Thank you to all of our AMAZING parent volunteers who made Saturday night a success. We could not have done it without you.

There are TWO separate volunteer links (SignUpGenius and Amazon) for the month of February. More items will be added to the SignUpGenuis throughout the month.

Robotics Competition Concession Stand- February 18th (see SignUp Genius link)

NOTE: Volunteer Certificates MUST be completed in order to volunteer at this activity. See Volunteer Safe Schools Training at the end of the Newsletter for more information.

Parent University- February 22nd from 6-7 pm (see flyer below)

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040B4DAEA822AB9-47769233-february

Our first Parent Learning Session, Teenage Behavior: Why Do They Act Like That? took place on December 13th. If you were unable to attend, please see the presentation below.

Our next Parent Learning Session will take place on February 22nd at 6 pm on Zoom. The Zoom link will be shared the day before the event via text and email.

There has been an increase in students out of uniform. As a reminder, ripped jeans, backless shoes, slides/sandals, and hoodies are never permitted at school. In addition, leggings can only be worn on Friday. Students out of uniform will be asked to change and additional consequences may be issued.

The full dress code can be found in our Family Handbook below.

Students disrupt the learning environment if they are not in their assigned classroom and ready to learn when the late bell rings. Students will receive three grace tardies per quarter. Additional tardies are excused only if there is documentation of a medical appointment. For the fourth, fifth, and sixth tardies, students will be assigned to lunch detentions. Beginning with the seventh tardy in a quarter and going forward, students will receive a lunch detention and after-school detention, as well as have their cell phone confiscated and returned at 4:30 pm once the detention is served. Students who receive 10 tardies will be assigned to lunch detentions and after school detentions for the remainder of the quarter, or until then can have no tardies for five consecutive days.

Please view our breakfast and lunch menu below.

https://aventuracharterhs.nutrislice.com/menu/don-soffer-adventura-high-school

12th: Seniors should have submitted all of their applications by now. If a senior is working on an online class, they must finish it prior to February 6th as GPAs lock on 2/6.

ALL students need to update their SSAR and SPARK with their mid-year grades.

The 24-25 FAFSA should be completed. This is the financial aid form for the fall and spring of their freshman year. If your student is starting in the summer, complete the 23-24 FAFSA for summer funding.

Colleges will hopefully have financial aid packages sent to students in April and students have until May 1 to commit to a school. Once a student does commit to a college, they should withdraw their other applications and let their other universities know that they will not be attending. Once a student commits, they will have additional tasks to do on their portal such as housing and orientation tasks. However, there is no rush to commit to a school. Students have until May 1 so I would tour campuses and evaluate financial aid packages before deciding. Students can complete housing applications prior to committing to a school but if the student does not attend that school, they would not get the deposit back.

11th: Hopefully students were able to attend the resume meeting this week but if not, please encourage your student to review these slides. Juniors should send me a draft of their resume prior to 2/12, and they should be actively researching colleges and adding them to their academic organizer.

Juniors will have another group meeting to create their Common Application which is the site they will use to apply to colleges. Juniors with last names that start with A-J will meet on February 12th and juniors with last names that begin with K-Z will meet on February 13th at 3:30pm. If you are not receiving my emails or Remind messages, please email me at onicholson@aventuracharterhs.org so I can add you to the group.

All juniors will be taking the SAT at school on March 21st. If students have not purchased Prepscholar yet, you can still purchase it on MySchoolBucks. The $400 program is available to students for $10. Students should set a target score based on the colleges they would like to attend. Since we will be applying in the fall, juniors should ideally earn their target score by the end of junior year so test prep should be a part of their daily homework routine. Students can download Bluebook and try preview questions to get familiar with the test format prior to test day.

Students should also finalize their summer plans. Most summer program application deadlines are very soon. View these slides (starting on slide 47) for examples of summer programs. Most universities from UF to Babson to Elon offer summer programs. Doing something over the summer will add to their applications, especially if it is linked to their major.

Mark your calendars for Miami’s National College Fair on March 3rd. We are so fortunate that we can easily access this national event where students can connect with representatives from over 200 colleges including UF, Northeastern, FSU, Penn State, Purdue, Tulane, UCF, UM, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, and so many more!

