School News - 05/17/12

Kindergartners in Ann Moy’s class at Dr. Phillips Elementary created a rainbow art project using paint and handprints. The children proudly displayed the artwork for other students and teachers.

Lake Whitney Elementary third-graders in Patricia Barker’s (back, second from right) class take a break from their FCAT preparation.

Ballroom dancers from Whispering Oak Elementary traveled to Kentucky to compete at a USA Dance National qualifying event. The students qualified for the national event in the American Bronze Smooth (waltz/fox trot) and American Bronze Rhythm (cha-cha/rumba) divisions. The dancers are coached by second-grade teacher Aimee Allen, director of Culture In Dance.

Windermere Mayor Gary Bruhn visited Windermere Elementary to eat lunch with second-grader Beshir Said, winner of the PTA’s Have Lunch With the Mayor fundraiser. Mayor Bruhn spent the lunch hour with Beshir’s class, and the students tried to stump him by asking him to spell many of their last names.

Congratulations to Gotha Middle seventh-graders Allie Batten, Chloe Cao, Nathaniel Calixte and Danielle Ibrahim for winning Best City of Orlando Rain Barrel honors for their Lake Eola-themed rain barrel. The students painted the barrel as part of an annual competition sponsored by Orlando Utilities Commission.

Sally Marjama, Southwest Middle’s drama director, coordinated and directed the school’s production of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Students not only performed onstage, but worked backstage with lighting, sound, stage management and co-directing. As a way to expose students to theatrical arts, Ms. Marjama directs a production each
year.

Charles Mulloy, a rising sophomore at Dr. Phillips High and student in the Center for International Studies magnet program, was selected to participate in the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine that will be held next month at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The 15-year-old was nominated to attend the medical leadership event after earning a perfect score on the science portion of the FCAT. In addition to being an outstanding student in the challenging CIS program, the Sand Lake Hills resident is active in band, sports and community service.

During the Orange County Council of PTA/PTSAs Annual Awards Ceremony, Olympia High’s PTSA was honored with a PAT on the Back Award for its growth and improvement. It also was recognized for increasing its membership by 25 percent from the previous year. In addition, OHS senior Monica Rex received a $500 scholarship from OCCPTA. She plans to attend Johns Hopkins University this fall and will seek a degree in biomedical engineering. Monica hopes to one day provide prosthetics to impoverished individuals in Third World nations through Engineers Without Borders.

More than 30 Trinity Preparatory School students from the Class of 2013 were recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Corp. as high-scoring juniors on the October 2011 PSAT/NMSQT, and they have met the requirements to enter the 2013 National Merit Scholarship Program. Among the high performers were Dr. Phillips residents Sitaara Ali and Joseph Furstace, who earned PSAT Selection Index scores of 200 or higher.

Foundation Academy eighth-graders traveled to Washington, D.C., where students visited numerous landmarks and monuments. Among other historic sites, the teens visited the White House; Arlington National Cemetery; Library of Congress; George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate, Museum & Gardens; and monuments and tributes to the men and women who served in the armed forces.

Montverde Academy middle-schoolers Erin Lafferty, Kevin McDonnell and Mary Nerad participated in the Junior International Thespian Society state competition that was held at Melbourne High School. The students received “excellent” ratings at the district level, which qualified them for the state competition. This was the inaugural year for MVA’s Junior Thespian troupe, which is led by middle school theater-arts teacher Adrian Ahern.

Representatives from four Japanese colleges recently visited Valencia College to finalize an agreement that provides overseas academic-training opportunities for their students. The agreement, established by Valencia Continuing Education, links academic coursework at the college with an academic training experience at Walt Disney World Resort. Valencia’s administration expects 15 to 25 students to begin the program in February 2013.

Premier Academy’s PlayDay classes practice recycling during Earth Day week.

Congratulations to the following Southwest-area students who were named winners at the Rotary Club of Windermere Festival Among the Lakes School Art Exhibit: Casey O’Brian of The First Academy and
Tal Minks of Foundation Academy placed second and third, respectively, in the high school division. Middle school winners were Juliana Kraiser of TFA, Riana Kuring of Windy Ridge School, and Emmaline Pinckney of TFA, who placed first through third, respectively.