AEHS Community Member,
I have been following a relatively new show streaming on Apple TV called Ted Lasso. I was drawn to the program because it is so inspirational. Ted Lasso is an American who is hired to coach a professional soccer (or football as they call it across the pond) team in England. The catch is that Lasso has never coached soccer. Lasso is an American college football coach. He does not know anything about soccer, but Lasso does not allow his lack of experience to discourage him or cause him to give up because Ted Lasso is an incurable and eternal optimist. He is a “glass is half full not half-empty” kind of person who does not listen to the critics or haters and always looks for the good in people. Coach Lasso wants everyone around him to live their best self and to achieve success by living up to their full potential. This winning philosophy prompts Lasso to say things like smells like potential and I believe in hope. I believe in Believe. Coach Ted Lasso wants everyone to BELIEVE!
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At Acceleration East High School, we also believe in Believe and we believe in our students. We refuse to listen to any naysayer who falsely claims our students can’t and won’t. AEHS students can and will! We believe in every student who attends this school. We are also working very hard to build a culture at AEHS that will help and empower our students to believe in themselves. Believing in ourselves can sometimes be difficult, especially if we have been around a lot of negativity and discouragement in our lives. Acceleration East High School is a positive environment, supporting, encouraging, and nurturing students every day. We believe in our students. We believe in our teachers and staff. We believe in our community. My greatest desire for AEHS remains that each day as every individual enters this building, students and adults, that we truly believe that something great is going to happen. I also want you to believe that as your student arrives in the morning that he or she is about to experience something great.
When we all believe, it makes for a very successful day. Some people say I will believe, when I see. I say when we believe, then we will see.
Douglas K. Loftus, Principal
Acceleration East High School
Pictured very top: AEHS 2021-2022 Teacher of the Year Kim Dipasquale with her students this past week.
Pictured above right starting from the left: Kim Dipasquale (Teacher of the Year), Tish Atehortua (Support Person of the Year), Doug Loftus (Principal)
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SAC Meeting
Tuesday, Aug. 24 - Community Members Invited!
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We are having our first SAC meeting this Tuesday at 3:30pm. The meeting will be face to face and virtual.
AGENDA
Call to Order:
Approval of Previous Minutes:
Principal’s Report (Announcements/HR & Budget Updates):
School Improvement Plan (Goal Updates): Goal # 3 Culture and Environment specifically relating to Social and Emotional Learning:
Instructional Strategies – Rotation Stations
a. Proven research . . . Student engagement improves when this instructional strategy is used.
b. Evidence in Reading and ELA classes.
Old Business:
New Business:
Open Agenda (Non-SAC Members):
Meeting Adjournment:
Next Meeting Date, Time, and Location: TBA
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Welcome Mr. Rogers!
Meet Acceleration East's new ELA teacher
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Mr. John Rogers, English Language Arts Teacher
Q: Where were you prior to arriving at Acceleration East High School?
A: I worked for just over a decade teaching adult ESOL at the Orange Technical College campus in Avalon Park across from Timber Creek High School. It was a lot of fun, and I met some fantastic people—both students and staff.
Q: Why did you choose AEHS?
A: I liked the smaller size and felt that I could make a difference for the school’s population. Teaching ESOL gave me a bit of a soft spot for supporting the underdog, and I feel that some of our students here are sometimes in that category.
Q: College?
A: I have a B.A., cum laude, from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C. My major was English and my minor was Spanish.
Q: What do you enjoy most about being an educator?
A: I just love the connection with people and helping them. Sometimes it’s a little like the joke about the optimist digging through the pile of horse manure and enthusing that he knows “there just HAS to be a pony under this somewhere!” Sometimes you get more manure than pony. But sooner or later that pony shows up. And he’s great fun. Furthermore, I love my subject. I’ve always been kind of bookish. I think the written word can be a sacred kind of thing.
Q: What might you share about yourself?
A: I grew up in Winter Park. My family has been architects since time began, so I enjoy nice design. I am divorced, and have two daughters, Hope and Abby, 25 and 26. They live in Minneapolis and L.A., respectively. I am still mourning a dog, Vicky, I had for 11 years that I lost a couple of years ago. I love boating and have a little Gheenoe with an outboard. I cycle for exercise. I lived in Spain for about a year and a half and in England for three. I used to hang-glide in college. I speak sort of intermediate-level Spanish.
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Classroom Highlights
2021-2022 got off to a fast start . . .
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Above and immediately below: students in Pre-Calculus were brushing up on parabolas last week. |
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Parts of a speech activity in Mrs. Olafsson's ELA class. On the right is student Omari Ford engaged during her class last Wednesday. |
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Just above and immediately below: Mrs. Naffziger's Honors Algebra 2 students have been simplifying expressions using the order of operations. |
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On this Monday Mrs. Medina was discussing the Byzantine Empire with her World History students. |
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Mrs. Medina's "Common Board" from today, Monday, August 23rd. The overarching goal as week #3 got underway was for her students to analyze the significant places, people, and events associated with the Byzantine Empire. |
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Brag Board underway for 2021-2022 |
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A standing tradition under Principal Loftus' leadership has been the Brag Board. Staff members will pin up messages of appreciation about colleagues who have been of real help and traveled that "extra mile." |
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Brag slip given to Mr. Diaz for his support during pre-planning week. |
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Closing Images of the Week . . . |
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Students and staff enjoy volleyball at lunch. |
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AEHS loves our bus drivers! |
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Enjoy your week!
Douglas K. Loftus, Principal
Acceleration East High School
Monday, August 23, 2021
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The School Board of Orange County, Florida, does not discriminate in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in its programs and activities, on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, marital status, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other reason prohibited by law. The following individuals at the Ronald Blocker Educational Leadership Center, 445 West Amelia Street, Orlando, Florida 32801, attend to compliance matters: Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Officer & Title IX Coordinator: Keshara Cowans; ADA Coordinator; ADA Coordinator: Jay Cardinali; Section 504 Coordinator: Tajuana Lee-Wenze. (407.317.3200)
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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 douglas.loftus@ocps.net (principal) with any questions or for further information.
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2274 S. Semoran Blvd.,
Orlando, FL 32822-2704
Phone 407-992-0917
Fax 407-207-4961
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