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A.D. Henderson University School &
FAU High School
Community Newsletter
Vol. 6, No. 3, October 2021
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October 15
End of First Quarter
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October 18
No School - Teacher Work Day
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October 19
Second Quarter Begins
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November 11
No School - Veterans Day
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November 22-26
No School - Thanksgiving Break
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Hello October! Cooler weather, shorter days, and the holidays peeking through the corner only remind me that the best is yet to come. We start the month of October with a lot of momentum as we are proud to announce that the NICHE 2022 Rankings has named us #2 Best Public Elementary School in the nation. We also moved up two spots to the #9 Best Public Middle School in America. We continue to hold the state rankings for #2 Best Public Elementary and Middle school, and FAU High School was ranked 2nd for Best Public High School. A huge congratulations go to our dedicated teachers, hard-working students, and active parents - it is because of you that all of this is possible.
I am excited to announce that 24 of our High School seniors are Semifinalists in the 2022 National Merit® Scholarship Program, and 32 seniors have been named Commended Scholars. Although the competition is yet to be over, we are incredibly proud of our students and what they still have yet to accomplish.
I can't express how proud I am of the faculty and staff at A.D. Henderson & FAU High School who, in the past month, have received distinguished awards, grants, and recognitions. Some of these honors came from Extra Yard for Teachers that celebrates educators who empower and inspire students. Additionally, our teachers were selected for the Golden Bell and GoTeach grant that helps provide funding to further education, supplies, and resources within the classroom.
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We also received the Florida District Green School award for our efforts in green initiatives. Mrs. Kendra Palumbo presented on behalf of our school at the virtual recognition event. She highlighted some of our green initiatives, such as designing solar cars, educating with STEM mailers, working on hydroponic and aquaponic gardens, and designing curricula that are mindful of our green programs.
With so much going on, please take a moment to read through this newsletter to see what our classrooms and teachers have been up to in September. I look forward to another month full of many successes and growth.
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#owlsbuild #owlsignite
Mrs. Bees
“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” --Steve Jobs
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PTO Business Sponsorship Program Sponsors
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We are excited to continue offering an opportunity to make a lasting impact through the A.D. Henderson & FAU High School K-12 Student Enrichment Annual Fund. This year, we instituted a crowdfunding platform that will allow you to easily share the annual fund with friends, family, and social media networks and encourage them to support the school!
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Gifts to the K-12 Student Enrichment Annual Fund will impact your child and enhance all school experience areas, including academics, athletics, arts, extra-curricular activities, technology, and student life. Every gift counts regardless of the amount. Please participate at a level that is comfortable for your family. All contributions are tax-deductible and can be made by cash, check, credit card, or donated stock. Gifts can be made with recurring payments online, and most gifts qualify for corporate matching gift programs.
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Elementary School Updates
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2021 GoTeach FIN LIT! Award
Shout out to A.D. Henderson First Grade Team, Christina Brinkman, Cara Pavek, and Rowan Schwartz for being awarded $5000 for the GoTeach FIN LIT Award. The grant is entitled "Financial Literacy Starts NOW: The ADHUS Mall Project" The students will understand beginning economics, including financial literacy skills, to create solid foundations for years to come.
On Wednesday, September 29, 2021, the teachers attended the annual GoTeach Classroom Awards sponsored by the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County. Be on the lookout for next year's application soon!
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Science Through Art
Science through Art is an exciting new special where students study science standards through a lens of creativity. By collaborating with classroom teachers and fellow specialists, we reinforce science concepts and vocabulary while producing physical artwork that demonstrates an understanding of new information. Students are encouraged to question, experiment, and most of all, create as we infuse fascinating science topics with the heartwarming magic of childhood artwork.
A Deep Dive into Marine Life
Deep down in the shimmering sea
Out east of our community
Live types of creatures from the blue
That may seem strange to me and you
A deep dive into science terms
Anatomy and facts we learned
As we created water-dwellers
Our craftsmanship was truly stellar
Sea turtles swam in Kinder grades
Eagle Rays flew on parade
Barracuda snapped their jaws
The nautilus took time to draw
Dolphin splashed right off the page
Blacktip sharks took center stage
Each grade explored exciting creatures
And some enjoyed our fun guest speakers
Two women who earned PhDs
Shared their knowledge of the seas
Sea turtles sparked a sense of wonder
Sharks earned respect as we dived under
Dr. Lolavar knows how to capture
Kindergarten hearts and minds
While teaching turtle nesting
and discussing different kinds
Dr. Meredith shared shark facts
About ancient fish down in the ocean
She brought in real shark jaws and rays
And told her stories with emotion
You'll see our halls with covered walls
Each creation from the heart
The year is starting swimmingly
In Science through Art!
