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
Debra Tabie
Behavior Specialists
Steve Bruns
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
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.
April 2015
A SACS/CASI Accredited District
College
Citizenship
TESTING NEWS
Testing season is in full swing!
Students at PPCHS completed the
Florida Standards Assessment for
Writing back in March and our 9th
and 10th grade students are in the
process of completing the Florida
Standards Assessment in English/
Language Arts. These tests are
computer-based this
year and are
assessing students on
the new Florida
Standards. If you
haven’t heard of this
test before, that’s
OK! These tests are
replacing what we
all used to know as
the FCAT.
In addition to FSA
testing, our students are starting their
end of course exams. These include
the Cambridge examinations, which
are new to PPCHS this year. These
tests, similar to AP, are a cumulative
assessment of the students’
coursework throughout the year.
Also during this time, students will be
taking End of Course exams in Biology,
Algebra, and U.S. History. Advanced
Placement classes also have their
cumulative exams beginning on May
4th.
Volume 14, Issue 4
Community
TEST TAKING TIPS
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Write down important test dates
and make sure your child is in
school on these days.
Make sure your child gets enough
sleep the night before the test.
Set your alarm! Tests start at
precise times, so make sure your
student arrives promptly.
 Make sure your
child eats a good
meal before the test.
 Discuss the test
and help relieve some
of their stress.
 Encourage your
child to do well, but
try to avoid placing
pressure on them. It is
important for your
student to stay
relaxed for the test.
TESTING SCHEDULE
April 13-May 8
FSA ELA Reading, Grades 9, 10, & 11
April 20-May 15
EOC Exams for Algebra, Algebra II, and
Geometry, Grades 9 - 12
April 20-May 26
Cambridge Exams, Grades 10-12
May 4-May14
AP Exams, Grades 10-12
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). Senior students whose parents have not completed the volunteer commitment will not be permited
to participate in the graduation ceremony. In the event the parent volunteer commitment is not completed, your son/
daughter will not be registered for the 2015-2016 school year.
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 & Activity News
American Sign Language
American Sign Language Levels 2, 3, and 4 had their annual show, S.I.G.N.S. on April
15th in the library auditorium. Participants and the audience traveled back in time
watching students sing songs from Taylor Swift, Aerosmith, Miley Cyrus, Tina Turner, and
more!
Drama
Drama Department Senior Night and International Thespian Honor Society inductions will take
place on April 28th in M115 at 7 pm.
Relay for Life
Relay for Life, the largest American Cancer Society fundraiser, will be held on Friday,
April 24th-Saturday, April 25th. Come join us at Walter C. Young Middle School starting
at 7:00pm for a great time and a chance to remember those that have battled cancer.
Celebrate! Remember! Fight Back!
Volume 14, Issue 4
Page 3
High School Athletics Department
What a spring sports season it has been!
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Athletics Dept.
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Boys Water Polo - District champions
Girts Water Polo - District champions & state qualifiers
Boys Tennis- District Champions
Girls Tennis - District Champions
Girls Softball- District Champions and currently in regional play
Boys Baseball - Starting their journey to the district championship next week
Steve Bruns
Athletics Director
954.538.3725
sbruns@pinescharter.net
As of today, Pines Charter ranks 7th in Class 6A in the whole state for the
FHSAA Sunshine Cup All Sports Award! This award goes to the best athletic
programs in the state based on their state series finishes. Way to go, Jags!
High School Guidance Department

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.
Guidance Dept.
Anne Thomas
Director &
Assessments Coordinator
Gianna Scott
Grades 9 (A-Fre) & 10
Krystle Maycock
Grades 9 (Fri-Ora) & 11
Idania Perez
Grades 9 (Orb-Z) & 12
Dana Ostendorf
ESE
Senior Corner - Class of 2015

