Principal's Newsletter

It has been a busy week on campus and next week will be even busier!

Just for some fun, there will be a photo booth on campus in the 2500 building on Monday during both Junior High and high School lunch periods.

On Tuesday, Valentine Singing Telegrams will be performed throughout the day by the Acappella Singers!

Looking ahead, the PSAT 8/9 will be given on March 1st during Periods 1-4. JH students will go to lunch after the test and then continue with their regular schedules for the rest of the day. You will be receiving detailed information from our testing coordinator next week.

Lana Buchalter

American Academy Upper School Principal

lana.buchalter@ahschool.com

"12 Angry Jurors"

SHOW ANNOUNCEMENT!!

American Heritage Schools, Broward Campus Center for the Arts presents 12 Angry Jurors, adapted by Sherman L. Sergel and based on the Emmy award-winning television movie by Reginald Rose.

A 19-year-old man has just stood trial for the fatal stabbing of his father. "He doesn't stand a chance," mutters the guard as the 12 jurors are taken into the bleak jury room. It looks like an open-and-shut case—until one of the jurors begins opening the others' eyes to the facts. "We have nothing to gain or lose by our verdict. We should not make it a personal thing." But personal it is, with each juror revealing his or her own character as the various testimonies are re-examined, the murder is re-enacted and a new murder threat is born before their eyes! Tempers get short, arguments grow heated, and the jurors become 12 angry jurors. The jurors' final verdict and how they reach it concludes in tense scenes that will electrify you and keep you on the edge of your seat.

This production is asterisked for discrimination and intolerance, and runs from February 21st through 25th in the Studio Theater. TICKETS will go on SALE next week, 2/6/23. For ticketing assistance or more information, please email boxoffice@ahschool.com.

AHS Employees/Staff/Upper School Students - DIRECT LINK to our Production Box Office Form, this contains the direct link to our ShowTix Portal as well as the form for upper school students or parents who are employees to reserve a coupon code for 1 complimentary ticket for themselves and any upper school siblings of the cast member who are upper school students at AHS! Once you receive your coupon code via email you can apply it at checkout in the ShowTix Portal.

For Senior parents, I have included the upcoming dates that you should mark on your calendars. The year is flying by and graduation will be here before you know it. It goes by very quickly. I will probably say this over and over again, but you should stop and enjoy each moment this year!

Upcoming Senior Class Events

Senior Yearbook Ads

Senior Parents,

Yearbook has a few spreads available for senior ads so Jostens has reopened the School Store tab. If you would like to congratulate your senior with a tribute ad, please follow the directions below.

To place your senior ad:

1) Go to Jostens.com.

2) Click on the My JostensSchool Store tab.

3) Click on Yearbook Recognition Ads.

4) Create an account and follow the directions.

5) Photos and designed art must be sent in a jpg format with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi.

5) Be sure to complete your ad before the scheduled deadline. Jostens does not save incomplete pages after deadline.

While creating your ad, please take into account this must be school-appropriate content, and the staff will modify or delete material considered inappropriate. The Spotlight yearbook staff reserves the right to rearrange the layout and to make grammatical corrections as necessary. Only ads written in English will be placed in the yearbook.

All photos and designed ads must be sent in a jpeg format with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi.

The day is here! Cap & Gown portraits are now available for parents to purchase. Please see the attachment below and follow the instructions.

Shorts and Skorts - (khaki or navy color) with the School logo must be purchased through the School.

No leg covering may be worn under shorts. Long pants should be worn in cool weather. Shorts MAY NOT BE HEMMED OR MODIFIED. Rolling shorts or skorts is prohibited, as well. Only shorts and skorts with the hemline logo will be allowed. Students wearing shorts or skorts that have been hemmed or modified will be sent to the School store to purchase appropriate clothing and the students’ account will be charged accordingly.

Only Heritage approved outerwear is allowed on campus.

Eligible 10th and 11th grade students will soon be receiving an email invitation to apply.

NHS Information

Any new American Heritage student in grades 7, 8, or 9, who was a member of NJHS in his or her previous school is welcome to become a member of the American Heritage NJHS chapter. Proof of membership must be provided to Mrs. Cabrera (room 8209). A membership certificate, a membership card, a program from the NJHS Induction Ceremony, or a letter or email from the adviser of the previous chapter will serve as verification of membership.

Eligible seventh and eighth grade students will be invited to apply in January, 2023.

The purpose of the National Junior Honor Society is to promote scholarship, to render service to the school and community, to promote leadership, and to develop character within its members.