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Second Grade Scientists
Second grade visited the Owls Imaging Lab in our high school building to enhance their recent science lessons on scientific tools. Dr. Meredith and Dr. Lolavar really know how to get our students excited about science!
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Third Grade Distributive Doctors
This past month, 3rd graders had so much fun learning all about the Distributive Property of Multiplication. These skillful surgeons cut apart their arrays to demonstrate their understanding of the distributive property.
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Fifth Graders Investigate Human Body Systems
5th-grade students have been hard at work studying the human body systems and how organs and these systems work together to keep us healthy and alive. Teachers have employed models and innovative technology to engage students in their learning and thinking maps to help students organize their thinking.
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Kindergarten Future Authors
Our Kindergarten students were so excited to have author and entrepreneur Stacy C. Bauer virtually visit their classrooms. Stacy shared all about how she made her dream of becoming an author come true. Her inspiring books are self-published and available for purchase through her website.
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FAU Medical School Scholars Club for 5th and 6th Graders
We are so excited to offer the FAU Medical School Scholars Club for the third time. Our Henderson Owls have unique opportunities on a university campus, and we are thankful to have this partnership with the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine.
Please review the flyer below; we look forward to seeing all interested 5th and 6th graders on Zoom, Friday afternoons at 3:30 pm. Last week, club participants met three medical students and even enjoyed their first lesson on the heart. If your child missed the first meeting, it is not too late to join. They can email Mrs. Hallstrom and join today!
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Classes are mid-way through the first semester, and as we move into October and get closer to the end of the semester, all teachers encourage students to monitor their progress in their classes. Students need to continually check Canvas and Focus and reach out to their teachers for support if needed. In addition, many teachers offer tutoring sessions led by upperclassmen, so we encourage students to reach out to their teacher if they find themselves struggling or would like extra help.
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FAU High School - Jupiter Campus, in Partnership with Max Planck Academy Student Spotlight: Trinity Suma
Trinity's current research focuses on leatherback sea turtles, specifically how temperature and moisture affect their sex ratios and hatching success. She's been using data provided by Loggerhead Marinelife Center to examine leatherback nest data from the 2019 and 2020 nesting seasons and identify any patterns between nest temperature, clutch size, hatching success, and incubation period. She recently visited the beach with Dr. Lolavar and performed four nest excavations to understand what the data she's using looks like in the field.
Furthermore, she participated in a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) hosted by the University of Minnesota this summer. Suma and three other students began a new project entitled "Facilitating Transgender Identity Consolidation Through Virtual Reality." Their project aims to use virtual reality as a space for transgender, gender-nonconforming, genderfluid, non-binary, and gender questioning individuals to experiment with gender expression and identity.
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National Merit Scholarship Corporation 2022 Semifinalists & Commended Scholars
A total of 24 Florida Atlantic University High School students have been named semifinalists in the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Competition. This honor and recognition is a source of pride for our school as only about 16,000 students of approximately 1.6 million program national participants attain this distinction. More than 1.5 million high school juniors took the 2020 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) to become a National Merit semifinalist. The highest-scoring entrants in each state were named semifinalists and represent less than 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors.
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Cane Institute Science Fair
The Cane Institute is excited to have 34 high school and 27 middle school students participating in our Science Fair program. Our students will be submitting their outstanding research towards the end of October to participate in the Palm Beach Regional Science and Engineering Fair. This year, our students' projects cover a wide array of subjects, and we are excited our school will be participating in all categories both in Middle School and High School. The Cane Institute looks forward to school-wide support as these young scientists endeavor into their research this year.
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STEM Club Updates
With our TCI STEM Clubs starting up last month, make sure to follow the link below to read about updates to elementary, middle, and high school clubs.
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Stay up to date with all events and announcements within The Cane Institute for Advanced Technologies by following us on our social media platforms:
Follow us on Twitter
@FAUCaneInstitut
Follow us on Facebook
@FAUCaneInstitute
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Academic Games is well underway, and we are looking forward to a fantastic new season this year. All reading games, Propaganda, Presidents, Current Events, and Theme "The Gilded Age" will be held on Zoom. It is not too late to join; please email Mrs. Palumbo at kpalumbo@fau.edu if you are interested in participating and competing. The teams are looking forward to this year's State and National competitions, and we can't wait to watch our students show what they know at these high levels of competition. Prizes are awarded to the top five teams in each division, Elementary/Middle and High School.
