Newsletter for Heritage/Academy Parents December 2013/January 2014 AMERICAN HERITAGE • AMERICAN ACADEMY Patriots’ UPDATE Happy Holidays! From the American Heritage/Academy family to yours, we wish you a safe and healthy holiday. We hope that 2014 brings you much peace, joy and happiness. It is hard to believe we are almost halfway through the school year! While it might not be “wintry” in South Florida, we still celebrate the spirit of the season through our annual winter concerts. We invite you to join us in celebrating the holidays, as well as our talented students. As the year comes to an end, we take this opportunity to thank all of our families for their thoughtfuness and generosity during the holiday season. It is our pleasure to assist you throughout your child’s educational years. —All of us at American Heritage/Academy Mock Trial Team Competes at National Empire Event The weekend of October 19, the American Heritage Plantation Mock Trial team traveled to Brooklyn, New York, to compete in the 7th annual Empire Mock Trial Competition. Forty of the best mock trial teams from around the United States and Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia and South Korea competed in the prestigious event. In the past, the Heritage team has consistently placed in the top five or ten, which are the teams that are recognized for their performances. This year, the case was the State of Midlands vs Danny Dawson, a criminal case involving murder and driving under the influence. Participating teams presented both the prosecution and defense, which included full trial openings, closings, direct examinations and cross examinations. At this year’s competition, the standout was Matthew Robinson, who won a Best Attorney award. He was acknowledged for the highest score at the competition as an attorney for the defense side. Matthew scored a possible 29 out of 30 points. He is the only American Heritage Mock Trial student ever to accomplish this feat. Matt Robinson is Heritage’s most decorated This year’s Model UN Team currently has over 120 members. They have numerous award winners and honored delegates returning to compete this year. On Sept. 28, advisor Mark Gruskin and the team members held a spectacular mock conference at Heritage. All of the team officers ran the committees, and all of the new members participated as if it were a real conference. An awards ceremony was held afterwards. All of those involved thought it was one of the best events they had ever experienced. It was as professionally done as mock UN conferences held nationally or at college conferences. The Heritage team is currently ranked 11th in the nation, and that standing should improve as they plan to attend all of the major conferences held this year: William & Mary, Princeton, Chicago, New York and Georgetown. Also, the ranking doesn’t take into account Heritage’s dominant win at the Miami conference last school year. The team won or received major recognition at every conference entered last year. Some of these had 200 to 300 schools entered. The Heritage team is generally made up of twenty to forty members for each conference trip. With 120 team members, there is plenty of talent and ability from which to choose. We wish the team the best of luck as they begin their competitions, this year! (Continued next page) Top Ranked Model UN Team Ready for Competition
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Newsletter for Heritage/Academy Parents December 2013/January 2014
AMERICAN HERITAGE • AMERICAN ACADEMY
Patriots’UPDATE Happy Holidays!From the American Heritage/Academy family to yours, we wish you a safe and healthy holiday. We hope that 2014 brings you much peace, joy and happiness.
It is hard to believe we are almost halfway through the school year! While it might not be “wintry” in South Florida, we still celebrate the spirit of the season through our annual winter concerts. We invite you to join us in celebrating the holidays, as well as our talented students.
As the year comes to an end, we take this opportunity to thank all of our families for their thoughtfuness and generosity during the holiday season.
It is our pleasure to assist you throughout your child’s educational years.
—All of us at American Heritage/Academy
Mock Trial Team Competes at National Empire EventThe weekend of October 19, the American Heritage Plantation Mock Trial team traveled to Brooklyn, New York, to compete in the 7th annual Empire Mock Trial Competition. Forty of the best mock trial teams from around the United States and Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia and South Korea competed in the prestigious event. In the past, the Heritage team has consistently placed in the top five or ten, which are the teams that are recognized for their performances. This year, the case was the State of Midlands vs Danny Dawson, a criminal case involving murder and driving under the influence. Participating teams presented both the prosecution and defense, which included full trial openings, closings, direct examinations and cross examinations. At this year’s competition, the standout was Matthew Robinson, who won a Best Attorney award. He was acknowledged for the highest score at the competition as an attorney for the defense side. Matthew scored a possible 29 out of 30 points. He is the only American Heritage Mock Trial student ever to accomplish this feat.
