On Wednesday, SDMC Visual & Performing Arts hosted the inaugural Battle of the Beats, a bracket-style drum-off featuring six groups of Manatee County middle and high school percussionists: Buffalo Creek Middle School 🏆 Lincoln Memorial Middle School Rowlett Middle Academy A & B Braden River High School 🏆 Manatee High School Palmetto High School Parrish Community High School After a hard fought battle 🥁 the judges chose the Hawks and Pirates as champions. Thank you to Jeff McDaniel, Will Vizoso, and Kendall Carrier for your time and musical expertise. Kudos to Drum-master of Ceremonies Ricardo Robinson-Shinall, who kept the audience at the edge of their seats. We can’t wait until next year! #ManateeSchoolsGoodNews

An exciting day at Rye Ranch Elementary School in Parrish, where the drywall is about ready to go up.

Founding principal Dr. Melinda Lundy led a tour for School Board Members and school district leaders, proudly showing off classrooms and common areas taking shape.

The Pre-K through 5th grade school will begin its tradition of excellence beginning August 2026, where students and staff will be encouraged to learn, lead, and thrive! #ManateeSchoolsGoodNews

Welcome to the family, Veterans Elementary! 🇺🇸 Located in Artisan Lakes (Palmetto) and adjacent to Manatee County, Florida Government’s Valor Commons, this Pre-K through 5th grade school will focus on leadership, community, and feature patriotic themes. Founding principal Laura Campbell led a construction tour for School Board Members and school district leaders on Tuesday. Veterans Elementary opens this August 2026. #ManateeSchoolsGoodNews

#ManateeSchoolsGoodNews shared by Megan Krueger, Braden River High School agriscience teacher: “On Monday, during the Dairy Heifer Show at the Manatee County Fair, Jared Stancil (on right) and his Holstein heifer, Buckeye, earned Reserve Champion Junior Holstein Heifer—a fantastic accomplishment! I would also like to recognize Maggie Faller, Zoe Loder, and Zailyah Ma. Jared's success was truly a team effort, and these students generously contributed their time, skills, and support to help make this achievement possible—all while continuing to manage their own projects. Their teamwork and dedication are something to be very proud of.” Congratulations, Pirates! #KindnessMatters and your teamwork is inspiring ✨

It never fails! Every. Single. Year.

According to US National Weather Service Tampa Bay, a cold front is ushering in the coldest air of the season just in time for the Manatee County Fair, January 15th-25th.

941: This is your official "Sweater Weather Alert". Please send students to school nice and warm beginning Thursday (into next week!)

Nothing says tradition like cold weather and funnel cakes. 🥶#ManateeSchoolsGoodNews

A big NOLES thank you goes out to Cheney Brothers!!! Chef Andrew and TJ, our sales rep, from Cheney Brothers visited Southeast High School Culinary and Agriculture students and presented a meat and seafood demonstration. The students were able to try sushi-grade salmon and beef tenderloin. It was nice seeing the students step out of their comfort zone. Thank you Chef Allen for setting this up!

Palmetto High School FFA is kicking off the Manatee County Fair in a BIG way! The amazing PHS FFA members officially launched fair week by competing in the Hay Bale Decorating Competition, and they brought creativity, teamwork, and school spirit to the Fair. To celebrate America’s 250th birthday, the Tigers went all out with a show-stopping birthday cake for America - way to go, Tigers! The Manatee County Fair is January 15-25, 2026.

Bayshore Elementary welcomed every student into Santa’s workshop to choose one special toy for Christmas. With the generous support of our community partners, including Legacy Church, the joy was unmistakable. Excitement and gratitude filled the room as each child proudly clutched their new treasure to take home. Because of the kindness of our community, we’re able to share moments like these and spread so much #ManateeSchoolsGoodNews. Thank you for making this possible.

Congratulations to Isabella, one of our Southeast IB Diploma Program students, on her acceptance to Yale University! This remarkable achievement reflects her dedication, intellectual curiosity, and commitment to excellence. We are so incredible proud of her and excited to see all she will accomplish! #ManateeSchoolsGoodNews

Our hearts are full after spending a short time at Daughtrey Elementary School’s winter wonderland! We’re so grateful to be invited to capture the grateful smiles and holiday cheer, which is the result of an incredible staff and support from their community partners. This year, a team of fantastic fifth grade elves joined Santa and the “chief elf” because they had the highest learning gains in science. Merry Christmas, Dolphins! #ManateeSchoolsGoodNews

Stay safe out there! We have reports from Tara Elementary, a school safety guardian is in pursuit of Santa’s elves on campus #ManateeSchoolsGoodNews

