From Orange County Public Schools
Orange County Public Schools is pleased to announce Zellwood Elementary and Kelly Park School as Apple Distinguished Schools for the 2024–2027 program term.
Schools apply and are selected for this distinction based on their commitment to continuous innovation in education and their use of Apple products to inspire, imagine, and impact teaching and learning.
“OCPS prides itself in being a leader in technology and innovation. By providing schools with the updated technology our students need to compete in the global economy, we are developing students’ critical thinking, collaboration and creativity,” Superintendent Maria Vazquez said. “We are pleased to be recognized as members of this community of educators that connects students to the world and increases their personal growth.”
Apple Distinguished Schools are centers of leadership and educational excellence, with a clear vision for how technology-rich environments support learning goals. In Apple Distinguished Schools, forward-thinking leaders and their communities work to inspire, imagine, and impact teaching and learning, and they have documented results of academic accomplishments.
As teachers incorporate technology into their lessons, they empower students to lead, learn, and thrive, to discover new opportunities, and to make their world a better place.
“Once again, we have something to celebrate with our local public schools," said Melissa Byrd, the District 7 OCPS Board Member representing Apopka. "I am incredibly proud of the hard work of the staff of both Zellwood and Kelly Park to ensure that our students have every opportunity to be ready for this fast paced world they are entering. What an honor for our Apopka community!”
The Florida Department of Education graded the Kelly Park School and Zellwood Elementary "A" for the 2023-24 school year.
This isn't Zellwood's first award in 2024. In April, the U.S. Department of Education announced that Zellwood was among only 42 schools nationwide to receive the 2024 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools designation. The honorees were chosen from a pool of candidates from 24 states.
