Lake Manatee K-8
Home of the Otters
Another day, another adventure for our 5th grade Otters! Yesterday, Mrs. Frye and Mrs. Donigian's classes enjoyed one more beautiful Florida fall day exploring Emerson Point , using dip nets to discover amazing sea life and learning more about the fascinating creatures that call our local waters home!
This week Lake Manatee K-8 golfers competed against Carlos E. Haile Middle School golfers at Peridia Golf and Country Club. Check out more photos on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/LakeManateeK8).
Second- and third-grade students put their creativity and problem-solving skills to work as environmentalists, wildlife biologists and robot designers during an engaging STEM lesson. After exploring how physical and behavioral adaptations such as camouflage, migration, hibernation and specialized body parts help animals survive, students used Cubelets to design and build their own animated animal robots.
Working collaboratively, students applied engineering design principles to create, test and refine their animal-inspired robots while learning how robots use sense, think and act systems to interact with their environment. Teams wrapped up the activity by sharing their creations, explaining how their robots’ adaptations would support survival and celebrating one another’s innovative designs.
Working collaboratively, students applied engineering design principles to create, test and refine their animal-inspired robots while learning how robots use sense, think and act systems to interact with their environment. Teams wrapped up the activity by sharing their creations, explaining how their robots’ adaptations would support survival and celebrating one another’s innovative designs.
Let’s give a BIG round of applause to this week’s Otterly Outstanding Award winners at Lake Manatee K-8! These amazing Otters are shining bright, making great choices and demonstrating what it means to be leaders in their school community. Congratulations to all of this week’s honorees! Keep growing, leading and making a difference. Your Lake Manatee K-8 community is proud of you!
Dear Teachers, Here's a special message from Dr. Laurie Breslin regarding Teacher Appreciation Week.
https://vimeo.com/1184919879/fdb68f2a7f
#ManateeSchoolsGoodNews
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
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.)
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.
The First-Ever Otter Thanksgiving Boat Parade was a splash!
Lake Manatee K-8 School students built sponge boats, powered them with nothing but straws, and raced them down a rain gutter with help from lots of deep breaths.
There were epic wins, dramatic capsizings, tons of cheering — and of course, the legendary 3-D printed turkey trophies for top finishers and Best Design!
So proud of these creative, determined young engineers, fabulous first-mates (parent and teacher volunteers), and their fearless captain, STEM Teacher Jenn Poplaski. #ManateeSchoolsGoodNews
“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
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.
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.