AMERICAN HERITAGE • AMERICAN ACADEMY

Patriots’UPDATENewsletter for Heritage/Academy Parents February 2014

Model UN Team Succeeds at Prestigious Princeton Contest

The Heritage Model UN squad had a very successful performance at the Princeton Model UN Conference (PMUNC) Dec. 5-8, 2013, in Princeton, NJ. The squad competed against the top schools in the nation in this most prestigious of all fall semester conferences.

Twenty-four of 36 Heritage delegates won awards or were recognized for their performances. Matthew Robinson won Best Delegate for his role in the 1947 India Partition Committee; Samir Khan won Outstanding Delegate in the same committee; Andrew Klauber received Outstanding Delegate in a Yugoslavian Crisis Committee.

Other top winners were Spencer Krimsky and Emily Charland, representing Ireland in the World Health Committee; Melissa Bosem, portraying the Czarina in a Russian Revolution Committee; Jude Alawa for Best Position Paper in a Syrian Rebels Committee; and Michael Chin and Dajon Thomas, for Best Position Paper in a Bretton Woods Conference Committee.

Twelve of the team’s novice delegates won verbal recognitions or Honorable Mentions. The group also toured the Princeton campus and engaged in other educational and interesting activities.

The squad also had a great experience at the William & Mary Conference (WMHSMUN) in Williamsburg, VA, in November. Five delegates won top awards: Jonathan Fernandez, Phillipa Thompson, Brandon Marks, Andrew Klauber and Joshua Elkin. On that trip, the entire group were fascinated by the Colonial Williamsburg tour..

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Speech Contest Develops Communication Skills

According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, the number one must-have job skill is the ability to communicate effectively. “Whatever their level, communication is key for workers to advance.” Communication is also one of the key 21st Century Skills defined by the Framework for 21st Century Learning. The 21st Century Skills were created by business leaders and educators to define the skills “necessary to ensure 21st century readiness for every student.” The American Management Association says, “effective communication is the foundation on which companies and careers are built and a crucial component of lasting success.” At American Heritage School, we have always known that it is vital for our students to be able to communicate effectively.

For more than 30 years, students at American Heritage have researched, written, and delivered a speech in their English class each year. Being able to organize ideas and communicate them effectively are skills students will use in college and in their work lives.

Out of the more than 950 students in grades 9-11 who presented a speech in their English class, seven finalists were chosen to participate in the speech contest.finals.

Congratulations to our our first, second, and third place winners: High School Valen-Marie Santos - 1st Place Jacob Rogatinsky - 2nd Place Lauren Goboff - 3rd Place. Junior High SchoolNithya Kasarla - 1st PlaceTrishala Kumar - 2nd PlaceFiona Baquerizo - 3rd Place

In the second semester, 40 student delegates will attend the prestigious University of Chicago Conference (MUNUC) Feb. 6-9 in Chicago. The Heritage squad are defending champions at that event.

Also, thirty students will travel to New York City for the annual NHSMUN event in March which is the national championship for Model UN. The final day at NHSMUN is held at the actual UN building in the General Assembly Hall. National conferences in Washington, DC, (George Washington University) and Miami (University of Miami) are also on the agenda.

Model UN continued from page 1)

Brain Brawl Team Goes to County Finals

Congratulations to Heritage Brain Brawl contenders:• Vivian Ge• Rachel Oei• Francisco Rivera• Samir Khan• Philip Gaddy• Andrew Klauber• Matthew Sorree

The NHS Brain Brawl Team defeated the Stoneman Douglas team, making them the Northern Broward County Champions!

They will compete against the Southern Broward Champions next month to determine the Broward County Championship. This was their first year competing in this event. Congratulations to the team on an awesome effort!

Congratulations to...• ninth grader Suganth Kannan, who won 7th place in K-12 Grade National Chess Championship held during holidays. His dad Dr. Kannan Nagarajan, one of our engineering teachers, won first place in his section in Parents and Friends Tournament.

• Victoria Taylor, Claire Braverman and the Junior High News for earning first place for their PSA, Eating Disorder, at the Student Television Network, a national competition.

• the Varsity Football Team who won the FHSAA Class 5A Championship game and are now state champions!