Matt Robinson is Heritage’s most decorated
This year’s Model UN Team currently has over 120 members. They have numerous award winners and honored delegates returning to compete this year.
On Sept. 28, advisor Mark Gruskin and the team members held a spectacular mock conference at Heritage. All of the team officers ran the committees, and all of the new members participated as if it were a real conference. An awards ceremony was held afterwards. All of those involved thought it was one of the best events they had ever experienced. It was as professionally done as mock UN conferences held nationally or at college conferences.
The Heritage team is currently ranked 11th in the nation, and that standing should improve as they plan to attend all of the major conferences held this year: William & Mary, Princeton, Chicago, New York and Georgetown. Also, the ranking doesn’t take into account Heritage’s dominant win at the Miami conference last school year.
The team won or received major recognition at every conference entered last year. Some of these had 200 to 300 schools entered. The Heritage team is generally made up of twenty to forty members for each conference trip. With 120 team members, there is plenty of talent and ability from which to choose.
We wish the team the best of luck as they begin their competitions, this year! (Continued next page)
Top Ranked Model UN Team
Ready for Competition
AHS mock trial student. He has been a witness on a State championship team. He has won two “Best Witness” awards, and now has a “Best Attorney” to add to his resume. Matt has been on a team that placed in the top ten at Nationals and a team that has placed in the top ten at the Empire competition. Another Heritage team (coached by Michael Gilfarb) will compete at the Yale University Bulldog Competition. Following the Yale event, the best students from the two Heritage teams will join together for county competition, and if they advance, then they will move on to State competition in Orlando in March. That case will be a criminal trial, State of Florida vs. Jessie Davis, a simulated Drug Trafficking Trial.
The Empire Mock Trial Competition team consisted ofAttorneysMatthew RobinsonIsabel GabaldonOlivia BrownWitnessesRyan RomeroMia CastilloEmilia BrianoSpenser KrimskyAlexander WeisbrotAlternatesElizabeth FlynnArianna DeshpandeDeniyal Mistry
(Mock Trial continued)
WINTER DRESS CODE:A reminder that despite the often chilly winter weather, students are always required to be in FULL dress code. Heritage winter wear can be ordered online at Continental Uniforms or through the Heritage uniform office. To schedule an appointment for a uniform fitting, please call 954-472-0022 ext. 3001, or email Mrs. Chase at [email protected]. There is no inventory on campus for purchase. Once you are fitted, everything will be shipped directly to your home from the uniform store.
Congratulations to...• Harshath Gupta who has been named a Semifinalist in the 2013 Siemens Competition. He was one of only five students in the entire state to receive this honor. The Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology recognizes remarkable talent early on, fostering individual growth for high school students who are willing to challenge themselves through science research.
• former AHS mock trial alumnus, Matthew Covert, who was the captain of the Florida State University Mock Trial Team. For the first time in that school’s history, he led them to a college National Championship. While on the Heritage Mock Trial team, he won “Best Attorney” and placed in the top five at state and at Empire competitions.
• the Boys Varsity Football team! District Champions after their big win vs. Cardinal Gibbons. They hosted the first round of play-offs at home vs. Lely on November 15 and soundly defeated them.
• the Girls Golf team for winning the FHSAA State Championship! Great job to the Boys’ Golf team on their second place finish in the State.
• the following Heritage students who were named to the 2013 Florida American Choral Directors Association Male Honor Choir: Dylan Erdelyi, Thomas Lovegren, Elliot Mahon, Nicholas Matese, Kyle Dawson and Dylan Kaplan,
• Alexandra Van Hasselt, who was named to the 2013 Florida American Choral Directors Association High School Honor Choir
• the AHS Boys Swim team, who won their District Championship!
