Newsletter for 040110 copy - Get Involved

April 2010
Central Area’s
BITS & PIECES
“To give excellence to expect excellence”
NORTH Volume 10 Issue CENTRAL 8 AREIVE EXCELLENCE TO
Dr. Leontine J. Butler
Area Superintendent
Jan P. Beal
Area Director
Dr. Desmond K. Blackburn
Area Director
Michaelle Valbrun-Pope
Area Director
Arthur E. Rose
Assistant Director
Carol N. Baskind
ESE Coordinator
Faye M. Kravitz
Student Services Coordinator
Dr. Jose D. Laverde
Business Analyst
Diane Soloven
Instructional Technology
Office Access
(754) 321-3800
(754) 321-3885 FAX
Web Address:
http://www.broward.k12.fl.us/
centralarea
EXPECEXCELLENCE”
IMPORTANT DATES
April 6
Return from Spring Break
April 6 8:30 a.m. Cypress Bay Zone Meeting Manatee Bay Elementary
April 7 8:00 a.m. Dillard Zone Meeting Dillard Elementary
April 7 9:00 a.m. Centers Principal Meeting Whiddon-Rogers Educ. Center
April 8 12:00 p.m. Central Area Principals Meeting Dillard High
April 9 8:30 a.m. Ft. Lauderdale Zone Meeting Bennett Elementary
April 13 7:45 a.m. Piper Zone Meeting Piper High School
April 13 7:30 a.m. South Plantation Zone Meeting South Plantation High
April 14 8:30 a.m. BA Zone Meeting Park Lakes Elementary
April 15 7:30 a.m. AP Meeting Sunrise Room, CAO
April 21 7:30 a.m. Western Zone Meeting Flamingo Elementary
April 23 7:30 a.m. Zone Facilitators Meeting Falcon Cove Middle
April 23 8:30 a.m. CA Advisory Meeting Falcon Cove Middle
April 27 9:15 a.m. Stranahan Zone Meeting Croissant Park Elementary
April 29 8:00 a.m. General Level Meetings Various Locations
DATES/EVENTS FOR APRIL 2010
April 1 – 30 Young People’s Poetry
April 1
April Fool’s Day
April 2
International Children’s Book Day
April 4 – 10 National Library Week
April 6
National Library Workers Day
Continued on Page 6
A MESSAGE FROM OUR AREA SUPERINTENDENT
In their book, Emotional Intelligence 2.0, Drs. Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves write “to improve your
ability in the four emotional intelligence skills, you need to better understand each skill and what it looks like in
action. The four emotional intelligence skills pair up under two primary competencies: personal competence
and social competence. Personal competence is made up of your self-awareness and self-management skills,
which focus more on you individually than on your interactions with other people. Personal competence is your
ability to stay aware of your emotions and manage your behavior and tendencies.”
“Social competence is made up of your social awareness and relationship management skills; social competence
is your ability to understand other people’s moods, behavior and motives in order to improve the quality of your
relationships.”
“Self-awareness is your ability to accurately perceive your own emotions in the moment and understand your
tendencies across situations. Self-awareness includes staying on top of your typical reactions to specific events,
challenges, and people. A keen understanding of your tendencies is important; it helps you quickly make sense
of your emotions. A high degree of self-awareness requires a willingness to tolerate the discomfort of focusing
on feelings that may be negative. Self-awareness is not about discovering deep, dark secrets or unconscious
motivations, but, rather, it comes from developing a straightforward and honest understanding of what makes
you tick.” We’ll discuss more about self-awareness in our next issue.
Dr. Leontine J. Butler
1

DILLARD CENTER OF THE ARTS JAZZ BAND
SELECTED FOR ELITE COMPETITION
The Dillard Center of the Arts Jazz
Band is one of 15 finalists selected
to participate at the 15 th annual
Essentially Ellington High School
Jazz Band Competition & Festival.
The bands, selected as the best in
the country, will compete and
participate in workshops, jam
sessions, and more during a threeday
competition and festival at Lincoln Center in New York City,
May 8-10.
The festival will culminate in a competition; the three top-placing
bands will perform with guest soloist Wynton Marsalis (the Artistic
Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center). The 15-piece Jazz at Lincoln
Center Orchestra, whose members will serve as mentors for the
finalist bands throughout the weekend, will also perform. “I'm
looking forward to hearing this year's finalists; it is my favorite time
of year,” said Marsalis.
The festival's finale is an awards ceremony honoring outstanding
soloists, sections and the top three bands.
ROCK ISLAND ELEMENTARY STUDENTS GO TO
UNITED KINGDOM AND ST. THOMAS
On February 26, students of Rock
Island had the opportunity for the
first time to work in real time
with students in the United
Kingdom and St. Thomas, U. S.
Virgin Islands on a science
lesson using the Promethean
board.
Fourth graders in Daniela
Roumou’s class at Lockhart
Elementary School spent
Thursday morning dissecting a
virtual frog, taking turns with
kids in Florida and England.
It appears the days of watching
the teacher’s back as she
scribbles on the chalkboard and
drones on about nematodes are fast becoming a thing of the past.
That old green chalkboard, located at the front of the classroom in
days gone by, has been replaced in 32 of Lockhart’s classrooms by a
Promethean Interactive Whiteboard, which works with a laptop and
software that enables the students to play an active role in their
learning.
Eluminate, a technology available to users of the Promethean
program, allows a virtual classroom connection between multiple
schools via the interactive whiteboard. Thus the Lockhart kids were
working with fellow student dissectors from Rock Island Elementary
School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and Fosters Primary in Welling,
outside London in the U.K., discussing their findings via webcam.
The Rock Island school contacted Roumou last week to ask if she
would be interested in connecting the classrooms. Rock Island had
already been working with the class from the UK and was interested
in meeting and working with students from the U.S. Virgin Islands
With tools such as surgical knives, pins, magnifying glass and
tweezers at their disposal, students raised their hands high, hoping for
the chance to use them. Aaliyah Babrow made the first virtual cut
across the frog’s midsection after introducing herself to her virtual
classmates.
Next up was a student from Rosheika Rolle’s third grade class at
Rock Island, who peeled back the layers of the frog’s skin.
The dissection proceeded as students from all three schools talked to
each other through the webcam and speaker system. They plan to
work on another project together in three weeks.
Roumou expressed her gratitude for the Promethean boards and the
support she has received from Principal Carla Sarauew, who
recognized the educational value of the boards and recently ordered
22 more to add to the ten the school had.
The enthusiasm for learning was evident in Roumou’s class, with
every child paying attention to the lesson and waiting for their turn to
interact with the board. Interactivity is the main focus of the program
and has changed the attitude her children have about class work.
“When the students are able to participate, they are actually excited
about learning,” said Roumou.
She has also seen marked improvements in test scores. “Use of the
Promethean board,” said Roumou, “has helped me tremendously in
reaching the learning goals we have for the students.”
According to Roumou, many teachers are intimidated by the boards
and reluctant to use them. Roumou has been conducting training for
teachers, an eight-week course involving two two-hour sessions each
week, and is now halfway through her second group of teachers’
training.
