WORDS: Bre Jones Mulock
PICTURES: Wendy Dewhurst
With hearts fluttering to a drumbeat of exciting new beginnings and every item they owned, including a dog and a cat, jam-packed in their car, Cheri Coryea and her husband motored from Huntsville, Alabama, to Bradenton in 1989 and soared over the Sunshine Skyway for the very first time. Golden sunrays illuminated their welcoming path and sparkled like diamonds in the water. Coryea …
The new school year will bring many challenges for children as they get used to more difficult work in all their classes. Few subjects build on concepts and skills learned in years prior as much as math does. Many children simply aren’t ready to pick up where they left off. We are here to help!
The start of a new school year comes with an adjustment period as students bid …
Words: Cynthia Saunders (Manatee Schools Superintendent)
The 2018-2019 school year in Manatee County was one of transition, challenges, and hard work at all levels of the school district. Thanks to our talented students, dedicated teachers, and devoted support employees, I believe the school year added to what has now become an established record of success.
The school year started with a change in leadership. Dr. Diana Greene, who served as …
WORDS & PICTURES: Jessica Schubick
When families have questions or concerns about their child’s development or behavior, they may not know where to turn for guidance. The Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County’s Inclusion Services department connects families with local resources to provide screenings and to help insure the child is in the least restrictive, and most appropriate, learning environment.
The best way to help a child achieve developmental milestones …
WORDS: Jessica Anderson
With summer upon us, Manatee County Schools Food and Nutrition Services is again preparing to feed students across the county. For the last 12 years, the Summer BreakSpot program has been helping provide nourishment to local children during the long summer months.
This program provides free meals for kids at multiple locations starting on June 3rd. Last year, over 205,000 meals were served at 59 …
WORDS: Kara Chalmers
PICTURES: Whitney Patton
Château 13 Restaurant & Wine Bar, a hip, new European-style restaurant and wine bar in Bradenton, is owner Jenn Sayko’s baby, her second home, her long-held dream come true. She’s thrilled with the opportunity to share her love of Italian, Spanish, French, and Belgian food, wine, and beer with her customers. The restaurant means the world to her.
Also, it means a lot to …
WORDS: Merab-Michal Favorite
Imagine if being sent to the corner, or to time out, was less of a punishment and more of a therapeutic experience that included items meant to calm the senses and regulate emotions.
“When children start crying uncontrollably because they don’t get their way, the most primitive part of their brain is taking over and preventing them from making rational decisions,” said Marina Bunch, Clinical Director of …
WORDS: Bre Jones Mulock
PICTURES: Whitney Patton
Bold hues of orange, blue, red, and yellow sweep through McKenzie Ware’s coveted sketchbook, filling hundreds of worn pages with original and creative characters like Oliver who happens to be part crocodile and part cow.
To be exact, McKenzie, an 11-year-old fifth-grader at Palmetto Elementary School, has designed 217 Anime-inspired characters that pop off the pages and compete to share their wildly funny …
WORDS: ALISON BERGMANN, M.S., C.P.P. – PROJECT DIRECTOR OF DRUG FREE MANATEE
As parents, we talk to our kids about health and safety a lot. We tell them to buckle up in the car, to look both ways before crossing the street, and to brush their teeth after meals; it seems like it is never ending. But, what if you could drastically reduce the likelihood that your child would …
WORDS: Amy Bell
PICTURES: Whitney Patton
The Women’s Resource Center (WRC) has been providing counseling, training, and guidance to women across the Suncoast for nearly 40 years. Today, WRC serves thousands of women and families in Manatee and Sarasota counties. The organization offers strategies and resources to encourage self-confidence, determination, and a sense of place. It all comes together to solve immediate needs and provide hope for the future.
A …
WORDS: Amy Bell
Across the Tampa Bay area, hundreds of thousands of people are considered “food insecure.” This means they do not have consistent, easy access to safe, nutritionally adequate food. While you may assume food insecurity is something that impacts only homeless people, this is not the case. Many working adults, children, and elderly people also lack access to nutritious food.
Fortunately, Feeding Tampa Bay, part of the national …
WORDS & PICTURES: Jessica Schubick
Dr. Sharon Otis has devoted her life to working with children and families, with a career that spans over 50 years. More than 35 of those years were spent serving the local community in Manatee County. As she approaches a well-deserved retirement, Dr. Otis has much to reflect upon – as well as much to look forward to in the future!
Dr. Otis began her …
With summer right around the corner, students are getting ready to ditch books and tests for beaches and travel. Most students, following a standard nine-month school calendar, get to enjoy this break from school.
Studies have shown that one unintended consequence of these long summer vacations can be loss of academic knowledge and skills – a summer learning “slide.” According to the National Education Commission on Time and Learning (NECTL), …
WORDS & PICTURES: Jessica Schubick
The Manatee County School District is growing! Jane Dreger is helping the District keep up with the demand for new spaces and new schools. Dreger is the Director of Construction Services for the Manatee County School District (MCSD). Currently, she oversees the construction of three new public schools in the District – a feat that hasn’t been accomplished in Manatee County since 2007.
The projects …
I appreciate handmade presents for Mother’s Day – and I especially love the expression on my kids’ faces as I open their gifts!
It is also nice to look back at their artwork from over the years to see how their handwriting has changed, how they have grown in their photo gifts, as well as the creative ideas that their teachers have come up with.
Being on the receiving end …
