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LWHS School Advisory Council Votes To Unanimously Recommend Donna Dunson Remain As Principal

Carl Fish
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LWHS School Advisory Council Votes To Unanimously Recommend Donna Dunson Remain As Principal

By Carl Fish

Lake Wales, Florida – The Lake Wales High School School Advisory Council (SAC) voted unanimously to recommend Donna Dunson remain Principal of the high school for another year during new superintendent transition. The vote came late Thursday afternoon after interim Lake Wales Charter School superintendent, Alricky Smith, spent hours discussing Dunson’s desire to rescind her resignation.

A firestorm was set off recently when new superintendent to be, Dr. Wayne Rodolfich, advised Lake Wales High School staff he wanted Dunson to remain as principal. Dunson had previously put in her resignation from being LWHS principal after the 2021/2022 school year. The announcement was reportedly received with joy and jubilation by assistant principal Kaleigh McCoy. This however was short lived as superintendent, Smith, did not accept her rescinding her resignation. In an April 7th, email Smith advised Dunson: “ I would love to accept your formal rescinded resignation, but unfortunately due to your resignation being submitted and accepted on August 6, 2021, I asked the HR Director to move forward with the posting of the LWHS Principal position as a vacancy for the 2022-23 school year. Pursuant to LWCS board policy (LWCS BPH2021-002) ” The Superintendent shall direct staff to carry out ongoing recruitment activities within the Human Resources Department which should focus on widely disseminating information about vacancies so as to reach a group of potential applicants broadly reflecting geographic, gender, racial, and ethnic diversity”. With that being said, the posting of the position brought forth 44 applicants for consideration to be vetted for interview by the Superintendent. Upon receiving a the formal request from Mr. Roldolfich, I would be happy to repost the position to ensure that he can consider you in that pool which would allow him to make your re-nomination available to the Board for the 2022-23 school year.


I would also like to reference Board policy I “LWCS BD#2021-0024 section “Contracts with Administrative Staff and Program Administrators” as the annual appointments for all staff positions are being considered. This should shed some light on the opportunities and limitation that are in the purview of the Superintendent.” (copy of email here)

Smith advised he is following the same procedure he has done for other positions. He did advise there was a path forward to Dunson possibly returning as principal. He needs a formal request by Dr. Rodolfich to open up the posting and have Dunson go through the full process of applying. If they agree to move her forward then the Lake Wales Charter School Board would have to vote on her appointment.

Many parents questioned whether Dr Rodolfich would do that now after they felt LWCS Board Chairman Danny Gill may have “bullied” Dr. Rodolfich in a separate April 7th email ( link to article: Did LWCS Board Chairman Overstep His Bounds & Intimidate The New Superintendent). Interim superintendent Smith advised that he could not attest to what Gill wrote. He did acknowledge that it is public knowledge that Dr. Rodolfich only won the superintendent position by a 4-3 margin.

June Ullman, School Advisory Council (SAC), chairperson pointed out issues she see’s in the coming months. The incoming principal will not be brought in until August 1st. The first day of school is August 10th. This wouldn’t leave the new principal anytime to get organized and help with the transition. Interim superintendent felt they had a good plan in place moving forward and appeared not to see it as a concern.

Several parents advised they will be attending the next Lake Wales Charter School Board meeting, Tuesday April 26, at 4pm at the LWHS, to express there opinion to the board.

*** The School Advisory Council (SAC) works with the principal and staff to develop the annual School Improvement Plan (SIP). After analyzing data, (such as school grade, AYP and FCAT scores), goals are determined which will best lead the school to be as successful as possible.

Since the SIP is usually approved in the fall, in the other meetings topics are presented to demonstrate tangible ways that LWHS staff is working towards goals, along with updates on programs, facilities and personnel. The SAC also votes on the expenditure of SAC Allocation Funds, and School Recognition Funds.

The LWHS SAC meets the second Thursday of each month (with the exception of December) at 7:30 am. All are welcome to attend the meetings. The membership is composed of the principal, and an appropriately balanced team of parents, faculty/staff, community members and one student from each grade level.

