Page 10 - Palm City Spotlight - December '22

Page 10, Palm City Spotlight

Honoring

Rachael Delekta Chosen As For Rachael, the accolades aren’t important. Her

Keep Florida Beautiful 2022 satisfaction comes from knowing she can serve as an
inspiration to others. Her blog, Chasing Teddy, is named after
Volunteer Of The Year her hero President Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt famously
put conservation on the national agenda and signed into law
Rachael Delekta, a devoted volunteer and board the creation of five National Parks. “TR lived life with great
member with Keep Martin Beautiful, has been selected vigor and zeal,” Rachael writes in her blog. “I hope to journey
as the 2022 Keep Florida Beautiful Volunteer of the Year in that same spirit – climbing every mountain, jumping in
for the state of Florida. every puddle, and engaging with every moment.”
This Stuart resident has put her passion for the environment Her Facebook and Instagram posts (@cleanupfl)
and litter cleanup into action across Martin County. She’s consistently encourage Martin County citizens to be aware
frequently seen on the stretch of sand between Jensen Beach of their environment and act responsibly on behalf of this
and Bathtub Reef Beach picking up marine debris left behind paradise we call home. “We are only given one earth,”
by visitors or that washed up from the ocean, or in front of Rachael says. “We have to protect it.”
her neighborhood along Kanner Highway collecting litter Keep Martin Beautiful is always seeking volunteers for its
carelessly tossed there. year-round cleanup activities and Adopt-A-Road program as
Rachel has also officially taken responsibility for a well as sponsorships and other partners to advance its mission.
street near her home through participation in Keep Martin For more information, contact Keep Martin Beautiful at (772)
Beautiful’s Adopt-A-Road program. While the requirements 781-1222 or email info@keepmartinbeautiful.org.
are to clean the roadway six times a year, Rachael removes tells only part of the story. Rachael has inspired others About Keep Martin Beautiful
litter from her adopted road multiple times a week, ensuring to become active in environmental causes, using her Keep Martin Beautiful (KMB) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
it stays beautiful and litter-free. social media platforms to encourage everyone to take the community organization founded in 1994 as an affiliate
Official records show she has single-handedly picked initiative and do something good in their own community of Keep America Beautiful. Its mission is to preserve and
up more than 2,000 pounds of litter and marine debris for the benefit of the whole planet. enhance the quality of life in Martin County through litter
from public spaces over the past few years, but that “We sometimes ask what just one person can do to help prevention, the promotion of recycling, improvement of
the environment,” said Keep Martin Beautiful Executive solid waste management practices, and beautification and
Holiday ‘Quite a lot!’ The Keep Florida Beautiful Award judges were programs include the Environmental Stewardship Awards,
community revitalization activities. KMB signature events and
Director Tiffany Kincaid. “In Rachael’s case, the answer is
the International Coastal Cleanup, the Great American
impressed with everything Rachael has accomplished herself
and the example she sets for others.” Cleanup, the Adopt-A-Road and Adopt-A-Street programs,
Rachael was also recently featured on the local NBC and other educational and outreach activities. Find KMB
Happenings affiliate WPTV Channel 5 for her litter cleanups and in on Facebook at facebook.com/KeepMartinBeautiful, follow
KMB on Instagram at instagram.com/keepmartinbeautiful,
2020, she was honored by Keep Martin Beautiful with an
Environmental Stewardship Award. visit KeepMartinBeautiful.org or call (772) 781-1222.
VSOA Offers Holiday Kids Corner

Workshop For Students

By Jackie Holfelder Is Your Child Smart? You may seek private IQ testing or request it from your
Santa’s elves have child’s school. According to the Palm Beach County School
nothing on the lucky kids By Jim Forgan, Ph.D., District gifted web page, they universally screen second-
who will be attending School Psychologist grade students for gifted with the cognitive abilities test. This
Visionary School of Most children are smart is a group-administered assessment that estimates students’
Arts (VSOA) Holiday and a child can be intelligent learned reasoning and problem solving abilities through a
Workshop from Dec. 19 in multiple ways. The battery of verbal and nonverbal test items. They offer full-
to 21. Palm Beach and Martin time gifted classes starting in kindergarten. You can learn
Students aged 5 to 15 Schools offer gifted classes more at: palmbeachschools.org/students_parents/ese/gifted.
will have the opportunity for children who meet the In the Martin Schools they offer two elementary choices.
to learn from professional IQ requirement for being First, the full-time model has gifted students together in
artists, trying their hands “gifted.” The eligibility classes for the entire school day in grades three through five.
at multiple mediums and Farrah Connelly, age 8 requirements are defined Second, the enrichment model works as a “pull-out” program
learning professional by the state of Florida and from the regular classroom for one day per week for students
application of watercolor, followed by local schools. Your child is eligible for special who are excelling in grades kindergarten through five. Martin
pastels and acrylic. instructional programs for the gifted from kindergarten Schools have a gifted handbook available at Martinschools.
Basic to intermediate through grade 12 if they meet the following criteria. org/page/gifted.
drawing techniques will First, your child demonstrates a need for a special program Children who meet the gifted criteria receive a special
be explored – including through strong grades. Second, they have a majority of educational plan to meet their individual academic and social
upside-down drawing, characteristics of gifted students according to a checklist needs. The plan is implemented by teachers with a gifted
which activates the right completed by the teacher. Third, they demonstrate superior teaching certification endorsement. Gifted classes allow for
side of the brain. intellectual development as measured by an Intelligence project based learning and enrichment beyond the typical
Kids with all skill levels Quotient (IQ) score of 130 or above. Alternatively, your child Florida standards.
will enjoy the workshop can be a member of an underrepresented group and meet the Call if you need help with your child as we test children
and heighten their artistic criteria specified in a school district plan for increasing the ages 5.5 through college for gifted, dyslexia, ADHD,
skills. At the end of each participation of underrepresented groups in programs for depression, anxiety, and other processing disorders. Visit
day, every artist will take Elsa Peng, age 10 students who are gifted. JimForgan.com or dial (561) 625-4125.
home a stunning piece
of artwork, along with
holiday inspired crafts
such as their own hand-
painted ornaments. Aligned
The cost for the three- with
day VSOA Holiday
Workshop is $240, with
one- and two-day programs Home • Auto • Boat • RV • Life
available at prorated Flood • Business • Commercial
costs. All necessary art
supplies for the workshop
are included in the cost.
Students should bring Ella Morey, age 14 Mary-Beth Zipsir
lunch and a snack. Agent in Charge
Visionary School of Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with
the mission to equip youth with award-winning fine art O: (772) 233-4444
skills, artisanship, entrepreneurship and leadership while www.smartchoicepartnersfl.com
establishing community impact with a center for the arts
and continued after-school education. It's our policy that you know yours
To register, visit www.visionaryschoolofarts.org and
click on registration or call (772) 283-4888. Visionary
School of Arts is located at1724 S.E. Indian St., Stuart.
Photos by Visionary School of Arts