9th-11th: Students should be using their free time productively.! Another major part of college applications is showing colleges how you have spent your time over the last few years. Students should be exploring in an effort to discover what they are passionate about and then considering how they will demonstrate that passion to colleges. Summer is a great time to take advantage of amazing programs that will allow students to explore a career field. Colleges want to see commitment to something over a long period of time so getting students to do something productive over the summer will absolutely help their college applications! Please view the slides above for opportunities.

All Families: if you would like more information on the college process, please read this college handbook: College Counseling Handbook.pdf and email me at onicholson@aventuracharterhs.org if you have any questions!

Grad Bash tickets are now on sale! Grad Bash will be on April 12 at Universal Studios, and tickets are available on MySchoolBucks for $240. There is a limited quantity available, so get your student's before they sell out!

Be sure to purchase your student's graduation regalia from Herff-Jones.

Upcoming Events:

• January 24th: Herff Hones Senior Info Session during 7th period (STUDENTS ONLY)
• January 30th: Herff Jones Senior Parent Night 5-7 pm (PARENTS & STUDENTS)
• March 21st: Senior Breakfast @ Ice Box Cafe
• April 12th: Grad Bash!
• May 18th: Prom @ Turnberry
• May 28th: Graduation @ Turnberry

We are looking forward to the following events:

• SAT PREP- March
• Art Auction- May 15
  
• Treasure Hunt - April 15-19

Be sure to keep up with earning community service hours! There are many opportunities to tutor a student in need of help for service hours and many opportunities to be tutored, see Ms. Sadler for details!

The class of 2027 is focusing on our exam readiness. As you might not know, the end of April marks our long exam season here at DSAHS. We want to make sure our fellow classmates feel prepared for the exam season. Starting in April, we will have themed days to help our classmates feel motivated to study for their big exams' afterschool during the many review sessions offered by our wonderful teachers. In the next newsletter we will have wish-list items, parent volunteer hour opportunities and so much more. If you have any great ideas for some of “Road to Sucess” days, please email Ms. Vara: Avara@aventuracharterhs.org.

Excellence at DSAHS is made even more excellent through the support of our school’s families and our Aventura community. Join us in our pursuit of excellence by indicating your interest in joining one of the committees below.

• Graduation
  
• Honor Rolls and/or Awards Ceremonies
  
• Prom
• Teacher/Staff Appreciation
  

Parents are invited to sign up for volunteer committees here. Further information will be sent to each committee individually.

For questions, please reach out to Dr. Andrea Beck at afloydbeck@aventuracharterhs.org.

Thank you to those who have supported out school and SGA by purchasing snack and chick-fil-a sandwiches at our home soccer games. Please continue to support us by stopping by and having a snack or two.

Be on the look-out for a Chick-Fil-A fundraiser just in time for the Big Game. Just because it is on a Sunday, doesn't mean you can't have some delicious Chick-Fil-A nuggets or tenders. Follow our Instagram for upcoming information @dsahs_sga.

Parents and students can sign up for the Miami National College Fair on March 3, 2024, by clicking here. This is a great opportunity to learn more about colleges from all over the country, as well as demonstrate interest to colleges you may be considering.

With the new year comes new challenges. While we can’t avoid these challenges and the stress that comes with them, we can take the time to practice self-care and teach our students to do the same. Please see resources below:

• Stress management strategies

• Relaxation techniques

• Mindfulness and mental health

  
  

Students who have not met their testing requirements or are not happy with their standardized test score should consider taking the CLT. The CLT can be taken at home on a personal device with a CLT-appointed proctor. Sign up is free right now if you sign up through the website. Information on format, study guides, and practice tests are all available through the CLT website:

The CLT – Online College Entrance Exam – Classic Learning Test (cltexam.com) Sign ups should be for the CLT, not the CLT 9 or 10. Please let your dean know if you have any questions. There are CLT test dates available on the website of all upcoming test dates. We're looking forward to seeing you meet all your goals this year!

The flyers below contain important information pertaining to graduation, etc. One flyer is for cohorts who started HS prior to 2024 and the other one contains info pertaining to our current 9th graders and all grades moving forward.

The Compass Campaign is an amazing opportunity for our families to support the school and honor your student. It consists of an actual plaque, in the shape of our compass logo, customized with your personalized message and hung on the walls of the main entry of our high school. All proceeds will be spent on student-rewards, including graduation medals, honor roll gifts, and year-end award ceremony medals. We invite you participate and be part of marking your child's legacy for years to come.