Roumou said that one of the Lockhart teachers was initially resistant
to using the Promethean board but is now one of its biggest fans. And
her students are reaping the benefits of the interactive system
CONGRATULATIONS TO PIPER’S FULL
ORCHESTRA
Congratulations to the Piper
High School Full Orchestra.
They Received STRAIGHT
SUPERIOR Ratings at the
Florida Orchestra Association
District Music Performance
Assessment held at Piper High
School. They now qualify for
States, which will be held in
April and again will be hosted
by Piper High School. Thank
you to everyone who assisted
with this event.
Special Thanks to Mrs.
Valdez, Mr. Goodwin, Mrs.Grutman, and Mr. Cote. Your diligence
and commitment is truly appreciated.
Selections Include:
March to the Scaffold
Fanfare and Frippery
Dark Adventure
Hector Berlioz/Meyer
Richard Stephens
Ralph Ford
2

DAVE THOMAS EDUCATION CENTER LINKED
WITH HAITI FOR CHANGE
On January 12 th , 2010 just before 5:00 p.m., ten miles southwest of
Port-au-Prince, an earthquake shook the grounds in Haiti. The
earthquake brought great devastation to this beautiful island and
forever affected the lives of those living there and the friends and
families of these victims.
It is estimated that more than 250,000 innocent victims lost their lives
and many others were seriously injured. The images on the screens
of our TV have brought us both sorrow and a sense of hopelessness.
We wanted to bring about change quickly; we wanted to end the
sorrow; and most of all we wanted to extend our hopes and prayers to
those whose lives were forever impacted by this devastation.
On February 16 th , through an initiation done by Trishia Meadows,
our ESE PLACE teacher, all 3 campuses united to show that we have
not forgotten about this devastation; we will not change the channel
so that we can avoid the hurt; and we will never give up hope.
Together our campuses showed their support for Haiti by creating a
chain link that demonstrated and reflected our perseverance and
determination for change. Each student created a link, signing their
names that they continue to support Haiti.
We gathered together on Tuesday morning and sent out our hopes
and prayers in recognition of those individuals that have been
affected by this worldwide tragedy.
We cannot allow others to forget what happened in Haiti. We cannot
let down those innocent victims whose lives have been forever
impacted. Most of all, we must remember that this tragedy is not
over. The pain continues and Dave Thomas Education Center will
remain linked with Haiti for Change.
WINGATE’S “AKTION CLUB” NEWS
The Aktion Club at Wingate Oaks
Center is sponsored by
Jorge Rios, teacher in the Adults
with Disabilities (AWD) program.
Aktion Club, sponsored by Kiwanis,
is a community service group for
adult citizens living with
disabilities.
It is a way for them to be integrated
into the community while
performing important services at the
same time. Jorge has invited all
students in the adult program to join
this service club. Interested
students participate with pride during and after school.
At various times you will see members of Aktion Club proudly
wearing their bright red t-shirts. This usually indicates there is a
project of some sort they are involved with that day. It could range
from sorting dictionaries to be delivered to schools, to a park clean
up, to a meeting with the Lauderhill City Commission.
The club functions like any other organization with officers and
regular meetings. Students are very proud of their membership and
have been recognized at Kiwanis meetings as well as various local
government meetings. They are the leaders among the students in the
adult program.
WORLD LANGUAGES DEPARTMENT AND
STUDENTS EXCEL AT PIPER
The World Languages Department and 23 foreign language students
represented Piper High School and participated in the World
Languages Academic Competitions, along with 35 other Broward
County Public schools, on February 13.
Drew Resource Center
Dave Thomas East
These students worked on their projects and competition assignments
for weeks, and their hard work was awarded with 15 gold medals for
first place, 10 silver medals for second place, 3 bronze medals for
third place and 2 certificates for fourth place. These students have
represented Piper High with pride and they deserve recognition for
their effort.
Congratulations to all the participants. Go Bengals!
Dave Thomas West
CONGRATLATIONS, KID OF CHARACTER
HALLIE GRUMER
Hallie Grumer has shone through
adversity, being thrust into a caregiver’s
role when a motorist seriously injured
her parents while walking their dogs
recently. She took charge and stayed
focused, making key decisions for the
family and caring for her two younger
sisters while her parents were
hospitalized for eight days.
She stayed strong for her parents, Keith and Penny, coordinated all
details for her sisters and still maintained all of her responsibilities at
school, including overseeing a community program she started last
year. Her parents say she has been “an enormous help” as she has
3

assisted them and her sisters Madison and Shelby in many ways,
especially with driving her sisters places as needed.
Before the accident, Hallie had already demonstrated she could tackle
whatever hurdle is thrown her way in school, said Shari Bush,
communications liaison at Cypress Bay High.
As a junior, Hallie started the Paper All Year project, which she now
coordinates with the school’s Interact Club. She was spurred by
budget cuts that Broward schools, including Cypress Bay, were
facing. She started encouraging businesses and individuals to donate,
or give cash to purchase, paper for various school uses, including
making copies for homework assignments. Group members help
distribute the paper and keep tabs on where it’s needed in the school.
We are so proud of Hallie and wish her family well. We know they
are very proud of her.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DR. SEUSS
The Drew Family Resource Center celebrated the famous author’s
birthday on March 2 nd in the school cafeteria. The reading of Dr.
Seuss books for the 3 and 4-year-old Head Start and PLACE
classrooms preceded the celebration.
The Early Reading First mentors, Mrs. Virginia Shields and
Mrs. Tiffany Turner, provided a celebration complete with hats,
balloons, special readings and of course, “green eggs and ham.” Both
parents and children enjoyed the green delicacies and some even
asked for more.
The children learned that Dr. Seuss’ real name was Theodore Geisel
and that he authored many of his books based on the rhymes his
mother chanted to him when he was a child. A good time was had
by all and the children can now be seen in the library areas of their
classrooms “picture reading,” Green Eggs and Ham, Cat in the Hat,
There’s a Wocket in My Pocket and many others.
WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE?
On Friday, February 26, Village students participated in “Who Wants
to Be a Millionaire? This game was live on their morning show.
After the elimination round of Black History Trivia questions that
were held in the classrooms, the finalists showed what they learned.
Village was honored to have Representative Hazel Rogers as a
special guest who helped present the final cash prizes to our winners.
Second place winner was Tamara Chambers who received $20 and
two first place winners were Brianna Seepersad and Esther Swaby
who both received a cash prize of $40 each.
All other participants received a consolation cash prize of $5 each.
The were: Inia Barker, Alan Bullard, Naomi DeCastro,
Leedafney Francois, Brianca Isma, Malik Lewin, and Emily
Martinez.
Congratulations to all of the winners. It does pay to know your facts!
COMMUNICATIONS CORNER
First Impressions Can Be Lasting Ones
The physical climate of your school has a dramatic affect on what
people think about your school. It can influence how staff,
volunteers, and students feel about coming into the building each
morning and it certainly affects the image of your school in the minds
of parents and the community.
