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East County | Schools

Moms, grandmothers and students filled the Willis cafeteria for Moms and Muffins.
    By
  • Jessica Salmond
  • February 4, 2016
Willis Elementary cafeteria fills with Moms and Muffins

The school's PTO organized the annual event.

  • East County
  • Schools
Sirisha Kandepi slides with her son, Rishi Talluru.
    By
  • Jessica Salmond
  • January 29, 2016
East County school gets snowed in

The Tabernacle Christian School held a snow day for students.

  • East County
  • Schools
Proceeds from the For the Love of the Game event will benefit Braden River's athletic programs.
    By
  • Jen Blanco
  • January 26, 2016
For the Love of the Game to benefit Pirate athletics

Braden River High will hold its For the Love of the Game dinner and auction Feb. 27.

  • East County
  • Sports
One team made a butterfly from a strawberry and apple slices.
    By
  • Jessica Salmond
  • January 22, 2016
Freedom Elementary students build with broccoli

Technology Student Association members create scenes from fruits and vegetable

  • East County
  • Schools
    By
  • Pam Eubanks
  • January 21, 2016
Mermaids makes splash at ODA

ODA students bring 'Little Mermaid' to life.

  • East County
  • Schools
    By
  • Jessica Salmond
  • January 20, 2016
McNeal Elementary ESOL program helps students learn English

From Hungarian to Portuguese, Kelly Smart helps students of all languages succeed.

  • East County
  • Schools
The chorus, grades three through five, performed for the school Thursday morning.
    By
  • Jessica Salmond
  • December 17, 2015
Bashaw Elementary chorus sing holiday tunes

The chorus performed for the school Thursday morning.

  • East County
  • Schools
Amelia Villa Mosqueda and Chiara Diaz play Ralph the Reindeer and the Candy Cane Kid.
    By
  • Jessica Salmond
  • December 11, 2015
Willis Elementary hosts holiday hoedown

The school's Western-themed winter play was held Thursday, Nov. 10.

  • East County
  • Schools
Santa greets Tara students.
    By
  • Jessica Salmond
  • December 5, 2015
Tara Elementary School hosts dinner with Santa

Students danced and ate dinner with their families.

  • East County
  • Schools
Susana and Timmy Abell perform for the kindergarten, first-grade and second-grade classes.
    By
  • Jessica Salmond
  • December 1, 2015
Willis Elementary School students sing along with Timmy Abell

The North Carolina musician is traveling to several Manatee County schools this week.

  • East County
  • Schools
    By
  • Jessica Salmond
  • November 25, 2015
Lakewood Ranch kids talk about Thanksgiving

Students at Kiddie Academy list their favorite feast foods.

  • East County
  • Schools
Doug Kovatch, a parent, volunteered to help Kristi Dyer, third-grade teacher, make the cotton candy. Kovatch said he used to work at a baseball stadium, so he was familiar with the proper cotton-candy-making technique.
    By
  • Jessica Salmond
  • November 14, 2015
McNeal Elementary PTO hosts fall festival

The proceeds raise money for classrooms.

  • East County
  • Schools
Louis Jackson, a teacher's aide at Haile, was the MC for assembly. Jackson is a Navy veteran.
    By
  • Jessica Salmond
  • November 11, 2015
Haile students listen to local veteran

The school held a special program for Veteran's Day.

  • East County
  • Schools
Alexandria Williams talks about the meaning of patriotism during the assembly.
    By
  • Jessica Salmond
  • November 10, 2015
Tara students honor veterans

Tara Elementary School held its first program for Veteran's Day.

  • East County
  • Schools
Carrie Dutting and Laura Rodriguez dressed up as pirates. Dutting even has a book of piratology, which she incorporated into her costume.
    By
  • Jessica Salmond
  • November 6, 2015
Pirates commandeer Braden River High School for spirit day

Every day of the week featured a different theme.

  • East County
  • Schools
Thais Fernandes applies fake blood to her fake cut.
    By
  • Jessica Salmond
  • October 28, 2015
How to have a horrific Halloween

Lakewood Ranch High School’s Mustang Players get dead-on tips for scary makeup.

  • East County
  • Schools
Coy Mahan, Jayden Vilayvong, Nathan Parker and Dylan Martorano sport orange Oct. 21 to offer visible support for the stand against bullying.
    By
  • Pam Eubanks
  • October 28, 2015
Braden River Middle School takes stand against bullying

October is National Bullying Prevention Month.

  • East County
  • Schools
Dana Towell, Brooklyn McCutchan and Matt Stamos
    By
  • Jessica Salmond
  • October 24, 2015
Tara Elementary holds annual fall festival

The festival helps raise money for classroom budgets.

  • East County
  • Schools
Third-grade teacher Kim Hoy directs students to start the walk.
    By
  • Jessica Salmond
  • October 23, 2015
Gene Witt students walk for animal wellbeing

The elementary school raised $505 for the humane society.

