FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT
W
elcome to the March edition of
Volusia Parent Magazine. It’s
remarkable that we are already into
the third month of 2019. I am so pleased with
what I have seen from our school district. There
is still a long way to go in this school year, and I
am excited to see the learning that will take
place.
January brought a lot of excitement. First,
congratulations to Ian Jackson for being
named the 2020 Volusia County Schools’
Teacher of the Year. Jackson is an AVID teacher
at Taylor Middle-High School. We are so proud
and can’t wait to see him represent our school
district this upcoming year. Next, we had the
52nd Tomoka Regional Science and
Engineering Fair. We have some talented
students in Volusia County Schools, and it is no
more evident than at the science fair. These
students put forth a lot of hard work into their
projects.
February was Black History Month. All
month long, our schools spent time focusing
on the wonderful and groundbreaking
contributions of African Americans in our
country’s history. As the month went on, we
were reminded of the impact these individuals
made on this great nation.
February is also often referred to as Heart Health Month. It’s a time when our school district focuses on
making health-conscious decisions. We encouraged all our staff, students, parents, and community members
to focus on healthy living. February is a time we make a concerted effort to focus on health and make wise
decisions with meal choices and extracurricular activities.
February, unfortunately, also marked the one-year anniversary of the tragedy that occurred at Marjory
Stoneman Douglas High School. Our hearts continue to go out to all those families who lost a loved one and
the families that have been affected by this senseless act. It is something we hope to never see happen on our
school campuses, and our focus is to ensure all students are arriving home safely each day. I am thankful for
the security measures that are being implemented on each campus, and how students and staff are
collectively working to make sure the campuses are a safe place for learning.
In March we celebrate Read Across America, Music in Our Schools Month, Social Work Month and Youth
Art Month. Our students and teachers are very busy learning and having fun.
We would love for Volusia Parent Magazine readers to also check out our district Facebook and Twitter
pages where we have started highlighting our teachers, students and alumni in video segments. You can find
us at @Volusiacountyschools on Facebook and @volusiaschools on Twitter.
Thank you and enjoy this edition of Volusia Parent Magazine.
Thank you,
James T. Russell, Superintendent
VOLUSIA
parent
MAGAZINE
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