Miami Beach Senior High PTSA E-Newsletter
February 6, 2017 - Issue # 16
Lots of Pix & News from Beach High
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February Calendar
- Ongoing - until February 10, Grad Bash ticket sales, see article in the Senior section.
- February 10, Registration deadline for March 11 SAT.
- February 11, ACT test. Registered students.
- February 14, PTSA Board meeting. 7:30 - 9 am, Media Center. Everybody is welcome!
- February 15, EESAC meeting, Media Center, 2:30 pm.
- February 16, Memorial for Detective Rubiales, courtyard, 8 am. See flyer below.
- February 16, Early Release, 12:20 pm.
- February 16, Black History Month Luncheon.
- February 20, No school, Presidents' Day.
- February 21, Miami Beach Youth Commission meeting.
- February 23, ICC meeting.
- February 24, Brazilian Carnival Show, by invitation only. See flyer below.
- February 26, College Fair, see article below.
Please note: all dates are tentative and may change.
SAT - ACT Calendars
Click on the following links to see the testing dates released by the College Board and ACT for the 2016-2017 PSAT, SAT, and ACT:
Miami Beach Senior High School Code is 101140 for both tests.
A & B Day Calendar
Is tomorrow a 1-3-5-7 period day or a 2-4-6-8?
Notes:
MYA = Mid-Year Assessments
ELL = English Language Learners
FSA ELA = Florida Standards Assessments - English Language Arts
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This is it! Your last chance to be part of the Brazilian Carnival Show. The Brazilian Club is still looking for a Master of Ceremony (MC) to present the show and a few Makeup Artists and Hair Stylists. Don't miss the audition on February 6, 8 or 9 in Room 181 at 2:30 pm. Those students auditioning for Makeup Artist and/or Hair Stylist, please bring your supplies. All nationalities are welcome!
If you missed the deadline for the first Grad Bash payment then you're in luck! If you would like to attend, you can pay online or in school, however, you must make a full payment of $173. This does not affect students who made first/full payments already. We still have a few more slots available for any qualifying senior wishing to attend. See more info in the Senior section.
Upon the 4th anniversary of the Sandy Hook tragedy, Shape Club would like to provide awareness about gun violence prevention and create a stronger bond between Beach High students. Shape Club has created a tree of pledges (the Tree of Kindness), signed by faculty and the student body that promise to be kind and support a violence-free environment in school and the community. The Tree of Kindness has being placed in the cafeteria.
Join us to celebrate the week of kindness! Rock Ensemble is performing today, February 6, in the courtyard in front of the Auditorium during both lunches. On February 7, choreographers from the Unique Starz Dance Studio will give free dance lessons to students in the courtyard in front of the Auditorium during both lunches. For the remainder of the week, Shape Club will continue to hand out kindness and promise leaves to students in order to promote the Sandy Hook Promise campaign.
Girls Flag Football tryouts will be February 9 & 13, at 3 pm on the Football Field. Please bring Report Card, Physical Form, Insurance information, and Cleats. You must attend both days to be considered. If you have any questions, please see Coach Jackson-Yeargin.
Free breakfast for all students is available daily at school. Eating breakfast is linked to improved performance, behavior, attendance and health. Eating breakfast at school ensures that you are in school on time and ready to learn. For 10 weeks from February 13 to April 28, all students who eat school lunch each day of the week will automatically be entered into a random drawing to win a $25 Amazon gift card.
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Announcing the 2016-17 PTSA Grants Recipients
The MBSH PTSA would like to congratulate the 20 teachers and staff members who applied for, and were awarded, grants for the 2016-2017 school year! All applicants were approved for at least partial grant amounts and over $20,000 is currently being disbursed for much needed items, ranging from field trips to novels to classroom computers which will enhance our school.
Hats off to our teachers! We commend you on the incredible efforts you put forth throughout the year when it comes to our community's youth and we are honored to be able to help facilitate your efforts in any way that we can.
Shout out to PTSA Grants Committee Chairs Carmen Barcenas and Paula Sohn on a job well done!
