Fruit Cove Middle School THE PILOT

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Erica Shepherd
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Mission Statement Fruit Cove Middle School will inspire in all students a passion for lifelong learning, creating educated and caring contributors to the world.

Fun Day May 24th Last day of school School Hours 7:50am-2:00pm Band With the school year winding down, the Fruit Cove Middle School band students have had a lot going on lately.

1 Fruit Cove Middle School THE PILOT Weekly Newsletter The Character Counts! pillar for the month of May is: Citizenship May 7th through 11th Teacher Appreciation Week May 7th All Library Books Due May 4, Racetrack Rd H O M E O F T H E F L Y E R S Mission Statement Fruit Cove Middle School will inspire in all students a passion for lifelong learning, creating educated and caring contributors to the world. Band and Chorus May 8th Chorus / Art Show 6:30pm May 8th and 9th Algebra and Geometry May 10th and 11th Civics May 12th Band / Chorus trip to Orlando May 15th Jazz Concert 6:30pm May 23rd 8th Grade Fun Day May 24th Last day of school School Hours 7:50am-2:00pm Band With the school year winding down, the Fruit Cove Middle School band students have had a lot going on lately. This past Tuesday and Thursday, the Wind Ensembles played their spring concerts. The students performed beautifully and they showed that they have been working hard all year. Band and chorus students will be teaming up to perform at Universal Studios in Orlando on May 12th. The band calendar finishes up on May 15th with the jazz concert at 6:30pm in the FCMS auditorium. This is your last chance for the year to hear our amazing jazz students perform. They are truly brilliant and the band director, Mr. Isabelle, has done a great job preparing the students. Chorus Next Tuesday, May 8th, the chorus students will have their spring concert at 6:30pm. This will be a great event since it pairs a wonderful musical performance with a student art show. Wednesday 1:00pm

Getting to Know Our Youth Resource Deputy Here at Fruit Cove Middle School, we are lucky to be the home school for two very special members of the St. Johns County Sheriff s Office.

2 Getting to Know Our Youth Resource Deputy Here at Fruit Cove Middle School, we are lucky to be the home school for two very special members of the St. Johns County Sheriff s Office. Officer Doug Kowieski and his K-9 partner, Patriot, have been a part of St. Johns County schools for several years. Officer Koweiski and Patriot fit right in at Fruit Cove Middle. Along with keeping us safe, they also help to educate our students. Officer Kowieski was kind enough to answer some interview questions from The Pilot so we could get to know him and Patriot a little better. Pilot: Do you have any kids? Officer Kowieski: Yes, I have 3 children: Noah is 19. He is in the Army Reserve and currently in school for training as an intelligence analyst. Joshua is 16 and attends Nease H.S. Sarah is 14 and also attends Nease. Pilot: Do you have any family pets besides Patriot? OK: Yes, I practically have a pet store in my house. I have my retired K-9, Liberty, who is 12 years old and is a black Labrador retriever; I also have Scout, who is 18 months old and is Patriot s daughter. She is a chocolate lab. Then there are the family cats: Oreo, Pandora, Pepper, and Sophie. Pilot: Why did you decide to become a police officer? OK: I actually started off in law enforcement in the military because I thought it would be an exciting job that did not have me locked behind a desk. After deciding to leave the military, I used my experience to pursue a career in civilian law enforcement. Pilot: What is your favorite thing about your job? OK: I really love working with my K-9, but the caveat is that I also get to work with youth. Pilot: What is your favorite thing about Fruit Cove Middle School? OK: The staff and students are wonderful. It s a great atmosphere to work in everyday. Even though I am not technically part of the staff because I am employed by the sheriff s office, everyone makes me feel as if I am part of the Fruit Cove Middle School family.

3 Getting to Know Our YRD (continued) Pilot: What kind of training does it take to be a K-9 police officer? OK: Being a K-9 officer requires commitment because of the training and effort that goes into being a K-9 team. K-9 handlers have a huge responsibility for taking care of their K-9 partner because the K-9 is technically the property of the agency. K-9 handlers see their K-9 as their partner and there is a bond that is created between handler and K-9 that only other K-9 handlers can truly understand. We spend more time with our K-9 partners then we do our own family because in most cases K-9 handlers take their K-9s home with them. Pilot: How do you see your role and Patriot s role in the schools? OK: There are three roles that encompass being a YRD: law enforcement officer, mentor, and counselor. As a K-9 handler, Patriot and I visit schools for either deterrence or location of drugs on school campuses, as well as allowing the students and community to meet and understand police K-9s through demonstrations and visitations. The most frequent assumption I get is that I have a German shepherd as a K-9 partner because of the general perception that police dogs are German shepherds. When we arrive for demonstrations, people are surprised to see that Patriot is a Labrador retriever. This gives me an opportunity to educate the public about the variety of breeds that are used and the purpose for using different breeds. Pilot: Does Patriot know when he is working? (vs. playing) OK: Well, for Patriot, working is playing. One of the key traits that we look for in a potential K-9 candidate is what is referred to as play drive. While we consider our job as working, we harness the K-9 s intensity of play drive as a way to use their natural abilities to help us accomplish our mission. Even when at home he does not have an off button or a mindset of being home means it s time to relax. Patriot would play all the time, if he could. News from the Clinic If your child has medication or supplies in the clinic, please pick them up by Friday, May 25th at 12:00pm (per St. Johns County policy all medications not picked up must be discarded.) If you have any questions please contact Ms. Tranquellino in the clinic at Have a safe and healthy summer!

