Witt Elementary
Home of the Eagles
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.
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! 🎉👏
“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
HELLO 👋 Start with Hello Week kicked off today with the SAVE Club at Gene Witt Elementary School with students spreading kindness across campus. SAVE stands for Students Against Violence Everywhere. It’s a youth‑leadership initiative of Sandy Hook Promise, a national organization working to prevent violence in schools and communities. A simple hello can change someone’s day — you can change people’s lives with one small act of kindness. #ManateeSchoolsGoodNews
We have EXCITING news to share! Out of more than 37,000 nominations, a handful of teachers nationwide were awarded $5,000 for classroom supplies by iHeartRadio (powered by DonorsChoose) - including one of ours.
Congratulations to the amazing Catherine Burke, fifth grade math and science teacher, from Gene Witt Elementary School 🎉
A parent nominated Mrs. Burke saying: "Catherine is amazing. She is always willing to help anyone and teaches students at their pace to ensure they understand the lesson. She volunteers to tutor students after school who need additional help - free of charge. She also attends the monthly School Advisory Council and PTO meetings to stay involved and provide her opinion from the teacher point of view." #ManateeSchoolsGoodNews
Congratulations to the amazing Catherine Burke, fifth grade math and science teacher, from Gene Witt Elementary School 🎉
A parent nominated Mrs. Burke saying: "Catherine is amazing. She is always willing to help anyone and teaches students at their pace to ensure they understand the lesson. She volunteers to tutor students after school who need additional help - free of charge. She also attends the monthly School Advisory Council and PTO meetings to stay involved and provide her opinion from the teacher point of view." #ManateeSchoolsGoodNews
Teachers and staff at Gene Witt Elementary School are kicking off the new school year with team spirit and a champion mindset! Inspired by The Infinite Game, this year’s goal is all about playing with purpose, lifting each other up, and building a future that lasts — both in the classroom and beyond.
As you can see by their creative photo decor, staff is already bringing the energy, the laughs, and the message loud and clear: 👉 We’re here to BUILD CHAMPIONS — together.
Let’s go, Witt Family! #GoodNewsBackToSchool #DiscoverExcellenceSDMC
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.