Newsletter February 2026

Debbie Wrye, media specialist, is passionate about igniting a love for reading in the students of Frostproof Ben Hill Griffin, Jr. Elementary.

Frostproof Ben Hill Griffin, Jr. Elementary

Frostproof Ben Hill Griffin, Jr. Elementary was created by the merging of two elementary schools.

Ben Hill Griffin, Jr. Elementary School was founded in the fall of 1992, and Frostproof Elementary School was built in 1950 but has roots dating back to the early 1900's. The two schools became one center of learning in 2021, serving students in grades pre-kindergarten through fifth grade.

FBHG develops a lifelong love for reading in all students. The school’s media specialist, Debbie Wrye, takes pride in maintaining a fun, exciting media center where students can’t wait to discover new books. With one of the highest circulation numbers in the district, the school has seen a significant increase in reading proficiency.

Students visit the library before school to check out books and take Accelerated Reader quizzes. Students are eager to participate in reading challenges and receive “brag tags” to show off their accomplishments.

Students and families also attend weekly media nights, where they enjoy reading, snacking on popcorn and spending quality time together.

Frostproof Middle-Senior High students are reaching new heights in athletics, academics, and fine arts.

Frostproof Middle-Senior High

Frostproof Middle-Senior High’s students are finding new ways to excel in academics, extracurricular activities and community service.

Over the last few years, Frostproof’s academies: Agriculture, Ducks Unlimited, Culinary, EKG and Business, have maintained exceptional program pass rates. The school’s career and technical education programs prepare students for successful careers and help them strive to increase their academic performance. Frostproof Middle-Senior High earned a "B" grade for the 24-25 school year and is pushing forward for more progress.

The school community is incredibly proud of their students participating in performing arts and athletics. Over the past few years, the school’s chorus has performed at Carnegie Hall and the White House. The band consistently earns superior ratings — the highest classification for musical performance. Last year, the Bulldogs football team captured the Sunshine State Athletic Association state championship, and other sports teams are performing well too.

Students are encouraged to serve the community through HOSA – Future Health Professionals blood drives. The culinary arts program provides catering during school and community events. The FFA program has impacted our students at the local, state, and national levels. Performing arts students participate in local activities. This year, the school partnered with Frostproof Ben Hill Griffin, Jr. Elementary to decorate a float and walk in the annual holiday parade.

Last year, school nutrition professionals provided more than 5 million breakfast and 11 million lunch meals to PCPS students.

School Nutrition

Students can’t learn on empty tummies. They need nutritious meals to fuel their intellectual curiosity.

Fortunately, the district’s School Nutrition department is always ready to serve!

School nutrition professionals serve more than 67,000 lunches, 33,000 breakfasts, and 1,600 after school snacks and meals every day — all at no charge — ensuring every student has access to nutritious food they can count on.

The department also partners with the Transition program, giving students with special needs an opportunity to undertake hands-on training and real work experience in school kitchens. This partnership helps Transition students learn valuable workforce skills and boost their confidence as well as create a pathway to employment. Many students choose to join the School Nutrition department after completing the program.

This year, the department launched a new initiative to celebrate the incredible work happening in school kitchens every day. The “Buzzworthy” recognition program spotlights two outstanding staff members each month and honors their contributions to students, staff and the community.

PCPS staff were asked to share successful engagement strategies during the recent National Association for Family, School, & Community Engagement (NAFSCE) conference.

Parent & Family Engagement

Our school district is committed to helping parents become partners — not passengers — in their children’s education.

The district’s strategic plan includes a wide range of initiatives to increase parent and family engagement.

“We have begun implementing relational leadership strategies at schools and within communities across our district. These strategies include learning walks, community conversations and listening circles,” said Kylia Carswell, Director of Parent & Family Engagement.

The district has created listening circles with students, staff and parents throughout Polk County. These stakeholders meet in a safe space where they can share honest feedback from their various perspectives.