When people see that a building is well cared for, they assume the
school is in good hands, but if it looks run down, they wonder
whether attention is given to other things in the school, and if their
child should go to that school.
Listed below is a checklist of questions and suggestions to consider.
• Can visitors find the school office? If not, create some
colorful signs pointing the way to the office, auditorium
and media center from all the parking lots.
• Is the front office cheerful and welcoming?
• Do you have seats in the office for both adults and
children? (Or, are adults forced to sit on little chairs?)
• Is the nurse's office out of view of guests in the office?
• Is student work on display in the building?
• Is the building clean?
• Are the bathrooms clean, hallways brightly lit? Would you
want to eat lunch in the cafeteria? (Host contests for
students, staff and parents for the best suggestions for
keeping the bathrooms clean, or brightening the hallways,
and rearranging or decorating the lunchroom.)
• Are hallways clear of old furniture/computers?
• Is it time to change a billboard display or the school
marquee?
• Is fresh paint needed?
• How does the playground look?
Top Left: Mrs. Turner. Top Right, Green Eggs and Ham Chart.
Bottom picture: Mrs. Shields
• Is litter picked-up daily around the grounds? (New litter vs.
old litter - a paper here or there is hard to avoid with so
4

many students moving in and out of the building, but old
litter is another matter. A paper that has been lying around
for weeks looks like it has been there for weeks.)
• Is your landscaping inviting? (Involve the community in
school beautification projects. Have classes take turns
weeding flowerbeds. Have students plan and plant a class
garden as part of a science unit. If you are concerned about
vandalism, place plants or small palms in flowerpots that
can be brought inside after school.)
• Is it time to buy a new flag?
• Have you forgotten the teachers' lounge? (This could be a
group project. Adding a couch, curtains, microwave or
another amenity will make staff feel more welcome, and
appreciated.)
Remember that the Public Relations & Governmental Affairs
Department is available to assist you. To learn more about how the
department can help you, please contact Executive Director Eddie
Arnold at 754-321-2300.
IMPORTANT DATES (Continued from Page 1)
April 7
April 10 – 17
April 11 – 17
April 11
April 12
April 13
April 15
April 16
April 17 – 25
April 18 – 24
April 18 – 24
April 18
April 21
April 22
April 22
April 23
April 26 – 30
April 30
World Health Day
Annual Children’s Week
National Student Leadership Week
Day of Universal Reflection
Anniversary of First Man In Space (Yuri Gagrin)
Thomas Jefferson’s Birthday
Anniversary of the Sinking of the Titanic
National Day of Silence
National Wildlife Week
Administrative Professionals Week
National Volunteer Week
Anniversary of Paul Revere’s Ride
Administrative Professionals Day
Earth Day
Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day
William Shakespeare’s Birthday
National Playground Safety Week
National Arbor Day
PIPER HIGH’S JROTC TO PARTICIPATE IN FINAL
CHAMPIONSHIPS
After advancing through two phases
of competition, the Piper High School
Junior ROTC leadership team will
participate in the final Championship
round of The 2010 Army JROTC
Leadership Symposium in
Washington, D.C.
The championships will be held on
the campus of George Mason
University, June 25-29, 2010, and is
sponsored by the Army JROTC and conducted by College Options
Foundation.
Team members are composed of Ashley Brown, Shalinda Mangru,
Monica Meraz, Brian Merrill, Brittany Sellers, and Elimyra
Texidor.
The Piper JROTC team competed in two rounds of competitive
online play against thousands of JROTC students from across the
world to win a place in the championship and the trip to DC. In these
rounds, students were tested on standard HS curriculum; Math,
Science, English, and leadership skills. The team is one of only 48 in
the nation to advance to the finals.
The JROTC Leadership and Academic Bowl is a nationally
recognized academic competition created exclusively for JROTC
students. By participating, cadets learn the values of citizenship,
academic competition, and college opportunity. The competition
creates tremendous opportunities for JROTC and its cadets by
demonstrating the leadership and academic abilities of JROTC
students.
The College Options Foundation is a non-profit organization
dedicated to enriching the academic development of high school
students and assisting them in their preparation for higher education.
Using academic competitions, college exam study guides, college
admissions tutorials and personalized counseling, College Options
Foundation has assisted the nation’s 1.1 million JROTC cadets
worldwide.
PIPER’S CHORUS ON TO STATES
The seventy-two members of the Bengal Chorus are moving on to the
state competition in April. All of the choirs received superior ratings.
We wish them much success and know they will do a wonderful job!
PARENT APPRECIATION DAY AT SEAGULL
Seagull Alternative High
School hosted its annual
Parent Appreciation Day
Event on Wednesday,
February 24, 2010. The
keynote speaker, Ms.
Sharetta J. Remikie,
MBA, facilitated a
PowerPoint presentation
on The Journey to Success.
The initiative was designed to spotlight the importance of parental
involvement. Principal Bonnie Clemon, Jr., Teen Parent and
Hospital/Homebound Program, gave the opening remarks, and he
showcased the programs and services, which are offered to the
students.
Mr. Clemon emphasized to the parent that “Together Everyone
Achieves More and Parents, Teachers, and Students are a TEAM.”
Mrs. Ellen C. Etling, Principal Be Right Back Program (BRB),
highlighted that BRB is a credit recovery and retrieval program for
students who have dropped out of high school or who are in danger
of dropping out but who do want to finish school with a standard
diploma.
Ms. Etling reported that BRB allows students the flexibility and
portability of an individualized plan of instruction that can fit into
their lives at any given time. The instruction is based in course work
through the APEX Learning System that allows them to work
anywhere they have access to the Internet.
Support professionals, Instructional Staff, Nursing Staff, Technology
Staff, Media Center Staff, Intern Social Worker, Security Staff,
Facilities Staff, Clerical Staff, Childcare Staff, Human Relations
Council Students, Crime Watch Students, and Community Partners
provide invaluable service to our school. They were recognized for
their outstanding work and tireless effort.
Parents received community resources and a parent’s handbook on
the Future World of Work “Giving Children Hope & Skills For the
21 st Century,” by Susan M. Quattrociocchi, Ph.D. & Barbara
5

Peterson, M.A. In addition, parents received refreshments, $20 Gift
Cards from Wal-Mart, and also Gift Cards from Pollo Tropical. Our
Keynote Speaker, Ms. Sharetta J. Remikie, MBA, donated two (2)
gift baskets and these gifts were given to the parents.
The event presented an excellent opportunity for Seagull Alternative
High School to raise awareness on the importance of parental
involvement in a child’s education. Ongoing research shows that
parental involvement in schools improves student achievement,
reduces absenteeism, and restores parents’ confidence in their
children’s education.
GATOR RUN RECOGNIZED FOR WINNING FIRST
CONSERVATION AND CLIMATE CHANGE
CHALLENGE
The Broward County Board of
County Commissioners recognized
Gator Run Elementary School on
Tuesday, February 9, for winning
the Conservation and Climate
Change Challenge (C3 Challenge).