Grad Bash 2015 - April 25th

Final Exams - May 13th-15th
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Prom - May 16th
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Cap & Gown Pick-Up - May 21st
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Senior Dinner - May 21st. Tickets will be on sale April
29th-May 13th and can be purchased from Mrs.
Shannon Torres in the Guidance Office.
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Graduation - May 22nd
Class Sponsor
Marta Cabeza
mcabeza@pinescharter.net
SPAR
The School Public
Accountability Report
(SPAR) for 2013-14 is
available for all
stakeholders to view on
the City of Pembroke
Pines Charter Schools
homepage at http://
www.pinescharter.net/.
Jaguar Journal
Page 4
Jags Competing in Tallahassee!
Our Jags have had a ton of great success at academic competition
recently. The Broward County History Fair was held in February in
Pompano Beach. Brianna Beach and Nicole Fairfoot won first
place in the Senior Division for their group website on Sylvia Rae
Rivera: A Transgending Trans-Activist and Elizabeth Garrison won
first place in the Senior Division for her individual original
performance, Elizabeth I. All three students will go on to compete
at the Florida History Fair in May to be held at Tallahassee
Community College.
Carlos Andreu and Joey Levy will be representing PPCHS as one of the top eight
law teams in the state as they travel to Tallahassee to compete and potentially be
named one of the best in the state of Florida! To get to this point, these two 11th
graders wrote a 20-page legal brief that was read by appeals court judges and
then faced questioning for 30 minutes by another set of judges. This is the first
year PPCHS has competed in the Moot Court Competition.
Summer Reading Letter
With the end of the academic year quickly approaching and
summer plans on the horizon, we at PPCHS want to communicate
our plans to keep our students’ minds stimulated and entertained
throughout our hiatus from school. We’ve all committed creating a
culture of lifelong readers, and we aim to continue this quest with
our summer reading program. Just as in years past, each student
will be expected to return to PPCHS in the fall having read an
assigned novel/s, which will be the springboard of our literature
program for the year. These novels are both engaging and
relevant to the English curriculum, and students will be able to
select from a range of options. Please see the summer reading list
for further details by grade level. College level courses like AICE and Advanced Placement have separate lists
and assignments that are forthcoming. Let’s work together to ease student transition to the next grade level and
ensure that Pembroke Pines Charter High School students journey into adulthood as active readers, effective and
articulate communicators, and educated individuals.
Summer reading books can be ordered through the PPCHS Class of 2016. See Mrs. Shannon Torres in the front
office for more information. Books will be delivered to students before the end of the school year.
Volume 14, Issue 4
Summer Reading List
Page 5
Letter to Parents
Incoming 10th Graders:
Dear Parents,

The end of the year is filled
with many exams and
projects. So we're glad we
get to plan some events that
help students get away from
the stress of classes and
participate in fun events that
will benefit the school.
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Unwind by Neal Shusterman
Half Bad by Sally Green
Nectar in a Sieve by Kamala Markandaya
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Moneyball by Michael Lewis
Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee
Team…. by Warren St. John
Teacher Man by Frank McCourt
The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
The Teen's Guide to World Domination… by Josh
Shipp
I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
Incoming 11th Graders:
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The Fault in our Stars by John Green
The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards
As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
A Yellow Raft in Blue Water by Michael Dorris
The Chosen by Chaim Potok
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca
Skloot
Zeitoun by Dave Eggers
Incoming 12th Graders:
In February, we hosted Snowbowl, a friendly
dodgeball tournament. Students could sign up to
participate with their friends as a team and compete
against other teams. Every year students look
forward to this event and it was enjoyed by all again
this year.
In April, PPCHS held the second annual Powder Puff
game. Powder Puff is a flag football game where
the usual roles are reversed and girls get the
opportunity to play football and boys get the
opportunity to cheer. The game is particularly
important to PPCHS, though, as it is held in honor of
Trenton Saunders, a former PPCHS student, whose life
was tragically cut short two years ago when he
passed away in a car accident. All the proceeds from
this game go to the Trenton Saunders Scholarship
Fund, benefiting a graduating student athlete each
year. Powder Puff is a relevantly new event at our
school and we hope to make it an even bigger event
next year and as the years go on! Also in April, SGA
partnered up with GSA (Gay Straight Alliance) for
the annual Day of Silence. For one whole day,
participating students in remained silent, not speaking
to their peers, in order to honor members of the gay
community that we have tragically lost to suicide.
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A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
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Ordinary People by Judith Guest
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Looking for Alaska by John Green
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Freakonomics by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J.
Dubner
Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost
Children of Nepal by Conor Grennan
The Priority List by David Menasche
The school year may almost be over, but we still have
events coming up! Next month, we have Teacher
Appreciation Week and 8th grade Orientation for
the middle school students visiting from our other
charter campuses. The orientation will be held on
May 1st, and it will show students what high school
life is like!
Please check with the teacher of AP and Cambridge
courses for the required reading selection.
Sincerely,


