May 18 -20, 2013
Above The Influence rally promotes good decision making
United Way teams up with Broward County Schools
Thousands of Broward County students will come together for the "Above the influence" rally on May 18th.
Rally encourages students to make positive choices
Undeterred by the heavy rain, more than 2,000 students gathered in FortLauderdale
on Saturday to send a powerful message: You and your friends can
pressure one another to do good things. "We can be better, we can make
the world a better place," said Shonaja Burton, a fifth-grader at CastleHill Elementary in Lauderhill. She joined students from about 40 schools for Broward County's first rally celebrating students who are making the right choices.
A record $900,000 raised for student scholarships at 18th Annual Broward Education Foundation Celebration
More than 550 guests, many dressed in garb reminiscent of the 1980’s movie, Airplane, entered a simulated hangar at the Broward County Convention Center on May 10 for the 18th Annual Broward Education Foundation’s Scholarship Celebration. With
the event theme “Soaring through the years as we celebrate 30 years of
success” as the backdrop, more than $900,000 was raised to support
student scholarships.
Dual enrollment change could cost schools millions
Broward and Palm Beach County
schools could face a tough choice next year: pay millions of dollars or
allow fewer students to take dual enrollment classes in local colleges.
Broward schools may have to pay at least $4 million more next year, and
Palm Beach County
at least $2.5 million, due to changes in state law. In the past,
college and
universities have had to pay the lion's share of the cost — about $58
million — for dual enrollment programs, which allow high schools
students to take college classes for free. School districts paid for
textbooks.
Student's sudden death stuns school community
The
sudden, mysterious death of 13-year-old Braulio Salas, a seventh grade
student at Indian Ridge Middle in Davie, shocked parents and fellow
students. But they have quickly rallied to raise more than $4,000 (and
counting) to help the Salas family to offset the costs of the burial and
funeral services.
May 22, 2013
Robert Runcie and Kathleen Cannon: Campaign teaches kids to live above the influence
Young
people face a tough road when it comes to making positive decisions
concerning their future. Bullying, alcohol and drug use, teen pregnancy,
intolerance and bias, suicide and juvenile delinquency are all too
evident in their daily lives. Despite the obstacles, millions of youth
are striving to do the right thing. Their stories are seldom told. Broward County Public Schools and United Way of Broward County Commission on SubstanceAbuse,
in partnership with other youth-serving community agencies, just
celebrated thousands of young people with a rousing rally called Above
the Influence.
Broward Cappies awards honor theatre students at Broward Center (Photos)
As our nation holds Cappies awards events around the United States for High School students in the performing arts, BroadwayGlobal spotlights tonight's Broward Cappies.The prestigious high school theatre awards are equivalent to Broadway's Tony Awards,
but honor drama students for outstanding performances. The evening
includes the best actresses, actors, dancers, choreographers, critics,
best play, best musical and much more.
Broward School Board votes to privatize
Without
knowing what the final price tag will be – but with the hope of
restoring credibility to school construction projects – Broward School
Board members on Tuesday approved privatizing most of the district’s
long-troubled facilities department. The dramatic change, in which about
40 ofthe department’s 65 jobs will be eliminated, was the brainchild of
Superintendent Robert Runcie.
School Board OKs cutting facilities staff
The BrowardCounty
Schools facilities department is officially getting downsized. On
Tuesday, the School Board approved eliminating 45 of the department's 70
employees and outsourcing those services to private companies.
Superintendent Robert Runcie cited a decline in construction projects
and a need to move past the department's history of mismanagement and
corruption.
Broward superintendent defends privatization plan
Critics say Robert Runcie's plan is politically motivated
Robert
Runcie, the superintendent of Broward County Public Schools, on Tuesday
defended his plan to privatize the district's construction and
facilities department and lay off 35 employees in the process.
Teacher falls asleep in class, gets two-day suspension
This
time, it wasn't the students who were falling asleep in class, it was
the teacher. Patrick Geller, a science teacher at Cypress Bay High in
Weston, was suspended for two days without pay by the School Board
Tuesday for allegedly falling asleep on the job.
