Heritage High School

Ashley will be attending Heritage High School in Palm Bay next year in one of Florida's Choice programs. Heritage is fairly new, having its first senior class this coming year. Ashley was accepted to Heritage's dual programs - Cambridge AICE and Sports Medicine. No small accomplishment. Her equivalent 5/5 FCAT testing and her 4.0 GPA earned her the privilege. The coming year will be exciting for her and I am sure we will have many posts on this blog regarding Heritage. For now, let me share a bit about Heritage.

These are pictures of this $80 million school that is at least partially funded by the Florida Lottery program and which is built on a 65-acre campus and comprised of 10 buildings. In the Cambridge AICE Program Ashley will be part of a "cohort," a partnership of the students and teachers knitted tightly together  for the core classes in an academy setting with courses that will ultimately apply as college credits.  Many of her teachers will have their Masters' Degrees. Part of her graduation requirements are 75 hours of volunteer service and this also applies to her earning the Bright Futures Scholarship funded by the Lottery.  Since Ashley is considering being a doctor, the school will work with her to find some volunteer work in the medical field if possible.  Nice.  She will also be touring medical schools in Florida on special Sports Medicine field trips.  And she will be certified as a National First Responder if she chooses to do this.   

The school colors are Blue/Black/White with the mascot being a Panther.  This school adjoins Three Forks Marsh and she is likely to find deer, boar, coyote, alligator and possibly a real panther crossing its grounds from time to time!  Patrick and I live on the other side of the school and we have been told many times that we will on occasion find wild animals crossing our neighborhood too. 

It is all very exciting.  Be sure to watch the video at the top.  It is 9 minutes, but shows a lot about the school when it was being built and planned for its first year.

Go, Ashley, Go!

Parkside West home is nearly ready!

We will soon have a new address - Neveah Avenue.  Neveah is one of the variations of spelling Heaven backwards.  Nice.  We think Skipper already recognizes that he will live here and he certainly knows the route out Malabar Road in Palm Bay.  As you can see, our home has come a long ways since the trusses were going up...and even more since this picture was taken.

The house has been painted inside and the tile is laid down.  Granite goes in next week.  All the cabinets are in.

I have seen a fish in the pond out back. About 8 inches or so and spotted.  Don't know what it is but there are lots of fish from what the neighbors tell us.  We have already met several neighbors and aren't even living there yet.  This is so exciting.  More to come from Parkside West. 

Florida's Schools of Choice

Florida's school system is broad based. In NC we went from grade school to middle school to high school with no expectation of going another path. In Florida there are multiple education paths. Parents and students select the schools they are interested in (if they want a school other than the ones in their district).

Ashley originally was going to Central Middle, but the area was redistricted and suddenly she and many others found themselves scheduled for different schools, in her case she was assigned to Stone Middle. Then the choices began within Stone. She was placed in the Honors program, but found it to be less challenging and less orderly than schools in NC. So, she applied for the Choice Program of science, math, and technology at Stone Middle for her second semester, and she was accepted. More challenges, some new faces, some old faces.

The real "fun" begins right now as Ashley is exploring her high school Choice programs. She has the option of Palm Bay HS's Choice program which centers on technology, science and math. This is the next step if she stays in the educational path of Stone to Palm Bay.

And West Shore HS, one of the nation's 50 top high schools...this would be the toughest to get into simply because they have limited openings in Freshman HS which are accessed through the 1) credentialing application and 2) lottery program. She has applied; her credentials are great. There will need to be available openings and then her name must be picked in the lottery portion.

She will also apply elsewhere and we are all looking at the various Choice HS offerings this week...at several schools. This will be interesting. Right now it seems overwhelming a bit, but as we learn more, clarity sparkles!

She will do well in whichever program she selects. Ashley is a disciplined student and very bright. We asked her how she felt about having to, yet again, meet and make new school friends. She is up to the task and the myriad of possibilities. You go, girl!