Victory Ridge Academy Receives Grant from Mountain Lake Community Service, Inc.

Jody
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Victory Ridge Academy Receives Grant from Mountain Lake Community Service, Inc.

____________________________________________

Lake Wales, Florida – On March 23, 2022, Victory Ridge Academy (VRA) was awarded funding from Mountain Lake Community Service (MLCS). All funding received from Mountain Lake Community Service will go towards supporting Victory Ridge’s Transportation Safety Program.

In order to protect our students from the danger of oncoming traffic, Victory Ridge Academy will purchase Safe Fleet’s Predictive Stop Arm Systems for our buses. This advanced technology will alert students in the case that any speeding vehicles are nearby while they are entering and exiting our school buses.

Both staff and students at Victory Ridge Academy would like to thank Mountain Lake Community Service, Inc. for their generous donation and continued support over the years!

The mission of Mountain Lake Community Service (MLCS) is “to help make a difference in the lives of people in the Lake Wales community.” The MLCS Board in turn performs due diligence regarding each grant request received from non-profit organizations before awarding funds. MLCS, through the generous involvement of Mountain Lake members, annually provides grants to over 20 local non-profits to help improve health care, education, literacy, the arts, childcare and more.

Victory Ridge Academy is a Title 1, 501 (c) (3) non-profit public charter school that exclusively serves children and adolescents with special needs. Victory Ridge Academy is based on the belief of the administration, staff and Board of Trustees that early intervention is crucial to helping children and young adults with special needs to cultivate healthy lifestyles and grow into well-adjusted persons. It is the school’s belief that students need a safe, positive and nurturing learning environment to develop communication skills, social skills, academic and technical skills in order to build their self-confidence and become productive members of society.

For more information about Victory Ridge Academy, please visit the Academy’s website at www.victoryridge.org

Emergency Blood Loss Control Clinics

Jody
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Emergency Blood Loss Control Clinics

Vanguard School Career Fair Inspires Students to Forge Their Own Career Paths 

Allison
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Vanguard School Career Fair Inspires Students to Forge Their Own Career Paths 

Vanguard School Career Fair Inspires Students to Forge Their Own Career Paths

by James Coulter

Danielle Williams has been dancing since age 3. She feels her love was placed in her heart by God. She has since taken up the call and pursued a career as a dance instructor.

“I fell in love at a young age,” she said. “It has always been something placed on my heart to do. I feel most relaxed and myself when I dance.”

Williams is the owner of Leap For Joy, a dance studio in Lake Wales that offers dance instruction to elementary school students. Her comprehensive program offers a Christian therapeutic curriculum, incorporating scripture and prayer into her instruction.

She opened her business more than a year ago and set up everything within it herself, from laying tiles to hanging curtains. She even consulted online video tutorials to help her through the process. The result was a dance studio that she created and opened herself.

On Wednesday, she attended the career fair at Vanguard School along with 20 other local businesses. More than simply inspiring children to take up dancing or even pursue a career as a dance instructor, she wanted to inspire students to become entrepreneurs and start their own businesses as she did.

“I think it is an excellent thing that Vanguard is here doing,” Williams said. “I love how they are exposing our youth to different pathways they can take. A college or university may not be the best fit for everyone, so I love how these children are being exposed to trades and entrepreneurs and different businesses.”

Vanguard School hosted its annual career fair on Wednesday. Representatives from more than 20 local businesses, law enforcement and military agencies, and medical professionalsset up booths to share information about their professions to middle and high school students. Participating businesses included Nucor Industrial, Florida Natural, and Ruben’s Five Star Academy.

More than simply introducing their students to potential local career opportunities, the fair also served to introduce them to educational options for vocational and technical training aside from traditional four-year education.

“College is not for everybody and that is okay, but we want you to have a plan and idea of what is out there for you to be a productive member of society and the workforce,” said Amanda Rogers, College and Career Advisor at Vanguard School forseven years. “A lot of our kids, they may not be the traditional college-bound students, but we want to show them there are many options for them out there.”

