Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Shark Bites Special Edition
April 9th, 2020
Balance is Best
Successful families make sure to balance their lives by taking care of body, mind, heart and spirit. Doing so, provides them the energy that is needed to deal with all of life’s challenges. So often, in an effort to accomplish everything, we forget to understand the importance of having balance in our lives. Maintaining a well-balanced life is crucial for your health, happiness, and well-being. Having a well- balanced life will also boost your productivity and equip you to manage stress better.
So, how can you achieve balance? On a daily basis, make sure to make some time off to unwind, invest in your physical and mental wellbeing (eat healthy, get enough sleep, stay hydrated, and work out regularly), adopting a positive mindset and staying away from negative influences (practice gratitude), and assess your daily priorities. Start incorporating these changes into your routine today and see the difference in how you will feel!
The Avant Garde Administration
Remote Learning What to Expect
(Week of April 13th - 17th) Note: Friday, April 10th is Good Friday. There will be “no school” in observance. All work must be turned in by Friday at midnight.
Lower School Our teachers and staff have launched our virtual component of the K-5 Remote Learning Plan. Teachers have created virtual lessons for our students for each day of the week. Students will be required to complete assignments and tasks, which will be graded and inputted into their grade books. These lessons are located on our school website, under each teacher’s profile. We are currently in week two of virtual learning.
Upper School Our school website (agabroward.org) is the primary source of information for our remote learning. To view content for each course, please click on the Contact Us tab, Staff Directory, and find your child’s teacher. Weekly assignments will be posted under each teachers’ profile. Students must complete a total of two assignments per week, per course. Please note, an assignment might have multiple parts.
Attendance Lower School Attendance will be recorded on a daily basis. Teachers will be using students’ “time on task” on i-Ready to track attendance. Students must complete 50+ minutes on i-Ready per week, per subject, in order to be marked present every day for that particular week. Each 10-minute increment (per subject) will count for one day.
Upper School Attendance will be recorded on a daily basis. Teachers will be using assignment completion to track attendance. Students must complete two assignments per week, per course, to be marked as present.
Student Recommitment for Academic Year 2020-2021 Each year we ask families to recommit to AGA for the upcoming school year to save your student's seat. The link below will take you to a form to let us know if your student(s) will be returning to AGA for the 2020-2021 school year. One form per student is required.
If you have multiple students that attend AGA THIS school year you will need to fill out the form multiple times. Please copy and paste the link below into your browser to complete the form.
https://forms.gle/kBFxxcd9pxBPFhqG8
COVID-19 Updates
Field Trip and Event Reimbursements
All trips and events up to May 4th have been cancelled. We are working with the vendors to get reimbursed. As funds come in we will be processing refunds to families. We will go week by week for events scheduled after May 4th. Please be patient with us as we work through this process.
Contacting Us During School Building Closure Please note that during the school closure our front office is also closed. If you need assistance you can contact the following staff. Please allow 24 hours for a response.
Kindergarten-5th Grade: Kamilla DaSilva — [email protected] 6th-8th Grade: Dorian McNeal — [email protected] 9th-12th Grade: Maria Jose Arguello — [email protected]
You can also call our main number (754)816-6153 to reach a live person between the hours of 9:00am and 3:00pm.
Naviga&ng through PINNACLE
Step 1: Log on to the following page h9ps://gb.browardschools.com/pinnacle/gradebook
Step 2: Enter the Username: Your student’s 10-digit ID Number
Example: [email protected]
Step 3: Enter the Password: Your student’s Date of Birth
Password must have a Capital P before the date of birth.
Password must have the forward SLASH on date of birth as in the example.
Example: P01/02/2020
Once you access Pinnacle click on Demographics Menu.
Confirm your contact informaJon is current and up to date.
You may also update your Parent/Guardian contact informaJon e-mails/phone numbers, if needed.
Having up to date informaJon will help with communicaJon between teachers, staff and parents.
To stay up to date with your students’ grades and class aQendance, click on No&fica&ons Menu.
Select how oSen you may want to receive a report for class aQendance and grades.
Make a selecJon for each class and also select a method of receiving the noJficaJons.
