Acceleration East High School
Community Brief
 Friday, November 2, 2018 
   
Sometimes I wonder why resiliency in life doesn't always translate to resiliency in the classroom. Our students, from all walks of life, deal with personal things that stretches their resources and their belief in themselves.

I've drawn some conclusions.

First, our students are able to compartmentalize "resiliency" into categories - activities that they want to do, activities that they are being asked to do (for deferred gratification), and the activities they need to survive.

Second, we need to do a better job of teaching students that resiliency in one facet of life requires the same skills as the other facets of life. The discipline required to organize oneself to complete coursework comes from the same skill set that requires students to ready their siblings for school or walk in perfect time with the music.

Practice matters. Automaticity and execution come from relentless practice. The practice is sometimes voluntary (as in sports or performance) and sometimes required. Either way, we need to ensure we tap into students' resiliency so they can achieve in all areas of their lives, especially school.

Enjoy your weekend and, as always, thank you for the continued support!

Sincerely, 
 
Douglas K. Loftus
Principal   

Pictured very top and just below: Acceleration East High receiving the 2018 Mayors Cup Award for the most essays entered in a special contest. The essay contest focused on kindness within the family. Mayor Teresa Jacobs and fellow commissioners are pictured with Acceleration East students on October 30th.


 Gilmarie Garcia, Jeremiah Moise, and Zayannie Acevedo flanked by senior
officials at the ceremony this week.



College Financial Aid
FAFSA: "Free Application for Federal Student Aid"
On October 23, Ms. Roca did a masterful job of helping many of our families with the college financial aid process. Part of that evening was set out to complete the FAFSA - a key step in getting funds for college. Pictured below are images of families working on their individual applications. Thank you again to Ms. Roca for her work in putting on such a helpful event. You see, we want to make sure our college bound students have every opportunity when it comes to financial aid and not necessarily getting saddled down with mountains of student loan debt at a young age (chart below).



Left and then below: Ms. Roca 1:1 with our families on Oct. 23. Above: Students getting the FAFSA form completed online.


As mentioned above, there are other financial aid options besides just borrowing for college. This was discussed during the October 23 event led by Ms. Roca.

Rigor in the Classroom
Economics with Ms. Marshall
Ms. Angella Marshall is seen here having a round discussion with her class this week. The topic was on price and demand along with a tie-in to foreign currency exchange. The students were most engaged while learning some macro life lessons with respect to how the United States economy functions.



Socratic Seminar
Mr. Roberts' conducted a Socratic seminar with his students. The topic was about the tragic shooting in Pittsburgh. Students used a news story from the USA Today to enter into their dialogue


Vital Signs
Student health and safety . . .


Source: McAfee survey of 1,000 U.S. parents with children 6 to 16 who play online or console games; USA Today
Thank You and Congratulations!
Marking 10 years of service teaching and supporting some pretty terrific OCPS students . . .

Mr. Hall and his students this past week ... celebrating Mr. Hall's 10-year anniversary working at OCPS.
(Oct. 30, 2018)


Kim Smith, our awesome staffing specialist, is also celebrating her 10-year anniversary with OCPS this week. She is pictured holding her 10-year pin with a card that reads: "In appreciation for your dedicated years of service to the ORANGE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS."


John Soriano, our SAFE coordinator, celebrating his 10-year anniversary. (SAFE = Student Assistance and Family Empowerment Program). Mr. Soriano does a tremendous job with our student "SAFE Ambassadors" and is fine role model --- a genuine asset to our high school.

This Weekend . . .

The Fall Festival will be running after the OCPS Parent Academy on Saturday ... both events will be held on the AEHS campus. 


Friday's Motivational Moment!
THE TRUE MEASURE OF SUCCESS

To be able to carry money without spending it;

To be able to bear an injustice without retaliating;

To be able to do one's duty when critical eyes watch;

To be able to keep at a job until it is finished;

To be able to do the work
and let others get the recognition;

To be able to accept criticism without letting it whip you;

To like those who push you down;

To love when hate is all about you;

To have peace of heart and mind because
you have given it your best.

This is the true measure of success.

~ Author Unknown

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Florida flag

I hope your November is off to a great start. Have a safe and relaxing weekend.
Mr. Loftus, Principal
Acceleration East High School
Friday, November 2, 2018

 
 
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Copyright Notice
Reproduction of this material, either written or electronically, including the general layout, graphics, analyses, and content topics without the express approval of Target Performance Systems, Inc., a Florida corporation, and OCPS - Acceleration East High School is forbidden without written consent.  Thank you for your support of the Orange County Public Schools and especially Acceleration East High School. Please contact [email protected] (principal) with any questions or for further information.