Stay iNformed and Connected

In just a few weeks, schools across the District will punctuate the end of another school year with celebrations, award and commencement ceremonies. Like a time-honored tradition, students, parents, teachers, and school site staff beam with excitement as graduation season begins for our seniors and we look ahead with boundless anticipation to the next level of teaching and learning for students returning in the fall. While this time of year is exhilarating and signals the completion of our collective, targeted and goal-oriented work, it’s also a time to reflect on the accomplishments and milestones that have guided us to the finale of another stellar academic year.

Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) is the best in the nation. More than just an affirmation, it is, in my estimation and that of many others, a fact as demonstrated by the remarkable work of our teachers and employees and the achievements of our students - all of whom are the best of the best. We continue to achieve exceedingly high graduation rates surpassing that of other large Florida school districts. This year and for the past several years, M-DCPS has received numerous state and national honors recognizing our phenomenal efforts to increase student achievement and to ensure equity of student access to accelerated coursework. Just recently, the school system was selected as the recipient of the third Donna Grady-Creer District Award for Magnet Sustainability by Magnet Schools of America (MSA). The award is MSA’s designation of the highest performing school district of the year exemplifying a commitment to equity, excellence, diversity, and highly sustained support of magnet schools. In addition, M-DCPS academies received more distinguished and model level designations from National Academy Foundation (NAF) than any other district in the nation. U.S. News & World Report announced its annual list of America’s Best High Schools and M-DCPS was a leader both statewide and nationally. The district is home to seven of the top 100 high schools in the country, half of the schools in Florida’s Top 20 and four – 40 percent – of Florida’s Top 10.

While we maintain cautious optimism about the future of education in Miami-Dade’s public schools, we cannot ignore the reality of today. Recently, state lawmakers made the ill-advised and unthinkable decision to dramatically cut funding to public education. If not vetoed by the governor, the impending impact of this legislation will have adverse and, in some respects, irreparable consequences, leaving our schools, classrooms and students devastated. The education of our children – all children – should be the foremost priority of the legislature, and that means appropriate funding.

Innovation, efficiency, accountability, and integrity continue to define the District’s financial practices as budget decisions are driven by instructional needs and the highest priority on student learning. Our fiscal diligence has been noted by Standard and Poor’s (S&P) Global Ratings. In April, S&P raised the District’s long-term rating from “A+” to “AA-“ with a stable outlook.

I am profoundly proud of our students, workforce, parents, community partners, as well as the results we deliver every single school day in every classroom across the District. Together we are reimaging education, expanding academic enrichment opportunities, and building school facilities that support innovation and global learning. This year has been remarkable. Next year will be even better.

#BeSummerReady: Programs and Internships Benefit Students, Local Companies

Through our Summer Youth Internship Program, a partnership with the Foundation for New Education Initiatives, Inc., Miami-Dade County and the Children’s Trust, students have the chance to intern at companies and organizations around the community, while earning a stipend. In addition to educational work experience and training opportunities, students will earn high school credit and could also be eligible for dual enrollment credit through Miami Dade College.

If you are a company looking for summer interns, eager to prepare our future workforce, there is still time to get involved. Visit https://miami.getmyinterns.org/ to register and learn more about the meaningful work and job opportunities you can provide for the youth of today. By giving students the chance to work and gain experience in the workplace, companies can shape the future of our society.

We also offer coding camps, sports camps and so many other programs. We understand that one size fits none when it comes to learning, and each student should have the opportunity to grow and enjoy their learning experience at their own pace. In doing so, we’re able to give them the option of having a productive, worthwhile summer that they’ll never forget!

For further information, please contact the Internship Hotline at 305-693-3005.

Racing for Education at the Superintendent’s 5K Challenge

“Ready, set, go!” With those words, more than 3,300 teachers, students, parents and community supporters kicked off the 2nd annual Superintendent’s 5K Challenge at downtown Miami’s Museum Park, also known as the #MiamiSup5K. The morning began with stretching and warm-up exercises and athletic activities. Schools Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho delivered a motivational speech pumping up the crowd right before the race began.

The view of the downtown Miami from the MacArthur Causeway was beautiful, further exciting and motivating all runners as they headed towards the turning point at the Miami Children’s Museum. During the race, you could feel the community spirit coming alive as runners inspired each other to keep pushing towards the final stretch. At the 18 minute and 33 second mark, Leonardo Canete, reached the finish line and took home the honor of being the fastest runner of the race. Lina Adjouadi, a student at Hammocks Middle School, came in second and was also the fastest female runner with a time of 19:58.

The goal of the #MiamiSup5K was to make sure everyone had an opportunity to participate in this exciting event, so this year a special one-mile course was added for elementary school teams. The hard work of finishing the 5K and the one-mile course was worth it for all participants. At the end, they were treated to healthy and nutritious snacks to help refuel their bodies. The fun continued with several family activities.

Events such as the #MiamiSup5K remind us that we can come together as a community to help give our students the world while raising awareness about the importance of health and wellness.

Mark your calendars now! We hope to see you at next year’s race, scheduled for April 7, 2018.

Promoting #ArtsInOurSchools

Miami-Dade County Public Schools has a long-standing tradition of supporting arts in schools. Arts programs are known to strongly influence a student’s academic success in language arts, science and math. Research indicates that students who study the arts are more likely to be elected for class office, participate in math and science fairs and win awards for writing. The arts contribute to the development of productive citizens and future leaders.

