AEHS Community Member,
Happy New Year Acceleration East High School community!
I hope that you and your family had a wonderful winter break and a great start to the New Year. As we close the door on the previous calendar year and embark on a brand new year, the practice of setting New Year’s resolutions is common, though, I did read over the break that fewer people are making New Year’s resolutions. For adults, resolutions usually center around things like doing better with healthy habits, doing better with finances, and doing better with career choices. One study cites that 38% of people who set resolutions for the New Year break their resolution within the first 30 days and by the sixth month of the year 83% of people have thrown in the towel on their resolution.
The point of any New Year’s resolution is to make the most of your days and life, living life to the uttermost. Someone once observed that a wasted life is really nothing more than a collection of wasted days. Conversely, a successful life belongs to those who make the most of each day. We have 365 days in a year. What we do with them is a personal choice for each of us. Choose wisely.
In the school calendar there are 180 days for students. We completed the first 90 days when we left for winter break on December 17. That day marked the conclusion of the first semester. The second semester began this week when students returned to school on January 4. At Acceleration East High School, our goal is helping students to be successful by making the most of every day. As you are reading this, we have 86 days left to make the most of in helping our students succeed. We will remain resolute in our determination and effort. We will not give up in 30 days. We will never throw in the towel. Our Phoenixes are making tremendous strides forward this year and we will continue to build upon that momentum. Our second semester resolution for students is to help every Phoenix achieve their very best. Please help us to help your student by encouraging them to make the most of everyday, never losing heart and never giving up. If the road to success were easy, more people would be traveling it, but all those who travel it find great reward at the end of the road.
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"The extra mile is never crowded."
Let’s finish strong Acceleration East and let’s all be willing to make sacrifices for our students because they are so worthy of the sacrifice. Go Phoenixes!
Douglas K. Loftus, M.S. Ed.
Principal
Pictured above right and just below: Principal Loftus with Ms. Amanda Melton during our Holiday Spirit Week just ahead of winter break. Ms. Melton is our December 2021 Teacher of the Month. She is also pictured just below holding her recognition certificate which includes an entree meal from our nearby Texas Roadhouse restaurant (6372 S. Semoran Blvd.) — a most valued Partner in Education for some years now.
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Ms. Melton currently teaches both Intensive Math and American Sign Language. She has been teaching at AEHS for over three years. |
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The Texas Roadhouse team at 6372 S. Semoran Blvd. (Lee Vista) has been a steady supporter of our Teacher of the Month recognition and we are grateful for their commitment towards quality education.
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Jan. 09: National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day - Thank You Deputies & Officers
Jan. 12: Herff Jones on campus (please see below)
Jan. 13: COVID vaccinations at Colonial High School, ages 5 and up (please see below)
Jan. 17: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, No school
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Jan. 19: Infinite Scholars Program - FREE College Scholarship Fair (held at Evans High School this year, below)
Jan. 24: 100th Day of School!
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Special Events
Senior Class of 2022
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Herff Jones representative speaking about graduation and cap & gowns to seniors ahead of this year's graduation ceremony which will be at Colonial High School on Tuesday, May 24th at 6:00pm. |
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Message from Herff Jones to our Class of 2022:
CONGRATULATIONS to you and your Senior! We at Herff Jones are proud and fortunate to be the official graduation supplier for Acceleration East Academy.
Please see links below with all your graduation information:
To order, please go to our website at www.herfforlando.com or on campus, Wednesday, January 12th from 10:09 – 11:09 a.m., to take your order and answer questions.
Thank you, and once again congratulations!
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Important FAFSA Reminder:
Seniors – if you haven’t completed your FAFSA application, the time is now! Completing the FAFSA is the first step toward getting federal financial aid for college or technical college. In addition, many colleges use your FAFSA data to determine your eligibility for state and school based aid. Here is what you’ll need:
- FSA ID and password
- SSN and/or Alien Registration Number
- 2020 Tax Return, W-2, and any other records of money earned (parents and student – if the student worked)
* Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
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*** Senior Phoenixes bound for college — Please complete your FAFSA paperwork if you have not yet done so. While ours is a smaller high school campus, here is a very positive note as of the winter break. This year's senior class is ahead +130% with FAFSA from the same period one year ago!
