Access 06.05.2007

2007 Governor's Sterling Award Recipient: Brevard Public Schools	Access
	Edition #138, June 5, 2007
I'll try to remain calm. No sense in both of us being hysterical.             Next School Board Meeting is at 5:30 on June 12th.	Eau Gallie High took top honors in its division of the recent Odyssey of the Mind World Finals. Congratulations to coaches Beatrice and Greg Showman and their team, Mandi Carr, Shane cKibben, Philip Justice, Cooper Gaudiosi and David Wallace.   Gov. Crist has recognized Polly Cordell as the week's Point of Light for exemplary volunteerism. Through her work with Rolling Readers Space Coast Inc., Polly has dedicated 10 years to improving literacy among the children of Brevard County.   The FHSAA has voted to include Cheerleading as a competitive sport for schools that choose to participate.   There will be a school supply sales tax holiday from August 4th t0 August 13th. Lists of school supplies for your child's coming year classes are available online at www.bsf.brevard.k12.fl.us  .   You've probably heard way too much about the errors in the 2006 3rd grade reading FCAT. I'll not pile on by calling for the end of FCAT. But this event undeniably demonstrates the need for opening the test for inspection by parents and by qualified independent reviewers and underscores the risks associated with a single high stakes test.     "Based on some of the correspondence I have received, it appears that a significant misunderstanding occurred on the part of some members of the public regarding our intent to maintain an abstinence based curriculum." (Dr. Richard DiPatri, Superintendent of Brevard Public Schools, June 1st)   Human Sexuality Curriculum Position Statement   Brevard Public Schools' human sexuality curriculum has been and will continue to be abstinence based.  There is no plan to modify the basis of this curriculum.   In order to appropriately plan for the implementation of curriculum in the 2007-2008 school year, a committee of parent representatives appointed by school board members, principals, teachers, and district staff will meet in June.  The purpose of this meeting will be a review of the instructional materials for the new Health Opportunities through Physical Education Course (H.O.P.E.), which has been required by the Florida Department of Education in the 2007 – 2008 school year, as well as the existing Health Life Management Skills course.  The new materials include a new state and school board adopted textbook which addresses the Sunshine State Standards for the course, as well as the revised district developed Human Sexuality Guide, a supplemental curriculum.   The Human Sexuality Committee will meet again in July. This meeting will allow any groups or guest speakers wishing to present their programs to students during the 2007-2008 school year the opportunity to be approved by the committee.  Committee members will give careful consideration to the compatibility of the program with the existing School Board abstinence based policy and curriculum objectives.  Programs presented that do not conform to the district's abstinence based policy will not be allowed.  The Division of Curriculum and Instruction will monitor approved programs to assure that there is consistent implementation and program fidelity.   (Brevard Public Schools)     A linguistics professor was lecturing his class: "In English, a double negative forms a positive. In some languages, Russian for example, a double negative is still a negative. But there is no language in which a double positive can form a negative." From the back of the class comes: "Yeah, right."   Larry E. Hughes Parent, Citizen LarryHughes@ourflorida.info (321) 724-4203   No public resources were used in the creation or transmission of this email.   Please distribute to friends or neighbors who are interested in Public Schools. If they would like to subscribe, please send an email to LarryHughes@OurFlorida.info with the word "subscribe" in the Subject line. If you do not wish to receive this information, please reply with the word "unsubscribe" in the Subject line. I apologize for any inconvenience I may have caused you.