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Making the grade
By PAULETTE LASH RITCHIE
© St. Petersburg Times, INVERNESS -- At the beginning of this school year, Inverness Primary School principal Teretta Charles challenged her students to soar on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. Students who scored a five or six in math, writing or reading would be treated to lunch with her at the restaurant of their choice at the end of the year. The year before this one, Charles said, there were eight students who scored that well. By the end of this year she had 46 high scorers and 46 lunch companions. On May 22 Charles and her students went to Andre's of Citrus Hills. "It was wonderful," she said. The children received permission to stand up and sing their IPS song right there in the main dining room. "Oh, the people in the restaurant were thrilled," Charles said. All the high-scoring children in the county will receive certificates from the state. Across the county, on May 21, students and teachers at Homosassa Elementary School looked strikingly similar. All were wearing matching blue T-shirts. Everyone was rewarded for hard work this year. "Our PTO wanted to recognize our staff and our student body," said principal Robert Long. "It's been quite a year of achievement. We were very proud of our students." The children's shirts say "Proud to attend Homosassa Elementary School" and the teachers' shirts say, "Proud to teach at Homosassa Elementary School." At Floral City Elementary School high-scoring FCAT students were announced and issued invitations to a pizza lunch in the media center. Crystal River Primary School recognized its high scorers at a catered Academic Achievers assembly for students and parents. At Citrus Springs Elementary School the high scorers were featured on the morning show and will receive certificates at their awards assembly. Pleasant Grove and Rock Crusher Elementary Schools honored their high FCAT scoring students at their fifth grade awards ceremonies. Lecanto Primary is leaving it to the teachers in the individual classrooms to celebrate with their students, and Forest Ridge students received certificates at a school celebration just for them. At Hernando Elementary School, principal Carol Mainor said an assembly was scheduled for the distribution of certificates which had been framed. "The whole school applauded them for their efforts," she said. A group shot of the students was taken to be hung in the school and, like Lecanto, the teachers had the option of classroom celebrations. "We really came together as a school," said Mainor. "All of us are working so hard to make (the FCAT) a school test and not just fourth and fifth grades."
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