Every March, the many benefits and contributions of arts education and the arts are recognized in schools and municipalities across the country. One annual event is the “O, Miami Poetry” festival, founded in 2011, which has a mission to have every single person in Miami-Dade County encounter a poem during the month of April. This year, students from Orchard Villa Elementary and Poinciana Park Elementary schools wrote poems that were then wrapped around a new Miami-Dade County bus. All throughout the month of April, a new student poem was highlighted daily on the county’s transportation app.

The continued support of the arts helped M-DCPS win several musical grant awards earlier this year, such as those from the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation and the Music and The Brain (MATB) grant.

Thanks to Mr. Holland’s Opus, two Miami-Dade schools with outstanding music programs – Miami Southridge Senior High and Gateway Environmental K-8 Learning Center – received a variety of new musical instruments worth a combined total of $47,939.

In early April, Frances S. Tucker, Miami Springs and Earlington Heights elementary schools each were the recipients of an Electronic Keyboard Lab awarded by the New York-based MATB. Students in grades 2-5 got the opportunity to learn to read and play music, understand rhythm, and will be exposed to a variety of genres of music and famous composers through this innovative music class.

New World School of the Arts (NWSA), one of the best art schools in the nation, celebrated its 30th anniversary during the annual Rising Stars Performance. Alumni from NWSA have excelled in producing, directing, acting and dancing nationally and internationally. This distinguished art school’s success stems from a long-standing partnership between the district, Miami Dade College and the University of Florida.

Arts education has been shown to develop a child’s self-esteem and sharpen their critical-thinking skills. It increases multicultural awareness as well as technical, communication and expressive skills.

M-DCPS Hall of Fame Adds Distinguished Alumni

Miami-Dade County Public Schools’ Alumni Hall of Fame inducted seven great Miamians who exemplify the best of human achievement. From the first Latino to win a Pulitzer Prize for Drama to a prominent civil rights activist who helped lead the movement to integrate Miami parks and beaches, these individuals broke barriers in their own way.

The honorees were chosen in each of the six categories:

Arts & Entertainment – Nilo Cruz, a graduate of Miami Senior High, is a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright.

Business – Alina Falcón, a graduate of Miami Killian Senior High, is the executive vice president of NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises. She plans all the FIFA World Cup Programming and is the only woman to head news operations for a major U.S. TV network.

Public Service – Michael Spring, a graduate of Miami Edison Senior High, has served the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs for nearly 30 years helping to build Miami-Dade’s cultural community into a more than $1 billion annual industry.

Singular Achievement – Arva Moore Parks, a graduate of Miami Edison Senior High, is known as Miami’s premier historian and preservationist who keeps alive and reveals the city’s historic secrets.

Singular Achievement – Garth Reeves, Sr., a graduate of Booker T. Washington High School, was prominent in America’s civil-rights movement and has left a profound mark on South Florida and its media history through his work in newspaper publishing.

Sports – Larry Little, a graduate of Booker T. Washington High School, was called the best NFL pulling guard and is a real inspiration for his performance on the gridiron and for his influence on younger players. Little, a Pro Hall of Famer, is now an academic advisor for M-DCPS, respected for his philanthropic work through his foundation.

Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics – Ivan Yaeger, a graduate of Miami Central Senior High, is an entrepreneur, CEO and inventor of a bionic arm, a sophisticated, prosthetic limb that has earned numerous engineering awards.

These seven individuals join a prestigious group alumni who reflect the rich history of Miami-Dade’s schools. This recognition is a testament to the accomplishments and the legacy they leave behind for all children in our community. Alumni were selected through a rigorous nomination and judging process that happens every two years.

An #iNside Look @MDCPS

Find out what happens inside our classrooms. Take an #iNsideLook at some of the incredible programs available @MDCPS.

iNspiration @MDCPS

Set to graduate in the top five percent of his class, meet Antonio, a proven leader at the Home of the Patriots.

Name: Antonio Avellaneda-Ruiz

School: 12th grade student at American Senior High School

Accomplishments: For the past four years, Antonio has received Superior Honors in all of his classes and he has been part of the National Honor Society and JROTC Physical Fitness team. He was accepted to The United States Military Academy at West Point, becoming the first American Senior student to receive an appointment to the prestigious institution.

Fun facts About Antonio:

• Antonio is a huge ESPN Fan; he calls himself an ESPN nerd.
• He is also a big fan of history and Greek mythology.
• He enjoys mathematics and all things numbers.

iNspiration @MDCPS

A passionate educator and mentor, meet the 2018 Francisco R. Walker Teacher of the Year.

Name: Rudy Diaz

Occupation: TV production teacher at South Miami Senior High School

Accomplishments: Three-time Emmy award-winner for his work in television, assisted in developing TV production standards for M-DCPS’ TV magnet programs, seeing former students on the local and national news is the strongest evidence of his success.

Fun facts About Rudy:

• Diaz has been an educator for 29 years; he has been married for 30 years.
• Diaz previously worked as a cameraman, editor, and producer at Univision 23.
• He is currently learning virtual reality programming.
• His Cobra TV alumni have gone on to work as television correspondents, camera operators, reporters, producers, filmmakers, editors, and TV production teachers.

iNfact

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