Shark Bites Special Edition

May 7th 2020

Staying Motivated

As the quarantine continues, it can be difficult to maintain enthusiasm and continue working. Staying home can take a toll on our productivity and motivation.  Here are a few simple changes to maintain motivation and get us through to the end of the school year. 

1. Change your routine.   It's time to mix things up. Try reordering the way you complete your daily tasks. Changing things up, even a little, can make the day more energizing and rewarding. 

2. Organize your life. Clutter has a way of weighing you down, especially if you are looking at it all day. Take advantage of down-time and clean up that mess. 

3. List your goal. Create a vision board so that you clearly see your goal. This can be a fun activity and very motivational. For students in grades 5-11, you should have selected your electives for next year in your ELA class assignment. Remember, this pandemic is only temporary. We will get back to normal!

4. Stay in touch with your peers. Stay in touch socially, both to boost morale and encourage social and emotional well-being.

5. Count your achievements. Whenever you start feeling down, it’s time to stop and give yourself pat yourself on the back. Think about everything you have accomplished in the past year, and take a moment to appreciate what it took to accomplish each.  We only have four weeks to go, you can do this!

The Avant Garde Administration

Remote Learning What to Expect (Week of May 11th -May 15th)

K-12th Grade Information  We have now reached our 4th quarter mid-point. Please access Pinnacle to view your child's progress throughout the first half of the quarter. If you have any questions or concerns about your child's progress, please contact your child's teacher directly. 

Lower School   5th graders received a course selection form last week via email. Please make sure you submit this form by May 15th. If you did not receive this form, please contact your child's homeroom teacher. 

Upper School We want to wish our AP students the best of luck on their upcoming AP Exams which start next week. Go Sharks! 

Summer Food Distribution

AGA will be participating in the Seamless Summer Option program. This program offers meals to our students free of charge. We will offer this service to students and the community Monday - Friday from 10:00am-1:00pm. SSO will start on Wednesday, May 13th at 10:00am. Every student will receive grab and go breakfast and lunch meals. Meal pickups are through the bus loop at AGA.

Families can only drive through once a day for meals but can get meals for all students in their household. The meals are for school age students only. If students are not with you in the car, you will need to show the students ID or a picture of the ID.

We will have two hundred meals and they are on a first come first serve basis. If we have a greater need after the first week we will increase the number of meals.

Cash & EZPay Reimbursements Reminder to please update your mailing address by emailing sstorm@agabroward.org if you are expecting a refund back for trips/events paid in cash. A physical check will be sent to you in the mail.

If you paid on EZPay, a refund will be credited to your original form of payment.

Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw Challenge of the Week!

By Sharpening the Saw,  you adopt a balanced program of self-renewal in the four areas of your life: physical, social/emotional, mental, and spiritual. When you Sharpen The Saw you allow yourself: self-renewal, self-care, self-respect and self-improvement... 

How about if each week of this month we challenge ourselves in one of the areas? Let’s start with the body! Some ideas:

• Sleep eight hours each night • Play a sport • Exercise regularly • Eat healthy foods • Drink plenty of water • Take time to relax daily

FINDING HAPPINESS DURING DIFFICULT TIMES

Dr. Laurie Santos is a psychologist at Yale University developed a program called The Science of Wellbeing. For many, during this pandemic of Covid 19, an epidemic of unhappiness has increased. Dr. Santos talks about having a misconception about what makes up happy. Our minds are often shaped around a set of precognitions about what happiness is. We may feel that having more money, a better job, a bigger house, etc. etc. will bring us happiness. We may attain some of these things, and wonder why we still are not happy. 

Dr. Santos asks:  What is happiness? Why aren’t you happy? What can you do to change that? 

Some suggestions she makes to seek happiness inwardly are: 

• Keep a gratitude journal - For the next seven days write what you are grateful for each day. 

• Spend time and energy in the right way- Be intentional

• Connect with people. Use social media to interact with family members, friends.

• Random acts of kindness are important; shop for a neighbor who can’t.

• Don’t ruminate about things that are outside your control. For e.g., where you are going to get the next roll of toilet paper? It will be there in the stores, eventually. 

• Ask yourself what makes you happy and what makes you unhappy. Take time to self-care. This can be exercising or getting enough sleep.

• Make connections; even though we wear a mask outside for protection, take a moment and look into someone’s eyes. See who they are. 

• Be present in the moment. Focus on what is happening now. For some, taking the time to meditate brings us peace.

We all want sustained well-being, and taking some time to validate we are all going through this together, supports our connection to each other.  Remember, Happiness is not a feeling, it’s a way of being. 