The Compass Campaign was inspired by our school’s logo. Always pointing in the right direction, a compass symbolizes guidance, recognizing that our children are headed for the future, and that DSAHS will give each of its students the tools needed as they navigate their high school years. Your child’s compass will be enhanced each year with a new directional cardinal point:

• Freshman - East
• Sophomore - South
• Junior - West
• Senior - North, as they graduate and look to the future

STEPS TO PURCHASE OR COMPLETE YOUR COMPASS:

1. To add to or purchase your initial compass, please visit MySchoolBucks
2. Complete the personalization of your compass using this link: https://forms.office.com/r/1Scdr5YKFh

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE and THANK YOU TO ALL WHO ALREADY HAVE PARTICIPATED! We are grateful for your contributions!

There is an updated schedule for all Late Start days beginning 10/9. There will no longer be block schedule. Period 1 starts 9:20AM (early start), and Period 2 starts 10AM. Below are the schedules we will follow for the remainder of the year.

At the core of everything we do at Charter Schools USA are our students; ensuring that we create a safe environment for them to learn and succeed are our top priority. To that end, CSUSA is launching our annual school year Compliance Training process, aimed to provide all volunteers with the information and skills and to perform in a way that is safe for everyone. In addition, these training modules will include instructions and guidelines to help identify hazards and potential threats, as well as proper procedures on how to report and deal with these types of incidents.

Charter Schools USA has elected to use the Safe Schools Online Training Program to train both Professional, Support Staff and Volunteers on school-related issues.

All volunteers MUST have ALL the assigned courses completed prior to any interaction with staff and students. The completed certificates must be printed and submitted to the school office you are volunteering.

Here’s how to get STARTED (please follow these instructions):

STEP 1: All VOLUNTEERS-(new and returning) must register to complete safe schools training courses please follow instructions below.

a. Enter or Click on the web address: https://csusavolunteers-fl.safeschools.com/login

b. Click on Register

c. On this page, you will need to enter your Registration Key: 3f1945c9

d. Please only use your email address to create username.

e. Fill in all required fields, including choosing your school location.

f. Click “green” Register button.

g. After completing your Registration, you will automatically be directed to the next screen.

h. You will be able to see your assigned courses on the platform.

STEP 2: Complete Training Modules

A. You should now see your classes:

• Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Prevention
• Fire Extinguisher Safety
• Sexual Harassment: Staff to Staff
• Sexual Harassment: Student Issues & Responses
• Sexual Misconduct: Staff to Student

To complete a course, click on the title then follow the prompts.

STEP 3: Certification

1. To earn a certificate of completion, you must complete all sections of the course, no skipping through and pass the quiz with 80%.
2. Once you complete the courses and print out the certificates of completion, please email copies of your certificates to Dr. Beck at afloydbeck@aventuracharterhs.org.
3. Once copies of your certificates have been sent, you may submit two volunteer hours through PowerSchool.

*If you have any questions about the timeline or process, contact SafeSchoolsTraining@charterschoolsusa.com

Student Accident & Health Insurance Plans are available to our school's families. To learn more and enroll online, visit www.K12StudentInsurance.com. If you have questions, you may call HSR Health Special Risk, Inc. at 1-866-409-5733.

Please email Attendance@AventuraCharterHS.Org for all attendance matters. Don Soffer Aventura High School has developed the following attendance policy to comply with Miami-Dade County Public Schools. One of the most significant factors impacting achievement is punctual attendance. It is our obligation to record attendance accurately and ensure that it is taken and recorded for each period, inform parents/guardians of student absences, and to see that the compulsory attendance laws are enforced as mandated by Florida Statutes. We encourage the commitment of students, parents, and staff to work together to accomplish this. Students are responsible to be present and on time to school, turn in proper documentation explaining all absences, make-up missed assignments, and turn in assigned work on time. Documentation regarding an absence must be received within 48-hours following the student’s return to school. If documentation is not received within that timeframe, the absence will not be excused.

Keep up with your child's academic progress toward graduation!

Due to a new Florida Board of Education Riles, cited below, it is important to fill out the form attached if you would like your child to be referred to as any name other than their legal name on their birth certificate. If you choose to complete the form and return it to the main office. Without this consent, school personnel are obligated to use your child's legal name as it appears on their birth certificate.

Pursuant to Fla. Admin, Code R. 6A-1.0955: Education Records, each school district must develop provisions for parents to specify the use of any deviation from their child's legal name in school.