  • East County
  • Schools
Braden River Middle School students dance in the courtyard before class Oct. 21 in celebration of anti-bullying efforts.
    By
  • Pam Eubanks
  • October 21, 2015
Braden River dances against bullying

Students wore orange as part of the festivities.

  • East County
  • Schools
Alexa Gettel, third-grader, gets some air in the bounce house.
    By
  • Jessica Salmond
  • October 16, 2015
ODA celebrates homecoming

The weekend events started with a family picnic Friday night.

  • East County
  • Schools
Mary Grace Epps and Jackson Helwege as Fiona and Shrek
    By
  • Jessica Salmond
  • October 11, 2015
Lakewood Ranch High School students perform Shrek the Musical, Jr.

The play is an on-stage musical adaptation of the animated movie.

  • East County
  • Schools
William Pope, 8 bicycled two miles with his brother, Andrew, and dad, Robert.
    By
  • Pam Eubanks
  • October 7, 2015
Families use pedal power to promote safety

Braden River Elementary School families participated in the national Walk and Bike to School Day today.

  • East County
  • Schools
    By
  • Pam Eubanks
  • October 4, 2015
Dads, doughnuts hit at Freedom Elementary School

The PTO hosted its annual Donuts with Dads event Oct. 2.

  • East County
  • Schools
Ashley and Mitch Teitelbaum take a photo of themselves to remember the moment.
    By
  • Amanda Sebastiano
  • September 30, 2015
Haile Middle celebrates Dads Take Your Child to School Day

For the inaugural countywide event, the East County school offered breakfast for fathers and their children.

  • East County
  • Schools
Kalli Johnson, Jalyn Thompson, Cienna Davis and Mackenzie Brielmann sport similar knee-length dark dresses.
    By
  • Amanda Sebastiano
  • September 26, 2015
Lakewood Ranch High celebrates homecoming

Lakewood Ranch High celebrates homecoming

  • East County
  • Schools
Scarlett and Hunter Handley share jokes during snack time.
    By
  • Amanda Sebastiano
  • September 26, 2015
Freedom Elementary hosts Mother-Son Night

During the annual event, mothers and their sons competed against other families in rounds of Hungry Hippo, Tug of War and a three-legged race.

  • East County
  • Schools
    By
  • Jen Blanco
  • September 25, 2015
Mustangs edge past Blazers and Thunder in Tri-Match

The Lakewood Ranch High boys golf team shot a combined 153 to win its Tri-Match Sept. 24.

  • East County
  • Sports
Fifth-graders Lauren Costello, Â Alexis Suter and Daniel Rumbo take a lap around the new track while learning about how to run at a steady pace.
    By
  • Jessica Salmond
  • September 23, 2015
New Tara Elementary track jogs students' enthusiasm

The school's track was upgraded from grass to clay, thanks to some extra dollars from a district project.

  • East County
  • News
Students wave their Picasso doves during the Monday morning assembly.
    By
  • Jessica Salmond
  • September 21, 2015
Gullett Elementary celebrates International Day of Peace

Students delivered a program to their classmates for their annual peace pole dedication.

  • East County
  • Schools
    By
  • Jessica Salmond
  • September 16, 2015
And the survey says ...

Manatee County School Board members got a mixed review of the district from two surveys in August.

  • East County
  • News
Teachers Susan Hagerman, first-grade, Pat Knowlton, art, and Deb Peterson, kindergarten, supervise the scoop station.
    By
  • Jessica Salmond
  • September 12, 2015
Tara Elementary parents, students socialize over scoops

The Parent Teacher Organization hosted the annual Ice Cream Social Friday.

  • East County
  • Schools
Kyle Davenport shows off his eccentric costume for the photo booth.
    By
  • Jessica Salmond
  • September 10, 2015
Braden River Middle School students glow up the gym

The school held a special dance for participants of an academic program.

  • East County
  • Schools
The School District had anticipated about 1,000 more students.
    By
  • Pam Eubanks
  • September 4, 2015
Manatee schools release 10-day count

Overall, enrollment is up 635 students compared with last school year.

  • East County
  • Schools
Robert Zhang thows his sponges at the principal.
    By
  • Jessica Salmond
  • September 4, 2015
Braden River Elementary administrators soak up summer learning success

Students who finished summertime packets got to throw sponges at the principal and assistant principal.

  • East County
  • Schools
Christa Briener, the voluntary pre-kindergarten teacher, reads a bok to Nolan Lee, 4.
    By
  • Jessica Salmond
  • August 31, 2015
Kiddie Academy promotes literacy with help from Curious George

The Lakewood Ranch early learning center held its annual Story Time Alive event Saturday.

  • East County
  • Schools
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John Saputo (left), Denise Saputo (top center), Lorraine Vitale (right) and Dick Vitale (bottom center) at the "March Mayhem" fundraiser and Elite Eight watch party. The Saputos were the hosts March 28 at Gold Coast Eagle Distributing.
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Lakewood Ranch Little League plays at Lakewood Ranch Park March 25.
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