Food Distribution
Breakfast and lunch will be available to charter school students and any present fami ly member through Wednesday, April 15th, during the designated times and school locations listed below:
Times: • Breakfast – 8:00am – 10:00am • Lunch – 11:00am – 1:00pm
Meals will be available at the following schools:
Elementary Schools: Mary M. Bethune, Challenger, Coconut Palm, Charles Drew, Flamingo, Stephen Foster, James Hunt, Lake Forest, Lloyd Estates, Thurgood Marshall, Meadowbrook, Norcrest, Oakridge, Orange Brook, Parkside, Annabel C. Perry PK-8, PinesLakes, Pinewood, Quiet Waters, Royal Palm, Sawgrass, Village, Walker
Middle Schools: Coral Springs, Driftwood, Glades, Lyons Creek, Rickards, Sawgrass Springs, Seminole, Sunrise, Westpine
High Schools: Boyd Anderson, Coconut Creek, Coral Springs, Deerfield Beach, Dillard, Blanche Ely, Charles W. Flanagan, Hallandale, McArthur, Miramar, Nova, Plantation, South Broward, Stranahan, J.P. Taravella
Note: The charter school students must have their charter school id badges or their Broward County student identification numbers.
Where to Find Information During School Closure
Our website is the best source of information during this remote learning phase. There is a temporary tab titled COVID-19 that houses updates, food distribution information and a parent Q & A page, where answers too frequently asked questions are being posted. You will also find our remote learning plans under the lower school (K-5) and upper school (6th-12th) tabs on our homepage.
Not Receiving Weekly Emails or Calls from AGA
If you are not receiving our weekly emails or calls, please make sure we have your current contact information. You can do so by filling out the form at the link below. Please copy and paste the link into your browser.
https://forms.gle/snH1BG8BNFdpZVBJ6
Also, Shark Bites is posted on our website each week under the About Us Tab, then News and Announcements, then Newsletters.
COVID-19 Updates Con’t
The Pendulum of Time Management and Balance
For all of us, we dove into remote learning this week; for many it was overwhelming and for a moment we wanted to give-up. This response is normal, and the anxiety is expected. The key to managing remote learning is TIME MANAGEMENT, and effectively executing one’s day. Whether your child is a Lower or Upper school student, it is imperative that you are proactive and formulate a schedule or structure that fits for your family, but also resembles what would be done at school. Both student and parent must have knowledge of what needs to be accomplished daily in order to achieve goal(s). Teachers provided lessons and assignments, and deadlines given, and as such this has to be kept in mind when planning your day.
For the Upper school students, a remote learning plan schedule was made and posted on AGA’s website under the “Upper School” tab. It is strongly suggested that you use it to assist with time management and organization. This tool helps to provide the structure the student needs, and gives you, as the parent, the peace of mind that work is being done in a timely manner.
For the Lower school students, there is also a daily recommended schedule that resembles what they are accustomed; this can be accessed on AGA website “Lower School”. With the little ones, parents it is imperative that you are flexible and patient with them as the structure created in the classroom is not always easily replicated at home, for various reasons, and they’re not cognitively mature enough to adjust as smoothly. To all parents, we urge you to be patient with yourselves; this becomes easier as we go along. Reach out to other parents for support as to what works for them as well. At the end of this, we have to find BALANCE; balance between academic and family responsibilities. Some days you will need to allow your child to take an additional break. That’s ok…take that break, and then get back to the task at hand.
The interactions with our families are the memories we create for life, and we don’t want this time to be a memory of anxiety, stress, and negative emotions. In so doing, we take every opportunity to create teachable moments, honor our own feelings, validate our children’s feelings, and aspire to create positive learned experiences. Stay safe everyone!
Borrowed Tablet If you have borrowed a tablet from school and are experiencing issues or having difficulties setting it up, please email [email protected]
Free Internet Information For families needing internet access, Comcast has expanded its Internet Essentials program, which offers free internet services for eligible families for 60 days. To learn more, visit:
https://www.internetessentials.com/
COVID-19 Updates Con’t
Habit 6: Synergy Challenge of the Week! Synergy requires involving others and as we know we are all different. Which is good because that means that together we can all bring different strengths and weaknesses to the table!
Here are are different types of people: Can you identify which type are you and which one is each one of your family members at home?
• Plodders: Sure and steady. They stick to a job until it’s done.
• Followers: Very supportive. If they hear a great idea, they do their part to make it happen.
• Innovators: Creative, idea people. They spark new ideas.
• Harmonizers: Inspire unity and cooperation. They combine people’s talents.
• Ignitors: Fun to work with. They add momentum to achieve overall success.