Requirements for membership:

• 4.33 cumulative GPA
• 30 hours of community service (completed before making application)
• Demonstration of leadership qualities and good character
• Approval by Faculty Council
• Mandatory induction

February 22, 2023 - 6:00 PM | Virtual
Sophomore College Night, Broward Campus
Rick Clark, Georgia Institute of Technology
Assistant Vice Provost and Executive Director of Undergraduate Admission

Rick Clark is a thought leader and expert in college admission and application processes, and the landscape of higher education in general. As a thought leader in college admissions and the common application, Rick Clark travels annually to U.S. embassies around the world to discuss the U.S. college admission process. Clark has served on advisory and governing boards at the state, regional, and national levels. He is the co-author of The Truth about College Admission: A Family Guide to Getting in and Staying Together and a companion workbook, published under the same title from Johns Hopkins University Press. He is also the creator of the Georgia Tech Admission Blog and the College Admission Brief Podcast. A native of Atlanta, Clark earned a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an M.Ed. from Georgia State University.

Recording from Recent Event

• College Funding 101 - Recording (January 18, 2023)

• College Funding Flyer (Peter Ratzan) AH Family Benefits

Upcoming College Tours:

Junior Conferences - Mandatory College Conferences with 11th grade student, parent/guardian, and assigned college advisors have been scheduled. The meeting will take place between February 8, 2023 and March 15, 2023. Appointment letters were sent home with all students on Tuesday, January 24, 2023.

Parents/Guardians also received the invitation via email and calendar invite. If you are the parent/guardian of an 11th grade student and you have not received your junior college conference appointment, please contact the Upper School College Advising Office at extension 3092.

College Essays with 11th Grade Students

This week was a busy one for 11th grade students in CP & Honors English. College Advisors worked with their caseload of students on brainstorming possible essay topics and first drafts of the college personal narrative. AP students will begin brainstorming college essays on February 15, 2023.

Class of 2023 - College Application Decisions: Congratulations to the Class of 2023 for their acceptances. Visit our digital bulletin board to review the list.

As a graduation requirement, seniors are required to provide copies of admissions decisions and scholarship award notifications to their College Advisors. Class of 2023 should use this form to update your College Advisor: College Decision Notification Form as well as update the decision in Naviance. Parents/Guardians, please encourage your student to complete this form if they have not yet done so.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR FINANCIAL AWARD LETTERS & THE APPEALS PROCESS

(12th Grade Families)

Thursday, March 9, 2023 | 6:00pm - 7:30pm | Zoom Webinar - REGISTER

Financial aid offers can often be confusing, and the dollar amount your child is offered might not be what you expected. This event explains how to interpret the award letter and how to appeal what the college may have offered you.

Tonight our Girls Varsity Basketball will play North Miami HOME @ 7:00 PM in the Regional Quarterfinals

Please come out and support our Lady Patriots!

Tickets $7.00 p/p

https://gofan.co/app/events/893692?schoolId=FL7573

Tonight our Varsity Girls Soccer will play in the Regional Semis vs Merritt Island HOME @ 7:00 PM Friday, February 10th BLACKOUT

Tickets $7.00 p/p

https://gofan.co/app/events/899742?schoolId=FL7573

Varsity Boys Soccer will play in the Regional Semis vs. Terre Environmental HOME @ 7:00 PM on Saturday, February 11th

$7.00 p/p

https://gofan.co/app/events/899666?schoolId=FL7573

SGA Talent Show 2023

Last night's Talent Show was very entertaining! Many thanks to the students who shared their talents, and we really appreciate our panel of judges: Mercedes Torres, Rosa Blake, and Jennifer Squillante. Also, many thanks to the event's co-organizers, Ms. Elizabeth Carbone and Mr. Juan Laureano!

Congratulations to the night's winners:

1st place: Elizabeth Xiao 9th grade

2nd place: Nikko Burgess-Doctor 12 grade

3rd place: Mark Bassin 9th grade

Audience's Choice: Austin Stein 8th grade

The charity we are donating to is Take Stock in Children and we will be able to make a donation of $250.

I cordially invite you to attend our next live, online Experts in Learning Differences Speaker Series, "Navigating the College Search for Students Who Learn Differently” on Tuesday, February 21, 2023 from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. This is the fifth episode of Season 3 of our Expert Speaker Series hosted by the American Academy. Join a top college admissions specialist who will share details about how you can gain the knowledge and tools to effectively assess your child’s needs, evaluate the colleges you explore, and successfully prepare for the transition.

