It's official!
The Polk County School Board has approved South Pointe Elementary as the name for a new school under construction on State Highway 653 in Winter Haven.
The school board voted unanimously on March 28, and accepted the recommendation from a naming committee comprised of school, district and community leaders.
Principal Dart Meyers also unveiled the new school's logo, colors and mascot – describing the branding as clean, crisp and professional. He also pointed out that no other school in Polk County has the osprey as its mascot and logo.
South Pointe Elementary was the top choice during an online public naming survey conducted in February. South Pointe Elementary received more than 38 percent of the vote. This name refers to the school's location, which is within the southern-most point of Winter Haven.
Other possible name choices included:
- Osprey Elementary or Osprey Landing Elementary — The osprey is a bird found commonly year-round in Florida, including the area where this new school is being built.
- Sensabaugh Elementary — Effie Reeve Sensabaugh was a beloved elementary teacher in Winter Haven. Her teaching career ended in 1943 after more than five decades of service – with more than 40 years spent teaching students in Winter Haven.
The naming committee recommended trying to incorporate all of the other name choices into different elements of South Pointe Elementary.
The school's mascot will be the osprey. The outdoor eating area will be known informally as Osprey Landing.
The media center could later be named after Effie Reeve Sensabaugh. However, this must go before South Pointe's school advisory committee for consideration, and would also need school board approval.
“We too love the idea of utilizing all of the recommendations, and I think they did a great job,” said Superintendent Fred Heid.