring about playing the recorder when you are with Mrs. Yorty. Students demonstrate their ability to play a variety of songs standing, si ng, and raising their legs. Playing the recorder is fun in music class!

Kindergarten students con nually remind us how thankful we are for the amazing students a ending Edison Park Crea ve & Expressive

Arts School. Dressed as pilgrims, these students wrote about the things they are most thankful for each day. Their kindness reminds us to be thankful for each moment we have with your children!

Recorder Fun Thankful for Kindergarten Students!

Students donated pet food and other needed items in order to help animals at Lee County Domes c Animal Services. Our local shelter workers were very grateful for the food, blankets, toys, and cleaning products. Thank you for your generosity in making this annual Pet Food Drive a success!

Pet Food Drive

Third Grade

Duke TIP

The School District of Lee County is par cipa ng in a five year district accredita on. Each school is evalua ng data and gathering evidence related to system quality factors. Schools seek to show evidence of a clear direc on, healthy culture, high expecta ons, impact of instruc on, resource management, efficacy of engagement, and implementa on capacity. Staff are working closely with district leaders in order con nually improve and demonstrate growth in each area.

District Accreditation

Eric Riemenschneider, parent of a second grade student, is star ng a Watch D.O.G.S. program at Edison Park Crea ve & Expressive Arts School. This volunteer program is made of “Dads of Great Students” and provides a posi ve male presence

in the school. Their first ac vity was going to FSW to watch basketball games with their families. For informa on, contact Eric at EricR@McGriffInsurance.com

Watch D.O.G.S.

Governor Rick Sco sent a le er of recogni on and an award to Tegan Flynn for earning a perfect score on the Florida Standards Assessment (FSA) Test in Math! Mrs. Trent, principal, recognized Tegan on the school news in order to give Tegan the special award. Tegan’s parents (photographed) and the en re school are proud of her accomplishments!

The Duke University Talent Iden fica on Program (Duke TIP) recognized students at Edison Park Crea ve & Expressive Arts for earning the top percen le rank in a standardized test. Students were able to qualify based on their scores in FSA Math, FSA English Language Arts, or both. Students are also able to qualify based on high IQ scores. These students become eligible to par cipate in a variety of enrichment programs offered by Duke University. We are proud of these outstanding students!

Tegan Flynn: Perfect FSA

Duke TIP: Delaney Baucom, Serron Duncan, Tegan Flynn, Kathe-rine Goldberg, Lucas Goldberg, Lily Hoffman, Owen Just, Harrison Kabel, Gianna Lieze-Adams, Addison Ripo, Kael Seneca, Rio Moggi Mitchell, Jaiden Ramsey, and Carter Gurule.

photos:

5th grade service leaders

Art teacher, Mrs. Flanders, was proud to announce that eight students from Edison Park Crea ve & Expressive Arts were selected to be featured in the Designs & Dreams of Young Ar sts Visual Arts Gallery. These students were recog-nized by Superintendent, Dr. Adkins, and the Board Members and will have their art featured throughout the year in the School District of Lee County offices. Congratula ons, visual arts students!

Designs & Dreams of Young Ar sts

Holiday Trees At The Edison Home

Music teacher, Mrs. Yorty proudly recognizes the following students for being selected to the FEMEA Regional Honor Choir and Orff Ensemble: Madison Darnell, Vatarian Perry, Alexa Hartley, Ka e Goldberg, and Kacie Peters.

These students are outstanding representa ves of Edison Park music program. Thank you for your hard work and dedica on!

Visual Arts students created ornaments to display on the grounds of the Edison & Ford Winter Estates. Ornaments were created with Mrs. Flanders, Visual Arts teacher and included ornaments made

of reflec ve tape. Guests from around the world enjoyed viewing the student work. Great job, ar sts!

Florida Elementary Music Educators Associa on

Designs & Dreams Young Ar sts

Zoe Chuang-Saladin

Mariah Cruz

Chris an Hall

Rashard Jackson

Ana Lucia Smoot

Yo-Quan McCoy

Kylie Peters

Carter Gurule

Each year, staff are provided with a pie and a card from an Edison Park family. We are so grateful for your generosity and were thrilled to eat a delicious pie during Thanksgiving dinner. Thank you!

Membership in the Millionaire Reading Club requires a student to read at least one million words! Duncan was the first millionaire this year. However, Delaney

has become the first member of the 2 million word club! These students love to read and this posi vely impacts their performance in English Language Arts. Members of the Millionaire’s Club get permanent name recogni on on the building near the arts classrooms. Keep reading and join the Millionaire Reading Club!