• the Marching Patriots. They received straight Superior ratings at FBA Marching MPA.
WAHS News received 14 awards at the FSPA District Competition held in mid-October. Junior High News won their first award, an Honorable Mention.
FSPA FALL NATIONALSExcellent, Broadcast Commercial, Grace King, Kristi Cook, Deja Parrish, Conner Guidry, Excellent, Journalism, How to Video, Grace King, Kristi CookExcellent, Second Place, Sports Reaction Photo, Kassidy James, Juanita CedielHonorable Mention, Broadcast Commercial, Aaron Michael Sortal, Carolina Arango, Amanda Studnik, Marcus PriceHonorable Mention, Back to School Photo Page, Grace King, Kristi CookMultimedia Staff, Honorable Mention, Event CoverageMultimedia Staff, Honorable Mention, Event Coverage
FSPA DISTRICT 7 First Place, Carry-In Feature Photo, Kristi CookFirst Place, Carry-In 1 in 8 Million Multimedia Contest, Grace King, Kristi CookSecond Place, On-the-Spot Script Writing, Grace King, Ben PollackSecond Place, On-the-Spot Video Editing,Kassidy James, Eduardo SerpaSecond Place, On-the-Spot News Package Editing, Aaron Michael Sortal, Kristi Cook, Alex GarzaThird Place, Carry In Show Intro, Eduardo SerpaThird Place Carry In Photography: Portrait, Di WuHonorable Mention Carry In Public Service Announcement, Kassidy James
WAHS News Captures Awards in Fall Competitions
Pre-Med Society Brings Early Christmas to Cancer Patient
The medical team at Chris Evert Children Hospital advised the Pre-Med Society that one of the patients they are treating, Aliah, might not make it to the annual holiday party because of increasingly failing health. For years, participating Heritage students have provided food, presents and entertainment at the hospital at holiday time to children and their families in the pediatric cancer unit.
Led by Dr. Carlos Pulido, the officers of Pre-Med decided to buy presents for Aliah ahead of the scheduled December 6th party. The group soon showed up at the hospital and delivered a bounty of presents to the patient. Dr. Pulido and the students received the following thank you from Melissa Stachowiak, LCSW, Social Worker, Pediatric Oncology Unit:
“Dear Dr. Pulido and students,We cannot begin to thank you enough for bringing Christmas early for Aliah and her family last Thursday. Thanks to your generosity, we have a very nice memory of Aliah riding around the unit over and over again in her new “smart trike” stroller. While it cannot improve her prognosis, it certainly improved her mood over the last few days, and the mood of the staff as well! Dr. Pulido, I continue to be impressed. Aliah was showered with Elmos, Mickeys, and Minnies (all her favorites). Not only did the students come with the smart trike already assembled so she could hop right into it, but they also remembered to bring batteries for the toys that needed them. Aliah loved opening her gifts and riding in the smart trike. A big thank you to the students (and likely their parents) for their preparation...”
A recent communication from Kyle Robinson, American Heritage class of ‘07, class of Columbia University ‘11, University of Florida: College of Medicine:
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been at Heritage, but every day I’m grateful for the education I received. I just wanted to give you a little update on my life.
When I began my education at American Heritage, I did not know what the future held. Every step of the way, American Heritage guided me and prepared me for my journey: leadership, scholarship, friendship, and musicianship. After graduating from the Ivy League and matriculating in medical school, I am realizing the potential American Heritage will always hone and foster in her students.
I’m now in my 3rd year of medical school and am doing extremely well. I’ve gotten straight “A’s,” so far, and scored in the top 15% of the nation on Step 1 of the US Medical License Exam. My plan is to specialize in plastic surgery, specifically pediatric craniofacial reconstructive surgery. I’m still writing music and am actually working on a musical! I’ve got a great girlfriend who I’m very serious about and really couldn’t be any happier.”
