Acceleration East High School
Community Brief
Monday, December 16, 2019
   
This is our last regular school week of 2019 before heading into the winter break. And as I looked at this week's issue prior to release, I could not help but reflect on how really special our school is.  
 
Our school is a really a cornucopia of different communities.  We have students who are zoned to different schools that are quite far away.  Yet they feel at home being a Phoenix.  In each of these editions this year we have tried hard to supply our community with snapshots of academic rigor and short success stories that offer an inside peek as to what makes Acceleration East so special. With the Holiday season upon us, and looking over one of the last issues of the year, I remain ever so proud to serve as your principal.   
 
Students making their way between classes as we near the end of 2019. 
 
Have a great week and thank you for your continued readership and support. 
 
With Phoenix Pride,
 
Mr. Doug Loftus
2019-2020 Calendar
Dates to Watch For:

*Dec. 9 -20: Performance Matters Activity window for all EOC and FSA courses will begin on Monday December 9 through Friday December 20. This is a snapshot of what the students will see in the spring.

* Dec. 9 -20: Semester 1 Common Final Exams begin on December 9 and end on December 20. These exams are mainly for our elective classes such as HOPE, etc.

* Dec. 18: Annual holiday gathering/party

* Dec. 23 - Jan. 6: Students out on Winter Break

* Jan. 7: First school day of 2020 (start of Quarter 3 and Semester 2)

* May 28: Class of 2020 Graduation Ceremony at the UCF Volleyball Arena, 6:00 pm


HOLIDAY SEASON HIGHLIGHT: "WE LOVE OUR BUS DRIVERS!"
 
  Remembering those at the holidays who get so many of our students to and from school safely every school day!  
 
back-school-bus.jpg
Our bus drivers are often the first to say good morning and the last to say good night on behalf of OCPS each school day! 
While safe transportation for our Acceleration East students to and from school is our bus drivers' primary role, it's easy to forget how something as simple as a school bus impacts the lives of students, parents, teachers and community members.

School bus drivers are tasked with the vital responsibility of protecting children on their way to and from school. In fact, bus drivers are the most highly trained, tested and scrutinized drivers on the road, ensuring students are picked up and arrive at school on time, and return home safely every school day.

They are also the ones who wait those few extra seconds for a late student, find lost backpacks, give the first "hello" in the morning and wait until the student struggling under the weight of a science project, backpack and musical instrument can find a seat. People often forget that this comes with their job too and we are very fortunate to have such caring people transporting our AEHS students.  
"Close Reading" in Action with Mrs. Williams
Mrs. Williams' students have been reading and analyzing a speech by Patrick Henry (above). Part of this process included annotations via underlying critical elements (just below).


Copy of the students' study material from their unit on Patrick Henry
"Give me liberty, or give me death!"
Athletics

Marquis Marrero with Coach Joe Teddy from Colonial High School. While attending Acceleration East, Marquis also plays for Colonial and just made the All Conference Bowling team!
'Tis the Season
Classroom door and front office decorations . . .







Mrs. Smith's classroom door won this year's contest

Front office holiday display
Monday's Motivational Moment
OPERATION SANTA

Her name was Isabella. Her letter to Santa didn't ask for presents, clothes or anything for herself. She had one simple request, "Please bring my mommy eyes that never cry." Her mom was single and working two jobs just to get by. Eleven-year-old Isabella wanted a new bike but told Santa, "It's okay if I don't get it, but clothes for my little brother would be very appreciated." Isabella's single mom could barely make ends meet.   

Although the U.S. Post Office in New York began receiving letters to Santa Claus more than 101 years ago, its involvement was made official in 1912 when Postmaster General Frank Hitchcock authorized postal employees and citizens to respond to the letters. Today, the popular holiday program is known nationwide as Operation Santa. Thousands of volunteers and ordinary people work with post offices to respond to letters from children of all ages listing their holiday wishes.

One mother wrote Santa to ask, "Please make this Christmas a happy one for my three children, it has been a tough year." USPS has a policy for "adopting" children's letters to Santa that's designed to protect their privacy.  
 
Here's how it works:
 

 
In a time when the daily news can be discouraging, we seldom hear about the good that common citizens do to contribute to the less fortunate. The great thing about Operation Santa is you simply change your name to "Santa" and you bring a smile to a special child or family!  
 
HO! HO! HO!



 
 
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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.