Creativity

Inspirational Quotes to Share with Students

By on August 17th, 2017

School counselors are in the unique position to support students with issues related to both school and home life. They are trained to provide counseling and guidance to students of all ages.

This guidance may take the form of one-on-one sessions or phone calls with online students, presentations to high school classes about college applications, family support and information nights, or small group peer-relation work. Continue reading


Be Careful With Your Words

By on April 27th, 2017

This poem was written by Mary-Kelly, a student in the FLVS Creative Writing Club.

Words have power

Creative Writing Club students have been scribbling away all month for National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo).

With a goal of writing 30 poems in 30 days, the club aims to get students’ creative juices flowing through frequent writing exercises. As club sponsor Mrs. Emery says, “Some prompts will speak to you, and some will not. Some poems will be keepers, but most will not.”

In the spirit of sharing and a love of poetry, students have been responding to writing prompts and supporting each other’s work. Continue reading


Meet Cristi, Founder of Tallahassee Teen Magazine

By on March 13th, 2017

Christi McKeeFLVS student Cristi McKee has been a member of the Creative Writing Club since 2012 and is the Editor-in-Chief and founder of Tallahassee Teen Magazine.

In a recent interview with club students, she answered questions about her experiences as an intern with Tallahassee Woman Magazine.

What motivated you to found Tallahassee Teen Magazine?

I always wanted to inspire teens through writing, but I never could figure out how – until December 2015.

I took my love for writing and approached a local magazine and their publisher, Tallahassee Woman Magazine and Kim Rosier, and told them that I was interested in starting a magazine for teenagers that would be filled with inspirational, encouraging content while also celebrating local teen’s accomplishments. Soon after, Tallahassee Teen Magazine was founded courtesy of Tallahassee Woman Magazine. Continue reading


My Writing Timeline

By on March 8th, 2017

This post was written by Natalie, a student in the FLVS Creative Writing Club.

Blog_Creative_WritingWhen I was much, much younger, I saw writing as a chore. There’s not a lot a 7-year-old girl being homeschooled in southwest Florida had to write about, and I certainly didn’t do much of it.

As I grew older, the process of writing morphed from a chore into a helpful emotional outlet and then into a hobby. Although I’ve never been a serious, hardcore dedicated writer, I can say that writing definitely should be credited for its impact in my life.

The earliest I can remember writing would be in my tween years. As most people behave when going through that time in their lives, I could get quite emotional and crave an outlet to vent my frustrations or just write a poem expressing my honest feelings.

I read a ton of books back then and can attribute a lot of my literacy skills to my reading. I kept diary after diary for a few years and grew my writing skills without even realizing it. Writing about anything going on in my life made me think about events and interactions more deeply than I ever had before. Continue reading


How Career & Technical Education Changed My Life

By on February 21st, 2017

CTE_Blog_CoverIn honor of Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month, I would like to reflect on the influence CTE has had on my life – even though I didn’t realize it until a decade later.

As a teenager, I wasn’t a big fan of school. Classes, homework, and way too much science! I couldn’t stand it.

However, every time I left my rural campus to assist nurses at the local hospital, I felt the thrill of escape and the fun of doing something new. So, for all the wrong reasons, I enrolled in my high school’s nursing program and was quickly on my way to plenty of time not in school. The perfect plan!

It didn’t take long for me to learn my first CTE lesson: there is much more to a nursing program than wearing scrubs and getting out of class. I’d signed up for a daily, three-hour block of anatomy and physiology, as well as an introduction to nursing skills. Yep, my brilliant plan to escape school somehow locked me into three hours of science a day. Continue reading


Smell the Roses

By on February 1st, 2017

This post was written by Cheyenne, a student in the FLVS Creative Writing Club, for her peers with a passion for writing. 

Smell the RosesI can say, more often than not, that I prefer to schedule as much of my day as I possibly can.

There have been instances when I throw organization to the wind and let the day lead me as it pleases, without so much as a pause to think about how little I completed during my waking hours.

Eventually, it began to wear on me how much time I seem to waste, but how little time I have to be productive. I have become accustomed to writing down my itinerary – scheduling my day minute by minute – simply because I can no longer stand the thought of letting a minute go by, unnamed and unused, in my day without purpose.

I discovered quickly, though, how easy it is to make a schedule but fall out of pace with it. I cannot give inspiration a time slot; like the butterflies in spring or the cool breath of winter, inspiration will come and go as it pleases. It may not visit me at all on some days, and therefore, the time I reserved for writing goes unused. Continue reading


A Writer’s Resolutions

By on January 17th, 2017

This post was written by Olivia, a student in the FLVS Creative Writing Club.

Creative Writing ResolutionsI don’t usually make resolutions. I find that they often get forgotten amongst other priorities and the typical hustle and bustle of everyday life. But this year, I have made a few resolutions that I hope to keep – all involving writing and its influence on my life.

Amidst the typical busy schedule of academics, extracurricular activities, clubs, school events and preparing for college, it can be extremely difficult to dedicate time to creativity. I have found that it often gets left on the back burner: an afterthought among more pressing obligations.

As an involved student, this issue affected my writing process for far too long. I often found myself staying up scribbling ideas in a notebook or waking up early to try to fit writing into my schedule in 2016. In light of the New Year, I am excited to dedicate more time to my creative process as I move into the final stages of editing my novel. Continue reading


12 Months of Life Skills for Student Success

By on January 13th, 2017

Life Skills for StudentsAs we start a new year, educators and parents all have a common goal for 2017 – to ensure that our children have the skills and knowledge they need to be successful for college and a future career.

What if we each set a goal to teach our students one skill a month?

If all of our students put this plan into action today, can you imagine the impact we could make on our future generation?

Today’s workplace values creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and communication skills. Managing time, setting goals, handling stress, and a variety of other skills can help students succeed in all of these areas.

Ready to get started? Check out the guide below and set reminders on your phone or calendar to help you stay on track.  Continue reading


Using Hamilton the Musical in the Classroom

By on September 28th, 2016

hamilton-blogThe winner of the 2016 Tony for Best Musical was “Hamilton,” an untraditional, hip-hop musical written by Lin-Manuel Miranda about the life of Alexander Hamilton.

The popularity of this musical is impossible to deny – and the most amazing thing is that this hip-hop soundtrack to a founding father’s life has captivated teenagers in a way perhaps no other musical ever has before.

There is no denying this musical crosses age and cultural gaps and has brought a new love for musical theater that is refreshing and powerful. Many teachers are using this incredible soundtrack to start discussions about our history and to reinvent how students study such an important time period.

It is possible teachers of any content could use Hamilton’s addictive appeal to energize their classrooms, but I will share some ideas specifically for English and History teachers. Continue reading


The Power of Picture Books

By on November 13th, 2015

The Power of Picture BooksOn my day off this week, I find myself eagerly drafting my first blog post for FLVS because (as all writers understand) I not only enjoy writing, I need to write.

So given my literacy background and current position as a first grade teacher at FLVS, I think I’ve chosen the right topic for me and you, my readers.  Author Randy Pausch eloquently says, “Your passion must come from the things that fuel you from the inside.”

My own children were quite young when I started my career in early childhood education, but it was clear to me then (and even clearer now) that I am passionate about beautiful picture books and quality children’s literature.  Continue reading