The 411 - News You Can Use About Broward Schools

When Automotive Technology teacher Lowell Simmons first envisioned the electric vehicle his students at Miramar High School (MHS) would design and build, he never anticipated the success and recognition it would receive. The car, which was built in 2000, runs on 20 deep cycle absorbed glass material batteries and can reach speeds up to 94 miles per hour.

This year, the pressure was really on as television crews from the Zoom Network and Sundance Channel filmed the crew in action. On the first day of the Battery Beach Burnout competition in Jupiter, the Miramar High School Electric Vehicle Team set a new national record on the acceleration course. On the second day, senior Kris Vinson had the fastest time of the day, overtaking two teams to win the event. MHS then won the “Overall Best Vehicle” award for the entire weekend. Look for the show to air on the Sundance Channel on a new series called “Big Solutions for a Small Planet.”

Commit 2B Fit Health and Fitness Program, Co-Creator Honored
Elly Zanin, the District’s Curriculum Specialist for Physical Education, is the recipient of the American Diabetes Valor Award for her role in the creation of the innovative health and fitness program, Commit 2B Fit. This award is presented to citizens who have worked for the betterment of the Broward community, to acknowledge outstanding service and leadership and increase awareness about diabetes and its effect on the general population. In addition, Zanin recently accepted a national award honoring the Commit 2B Fit program itself. That award, which was presented by the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, was in recognition of the program’s efforts to involve the community and schools in promoting healthy, physically active lifestyles for children and adults. Commit 2B Fit was one of only three programs in the nation to be recognized.

Zanin created the Commit 2B Fit program in cooperation with The Beasley
Marketing Group in response to the problem of childhood obesity, which can result in Type 2 diabetes. The program fully integrates the school, home and community to promote daily physical activity and healthy eating habits. Students use daily planners to help them learn the importance of planning physical activity and making healthy food choices. With assistance from Publix Supermarkets and the Broward County Parks and Recreation Department, Commit 2B Fit has become a multilevel program reaching a wide segment of the community.

Changes are coming soon!
Thanks to BRITE (Broward’s Innovative Tool for Education), District staff will soon see improvements such as easy to understand pay stubs and a more robust Employee Self-Service, where they can submit leave and other requests directly online.

BRITE, a three-year initiative that is replacing Broward’s existing, independent business systems with one integrated system, will replace some systems that are more than 30-years-old. BRITE will allow information to be input only once, yet have it accessible District-wide, as well as offering immediate, real-time reporting.

The new system will be rolled out in stages. Budget preparation, the first piece to go live, launches in November 2007. Finance, procurement, and inventory management will launch in December 2007 and human resources, payroll and training and events launch in February 2008. Asset management, maintenance, warehouse management and e-Recruitment will arrive in the 2008/09 school year.

The Business Impact Sessions announced in the last issue of The 411 have been held. Feedback from the more than 400 participants is being used to configure the system, prepare for the change-over, develop training materials and facilitate two-way communication with the end users.

Currently, the BRITE Organizational Change Management team is visiting all the principals in their Innovation Zone meetings to talk about the impact this system will have on the schools and administrators. The goal of these meetings is to get everyone prepared for the exciting changes and identify the challenges that are coming in the next few months.

To learn more about the information gathered through the Business Impact Sessions, obtain updates and learn more about the BRITE Project, visit (www.broward.k12.fl.us/ERP) or contact the project team by E-mailing (erp@browardschools.com).

Women’s History Match Game Winner Named

Yvette Rainford (l) is awarded her prize by Nancy Weintraub

The annual celebration of Women’s History Month came to a close
on March 31st and so did the corresponding match game contest
for District employees. Yvette Rainford from Facilities and Construction Management was the winner of a gift certificate to The Field Irish Pub & Eatery for this contest, which was sponsored by the Diversity & Cultural Outreach Department. Her entry was the first received with 100 correct answers.
}
The Women’s History Month Match Game began in 2000 and is designed to bring attention to the accomplishments of women around the world and through the ages. The game is open to the public, but the contest is only open to District employees. Many teachers have used the game as a reading and research tool in the classroom. For additional information about the Women’s History Month Match Game & Contest, contact Nancy Weintraub, Community Liaison in Diversity & Cultural Outreach, via E-mail at
(nweintraub@browardschools.com) or call her at 754-321-2090.

© 1998 - 2008 Broward County Public Schools
600 SE Third Ave. Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 USA
Phone: (754) 321-0000

Privacy Statement