Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School
Is it March already? We are gearing up for next year as students are in the process of selecting courses for the next school year. We also hosted our incoming ninth graders for our annual Curriculum Night and were so excited to greet our future Eagles. We are still working hard on our After School Academy tutoring sessions along with our Saturday SAT, ACT, and EOC preparation. We have been very encouraged by the weekly turnout.
Our athletics have been keeping us on the map, as our cheerleaders won the Regional Championship and placed third at States in the Small Coed Division. Go, MSD Cheer! Our Wrestling team finished the regular season with an outstanding 15-2 record and was the No. 2 public school team in the county. In addition, one of our very own competed in the first-ever sanctioned girls FHSAA district championships. Way to make history! As always, our World Guard didn’t disappoint, as they took first place at the SFWGA competition.
A big thank you to our MSD JROTC for hosting a blood drive in September that resulted in the collection of 125 units of blood. In February, we hosted another blood drive, which was a huge success.
As for Douglas Drama, our students competed at Districts, and several are moving on to States in Tampa in late March. Along with States, they are also working on the spring musical, “Something Rotten,” which takes you back to the Renaissance period where Nick Bottom tries to create the first musical but things don’t go exactly as planned. You do not want to miss this hilarious musical unfold on the stage.
Congratulations to our NHS Brain Brawl team as they won the North Area Championship. The next stop is to face the South Area champion for the County Championship. Bring home the gold!
If you had the pleasure of attending our Black History Showcase, you know why there was such an overwhelming response. “Rise Up: A Looking Glass into Black Culture” featured dances, performances, and more that showcased various cultures in the Black diaspora. “At Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, we pride ourselves in fostering an inclusive environment for all our staff and students,” Coach De Carter stated. “In the month of November, we celebrate all cultures and heritages with our Multicultural show, and in the month of February, we take time to highlight the contributions and sacrifices made by African-Americans.”
Carter added, “Each February is a celebration and powerful reminder that Black history is American history. Our nation was founded on all men being created equal, and here at MSD that is what we believe! Our students worked extremely hard to provide a looking glass into Black culture during our February 4th showcase.”
Noldine Belizaire, president of the Black Student Union and co-director of the show, added, “I had many people come up to me, asking if they could participate in the show, so we opened up many opportunities for them to perform, whether it was declamations, dances, helping backstage, or hosting. The show made me realize how meaningful every performance and everyone’s participation was. We all learned how to work together despite the conflicts, to set aside our differences, and create unity between all cultures.”
A special thank you to all who participated in our Day of Service and Love on Feb. 14 to honor the memory of the 17 lives lost and those who were injured on Feb. 14, 2018. The four on-campus service projects to give back to the community were Feeding Our First Responders, Working in Marjory’s Garden, Spending a Mindful Morning with the MSD Mind-Body Club, and Campus Beautification. We were also humbled to reveal the memorial honoring the victims of the Feb. 14 tragedy as a loving tribute to our fallen Eagles.
As a reminder, school will be closed March 21-25 for Spring Break. March 17 is an early release day, and March 18 and March 28 are both teacher planning days.
Westglades Middle School
By Principal Matthew Bianchi
As part of our school-wide Literacy Week activities, Westglades Middle School recently had an acclaimed author visit campus. Our students cannot stop talking about their visit from New York Times best-selling author and Sunshine State Young Readers Award winner James Ponti. He visited Westglades on Feb. 2 to speak with students about his writing process and to promote his newly released book, “City Spies: Forbidden City.”
Students who purchased Ponti’s books or who earned brag tags for reading his books had the opportunity to meet the author for a book signing and question-and-answer event. Additional students attended the event in their classrooms via video conferencing. Ponti also included “confidential” information about upcoming plot elements in the “City Spies” series. His books have been flying off the media center’s shelves.