Notes on Safety As we approach the end of the school year, please keep in mind the following safety items concerning student arrival and dismissal: If your child must cross Racetrack Road to get home

4 Notes on Safety As we approach the end of the school year, please keep in mind the following safety items concerning student arrival and dismissal: If your child must cross Racetrack Road to get home in the afternoon, please remind him/her to only cross at cross walks, preferably where a crossing guard is present. The gate behind FCMS, off Durbin Creek Crossing, will be locked at 8:00am each morning and will be open at 2:00pm each afternoon. Students who enter school grounds through this gate will need to walk by the bike rack to enter the school building though the cafeteria in the morning. Please do not have your child cross the parent pickup or drop off line. Students entering and leaving the bike rack area should cross Plantation Park road at the crosswalk where the crossing guard is present. Drive slowly. Obey stop signs in and around the parking lot. Thank you for helping keep our Fruit Cove Flyers safe. 8th Grade News During school on May 23rd, we will have our 8th grade fun day. This will be one last celebration for the 8th graders before they move on from Fruit Cove Middle School. Along with receiving their yearbooks, there will be fun activities, food, and an awards ceremony. The 8th graders will have an opportunity to take home some great prizes during the auction. Remind your 8th grader to bring in the Flyer Bucks that they have been collecting for a chance to win.

5 Florida State Assessments We need volunteers to help proctor the and exams. Please click on the button below to view the online sign up sheet. If you are not an approved volunteer, please contact the front desk for more information at (904) We have several days of testing in the spring, and any help we can get is very much appreciated. I want to help! Sign me up! State Testing Schedule Writing FCMS Spring State Testing Schedule by Grade Level / Test Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 March 6th Writing March 6th Writing March 1st & 2nd Reading Math April 16th & 17th May 3rd & 4th Reading Math Algebra Civics April 19th & 20th April 30th & May 1st May 8th & 9th May 10th or 11th Reading Math State Science Assessment Algebra Geometry April 23rd & 24th April 26th & 27th May 2nd May 8th & 9th May 8th & 9th

News from Creekside High School 2018-2019 Knights Dance Team Tryouts Are Here! Would you like to join the exciting Creekside Knights Dance Team?

Eligible female students are incoming freshmen and current 9 th -11 th grade students at Creekside High School.

6 News from Creekside High School Knights Dance Team Tryouts Are Here! Would you like to join the exciting Creekside Knights Dance Team? We are looking for energetic dancers who are dedicated to committing, practicing, and achieving in a team atmosphere. Eligible female students are incoming freshmen and current 9 th -11 th grade students at Creekside High School. CKDT performs at all home Varsity football games, select home Varsity basketball games, and various other events, summer through spring. Preferred dance skills include jazz and hip hop techniques. Wednesday, April 25 th, 5:30P 6:15P Mandatory Parent & Student Meeting, CHS Library Wednesday, May 9 th, 3:00P 5:30P Mandatory Clinic CHS Cafeteria Thursday, May 10 th Optional Help Session Details TBA Friday, May 11 th, 4:00P 6:15P Tryouts CHS Auditorium Dance Team tryout packets are available on the Creekside athletics website. For more information, Contact: Coach Kellie Landen kellie.landen@stjohns.k12.fl.us

Running of the Knights! Running of the Knights is a 5K run/walk at Creekside coming up on May 11th. Proceeds from the race will go to support both Creekside and Fruit Cove.

Awards 1-Mile Fun Run Top three finishers male Top three finishers female 5K & Centipede Race Top male and female awards Course record breaker male & female Age group awards male & female

7 Running of the Knights! Running of the Knights is a 5K run/walk at Creekside coming up on May 11th. Proceeds from the race will go to support both Creekside and Fruit Cove. For each registered Fruit Cove Middle School runner, $10 will go to supporting the running program here at FCMS. Fruit Cove family members count too! Awards 1-Mile Fun Run Top three finishers male Top three finishers female 5K & Centipede Race Top male and female awards Course record breaker male & female Age group awards male & female Centipede Team Awards Entry Fees 5K & Centipede: $30 Jan 1st - Apr 27 & $35 between Apr 28 - May 11 1-Mile Fun Run: $15 Custom T-Shirts for all pre-registered participants. For more information and to register go to:

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