Heritage Alumnus Now Third Year Med Student
Debate Team Ranked in Top 5% Nationally
The National Forensic League Speech & Debate Honor Society has ranked the American Heritage Debate team among the top 5% of schools nationwide. This earned the team a membership in the League’s prestigious 200 Club.
According to the League, “This milestone is remarkable because it demonstrates outstanding commitment to teaching students essential life skills—including communication, research, listening, writing, and organization.” Congratulations to the Heritage Debate Team!
The Debate Team’s New GenerationJust three months into the school year, some of the newest members of our Heritage Debate Team are already making waves at local debate tournaments.
Freshmen Keerthika Ravikumar and Noah Goldberg won first place in Congressional Debate at their first novice tournaments of the year at University School in Davie. Lorenzo Lamo, Zach Smith, and Aima Shahid also took home awards in Congressional Debate. These five students prepared speeches on four different domestic and international debate topics for the tournament, and practiced their speeches in their Intro to Debate class during a mock Congress Debate round. Goldberg and Lamo have since chosen to focus on Congressional Debate, working on a very concise, direct style of argument. Aima and Anastasia have since become a strong new Public Forum team. Coach David Childree attributes Aima’s and Anastasia’s strong new Public Forum partnership to their cooperative teamwork, their solid grasp of a lot of different evidence, and their drive to know as much about the topic as possible.
One month later, Noah Goldberg won another first place in Congressional Debate. Team Captain Jared Sutton isn’t surprised. Jared says that “Goldberg’s strong analysis of topics and calm, smooth speaking style wins over Congressional Debate judges at the tournaments.
Heritage eighth grader Max Kingsley has also put himself on the map, taking home first place in Congressional Debate while competing against high schoolers. Kingsley got his start in debate last year as a founding member of the Heritage Junior High Debate Club. He quickly found success in extemporaneous speaking last year, winning first place at his first tournament ever. Since then, he has also done well in Congressional Debate and in Public Forum Debate. Kingsley is currently taking Heritage’s new Junior High Intro to Debate course, allowing him to learn about and test out about a dozen different types of competitive speech and debate.
Next up for our Heritage debaters is a tournament at Princeton University. In December, Aima, Anastasia, and Lorenzo, along with some veteran Heritage debaters, will all be competing at Princeton in New Jersey against some of the nation’s top debaters. Wish them luck at their first major national tournament!
For more information on Heritage debate, students can visit our debate team website at www.freewebs.com/americanheritagedebate/ or come to an afternoon debate practice in room 5107, Tuesdays at 3:30.
Freshmen Lorenzo Lamo and Noah
Goldberg work on Congress speeches
at an afternoon debate practice
Junior High Debaters Kelsey Chandran and Nithya Kasarla prep for public forum debate.
The two girls debated the benefits and harms of NSA surveillance as they tried Public Forum Debate, for the first time, at a novice tournament in November. Public Forum Debate requires developing research and staying current with issues of the day.
College Visits...NorthwesternA representative from Northwestern University visited the Heritage campus on Oct. 21. Her presentation was full of useful information, and the 20 students in attendance asked excellent questions.
They learned that Northwestern has 8,400 undergraduates, 8,000 graduate students, and six schools (College of Arts and Sciences, Schools of Communication, Education and Social Policy, Engineering and Applied Science, Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications, and Music).
Two-thirds of NU students double-major, and students can earn a minor or certificate in fields outside their major. NU is also home to an honors program in medical education with highly competitive admission.
NU is a 10-mile long campus that hugs the shores of Lake Michigan in the first suburb north of the city of Chicago. It is 30 minutes from the city center of that city. Ninety percent of their classes are taughtby faculty; the other 10% are taught by special visitors, e.g., Julia Louis-Dreyfus recently taught a class in the theatre program.