Follow the link below for the practice and competition schedule.
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OPK12 Research Committee / Research Collaborations
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If you have any questions about any future studies or generally about research conducted at our school, please contact the OPK12 Research Committee or visit our website.
The results from our past research collaborations have been published in peer-reviewed articles and presented at national and international conferences: Publications and Presentations from Research Collaborations.
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As a reminder, The Owls Imaging Lab (OI Lab) offers lab tours and in-class presentations to all elementary, middle, and high school classes. During the lab tour, students will visit the lab and get to see the equipment in use and have the opportunity to ask questions and interact with lab staff. The OI Lab is also working with teachers to create customized lab presentations for their lesson plans and provide helpful demonstrations that complement their lessons.
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Student Publications
We are very excited to share two new student publications!
Aman Shaan has co-authored a publication with collaborators Linir Zamir and Mehrdad Nojoumian, titled "ISRaft Consensus Algorithm for Autonomous Unit" in EEE International Workshop on Blockchain and Mobile Applications (BlockApp).
Mallory Thomas has a recent publication with her collaborators Abhishek Ratanpara, Alexander Shaw, Rajesh N Patel, and Myeongsub Kim. The publication, titled "Microfluidic analysis of seawater-based CO2 capture in an amine solution with nickel nanoparticle catalysts," analyzes the effectiveness of seawater-based MEA solutions containing nickel nanoparticles (NiNPs) as catalysts.
For a comprehensive list of past student publications and presentations, please visit Student Publications and Presentations.
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2021 GoTeach STEM! Innovation Award
Congratulations to Dr. Jennifer Krill and the FAU High Research Program team for earning funding for their grant, "The FAUHS Science Research & Exploration Program." The funds will support our students' aspirations to present their research at the next level while enabling students to experience high-level, hands-on research. Thank you, Mrs. Palumbo, for assisting with the support of this grant!
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Virtual Lab Training via Canvas
The OI Lab offers a virtual lab training experience to an unlimited number of students via Canvas. In the course, students are introduced to the equipment in the OI Lab, learn how to operate the equipment, explore the research applications of the lab, and develop protocols for their specific research goals. Students involved in this self-guided course can advance their research experience by gaining valuable skills for future research experiences, building their CV or resume, and creating a research foundation that will allow them to explore their research interests. Students interested in enrolling in this online training should register here.
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Chess club is back! Three 10th grade students, Christian Farese, Jacob Busekrus, and Jimmy Joseph, have shown interest in this classic brain game and founded the Owls Chess Club.
The club, open to all middle and high school students, teaches chess rules, etiquette, and strategies. The club meets online via the free chess platform, Lichess on Tuesdays from 3:45 to 5:45 pm. Students play friendly games during the first hour, then have the opportunity to participate in a chess clinic during the second hour.
Last Tuesday, we hosted the club's first-ever competition, where Seymour Haque, FAUHS '22, placed first. At the same contest, Francisco Juarez, FAUHS '24, and Juan Florez, FAUHS '24, came in second and third, respectively. Middle schooler Ben Liu earned fourth place ahead of many high school students. Congratulations!
If you are interested in joining the team, please sign up at FAUChessClub.com. If you have any questions about the chess club, don't hesitate to contact the club sponsor, Agnes Timar. Stay Safe, Owls!
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Seeking Basketball Coaches
Our Athletic Department is seeking coaches for HS Girls Basketball (begins October 25) and MS Boys Basketball (begins December 13). If you are interested, please email Coach Childs.
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Fall Sports
Fall Sports are having a good season; the MS Girls Volleyball and Flag Football Teams are fighting hard to qualify for the League Championship games. The Boys MS Cross Country Team and two individual qualifiers- Olie Hallstrom and Maddy Kunz, qualified for the State Championship Meet on October 30.
The individual HS Athletic teams are gearing up for their State Series beginning later this month.
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Winter Sports are Here!
Winter sports begin in October! Please make sure to turn in your FHSAA EL2 and EL3 to the Athletic Dept before trying out. All forms can be found on the Athletic Website. Middle and High School students must complete a Google Form before trying out to capture information in SchoolPass properly. Once all FHSAA forms have been delivered, the SchoolPass form will be emailed to the student's email.
