Parent Newsletter

P e m b ro k e P i n e s
C h a r te r Sc h o o l s a t
A c a d e m i c Vi l l a g e
Campus
Administrative Team
Principal
Peter Bayer
Assistant Principals
Robin Battle
Alma Llanos
Helen Yanez
Behavior Specialists
Steve Bruns
Melissa Sabatier
Cindy Velez
February 2016
A SACS/CASI Accredited District
College
Citizenship
PRESS RELEASE
Volume 15, Issue 3
Community
Pillbox Pharmacies
Flamingo Strut 5K
PPCHS is an ‘A’ School!
The State of Florida released school
grades this past week and Pembroke
Pines Charter High School received news
that we are once again an ‘A’ under the
State’s grading system for public schools.
This makes 2015 the eighth consecutive
year that Pines Charter has been
recognized as an ‘A’ school. This is a
testament to the hard work and
dedication of our students and staff.
Our MISSION
The Pembroke Pines Charter
Community will provide a
challenging educational foundation
to prepare students for college
su cce ss a nd re sp o n sib le
citizenship.
Our VISION
Technology Students Visit The Future
Pembroke Pines Charter Schools in
collaboration with students,
parents, and the community,
endeavor to create a challenging
and supportive organization of
lifelong learners. It is our vision to
actively engage in a continuous
process of intellectual, emotional
and social growth that is unified in
direction, yet diverse in approach
and instruction.
On Friday, January 23rd, a group of 33
students from Mrs. Angel’s technology
classes visited the Art Institute of Fort
Lauderdale.
Students had the
opportunity to see classes in session,
have lunch on campus, and explore the
opportunities available to them in the
future. This will surely become an annual
event!
Join us for the annual Pillbox Pharmacies
Flamingo Strut 5K Run/Walk! The event
will take place on April 3rd at Flamingo
Park at 7:30am. This event benefits our
Pembroke Pines Charter School System
and it’s a great way to have fun and get
in shape. Parents, students, and staff are
encouraged to participate and can sign
up at www.active.com There is a one
day blitz, March 10th, when you will get
a $10 discount on registration. This
means you can sign up for only $15!
Included in the registration fee is an
event t-shirt. We look forward to seeing
you there!
Dual Enrollment & Early Admissions
Fall 2016 enrollment information for
dual enrollment and early admissions at
Broward College is available now!
Please see page 4 for more information.
Jaguar Journal
Page 2
Important High School Announcements
Parent Advisory Meetings
Our parent advisory meetings are held at 6:00 PM on the second Monday of each month at the SW Regional
Library Auditorium. Parent volunteer hours are given for attending the parent advisory meetings. See page 8 for
dates. Mark your calendars!
Uniforms
In order to maintain a safe and orderly campus, all students must be in proper uniform.
On-Campus Supervision
On-campus adult supervision is provided from 6:45 AM-2:30 PM. Students who are at the library after school are
subject to Broward County Libraries’ rules & regulations.
Sign-Out
Students will not be able to sign out after 1:30PM.
Parent Volunteer Hours
It is the parent’s responsibility to keep track of their hours. Please note the following dates for your records. The
commitment of 30 parent hours must be completed by May 22nd for underclassmen (grades 9-11) and May 8th for
seniors (grade 12).
Drop-Off Policy
Parents are responsible for contacting their children and ensuring students know to pick up all items during their lunch
time or between classes. Office personnel will NOT contact students as this disrupts the learning environment.
Late Policy
Maximizing instructional time is critical for student success. As such students must arrive to school on time as well as
arrive to each class on time. If you have any questions regarding the tardy policies including consequences, please
refer to the Code of Student Conduct posted at http://bcps.browardschools.com/codeofconduct.asp.
High School Club News
Drama Club

Drama has completed auditions for their upcoming production of Disney’s High School
Musical! Students are excited to put together this wonderful show for our school and
community on April 14th and 15th, 2016. Stay tuned for more announcements!
Science Club & Science National Honor Society

Science Day took place with the Academic Middle Campus on February 4th with amazing success. High school
science students conducted experiments side-by-side with 6th through 8th grade middle school students. A great
time was had by all!

