At the beginning of every school year, OCPS organizes a webpage that contains a great deal of helpful back to school information, resource links, and tips all in one spot. Please click here.

The 2023 Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday began Monday, July 24 and runs through Sunday, August 6! You can find a list of which items will be tax-free here: https://bit.ly/43r7m3q

Average spending per child on back-to-school shopping in the U.S. will fall 10% from last year to $597, marking the first decline since 2014. The 2023 Deloitte back-to-school survey points to inflation as the driving force. Shoppers are expected to replenish student necessities, such as basic school supplies, while holding off on nonessentials like tech and apparel. Still, six in 10 parents say they would be willing to splurge for the right reasons, like treating their child. Prices for school supplies have jumped nearly 24% in the last two years.

Source: Deloitte.com Read full article 

* Find-A-Bus Application - Go to www.ocps.net then click on Find a Bus (in Quick Links) and follow the instructions.

* Check the route information posted at the school for times and stop locations. Stop locations are also found in the Find-A-Bus application.

* The Transportation Services telephone number is 407-317-3800.

* Be sure to update school records with your current telephone number so you will not miss out on important information.

* Be sure your child has some type of identification with their name, address, and a contact person's telephone number on them at all times.

* FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions) can be found on the Transportation Services web site in the Quick Links section or by clicking here.

* Email: AskTransportation@ocps.net

The State of Florida requires all incoming 7th graders to have the Tdap Immunization on the Florida 680 Health Form prior to the start of school. (floridahealth.gov)

* Back to school immunization events and forms

Soccer tryouts begin on Monday, August 14th. Please ensure that your child has a sports physical on file. The file can be found at:

We have partnered with ER Care of Central Florida. Take a moment and ensure that your child has their physical completed before Monday, August 14th.

For more information on Athletics, contact Legacy Athletic Director Michael Rummel (Michael.Rummel@ocps.net)

The list shared by St. Johns County Sheriff's Office includes social media apps, dating apps, and even games with chat functions. View the short news video (posted by First Coast News, Jacksonville, FL)

Kyle Gonzalez began her career with OCPS in 1994 by piloting the Literacy Project at Lakeview Middle School for four years. She then moved to Boone High School, where she taught Reading and later served as the Reading Coach. After 23 years at Boone, Mrs. Gonzalez will now be serving as the Media Specialist at Legacy Middle School. Her passion for making literacy accessible to all students is best summed up by educator and researcher Sharon Taberski: "Without children's engagement in reading, everything else is to little avail."

Hello! My name is Stephenie Murphy, but you can call me Ms. M. I graduated from Valencia College with a Bachelor of Science in Business and Organizational Leadership. I was born and raised in Jamaica. I moved to South Florida when I was seventeen years old, and for the past five years I have resided in Orlando. I have two amazing kids who are the center of my universe. My son is ten and my daughter is six years old. In my free time, I enjoy going to theme parks with my children or at the movie theatre watching the newest family-friendly films. This is my first year teaching, and I'm thrilled to be beginning my new career at Legacy Middle School.

Hi! My name is John Eschenbach and I grew up in Millburn, New Jersey, then attended the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, earning a varsity letter competing for the fencing team - Go Heels! After receiving a BA in American History from UNC I earned a Masters in Teaching Social Studies from Teachers College - Columbia University. I stayed in New York to begin my career, teaching 7th grade Humanities (a mixture of Social Studies and English) and coaching the track and debate teams at Booker T. Washington Middle School in the Upper West Side. I moved to Orlando in large part to escape those northeastern winters (nothing like that Florida sun!) and love it so far. I’m eager to join the Legacy Middle School community, where I can contribute my passion for history education to create a dynamic and inclusive learning environment that empowers and inspires all students.

