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M-DCPS LAUNCHES FOUR NEW MAGNET SCHOOLS MIAMI - Four Miami-Dade County public schools kicked-off the school year as new school-wide magnets providing additional public school choice for students and their families. Southside Elementary School, Miami Springs Middle School, Shenandoah Middle School, and John A. Ferguson Senior High School are partially funded through a three-year, multi-million dollar project awarded from the U.S. Department of Education Magnet Schools Assistance Program. Each school offers a high caliber, student-interest driven curriculum designed to raise the academic bar. Southside Elementary School, Shenandoah Middle School, and Miami Springs Middle School have forged strong partnerships with local area museums and cultural institutions in Miami-Dade County to develop Florida’s first museum magnet programs. Last year, museum educators worked side by side with classroom teachers, incorporating the standards-driven curriculum with the objects and artifacts in their respective museums. This integrated curriculum, focusing primarily on object- and project-based learning, emphasizes problem solving, communication, exploration, invention and inquiry through on-going visits to their museum and cultural partners: Southside Elementary - Dade Heritage Trust; Historical Museum of Southern Florida; Miami Art Museum; and Miami Children’s Museum Miami Springs Middle School - Miami Museum of Science & Planetarium Shenandoah Middle School - Dade Heritage Trust; Historical Museum of Southern Florida; Lowe Art Museum, University of Miami; Miami Art Museum; and The Wolfsonian-FIU John A. Ferguson Senior High School has opted to replicate a highly successful District program, the All Academy Model. The academies offered at the school are: Design and Architecture; Hospitality and Tourism; International Business and Finance; International Baccalaureate; Information Technology and elecommunications; and Medical Skills/Biomedical. These academies are specifically tailored to prepare students for high-wage, high-skill regional career opportunities. # # # 05-LJG/039/DF |