Broward County Commissioner
Diana Wasserman-Rubin presented
an award to Principal Susan Sasse
and science teacher Susan Beren, acknowledging the school’s
successful conservation efforts.
The C3 Challenge is an educational competition intended to engage
students, teachers, school administrators, staff, and parents in
practical strategies to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse
gas emissions school-wide and at home.
Gator Run had 72 teachers pledge to educate their students to reduce
their carbon footprint at home and in school. Through the
commitment of teachers, students, parents, and school administrators,
the school will reduce an estimated 1.6 million pounds of carbon
dioxide. This is equivalent to the emissions reduced by removing
139 passenger vehicles off the road.
BAIR STUDENTS ARE PART OF LIVE VIDEO TELE-
CONFERENCE
On Wednesday, February 24th, the sixth
graders at Bair Middle School were
inspired with a live video teleconference
from Congressman John Lewis,
U. S. Representative, Georgia
Democrat, civil rights hero, from his
Washington D.C. office.
Students were involved in a
question/answer session with the
Congressman, and learned about
Congressman Lewis' days as a civil rights activist and personal friend
of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as well as what a day in the life of a
congressman today is like. School board member in attendance,
Phyllis Hope, even had a question of her own answered. We were so
honored to have Mrs. Hope in attendance.
It was both inspiring and encouraging for Congressman John Lewis,
during Black History month, to relate to our sixth grade students,
why he and other activists felt strongly about non-violence to create
what King termed "our beloved community."
John Lewis was a hero in the civil rights struggle. He was one of
those people that believed that as long as one person is being treated
unfairly, we all are. He brought the dream closer for all of us.
Overall, more than 520 teachers from 42 schools participated in the
challenge, by pledging to educate over 57,000 students on how to
reduce their carbon footprint.
As a result of the challenge, an estimated nine million pounds of
carbon dioxide will be reduced through actions pledged during the
campaign by all the schools. This is equivalent to the energy used to
power 530 households.
MIRROR LAKE ELEMENTARY CONTINUALLY
SUPPORTS AUTISM SPEAKS
Students have raised money
through candy sales, Valentine
flowers, and even a silent auction
for staff members. Many of the
staff, parents, and students will be
participating in the Broad Walk
Now for Autism Speaks on
Saturday, April 17, 2010 on the
Sherman Library Green at Nova
Southeastern University. Ms.
Robin Baseman is the Honorary
Chair and Dianne Orr and Rachael
Baldassarra are Walk Co-Chairs
for this year's walk event.
Mirror Lake has designed beautiful magnets, which emphasizes the
awareness of appreciating each other’s differences. With their very
large Autistic cluster, it is truly wonderful to see students, accepting
other children for who they are.
6

PLANTATION HIGH STUDENTS EXCEL IN THE
ARTS
Plantation High students
demonstrated their skill in Art,
Chorus, and Band at recent area
competitions. Sageline Labaze
won the Plantation Art Guild
Scholarship. She was recognized
on March 1, and her portfolio
will be on display at Deicke
Auditorium in Plantation.
The Plantation High Band, under the direction of Martin Brown,
was awarded 11 superiors and 10 excellents at the Broward County
Solo and Ensemble Competition. They also won BEST Band at the
Deerfield Beach Founders’ Day Parade.
The Chorus students, directed by Gary Rivenbark, earned two
excellent ratings for the Beginning Mixed Choir and Chamber
Singers. The Advanced Women’s Choir earned a superior and is now
eligible for State competition. Congratulations to all!
Congratulations to all of these wonderful students.
THOMPSON ACADEMY HOSTS NFL SUPERSTARS
On Thursday, February 25, Thompson Academy (one of the sites
under Whiddon-Rogers) hosted several players from the National
Football League.
Santana Moss (Washington Redskins), Andre Johnson (Houston
Texans), and Reggie Wayne (Indianapolis Colts) made a surprise
visit to the facility to offer words of motivation to youth remanded to
the level 6 DJJ residential program.
The former University of Miami players and NFL all-stars spoke with
the youth at Thompson Academy about the importance of education,
making responsible decisions, and setting goals.
The NFL stars also engaged the students in a question and answer
period. Instructional personnel, Thompson Academy staff, and youth
were delighted by the opportunity to interact with the NFL’s best
players.
SOUTH PLANTATION HIGH STUDENTS
OUTSTANDING AT LANGUAGE COMPETITION
South Plantation High students did an outstanding job at the Broward
County World Language competitions. They all participated in
Impromptu Speaking. The French and Spanish Language students
recited poems and the American Sign Language (ASL) students
participated in finger spelling. The following students were awarded
medals:
American Sign Language
Kelly Olsan
Janna Larkins
Jennifer Carpenter
French
Dianet Carranza
Bianca Yacinthe
Shantoi McGregor
Isabel Rivera
Chris Keeve
Miguel Botet
Rivka Louissanit
Kayley Ingle
Courtney Frahm
Godfrey Smith
Jonna Lyn Lerio
Taylor Heath
Samantha Johnson
Arianne Deshaies
Francisque Pierre-Jerome
Marcul Hallen Joseph
Pictured (left to right): Dr. Ferguson, Thompson Academy Director;
Mark Howard, Assistant Principal; Andre Johnson, Houston Texans;
Michelle James, Teacher; Reggie Wayne, Indianapolis Colts; Santana
Moss, Washington Redskins; and Kenneth Miller, Teacher
LAUDERDALE LAKES PARENT MEETING
FEATURED BY CBS4.COM
A Lauderdale Lakes community got some new neighbors, ones they
won't be welcoming any time soon. BSO detectives told parents and
children two sexual predators are now living in their community.
Spanish
Jenna Swanson
Alexia Clark
Melanie Chillaron
Laura Swanson
Talisa Heholt
Tamara Saenz-Marmol
The above named students were honored at an awards ceremony on
March 22, in the Knights Café, along with the rest of the French State
Competition team.
The following students submitted posters and projects to the County
competitions:
At a meeting at Oriole Elementary School recently, parents and their
children also learned how these criminals operate and how to protect
themselves. It is information Jaemi Levine, an advocate for children
and the founder of Mothers Against Predators (MAP), wishes she
had six years ago. “My daughter was the victim of an online predator
when she was 12-years-old,” Levine told CBS4's Gwen Belton.
Since then Levine and her daughter, Nicole, have been on a mission
to educate parents and children by telling Nicole's story. “I was not in
the greatest of mindsets, and went online and was talking to
somebody, and gullible enough to give him my trust,” says Nicole.