• the following ORCHESTRA students who will represent AHS at the Broward All-County Orchestra in February. The concert is on February 27 at 7 p.m. and is FREE!Dalya Ackerman, Jude Alawa, Luc Alper-Leroux, Jeanetta Balducci, Timothy Bang, Kyra Clark, Dawson Cohen, Analisa DeVoe, Faith Forlenza, Benjamin Geller, Nicholas Halbig, Alisha Kabir, Nithya Kasarla, Alejandro Lombo, Ruhi Mansey, Conner McLeod, Glenn Medina, Jillian Mezo, Nicholas Mirchandani, Dorizabelle Northecide, Ashlynn O’Hara, Austin Park, Kishan Patel, Elizabeth Shin, Danielle Taylor, Sean Teng, Franco Tortolani, Michael Ulrich and Zachary Weisberg

• Heritage English teacher Skye Whitcomb. Skye and his theater company, Outre Theatre Company, won a Silver Palm Award for emerging as the outstanding new professional company in South Florida this season.

• Isabella Quiros, Ricky Holman, Alyssa Scrivner, Nathaniel Knight and Michael Ulrich, who marched in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade as part of the Macy’s All-American Marching Band.

• senior Melissa Bosem for being named as a semifinalist for the prestigious Coca Cola Scholarship Program. The Coca-Cola Program is an achievement-based scholarship awarded to graduating high school seniors each year. Students are recognized for their capacity to lead and serve and their commitment to making a significant impact on their schools and communities.

• seniors Kristina Thoren and Chelsea Contessa for being named semifinalists in the Park Scholarship Program at North Carolina State University. NC State has named 232 semifinalists out of over 1,300 high school seniors from across the country who applied for this prestigious scholarship. Candidates were reviewed based on four criteria: scholarship, leadership, service, and character. In January, the Selection Committee interviewed the Semifinalists and 100 Finalists will be invited to campus for a weekend of events. In March, approximately 50 students will be invited to join the Park Scholars Class of 2014. Congratulations to Kristina and Chelsea!

• our young jounalists. It’s a grand sweep for publications! The Spotlight 2013 yearbook received a First Place Award from the American Scholastic Press Association (ASPA). Expressions, the 2013 literary magazine, received both a First Place Award and Best Variety of Literary Works from ASPA. The Patriot Post received its First Place award earlier this year.

• Ty Strafaci, a sophomore and member of the AHS golf team, for winning the Broward County Amateur Golf Championship at Jacaranda Golf Club, defeating a former Heritage football and baseball player, Tyler Paletz, for the title in a sudden-death playoff.

Brandon Marks and Christina Hannau (holding certificates) are recognized by the Parkland City Council for being named National Merit Semi-finalists.

In addition to being 5A State Champions, the Heritage Varsity Football team demonstrated that they have big hearts, as well as great athletic skills. In advance of the holidays, players collected and donated stuffed animals for children at the Joe DiMaggio’s Children’s Hospital.

Alumnus Miguel Paredes Continues Language Study

at Yale

Heritage alumnus Miguel Paredes begain learning the Chinese language at Heritage during the 2009-2010 school year. He completed Chinese I, II & III. The fourth year, he took the AP Chinese class and passed the test with a very high score.

This year, he continues his study of Chineseis at the very challenging program offered at Yale University. Because of his strong background in the language, Miguel was able to skip to Yale’s Chinese Level III. He says that he still enjoys learning Chinese and Chinese culture at Yale.

One-Act Play Goes to State Competition...AGAIN

For the 23rd consecutive year, Heritage has won the District 13 One-Act Play Festival with a perfect score. This is the last one-act to be directed by Mr. Usher and the team of Mr. Usher, Ms. VanDerhoof, Mr. Tavernia, and Mrs. Wright Ballard. They will represent Broward District at the State Competition March 26-30 in Tampa.

Individual awards were presented:• Best Over-All Technical Achievement - Mr. Tavernia• Superior Technical Performance - Mr. Tavernia• Superior Show Performance - Mr. Usher, Ms. VanDerhoof, and Mrs. Wright Ballard• Best Actress of all the shows performed at the Festival - Mikayla Cohen• Best Supporting Actor of all the shows performed at the Festival - Jonah Stabinski• Broward County All-Star Cast - Jonathan Savage• Broward County All-Star Crew - Erin Young• Best Show of Conference with a perfect performance score - Elegies for Angels Punks and Raging Queens - the entire cast and crew of 21 performers, creators, designers, technicians.