Millionaire Reading Club

Thank you,

Patrols,

for your

dedication to

safety!

Kiwanis Dictionary Day for Grade 3

Students learn to play the drums on tradi on-al drums and on big, plas c paint bins

in music class and Drum Group led by Mrs. Yorty. In order to prepare for community perfor-mances, such as the Edison Pageant of Light Parade, students march throughout the courtyard, filling the air with rhythmical beats. Great job, students!

Drum Group

Students showcased inven ons in the media center. Crea vity and ingenuity was evident upon viewing projects. Thank you, Mrs. Peer (gi ed teacher), for inspiring students!

Coach Short, physical educa on teacher, integrated the gaming theme in field day. Students engaged in ac vi es that allowed students to be physically ac ve and feel like a player in their favorite video game. For example, students catapulted balls toward displays of cans and boxes, just like an Angry Bird. They ran through obstacles in Temple Run courses. Students showcased throwing skills in the Minecra event. The games were endless and so were the efforts of Coach Short to make it the very best field day ever. Thank you, Coach Short!

Each kindergarten student received their own ginger-bread house and was able to decorate it with an assortment of treats. In rooms featuring the sights and sounds of a warm fireplace, students excitedly spoke about the gingerbread stories read in class.

Inventors’ Fair Gingerbread Houses & A Crackling Fireplace

Field Day

The Winter Show was filled with talent featuring Violin, Ukulele, Boys In Black, Dance team, EPIC, Hand Bells, and Chorus. All students at Edison Park Crea ve and Expressive Arts par cipate in these classes during the school day. However, for those interested in developing their skills even further, arts teachers offer before and a er school clubs. As a result, students are able to perform at a high level, cap va ng audiences at school and in the community. Their hard work and dedica on to the arts was evident. Thank you, students and teachers, for another amazing Winter Show! What a great way to end quarter two!

Winter Show

PTA Derby Day

Edison Park PTA will be hos ng a Pinewood Derby Day on Saturday, January 26 in the Physical Educa on Pavilion. Cars will be weighed from 8AM-8:45AM and the races will begin at 9 AM. Derby kits are ordered through PTA. Join us for a fun day together racing cars. For more informa on, please contact PTA President, Don Gurule.

Schools Closed: Mar n Luther King, Jr. Day

In honor of Mar n Luther King, Jr. Day, all Lee County Public Schools will be closed. Date: Monday, January 21, 2019.

School Advisory Council Mee ng (SAC)

There will be a School Advisory Council Mee ng on Thursday, February 7th at 5:30 PM in room 108. This is the same evening as the 3rd grade show (6:30 PM). Get a seat for the show easily by coming to the SAC mee ng first. A strings performance will take place at the February SAC mee ng. You won’t want to miss this great oppor-tunity to see students perform in a small group se ng and learn about the great things happening at Edison Park too.

Texas Roadhouse Spirit Night

Join us at Texas Roadhouse on Tuesday, February 5th. Grab some friends and join the staff as we eat at this delicious restaurant. A percentage of the sales will be donated to our school. See you there! Thank you, Texas Roadhouse!

Schools Closed: Presidents’ Day & Teacher In-service Day

All Lee County Public Schools will be closed on February 18-19 for Presidents’ Day and Teacher In-service Day. Enjoy a long weekend!

3rd Grade Show & 1st Grade Show

Third grade will be performing on Thursday, February 7 at 12:30 PM and 6:30 PM in the Edison Park Theatre.

First Grade will be performing on Thursday, March 14th at 12:30 PM and 6:30 PM in the Edison Park Theatre. Get ready to be amazed by the talent showcased by these outstanding students.

Individual & Class Picture Day– March 8

Come to school looking your best! Class and individual pictures will be taken.

Spring Break: Friday, March 15-Sunday March 24

All Lee County Public Schools will be closed on Friday, March 15 (Teacher Duty Day) through Sunday, March 24. We hope you have an enjoyable and res ul week as a family.

Happy Birthday, Edison Park Elementary!

Edison Park Elementary School was established on March 27, 1927. Thomas Alva Edison was present at the ribbon cu ng of the school. We are proud of our historic school and look forward to celebra ng our 92nd birthday!

Important Dates & How to Get Involved

Do you know someone interested in a ending Edison Park? Tours Wednesdays @ 9:15 AM (Jan/Feb)