Thursday, April 25, 2013

News Release: April 25,2013

April 25, 2013

Local environmental education earns 'green ribbon'
It pays off to go green.
The school district of Palm Beach County and Driftwood Middle School in Hollywood were nationally recognized this week for reducing their carbon footprint and promoting environmental education. Driftwood was one of two schools in the state to receive the "green ribbon" given annually to schools and districts by the U.S. Department of Education. Palm Beach County was the only county awarded in Florida. A special recognition ceremony will take place June 3 in Washington, D.C.

FL high schools get top honors in U.S. ranking
Study bases top schools on state proficiency and college prep
A number of Florida schools have made the list of Best High Schools according to a tally by U.S.News & World Report. More than 21,000 public high schools were evaluated in 49 states and the District of Columbia based on state proficiency standards and how well they prepare students for college.

Could 50 be the new zero for Broward schools?
The Broward school district is proposing eliminating the grade of zero and making 50 the lowest score a student could earn as a way to motivate failing students. But the proposed change has irked parents who say it's simply not fair.

Lost and found: Deerfield High ring missing 30 years being returned to owner
For Randal Dotson, a 1979 DeerfieldBeach High graduate who quarterbacked the football team, nothing recalled his teenage glory years more perfectly than his class ring.

Runcie: No firm plans for Sunset school
Clarifying recent rumors, Superintendent Robert Runcie said Tuesday there had been no commitment or determination to move district staff into Sunset school that is slated to close next year. He said the primary focus is on transitioning the special needs students at the K-12 center before the district begins soliciting proposals from the community.
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News Release: April 24, 2013

April 24, 2013

4 local high schools ranked in state Top 20
Two schools in Broward and two in Palm Beach County are ranked among the top 20 in the state, according to a report released by U.S. News & World Report on Tuesday.

Dade high schools named among country’s top 100
Several South Florida schools have again been ranked among the best in Florida and the country by the online magazine U.S. News & World Report. Altogether, Miami-Dade and Broward Schools occupied 10 of the top 20 high schools in Florida.

Northeast High science students have Obama pedaling for clean water
The road to the White House isn’t easy — even if you do happen to have an amazing water-purifying bicycle. But thanks to the hard work of many at Northeast High School, and the support of community businesses ranging from a car dealership to a bagel shop, two students from the Oakland Park school became science celebrities this week. Not only did Kiona Elliott and Payton Kaar appear at the annual White House Science Fair, but their invention — inspired by unsanitary water conditions in Haiti — was a highlight of national media coverage after President Obama accepted their bold invitation to actually hop aboard and start pedaling.

Broward School Board recognizes White House Science Fair teenagers
Northeast High School students design bike that filters water
The Broward County School Board recognized two high students who participated in the 2013 White House Science Fair. Payton Kaar, Kiona Elliot, Northeast High School Principal Jonathan Williams, and their science teacher received a huge round of applause Tuesday morning. PresidentBarack Obama honored the students from Northeast High School on Monday.

Broward Education Foundation's scholarship fundraiser themed after the movie 'Airplane'
Dress up as your favorite "Airplane" movie star and try not to call anyone Shirley at the 18th annual Broward Education Foundation's (BEF) "Scholarship Celebration" May 10 at the Broward County Convention Center, 1950 Eisenhower Blvd., FortLauderdale. The event theme, soaring through the years as we celebrate 30 years of success, centers on the popular '80s movie "Airplane" complete with the backdrop of an actual airplane painted for the event by MiramarHigh School students.

School board buys new building for workforce training
McFatter Technical Center in Davie is about to get bigger after the School Board Tuesday approved spending $2.4 million for a neighboring building from the Boys & Girls Club. The 18,000-square-foot building, which is not currently in use, will expand programs that focus on business education and information technology.

Davie voters approve charter changes, vote no on paying for school resource officers
Residents said they don't want to increase taxes to place a school resource officer in all of the town's schools, according to election results announced Tuesday.
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News Releases: April 1-11 2013

Sorry these are so late.

March 29– April 1, 2013

Foundation to award almost 200 scholarships to Broward seniors
The Broward Education Foundation will be giving out nearly 200 scholarships to Broward high school graduates this year with unmet financial need. The scholarships will range from $900 to four-year, 120-credit hour Florida Prepaid tuition-only scholarships.

FIRST Robotics Competition Sat., March 30, 2013
(Gallery of pictures)

School Recognition funds database
The Florida Department of Educationis doling out about $35 million nearly 400 schools in Miami-Dade and Broward counties to fund temporary hires and equipment or to be paid out as bonuses.The awards are part of the state’s School Recognition Program, established by the Florida Legislature in 1997 to reward high-performing schools. Money awarded by the program goes to schools that received an “A” on the state’s grading formula, improved by a letter grade, or maintained a grade after improving by two letter grades the previous year.

Broward School District may combine schools
In an effort to better serve students and become more efficient in the operation of the District’s six special day schools (also referred to as center sites), the District reviewed the academic trends, educational programming and student enrollment at each of the center sites. The six center sites are Bright Horizons School, Cross Creek School, The Quest Center, Sunset School, Whispering Pines Center and Wingate Oaks Center.

