Spring into STEAM at The Soar Lab!
Looking for something fun and educational to do during Spring Break? The Soar Lab will be OPEN the week of March 16th through 20th while schools are closed, offering hands-on activities designed to spark curiosity and creativity.
Young learners can explore a variety of exciting themes throughout the week, including science, art, space, math, drama, and technology—all through interactive play and discovery.
Best of all, The Soar Lab is free for most families with children from infants through third grade.
Tuesday, March 17 - 2 p.m. until 6 p.m. (Mad Scientist)
Wednesday, March 18 - 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. (Art-a-Palooza)
Thursday, March 19 - 2 p.m. until 6 p.m. (Space)
Friday, March 20 - 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. (Math Mania)
Saturday, March 21 - 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. (Drama & Technology-Coding)
📍 6423 9th Street East, Bradenton
Visit
www.soarin4.org for more information.
Bring your little explorers and let them learn, create, and imagine at The Soar Lab this Spring Break!
22 days ago, School District of Manatee County
Throughout our kindergarten program, we aim to build six key skills in our students, setting them up for success on the rest of their educational journey:
⭐ Resilience
⭐ Integrity
⭐ Critical Thinking
⭐ Communication
⭐ Awareness
⭐ Adaptability
Enroll your child in Manatee County kindergarten and give them the strong start they deserve!
Get started at
https://www.manateeschools.net/o/sdmc/page/registration.
25 days ago, School District of Manatee County
Young performers, music educators, and families from approximately 30 schools came together on February 26, 2026, at Braden River High School for the All County Elementary Music Festival.
Manatee Schools Television was there for the rehearsals held at Johnson K-8: https://vimeo.com/1168251040/b4292df969
Watch the entire 2026 All County Elementary Music Festival at this link: https://vimeo.com/1168251040
26 days ago, School District of Manatee County
Looking for something meaningful and fun to do with your children, ages infant through third grade, this week?
The Soar in 4 Soar Lab is more than a place to visit. It’s a place where families learn how to play together.
Through hands-on activities, interactive learning stations, and guided exploration, parents and caregivers discover simple ways to spark curiosity, build confidence, and turn everyday moments into powerful learning experiences.
Come explore! Create. Laugh. Learn.
Visit www.soarin4.org to plan your experience.
6423 9th Street East, Bradenton 34203
Free for most families.
This week's schedule:
Tuesday, March 3rd - Open 3 p.m.-7 p.m. (Musical Motion, Artist Spotlight, Ms. Luanne's Front Porch)
Wednesday, March 4th - Open 9 a.m.-1 p.m. (Nursery Rhyme Scavenger Hunt, Artist Spotlight)
Thursday, March 5th - Open 3 p.m.-7 p.m. (Nature Detectives, 3D Printing)
Friday, March 6th - Open 9 a.m.-1 p.m. (Storytime, Bubbles & Trikes, Little Explorers)
Saturday, March 7th - Open 9 a.m.-1 p.m. (Mighty Machines & Special Guest: Teacher Author Kelly Kolomiychenko with Slime @ 11 a.m.)
about 1 month ago, School District of Manatee County
The Florida Department of Education released the Florida Value Added Model (VAM) Fiscal Transparency Tool, a web-based fiscal transparency tool that identifies public schools and districts with high academic achievement based on the ratio of classroom expenditures to total expenditures. VAM is intended to help taxpayers evaluate the financial efficiency of a school district with other similarly situated school districts. View the VAM for the School District of Manatee County at https://floridavam.org/e/vamPublic.html?w4=54#/entity/262385.
2 months ago, School District of Manatee County
A familiar face is getting some well-deserved recognition! Clifford Lim, a dedicated physical education teacher in Manatee County, has been named Spectrum Spectrum Bay News 9's latest A+ Teacher!
Coach Lim didn’t start his career in public education, but he’s found his true calling by inspiring students to stay active, build confidence, and strive for their personal best every day.
Let’s give a huge round of applause to Coach Lim and the awesome students from Barbara A. Harvey K-8 at Copperstone for keeping #ManateeSchoolsGoodNews rolling!
Here's a link to the story from Bay News 9:
https://baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2025/10/28/a--teacher-shows-students-how-to-live-healthy-lifestyle-5 months ago, School District of Manatee County
The School District of Manatee County’s 👑 King of the Road 👑 is Nick Buto!