Team Run for Education
On Saturday, January 28, all the schools on Miami Beach gathered at the Miami Children's Museum and walked or ran along the MacArthur Causeway right after the morning sunrise to participate in the Tropical 5K. By participating in the race, all the Miami Beach schools will receive money for their PTA to support their initiatives.
A big thank you to all our runners that came out to support our feeder pattern schools on the Beach. What an amazing event for an amazing cause! 
Thank you to
- our Title Sponsor Tide Dry Cleaners;
- our Platinum Level Sponsor Sabadell Bank;
- our Bronze Level Sponsors Max Borges Agency, Anatolia Construction, Dr. Evan Rubensteen-Miami Beach Orthodontics, Ely Bistrong Photography, Orange Theory, and Anatomy at 1220.
Special congratulations to Ken Swartz on placing 2nd on his age category. Way to go!
Start With a Smile
Planning to shop for Valentine's Day? If you shop on Amazon, sign up for Amazon Smile with the designation of our organization. Amazon will donate a portion of the proceeds right back to us. You shop, Amazon gives!
For a step-by-step guide on how to set up Amazon Smile to donate to Beach High PTSA, check out our list below.
Step 2: Log-in using your existing Amazon credentials.
Step 3: Type "Miami Beach Sr. High PTA" when prompted to pick your own charitable organization, then click 'Search'.
Step 4: Click 'Select' next to our name.
Step 5: Start shopping.
Remember to use
smile.amazon.com
each time you shop online through Amazon so eligible purchases will be logged for donation. Thank you for your support!
Next PTSA Meeting:
Tuesday, February 14, 7:30 - 9 am
in the Media Center.
Everybody is welcome!
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Flash News
Beach High uniform requires that all students wear a solid red or white polo or t-shirt and black, Khaki or blue denim jeans. The clothing must be free of holes, rips and cannot be transparent or translucent. We also require that outerwear (such as jackets and sweatshirts) be red, white or grey. The uniform can be purchased from a variety of sources, such as uniform companies, online, department stores, and catalogs, and not limited to an exclusive vendor.
The application deadline for the Internship Program for the academic year 2017-2018 is Friday, March 3. Click here to download the application:
2017 / 2018 Internship Application
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Thanks to the City of Miami Beach, Beach High has a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Nora Cura, focusing on behavioral health/mental health issues. She is a licensed mental health specialist and works at our school one day a week.
In Memoriam
Please join us as we remember our school police, Detective Rubiales, who passed away on January 15. While we mourn such a valuable member of our community, our thoughts and prayers go to his family. A GoFund.me collection has been set up to help his family; please click on this link if you wish to contribute: gofundme.com/memory-of-our-friend-jose-rubiales.
How to Apply for Free or Reduced Price Lunch Benefits
Even if your student does not eat in the school cafeteria, please take a moment to review the requirements to qualify for the program, and if you do, do not hesitate to enroll. Many benefits come with the program, beyond the free or reduced meals at school.
Beach High CAP advisor, Ms. Sahwell, has calculated that students on the Free and Reduced Lunch can save up to $2,000 in tests and applications fee. In fact, SAT, ACT or PSAT waivers will be issued to qualifying students.
Calling Scholars Students and Families
The Beach High Pre-IB Scholars Academy will host a Q&A meeting on February 8 at 6 pm in the school auditorium. The meeting is open to all incoming and prospective students and parents. Applications to the program will be accepted at the meeting and now throughout that week, until February 10. The application is available online on the school website. For more info, please visit the Pre-IB Scholars Academy website
or call the IB-Scholars office at 305-532-4515, Ext. 2708 every day until 12 pm.
Is Your Family the Next MDCPS Family of the Year?
The purpose of the award is to recognize parents, families, and/or guardians who support their children's education. Families must complete and submit the application by Wednesday, February 15. From among the applications submitted, the principal or designee will select their school's Family of the Year and complete the Family of the Year Nomination form.
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A New Phase in Life
Congratulations to Mr. Nelson on his retirement.
