Visited Shelters on Sunday

#WeAreCitrus

Today I visited the Central Ridge Elementary, Forest Ridge Elementary, Lecanto Primary and Lecanto High storm shelters. I am just so proud of our many school district staff and administrators that are just doing an awesome job coordinating, cleaning, feeding and working to make things as pleasant as can be at these school shelters. The Florida National Guard and our local Sheriff’s Department have been exemplary and are a very warm presents and comfort at the shelters.  We are grateful to Gov. Rick Scott and Sheriff Mike Prendergast for ensuring that our community, evacuees and staff are safe.

We need to give a special thanks to the many individuals, churches, organizations and businesses that are bringing supplies and comfort to the evacuees at the shelters. I wanted to share just one example of the of positive things happening by our community.  When I was at Forest Ridge, the staff shared that they were down to their last pot of coffee.  During these long days and nights coffee can be important.  I posted on Facebook the need.  The community immediately responded and coffee began coming to the shelter.  Then through the effects of one of our Hernando Elementary teachers, Stacie Elliott-Lewis, reached our and contacted The Cattle Dog Roasters owner James Cook, and shortly afterwards large amounts of ground coffee was dropped off at the shelter. This is the type of remarkable community we live in.  I wanted to name just a few of the many groups, individuals and their families that have been helping today get supplies to our shelters; Ashley Gibson, Amanda Schaak, Tanya Sacris, Sandy Vetter Mo, Stacie Elliott-Lewis, Cattle Dog Roasters & owner James Cook, Seven Rivers Church, and many many others.

This is only the beginning.  Tomorrow begins another day and a new day, and our community will need help and helping of each other.  As I walked the campus today I had several people stop and talk to me about their great concern about after the storm, as many of the evacuees live in dwellings that they don’t know what will be of them when the storm has passed.  They are concerned who will help them? When help will start and when will FEMA personal be in our community to assist them?

Before leaving one of the shelters today, one of the administrator and I took a moment to pause and prayed for the needs of our evacuees, our community and our staff, guardsmen, and first responders. I encourage you to please lift our community up in your prayers.

I feel blessed and grateful that my family and I live in Citrus County, and our community will recover and we will persevere.
#WeAreCitrus

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Citrus ESE Parent Advisory Group

Helping students have ‘grit’

Last week ESE parents, grandparents and educators gathered for the first school year’s quarterly Citrus Schools ESE Parent Advisory Group.

Stephanie Crosier, Parent Services Specialist for FDLRS, stefanie.crosier@marion.k12.fl.us

This group brings together stakeholders of ESE students to help support one another. Resources are shared, guest speakers present and parents have opportunities to share with one another and the district.

This meeting’s guest speaker was Florida Diagnostic and Learning Resources System (FDLRS), Parent Services Specialist, Stefanie Crosier.  Ms. Crosier gave a personal and passionate presentation on the importance of “Grit”, and how developing grit is critical to student’s success.  During the presentation, she shared a wonderful TED TALKS video on Grit by Dr. Angela Lee Duckworth. Follow this link to Dr. Duckworth video: https://youtu.be/H14bBuluwB8

Ms. Crosier shared the wealth of resources that FDLRS offers free to students, families and educators.

During the meeting, I had an opportunity to share about my personal connection to ESE.  These ESE students and families are always very special to me and I am grateful for the work our educators and the community does to make our kids more successful.

The next quarterly Citrus Schools ESE Parent Advisory Group meeting is scheduled for Oct. 17, 2017 from 4:30pm to 6:00pm.

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No Lice Issues Reported

There have been some unofficial reports recently of a lice issue at Forest Ridge Elementary.  FRE at this time has not received any reports of lice. The Citrus School District nor FRE has issued any statement regarding any problems or concerns of lice at FRE.

If you have any concerns for your student please do not hesitate to contact your students’ school’s health clinic.

Thank you,
Thomas Kennedy

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