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Amid a COVID-19 testing crunch that has stressed sites throughout the state, Orlando is opening a location of its own at Camping World Stadium.
Free testing is available starting Monday, at the stadium, located at 1 Citrus Bowl Place. The new site will open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to administer both rapid antigen and molecular PCR tests, according to a news release.
Testing is first-come, first-served, and forms may be filled in advance at patientportalfl.com. Testing will be administered by CDR Maguire, the release states.
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This Week - Vaccination sites (nearby Colonial High is on Thursday):
This walk-in event is open to all OCPS families as well as anyone in the community who needs a vaccine or booster. Parents or guardians must accompany children 17 and under and sign the Department of Health consent form. Children will receive the two-dose Pfizer vaccine, but all brands and boosters will also be available for others. |
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Staff Spotlight
Kim Smith
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Kim Smith, Acceleration East's amazing staffing specialist, conducting an Individual Education Plan (IEP) with one her ESE students and a parent during week #1 of 2022. |
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Curriculum Highlight: Week #19
History with Ms. Shewchuk
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Ms. Shewchuk explaining to her students the purpose of a "Gallery Walk" this past Thursday. Her learning goal for the day was that students would better understand what life was like in America during The Great Depression. |
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Above and just below: Samples from Ms. Shewchuk's Gallery Walk last week including The Dust Bowl, "Okies," and Hoovervilles. |
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Valencia College
Bridges to Success Scholarship
- Application Deadline: January 27, 2022 by 5 PM
- https://valenciacollege.edu/students/bridges-to-success/
- The Bridges to Success Scholarship is a program designed to support students with the transition to college as well as provide a full tuition award and book stipend.
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Please click here for eligibility and other details.
- Help session Jan. 12 (see below)
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Infinite Scholars Program - FREE College Scholarship Fair
Infinite Schools Program is a non-profit that was founded in 2003. For more than 2 decades it has served more than 200,000 students facilitating over 2 billion dollars in scholarship and financial aid.
This year the event will be held January 19 at Evans High School from 4-7:30 PM. Students interested in attending should dress for success and bring multiple copies of the documents listed on the flier.
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Upcoming Scholarship Opportunities
* Due January 12, 2022 – Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarship - $30,000. To be eligible for the scholarship a student must: be a graduating, minority high school senior, plan to attend an accredited four year institution, show leadership potential, demonstrate a dedication to community service, present evidence of financial need, be a US citizen, submit an official SAT or ACT score. To apply, click here: https://jackierobinson.org/apply/
* Due January 22, 2022 – Central Florida Women’s League Scholarship - $3,000. Eligibility is based on academic achievement and promise, financial need and community involvement. Applicants must be female. To apply click here: https://cfwl.org/
* Due January 27, 2022 at 6pm – Valencia Bridges to Success Scholarship Program – 2 years tuition to Valencia College. This scholarship program can be life changing, especially to those who don’t have the funds to pay for college as it covers 2 years tuition at Valencia as long as you are able to commit to the program requirements. Valencia Bridges is looking for students who have at least a 2.75 GPA however, if you are close to that or you believe you would be a good fit for the program, please consider applying. In addition to the GPA, Bridges is looking for students who are PELL eligible (determined through FAFSA), and would benefit from the post-secondary support offered through the program. If that is you, APPLY!! Even if you aren’t sure if you will attend Valencia … have this as an option to attend college for two years FREE! You can always turn down the program offer if you decide to attend another school. Read more about the Bridges Program and requirements here.