Broward Schools looking to consolidate its special center schools for more efficiency
In an effort to better serve students and become more efficient in the operation of the District’s six special day schools (also referred to as center sites), the Broward School District reviewed the academic trends, educational programming and student enrollment at each of the center sites.

Broward holds final school boundary hearing
The Broward School Board is expected to give final approval Wednesday to more than 20 boundary changes and school repurposing plans slated to begin this fall. Among the major changes being proposed by Superintendent Robert Runcie: Add a grades 6-12 magnet program to DillardHigh School in FortLauderdale, and repurpose the district's two F-rated middle schools.

Broward faces $1.3 million class size fine
Broward County Public Schools will likely have to pay $1.3 million in fines, the second highest in the state, for having too many classes that exceed state-mandated caps. Broward's loss could be Palm Beach County's gain after its district met all state class size requirements for the second year in a row. As a result, it will split $5.7 million in state fines with other districts that met the requirements.
 
April 6 - 8, 2013

Broward County Public Schools holds anti-bullying conference Saturday
Conference will be held at Piper High School in Sunrise
Broward County Public Schools is holding an anti-bullying conference Saturday morning, in the hopes of putting the brakes on bullying.

Atlantic Technical High School Robotics Team Advances to World Championship
The Atlantic Technical High School TechTigers robotic team competed against 45 schools from around the country, Mexico and the Dominican Republic to win the FIRST Robotics Competition South Florida Regional held on March 30, 2013, at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale.

Hoops for hope: Students fight diabetes through basketball
High school students are taking a shot at beating diabetes.
On April 13, West Broward High in Pembroke Pines is hosting its annual DiaBEAT This! Fundraiser to benefit the American Diabetes Association. Performing will be Miami Heat dancers and area school drum lines, cheering squads and dance teams.

Miami-Dade braces for lower school grades amid tougher standards
Students in Miami-Dade and Broward counties are more than a week away from sitting down to take the FCAT 2.0 and kicking off a battery of standardized tests and end-of-year exams. But some South Florida schools officials are already talking about the results….In Broward County, Superintendent Robert Runcie said this week that the state changing its formula has become an “annual ritual.” But he said the potential impacts in July, when elementary and middle school grades are released, is not something he has studied in detail.

PB parents question decision to double-test students
Parents in Palm Beach County say middle school students taking advanced course work are being unfairly subjected to double testing. The state no longer requires middle school students taking high school level math classes such as Algebra I and Geometry to take their grade level FCAT. That's because they already have to take end-of-course exams to get credit for the more advanced class….On the other hand, Broward schools spokeswoman Nadine Drew said the district "felt it was not instructionally appropriate to require students to move away from the content being taught [in Algebra/Geometry] to prepare and take the grade level Math FCAT."
 
April 10, 2013

School bus driver in trouble over phone says she lied - call was not from son in Iraq
It was a compelling human-interest story that created a national buzz: Broward school bus driver Rossana Lucas faced a potential five-day suspension for answering her cellphone while driving. Her defense: Her son, a U.S. Marine, was calling from Iraq. Superintendent Robert Runcie, touched by Lucas’ explanation, put her punishment on pause while he investigated.

Bus driver admits: I lied about call from Marine son

Broward School Bus Driver Lied About Taking Call From Marine Son: Report
Rosanna Lucas made up story about military son's phone call, suspended 10days:

Bus Driver Admits To Lying About Talking To Soldier Son

Special-needs school closing despite parents' pleas
A last-ditch appeal by parents to save their school from closure failed Tuesday when the School Board unanimously approved shutting down the special-needs center in FortLauderdale. Sunset School will close at the end of the year and send its more than 100 students to Cross Creek in PompanoBeach or Whispering Pines in Miramar. Both are also special-needs facilities that serve K-12 students.

Laptops stolen from North Side Elementary in Fort Lauderdale
More than a dozen laptop computers were stolen from a FortLauderdale elementary school during a burglary that occurred sometime after school let out, officials said. The principal at NorthSide Elementary arrived at the school about 7 a.m Tuesday and discovered that a cart carrying 16 laptops was missing, said Fort Lauderdale Police spokeswoman Detective DeAnna Greenlaw.
 
 
April 11, 2013

Broward school band performs in festival of gold
A Weston school band had the honor of being the only middle school band in the state to perform at the "Festival of Gold" in Chicago last month. Weston's Falcon Cove band played in the renowned Orchestra Hall at the Chicago Symphony Center under the direction of band director Ian Loew. To read more about this band click here.

Palm Beach County school district allowing middle school math students to opt out of taking both FCAT, end-of-course exams
More than 4,000 Palm Beach County middle-schoolers taking advanced math classes will get a double dose of standardized testing in the coming weeks, if the school district has its way…It’s unclear which other school districts have made decisions similar to Palm Beach County Broward County Public Schools is not requiring its middle-schoolers in these advanced math classes to also take the FCAT, but Orange County Public Schools is.
 
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