Taylor Blair
Samantha Johnson
Tia Young
Stephanie Theofilakos
Isabel Santiao-Riveras
Jami Tero
Marissa Ross
Emerald Silbertain
Francesca Cromartie
Brittany Douglas
Duy Troung
Maureen Collins
Erica Harris
Megan Coffey
Now 17, Nicole often tells her story to other children and teenagers
hoping to prevent what happened to her from happening to someone
else. She says, “My main reason to talk to other kids is to make sure
that I help them.” It's a message about being smart and safe. Parent
Leah Liburd says, “I want to learn more about what I can do as a
parent to be aware of situations like this.” Thirteen-year-old
Emmanuel Laporte says, “Now I learned never to trust anyone that
you don't know.” While there are many laws on the books to protect
7

children from sexual offenders and predators, authorities says parents
must still remain vigilant and one step ahead to ensure their child's
safety.
One of the best ways to do that they say is simply by talking.
ORIOLE FORMS TEAM FOR RELAY FOR LIFE
Oriole Elementary School has formed a
team for the upcoming Relay for Life
event that will take place on April 23,
2010, at Vincent Torres Park.
“Giving back is what we believe in! Our
parents, students, and staff are excited to
be a part of this endeavor,” stated Nicole
Williams, Assistant Principal. If you
would like to walk for RUN-OES, or make a financial donation to
Oriole Elementary School’s sponsorship, please contact Ms.
Williams at 754-322-7558.
By giving from the heart, Welleby will extend their helping hands to
aid the free meal program at Muncheez Restaurant in Haiti. Welleby
students raised over $2,500.00 to help purchase food, so Mr. Rouzeau
can continue to feed the earthquake victims.
Welleby asked their students and families to donate whatever they
could. Each student traced their hand on a heart that they decorated
and attached to their donation. The hearts, and there were hundreds
of them, were displayed on the cafeteria windows for the month of
February.
On March 6, Mr. Rouzeau came to Welleby where Mrs. Peggy
Roberts, Principal, presented him with the check and all the hearts
with the names of each students who made a donation written on
them. Mr. Rouzeau thanked the students on the morning
announcements and told them that he will display all of the hearts in
his restaurant in Haiti.
These generous students gave from their hearts and showed our
neighbors in Haiti that WELLEBY CARES!
SAWGRASS ELEMENTARY RECOGNIZED BY HUGH
DOWNS
Sawgrass Elementary School will be
recognized during a National
Education Report documentary
spotlighting Hands-On-Equations by
Dr. Henry Borenson.
The National Education Report, hosted
by Hugh Downs, is scheduled for
broadcast on Public Television in the
early spring. Lessons presented by
Marlen Veliz from Sawgrass Elementary School are a part of this
documentary.
TWO SAWGRASS ELEMENTARY STUDENTS ARE
WINNERS IN CITY OF SUNRISE CONTEST
Two students from Sawgrass
Elementary School were winners in
the City of Sunrise 2010 Fair
Housing Art Poster Contest.
Kendra Persad won second place
in the fourth and fifth grade
category, and Veronica Corona won third place in the second and
third grade category.
HEARTS AND HANDS HELPING HAITI
Welleby Elementary School PTA, sponsored a fundraising event
directly benefiting the free meal program instituted by Mr. Cliff
Rouzeau, a parent and the owner of Mucheez, one of Haiti’s most
popular restaurants. Mr. Rouzeau and his staff are using their
facilities and resources to feed the homeless hungry victims of the
earthquake on a daily basis.
Mr. Rouzeau was featured on the “Today Show” on MSNBC on
January 20 th . The video can be viewed at the following site:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/34952706 - 34952706
Mrs. Peggy Roberts, Principal, and Mr. Rouzeau on the morning
announcements thanking Welleby staff and students.
CENTRAL PARK’S JUMP ROPE FOR HEART
The students and staff at Central Park
Elementary have raised over $26,900 for
the American Heart Associations' Jump
Rope for Heart program.
Of this amount, $8,248 was raised
online. Central Park Elementary has
participated in Jump Rope for Heart
since opening 20 years ago. In that span
of 20 years Central Park has raised over $285,500 to fight heart
disease and stroke. Central Park has led all schools in Broward
County recently in this effort.
Last year, Central Park was proud to be the #2 School in the state of
Florida in fundraising. “Students from kindergarten through fifth
grade learn about the heart’s function to pump blood through our
body so the blood may deliver nutrients and oxygen to our muscles,”
said Mark Tortora, physical education teacher. “They learn hands on
why our heart beats faster and we breath harder during exercise.”
Mr. Tortora added, “we are proud to participate in this community
service project and our students realize their responsibility to help
others.”
8

CONGRATULATIONS, JANET DAVIS
Janet Davis, a second grade student at Central Park, entered every
category in this year’s PTA Reflections Competition.
Janet was a finalist for Broward County students in the Film
Production category and earned Honorable Mention in Music
Competition.
She now received an Award of Excellence at the state competition in
Film Production and will move forward in the national competition.
Good luck, Janet.
HORIZON ELEMENTARY RAISES FUNDS
The students, faculty and staff of Horizon Elementary collected over
$1500.00 for “Pennies for Patients.”
The money will go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma organizations
and we thank Horizon for their involvement.
SUNLAND PARK ELEMENTARY NEWS
Congratulations to Sunland
Park Elementary for being
the recipient of a United
Way of Broward County
grant that commits $750,000
in grant funds.
United Way of Broward County’s Education Community Impact
team will be funding the Opportunities Industrialization Center of
Broward (OIC) to address the needs of families and their children
residing in the neighborhood and attending Sunland Park Elementary
School. The services will include early learning skills, parent
education, involvement/engagement, and overall family literacy.
Services will target children in elementary school, feeder child care
centers, local family childcare homes and more informal child care
(friends, families, and neighbors). The targeted client is a child, age
three to third grade, although support will ultimately be extended to
the entire family including the siblings. The long-term goal is to
follow this cohort of students for three years or until they complete
the third grade and evaluate the grants impact.
Congratulations to Sunland Park Elementary School for being
recognized for having an exemplary after school child care program.
They received exemplary marks in every area on the quality
standards needs assessment program audit.
Sunland Park was selected to participate in a program which helps
students accelerate learning by building brain fitness, strengthening
brain processing skills and increasing reading proficiency. 3 rd , 4 th and
5 th graders are exercising their brains. Sunland Park has 40 children
who completed their first part of the program. One child showed a 2
year, 1 month gain! It was done after using the software for 15 days!
Special thanks to the Stranahan High School Magnet Nursing
Students for assisting Sunland Park with completing the Body Mass
Index process. Each year the schools are required to record BMI's for
all 1st and 3rd graders. BMI is the measure of body fat based on
height and weight.
Kudos to Mrs. Monroe, at Sunland Park Elementary School for
receiving a congratulatory note from Chuck Ames, Associate
Consultant from Renaissance Learning, for an outstanding job with
independent reading this quarter with the AR program. Her students
have passed quizzes on 234 books with an 81.3 comprehension
average. Thanks for being an advocate for reading. She is a hero to
these kids and they don’t even know it yet.
FALCON COVE’S SCIENCE BOWL TEAM EXCELS
The Falcon Cove Science Bowl team won the middle school state
finals in Orlando last month and next month will be representing
Florida and Georgia at the National Science Bowl Competition in
Washington, D.C. Way to go!