* Due February 14th – Atkins Pathway to Success Scholarship – award varies. To be eligible for the scholarship a student must be: first generation, female student, a Florida resident applying to a 4 year public, in-state university, submit the FAFSA and Florida Financial Aid Application, and have applied to two other external scholarships. To apply click here: https://www.atkinsef.org/application
* Due February 23, 2022 – Dream U.S. – Up to $16,500 for an associate degree and up to $33,000 for a bachelor’s degree at a partner college. Some scholars may be eligible for an additional stipend of up to $4,000 for books, supplies, and transportation. To apply click here: https://www.thedream.us/scholarships/national-scholarship/
* Due March 1, 2022 - EEqual Scholarship Awards Program - $8,000 - Student must be experiencing poverty or homelessness and be on track for graduation. Undocumented students CAN apply! Go to: https://eequal.org/scholarships/
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Monday's Motivational Moment! |
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Acceleration East High School Remembers Roberto Clemente
Friday, December 31st was the 49th anniversary of Roberto Clemente’s tragic, New Year’s Eve death. For those of our students that may not know, Roberto Clemente was a Major League Baseball Hall of Famer, four-time batting champion and two-time World Series winner. He was also someone who proudly represented the Latin community (he was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico) everywhere he went and when not playing professional baseball, he devoted himself to volunteerism.
Clemente's career numbers include a .317 batting average, 240 home runs and 1,305 RBIs. He also won 12 Gold Gloves for his fielding and arm in right field. And he stood atop all National League players in 1966 with the MVP trophy.
He never took his great talent for granted and kept working to improve. This continued effort is what made him the great player that he was. And off the field, Clemente loomed large as a humanitarian.
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That ultimately killed him when his December 31, 1972, plane crashed en route to earthquake-crushed Nicaragua. Clemente was chairman of Puerto Rico's relief effort, putting in 16-hours days, when he decided to go to Managua to ensure supplies reached the needy and not profiteers, as was being suspected. His was one of four supply planes, the only one that didn't make it.
In 1973, Major League Baseball renamed its annual community-service honor the Clemente Award. And in 2003, President George W. Bush presented Clemente posthumously with the nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Roberto Clemente's life offers some examples of wisdom to live by. For example, early in his baseball career, Clemente set the bar high. He said, "I've dedicated myself to being the best right fielder in baseball." This standard for his baseball performance also mirrored his standards in life. He was unaccepting of mediocrity because he knew he was capable of more.
To improve himself Clemente studied great players and refused to be intimidated by pitchers. He became a good hitter his first six years in the big leagues, but wasn't satisfied. So in 1961 he turned to heavier bats. Bingo. Now he was hitting more to center and right field — on the way to a .351 average and his first batting title.
Clemente's son shared, "Dad was very dedicated, and he was always very focused on what he was doing. He always had a bat in his hand, working on his wrist action. He would also design drills — such as throwing the ball from right field into a trash can at third base — to boost the accuracy of his arm. Before road games, he'd have players hit balls against the outfield walls to see how the ball came off. That helped him be in the best position to throw."
Roberto Clemente also cared deeply about people, especially those from the Latin community where his baseball success could be helpful. For instance, he could be found mentoring young people — kids the age of our Acceleration East students — and once said this to a group that wanted to improve their baseball skills, "You should learn the fundamentals. Work on them. This is a great game, it can do a lot for you, but only if you give it all you can." He also advised them to keep out of trouble. "Don't do anything your dear ones will be ashamed of."
Clemente's lessons for our Phoenixes at the start of 2022?
Roberto Clemente was fiercely dedicated to continuous self improvement and when not on the baseball field, always made time to volunteer in his community. The way Clemente put it, "If you have a chance to accomplish something that will make things better for people coming behind you, and you don't do that, you are wasting your time on this Earth."
As you reflect upon the start of this second semester, make sure you create some measurable, challenging personal goals for yourself and please try to carve out some time to help others. If you do, you will most assuredly set your New Year off to a terrific start. Go Phoenixes!
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Prepare to make this a successful week #2 of 2022 Phoenixes!
Douglas K. Loftus, Principal
Acceleration East High School
Monday, January 10, 2022
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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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