Family Activities

National Volunteer Week

By on April 11th, 2016

Meet WingoNational Volunteer Week is being celebrated from April 10-16th this year.

What a great time to reflect and to take action! Martin Luther King, Jr. said it best, “Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve…You don’t have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”

Eleven years ago, our dog died, leaving a big impact on our family. My children were young and the whole family was devastated. Concurrently, I was the Principal of Winter Park High School. I had developed a close friendship with a parent who was a volunteer puppy raiser for Canine Companions for Independence. Continue reading


How I Learned to Play Nice With Others

By on December 29th, 2015

Learning to Play NiceConfessions of a People Lover

I have a confession to make. There are some people I simply do not get along with. There, I said it. Notice I didn’t say I hate these people, but the honest truth is that sometimes I can only handle them in small doses.

I equate it to my love of chocolate. Two Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, awesome! Two pounds of Reese’s in one sitting, not such a smart idea.

While this may sound harsh, I’ve accepted it as my mental reality and that’s not a bad thing. There are just certain people with personalities that I do not feel mesh well with mine.

I have another confession. Continue reading


Meet FLVS Students Ellie & Evie

By on March 4th, 2015

ellie and evieWith FLVS Shakespeare Fest just around the corner on April 13-14, it seems all of FLVS is a stage.

Our Student Spotlight this month features Evie and Ellie McPherson, two aspiring actresses who know the importance of learning their lines while keeping up with their academics.

The girls were bitten by the acting bug at an early age—Evie is a second-grade student and her sister Ellie is in third!

Ellie was cast in Seussical the Musical as Cindy Lou Who and Evie was intrigued after seeing her in rehearsals. It didn’t take long for Evie to get cast as the Young Kangaroo. That was all it took!

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Keep Them Learning All Summer Long (3 of 3)

By on July 22nd, 2014

museumEnrichment Activities for Families

This is part three of a three-part FLVS Virtual Voice blog series about enriching activities that will keep students learning all summer long. Part one shared enriching opportunities that can be found at your local public library. Part two focused on Geocaching. This post (part three) is all about art.

This summer, in between the barbeques and fun in the sun, take a moment to soak in the enriching art and cultural activities of your community.

“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” – Edgar Degas

Continue reading