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Lincoln, Westbrook ES Student: Welcome to Mondays. This is Maria. Here is our superintendent, Dr. Maria Vazquez.

Announcer: Presented by Addition Financial Credit Union. Here's OCPS Superintendent, Dr. Maria Vazquez.

Dr. Vazquez: Hi everyone. That was Lincoln from Westbrook Elementary School. Thank you for that wonderful introduction. Obviously, Lincoln is one of our safety patrol students. One of the many things we love about our schools. And today we are doing our second part of why we love our schools, and with me is the Deputy Superintendent. Mr. Martinez. Welcome.

Jose Martinez, Deputy Superintendent: Well, thank you for having me again. This is such a great opportunity for us. You know, there's so much information here that our students are going to be sharing that we can't get to it all. But we're definitely going to be highlighting a lot here today.

Dr. Vazquez: Yeah, well, we certainly can't get to all of them, but I do think we're going to get some wonderful insights. Last year, I participated in student town halls. We also did a series on middle schools where we got to hear from our parents. We got to hear from students and teachers about the great offerings in our middle school programs. If you did not get a chance to see those episodes, they are still on our YouTube channel, and you can just search under Mondays with Maria. So, let's get started because we've got a number of videos that we want to share with you today. Our first one is a student from Lake Como. It's one of our K-8 schools. Take a look.

Lake Como K-8 Student: “Well, I love how we have activities to do before and after school, and how we also get to celebrate when we like, make like goals. Like, we get good grades on our report card too, and seeing my friends and having fun here.”

Dr. Vazquez: Oh my gosh, that was so much right?

Jose Martinez: That was amazing. Just hearing about the celebrations and the recognitions that are occurring at Lake Cuomo. Absolutely fantastic.

Dr. Vazquez: Yeah, and I remember with my own children how special and proud as a parent I felt when they had those award ceremonies. I also thought it was very interesting that they mentioned before-school and after-school activities. So that was, that was fascinating.

Jose Martinez: It was just hearing about the different extracurricular activities and the opportunities that our students are exposed to. Phenomenal.

Dr. Vazquez: Yeah. Yeah. That was a great start. So next we're going to hear from two students at Conway Elementary. Let's watch.

Conway ES Students: “My favorite thing about Conway Elementary is that the teachers are so kind and helpful, and they make sure everybody has a good day. Me, what I like about Conway Elementary is that we can be friends together no matter what. Even without judging in the school.”

Dr. Vazquez: Oh my gosh, the line about no judging, right? Really speaks to the culture in our schools, the work our teachers and our staff are doing to create that positive culture. I love it.

Jose Martinez: That's, that's huge. You know, when you talk about just teacher and staff impact and the importance of building relationships, you know, with our students and creating that school culture is absolutely amazing and indicative of what we have going on in our schools. Loved it.

Dr. Vazquez: Yeah. I did too. It was wonderful. Next, we are going to hear from a student at Chain of Lakes Middle School.

Chain of Lakes MS Student: “Hi, my name is Madigan, and I go to Chain of Lakes Middle School. And what I love about this school is all the amazing teachers, the fun classes, and my friends. I also love all the extracurricular activities like the arts program, which includes theater, band, orchestra, and chorus. I also love the sports program, which has volleyball, basketball, soccer, and track, and loads more. I can even earn college credit in high school.”

Dr. Vazquez: Wow. There was so much in that video. She talked about all of the courses and sports. You can tell that she is truly connected to her middle school.

Jose Martinez: Absolutely. You know, she highlighted that middle school experience, but what I also loved was how she started talking about the transition to high school and what high school experience looks like as well. And you really get to see that culmination taking place from the courses, but then also those extracurricular activities and performing arts, AP and IB, and ACE, and those dual enrollment experiences. Absolutely amazing.

Dr. Vazquez: Yeah, and we heard a lot about that last week from our students at Colonial. So you can, it's like you said, you can see that transition building as you're getting ready to move into high school. All right, next we are going to hear from a student who attends Palm Lake Elementary School. Take a look.

Palm Lake ES Student: “Hi, my name is Esme. I go to Palm Lake Elementary School, and a couple of things that I like about my school are that the teachers are super kind and encouraging, and they just have so many things to do during or after school, like orchestra or pottery. And that's what I like about my school.”

Dr. Vazquez: Oh my gosh, pottery. That pottery, that was incredible, right? Oh, I just, that theme from our students about the courses, the extracurricular activities, and then the connections with staff. I think that's just coming through and through in the videos.

Jose Martinez: It is, and it just talks about the culture that we have. You know, she highlighted in this video here, just kindness, right? The relationship piece. And that just goes such a long way, especially when you take a look at the opportunities before school and also after school.

Dr. Vazquez: Yeah. Really, really neat. And she also credited teachers because of all the work that they do, and still, they make time for these activities before and after school. Yeah. So I think we have time for one more video. So, let's hear from another student from Lake Como K-8.

Lake Como K-8 Student: “What I like best about Lake Como is the staff, the classes I get to take, and like making friends and getting to be here. My favorite classes are science, history, ELA, and PE. I also like doing the yearbook on Tuesdays in the morning. Yearbook is like you get to like, make the yearbook, take pictures, put it all into the yearbook, and then ship them and then pass them out on the last day of school or the last two weeks of school.”

Dr. Vazquez: Yearbook?

Jose Martinez: Yearbook.

Dr. Vazquez: Wow! Oh my gosh. And think about all the things that they're learning through that, that class or that club. The writing skills, the editing skills. I just think it, it's amazing that we're able to offer all of these opportunities to our students in our schools.

Jose Martinez: That's right. You know, even the exposure, just the photo journalism as well, but then also the highlights to ELA, math, and PE. Yeah.

Dr. Vazquez: I think he liked all of his classes.

Jose Martinez: It was a great, great, great day for him, that's for sure.

Dr. Vazquez: Yeah. It was wonderful to hear from our students. Thanks so much for being here. Thank you. And it's fun to be back at Colonial. I wanted to give a special shout-out to Principal Russo for hosting us for these two shows. And that's a wrap for our two-part series. If you'd like to hear more of our conversation, just go to wherever you get your podcast and search for Mondays with Maria. Have a great week. Did you know saving for college just got easier? Florida Prepaids Open enrollment is happening right now, giving families the chance to lock in future college costs. At today's prices and with new enhancements, planning for your child's education has never been more accessible or affordable. You'll find a redesigned website that helps you build a personalized plan in minutes, flexible options that let you pay one year at a time, and low monthly payments starting at just $29. The sooner you start, the more you save. Secure your child's future with a Florida Prepaid 529 plan. Visit my Florida prepaid.com

Announcer: For an extended conversation on today's topic. Listen to the Mondays with Maria podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts. Mondays with Maria is presented by Addition Financial Credit Union. Count us in for every step of your financial journey. Learn more at Additionfi.com. For more OCPs news and information, visit TheSlice.ocps.net. I'm your announcer, Emily Hannon, a student at Audubon Park School. Thanks for watching, and have a great week.