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MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS OFFERS STUDENTS A WORLD OF NEW CHOICES MIAMI – 350,000 Miami-Dade County Public Schools students will start back to school on Monday, August 20, 2012, and will have the opportunity to experience a variety of new educational programs and benefits. New Magnet Programs M-DCPS will offer nearly 40 new magnet programs this year, giving students a world of academic choices. Among the new magnets are Maritime & Science Technology Academy (MAST@Virginia Key); the AP | Cambridge Program at Barbara Goleman Senior High School, which also will be home to an Academy of Finance and an Academy of Hospitality & Tourism; the Conservatory of the Arts at Hialeah Senior High; nine new iPrep Academies, including one at Miami Norland Senior High; the iTech Academy at Miami Springs Senior High that prepares students for careers such as Game/Simulation Designer, Game Programmer, and Game Software Developer; and the Centennial Ocean Academy of Science and Technology (C.O.A.S.T.) at Centennial/Cutler Ridge 6-12. A Promise Kept – North Dade Middle School/North Dade Center for Modern Languages The new North Dade Middle School will open to students on Monday, August 20. The North Dade Campus encompasses North Dade Middle School and North Dade Center for Modern Languages Elementary School. New features include a two-story classroom building and an administration building for North Dade Middle School and a two-story classroom building for North Dade Center for Modern Languages. A new cafeteria building with a “Food Shelter” will be shared by both the elementary and middle schools. The old North Dade Middle School was closed two years ago due to safety concerns. The new school opens on time, as promised. General Obligation Bond Referendum At its August 15 meeting, the Miami-Dade County School Board approved placing a $1.2 billion General Obligation (GO) Bond referendum before voters in the upcoming November 6 election. Proceeds from the bond issue would be used to modernize and construct schools throughout the district, including technology upgrades at all schools. New School Buses The Department of Transportation is pleased to announce the acquisition of 255 new school buses for the 2012-2013 school year. These buses are equipped with air conditioning and seat belts, and will produce near zero emissions. The new buses will improve fuel efficiency by approximately 40 percent when compared to the buses that they replaced. They also have a 5-year bumper-to-bumper warranty, and a 10-year engine warranty and will bring substantial savings to transportation operations. Through innovative, efficient routing strategies, the Department of Transportation has reduced an additional 29 routes for the 2012-2013 school year; this brings the total reduction of routes for the past five years to 270 routes. More importantly, this reduction has been achieved while maintaining all transportation services provided to students. LINK (Learn Ideas, Navigate Knowledge) Program This year, the Learn Ideas, Navigate Knowledge (LINK) program will benefit eligible 9th grade students at all high schools throughout the District. From now through September 21, parents can apply to LINK online through the Parent Portal. Participating families will receive a netbook computer for $25. This program promotes sustainable broadband adoption among economically distressed populations where broadband technology traditionally has been underutilized. LINK provides the necessary training and equipment to students and their families. Information Technology Services partners with The Parent Academy to provide the digital literacy training that covers computer basics, Internet fundamentals and how to keep children safe online, and key features of the District’s Parent Portal. As of July 2012, this federally funded grant program has distributed more than 5,100 computers. For more information, please visit http://www2.ntia.doc.gov/grantees/SchoolBoardMiamiDade. ImPACT® Test The Division of Athletic, Activities, and Accreditation in conjunction with UHealth Sports Medicine University of Miami initiated ImPACT (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) at all high schools in Miami-Dade County Public Schools that offer interscholastic athletics. Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Policy 39 - Heat-Acclimatization The Division of Athletics, Activities, and Accreditation developed a seminar designed for coaches, intended to inform them of the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Policy 39 - Heat-Acclimatization, which became effective on July 1, 2012. Heat illness is the leading cause of preventable death in high school athletes. These heat stroke deaths mainly occur in the summer months, at the beginning of conditioning for all sports. Heat production during intense exercise is 15 to 20 times greater that at rest and can raise body core temperature one to two degrees Fahrenheit every five minutes unless heat is dissipated. The new guidelines are mandated for all sports, but football will be one of the activities that is impacted the most. To date, the Division of Athletics, Activities, and Accreditation has educated in excess of 400 coaches on the new policy. Similar seminars will be conducted throughout the year for winter and fall sports.
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