Good News About Polk County Public Schools

Dundee Ridge Middle School students are working hard to get ready for the FCAT. They’ve even given up part of their Saturday nights to make it happen.  
 
For more than a month, hundreds of students attended the school’s first ever Saturday “Knights” Academy. Academic Dean Miguel Rivera, Teacher Lubertha DePrimo and Administrative Assistant Teddy Brown worked together to organize and craft a curriculum that would help students do well on the upcoming exams. This included test taking strategies to help increase their reading and math scores.  
 
There was no shortage of teachers willing to help motivate students. Those who showed up were: Myrtle Brown, Wendy Stewman, Kathi Horne, Kathy Gast, Pat Kessler, Jim McNally, Liquindella Clark, Heather Pascoa, Paulette Young, Alexander Evans, Josh Gerstoff, Dawn Wade, Laura Pollard, Shalunda Coleman, Stephany Lewis, Aldena Lampkin and Marisely Melendez. 

On average 140 students showed up each Saturday of the program. Saturday “Knights” Academy started in February until it ended the last weekend in March. Dundee Ridge Middle Principal Stacy Gideons believes students left feeling confident and ready to be successful on test day.