He graduated from Beach High in 1971, following his dad, who graduated old Beach High in 1944, as well as his aunt, siblings, uncles, and cousins. He enjoyed several careers since graduating from the University of Florida with a Master's Degree of American History in 1976.
He came to teach at Beach High after teaching at Miami-Dade North College. He has been at Beach High in the Social Studies department either teaching night school, day, or both since 1997.
See him in the photo on the right.
Mr. Nelson, you will be certainly missed!
Remembering Rudra
On January 26, parents, students, faculty, and administration gathered to remember our student Rudra Bhatt who passed away last summer while riding his bike here in Miami Beach. In the photos below: Miami-Dade Public Schools Board member Dr. Martin Karp and Activity Director Ms. Sakowicz on the auditorium stage.
AOHT Curriculum Enhancement Leads to Career Success
All our AOHT juniors participated in "The Customer and You" workshop given by Ms. Teresita Caballero from MDC and sponsored by the City of Miami Beach. Each student will receive a certificate of completion. The City graciously arranged to have Ms. Caballero come to our campus rather than having our students go to the City offices. We enjoyed an excellent presentation that kept everyone engaged at all times.
All our 9th graders participated in "Dress for Success and Interview Skills" taught by Ms. Josie Podesta, one of our Advisory Board members. Ms. Podesta volunteered to do this workshop for two consecutive days in order to cover all our ninth grade classes. All the students understood the importance of dressing for success and interviewing without stress. Having these skills early on will put them ahead of the game. Once again, each student will receive a certificate.
These skills development workshops are part of our Career Readiness Preparation series, which will culminate with the Summer Internship.
Music Workshop Hosted by the Brazilian Club
A combo from the University of Florida (guitar, piano, voice, and percussion) came to Beach High on January 27 for a workshop/performance with students from the Music and Portuguese classes. This is part of the University of Florida outreach event for the Brazilian Music Institute (BMI) and it was hosted by Beach High Brazilian Club.
Below are the names of the professors and guests who performed:
Welson Tremura (guitar and voice)
Larry Crook (percussion set)
Ulisses Rocha (guitar)
Mike Orta (piano)
See pictures of the workshop below.
A Field Trip to Remember
Every year Beach High takes the entire freshman class to the Miami
Beach Holocaust Memorial. There are over 600 students in the freshman class at Beach High. It's a huge endeavor made possible by volunteers who chaperone these trips.
Thanks to the field trip organizer Mr. Reese, to the Language Arts teachers of 9th grade, to our chaperones, and everybody involved in our school and community in providing this important learning opportunity for our students.
This is the 8th consecutive year we have taken our 9th grade class to the Memorial to hear the indelibly etched memories of volunteer Holocaust survivors who have given countless hours to this service. Their words and messages and those of the marble walls of the Memorial will resonate hopefully with our students now and for many years to come.
Beach High also hosted an event called "First Person: A Conversation with Holocaust Survivors", as part of 2017 Holocaust Education Week presented by the Greater Miami Jewish Federation and the Holocaust Memorial Miami Beach. This event was a round-table discussion with two Holocaust survivors in our Black Box Theater and was attended by three classes of 10, 11 and 12 graders.
Juniors' Rings
On January 24, our Juniors attended the Ring Ceremony (see photos below).
Thank you Melvys Barrios and the MBSH JROTC for assisting with the ceremony.
Dancing Their Way to South Florida
Championship
Our Fusion Dance Team will be one of 10 teams that qualified from Miami-Dade and Broward schools to compete for the final Dade VS Broward High Schools Dance team competition.
The event will be held March 11 at 7 pm at St. Thomas University. Selected high schools Dance teams from Dade and Broward County will compete for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winnings. Both 1st place winning teams from both counties will then compete against each other in a face off battle for the title of South Florida high school dance teams champions.
Fusion Dance Members will be selling tickets for $10 with a portion going towards the team's fundraising. Tickets will be $15 at the door the day of the competition, so buy early, save, and support your Dance Team as we compete against some of the best schools in South Florida.
