Page 1 of 5 April 26, 2018 Dear Students, Parents, Faculty, & Staff
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April 26, 2018 Dear Students, Parents, Faculty, & Staff, Following are this week’s FIDS updates: STEM Fair 2018—A Phenomenal Success. In the spirit of scientific exploration, this year’s STEM Fair flourished into three events of discovery and celebration. The FIDS Community Day of Science kicked off with a schoolwide “science tour,” where students were able to see every classroom and individual STEM project, as well as practice their presentation before peers. This set in motion a sense of collective learning and knowledge-building. Following the Community Day of Science was the STEM & STEAM Fair. The STEM Fair was a wonderful display of student inquiry and action. FIDS students began with a project question and carried that question through a rigorous journey of investigation and analysis. Project topics ranged from the human heart to renewable energy. FIDS’s first-ever pop-up STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Art Math) Fair provided an opportunity for students and families to explore hands-on and interactive activities. With Ms. Jacqueline Roch, Art Teacher, we watched chromatography in action, while creating beautiful coffee-filter art pieces. Under the guidance of Mr. John Durango, P.E. Teacher, and Ms. Amanda Wolgast, 5th/6th Grade Teacher, students were challenged to fuse innovation and engineering to create structures using pool noodles and toothpicks. Constructed from these two materials, we saw colorful robots, boats, towers, cars, and houses. Ms. Sierra Goggins, Guidance Counselor, took us on a science exploration of discovering refraction’s effect on visual art, the journey soundwaves can take, and the beauty of diffusion. The pop-up STEAM Fair transformed our playground into a wonderland of play, creativity, and joy. We would like to thank Ms. Samantha Turner, Pre-K Teacher, for organizing and leading this year’s STEM and STEAM events. We would also like to thank Ms. Goggins, Coach Durango, Ms. Roch, and Ms. Wolgast for facilitating the STEAM activities. Lastly, thanks go to our teachers and families for pushing themselves and our young scientists to ensure that challenging STEM exploration took place. We look forward to STEM exploration continuing to grow next year. Page 1 of 5 Parent Association (PA)/Scholastic Book Fair Wildly Successful. We appreciate the support of the entire Fisher Island Day School community toward this year’s PA-sponsored Scholastic Book Fair. The preliminary net is nearly $2,500 in Scholastic book credits for our teachers to use in their classrooms. Special thanks go to Ms. Camila Sharp for her leadership, as well as our many parent volunteers who staffed the two-day operation: Ms. Ana Andreotti, Ms. Kashleigh Johnson, Ms. Racha Kotob, Ms. Melissa Lustbader, Ms. Yvonne Marschner, Ms. Marina Mikhailov, Ms. Oskana Moskvina, Ms. Katie Vole, and Ms. Maria Elena Zapata. In addition, faculty and staff members Ms. Catalina Rubio, Coach D. and Mr. Miranda joined our parent volunteers after school to help with the set-up and break-down of the Fair. Ms. Jacqueline Roch Commissioned by the Miami River Mural Project. Last year, FIDS’s Art Teacher, Ms. Jacqueline Roch, received a commission from the City of Miami River Commission and the Greater Miami Convention & Visitor’s Bureau to create a mural along the Miami River, underneath the NW Second Avenue Bridge. Her mural, Wild Oasis, was so admired that they asked her to return to add a complementary mural to the other side of the bridge. The latter endeavor was supported by HandsOn Miami and the Marlins Foundation. On Saturday, April 21, 2018, Ms. Roch completed the mural, with the helping hands of FIDS’s Bookkeeper, Ms. Cheryl Camp, and Ms. Camp’s daughter, Chloe Camp (4th Grade). Wild Oasis is best viewed when traversing the Miami River by boat. Mr. Bornstein to Star in Beauty and the Beast. Come see FIDS’s very own music teacher, Mr. B, play the role of Gaston in the musical Beauty and the Beast! Performance Dates/Times: o Thursday, May 3rd @ 7:30 p.m. o Saturday, May 5th @ 8:00 p.m. o Sunday, May 6th @ 2:00 p.m. Location: Temple Beth Am 5950 N. Kendall Drive Pinecrest, FL 33156 Advance Tickets: www.tbam.org/beauty ($25 advance/$30 at the door) Mosquito-Borne Illness Prevention. Please access the August 14, 2017, issue of the Fisher Flyer for the latest updates on our efforts to keep FIDS kids safe from mosquito-borne illnesses. Fifth & Sixth Graders to Visit Kennedy Space Center. FIDS’s fifth and sixth graders will visit the Kennedy Space Center on a two-night/three-day excursion, Sunday, April 29 – Tuesday, May 1, 2018. Once there, they will be provided with an up-close and personal tour of the center, including the Salute to Science and the new Astronaut Training Experience (ATX) programs. There is a possibility that a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the