Around the District

Students from Riverside Elementary School plant trees and shrubs to beautify their school's campus.

Grant Proposal Helps Beautify Riverside Elementary
Thanks to a $4,800 grant from Broward Beautiful and donations of labor, money and in-kind services, Riverside Elementary School is positively blooming. Under the direction of a talented landscaper, the entire school got involved in a planting marathon last December. After just only a few months, the flowers, trees and shrubs are taking root nicely and will grow to make Riverside beautiful for years to come.

Introducing Our Middle School Athletic Association Champs
Congratulations to the following 2004 Middle School Sports Champions:
• Falcon Cove Middle - Boys Soccer Champion, Head Coach Louis Wittrock, Principal Steven Friedman
• Parkway Middle - Girls Basketball Champion, Head Coach Ellen Morris, Principal David Hall
• Pioneer Middle - Girls Softball Champion, Head Coach Bryan Cook, Principal Linda Arnold
• Pompano Beach Middle - Boys Basketball Champion, Head Coach Tony Murphy, Principal Sonja Smith Braziel
• Tequesta Trace Middle - Girls Soccer Champion, Head Coach Hugo Arce; Boys Softball Champion, Head Coach Rick Shore, Principal Kevin Sawyer

School Administrators Sacrifice Hair for
Reading

Forest Glen Middle School Principal James McDermott at the "great hair event"

Administrators at Forest Glen Middle School in Coral Springs went to great lengths to get their students excited about reading. They made a deal with their students: if the students could log one million minutes of reading in preparation for the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT), Principal James McDermott would have his mustache of 20 years shaved off during a school assembly and the school's assistant principals would let students dye their hair! And that's exactly what happened on January 30th. Needless to say, the principals at Forest Glen made a follicle sacrifice in the name of reading. You can see a video of the event on the District's Web site (www.browardschools.com).

Noted Educator Speaks on Student Discipline

Pictured left to right are Maria De L. Rodriguez, Director, Diversity & Cultural Outreach; Dr. Pedro Noguera ; Board Members Lois Wexler and Benjamin J. Williams.

Dr. Pedro Noguera, a professor of education at New York University, recently spoke to the District's principals, assistant principals and guidance directors on the link between student discipline and student achievement. Attendees are already using the valuable information Dr. Noguera presented to reduce the number of student suspensions District wide. Parents also benefited from Dr. Noguera's insight when he spoke to them at a Title I Conference.

WWII Veterans' Graduation Project Takes Second Place

Veterens Graduation Ceremony at Port Everglades

A Broward School District project entitled "A World War II Veterans' Graduation Ceremony" was recently awarded second place in the Public Relations (PR) Olympics hosted by the Association for Women in Communication. Successful PR projects from all across South Florida were presented. Janet DelPinal of the Community Involvement & Partnerships Department and Alan Hurwitz of the Communications & Media Relations Department presented the District's project. The World War II Veterans' Graduation Ceremony was held in 2001 at Port Everglades to present diplomas to WWII veterans who left high school prior to graduation to serve their country.

6TH Annual National Alcohol Screening Month Coming Up
The District's Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is the proud host of this year's National Alcohol Screening Month to be held in April for Broward School Board employees and their dependent family members. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services fund this effort.

As an advocate for employees' mental health, the EAP is hosting this event to raise awareness about alcohol's effect on health and to screen for at-risk drinking. Please feel free to stop by their office (4100 S. Hospital Drive, Suite 204, Plantation) in April to view a video, fill out a screening survey, receive educational materials and, if you wish, review your survey with a counselor and receive an appropriate referral for services. You can call for an appointment or request to have the survey sent to you. Please call 954-797-4755 with any questions or concerns, and remember, all services are covered under Federal Confidentiality Laws.