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Congratulations to the Beach High Silver Knight nominees!
Here are their names and categories:
Jamila Gowdy Athletics
Raquel Cholodofsky Business
Alejandra Gomez English and Literature
Alex Radick General Scholarship
Amanda Garcia Mathematics
David Martinez Roffe Science
Robbie Frankel Social Science
Ben Burstein Speech and Debate
Congratulations to our seniors who are POSSE scholars.
In the photo on the right, from left:
Jamila Gowdy,
CAP Advisor Mrs. Sahwell,
and Ariel Nagales.
Ask Ms. Money and Mr. Virgin how you too can be part of the Award Winning Beach High Art Program.
Congratulations to Beach High artists Chloe Dasilva, Fabio Formisano, and Valentina Scarduelli. Their work will be on view at the International Concourse of the Miami International Airport in Butterflies: STEAM-ing Flights of Fancy. Their work will be seen by hundreds of travelers from around the world as they pass through Miami.
On January 14, Zach Fotiadis represented Beach High at Ransom Everglades in a regional History Bee and Team Bowl competition. He was the only one-person team competing against multiple 4-person teams and he made it all the way to the final round. Zach also won 2nd place overall in the individual "Bee" portion.
Zach got much recognition for his willingness to participate solo (and success doing so), but if
a few other students interested in Social Studies wanted to form a Team and compete alongside Zach, Beach High would be a force to be reckoned with! Zach has competed in 2 regional competitions so far this school year and placed 2nd overall both times in the individual history Bee. As far as the school team bowls, he has played twice as a one person team representing Beach High and to everyone's surprise, he has made it to the final rounds playing again multi-person teams from Ransom Everglades, Belen, and Palmetto.
In the photos above, from top left:
Zach
Fotiadis
being named as one of top three overall in Regional History Bee at Ransom on January 14;
Zach after earning 2nd place overall in Regional History Bee in November;
Zach competing as a one person team
(against a 4-person team)
at the recent History Team Bowl at Ransom Everglades, and representing Beach High in November 2016. He made it to the semifinals.
Congratulations to the following students who participated and were awarded prizes from both the Scholastic and the Fair Creative Writing competitions. 622 students participated in the competitions from Miami-Dade County, and many of our students received high honors and achievements.
The following are the names and titles of award recipients:
Scholastic Silver Key Winners AND the Fair Blue Ribbon/First Place Awards
Fernanda Anguiano- "Complimentary Colors".
Raquel Correa- "Change," "Reality Check," "Boat Day," "Bermuda Triangle".
Brigid Moore- "Click".
Scholastic Honorable Mention AND the Fair Red Ribbon/Second Place Awards
Lucia Biswell- "The House at the Street of Ending".
Aranza Diaz- "Fighting for the Future".
Zach Fotiadis- "Dread".
Kenneth Lopez- "Equality".
Nils Nerger- "The Lyre of Living".
Kara Perino- "Remorse".
Monika Rathod- "Lost".
Scholastic Honorable Mention only
Zach Fotiadis- "Something Worth Living".
The Fair White Ribbon/Third Place Awards
Gabriela Anton- "Little Did We Know".
Alisa Fedorova- "October: Serafima," "The Ocean Wears My Sister's Face".
Alexandra Gordon-Smith- "Killer Whale in Captivity".
Abigail Gualda- "Perspective".
Hannah Mwaniki- "Exogenesis".
Patricia Pellot- "Lonely," It Didn't Take Any Time," A Thank You Never Said Enough," "With the Rise and Fall of Our Breath," "Fire and Ice".
Amanda Sanchez- "All by My Lonesome".
Tatiana Vega- "I GO TO".
Harrison Watler-Kramer- "Way Out".
The Fair Yellow Ribbon/Fourth Place Awards
Cindy Manrique- "Please Don't Go".
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SPOTLIGHT ON...THE IB PROGRAM
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Is the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program a Good Fit for Me?