My name is Gabryl Martinez, and I am happy to join the team this year as a first-year teacher in Physical Education. I grew up here in Florida where I graduated from Poinciana High School in Kissimmee and moved on to graduate from UCF. While in college, I worked as a substitute teacher for Seminole county and as a paraprofessional for Goldsboro Elementary. During those years, I developed a passion for guiding younger people towards healthy communication and lifestyle habits. Outside of my professional background in education, I have worked as a personal trainer, restaurant server, delivery driver, and commercial actor. In everything I do, I like to find a way to make it fun.

My life has always been about having the most fun I can at any given moment. I like planning trips for my family, throwing parties at my house, playing kickball with my cousins, and having competitive cook-offs. No matter how old I get, I will never feel too old to watch cartoons, do a little cosplay, and play video games. Some may say I’m a grown kid, but I’m okay with that.

I look forward to having a great, fun, and productive year here at Legacy!

My name is Joanna Y. De León-Cabral. I was born and raised in the Dominican Republic, and came to the United States when I was 18, after graduating from high school. I attended The University of South Florida (Go Bulls!), where I earned a Bachelor and a Masters degree. Although my career as an educator began 24 years ago, I discovered my passion for teaching as a young girl. I used to help my mom, a

former teacher and school principal, tutor students in our garage (which my dad converted into a classroom).

My teaching career expands from K-12th plus adult Education, teaching 5th G.

General Ed., Spanish, and most recently teaching ESOL and Reading at the high

school level.

I love spending time with my family, especially with my husband and my two

grandchildren. I also enjoy traveling and learning about different cultures, as well

as curling up with a good book or binge watching HGTV, mini-series, and

documentaries.

I am excited and look forward to the new school year! I feel blessed and honored

to join the Legacy family, as I share my knowledge and passion for teaching and

learning with my Jets!!!

I have been teaching for 18 years including three in a self-contained ESE classroom. Originally from Pittsburgh PA, I enjoy reading, swimming and going to Disney with my family. I am really looking forward to working with and supporting the ESE population at Legacy Middle School. When you are at the school, please stop by! I would love to say hello!

* After School Zone is funded by a grant from the Orange County Government. There is no charge for youth to attend. The program takes place from the last bell to 6:00 pm.

Exciting news, Jets! Our new Assistant Principal of Instruction, Dr. Jessica Torres, was honored by the OCPS Office of Emergency Management with the 2023 Emergency Preparedness Award, which recognized her commitment to creating a culture of emergency preparedness and safety with innovative ideas and programs while serving as Assistant Principal at Boone High School.

Dr. Torres implemented both a proactive and collaborative approach to school safety, utilizing the knowledge and expertise of OCPS’ Emergency Preparedness Team, led by Ursuala Walker, to create an effective safety plan. Dr. Torres extends a special thanks to not only Ursuala Walker and her team but also to Boone parents, staff, vendors, and Partners in Education for taking active roles in supporting school safety. School safety is our number one priority at Legacy Middle School.

Dr. Torres asks our Jet parents to have active conversations with your middle school student(s) about school safety, including social media safety, healthy relationships with peers, healthy coping strategies and awareness of your student’s mental health.

Remember Jets, if you should ever see or hear something suspicious or unusual, say something to any teacher, coach, or administrator right away. Thank you.

In a 2005 study, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania analyzed a large group of 8th grade students measuring their IQs and other factors, including how much willpower the students demonstrated, as measured by their self-discipline.

Students who exerted high levels of willpower were more likely to earn higher grades in their classes and gain admission into more selective colleges later on. They also had fewer absences and had less "screen time" during the week investing more time on their homework as needed.

What the researchers found was that self discipline predicted academic performance more robustly than did IQ. Self discipline also predicted which students would improve their grades over the course of the school year, whereas IQ did not.

The lesson for our Jets ahead of the 2023-2024 school year? Self-discipline has a bigger effect on academic performance than does intellectual talent. And the best way to strengthen willpower and give yourself an advantage is to make it into a habit. Willpower is a learnable skill, something that can be taught in the same way kids learn to do math and say "thank you."