OCSB- In Action

As we welcome fall and the cooler days of October, I want to take a moment to thank our students, staff, and families for the energy, commitment, and teamwork that continue to make our schools shine. This month brings exciting opportunities to celebrate learning, leadership, and community, whether through fall events, academic milestones, or acts of kindness across our campuses.

October is also a time to recognize our incredible principals during National Principals Month. Their leadership and dedication help create schools where every student can learn, grow, and belong. Please join me in showing appreciation for their tireless efforts.

As we move through this season, let’s continue to support one another and keep our focus on what matters most, helping every student reach their full potential. Thank you for being an essential part of our district family and for all you do to make our schools a place where excellence grows every day.

Sincerely,

Dylan Tedders

Superintendent of Schools

Class of 2026 Seniors! Learn how you can attend Indian River State College tuition-free through the Promise Program.Join one of our virtual Promise 2026 Prep Sessions (offered in English and Spanish) to learn about eligibility, deadlines, and how to apply. Register at irsc.edu/promise

We have complied the dates of our student holidays to make family vacation planning simple.

Monday, October 20th- Report Card Day

Wednesday, November 12th- Progress Reports

Friday, October 21st- Early Release Day

Monday - Wednesday November 24th- 26th- Fall Break

Thursday, November 27th- Thanksgiving

Friday, November 28th- Fall Break

Mrs. Lowe and Mrs. Briney at North Elementary ignited positive culture and energy at North Elementary with the Energy Bus! Research shows that culture and leadership greatly influence a school's learning environment and students' academic success. The Energy Bus team works hand in hand with school staff and leaders to develop a positive culture and inject energy into staff, students, and families. Positive school climate is linked to increased high school graduation rates, increased school performance, reduced school violence, and increased communication between schools and families. The energy bus emphasizes the reminder to staff that every day is an opportunity to impact others in a positive way. The program brings awareness to the power of words, and that what we say has an immediate impact on others, and to always be mindful of bringing positive messaging to students, staff, and school communities.

In 2023 Okeechobee County Schools created career pathways for existing paraprofessionals and support staff. The program expanded its teacher recruitment pipeline to include a grow your

own apprentice teacher program geared toward paraprofessionals with an associates degree or higher. We currently have 11 apprentice teachers in the district with 9 of them on track to graduate this year!

The “Grow Your Own Educator” program is meant to help recruit, develop, educate and retain teachers in the district all while providing career enhancement opportunities for employees. This program began with a small group of long-term district team members who exhibited excellence in their positions and who have worked on continuing their schooling in educational studies. The program requires an associate’s degree or higher and allows participants the opportunity to earn their bachelor’s degree and teaching certificate while earning practical hands-on classroom experience.

Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) plays a vital role in giving children a strong start in learning, building early literacy, social skills, and confidence that set the foundation for future success. This month VPK staff held their first Parent-Teacher Night, which was a great opportunity to connect with teachers, learn about students' progress, and discover ways to support learning at home. VPK students also had an opportunity to have pizza, and do a fun craft in their classroom while parents got a chance to learn more about what is happening in their students classroom and how to best support learning at home. They also had an opportunity to shop the book fair!

Annually the OHS Football Team & Coaches, along with Mayor Dowling Watford and the Methodist Church, do the heavy lifting of unloading and arranging all the pumpkins used to create our community pumpkin patch.

The OMS Debate team attended a tournament with over 91 participants, and came away with some amazing accomplishments. The team is new to OMS and they are proud of their achievements. The teams noteable awards:

• Laurel Ryan- 1st Place in Extemporaneous Debate
• Wyatt Southard- 5th Place in Impromptu Speaking
• Wesley Jean- 9th Place in Improptu Speaking (this was his first tournament)

Great job students, representing OMS with excellence and poise.

Career & Technical Education (CTE) is the fastest growing area of education.

Students in Ms. Lopez's Artificial Intelligence courses were afforded the opportunity to participate in the 2025 Capture the Flag event at Florida Polytechnic University on Tuesday, October 21st. The Okeechobee Freshman Campus students competed in events that involved beginner-level coding and cybersecurity challenges. The event is hosted by the Office of Congressman Scott Franklin and CyberFlorida and is open to middle and high school students in Florida's 18th Congressional District. Students also had the opportunity to hear from industry experts about cybersecurity college and career paths.

At our recent Board Meeting, we had the opportunity to recognize some amazing community and team members!

Students recognized for perfect scores on state assessments were Samuel Garcia, Thatcher Hettema, John Small, Tian Yu Du, Ahsan Adil, Michael Jumper, Ainsley Bostic, Levi Maggard, Katherine Arruebo, Amy Castaneda, Jacob Davis, Kendrick Garner, Orlando Masso Laguardia, Salma Silva, Kaylee Woods, and Jasmin Flores-Verlasquez.

Staff Members who were formerly paraprofessionals and substitute teachers and have worked to advance their careers and become certified educators were recognized. Pictured: Kristina Stas, Alfonso Arana, Laura Dixon, Adam Baker, Ella Bostic, Lindsey Yates and Katlyn Thomas.

If you are an alumni of Okeechobee County Schools and would like to share your story or photos with us email us- careers@okeeschools.org. We would love to connect with you!