Please click on the button below to reserve your seat for the show on Tuesday, February 21, 2023

On February 25th we will have Astronaut Susan Kilrain visiting our Broward Campus, in a special event organized by the Pre-Engineering department from both campus, led by Mr. Huber and Mrs. Pamajala. See below for more information and the promo is attached.

About the speaker:

Renowned astronaut Commander Susan Kilrain is a distinguished navy test pilot and aerospace engineer. She is the youngest person and one of only three women to pilot the space shuttle.

About the event:

• The event is scheduled to start at 7:00pm at AHS - Broward Campus, Main Stage Theater, 3000 Bldg.
• It is open to the public.
• It is a free event for AHS students, faculty, and staff.
• Parents and non-heritage families will be able to purchase tickets for $5.
• The promo is attached to this email. It includes QR codes for both the form to request free ticket for AHS students, faculty, staff, and the ticketing platform for parents and non-heritage families.

Recap:

Event: Astronaut Susan Kilrain Visits AHS

Date: February 25th

Time: 7:00pm

Location: AHS - Broward Campus, Main Stage Theater, 3000 Bldg

Link to form to request free ticket (AHS students, faculty, staff): An Evening with Susan Kilrain - Form for Free Tickets

Link for parents and non-heritage families tickets: https://ahschool.info/Astronaut-Susan-Kilrain-at-AHS

Broward Campus Athletic Events

1/31/23 – 2/18/23

(Dates & Times subject to change)

Click the Below Link to see up to date information.

BROWARD CAMPUS

Saturday, February 11th

V Track @ Ft. Lauderdale HS 7:30 a.m.

V Boys Lacrosse @ St. Edwards 10:30 a.m.

Monday, February 13th

V Softball Pre Season vs. West Broward HOME 6:30 p.m.

V Girls Lacrosse vs. Miami Country Day HOME 7:00 p.m.

Tuesday, February 14th

JV Boys Lacrosse @ Ransom Everglades 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, February 15th

JH Track @ Ransom Everglades 3:00 p.m.

Thursday, February 16th

V Tennis vs. Coral Springs Charter HOME 4:00 p.m.

Friday, February 17th

V Track @ Louie Bing Traz Powell 9:30 a.m.

V Softball Pre Season vs. Barron Collier HOME 6:00 p.m.

V Girls Lacrosse @ Barron Collier 6:00 p.m.

Saturday, February 18th

V Track @ Louie Bing Traz Powell 9:30 a.m.

Click here to reserve your seats early at a special reduced rate for American Heritage families, teachers, and staff. These tickets make great holiday gifts as well!!!

Live link for Community Service Form

*Must bring Service Hour Form Click Here

The American Heritage Summer Institute offers over 120 courses; including pre-professional courses, electives and core classes. The Summer Institute is a great option for your child to try electives or take classes that did not fit into their school year schedule. Please check our website (online.ahschool.com) in November to learn more about course offerings for Summer 2023.

If you have any questions or need any additional information, please feel free to contact us at 1-888-490-7467 or SummerOnlineInquiry@ahschool.com

January/February

2/1 Signing Day (Gym) 9am

2/6 Junior Parent Workshop 7pm (Theatre)

2/17 PD day No School for Students

2/20 Presidents' Day No School

2/22 Sophomore College Night 7pm (Theatre)

2/28 Junior Ring Ceremony Periods 1-3 (Theatre)

3/1 PSAT 8/9 for grades 7 & 8; SAT for grade 11; No School for grades 9, 10 & 12

3/10 Immigration Day- 7th Grade - Periods 1-4

3/17 End of Q3; Early Dismissal for students/PD afternoon for staff

3/20-24 - No School - Spring Break

3/27 School resumes; Q4 begins

PSAT Score Release

Skyward - How to Enroll My Family into the Skyward Family Directory

How to Enroll My Family into the Skyward Family Directory

How Parents Can Get Mailed Progress Reports

Progress Reports Mailed

PLEASE READ VERY IMPORTANT ATTENDANCE INFORMATION

Attendance Heritage Families - Broward

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American Heritage Schools is a leader in private education, academic excellence and innovation. American Heritage Schools is a private, college preparatory, independent, nonsectarian, and co-educational day school for grades Pre-K 3 through 12. American Heritage Schools was recently named the #1 Private School for academic success with the highest number of National Merit Scholars in the nation. For over 55 years, we have been dedicated to our mission of knowledge, integrity, and compassion to develop the full potential of each child to be an active, intelligent, creative, and contributing member of society.

Email: admissions.pl@ahschool.com
Website: https://www.ahschool.com/broward-campus
Location: 12200 West Broward Boulevard, Plantation, FL 33325, USA
Phone: (954) 472-0022

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