Cypress Bay High Teacher Gets Two-Day Suspension for Falling Asleep in Class
Science teacher suspended without pay for classroom nap
Student's alleged rape experience ignored by teacher
The
State Attorney's Officeis investigating an alleged rape after a special
needs student wrote about the experience in a classroom essay that was
ignored by teachers.
May 24, 2013
Hero prom kids say crash changed their lives, and their driving
Ashley Wolf's prom dress was red, and ultimately the perfect choice. It
hid well the blood from a crash victim's ear on a recent Saturday night
that she and many others will never forget. Wolf and other prom-goers
put aside concerns about their formal wear or being late to the party.
They stepped out of their limousine and helped free victims from a wreck
on Interstate 595….The "hero prom kids," as they've become known, were
part of the Rotary's annual scholarship awards ceremony that recognized
47 graduates from Cypress Bay, Western and Sagemont high schools.
Rotary Club of Weston honors 'prom heroes'
Western High School students were on their way to prom when they helped victims of crash
Western High School Students Honored for Helping Crash Victims
The 20 students were recognized by the Rotary Club of Weston at their annual scholarship awards breakfast.
Prom heroes receive high honor
The
Rotary Club of Weston honored 20 high school students for demonstrating
courage and selflessness when they helped out several victims involved
in a cras
Prom Teens Honored For Rescuing Crash Victims
A
group of 20 South Florida high school students was honored Thursday for
demonstrating courage and selflessness on the way to their prom.
Rotary Club of Weston awards $75,000 in scholarships to promising students
Forty-seven
high school seniors who attend Western, Sagemont and Cypress Bay High
Schools in West Broward were awarded college scholarship money at a
special awards breakfast Thursday at Weston Hills Country Club, according to Todd Templin of Boardroom Communications.
Pen pals reunited: Reservists from Afghanistan meet the sixth-graders who wrote them letters
South Florida reservists serving in Afghanistan got a dose of American culture every few weeks when they opened letters from sixth-grade students.
Special events boost charter schools
For
the city-run charter schools in Pembroke Pines, raising money to keep
them running is an uphill battle. The charter schools don't have access
to the same tax money that funds Broward County Public Schools, so they turn to alternative sources of funding, including corporate
sponsors, parental donations and community events.
Friday Declared "White Hot Heat Day" for South Florida Students
Friday
is designated “White Hot Heat Day” for all students, faculty and
administrators for Miami-Dade and Broward County Public Schools.
May 29, 2013
2013 Valedictorians and Salutatorians
Weston team wins NASA contest
Cypress Bay High School students rocketed to the top of a field of nearly 600 entries from 20 countries in this year's NASA Ames Space Settlement Design Contest.
Weston high school ranked in Top 20 in state
U.S. News & World Report ranked Cypress Bay High School in Weston number 15 out of almost 800 Florida high schools.
School's parent involvement program wins award
CastleHill Elementary School's monthly parent night programs were recently honored as recipients of a BrowardCounty
Public Schools Community Involvement Award. The Everyone Counts Family
Program was honored alongside parents, volunteers, mentors, and business
and community partnerships at Broward Schools' annual awards and
recognition gala. The theme for this year's community
involvement celebration was "You Make a World of Difference."
Driftwood Middle in Hollywood a Green Ribbon School
DriftwoodMiddle School in Hollywood was recently named a U.S.Department of Education Green Ribbon School.
The
school was one of 64 recognized nationwide for its efforts in reducing
its environmental footprint, improving the health of students and staff
and providing effective education on sustainability. It was the only one
in Broward and one of three in the state to be honored.
Broward schools superintendent earns high praise in annual evaluation
For
the second year in a row, Broward Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie
has earned high marks from the School Board. During his annual
evaluation Tuesday, Runcie received an overall score of "highly
effective" for the 2012-13 school year. School Board members touted his
leadership and his ability to move the district into a climate of
transparency and accountability.
Broward school bus drivers get pay hike
School bus drivers in Broward County
will finally get raises after five years of stagnant pay. The school
district and the Federation of Public and Private Employees agreed to
give about 4,000 employees a 2 percent raise retroactive to April 1.