Our students competed in the Science Olympiad. The competition took place at
Florida Atlantic University on Saturday, February 13th. We had two teams
compete. Preparations took place during homeroom and after school hours. Some
students even studied and prepared independently on the following STEM subjects:
astronomy, entomology, and device building.
Volume 15, Issue 3
Page 3
High School Athletics Department
Congratulations to our winter sports teams for a
great season!
Athletics Dept.
Spring sports are underway!
Keep an eye out for these championship teams! We look forward to
seeing how the 2016 season goes for them.
Steve Bruns
Athletics Director
954.538.3725
sbruns@pinescharter.net
High School Guidance Department
Guidance Dept.
Idania Perez

SAT registration and information available at www.collegeboard.com.

ACT registration and information available at www.actstudent.org.

Free SAT resources available at www.khanacademy.com./.

Free live tutoring and skills-building for K-12, college and adult learners. Help with
Florida standardized tests, SAT/ACT/GED, English/Language Arts, Foreign
Language Lab, Writing Lab, Math (algebra to calculus), Science, and Social Studies.
Go to http://www.broward.org/Library/MyLibraryOnline/Pages/
TutoringPrograms.aspx for more details.

Course selection process begins on February 22nd.
Grade 09
Julia Saye
Grade 10
Gianna Scott
Grade 11
Krystle Maycock
Grade 12
Dana Ostendorf
ESE
Anne Thomas
Guidance Director
Senior Corner - Class of 2016

Grad Bash 2016 - April 29th

Senior Awards - May 5th

Parent Graduation Meeting - May 10th

Senior Prom - May 21st
Tickets on sale 2/29-3/11 — $100
Class Sponsor

Senior Dinner - May 26th
Shannon Torres

Graduation - May 27th
storres@pinescharter.net
SPAR
The School Public
Accountability Report
(SPAR) for 2015-2016
school year will be
available soon. Please
check back for
updates.
Jaguar Journal
Page 4
Teacher of the Year and Non-Instructional Employee of the Year
Lisa Benitez, Guidance Secretary
Lisa rocks guidance, and she rocked subbing for two months all with an amazing
attitude!!! When Alicia Torres was out for her medical treatments, everyone in
the front office rose to the occasion to keep the school running. However, Lisa
stepped into the unenviable role of sub-coordinator. On top of all her guidance
duties, she was able to excel with the placement of subs. She’s a great role
model!
Lori Azcarate, Math Teacher
Lori is always very helpful to students and colleagues. She does not hesitate to
offer assistance to anyone in the department and always goes above and
beyond. She is fair and treats everyone with respect. Her students have
demonstrated mastery and have strong Algebra skills. I have seen her interact
with students on numerous occasions and she is caring and supportive. She sets
high expectations for students and knows how to motivate and encourage them.
Dual Enrollment & Early Admission—Fall 2016
Students interested in Dual Enrollment and Early Admissions at Broward College for Fall 2016 (August—
December) must meet eligibility requirements and submit paperwork BEFORE March 15, 2016 at NOON.
Students in grades 9-11 are eligible. The criteria are as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Unweighted 3.0 GPA
Test scores (ACT, SAT, or PERT)
Applied to Broward College and have a BC ID #
Requested a Recommendation Form from Ms. Sabatier (class selection sheet) after #1, 2, and 3 are met.
Students who have not met the testing criteria must apply to BC and receive a BC ID # and then pick up a PERT
testing form from Ms. Sabatier in the A building. Students MUST have a BC ID prior to receiving a PERT test form.
If you have additional questions, feel free to visit the school website, email Ms. Sabatier at
msabatier@pinescharter.net, or visit her office in the A building.
Volume 15, Issue 3
High Stakes Testing
Students will continue to participate in the rigorous
state assessments this year known as the Florida
Standards Assessments (FSA).
These assessments, which align with Florida Standards
approved by the Florida State Board of Education
back in early 2014, are meant to increase college
and career readiness skills. The Florida Standards
focus on English and math knowledge and skills with
the goal being a deeper understanding of content
that may in turn make students more competitive in
the global market.
Schedule of Assessments
March 1 - March 10
FSA ELA Writing, Grades 9 & 10
Page 5
Student Government Updates
With the third quarter of the
school year nearing its end,
the Student Government
Association is working hard
on upcoming events to finish
the year in the best way
possible.
Mr. Jag, which took place on February 4th, was
one of the most successful events of the school
year. Both the boys participating and the
audience agree that the show was well executed
and entertaining. The winner was Senior, Andrew
Kelleher.
April 11 - April 22
FSA ELA Reading, Grades 9 & 10
April 20 - May 17
EOC Exams for Algebra, Algebra II, Biology,
News around Campus
The next event SGA is planning is the annual
dodgeball tournament, Snow Bowl. Taking place
on February 26th after school, the teams
participating along with SGA members, are
already preparing for the event. For students
interested in forming a team, teams of five can
sign up during A and B lunches for $3 per person.
Be sure to sign up soon as spots are limited!
American Sign Language