This is a very common question in the minds of many Miami Beach sophomore's students as the deadline to apply to officially enter the prestigious and rigorous IBDP gets closer.
The IBDP is the most rigorous college preparatory program offered at Beach High; the program stresses academic excellence, physical growth and an international mindset that allows students to grow and become well rounded human beings.
Here are some of the advantages in completing the IBDP:
- 1Florida Bright Futures Scholarships- Automatically qualify for highest level by receiving the IB Diploma; regardless of SAT score.
- 2Most state universities grant a full year of credits if you obtain the IB Diploma.
- 3GPA. You will have at least 7 out of 8 classes in 11th and 12th grade that will grant you two extra points if you do well in them. A non IB student would need 7 AP/dual enrollment classes in each of those two years to compete.
- 4Honor recognition during graduation as both IB and Scholar graduate.
- 5Classes comprised of a diverse student population with high academic standards.
- 6Each student and family will have ongoing support from Mr. Rodriguez, the IB coordinator.
While the IBDP can't guarantee you a spot in any university or college, no program can do that. It can give you the opportunity to strengthen the academic rigor and outside activities components that are two of the components universities will look at in making admission decisions.
The third component is SAT/ACT tests. This is also a very important part of the admissions programs and might be the first hurdle to clear when applying to state colleges and universities. Students cannot afford to have a low math SAT score even if they are not planning on following a STEM major in college.
We hope that you take the time to apply for the IBDP, by obtaining, completing and returning the IB application in room 708. This application is also found online at our school's website.
Once the application is returned to room 708, our IB secretary Ms. Mott will set up a meeting time where student, parent and the IB coordinator will meet to discuss the program and answer questions. After this meeting the student and parents can discuss and make an informed decision on whether the IBDP is right for them.
For further information, please contact Mr. Rodriguez the IB coordinator at
crod-mbsh@dadeschools.net or 305-532-4515 ext 2708.
From MB Magazine
By Dr. Leslie D. Rosenfeld
Sixty-seven brave, 12th grade students entered Miami Beach Senior High School this school year on what has been an academically rigorous and intellectually challenging adventure. These students are part of the 2017 International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma class.
As part of the city's education compact with Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS), all Miami Beach public schools are IB World-Schools offering the Primary Years Program, Middle Years Program and Diploma Program. Miami Beach is one of a handful of cities in the country offering the IB continuum from kindergarten to 12th grade.
"Earning an IB Diploma is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our students," said Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho. "The IB Diploma program provides students with limitless opportunities for academic enrichment and engages them in rigorous instruction that prepares them for the demands of university academics."
International Baccalaureate is a globally recognized leader in the field of education. Across Miami Beach, these programs are encouraging students to be reflective, active, lifelong learners and critical thinkers. The city administration has worked with MDCPS to ensure that the IB program is available to every student at every public school within the city.
Families, who might have otherwise sent their children to private or selected public schools outside of Miami Beach before the IB program was in place, have re-engaged with local public schools.
Since its inception in 2010, the IB Diploma Program at Miami Beach Senior High School has grown 122 percent, with 82.3 percent of eligible students attaining the prestigious and internationally recognized diploma in 2016, one of the highest percentages of IB Diploma graduates in a public school in the nation.
Beach High seniors are just a few months away from receiving the diploma. Senior Alejandra Gomez has already selected her community service project, which is a requirement of the IB class curriculum. Her project is called Dance2xpress to improve the behavior and social skills of disadvantaged youth through dance lessons that teach choreography and routines.
"I started this dance group in Liberty City to give elementary children an outlet for their daily challenges, as well as a platform to express their creativity," said Gomez.
Any school wishing to offer an IB program must be authorized to do so. IB schools are scattered across continents and are national and international, large and small. The requirements for implementation are the same for all schools, to ensure continuity across programs and to ensure schools are well prepared to implement an IB program successfully.
"The IB diploma program means an open door to the world for me," said senior Darlene Adirika. "I chose to challenge myself and discover my full potential as a student. IB has helped me become a more well-rounded person and to succeed academically."