first geostationary communication satellite for Bangladesh during our time at the Kennedy Space Center. I will have the privilege of joining them on this field trip. During my absence, Mrs. Mollie T Small, Assistant Head of School, will be the administrator in charge at FIDS. Learning expeditions— such as the visit to Kennedy Space Center—are unique experiences only available to FIDS students. Page 2 of 5 ERB (Educational Records Bureau) Testing Dates. The annual administration of the ERB Comprehensive Testing Program will occur as follows: Grade Levels Testing Dates May 7 – 11 (Revised) 3 & 4 April 30- May 4 5 & 6 May 14 - 18 1 & 2 May 21 - 25 To ensure a successful administration of the test, please adhere to the following: Unless your child is ill, please make sure he/she attends school each day during the testing window. Students who are absent will be required to make up the subtests they miss, prolonging the standardized-testing process. Make sure your child has a good night’s sleep each night and a nutritious breakfast each morning preceding the test dates. Test taking is one of life’s realities. Please present the test as an important opportunity for your child to demonstrate his/her knowledge and talent. Encourage them to do their best, but not to the point of creating fear or anxiety. FIDS KIDS Gala. FIDS’s Parent Association is pleased to host the 2nd Annual FIDS KIDS Gala (school dance). Enjoy DJ entertainment, chaperone coverage, refreshments, and lite bites. Following are the details: Date: Friday, May 11, 2018 Time: 5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Place: Vanderbilt Theater (nee Café Tangier) Grades: 1 - 6 (Younger siblings may attend with an accompanying adult.) Attire: o Boys – Bermuda shorts/Khakis and collared shirt or school uniform o Girls – Sun dress/pants and blouse or school uniform Biscayne Beautiful Paintings by Jacqueline Roch. Paintings by FIDS’s Art Teacher, Ms. Jacqueline Roch, are on display at the Dante Fascell Visitor Center Gallery through July 15, 2018, daily 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Her works commemorate Biscayne National Park’s 50th Anniversary. Following are the details of this weekend’s opening reception, which includes a meet-and- greet with Jacquie, live music, and refreshments: Date: Saturday, April 28, 2018 Time: 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Place: Biscayne National Park 9700 SW 328 Street Homestead, FL 33033 Mulan. Our after-school drama club will be performing the musical Mulan on Friday, June 1, 2018, at The Vanderbilt Theater (nee Café Tangier). Following is the schedule of performances: 10:00 a.m. – Performance for FIDS students and faculty/staff. 5:00 p.m. – Performance for parents and special guests. Page 3 of 5 Security Upgrades at FIDS. In light of recent events, we are modifying security procedures at FIDS. Certain changes will be noticeable, while others will be effectuated behind the scenes. We are carefully balancing the need to keep our school safe without losing the carefreeness our students enjoy as part of their education at FIDS. As changes unfold, we thank you for your understanding and cooperation. In the interest of security, all details of our plans will not be disclosed. Update: On Tuesday, April 24, 2018, Mr. John Durango and I attended the following seminar in Ft. Lauderdale: Response to a Violent Intruder. The seminar was funded by our insurer, Philadelphia Insurance Companies, and acquainted participants with the ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) methodology as a means of responding to a violent intruder. Heads-of-School Dinner. On Monday evening, April 23, 2018, Mrs. Mollie T. Small, Assistant Head of School, and I joined several South Florida heads of school for a networking dinner in Coral Gables. In addition to us, the following heads of school attended: Dr. Gregory Blackburn, St. Philip’s Episcopal School; Dr. John Davies, Miami Country Day School; Dr. Barbara Hodges, Executive Director, FCIS (Guest Speaker); Dr. Mr. Olen Kalkus, Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart; Ms. Lillian Issa, St. Thomas Episcopal School; Rev. Susan M. Bruttell, St. Christopher by the Sea Episcopal Montessori School; and Mr. James McGhee, Co-Head of School, Alexander Montessori. The evening provided the opportunity for headmasters from South Florida’s leading independent schools to network, share best practices, and learn of new resources. FCIS’s Heads-of-School Luncheon. On Tuesday, April 24, 2018, Mrs. Mollie T. Small, Assistant Head of School, joined several South Florida independent school leaders for a Florida Council of Independent Schools’ (FCIS) luncheon at St. Philip’s Episcopal School. In addition, the following individuals were in attendance: Dr. Gregory Blackburn, Head of School, St. Philip’s Episcopal School; Ms. Angela Ciocca, Co-Founder, La Prima Casa Montessori; Ms. Rosa Coronado, Assistant Head of School, St.