The American Sign Language Honors students
volunteered at West Regional Library’s event
called “Signing Stores @ Your Library” on
February 6th. This event is held monthly during
by Deaf Family Literacy Academy in order to
support parents of deaf children.

The annual ASL show will be held in the River of
Grass Auditorium on Monday, March 7th at
7:00pm. Our theme is “Spring Fever.” You can
listen to some great hits while watching them
come to life as American Sign Language students
sign and dance to them. Admission will be
$3.00.
History Fair

Congratulations to the following students for
being chosen to represent our school at the
2016 Broward County History Fair on February
27th: Casey Moya, Oriana Ohuela, John
Wentzel, Riley Gonzalez, Ariana Rojas, El
Garrison, Sofia Mohammed, Ahmad Hamid,
Alicia Graubard, and Lauren Mendez.
While in the midst of auditions and preparations
for the upcoming Spring pep rally, SGA members
continue to plan Charter's first ever Sadie Hawkins
Dance! This girls-ask-guys event will be taking
place on Saturday, March 12th. Tickets are on
sale every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday until
the event! It is recommended that students
purchase their tickets early before they are sold
out!
With all the events coming up fast, including
elections for next year's SGA officers, the Student
Government Association is busy as ever! But they
continue to impress with more and more successful
events every quarter.
Jaguar Journal
Page 6
At The CHAT newspaper, we have been
covering many events, ranging from the
playoff journey of our various sports teams
to different events sponsored by our various
clubs.
In our recent issue, the January issue, our
biggest story was the impact of school violence on students today. We also covered the view of our presidential
candidates on gun control and the role of media and technology on these situations of school violence. On the daily
web, we cover the biggest stories of the day. Recently, we have covered the kickoff of flag football, the results of
the annual Mr. Jag pageant, and the Junior College Tour.
If you want to read more from the daily news, got to http://hs.pinescharter.net/.
If you want to view all the issues The CHAT has produced this year, go to http://issuu.com/chatnews.
Junior College Tour a Success
By Cristina Feliciano, Lifestyle Editor
Looking towards the future, juniors had the opportunity to visit 6
different colleges within the state of Florida. This year, students
went to see University of Central Florida (UCF), University of Florida
(UF), Florida State University (FSU), University of North Florida
(UNF), Flagler College, and Stetson University. Coordinator of the
trip and BRACE advisor, Ms. Sabatier, was joined by Coach Bruns,
Mrs. Llanos, Mrs. Scott, and Mrs. Calero to ensure the trip ran
smoothly.
Students met at the bus loop of campus at 5:15am on Wednesday
January 27th with their luggage in hand. The bus took off with
sleepy students headed for UCF. Next, the students loaded the bus heading to UF where two ambassadors showed them
the main spots of campus. As Day 1 wrapped up, the students drove to their hotel in Lake City.
After a good night’s rest, the students headed toward FSU. A handful of the students had their Florida State sweaters on
representing the ‘Noles. Their ambassadors showing them around campus were Charter alumni: current junior Carolina
Feliciano, sophomore Nico Bastides, and freshman Brett Alayon. In the afternoon, the trip moved to UNF in Jacksonville.
During the tour of UNF, the students got to see what an actual college dorm looks like. The ambassadors at UNF
explained the different types of dorms they offer and the prices of each and they also got to visit a classroom.
The final day of the tour was spent at Flagler College and Stetson University. Out of all of the schools, Flagler was the
most historic with the amount of detail and artwork put into their buildings. As for Stetson University, it was definitely one