Ms. Rubino and Dr. Harper Social Emotional Learning

Personal Items

Any personal items that were left at school prior to the COVID 19 temporary school closure will remain at school until reopening in the fall. This includes folders, notebooks, headphones, items in lockers, spring pictures, etc. A pick up date will be forthcoming once we get closer to the reopening date.

Check out the yearbook preview

on your teachers webpage!

Juniors! Listen Up! The Class of 2020 Has Advice For You

AGA seniors were asked what advice they would give to 11th graders preparing for life after high school. Here’s what they said:

“Do not leave things until the last moment.” Luis Abal

“Preparation for 12th grade is not a joke. It is serious.  After you leave high school it is the real deal.” Silvana Abrams

“Besides educational goals, do your very best to make yourself happy and surround yourself with good people and your favorite interests.” Nathaly Arroyo

“Have a support system and remember, it’s not about rushing to finish, but having the goal to finish the goal because there will be bumps in the road.” Izaiah Baker

“Take school seriously.” Lavanta Brown

“Study hard and stop playing around. Open your eyes for a better future.” Monica Carrandi   “Do what you have to do and don’t worry about anybody else. Your future is in your hands.” Ashley Coronel 

“The more you do your junior year the less you have to do as a senior.” Aaliyah Gillings

“Prepare because time goes by fast.”  Vilma Manzanillo

“Don’t procrastinate, just do it. Don’t wait on your volunteer hours, either. Find something to do that will help you. Also, give it your best.”  Valerie Sanchez

“Really research about their desired career and make sure that is what they want to do.” Ashleigh Sanjur

“Never take anything for granted, and always be grateful.”  Brianna Santiago

“Have a financial plan and make sure your GPA is a minimum of 3.5.” Brian Symonette, Jr.

“Learn how to sustain yourself and not rely on your parents.” Daniel Vinogradov

“Make sure whatever you do after high school with your life makes you happy and blesses all the people surrounding you.”  Ivanova Yanes Barreto

Dr. Williams BRACE Advisor

Senior Spotlight - Anna Liubenco

Helping our community

The virtual spirit challenge for week #3 is all about showing our community how much we care. We encourage all students and their families to participate. The challenge will be posted on every teachers webpage by Monday!

Anna and her family moved from Moldova to America three years ago in search of a better education.  An Honor Roll student, she ranks in the top 20 percent of her graduating class and is eligible for Florida’s Ta l e n t e d Tw e n t y Program. As a result, she is guaranteed admission to one of Florida’s 12 state universities.  

Anna also earned college credit at Florida International University through their dual enrollment program.  She has been admitted to Florida Atlantic University and plans to major in biochemistry.  After earning her college degree she would like to go to medical school, become a Health Services Manager and eventually open her own hospital.

Anna’s hobbies are painting and drawing which she learned during years of taking art classes.  She serves our community by volunteering at the KidZonStage Summer Camp, at AGA’s Concession Stand at Hard Rock Stadium, and at AGA special events.

STEAM is an educational approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics to guide student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking. At Avant Garde Academy,  STEAM is how we engage in real-world applications and promote meaningful collaboration. 

AGA Shark Tank

On April 24th, the AGA secondary admin team was privileged to participate in our inaugural  Virtual Shark Tank for our Entrepreneurship 1000 class. ENT 1000 is a Dual Enrollment course, hosted by Florida International University, and taught by Frances Czesbleka-Lopez on our AGA campus.

The Covid-19 crisis did not deter our students from presenting. The Shark tank was conducted virtually through Zoom. Shark Tank judges included Dr. Valdes, Mrs. Azor and the FIU mentor Professor Jose Rocha.

Students were challenged to pitch a new business idea that the "Sharks" would be persuaded to invest in. Students were evaluated based on the innovation of the idea, whether proof of a market was established, whether students demonstrated a competitive advantage and on their ability to respond to questions posed by the Sharks.

Below is a list of the students who participated in our Virtual Shark Tank and the projects that they presented:

Dmitrii Roghozin and Cedric Sherwani- Stock X (Resale Fashion Industry)

Nicole  Arevalo, Stephanie Chacin and Zhaniya Dyussembayeva- Barn Owl Flour (providing affordable wheat flour with biodegradable packaging)

Robert Maldonado and William Trujillo- M & T Concessions (selling snacks throughout the day on campus)

We congratulate our students' novel ideas and their ability to receive constructive criticism. The confidence that our students exuded during their presentations was noteworthy and inspiring. Way to go Sharks!!!

Box Tops

It's a good time to start saving those box tops because it's all digital. It's no longer cut and tape to a sheet.  All you have to do is create an account and scan the box tops, our school is already registered. Click on the link to get started!

https://www.boxtops4education.com/