SCHOOL BOARD BULLETIN

+ Innovative thinking
Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School sophomore Courtney Astore will represent the region at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in May, in Phoenix. Astore won the Sarasota Regional Science, Engineering and Technology High School Fair in the area of behavioral social science with her project, “Expressive Language Skills and Outcome in Children with Autism.” The project, which utilized the iPad application Prologue2Go, took her two years to complete. Astore competed against winners in biochemistry, botany, chemistry, computer science, earth science, engineering environmental science, mathematics, medicine, health, microbiology, space science and zoology.

+ Outstanding opera
The NewGate School students will perform “The Burning Rice Fields” 6:30 p.m. Friday, March 8, at The Glenridge Performing Arts Center. Students ages 6 to 12 spent their winter and spring semesters studying the Japanese opera and preparing for the performance. This year, students worked with Sanford and Judy Jones of Youth Opera International. Tickets are $10 for adults, and $5 for children 12 and under, and are available at The NewGate School office, 5237 Ashton Road.

+ Make the World Move
The Sarasota School of Arts and Sciences will showcase student talent at its first Make the World Move dance recital at 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 4, at The Players Theatre. Sixty students have been practicing various styles of dance since September. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the Players box office or online at players.org.

+ Career creativity
The University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee College of Education worked with students in Susan Ambriosio’s fifth-grade art class at Emma E. Booker Elementary to create original works of art entitled, “What I Can Be with a College Degree.” Students researched various state universities and programs to determine which ones would interest them. They learned how long it would take to obtain a degree, what salary they would make, what sort of attire each profession would require and what tools to use to get there.