From the Dean’s Office...At no time can ANY hooded sweatshirts be worn on campus by students. This includes, and is not limited to the High School State Championship Football hooded sweatshirt. Any violations to the dress code policy, regarding the wearing of hooded shirts, will result in a referral. This is a safety issue, as we cannot have students with covered heads on campus. Only the approved Heritage outerwear may be worn on campus.

LOWER SCHOOL PTO NEWSHello AHS Families and Happy New Year!What an incredible school year it’s been so far, and 2014 is sure to bring more awesomeness for our children and us all.

Before Winter Break, we ended the calendar year by celebrating the diverse heritage at our school with a salute to 73 different countries. On December 19th we enjoyed our annual Multicultural Day—a special day starting with the spectacular Parade of Flags followed by a performance by a fun and funny Russian Dance Troupe! Thank you to Yasmin Grant for organizing the cultural Russian dancers for everyone to enjoy.

The students also had the opportunity to make the holidays brighter for more than 150 children who are less fortunate. We joined efforts with Student Council in an Adopt-A-Family Drive. The leadership of our Room Parents and Grade Liaisons working with our teachers and staff, as well as the amazing generosity of our AHS families, provided over 40 other families with gift cards and gifts for the children. A huge thanks to all for championing a successful philanthropic project.

Snow fell again at AHS this winter! On Thursday, January 16th, our PK and Kindergarten students had the chance to make snow angels and snow balls during our annual PTO-sponsored Snow Day! That may be a day when we all wish we lived up North (where there’s real snow!) until we check the weather forecast and remember how lucky we are to live in the nice warm Tropics!

Family Fun Night was exactly that on Thursday, January 23rd at Chick-fil-A at Sawgrass. Kids and grownups all had a great time playing games and socializing for a night that’s always fun for everyone.

Speaking of fun, it’s always fun to hear comments from parents who have great things to say about being part of our PTO. Monique Johns, room parent in Mrs. Parente’s Kindergarten, said, “I think the PTO really gives parents and teachers an opportunity to make a difference in not only the lives of the students, but in the community, as well.” Gary Elzweig, co-chair of Teacher Appreciation Week and room parent in Mrs. Freire’s fifth grade class, said, “My favorite event is Tastefest because all of the parents involved have such great energy, spirit, and enjoy the time together putting on a great fest for our kids.”

Please join us at our next PTO general meeting on Thursday, February 6th in the Environmental Education Center. What a simply beautiful place to have a meeting! Thanks to Mrs. Fisher, supervisor of the EEC, for always hosting our PTO so warmly and for keeping us educated on all of the flora and fauna in our school’s extraordinary natural habitat.

Thanks again for everything you all do. Together we really make a big difference!

Melanie Hoffman, President - Lower School PTO, melanie@emotionalideas.com

Multicultural DayDecember 19, 2013

Students of many cultures from around the world attend Heritage, and each year, the Lower School Multicultural Day al-lows them to demonstrate pride in their ancestry. The Parade of Flags traditionally opens this special day followed by samplings of food and entertainment from different cultures.

Kai Beck holds the Canadian flag.

Junyi Xiu represents China.

(At left) Sophomore debater Justin Yang competed at the Glenbrooks Debates in Chicago, making it to Quarterfinals. Justin is a Lincoln Douglas debater. At the Glenbrooks, he debated about whether or not we should protect attorney-client privilege, and whether or not it is moral to prioritize finding the truth over attorney-client privilege. Justin competed against some of the top debaters in the nation.

(At right) Debate Team Captain Jared Sutton is quickly becoming Heritage’s most decorated debater yet. In the photo, Jared wins another first place trophy in a South Florida debate tournament. Jared continues to hold on to the number one spot, ranked top Congressional debater in the nation for several months now. So far, Jared has won 45 trophies and awards in his time on the debate team. Next, Jared and his teammates will be competing at Emory University in the prestigious Barkley Forum Debates.

(Above) Heritage debaters took home more than a dozen trophies and awards at the University of Florida’s Blue Key Debates this year. Blue Key is the big national tournament held in Florida, and it typically brings top teams from 15-20 different states. Blue Key is also a tournament in which some of our debaters begin to qualify for the Tournament of Champions Debate Nationals each year.