Northwestern does not require interviews for admission, but they are recommended. Prospective students are encouraged to get in touch with a student employee in the Office of Admission if they cannot
visit campus or if they have specific questions.
When reviewing applications, the committee looks for academic rigor and good grades; after that, it is a holistic review. NU meets 100% of demonstrated financial need for its admitted students.
VanderbiltAlmost 40 students turned out to hear Mr. Leslie Sanderfur discuss Vanderbilt University. Located in Nashville, TN (also known as Music City, USA), it is a town full of music and opportunity.
Vanderbilt’s dual commitment to research and undergraduate teaching allows students to work
with, and learn from, world- renowned leaders in almost every academic field. The University is comprised of four colleges: The
College of Arts and Science, The School of Engineering, Blair School of Music, and the Peabody School of Education and Human Development. With so many majors from which to choose, there is a lot of academic flexibility, and students can easily double major or major and minor (music and neuroscience, geology and engineering, etc.).
With over 500 student organizations, 16 varsity
athletic teams and 130 study abroad programs, students at “Vandy” are truly engaged. The “Vanderbilt Commodores” also love to give back to their community; with 75 percent of students participating in community service, it is the most popular thing to do on campus.
Admission at Vanderbilt is very selective, with only 12.7 % of their 31,000 applicants being admitted in 2013. Each year, Vanderbilt visits American Heritage and typically enrolls some of our best and brightest students.
University of Southern CaliforniaUSC, a favorite of Heritage students, visited campus on October 23rd. Senior Assistant Director Corey Marquetti gave students insider tips on the admissions process (including what to do and not to do on the application, i.e. don’t list Nicki
Minaj as your favorite singer) as well as an overview of the schools and colleges. Mr. Marquetti explained that, as a top-ranked private research institution, USC offers everything students are looking for: world-class resources, academic opportunities, a vibrant campus life, a location in the heart of a dynamic and diverse city, and the lifelong support of the Trojan Family.
Last year, 47,358 students applied for 2,922 places in the freshman class. Approximately 20 percent were offered admission. Freshmen applicants are holistically evaluated on the rigor of their high school course work, their grades, standardized test scores, activities, essays and
Is it really December already? The months seem like days as we move into the holiday season and all the joy it brings. Last month was a big month for giving, as we completed our Fall Fundraiser, and we saw our Principals actually sleep on the school roof to help motivate the students to get pledges for running laps. We’re thrilled that we not only exceeded our fundraising goal, but that we had enough funds to donate over 2,500 meals to South Florida families in need. Thank you, Rhonda Lewis and her committee, and to everyone for your generous contributions and support!
The giving continued with Rocket Reader Give Back, a program that offers your family the opportunity to donate a book in your child’s name to our library. Thanks to Ida Rouhani, Mrs. Deben and everyone in the Media Center for organizing this book drive.
On November 21st, our gymnasium was transformed into a harvest feast for our traditional Thanksgiving lunch fondly known as Tastefest. Students’ artwork decorated the walls and tables, and parent volunteers helped make this day special by serving students and faculty a delicious turkey lunch with all the fixings. Gratitude to Julie DiLeo and Katie Rice for heading up this event, to all of the amazing volunteers, and to Theresa Silvera and her cafeteria staff for cooking such a tasty meal.
December is sure to bring holiday cheer as we kick off the month with our general meeting on December 5th in the Amphitheatre of the Environmental Education Center. Join us for coffee and breakfast in this hidden gem on campus, and find out about our December events...
…such as Dinner with the Principals on December 6th at Game Room at Sawgrass. Thanks to Lee Gregory and your committee for organizing what is sure to be a great social event for all.
The Upper School PTO’s Holiday Bazaar on December 10th in the gym is a great way to do your holiday shopping and even buy a few things for yourself! Many students will be performing so you can plan your shopping trip around your child’s show. Look out for show times coming home in backpacks.