Student Government Association
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 different
clubs.
In our recent issue, the January issue, our
biggest story was the right way vs. the wrong way of using social media. We also covered the different ways of
escaping that dreaded mid-year slump, the secret to how our sports teams remain successful, and a new club that will
travel to the FSU campus to read to kindergarteners.
On the daily web, we cover the biggest stories of the day. Recently, we have covered the success of the first annual
kickball tournament, class elections, sophomore class rings and more!
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.
Success at the First Annual Kickball Tournament
by Matthew Deno & Josiah Celestine, Staff Writers
The first annual PPCHS kickball tournament took
place on Thursday, April 9th after school, in our
football stadium. The high expectations for this
new inaugural event were met and even
surpassed. This tournament was created as a
fundraiser for the Class of 2017, the current
sophomores. With an extra four weeks to
prepare due to a rainout, President of the
sophomore class, CJ Cruz, and his fellow
sophomore class officers worked hard to make it
a success.
Sophomore Juan Ardila, a member of a team
that made it to the semi-finals old the CHAT, “I
Photo Courtesy of Chat News
think the tournament went well. There were a lot
of people playing. I will try to do it again next
year but I think with more organization this event could be a huge activity for charter in the future.”
In total, seven teams competed for the tournament crown. Random drawings determined where in the bracket
the teams would be placed. In the championship match, the Money Team was pitted against the Kittens. The
Kittens managed to pull out the victory in a close game and took home the championship. Class sponsor, Mrs.
Hyacinth, is hopeful that this will be a long-time Jag tradition in the future.
Volume 14, Issue 4
Page 7
Foolish Not to Watch
by Josiah Celestine & LJ Lemmers, Staff Writers
PPCHS’s Drama department performed Fools by
Neil Simon Thursday, April 9th and Friday,
April 10th. The play was a comedy this year
and had the audience was doubled over in
laughter throughout the show. Fools is a comic
fable set in the small village of Kulyenchikov
during the late 19th century. The story is
centered on Leon Steponovich Tolchinsky, a
schoolteacher who takes a new job educating
Sophia, the daughter of Doctor Zubritsky and his
wife, Lenya. Leon figures out that there is a curse
on the village making everyone in the village
Photo Courtesy of Chat News
stupid. However, problems occur when Leon falls in love with his pupil.
The main cast of Fools included Eli Radosovich, Kevin Sage, Mike Marrero, Daniel Kan, Ryan Corona, Hayley
O’Brien, Nick Berardino, Danielle Fallin, Franchesca Gonzalez, Gorkin and Matias de la Flor. The lead this year,
Eli Radosevich said, “The drama class has put a lot of hard work into this play, and I think it will go well, and us
actors will just be having fun doing what we love on stage. It’s going to be hard to top the Grease production
that the school put on last year, but I think that this play will be very successful.”
The drama departments choice of plays and musicals varies from year to year. Our Jags put their own twist on
the story by changing lines and actions in a way they thought would help the play be as entertaining as possible.
The drama teacher, Mrs. Kidd, told the CHAT, “This is the first time this play has been done at Charter but I have
high expectations for the play. The advanced drama class has been the ones that have set up the play, both on
and off the stage. They will be the ones working backstage to keep the play running smoothly, and they’ll be
performing as well. This will be a great play and I hope to see everybody who has bought a ticket leave with a
smile on their face.”
When asked how the show went, one of the actors, Daniel Kan, said, “I think the show went very well, and we
have to give credit to the students working behind the scenes for keeping the play running so smoothly.” All of the
hard work put in by the Drama class made those two special nights memories to never forget. Congratulations to
the Drama class for putting on a wonderful performance!
High School Calendar
Important Dates
April
09 - Drama Production of Fools (7:00 PM, ROG)
10 - Drama Production of Fools (7:00 PM, ROG)
13 - Parent Advisory Meeting (6:00 PM, SW Library)
14 - Herff Jones Parent Night (5:00 PM, Cafeteria)
16 - Taste of Pines
24 - Relay for Life (8:00 PM, Walter C. Young
Middle School)
25 - Grad Bash 2015 (3:00 PM, Universal Studios)
26 - Pill Box Pharmacies 5K Run/Walk
30 - Interim Reports Issued
22 - Senior Graduation
25 - No School
June
01 - Final Exams (Periods 1 & 2)
02 - Final Exams (Periods 3 & 4)
03 - Final Exams (Periods 5 & 6)
04 - Last Day of School / Final Exams (Make-up only)
24 - Report Cards issued
May
06 - Senior Awards (6:00 PM, ROG)
07 - Parent Graduation Meeting (6:00 PM, ROG)
11 - Parent Advisory Meeting (6:00 PM, SW Library)
12 - Band Concert (7:00 PM, ROG)
14 - Underclassmen Awards (6:30 PM, ROG)
15 - Band Banquet (6:30 PM, PPCHS Cafeteria)
16 - Senior Prom (6:00 PM, Westin Beach Resort)
21 - Senior Dinner (7:00 PM, PPCHS Cafeteria)
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
teachers are out of field for the 2014-2015 school year: Rafael Perdomo for Physics and Chantel Rubio for ESOL.
Pe m b ro ke P in e s C h a r t e r S c h o o l s a t A c a d e m ic V i l l a g e C a m p u s
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 A. Siple, Vice-Mayor
Jay Schwartz, Commissioner
Angelo Castillo, Commissioner
Carl Schechter, Commissioner
Devarn Flowers, Pines Charter School Liaison
Charles F. Dodge, City Manager & Superintendent of Schools