(Below) Before heading to the airport after the Glenbrooks national debate tournament in Chicago, brothers Jake and Brandon Becker and the rest of the team stop by Chicago’s Millenium Park to see the famous Silver Bean that reflects the city’s skyline. The Beckers recently competed in their first Round Robin Debates, at a national round robin hosted in the Panthers BB&T Stadium, where they competed against 11 other top teams in the nation. The Beckers’ award at the Round Robin was a Panthers hockey puck with an engraved plate on the side of it.

On the Road Again..Debate Team Meets with Success fom Sea to Shining Sea

JUNIOR WORKSHOP PART II: Inside the College Admissions ProcessParents-Monday, February 3, 7:00-9:00 p.m., Main TheaterStudents-Tuesday, February 4, 7:45-9:45 a.m., Main Theater

Monday

3Baked Ziti

Garlic BreadTossed Salad

Tuna Salad Sandwich

10

Meat LasagnaGarlic BreadTossed Salad

Tuna Salad Sandwich

17

PRESIDENTS’ DAYNO CLASSES

24Pasta w/Meat Sauce

Garlic BreadTossed Salad

Tuna Salad Sandwich

Friday

7Chicken Nuggets

Tater TotsCorn

Turkey Sandwich

14

TEACHER WORKDAYNO CLASSES

21Baked Chicken

White RiceBlack Beans

Turkey Sandwich

28

Chicken Patty SandwichYellow Rice

Fresh Vegetables w/Dip

Turkey Sandwich

Thursday

6Fresh Baked Pizza

Vegetable SoupFresh Vegetables w/Dip

Ham & Cheese Sandwich

13

Fresh Baked PizzaVegetable Soup

Fresh Vegetables w/Dip

Ham & Cheese Sandwich 20

Fresh Baked PizzaTossed Salad

Fresh Vegetables w/Dip

Ham & Cheese Sandwich 27

Fresh Baked PizzaVegetable Soup

Fresh Vegetables w/Dip

Ham & Cheese Sandwich

Wednesday

5Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Baked ChipsFresh Vegetables w/Dip

Egg Salad Sandwich

12

Chicken WrapBaked Chips

Fresh Vegetables

Egg Salad Sandwich 19

Hot Ham & Cheese SubBaked Chips

Vegetable Soup

Egg Salad Sandwich 26

Corn DogBaked Chips

Fresh Vegetables w/Dip

Egg Salad Sandwich

Tuesday

4Chicken Patty

Buttered NoodlesPeas

Chicken Salad Sandwich

11

Angus Beef HamburgerTater Tots

Green Beans

Chicken Salad Sandwich 18

Chicken TenderloinsMashed PotatoesMixed Vegetable

Chicken Salad Sandwich

25

Chicken NuggetsTater Tots

Yellow Corn

Chicken Salad Sandwich

February Menu

Happy New Year everyone! 2014 has already seen several successful events for the Upper School PTO! As this newsletter goes to press we thank Mercedes Bradley and Linda Segall for their hard work in pulling off another great History Day —actually two days. Volunteers saw the amazing projects prepared by our students. Best wishes to the winners as they move forward in this National competition. Thank you for your support and interest..

Right on the heels of History Day, the PTO hosted the second High Honors Breakfast. Thank you to our co-chairs for this event: Li- Ling Chin, Stephanie Gilfarb, and Yvette Broder. The Patriot themed breakfast was a tremendous success, and they served over 700 students. Congratulations to the students who were invited to attend!

Nominations for the Upper School PTO Board and Committee Chairs for next year (2014-2015) will open at our February meeting. Elections will take place in April. If you have an interest in becoming involved, chairing a committee, or joining the Board, now is the time to ask questions and explore opportunities. Please ask any of our wonderful board members about getting involved. Having had the honor of serving as Upper School

PTO board member for the past two years, and currently representing you as our President, I know firsthand that our organization includes a mix of energetic, intelligent, and creative individuals with a wide variety of talents and interests. I encourage you to get involved with this exceptional group—we can become even better with you!

I hope to see you at our next meeting on Thursday, February 13, 8:00 AM in the gym.

—Stephanie Gilfarb, USPTO President

PTOUpper School

All meals served with fresh fruit, beverage and cookie of the day. Gluten free options are available by calling our cafeteria 954- 472-0022 ext. 3029.