SEBRING — Watching "Bring It On: In It To Win It" with the Sebring High School cheerleading squad is like a "Where's Waldo" of people they know. "That's me," Michael Dozier exclaimed as he stared at the big-screen version of himself during a viewing party with much of the squad Thursday night. "Man, that's kind of weird." Then the whole squad tumbles onto the mat as the announcer says, "Here comes Sebring." Several clips of the squad performing a routine they choreographed themselves made the final cut of the DVD. ...more

December 22, 2007

Kudos to Vic Anderson, the Highlands County Concert Band and especially to the Sebring High School band students who participated in the special holiday concert at SFCC on Friday, Dec.14. ...more

December 18, 2007

SEBRING — It was a relatively close vote, but the school district's educational support workers approved their employment contract. "It really represents so little money to people who had so little that we are not surprised that there was a substantial 'no' vote," said Michael Bernier, the chief negotiator for the Highlands County Educational Support Personnel Association. Almost 200 people attended Sunday afternoon's update and vote on the contract at the Sebring High School Smith Center. "This is the first time I've ever brought a contract back that almost had 40 percent voting against it," Bernier said. "These things usually pass by 90 percent or more." The contract likely passed because it was just before the holidays and the district promised to provide the retroactive pay increase before the holidays. ...more

December 4, 2007

SEBRING — Appearances aren't everything. Only after they were told, did some judges realize that a trumpeter in the Sebring High School Marching Band was blind. Junior Cody Breen marches and plays in formation so well that many in the audience never know he's been completely blind since birth. A guide shadows Breen on the field and corrects the trumpeter if he takes a wrong turn. "If I'm off a little bit, they'll put me in the right direction," said Breen. "I'm just trying to keep up with everybody else. The fun part is, I like surprises." ...more

November 27, 2007

SEBRING — Beckie Townsend cuts a cardboard letter "N" that will have a noodle attached to it to help students at the Kindergarten Learning Center learn the alphabet. Next, she cuts a "B" that will be accompanied by a bean to also be used for a letter recognition exercise. One day a week Townsend volunteers in her 5-year-old daughter's class and reads stories and sings songs. She also makes copies and prepares materials in the teacher work area. As vice president of the school's parent teacher organization (PTO) and co-chair of the school advisory council (SAC) and volunteer, Townsend is a very involved school parent. But despite various efforts by school administrators to reach out to parents, many don't become actively involved in school events and functions. ...more

November 19, 2007

SEBRING — Off came the drums, tubas and flutes. About three dozen Sebring High School marching band members celebrated while unloading a trailer-load of instruments on Tuesday. The band qualified for the Florida Marching Band Coalition Championships this Saturday at the Lakewood Ranch High School in Bradenton. The Blue Streaks earned a "Superior" ranking, and along with 16 other high school bands in their division, will compete for the state crown. Eligible to qualify at several competitions during the season, the 78-member Spirit of Sebring Marching Band qualified at the last possible moment on Saturday, at the University Classic in Orlando. This is the first time that a Sebring High School band earned statewide honors. Band Director Colorado Paniagua wore a pin on Tuesday that read , "I Love My Band" and talked about the group "making history." In only her second year at Sebring High School, Paniagua said she never expected to rise so high in the ranks, so fast, since it usually takes four years to move up a notch. "Last year was a little difficult," said the band director. "A lot of people didn't buy into me or like changes." ...more

November 14, 2007

The Highlands County School District should be thankful that none of its schools have ended up on a dubious federal list of "drop out factories," schools where no more than 60 percent of the students who start as freshmen make it to their senior year. But that's no cause to celebrate. Even though the dropout rate at Highlands' schools is nowhere as bad as the 150 state schools gracing the list, a greater percentage of students are dropping out of high school in Highlands. ...more

November 5, 2007

SEBRING — The waterfall of cheers and tears cascaded over the Sebring High School gym on Wednesday. Cheers were heard after the final point was won by the No. 3 -seeded Braden River Pirates and the joyous celebration ensued, while the tears of a bitter loss stung into the girls of the second-seeded Sebring volleyball team, after the Blue Streaks were swept (25-21, 25-21, 25-19) in the semifinals of the Class 4A-District 10 volleyball tournament. "We just ran into a team that had nothing to lose," said Blue Streak senior Rachael Ashley. "We started too late and couldn't establish our block. Then our setting and communication weren't there, and it became a domino effect. ...more

October 26, 2007

SEBRING — The Sebring High School girls golf team played well in Tuesday's Class 2A-Region 3 tournament at Sebring Golf Club. But their score of 351 wasn't good enough to qualify for next week's state tournament. Lake Howell, two-time defending state champion, won the nine-team competition with a four-person score of 321, while Olympia placed second and earned a berth at state with a 337. ...more

October 24, 2007

SEBRING –– One step from state. The Sebring High School girls golf team has had an outstanding season. The Blue Streaks posted an impressive 42-7 record and won last week's Class 2A-District 9 golf tournament by 13 shots. But Sebring's goal all season was to qualify for state, and today's nine-team Class 2A-Region 3 tournament at Sebring Golf Club will determine whether the Blue Streaks attain their goal. ...more

October 23, 2007