of the most liked campus visits. It has a very laid-back atmosphere that many students saw themselves enjoying when they
go to college. PPCHS students were able to tour the classrooms as well as the dorms.
Junior Analeza Newman said, “Stetson was my favorite because everyone was more friendly and the campus overall
was gorgeous”. This was certainly a great experience for all involved!
Volume 15, Issue 3
Page 7
Mr. Jag is Crowned
By Hayley Hartwell, Student Life Editor and Taylor Horan, Managing Web Editor
The show began with the boys being escorted in
with a short introduction read about each of them.
Then, it was time for the dance. Choreographed by
the Dance Team, the boys danced to Selena
Gomez’s ‘Good for You.’ Followed by the dance
was the talent portion. The talent portion began
with Youssef Abougendia, Roberto Coltraro, Noah
Rodriguez, and Kellen Wills performing
Synchronized Swimming. Angelo Paparazzi stole
the show lip synching “Love on Top” by Beyoncé
with Monica Mojo actually singing the song off
stage. Other talents included Dylan Carter rapping
Dr. Seuss’ ‘Green Eggs and Ham’ with Statistics
teacher Mr. Maye, Ryan Corona impersonating
High School Musical’s Troy Bolton performing “Bet
On It”, and Andrew Kelleher dancing to the Mean
Girls version of jingle bell rock. Addam Hall
Photo donated by Daniel Rodriguez
played his ukelele, Juan Tellez reenacted the scene
in Miss Congeniality where she made music with glasses filled with water, Jorge Perez showed his move for Rick
Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up”, and Lawrence Marable and Oscar Pons both performed standup
comedy.
Following the talent portion, the boys participated in a fitness test. Junior Demi Iglesias moderated the fitness
test. The contestants did exercises such as running in place and pushups. Then, a short intermission was held.
SGA sold pizza, chips, and drinks for the cost of $1. The show continued promptly with an intelligence test. The
contestants came out and answered various questions. Many of the questions were Charter Trivia, which
included what year PPCHS opened (2000) and how many teachers of PPCHS have been here since the school
opened (3). After the intelligence test, the boys participated in the interview section.
The night concluded with each boy being awarded a superlative.
After the superlatives were awarded, it was the moment that
everyone was waiting for. Who would be Mr. Jag 2016? The
winner is… Andrew Kelleher. He was given a crown and sash to
display his new honor. “I’m so happy to have won Mr. Jag but my
favorite part was the brotherhood I felt with my fellow contestants.
We all supported each other and it didn't matter who won because
we all cared about each other’s performances,” stated senior
Andrew Kelleher.
Congratulations to all of the boys who participated! Everyone did a
great job!
Pennies for Pasta
From January 25th through February 8th, the PPCHS National Honor
Society organized and participated in the annual Pasta for Pennies
fundraiser in hopes of raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma
Society. Students were encouraged to bring in any spare change they
could find to donate to their homeroom collection. The money donated
helps fund research to find a cure and provide treatment to those with
leukemia and lymphoma. Started over thirteen years ago by the Olive
Garden restaurant, this charity gets schools across the nation to donate to
this cause and rewards the winning
group with a pasta and breadsticks party for lunch. In total, this
fundraiser has raised over $1,290 to donate! The Leukemia and
Lymphoma Society was founded in 1949 and today is the world’s
largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood
cancer research and providing education and patient services. In
total, they have raised and invested over $483 million for research
and finding a cure. Congratulations to Mr. Holland’s homeroom in first
