The highly-competitive, annual Medallion of Excellence Awards program, sponsored by The News-Journal, recognizes outstanding achievements by high school seniors in Volusia and Flagler County (in high schools with more than 25 students in the 2014 graduating class). Medallion of Excellence award winners are well-rounded students who not only maintain academic scholarship but who also excel in extracurricular and community activities in areas including -- but not limited to -- the arts, sports, volunteerism and leadership. Click here for Key Dates regarding the Medallion of Excellence Awards.

Click here for photos and bios of the 2014 winners!

The Mini Page: Happy Birthday, Shakespeare!

William Shakespeare was born in April 1564, and even now, 450 years later, his plays, including "Romeo and Juliet" and "Hamlet," are the most admired literature in the world. He is also known for his sonnets (SAHNits), a special type of poem.

The Mini Page talked with the head of reference at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., about Shakespeare’s childhood

Click here for this week's standards.

Be sure to look for the Mini Page every Tuesday in The Daytona Beach News-Journal!

If you are looking for a specific Mini Page topic, follow this link to the searchable archives.

Welcome to the World of Sea Turtles!

Twenty-five classrooms in Volusia and Flagler schools are currently participating in a project to learn more about sea turtles. In partnership with the Sea Turtle Conservancy, The News-Journal is covering the cost for the (virtual) adoption of sea turtles that have been tagged with satellite transmitters. Teachers from Kindergarten through 12th grade are developing creative ways to use the sea turtles in their curriculum. Click here for more information, more photos and some useful links.

Although many insects can be helpful to humans and other animals, there are many that can be major pests as well. They not only annoy us on a personal level, causing discomfort with their bites or stings, but they also affect our environment in significant ways. Insects destroy resources and crops and spread disease among plants and animals. In reality, though, only a few hundred insect species really "bug" humans, even though there are more insects on earth than any other creature.

Over one million insect species have already been classified, and scientists believe that there are many more that haven't been named yet!

· Continue reading this week's issue
· Complete list of more than 100 other topics

The Tampa Bay Times Newspaper in Education program; Gus A. Stavros Center for Free Enterprise and Economic Education at University of South Florida and Florida Press Educational Services are excited to present FREE ONLINE WORKSHOPS for teachers of grades 5-12. Please follow this link (PDF) for more information.

To register, go to tampabay.com/nie and click on Common Core Workshop registration. Please register at least 48 hours before scheduled webinar.

Newspaper in Education Teacher Instructional Resources Page

Find more than 300 instructional resources at The News-Journal’s unique curriculum web page provided by the NIE Institute. If you are a teacher in Volusia or Flagler (FL) counties, please contact Kris Sternberg for login and password information.