This rookie school bus driver, who joined the district in August, scored the highest while maneuvering and avoiding errors on an obstacle course at Matzke Complex on Wednesday.
He drives students to-and-from Palmetto High School and Harvey K-8 Copperstone & North River Ranch campuses.
Welcome to the team! #ManateeSchoolsGoodNews #SchoolBusSafetyWeek
5 months ago, School District of Manatee County
Drumroll, please! 🥁 The results are in for the 2025 Manatee County School Bus Rodeo, and the winning team is The Roadrunnerz (Beep Beep)!
Led by longtime route supervisor Gina Miller, who has dedicated 26 years of service to transportation, this team proved that even our newest drivers can rise to the challenge.
The four drivers who skillfully navigated the challenging obstacle course on Wednesday are all fairly new to our district:
🚌 Edinson and Nicholas – both joined in August
🚌 Don – celebrating one year of
service
🚌 Zeke – proudly driving for five years on and off
All the participating teams were celebrated by Director Jamie Warrington and Asst. Director Melanie Johnson.
We’ve tagged the schools whose routes they drive — please join us in congratulating them and sharing this #ManateeSchoolsGoodNews! 🎉👏
5 months ago, School District of Manatee County
The results and moments captured during Saturday’s Middle School XC meet are in…
Girls - Teams and Individuals
🥇 Dr. Mona Jain Middle School
🥈 R. Dan Nolan Middle School
🥉 Martha B. King Middle School
🥇 Tatum B., Dr. Mona Jain MS
🥈 Katelyn M., Nolan MS
🥉 Emma V., Nolan MS
Boys - Teams and Individuals
🥇 Buffalo Creek Middle School
🥈 Dr. Mona Jain Middle School
🥉 Haile Middle School
🥇 Maddox R., Buffalo Creek MS
🥈 Rafe T., King MS
🥉 Mitchell F., Dr. Mona Jain MS
Congratulations to ALL the runners from Manatee County middle schools and their families for finishing the race and supporting your teams! #ManateeSchoolsGoodNews
6 months ago, School District of Manatee County
“How Tall Are You... in Spoons?” 📏🖐️🥄
The Soar Lab is growing, and so are our students!
It's the perfect place for families with infants and kids through third grade. Admission is free for qualifying families.
Stop by during our NEW extended hours to see just how tall you are (measured in spoons, hands, or blocks).
Soar Lab Hours:
Tuesday: 3 – 7 PM
Wednesday: 9 AM – 1 PM
Thursday: 3 – 7 PM
Friday: 9 AM – 1 PM
Saturday: 9 AM – 1 PM
📍 6413 9th Street East, Bradenton
🔗 https://www.soarin4.org/soar-lab
Come for the measurements. Stay for the momentum. #ManateeSchoolsGoodNews
6 months ago, School District of Manatee County
Security Screening at Secondary Schools – Beginning Monday, August 11, 2025, all students and visitors at district middle and high schools will be screened each school day using a high-tech security scanner system.
For more information on this enhanced security screening procedure, visit
https://www.manateeschools.net/securityscreening.
10 months ago, School District of Manatee County
School Board Seeks Civic-Minded Citizens to Join Audit Committee –
The School Board of Manatee County is seeking civic-minded citizens to serve as members of the Audit Committee. The Committee, which meets six times a year, recommends the appointment of the internal and external auditors; reviews the scope, plan and reports of the internal and external auditors; and assists in maintaining open communications between the selected auditors, the School Board and the District’s financial management. The Committee also reviews the collection and proper use of the funds raised through the one-half cent sales surtax for school capital outlay expenditures. Membership on the Committee requires an average of five-to-eight hours per month, with meetings scheduled every other month for three hours. The term is approximately three years.
Those interested in serving must:
• Live in Manatee County.
• Be a CPA (active or retired) or had employment experience in school district financial operations.
• Submit a letter expressing interest, provide contact information and provide a brief summary of their work experience.
Responses must be sent to the Manatee County School District, Attention: School Board Agency Clerk, P.O. Box 9069, Bradenton, Florida 34206-9069.
Interested individuals may obtain additional information about the Committee by emailing the School Board Agency Administrative Associate at
cox3l@manateeschools.net.
10 months ago, School District of Manatee County
Family Empowerment Scholarship – Parents interested in applying for either FES-EO or FES-UA may review the eligibility requirements and application instructions at
https://www.manateeschools.net/FES.
10 months ago, School District of Manatee County