Our annual Multicultural Day and Winter Parties will be on December 19th. AHS students’ heritage represents more than 73 countries throughout the world and the morning flag ceremony is a fine tribute. The students will be treated to an authentic show of Russian dancers and will enjoy various native foods, games, and performances. Thank you to Yasmin Grant for organizing the Russian show and to all Room Parents and Liaisons for hosting classroom parties.
Wishing you all a joyful Holiday Season and a happy and healthy New Year!
The Upper School PTO continues to have a very busy year. On November 7th, the PTO hosted its first High Honors Breakfast of the school year. We fed nearly 700 honors Upper School
students with the help of our amazing volunteers! Thank you to my co chairs, Yvette Broder and Li-Ling Chin and all of our volunteers for planning, organizing and hosting this event. Congratulations to all of the students who made the “grades” to be invited! The next High Honors Breakfast will take place on Tuesday, January 28th, and volunteers are always needed and welcome.
On November 26th, Dessertfest took center stage in the Upper School. This is a great Heritage tradition that kicks off the holiday season. PTO volunteers served dessert to all Upper School students along with faculty and staff. Thanks to Beth Adams, Sandra Vargas and their group of volunteers for making the event a huge success!
On December 3rd, our team of volunteers, led by Betty Cortelli, Maria Lessner, and Shelley Scholl assisted the Junior High with Career Day. Many different occupations were represented, and the students had a very informative and interactive time with the different parents who came and graciously donated their time and knowledge.
On Thursday, December 5th, at 8 AM in the gym, we will have a featured coffee talk session entitled “Interpreting College Test Scores.” The session will provide useful information to help parents in understanding the PSAT scores and how they translate to potential SAT scores. Additionally, our presenter will discuss how colleges review the SAT and ACT scores during the admission process.
On December 10th, we will host our annual Holiday Shopping Bazaar. This is the Upper School PTO’s one and only fundraising event. It literally takes a “village” to make it happen. Thanks, in advance, to all of our volunteers for your help. There is simply no way that this event could take place without each one of you. Special thanks to co-chairs Yvette Broder, Gina Castillo, Li Ling Chin, and Sherra Payne for their efforts in bringing the many sub-committees together to make this event run seamlessly and make the Bazaar a huge success again this year. And finally, thanks to all of our student clubs for their assistance with the Bazaar this year. Proceeds from the sales of our raffle tickets will be donated to charities on behalf of the clubs who supported this event.I wish each and every one a happy holiday season!
—Stephanie Gilfarb, USPTO President
LOWER SCHOOL PTO NEWS PTOUpper School
The Lower School Veterans Day program, “A Celebration of Veterans Day,” was held on Friday, November 8, in the gym. Area veterans representing all branches of the military, as well as city VIPs attended. Eight hundred students in grades PK3-6 performed patriotic musical selections which included the anthems of each military group. Several students from sixth grade narrated a short play explaining the origin and meaning of Veterans Day. The moving program concluded with the entire audience waving small American flags and singing God Bless America.
After the program, several veterans and some of the active duty military visited classes to talk about their military experiences.
Congratulations to the following American Heritage student/athletes who signed their National Letters of Intent on November 13:
Brandon Vicens - baseball - Florida Atlantic UniversityGianna Arrizurieta - softball - Pennsylvania State UniversityLauren Newmark - softball - Bowling Green UniversityJessie Brown - softball - Nova Southeastern UniversityAshley Belans - softball - Florida International UniversityErika Mazer - lacrosse - Lafayette CollegeJamie Freedman - golf - Nova Southeastern UniversityMarisa Messana - golf - Clemson UniversityClaudia DeAntonio - golf - Louisiana State UniversityDrake LaMont - basketball - Western Michigan UniversityLouis Beck-baseball-VillanovaMilton Ramos-baseball-FAU
WAY TO GO PATRIOTS! WE ARE SO PROUD OF ALL OF YOU!