Those employees include about 1,700 bus drivers, in addition to
maintenance staff, campus security and school facility workers.
No legislative relief for Broward’s aging school buildings
With
money for teacher raises and an overall state funding boost of $93
million, the recent state legislative session was in many ways a good
one for Broward schools — with one glaring exception. When the
Legislature wrapped up its business earlier this month, Broward left
Tallahassee without any help in tackling its billions of dollars worth
of school renovation and technology needs. Not only that, but there
appears to be little hope that Florida’s staunchly anti-tax Legislature
will pitch in next year either.
Broward struggling to fix aging schools
With no major boost to capital funding approved by the state Legislature this year, the Broward County
school district is running out of options to fund long-term fixes for
its deteriorating schools. On Tuesday, School Board members reviewed the
district's five-year facility plan and acknowledged there was simply
not enough capital money in the budget to meet all technology,
transportation and maintenance needs. The capital budget pays for
technology, transportation and construction costs and is separate from
the operating budget, which pays for classroom expenses.
FCAT results are in for Florida students
The
Florida Department of Education (FDOE) released the 2012-13 Florida
Comprehensive Assessment Test 2.0 (FCAT 2.0) Writing Assessment results
for fourth grade, eighth grade, and tenth grade students today.
Above Influence March a success
When
it rains, it pours and this time it was not only showering water, but
students, parents and Broward County School employees who all drenched
in a message of “Above the Influence.” The Above Influence March began at Kathleen C. Wright Administration Building and ended at the Huizenga Plaza.
May 30, 2013
Lauderdale teen wins national art contest
A
Fort Lauderdale teenager’s artwork titled “Now That’s Real Comedy” will
be displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year. Ritha Mirthil, a senior
at Stranahan High School in Fort Lauderdale, painted a portrait of
comedian Steve Harvey. Mirthil will travel to Washington, D.C. in June
to attend an unveiling ceremony hosted by the House of Representatives.
(Article in paper, not online)
Broward schools and bus drivers reach agreement
The
Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) and the Federation of Public and
Private Employees (FOPE) were able to reach a tentative agreement for
the 2012/13 school year on May 23. The agreement was achieved after
three years of discussion without reaching consensus. Because of this
conflict there had been no salary increases for employees. The District
and FOPE agreed to a 2% salary increase for approximately 4,000
employees represented by FOPE, effective April 1, 2013, according to
Tracy Clark, spokesperson for the Broward County Public Schools
district.
Broward
County Public Schools and the Federation of Public & Private
Employees reach tentative agreement for the 2012/13 school year
On
May 23, 2013, Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) and the Federation
of Public and Private Employees (FOPE) successfully reached a tentative
agreement for the 2012/13 school year. The agreement was reached after
three years of discussion without reaching consensus. As a result, there
had been no salary increases for employees. The District and FOPE
agreed to a 2% salary increase for approximately 4,000 employees
represented by FOPE, effective April 1, 2013.
May 31, 2013
Leading Ladies, Tarzan take top awards at Cappies Gala
High school thespians celebrated their love of theater at the Cappies Gala last week, where 42 awards were given to Broward and Palm Beach County
high school productions, cast members and student critics. J.P.
Taravella High's "Leading Ladies" and University School of NSU's
"Tarzan, the Stage Musical" took the top awards – best play and best
musical – during the May 21 event at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in downtown FortLauderdale. Boca Raton Community High snagged Best Song for its production of "Anything Goes."
Dillard jazz band director gets Grammy nod
DillardHigh School's
very own jazz director is getting recognized on the national stage --
by the Grammy Foundation. Christopher Dorsey, who leads Dillard Center
for the Arts in FortLauderdale,
is a quarterfinalist for the first-ever music educator award presented
by The Recording Academy and the Grammy Foundation. Dorsey is among 217
music teachers selected from 45 states for their contributions to music
education. Semifinalists will be announced in August and the winner will
attend the GrammyAwards and receive $10,000.