New Opportunities in Higher Education?
The Coronavirus pandemic has caused colleges and universities throughout the world to close their campuses in the best interest of the public welfare. While many have opened their residential housing to first responders, they are still not exempt from the negative impact of losses in revenue, hiring freezes and the challenges of moving from face-to-face instruction to remote learning.
However, expected drops in college enrollment as a result of changes in previously committed students’ circumstances may mean an expansion in freshman class sizes. If so, students who applied and were wait-listed or denied admission in the past may now get a second look. Some institutions are waiving SAT and ACT score requirements to ensure that they meet their enrollment goals. In addition, government stimulus packages that include relief for higher education may result in changes in the type of financial aid offered to students, including student loan relief.
I highly recommend that students who intend to enroll in any form of post-secondary education, including the military, contact their recruiters and inquire about any recent changes in their policies and procedures that may positively or negatively affect their future plans.
Dr. Williams BRACE Advisor
Oliver Crawford is an H o n o r s , A d v a n c e d P lacement and Dua l Enrollment student at F lor ida Internat iona l University. He sings in the choir and plays trombone in the AGA band. His musical accomplishments include participating in the University of Miami Honor’s Band, Florida State University Band Camp, Broward College Concert Band, South Florida Youth Orchestra and the Air Force Concert Band.
Oliver speaks Portuguese, plays soccer, and enjoys creating soundtracks. He has accumulated over 200 volunteer hours including gaining work experience at AGA’s concession stand at Hard Rock Stadium. He is eligible for Florida’s Talented Twenty Program and plans to study aerospace engineering to become a commercial pilot
Senior Spotlight - Oliver Crawford
STEAM is an educational approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics to guide student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking. At Avant Garde Academy, STEAM is how we engage in real-world applications and promote meaningful collaboration.
Road to Carnegie Hall We are pleased to spotlight our Choral and Band program here at AGA. Under the leadership of Upper School Music Director, Marcos J. Rodriguez and Associate Music Director, Tony Gonzalez, Avant Garde’s Band program has been invited to perform at the 2021 National Band and Orchestra Festival at Carnegie Hall!
As for this year’s accomplishment, AGA’s High School Choir received the highly esteemed invitation to perform at Carnegie Hall during the 2020 New York Invitational Music Festival. Though the COVID-19 crisis impeded our attempts to attend, we wanted to share with you a tribute of the musical selections that would have been performed at Carnegie Hall this month.
The lists of songs our choir planned to perform included the following: “Ubi Caritas” by Ola Gjeilo; “Sisi Ni Moja” by Jacob Naverud; “Do Not Stand on My Grave and Weep” by Laura Farnell/Mary Elizabeth Frye; and “Walking Down That Glory Road” by Mark Hayes.
You will note the melodic harmonies, the concordant sounds and the emotion that swells between each note, all precisely directed and evoked by our gifted director. The talent that has been developed at Avant Garde is like no other. We invite you to click on the link below and receive a unique privilege to witness our students showcasing their concerted efforts to produce their collective masterpiece!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRC1YU8MG5E
Helping our community
Tijuana Flats on Sheridan, has been a partner with AGA opening their doors to us over the years for our family spirit nights. By a way of thanking them, they are our featured restaurant for a virtual family spirit night. The one difference is, AGA will not be receiving a percentage back of the profits as we want to help our community in these uncertain times.
while supplies last.
Chicken Tortilla soup MEAL 21.99
Chicken Taco Meal 22.99
BEEF Taco Meal 23.99
blackened Chicken Fajita Meal 25.99
STEAK Fajita Meal 29.99
REFRIED BEANS 3.39
BLACK BEANS 3.39
RICE 3.39
&heattex-mex mealsfor takeout + curbside picKUP
serve
Easy to make, signature dishes that can be made at home in under 20 minutes. Each meal serves 4-6. Cooking instructions included.
ADD A LARGE SIDE
They are currently doing free delivery on orders of $25+ and they have curbside pickup. The best part is, kids eat free on Monday, Wednesday or Friday with the purchase of an adult meal!! You can order on their website or on the app. They are selling market place items such as fresh produce, toilet paper, frozen meats, and family heat and serve meal kits that feed up to SIX people!
Show us your family spirit night by using #AGALEADS and post to social media. We are in this together AGA Sharks! Let’s make our community proud!
