On Thursday, November 20th, all students were involved in a variety of presentations and interactive sessions given by volunteers from the areas of business, science, the arts, sport, and medicine. Sessions were designed to introduce students to different careers and to enhance their learning by providing insights into the real world. We heard from a chief financial officer, a pediatric nurse/educator, a genetic counselor, a player development professional from the New York Yankees, a veterinary nurse, a radiographer, a librarian, and an entrepreneur/social influencer. Students had opportunities to ask questions and engage directly with the speakers.

Our grateful thanks to the following people for giving up their time and for providing interesting and most engaging presentations:Chris Basso, Scott Cierebiej, Kerin Clarkin, Sandra Cohen, Niki Meister, Chris Nyden, Deborah Rodriguez, and Brittany Sears.

Lee Academy’s Head of Kindergarten, Erica Brundidge, spoke at October’s annual conference of the Florida Association for the Education of Young Children (FLAEYC) in Orlando. Her session’s topic was “Bringing Play Back to Kindergarten in a Data Driven Climate.” Erica explained that in today’s increasingly data-driven educational landscape, the role of play in early childhood education has often been overshadowed by standardized assessments and performance metrics. This session aimed to address the tension between academic rigor and the importance of play in kindergarten classrooms. As data becomes a central tool in tracking student achievement, there is growing concern that play-based learning—an essential element of early childhood development—is being diminished or even eliminated in favor of more structured, test-oriented approaches. Her session explored the balance between using data effectively to support learning while ensuring that the critical developmental benefits of play are not lost.