Also, three Falcon Cove Middle School students (Taylor Duarte,
Lauren Shatanof, and Rachel Shatanof) took 4th place in the
Middle School category in C-SPAN's national 2010 StudentCam.
Over 1,000 entries were submitted internationally for the Middle
School category.
Their video was titled, “America's Biggest Challenge: Obesity”
PARKWAY MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS
Congratulations to Mr. James Miles and his orchestra students.
The students received two excellent and two superior ratings from the
recent Florida Orchestra Association.
Another congratulations to Mr. Melton Mustafa and his TWO Jazz
Bands. Both bands received superior ratings across the board from
the Florida Bandmasters Association. Historically Parkway has
always only had one jazz band. So this is a double accomplishment.
And yet another congratulations to Ms. Jan Leykauf and Ms. Linda
Dimeo of the Visual Arts Department, and to their student Ashton
LaFleur. Ashton received 2nd place in the National Magnet Schools
of America Poster Contest. He will receive a plaque and a cash prize
of $75, to be presented at the National Magnet Schools of American
Conference in Tampa this May.
Congratulations to Theatre Instructor Mr. Jacob Aronin and his
Thespian students. At the District 3 Thespian Festival students
were awarded 10 excellent ratings and 1 superior. At the Florida
State Thespian Festival they received 4 excellent ratings and 1
superior.
CONGRATULATIONS, SUNRISE MIDDLE STUDENTS
Congratulations to Jake Dudas and Conner Guidry for placing 3rd
in the State Level Academic Games Competition. Both boys will be
advancing to nationals in April.
Much thanks and appreciation to Christ Church, one of Sunrise
Middle’s active partners in education for donating over 2,400 snacks
during both reading and math FCAT days to help maintain the
students' energy and stamina during testing.
“You get the best out of others
when you give the best of
yourself.”
-Harvey S. Firestone
9

CONGRATULATIONS, BOYD ANDERSON COBRAS
Congratulations to the following Boyd Anderson High students for
their awards in the countywide short story contest:
Referees oversee the competition. Judges evaluate teams and present
awards for design, technology, sportsmanship and commitment to
FIRST.
Helen Fetscher
Cristian Conde
Vanessa Gomez
1 st Place
2 nd Place
3 rd Place
David Ellich, Atlantic Tech faculty advisor for Robotics, praised the
team for their hard work, sportsmanship, and for demonstrating the
TechTiger’s core values: Commitment, Responsibility, and Initiative.
ATLANTIC TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT
RECEIVES THE FIRST JASON TAYLOR FUNDED
SCHOLARSHIP
Congratulations to twelfth grade student,
Sharifa Shageer, who is the first recipient
of a Jason Taylor funded Take Stock in
Children Scholarship in Broward County.
Sharifa completed the Pharmacy Tech
program at Atlantic Tech and will graduate
from Atlantic Technical Center Technical
High School in June.
Take Stock in Children is a program that
awards scholarships to qualifying students who stay on track
academically, remain drug and crime free, and meet with a mentor
weekly during the school day.
Students and parents sign a contract agreeing to the terms of the
program and are rewarded with a two-year, full tuition scholarship
for a Florida community college. ATC Magnet coordinator and
Sharifa’s Take Stock in Children mentor, Fern Leider, reports that as
the Jason Taylor Scholar, Sharifa will receive an additional two years
of tuition for a Florida School.
ATLANTIC TECH CENTER’S ROBOTICS TEAM
WINS FLORIDA REGIONAL FOR THE THIRD TIME
IN FOUR YEARS
On March 12 & 13, the Atlantic Technical Center High School
Robotics Team, the TechTigers, participated in the Florida FIRST
Regional Competitions held at the University of Central Florida in
Orlando. Fifty-three teams [from Florida, Alabama, Louisiana,
Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico] engaged in two
days of intense and exciting competition.
FIRST (For Inspiration & Recognition in Science & Technology) is
the vision of inventor and entrepreneur, Dean Kamen, and is a
unique varsity sport of the mind designed to help high school aged
young people discover how interesting and rewarding the life of
engineers and scientists can be.
Each school year, teams are formed in the fall. The FIRST Robotics
Competition Kickoff - in early January -starts the six-week "build"
season. Regional competitions take place in March and April. The
Regional events are typically held in university arenas and consist of
short games played by autonomous and remote-controlled robots.
Each robot is designed and built in 6 weeks, from a common set of
parts, by a team of 15 to 25 high-school-aged young people and a
handful of engineers-mentors. This year’s challenge was called
Breakaway, a soccer-like game where the objective is to score as
many soccer balls into goals located at the end of the field. The field
is divided into 3 sections by “humps” and a tower. Robots may move
from section to section by traversing the hump or through a tunnel
under the tower.
He also acknowledged the parents and
ATC staff for their support, and gave a
HUGE “Thank You” to Sonny's, The
Carwash Factory, in Tamarac for being
there from the beginning with
encouragement and corporate
sponsorship.
Now, it’s on to Atlanta, Georgia and the championship event that
caps the season. We wish the team well.
MOTIVATIONAL ASSEMBLY AT CHARLES DREW
On Wednesday, February 3, the
students at the Dave Thomas, Charles
Drew Teen Parent Program,
participated in a Motivational
Assembly.
The purpose of the Assembly was for
the teen parents to hear from a
prominent School Board member and a
dynamic School Board teacher about
becoming successful and overcoming obstacles despite hardships.
Our first speaker was
Ms. Phyllis Hope, School Board member,
representing District 6. Ms. Hope
discussed how despite her being a teen
mother, she mapped out a plan of how she
would become successful. Staying in
school and graduating was Ms. Hope’s
number one goal.
Although, attending college was not a viable option, she did attend
vocational school to pursue her career goals. She encouraged the
students to set goals, work on them daily, and to remain focused.
Our second speaker was Ms. Patricia
Lesesne, Social Studies teacher at Boyd
Anderson High School. Ms. Lesesne is
also a licensed and ordained minister. Ms.
Lesesne, who was a pre-teen mother,
chronicled her success path from twelve
years old to her present position.
She attended Syesis (Seagull Teen Parent
Center) and returned to her home school where she studied in the
Gifted Program. Ms. Lesesne talked about her struggles from
graduation to her Harvard graduation.
Ms. Lesesne presented each student with mirrors on which to make
reflections and positive affirmations. She encouraged them to look in
the mirror, write their goals on the mirror, and not let anyone deter
them from reaching their goals.
Students asked poignant and informative questions. They were
attentive, enthused and pledged to develop great expectations for
themselves and their children.
10

ESE DEPARTMENT NEWS
Parkway Middle School - SVE
Congratulations to Mr. Orin Mayer, a special education teacher at
Parkway Middle School, for being selected to receive one of the
Disseminator Grants and present his idea at the recent Broward
Education Foundation’s Impact II Idea Expo. His display was chosen
as the 3 rd place winner. Disseminator grants provide $1,000 for
teachers to develop and disseminate to their peers model programs
that they have created in their classrooms.
