With Julie Poucher named Highlands County Teacher of the Year and Doreen Pearlman named the county School-Related Employee of the Year, Park Elementary was represented in the top two honors at the School Board of Highlands County's annual Summit Awards. ...more

April 14, 2009

The number of Florida's kindergarteners showing early literacy skills reached its highest point to date and Highlands County scores improved on all three screening tests administered to kindergarteners. ...more

December 28, 2008

Since the first Highlands County teacher earned her National Board certification in 2001, a steady increase of educators has joined the prestigious ranks, which with 11 newly certified teachers this year now totals 57. ...more

December 10, 2008

Designer clothes for kids and extra baggy pants were not the fashion a number of years ago when Jayma Hitt was a student at Woodlawn Elementary School. ...more

September 24, 2008

There will be plenty of teachers, several books, all the students... well, still no dirty looks, as they will all have to dress up at Park Elementary School this year. ...more

August 15, 2008

Avon Elementary and Park Elementary will likely go without a Drug Abuse Resistance Education program this school year after the Avon Park Police Department decided to put its only D.A.R.E. officer on road patrol, Police Chief Matt Doughney said Monday evening. ...more

August 14, 2008

AVON PARK — There's dress for success and dress to impress, but next year at Park Elementary, it will be dress to behave your best, as the school introduces a standardized dress code. Park Elementary Principal Brenda Longshore said Tuesday, "we are just hoping that it will help us create a better learning environment and that we will be able to reduce the discipline referrals and that it will create a positive school culture." Last summer, several parents suggested a standardized dress code for students. During a visit to a Polk County school this year, Park Elementary staff members inquired about the countywide dress code and were very impressed with it, Longshore said. ...more

May 20, 2008

Schools are custodians of our children, so any precaution they take to keep our kids safe is a welcome gesture. Take for example new dismissal procedures at Park Elementary School. Starting next year, parents or guardians who pick up the school's students are required to have a card in the dashboard that has the names of the children they will be picking up. ...more

December 27, 2007

AVON PARK — The new year will bring a new safety procedure for dismissal time at Park Elementary School. Beginning in January, each vehicle will be required to have a card in the dashboard imprinted with the names of the children who will be picked up in that vehicle. "We just want to make sure that the children are as safe as we can possibly have them be," said Park Elementary Principal Brenda Longshore. Usually by this time of the year many schools take the approach that they know the parents by now, "but, we just wanted to implement it and give it a try and see if we just can't up our safety just a little bit." Paraprofessionals who work during dismissal suggested the dashboard cards, which could also speed up the dismissal process, she said. ...more

December 24, 2007