Our girls’ volleyball team again had an undefeated season and was the Division 1 champion. The team has won the division every year since volleyball returned in 2014-15 and has only lost one regular-season game in that time. They have made the semifinals every year but one. The Westglades girls are led by excellent coaches, Sharon and Kevin Golzbein. The season ended in the MSAA County Semi-finals at Pompano Beach High School against Tequesta Trace. Westglades congratulates Tequesta on its fourth straight County Volleyball Championship. Westglades girls’ athletics is in the running to win the overall sports trophy for 2021-22 because they are the MSAA District Champions in golf and soccer and made it to the Semi-finals in basketball.
We want to wish all our students a nice and restful Spring Break! Once we return, our school will officially begin the standardized testing season.
Park Trails Elementary
By Principal Arlene Manville
Park Trails is excited to announce our STEAM Track for incoming kindergarten students. Once students register for Park Trails, they can complete the paperwork to enter the lottery for the STEAM Track. Regardless of whether they get into this program, all students at Park Trails will participate in STEAM specials, including Engineering & Robotics, Art & Design, and Multimedia & Technology.
In each of these classes, students will engage in hands-on learning and participate in engineering challenges. They will learn to design, build, and program robots. They will design objects, build them using various objects, and then design them on the computer to create a 3D image using our 3D printers.
We will host our next Open House for prospective students in early April; check our website for details.
Riverglades Elementary
By Christina Chiodo and Kimberly Mann
Spring is almost here and many things are currently blooming at Riverglades Elementary. The students have been working hard and had a blast participating in our green party as they celebrated student growth on their I-Ready assessments. We are so proud of all our Riverglades Gators!
Last month the students got the opportunity to connect and give back to the community. Kindergarten and first-grade students collected donations for the humane society, second- and third-grade students held a collection for the food banks, and fourth- and fifth-grade students collected donations for SOS Children’s Village.
We have a multitude of events going on this month beginning with spring pictures. Students can wear their favorite spring attire as pictures will take place on March 3 and 4. Spring pictures can be a great keepsake as families can look back on them and remember wonderful memories.
Want to see your teacher or principal outside of the school day? Why not pay them a visit at McTeacher’s Night at McDonald’s. On March 9, 20% percent of purchases will be donated back to our school. What a great night to grab a quick bite to eat and support your school.
In the mood for something sweet? The fifth-grade committee has organized the Cherry Smash Food Truck to make an appearance this month.
Just a reminder that March 17 is an early release day. Teacher planning will take place on both March 18 and March 28, so there will not be school for students on those dates. And Spring Break will be March 21 to March 25.
Coral Springs Charter
Spring is all competition at Coral Springs Charter School, so we’re headed into a season of hard work and outstanding performances. On top of the amazing matchups among our spring sports teams, such as baseball, softball, boys’ volleyball, and track, the academic and performance art organizations are gearing up for their competitive seasons. On March 3, the chorus will have its District competition, followed by the DECA State competition in Orlando. Later in the month, the Senior Thespians will have their State Competition in Tampa.
There is also a host of exciting fundraisers happening throughout the month of March! The sophomore class will be hosting an escape room on March 11; students can purchase tickets on MySchoolBucks for an evening of puzzling adventure. On the same night, the Drama Club will be hosting its annual Cup of Joe fundraiser, with open mic performances throughout the evening.
One of the highlights of the spring is the Cambridge trip: During Spring Break, seniors will travel to Berlin, Prague, and the Swiss Alps, experiencing the rich beauty, culture, and history of central Europe. With visits to Dachau, Neuschwanstein Castle, Potsdam, Munich, and beautiful Lucerne, it’s sure to be an unforgettable experience. While we’re excited for those embarking on these wild adventures, we hope the rest of our student population has a restful Spring Break and comes back ready to take on the close of our academic year!
Eagle Ridge Elementary
By Principal Lindsey Sierra
Fourth-grade teacher Seema Naik was named Broward County Public Schools Teacher of the Year at the 2022 Caliber Awards Ceremony.