Mr. Mayer’s idea involved adapting and modifying the 8 th grade
science curriculum so that his students could participate to the best of
their abilities. He followed the school’s science curriculum maps to
allow his students to study the same topics as their regular peers. His
project utilized an adaptive keyboard, adaptive switches, Classroom
Suite software, and other switch-accessible science software titles.
Mr. Mayer has chosen to use his grant money to purchase additional
software and materials for his classroom in the area of science. This
will allow him to expand the scope of his original project to other
grade levels.
South Plantation High Scores Big!!!
Four DHH students, their coaches, and supporters traveled to St.
Augustine on March 4-7 to compete in Gallaudet University's 14th
annual Deaf Academic Bowl. Fourteen teams from our eight state
region plus two teams from the west (California and Colorado)
challenged each other for the coveted opportunity to travel in April to
Washington, D. C. to compete on the national level.
Our team succeeded in doing so the past two years but not this year.
Nonetheless, we are very proud of our team. They placed 7th - which
is fantastic - especially knowing that they were the only team with no
juniors or seniors, and two players participated for their first time.
Team members included sophomores Francisco He Joa,
Joshua Metellus, and Eriz Martinez and one freshman,
Tiffany Messina. Head coach was Keith Muller, Ph.D., DHH
Family Counselor, and the Assistant Coach was Amy Schwartzberg,
LCSW, DHH Family Counselor. Two supporting coaches were Gigi
Kean, ESE Support Facilitator at SPHS, and Sarah Samuels, ESE
Specialist at Hallandale High School.
The players prepared for competition by meeting since October after
school and on Saturday mornings (thanks to NSU which gave us
space to meet) and studying the nine content areas included. The
competition is conducted without speech or sign language, instead by
using paper, overhead projectors and PowerPoint matches projected
onto a screen.
We are grateful to those who contributed to cover the school’s
expenses, including the Plantation Women's Club, the Plantation
Quota Club, and the ASL Club at Western High School. The
school has been informed that they will also receive support from
their SHAPE Club at a program in April.
Next year, all teams will travel to Washington on March 5th instead
of competing on the regional level first; Gallaudet University wants
all players to visit the campus and meet each other - this means
additional funds will be needed! If you would like to help, or you
know someone who is willing to do so, please contact Keith Miller
at 754-323-1950, Ext. 2050, or via CAB. Go Paladins!
ESE Technology Trainings Spring
Please spread the word about these upcoming technology trainings.
If you need more information, please contact Joanne Brustad via
CAB, or by calling 754-321-2214.
TRAINING DATE/TIME LOCATION DESCRIPTION
PixWriter
Webinar
April 21
2:15-3:15 pm
Flipping Out April 27
2:00-3:30pm
Read:
OutLoud
Read:
OutLoud
Tech Assist
Tuesdays
May 5
2:00-3:30pm
May 11
2:00-3:30pm
Call for
assistance!
TBA
RIPDC room
205
RIPDC room
205
RIPDC room
205
Your school
or FDLRS
Lab
Bring your laptop
with PixWriter
loaded!
Flipping Out!
Using your FLIP
video to create
videos with your
students.
Middle and high
schools
Middle and high
schools
Contact Joanne
Brustad to
schedule for a
specific need
BROWARD COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
Crystal Lake Middle Community School welcomed parents and
children recently in a series of Reading Is Fundamental Book
Distribution Events co-hosted with Broward Community Schools'
Family Literacy programs.
Staff from Community Schools and parent volunteers from the
Family Literacy Academy led interactive literacy activities with
parents and children making fraction kits, creating play dough,
getting to choose books to take home, and listening to stories.
The parent volunteers also took leadership roles in managing
registration, greeting participants, and leading families through the art
make-and-take activities. Children talked with Sheriff’s Office staff
and got fingerprinted for safety. Another partner, Broward Health,
met with many of the adults about their community health programs.
Other community participants included the Broward County
Library, and the U.S. Census Bureau.
Special appreciation goes out to Dr. Ted D. Toomer, Principal,
Markham Elementary, our VIP storybook reader. Dr. Toomer shared
his personal experiences with reading as a child and how his parents
got him to read. This really captured the attention of the children and
parents.
Thanks to the collaborative efforts of the community school staff,
parent volunteers and community partners, this literacy event
provided an opportunity for adults and their children to have fun,
learn about community resources, and experience the joy of reading.
For more information about Family Literacy programs, please contact
Kimara Bedassie, Coordinator, Family Literacy Programs, at
754-321-7607 or on CAB.
Don’t Miss Out on Great Summer Camps/Programs
All Ages and Interests
Broward Community Schools are now taking registrations for their
wide-variety of summer camps/programs. We’ve even added more in
response to community requests. All of our instructors are certified
and dedicated to each of our campers having a summer to remember.
Camps generally run from between 3-7 hours daily, while Programs
are 1-3 hours once or twice a week.
Before and after care for all camps is available at Cooper City High
Community School and through Tequesta Trace Middle Community
School @ Sunrise/Weston Annex. This year, for the first time, we
11

are even offering a Teachers’ Pre-Planning Camp, also at
Sunrise/Weston Annex.
To register and see complete descriptions, go to
browardcommunityschools.com and click on the Summer
Camps/Programs or register at the community school. Call
754-321-7600 for information.
Don’t miss out! Registration is ongoing until all spaces are filled.
New! AMERICAN RED CROSS SWIMMING LESSONS
Cooper City High School
New! ART PROGRAM
Hollywood Hills High Community School
ARTS and CRAFTS CAMP
Through Tequesta Trace Middle Community School
@Sunrise/Weston Annex
BAND CAMP
Piper High Community School
BASKETBALL CAMPS (Boys and Girls Sessions)
Through Tequesta Trace Middle Community School
@Sunrise/Weston Annex
BEFORE CAMP DROP-OFF and AFTER CAMP PROGRAM
New! Cooper City High Community School
Through Tequesta Trace Middle Community School
@Sunrise/Weston Annex
BOOT CAMP FOR ADULTS
Through Tequesta Trace Middle Community School
@Sunrise/Weston Annex
New! DRAMA PROGRAM
South Broward High Community School
DRAMA THEATRE CAMP
Through Tequesta Trace Middle Community School
@Sunrise/Weston Annex
GUITAR / HARMONICA
Through Tequesta Trace Middle Community School
@Sunrise/Weston Annex
MATH FCAT PROGRAM
Cooper City High School
New! PERFORMING ARTS CAMP
Cooper City High School
SOCCER CAMP
Through Tequesta Trace Middle Community School
@Sunrise/Weston Annex
SPORTS FULL DAY CAMP
Through Tequesta Trace Middle Community School
@Sunrise/Weston Annex
STEP CAMP
Northeast High Community School
TEACHERS! PRE-PLANNING CAMP
Tequesta Trace Middle Community School
TENNIS CAMPS
Tequesta Trace Middle Community School
TENNIS PROGRAMS
Crystal Lake Middle Community School
THEATRE CAMP
Through Tequesta Trace Middle Community School @
Sunrise/Weston Annex
New! VOICE CLASS PROGRAM
Taravella High Community School
New! VOCAL COMPETITION for ALL STATE MUSICSHIP
TESTS
Taravella High Community School
Add a Little Class to Your Life at Your Community Schools
Register now for a wide-range of classes to enhance and energize
your job skills, creative talents, physical fitness, and personal
enrichment.