Vanguard School has hosted its career fair at least once or twice a year; however, the current COVID-19 crisis has placed itssemi-annual event on hold for the last few years. This year, they were able to accommodate their middle and high school students. The fair not only supports its students and their educational endeavors but also helps show support for local businesses.

“I think it is good for kids to get real-world experience and meet local businesses and community members,” she said. “I just want the kids to enjoy it and take something away for them, maybe they will find a progression or career path that will interest them and it will start a conversation with them and their parents. Kids change their minds year to year. I changed my mind three times in college. So just let them see what is out there.”

Keith Slaght of Dyer Chevrolet Lake Wales attended to discuss his car dealership business and the career opportunities it provides. As these children represent the future, he felt it imperative to encourage them to follow whatever career path the future had for them, he said.

“We are here looking to [talk to] some of the younger kids and get them into the trade with the dealership and building the community from there,” he said. “Looking at the future, the future is bright. Kids are where it is going to be. They are great. They are asking a lot of great questions. [We love] just the people and the camaraderie.”

Charlie Robles, Lieutenant/EMT with the Winter Haven Fire Department for 15 years, attended with his fellow fire staff members. As with many departments nationwide, they are focused on reaching out to the community for recruitment. He especially wanted to entice the students with their scholarship opportunities.

“We think it is great,” he said. “Most of this is educating the kids, even if they are not choosing this as their career path, give them credits on the inside and direction and what they are looking for and how they can get there.”

More Than 30 Volunteers Honored at Annual Breakfast at Babson Park Elementary 

Allison
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More Than 30 Volunteers Honored at Annual Breakfast at Babson Park Elementary 

More Than 30 Volunteers Honored at Annual Breakfast at Babson Park Elementary

by James Coulter

From reading to students to chaperoning them on field trips, countless volunteers assist the Babson Park Elementary student body every day, which is why, on one day, they were honored for their efforts at an annual breakfast earlier this week.

On Tuesday morning, volunteers, financial partners, and school advisory council members for Dale R. Fair Babson Park Elementary were treated to a special breakfast to celebrate their hard work over the past year. Nearly 30 people who had volunteered more than 50 hours of their time during the school year attended the breakfast that morning in the Gnat Cafe.

Through their volunteer program, Babson Park Elementary utilizes the hard work and effort of countless volunteers who spend their free time helping the students, from supervising the media center, chaperoning field trips, and assisting with special events like field days and the annual spring celebration.

“Our school, through the years, numerous years, had an amazing volunteer program,” said Denise Moss, Administrative Assistant, who has been overseeing the breakfast for 15 years. “Our parents step up…Whenever we had a need we need a volunteer for, they sign up for, and we use volunteers in the classrooms daily.”

At the breakfast, each volunteer received a certificate, and one volunteer was recognized as the Volunteer of the Year. This year, that title went to Mary Margaret Fisher. She currently serves as the PTO president, having served on numerous PTO committees, and has even served as the chairperson for the annual Supper with Santa event.

“She also volunteers in the classroom with kindergarten and first-grade classrooms,” Moss said. “She chaperones field trips. She is a volunteer who, no matter the need, is always willing to help out. She has a heart for service and the students.”

Moss appreciates the hard work that each of their volunteers contributes during the school year. As such, she loves being able to show her appreciation and that of the school with the volunteers during this breakfast.

“[I love] getting to spend times with our volunteers, getting to talk with them and [our] financial partners,” she said. “Weappreciate everything we do for them.”

Polk’s Nature Discovery Center Hosting Earth Day Event At Circle B Bar Reserve

Allison
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Polk’s Nature Discovery Center Hosting Earth Day Event At Circle B Bar Reserve

Polk County Parks & Rec

This Friday, Polk’s Nature Discovery Center will be hosting a rewarding, educational and fun Earth Day event. Activities include hands-on crafts, informational booths, games, litter pick-up challenge and more! This family-friendly event is open to all ages from 9:30 a.m. until Noon. No registration/ticket required.

