As summer heats up, it’s so wonderful to see our students and families enjoying quality time together, taking summer vacations and spending some time at our county’s beautiful beaches and springs.
I hope you are taking time to rest, relax and recharge before school starts again next month. This issue of Parent Magazine features some insightful tips about health and wellness that I believe we can all utilize, from improving our posture to eating healthy foods to practicing positive sleep habits. I encourage you to continue building these habits with your child to keep them in place year-round as they look ahead to pulling out their backpacks and hitting the books when we return.
We are glad to play a role in promoting the health and wellness of our students and community as well by providing healthy meals in our School Way Cafés year round, teaching first aid and CPR at appropriate levels, providing a variety of athletic opportunities and raising the next generation of health care workers and emergency responders through our career and technical programs and academies.
Many of your children have been participating in our robust summer programs over the past few weeks. Our Jumpstart Biology students have just wrapped up their engaging seven-day camp, where they have been practicing hands-on skills and went to Rose Bay for a field experience. Many of our middle schoolers are also starting the Step Up 2 STEM program, where they are learning coding and robotics, as well as designing solutions to real-world challenges. I am so proud of all of our students who have taken the initiative and made the commitment to enroll in our summer enrichment programs to enhance their knowledge and skills.
Another way to keep improving those learning habits is for your child to participate in our Summer Home Run Reading Challenge with the Daytona Tortugas. This challenge runs through the end of July, and your child can earn prizes for reading, such as free meals or a ticket to a Tortugas game. Head over to our website for more information, and get reading!
Our teachers and staff have also been improving their skills this summer through our Volusia LEARNS! summer professional learning institute, and our mentors academy hosted by Volusia LEADS!, where teachers gain skills to lead, uplift and inspire their colleagues. Later this month, many of our team members will also be participating in our Administrative Institute to prepare for the return of teachers and students to our campuses and ensure that all students will receive high-quality instruction.
We can’t wait to have you back next month, but for now, please enjoy the rest of your summer break, stay safe and always keep learning.

Dr. Carmen J. Balgobin
Superintendent of Schools