“What makes this pivotal is listening circle members feel heard and their input is helping our district (schools) develop strategies to better serve the community,” said Carswell.

The work PCPS is doing to better engage the community is being noticed beyond our school district! PCPS representatives were asked to speak about Polk’s engagement efforts during two sessions at the recent National Association for Family, School, & Community Engagement (NAFSCE) conference.

The 2026 Polk Regional Science and Engineering Fair was recently held at Southwest Middle, giving students a chance to turn science lessons into interesting projects.

Science Competitions Team

Our school district uses science competition teams to inspire critical thinking and creativity in students.

“Science lessons don’t have to be passive or boring,” said Jeff Hancock, senior director of K-12 Science. “Our teachers are finding innovative ways to make science come to life for our students.”

For instance, students can participate in challenges where they must engineer packaging to cushion an egg during a fall or design a glider to test their knowledge of aerodynamics against classmates.

“Science competitions allow our students to build, use their problem-solving skills and test their ideas in fun ways,” Hancock said.

These challenges turn science into an adventure while fostering creativity, teamwork, and resilience. The impact is clear: participation has doubled, showing how much students love these interactive experiences.

Every year, PCPS fourth- and fifth-grade students come together at the Elementary Science Showcase to present their science projects and discuss findings with peers from other schools. The elementary showcase coincides with the Polk Regional Science and Engineering Fair (PRSEF), which features the work of local middle and high school students.

Students spend many months of hard work preparing their projects — including raising livestock like cows — for show and sale at the Polk County Youth Fair.

Polk County Youth Fair

The Polk County Youth Fair is one of the largest exhibitions of youth agricultural, horticultural, and family and consumer sciences projects in the entire Southeast United States.

The primary focus of the annual event is to provide students with opportunities to display their projects, compete, and develop meaningful life skills.

These students are members of career and technical student organizations, including 4-H, FFA, and Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA).

“Our students and teachers work extremely hard for two weeks to make the youth fair successful,” said Leann Bennett, senior director of Career, Technical & Adult Education. “However, this doesn’t even count the many months of preparing their projects or raising animals as well as all of the planning and preparations to make the event a reality.”

“But the effort is certainly worth it,” she said. “Our students gain valuable hands on experience preparing and showcasing their projects. They strengthen their real-world skills, boost their confidence, and explore potential career paths.”

The Safety Around Water program provides kindergarten students with guided instruction to develop essential water safety skills.

Safety Around Water

In partnership with the YMCA of West Central Florida, PCPS offers kindergarten students a hands on introduction to essential water safety skills.

The Safety Around Water program is especially valuable for students who may feel nervous around water, helping them build confidence through guided instruction. Students build foundational swimming skills that support their safety in and around water. 

In a safe, supervised setting, children learn how to enter and exit the pool, practice breathing and floating techniques, and understand the importance of swimming only with an adult present.

The program helps children understand how to stay safe around water while building lifelong abilities.  Students begin their instruction timidly but leave with newfound confidence.

For more information, contact Tiffany Kitchens, a curriculum specialist with PCPS Athletics ([email protected]).

PCPS employees can scan the code for more information or to access the important resources of the Employee Assistance Program.

PCPS employees and all members of their household can use the Employee Assistance Program.

Managing money can feel overwhelming — but you don’t have to do it alone. Through the Resources for Living (RFL) Employee Assistance Program, you have access to tools and experts that can help you feel confident about your financial future. 

Here’s what’s included: 

• One free 30-minute phone consultation with a money coach for each financial topic (budgeting, credit repair, college funding, estate planning, investment planning, debt management, Medicare/Social Security info).
• 25% discount on tax preparation services.* 

How to get started: 

• Call RFL at 1-800-272-7252 to schedule your consultation. 
• Visit ResourcesForLiving.com (Username: PCS | Access code: PCS) to:  
  • Complete a financial wellness assessment
  • Listen to podcasts
  • Access calculators
  • Read helpful articles 

*Services apply to financial matters related to the employee and eligible household members.