place with $360.16, Mrs. Vivolo’s homeroom in second place with
$152.37 and Mr. Kapela’s homeroom in third place with $109.27.
Health Occupations Students of America Compete!
By: Looghermine Claude, Managing Editor of The CHAT
On Saturday, January 30th, PPCHS’s Health Occupations Students of America
(HOSA) club competed at their Regional competition. Pines Charter competed
against other HOSA teams found in high schools that have a health medical
program and integrate HOSA into their curriculum, but our small club of 50
students was able to sweep the competition and have thirteen winners moving on
to states.
Shirin Arampillykudy and Gloris Sajan won 3rd place in the Health Career
Display category and will advance to states. Amanda Arechevaleta and Emily
Gonzalez won 5th place in the Health Career Display category and will be the
2nd runner up to states. Daniel Durazo won 2nd place in the Researched
Persuasive Speaking category and will advance to States. Katelyn Ramirez won 3rd place in the Researched
Persuasive Speaking category and will advance to states. Monica Guevara won 3rd place in the States
Medical Math category and will advance to states. Chonnalin Sumonthee won 1st place in the
Extemporaneous Health Poster category and will advance to states. Kathryn Foss won 3rd place in the
Extemporaneous Health Poster category and will advance to states. Alina Akhter, Natalie Jimenez, Mayra
Saintilus, and Lilliana Thomas won 3rd place in the States Biomedical Debate category and will advance to
states.
The winners will be competing at the state competition in Orlando from April 14-17. Congrats to all thirteen
Jags and good luck in the next competition!
High School Calendar
Important Dates
Fe b r u a r y
April
11 - Teacher of the Year Ceremony (6:30 PM,
ROG Auditorium)
15 - School Closed
25 - Early Release Day (11:45 AM Dismissal)
25 - Black History Showcase (6:30 PM, ROG
Auditorium)
02 - Saturday School (8:00 AM, Cafeteria)
07 - High School Study Day (10:30 AM Dismissal)
08 - Dance Marathon (4:00 PM Cafeteria)
09 - Parent Workshop (8:00 AM, ROG Aud.)
11 - Parent Advisory (6:00 PM, School Library)
14 - Drama Show (6:30 PM, ROG Auditorium)
15 - Drama Show (6:30 PM, ROG Auditorium)
16 - EOC Camp
20 - Blood Drive
23 - EOC Camp
26 - Debate Showcase (6:30 PM, ROG Auditorium)
29 - Grad Bash 2016 (2:00 PM, Universal Studios)
30 - Interim Reports Issued
March
03 - High School Study Day (10:30 AM Dismissal)
05 - SAT Administration (7:00 AM)
07 - ASL Showcase
11 - Spring Pep Rally
12 - Saturday School (8:00 AM, Cafeteria)
12 - Sadie Hawkins Dance (7:00 PM, Cafeteria)
14 - Parent Advisory Mtg (6:00 PM, SW Library)
15 - NHS Induction Ceremony (6:30 PM ROG Aud.)
18 - Teacher Planning Day
21 - Spring Break thru March 25th
Faculty Members Broaden Their Areas of Expertise
All of our professional teachers are continuously upgrading their skills and developing increased levels on content
expertise. We would like to recognize those teachers at Pembroke Pines Charter Schools at Academic Village
Campus who are expanding their expertise beyond their current certification by pursuing college work and/or
training sessions to become certified in another subject. While completing this work, they will be teaching those
subjects to students. They have been approved by the School Board of Broward County to teach out of field. The
following teacher is out of field for the 2015-2016 school year: Bianca Del Carpio for ESOL.
Pem br o ke P i n e s C h a r t e r S c h o o l s a t A c a d e m i c V i l l a g e C a m p us
Home of the Jags!
17189 Sheridan Street
Pembroke Pines, FL 33331
School Website: hs.pinescharter.net
Main Phone Line: 954.538.3700
Main Fax Line: 954.538.3715
Governing Board Members
Frank Ortis, Mayor
Iris Siple, Vice-Mayor
Angelo Castillo, Commissioner
Jay Schwartz, Commissioner
Carl Shechter, Commissioner
Aner Gonzalez, Pines Charter School Liaison
Charles Dodge, City Manager & Superintendent of Schools