The City of Miami Beach, in partnership with the IB Organization and MDCPS, continues to fund the required IB professional development of teachers and administrators for all Miami Beach public schools. The ongoing development brings teachers from every Miami Beach public school together annually for several days to reflect and improve their teaching techniques, and practice using IB strategies in every classroom at every level of instruction.
"Since the signing of the education compact, I have watched our IB Diploma Program more than double in size," noted Carlos Rodriquez, IB diploma program coordinator. "The IB Diploma program will surely continue to grow," he added.
Approximately 100 sophomores and 115 freshmen at Miami Beach Senior High are already preparing for admission to the IB Diploma program next year.
Link: MB Magazine - Next Generation
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Last Chance to Buy Your Grad Bash Ticket
Miami Beach Senior High will attend Grad Bash on April 21 at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. Grad bash tickets will be available for sale January 30- February 10 2017 online through the Parent and Student Portals and during both lunches (with the exception of February 10). The tickets will be sold in front of the cafeteria by the concession stand. The full cost of grad bash is $173, and the second payment is $86 for any student that has already made the first payment in December. Seniors must have at least a 2.0 GPA, at least 10 community service hours, less than 10 absences, less than 20 tardies and zero discipline issues. Students must maintain eligibility throughout the school year or they may lose their seat without a refund. For more information, students can speak with Ms. Sakowicz in the main office in room 103.
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The Girls and Boys Basketball Teams celebrated their Senior night on January 27.
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Volunteer at PTA Founders Day - A Countywide Family Fun Celebration
Join Miami-Dade County Council PTAs/PTSAs on Saturday, February 25, from 10 am to 2 pm for a day of Family Fun as we celebrate PTA. If high school students are interested in volunteering for this event, Community Service Hours will be provided.
Location: Coral Reef Senior High School,
10101 Southwest 152 Street, Miami, FL 33157.
Additional entertainment wanted. Showcase your talents - dance, chorus, band, spoken word, artists, drama, cheerleaders, soloist, steel drums, robotics or another talent.
Sign up for a time slot here
South Pointe Needs a Hand or Two
South Pointe Elementary School is looking for high school student volunteers to help sort books in their book room (organizing by category, math, science, history, and so on). They would also love for our students to come work with some of their elementary students who are working below grade level in Reading and Math. Community Service Hours will be signed off. The school Administration will work with our Beach High students to meet their schedule. Please contact Dr. Morris at famorris@dadeschools.net or at 305-531-5437 if you are interested.
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Visit the College Fair
Representatives from nearly 200 colleges and universities will be at the 2017 Miami National College Fair on Sunday, February 26, to meet with students and parents on subjects such as financial aid, college planning, admission, and testing requirements.
The Fair, which has free admission, will be held from noon to 4 pm, at the DoubleTree Miami Mart Airport Hotel & Convention Center, 777 N.W. 72 Avenue in Miami. Parking is $5, cash only.
Informational sessions will be presented in Spanish and Haitian Creole. A Counseling Center also will be available to allow students and their parents the opportunity to talk with trained professionals regarding college preparation, admissions and scholarships.
Requesting information from multiple colleges/universities at the College Fair is easy. By pre-registering, students can print a bar-coded confirmation to be used at the Fair as an electronic ID. Students can pre-register at
www.gotomyncf.com
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The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) and Miami-Dade County Public Schools are sponsors of the event. School Board Member Perla Tabares Hantman is co-chair of the local committee of the National College Fair. Every year NACAC sponsors fairs in more than 50 cities across the country attracting 650,000 students and parents.
For more information, contact the College Fair hotline at 305-995-1739 or visit
www.nacacnet.org
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Follow the event at #collegefairmiami.
Play Golf in Support of Education
Benefitting the Miami Beach Chamber Education Foundation (logo) and the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce.
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Photos below: the Culinary Class teacher Chef Flores and Mr. Nelson with a group of students while making Matzo Ball Soup.
Photos above: the AOHT Flea Market on January 21 in the school parking lot.
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