He’s not your average Santa. When you meet Steve Hensell, you quickly learn he is the official district Santa—and has been for decades. Hensell said he was hired more than 30 years ago by the late Gene Witt to play Santa, and the tradition continues. The Air Force veteran says that every year, he answers the call to visit schools across Manatee County, listening to the wish lists of children of all ages. He began his career as a school bus mechanic and retired years ago as a painter. He even painted Harllee, the location of The Soar Lab. You can meet Santa Steve this Saturday, December 20, 2025, at the Soar Lab from 9-11AM. Free for most families, including infants-3rd grade students enrolled in traditional public schools. #ManateeSchoolsGoodNews

Jasmine Colon’s festive spirit is a GIFT 🎁 to Oneco Elementary School. The behavior specialist was the first wave families received during morning drop-off on Wednesday. #ManateeSchoolsGoodNews

Holiday spirit week is the gift that keeps on giving.
Thank you to bus driver Tinysha Holmes (on right) who is seen celebrating the season with Palm View K - 8 School Principal Jessica Kane 🎄 and bus aide Shanna Robinson.
#ManateeSchoolsGoodNews

At Palmetto Elementary School, it takes a village... and Tamika Brown is a perfect example of that.
As a school bus attendant, Tamika already plays an important role in students’ daily routines, but she doesn't stop there.
She recently volunteered to chaperone the first grade field trip to Mote SEA, once again showing her dedication to students.
Thank you for always going above and beyond, Tamika!
#ManateeSchoolsGoodNews submitted by Assistant Principal Susie Ebbesmeyer.

Mike Y.’s résumé reads like a season of a TV crime drama.

For 20 years, he served the streets of New York City working in street control, housing developments, anti-crime, and plainclothes units. He took on organized crime, narcotics, robberies, and homicides as part of the detective squad. It was intense, meaningful work but eventually, Mike knew it was time. The right time for change.

So he moved to Florida, guided by former NYPD officers who showed him how the skills he learned in the Big Apple could open new doors. Doors that led to protect hallways filled with students.

Now, Guardian Mike is celebrating his first school year as a school safety guardian at Parrish Community High. And while the setting has changed, the mission hasn’t.

“I like communicating with the kids,” he says. “It keeps me grounded and helps me communicate better with my own teenagers.”

As someone who grew up as a teen in the inner city of New York, the respect he receives means everything to him. No badges needed. “A fist pound is more than enough for me," he said.

Thank you, Guardian Mike, for your continued service and for keeping our students safe every single day. #ManateeSchoolsGoodNews #GoodNewsGuardians

Hour of Code was celebrated during Computer Science Education Week, December 8–14, 2025. Hour of Code is a global movement designed to introduce millions of students to computer science and show that anyone can learn the basics of coding.

According to STEM Coordinator Lynne Johnston, teachers across the district incorporated coding into their classrooms throughout the week.

Mrs. Sara Broom shared photos of R. H. Prine Elementary School fifth-grade students investigating coding and exploring how it can be used for more than just video games and apps. Students learned how coding can be used to create and draft music. After coding their own musical compositions, students presented “table concerts” for the class to showcase their creations.

Kinnan Elementary STEM teacher Tammy Butler also shared photos of her students working with Ozobots, which are small, programmable robots that teach coding and computational thinking through hands-on, interactive activities. #ManateeSchoolsGoodNews

#ManateeSchoolsGoodNews featuring the School District of Manatee County's IT Department, as shared by The Patterson Foundation: We're excited to announce a new milestone in The Patterson Foundation’s Digital Access for All initiative.

The Patterson Foundation partnered with the School District of Manatee County, led by Scott Hansen, to expand local access to essential digital devices.

Scott has been a long-time advocate for student technology needs. Before COVID, he worked closely with Tech4Students, helping distribute between 1,000 and 2,000 devices each year to families who needed them most.

After seeing the device drive flyer in The Patterson Foundation's newsletter, Scott grew curious about the possibilities and reached out to explore how they might work together to create an even greater impact.

The collaboration quickly turned into action.

Recently, Marla Smith and Beth Duda picked up 304 laptops that have been fully restored and cleaned.

All devices will be given to the Sarasota Technology Users Group (STUG) for distribution.

This partnership demonstrates a commitment to closing the digital divide, and to date, DA4A has collected more than 600 devices!

Do you have an idea or a device to donate? If you’d like to learn how to wipe your own computer or get involved, reach out to Marla Smith, Device Drive Project Lead, at msmithtpf@gmail.com or 941-713-9724. You can also click here to see our drop-off locations: https://thepattersonfoundation.org/.../Device-Drive-Flyer...

When a community works together, progress is not just possible. It becomes unstoppable!

Florida forecast: 0% chance of snow, 100% chance of school spirit.

Lakewood Ranch High School's admin team is geared up for “Winter Sports Day," from ski slopes to slapshots… and maybe a mysterious black eye 👀🏒

You stay safe out there, Mrs. Carlson! #ManateeSchoolsGoodNews