There are TWO ways to volunteer for Homecoming this year. You can donate items and will receive credit for the TIME SPENT purchasing the items, NOT the cost of the items. The other option is to volunteer at the event itself.

IF YOU ARE VOLUNTEERING AT THE EVENT: Volunteers will help set up, break-down, and (new this year) monitor the food table during the dance. Volunteer hours will be given for your service. Contact Mr. Combrinck with any questions about volunteering (icombrinckgraham@aventuracharterhs.org)

All Volunteers who sign up for the event Must Have Completed Their Mandatory Training and Screening Before The Date of Volunteering. This information can be found at the end of the Newsletter under the section Volunteer Safe Schools Training.

Congratulations to all PSAT-takers on completing our first large-scale digital CollegeBoard exam. Scores for 10th and 11th graders will be available within students' CollegeBoard accounts on Thursday, November 16th. Students who have trouble accessing their accounts can reach out to their dean for assistance. Watch this short video on understanding digital PSAT scores for more information on what scores mean, Selection Index scores, and how to use scores to study for future tests.

Target management has reached out as to the behavior of our students while at Target. The Aventura Police Department will have a watch order in place for the next few months, which means that officers will be present in the area of Target after school hours. There have also been reports from Chick-fil-A about the behavior of our students. As we work to build relationships with our communities, it is important to treat them with respect. Please remember when students wear their uniform in public, their behavior is a direct reflection of our school.

Get ready for SPIRIT WEEK, our PEP RALLY, and HOMECOMING! Purchase your HOCO tickets today on MySchoolBucks!

This year's book is on sale on yearbookforever.com for $55. We also have a limited amount of space available in the book for purchase for senior dedication pages. This can also be purchased on yearbookforever.com, and the deadline for dedications is December 15. We are offering full and half-pages. For questions, please reach out to Ms. Guagno at lguagno@aventuracharterhs.org.

Juniors: I HIGHLY recommend that you register for the December SAT AND ACT. The next SAT is not offered until March. If you are applying to ANY FL public universities, you MUST submit test scores.

Again, Juniors should be doing 30 minutes of test prep a day. Email me if you would like to pay for the PrepScholar program.

Register for the SAT and see all test dates here: https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/digital/digital-testing/dates-deadlines

Register for the ACT and see all test dates here: https://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/registration.html

We have seniors who are running tutoring programs. One program’s SAT business Instagram is @1600quest.

Seniors: Make sure you watch your deadlines. There are numerous parts to complete before an application can be reviewed. Please check each college’s website to see whether you need to submit official test scores and complete the CSS Profile.

36 of the 66 students who have submitted to FIU have incomplete applications. FIU is the only school that gives me a report of who is missing items, all other schools only notify the student. PLEASE make sure you are checking your emails and portals regularly.

ALL students need to complete the FAFSA that will be released in December. For students who are starting in summer term, you ALSO need to do the FAFSA that is currently out ( so you will be completing 2 FAFSAs). Please check each school’s financial aid deadlines to see when you need to submit the FAFSA by.

Seniors, start applying for scholarships! You can use this link to look for some: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rfbYvAWNLA8TbD3VIjHu6AYjsM6Z99Wb5cKIwlkBEwI/edit?usp=sharing and definitely check out each college’s scholarship page as those scholarships are limited to students at the school, so you are more likely to win those compared to national scholarships.

All transcripts have been submitted (other than the few students who are completing online courses), so if you change your schedule, you must notify me so we can let the colleges know.

Miami Dade’s Honors College application is now open! This is a competitive program that will allow students to earn their AA essentially for free and then transfer to a university to complete the final 2 years of the bachelor’s degree. Find more information here: https://www.mdc.edu/honorscollege/admissions.aspx. MDC is holding information sessions over the next few months if you are interested in the Honors College: https://www.mdc.edu/honorscollege/information-session.aspx

Did your senior miss the chance to get their class sweatshirt? Don't worry! An additional round of class sweatshirts for the class of 2024 is being ordered, and will be available for purchase for $30 after they arrive. Students should see Mrs. Sayers in room 405 with any questions, and their size (if they didn't already put it in the Class of 2024 WhatsApp chat).

The c/o 2025 has been working hard preparing for Spirit Week and Homecoming! We can't wait to see everyone Saturday night!

Halloween treats sale will run next week after school. Treats will range from $1-$2 in order to support the class of 2026.

Hello Freshman!

Join in on our Freshman Schoology Group for announcements and updates for events and all things Freshman class! Schoology Code: 3G32-6XSJ-MMKDZ

We are in the beginning stages of creating our first event of the year and we want to hear from you!! Fill out the form through the QR code below!

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.

• 1st Annual Community Fundraising Event
• Graduation
• Homecoming
• 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.

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!

Please see the SignUp Genius at the beginning of the Newsletter for ways to volunteer for Homecoming.

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.

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, students will receive a lunch detention and after-school detention. 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.

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.

Please use the PowerSchool parent portal to update your child's emergency contact information. If you need assistance, please contact the school office at 786-481-3032.

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.

Parents will receive ONE volunteer hour for submitting a lunch application, regardless of whether your child qualifies or not.

The first homeroom class with 100% participation will win a prize!