Mondays with Maria Podcast

OCPS Superintendent Dr. Maria Vazquez and guests discuss the Pick, Read, and Roll event—a partnership with the Orlando Magic that celebrates improving readers, especially from Title I schools. The program brings thousands of students to the arena for games, player interactions, and recognition to motivate reading and persistence.
The episode highlights the event's impact, memorable student reactions, and the community partnership that supports literacy and student engagement.

Read2Succeed celebrates 25 years of one-on-one tutoring for nearly 5,000 second graders each year, helping students grow academically, socially, and emotionally. Interested volunteers can apply through foundationforocps.org or OCPS.net to get training and be matched with a student at a local school.

Superintendent Maria Vazquez talks with Deputy Superintendent Mike Armbruster about OCPS community and student town halls, the new high school Connectivity Day, and how listening to students, staff, and families leads to real changes. They discuss outcomes like cell phone policy updates, efforts to boost student connection and clubs, middle school concerns about recess and scheduling, and upcoming community town halls.

Hosts Scott Howat and Dr. Michael Armbruster welcome Princeton Elementary Principal Kim Elkins and producer Shari Bobinski to highlight Thanksgiving and what they are thankful for—especially family, friends, and school traditions. The episode touches on the Princeton picnic tradition, upcoming holiday performances, the school approaching its 100th anniversary, and personal Thanksgiving plans, ending with well wishes for Dr. Maria Vazquez who was under the weather at the time of the recording.

Join OCPS Superintendent Dr. Maria Vazquez and VPK leaders as they celebrate the 20th anniversary of Orange County’s Voluntary Pre-K program, highlighting certified teachers, bilingual classrooms, full- and half-day options, and community partnerships that prepare children for kindergarten.
Learn about enrollment through the VPK Family Portal, eligibility requirements, and OCPS’s strong results—with 96% of programs rated above expectations—plus where families can find more information on the OCPS Early Childhood webpage.

On this episode of Mondays with Maria, Dr. Maria Vazquez and OCPS Officer Glenn Ford introduce Kelli, the district's newest canine. Hear about her training, role in weapons detection, and how she will work alongside Coco to help keep students and staff safe. Plus, hear about the anonymous donation that brought Kelli to OCPS and how random canine screenings add an extra layer of school safety.
 
The episode is amazing!! Great job!! I was curious why the titles for the officers are a bit different from each other. One says K9 Handler while the other says K9 Handler & District K9. Is there a reason why? Also, I noticed towards the end Officer Howarth is only partially showing in the shot. Is there something that can be done about that?

Superintendent Dr. Maria Vazquez highlights a winter performance at Dr. Phillips High School.
Check the OCPS Arts calendar for upcoming events at your local middle and high school.
https://www.ocps.net/
 

Superintendent Maria Vazquez and guests highlight OCPS plans for second semester of the 2025-26 school year, including graduation dates, Stellar awards, the Let's Read Challenge, Spirit Run and Top Talent events.
They also discuss school consolidation meetings amid budget and enrollment shifts, upcoming CPR training, Parent Academy offerings, and encouraging families to check grades and plan for a strong second semester.

OCPS Superintendent Dr. Maria Vazquez announces year two of the Let's Read OCPS challenge, aiming for a countywide goal of 50 million minutes read by April 30. After surpassing last year’s goal, district media specialists share successful strategies to motivate students. The episode highlights results from last year: the district logged over 40 million minutes, and students who read and logged 500+ minutes showed notable gains in reading proficiency and overall achievement.

Dr. Maria Vazquez and guests explain OCPS kindergarten registration, why early enrollment helps schools plan, and how families can prepare through tours, school events, and connecting with teachers and other parents.
The episode reviews required documents (birth certificate, proof of address, physical, immunizations) and practical tips to make the first weeks smoother for children and families.