Classes begin the week of April 6. To register online, please go to
browardcommunityschools.com or onsite at the community school
of your choice.
ALLIANCE FOR A HEALTHIER GENERATION
RECOGNIZES LAUDERHILL MIDDLE
Reprinted from Alliance for a Healthier Generation Newsletter
March 15, 2010, Issue 31
The new Lauderhill
Community YMCA at
Lauderhill Middle School,
the first YMCA onsite
wellness center in a public
school in South Florida,
represents an innovative
public-private partnership
dedicated to providing health
and wellness programs for
school staff, students,
parents and the community.
The Broward County School Board, YMCA and Waste Management
department have all joined together to make this facility a reality,
with a shared vision for their community.
“The vision of this partnership is to involve our staff, students,
parents and eventually our community to live a healthier lifestyle and
to be able to exercise and attend classes right on our camps,” said
Jeannie B. Floyd, Principal of Lauderhill Middle School.
The school has dedicated classroom space to develop the “Y-Zone,” a
state-of-the-art wellness center and group exercise studio. The
wellness center includes cardio and strength training equipment.
Instructor led programs such as personal training, Hip Hop, Zumba
and Yoga classes will be available. Additional space has been
designated to create a teen center with equipment and program space
to attract students at the end of the day and on weekends. This space
is set to open in August 2010.
12

As a member of the Healthy Schools Program, Lauderhill Middle
School and the on-site Lauderhill Community YMCA will work
together in the school’s efforts to satisfy the before and afterschool
criteria:
French 3
Johnson, Samantha-Déclamation-3rd
Theofilakos, Stephanie - Lecture 3
Rivera-Santiago, Isabel-Discours-2 nd
Keeve, Chris - Lecture 1st
Before and afterschool program offerings dedicate at least 20%
of their time to physical activity
Before and afterschool programs offer a variety of physical
activity and nutrition education opportunities that reflect the
diversity and needs among students, families and the
community.
This partnership will also provide students and families with
information about physical activity opportunities within the
community such as 5K walks and runs, intramural sports, etc.
Lauderhill Middle School has been designated as a magnet school for
Pre-Med/Health and Wellness. Through an integrated curriculum,
students will focus on and learn about living a healthy lifestyle. The
magnet program will also give students a chance to learn about and
experience the potential career opportunities available to them as
adults.
The onsite YMCA will also be the foundation for innovative
afterschool program curriculum development. They hope it will be a
place for teens, faculty, families and community members from
different generations to gather, encouraging dialogue to develop
positive relationships, friendships and leadership skills, which will
strengthen the community spirit.
“The YMCA provides a great service not only to the school, but also
to the community. I love being able to work out before and after
school. The YMCA has changed my way of living and helped me to
adapt to a healthier lifestyle,” said Joy Robinson, teacher at
Lauderhill Middle School.
SOUTH PLANTATION HIGH STUDENTS EXCEL AT
FRENCH STATE COMPETITIONS
The following students from South
Plantation High went to the French
state competitions (Le Congrès de
la Culture Française en Floride) in
Orlando from March 18-20. They
won 1st place in Division 5A for
the second year in a row. This is
the largest congregation of French
students in the United States.
The students participated in individual and group events. The
individual events included "Lecture" (reading comprehension);
"Déclamation" (reciting poetry by acclaimed French poets);
"Discours" (impromptu speaking); and "Projet"' (project). Team
events include Scrapbook, "Pièce" (a scene presented from a
published play); Scénette (original skit by French 1 students); and last
but certainly not least, the crowning glory of Congrès: "Casse-Tête"
(Brain Bowl on French history and civilization). On a special note,
there is a trophy awarded on rare occasions called Le Prix du Jury for
a stellar performance. This year, one was awarded to Jonna Lyn
Lerio in French 2 for her Discours. Finally, Chris Keeve was
elected as Vice President to the 2011 CCFF Board.
French 1 - (all 4) Scénette 1st place
Alexis, Patrick-Lectur -1 st Carrazana, Dianett-Lecture -2nd
Smith, Godfrey-Discours-3rd Yacinthe, Bianca-Déclamation-1st
French 2
Heath, Taylor-Déclamation-1st
Lerio, Jonna Lyn-Discours-1st *****Prix du Jury
Nelson, Sara-Lecture 1 st
Rotver, Gabriela-Lecture-2nd
French 4 (there were no students enrolled in French 4 at SPHS this
year so these French 2/3 students competed above their level)
Botet, Andy - Lecture - 1 st Eugene, Shawnny - Discours 4th
McGregor, Shantoi - Déclamation 2 nd
Zeas, Margarita - Lecture 2 nd
COF (Class Ouvert Française (aka AP/French 5 - native or nearnative
speakers)
Botet, Miguel - Discours - 1 st Deshaies, Arianne - Lecture - 2nd
Joseph, Marcul Hallen - Déclamation - 1st
Pierre-Jérome, Francisque - Lecture - 2nd
Casse- Tête (brain bowl team) 3rd
Ropain, Tatiana Andrande, Yesenia Keeve, Chris
Pièce (all 1 st place)
Johnson, Samantha Botet, Miguel Keeve, Chris
Botet, Andy Joseph, Marcul Hallan
Deshaies, Arianne Louissaint, Rivka
Scrapbook
Young, Tia - 2nd
Project
Pauyo, Joanne - 3rd
CCFF 2010 Secretary to the Board
Pauyo, Joanne
SOUTH PLANTATION STUDENTS WIN WEST POINT
BRIDGE DESIGN CONTEST
The Broward Branch of the
American Society of Engineers
would like to thank the more than
200 High School students that
participated in the competition,
and to congratulate the winners
of its first annual West Point
Bridge Design Competition held
on March 20, 2010 at American
Heritage School in Plantation.
High School Division winners:
1st place ($300 cash prize): Kyle Grocey and Michael Guzman,
2nd place ($200 cash prize): Jorge Contreras
3rd place ($100 cash prize): Trent Friedman and Ryan Ball
Using interactive software developed by the U.S. Military Academy
at West Point, the ASCE Broward Branch’s bridge design contest
challenged contestants to design a virtual bridge. The bridge shall be
able to withstand a standard truck load by balancing real world
design variables such as material selection, truss type, abutment type,
and site work cost, just to name a few. The lowest cost design able to
support the design loading was the winner bridge.
In addition to their cash prize, 1st place winners Kyle Grocey and
Michael Guzman, 11th grade, earned a seat at the Florida Section
Statewide competition to be held on July 16 in Fort Lauderdale where
they will compete with the winners from the other Florida branches
for additional cash prizes.
13