Naik started her career in education 16 years ago — first as a volunteer so she could be involved in her daughters’ education. She then applied to become a cafeteria aide and a teacher assistant before becoming a primary grade teacher.
“Anyone can take money from your hands, but not your education.” These powerful words spoken by Naik’s parents many years ago shaped her philosophy on education. Naik believes all children have the right to quality education to empower them with critical thinking skills, collaboration strategies, and self-confidence to reach their goals.
“The next generation requires teachers to foster a desire for lifelong learning because of the current technology-dominated era,” said Naik. As part of a family of musicians from India, Naik uses her passion for music to enhance her instruction to create songs and chants with lyrics that incorporate lesson content for her students.
“In my experience as a school leader, there are only a few teachers I would consider to be a pioneer. It is clear-cut in my mind that Mrs. Naik is a STEM pioneer in the education world,” said Principal Lindsey Sierra. “She has led Eagle Ridge in creating new STEM opportunities for our students.”
Heron Heights Elementary
By Lauren Generoso, PTO President
The Scholastic Book Fair is back at Heron Heights Elementary (HHE) for spring with lots of great titles to choose from! Hawks can shop in person and online from March 4 until March 11.
HHE families are invited to our Family STEM Night on Thursday, March 10. This event will be held indoors with lots of fun hands-on activities to enjoy. That evening, parents will get the opportunity to shop at the book fair with their children too. Pizza Carousel in Coral Springs will also be giving back 15% of all sales the day of the event; just mention “HHE.”
Our 2022 Virtual Adult Spring Auction kicks off on March 30 and runs online through April 6. We have lots of cool items to bid on! All funds raised will support educational programs, school events, plus classroom and playground enhancements at Heron Heights.
Want to wish your child “Happy Birthday” on the marquee at HHE? Visit the store on our website, www.hhepto.com, to purchase. The message stays on the marquee for one day, from 12 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. A minimum of one week’s advance notice is required.
Coral Springs Middle
We were excited to welcome our incoming sixth-graders to the school on February 23-25. The students had a fun day with activities, presentations, and a tour of the school. We would like to remind our incoming parents about our open house on March 15 at 6 p.m.
The Debate team had a successful tournament at Marjory Stoneman Douglas last month. The students all placed and did a wonderful job. The Drama Club traveled to Orlando to compete in the State Drama Competition. Students will perform in the school’s play, “Madagascar Jr. the Musical,” on April 28 and 29. The public is welcome to attend.
The Coding/Robotics and Girls Who Code clubs are working on fun projects after school. The student government has been planning and coordinating many events at the school over the course of the year.
On Feb. 3, the SGA held its first Kids of Character Recognition Assembly by rewarding students with pizza and treats. More than 100 students were able to attend the event, an amazing job for all our student nominees.
Somerset Parkland Academy
By Jennifer Knight, VIPP President
Somerset Parkland Academy (SPA) opened up its second enrollment period for 2022-23 to potential students who live outside the 2.5-mile radius of the school. The lottery for this period will take place on March 7 for any available spots. SPA will have classes in all grades K–8th next year.
In February, SPA celebrated Black History Month in numerous ways and in several subjects, including history, social studies, and art. But the most exciting activity was the Living “Wax” Museum of famous African-Americans in history. Each grade was assigned a different decade, and the students chose an influential person in science, business, politics, or sports to research. They wrote several paragraphs detailing that individual’s impact on the country and then stood before their fellow classmates with props and note cards making a presentation in first person as that individual. The students took it very seriously and learned a lot about these very important people in American history.
February also saw SPA host a Love and Service Week. Our students created and dropped off numerous shoeboxes of toiletries, socks, masks, and sanitizer in the Boxes of Love project organized with the Kids Care Club. Along with other activities each day, the school honored Marjory Stoneman Douglas on Feb. 14 with maroon and gray ribbons and ended the week with a day showering love on our school resource officer. Next up in March: a book fair and Boosterthon.