For more information about this event and Polk’s Nature Discovery Center visit: https://www.polknature.com/events

CircleB #EarthDay2022 #EarthDay #PolkParks #PolkNature #PolkCountyFL

LWPD Thanks Public For Helping To Identify & Subsequently Aiding In The Arrest Of Skip Scan Suspect

Carl Fish
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LWPD Thanks Public For Helping To Identify & Subsequently Aiding In The Arrest Of Skip Scan Suspect

Lake Wales Police Searching For Two Skip Scan Suspects

On Tuesday April 19, 2022 we at the Police Department dispersed a release asking the public for help identifying two people who stole merchandise from our local Wal-Mart. The community response was immediate, with both subjects being identified within a short time.
Within hours of the post Amber Perdue was under arrest, confessing to the crime and the stolen property had been recovered. The second subject was identified but has not been charged at this time. The members of the Police Department would like to thank those in the community who stepped up and provided information by calling, emailing and utilizing Heartland Crime Stoppers. It brought this case to a quick conclusion. We would also remind you that those committing these seemingly “small crimes” make costs rise for all of us.


If you have any information regarding this incident please contact the Lake Wales Police Department at
863-678-4223.

In Loving Memory Of Michael “Mike” Holt-Reynolds

Carl Fish
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In Loving Memory Of Michael “Mike” Holt-Reynolds

Michael “Mike” Holt-Reynolds went home to the
Lord on March 5, 2022 at the age of 60, in Winter
Haven, Florida. He had a talented eye for photography, a great sense of humor, and a way of telling stories.


Preceded in death by his father Virgil Holt, mother Christine Reynolds-Dolin, bonus father Lawrence “Larry” Reynolds, and grandaughter Olivia Ruthe Myers.


Mike is survived by his wife, Penny of Lake Wales, FL; sisters Sheila (Jim) Daniel of Philadelphia, MS and Traci (John) Kaspar of Las Vegas, NV; daughter Ruthe (Timothy) Myers of Harvest, AL; grandchildren Zachary and Lydia Myers of
Harvest, AL, as well as nieces, nephews, and friends from all over.


A celebration of life will be held at 10 AM on Saturday, April 23rd, at South Lake Wales Church of God, at 210 Presidents Dr, Lake Wales, FL 33859.
In lieu of flowers, the family ask that you give donations to the Alabama Chapter of The TEARS Foundation,

https://thetearsfoundation.org alabama/, and/or South Lake Wales Church of God, https://slwcog.com

FHP Reports 35 Yr Old Lake Wales Man Killed In Motorcycle Crash

Carl Fish
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FHP Reports 35 Yr Old Lake Wales Man Killed In Motorcycle Crash

Highlands County, A 35-year-old Lake Wales man driving a motorcycle was pronounced deceased by Florida Highway Patrol after a fatal crash.

According to the report, the driver was heading East on Panther Parkway, between Avon Park & Sebring, approaching a right curve then it reportedly traveled off the roadway entered the grass median, and overturned.

The driver reportedly was found away from his vehicle resting on the grass median.

He was pronounced deceased on the scene.

FHP says that the crash remains under investigation.

*** Due to Marsy’s Law the FHP does not release names of accident victims

Armed Robbery Suspect Sought After Mondays Hold-Up At Lake Wales Gate Gas Station

Carl Fish
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Armed Robbery Suspect Sought After Mondays Hold-Up At Lake Wales Gate Gas Station

On Monday April 18, 2022 at approximately 9:38 PM a robbery was reported at the Gate gas station located at 24179 Highway 27 North. During the robbery a black male entered the store producing a handgun and demanding money from the employees. After retrieving an undisclosed amount of money the subject fled the store. 

The suspect is described as a black male in his early 20s with a thin build. He was wearing a red hoodie and a grey face mask carrying a multi-color backpack. 

If you have information regarding this case please contact Detective David Arana at 678-4223. If you wish to remain anonymous you can contact Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-TIPS (8477).

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