Winter Sports:
- MS Girls Basketball- October 18
- MS Boys Soccer- October 19
- Competitive Cheer and Dance- October 18
- HS Boys and Girls Soccer- October 18
- HS Girls Basketball- October 25
- HS Boys Basketball- November 1 (Open Gym will be at the Rec Center on Thursday starting October 7)
- MS Girls Soccer- December 13
- MS Boys Basketball- December 13
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Follow us on Twitter
@Athletic_Owls
Visit us for all A.D. Henderson & FAU High School Athletics Schedules, Information & News
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K-12 Counseling Newsletter
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October is National Bullying Prevention Month. This month, the school counseling team will provide classroom guidance lessons on what bullying is, types and signs of bullying, and action steps to take. We will also participate in Unity Day and show how we stand for inclusion, acceptance, and kindness!
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Safety Updates & Reminders
Each year, the Florida Department of Education mandates that schools conduct several safety drills to protect students and staff in case of an emergency. These include evacuation (fire), severe weather (tornado), and lock-down drills. The health and safety of our students and staff are of utmost importance. Our students did a great job this month participating in our safety drills.
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FAU Athletic Tickets
All A.D. Henderson and FAU High School students are eligible for FREE FAU Football tickets and FREE tickets to ALL FAU Home Athletics Events. Discounted tickets are also available for our school's parents and siblings!
The 2021 FAU Football Home Opener is Saturday, September 11 at 3:30 pm vs. Georgia Southern. Click here to get ticket information and team schedules.
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Parent & Family Engagement
Each fall, we typically meet with our A.D. Henderson & FAU High School families to explain important processes required under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). In place of a face-to-face meeting, this link will take you to a presentation that explains Parents' Right to Know, Parent & Family Engagement Plan, Title I, and support for families experiencing homelessness.
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Families Experiencing Homelessness
If you or someone you know is experiencing housing transition, there may be support that we can provide. The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act of 2001 defines homelessness (families in transition) as those lacking a fixed, regular, or adequate nighttime residence. This definition includes children (PreK-12) who are sharing the housing of other persons (doubled-up) due to their family's loss of housing, economic hardship, pandemic, or similar reasons. The primary nighttime residence of students experiencing homelessness may also include hotels, motels, trailer parks, camping grounds, emergency or transitional shelters, cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings. Our school policy outlines resources available in our approved Homeless Education Program and can be found on our school's website.
If you would like additional information or assistance, please feel free to contact Dr. Tammy Bresnahan via email or phone, 561-297-3204.
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FortifyFL
FortifyFL is a suspicious activity reporting tool that allows you to instantly relay information to Florida law enforcement agencies and school officials. Click the appropriate link for information and download instructions in English, Spanish, or Creole.
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Statewide Assessment Testing Schedule
The Florida Department of Education released the statewide assessment windows for the 2021-2022 school year. Students in grades 3-10 will test in various subjects in the winter and/or spring. The Florida Statewide Assessment Program 2021-2022 Schedule can be found here. A more detailed schedule will be forthcoming.
Our 10th and 11th-grade students will be taking the PSAT/NMSQT on Wednesday, October 13, 2021. Detailed information regarding times and locations will be emailed directly to students and parents/guardians.
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What a fantastic start to the year! Because of your continued support, we have purchased headsets for middle school students and tables for the high school students to enjoy our outdoor areas.
We also purchased books for the elementary students to support teachers for "Read for the Record." This is the Jumpstart's 16th annual Read for the Record national program. It is a high-visibility annual fall campaign engaging over 2 million participants who aim to increase the awareness about the critical importance and impact of early literacy, make high-quality children's books accessible for all children, and provide support to jumpstart young children's work with early learners in underserved communities across the country.
This past summer, PTO sponsored the summer reading challenge, where our winners were able to go to FAU and experience ESports. We have partnered with Boca Helping Hands this year to help our local communities. NJHS, SGA, and NHS will be working closely with PTO to help this charitable cause. Be on the lookout for more details coming soon!
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Business Sponsorship Program
The PTO kicked off a new initiative in partnership with A.D. Henderson & FAU High School called the PTO Business Sponsorship Program. The annual program offers two (2) levels, allowing partners to choose a package that best suits the needs of their business. All costs below are for the entire calendar year, running from January to December each year.
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A.D. Henderson & FAU High School Vision & Mission
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Vision Statement
A.D. Henderson & FAU High School is a national exemplary model for school systems and teacher preparation programs improving education for diverse student populations through innovative, faculty-developed research and curriculum.
Mission Statement
The school has a three-fold mission of (1) being a demonstration site for teacher education; (2) developing curricula; (3) conducting research.
(F.S. 228.053)
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A.D. Henderson University School & FAU High School is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a Title I Targeted Assistance Program.
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