Be Proud!

Summer Assignments are Posted

Wed, 30 May 2012 16:26:00 GMT

Please check the Summer Reading page for more information on English, History, and Math summer work.

http://www.miamicountryday.org/page.aspx?pid=689

Mrs. Witherington's Memorial Service

Fri, 25 May 2012 00:48:00 GMT

Mrs. Witherington's memorial service will be held Saturday, May 26th at the Miami Shores Presbyterian Church, 602 NE 96th Street, at 11:00 AM. MCDS student and parents, past and present, are invited to attend.

MBS Direct Book Buy-Back

Fri, 18 May 2012 13:21:00 GMT

Get the most value for your books!

The Book Buy Back is scheduled for

May 30th & May 31st
Location: Middle School Drama Room
Time: 9:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m.

Click here to go to the virtual book store to get a quote for your books.

You will need the title and ISBN number to sell your books. The ISBN number is located on the back of the book. MBS Direct will then send you a quote which you will need to bring with you to the Book Buy Back.

Books will not be accepted without a quote.

Guidelines for selling your textbooks:

All books must have the cover intact
Books with excessive highlighting or writing inside will not be accepted
No paperbacks
Only books your child has purchased for 2011/2012 academic year will be accepted
The Virtual Bookstore will open July 2nd to purchase books for the 2012/2013 Academic Year.

If you have any questions you can contact:

MBS Direct 24 hours a day at 1-800-325-3252
or
Brenda Mora at 305-779-7221
morab@miamicountryday.org

MCDS at the Special Olympics

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 18:35:09 GMT

Over 60 Country Day students dedicated an entire day to supporting the Special Olympics event at Miami Dade College stadium this past Sunday, March 4th. It is one of our largest turnouts ever, and Mrs. Lucchi reports that our students took over the day, running our own event (the ring toss) and several others to make sure the athletes had a great day!

NHS & NJHS Inductions

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 18:29:47 GMT

The National Honor Society and the National Junior Honor Society recently hosted their induction ceremonies! Congratulations to our newly welcomed members from the Middle School and Upper School!

Spartan Chess Update

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 18:00:00 GMT

Spartan Chess Wins Big at Superstate IX
Congratulations are in order for a great MCDS performance at the Florida State Scholastic Chess Championship! MCDS was represented by 16 players, its greatest representation in any SuperState competition.

K-12 OPEN
This is the second year in a row that the Spartans have finished in the top 4 (last year's finish was 3rd Place) in the highest-rated section of the state championship. The Spartans finished in 4th Place, only a half of a point out of 2nd Place, in a highly competitive section that included one master & five experts. The Spartans were led by Captain Bharat Chandar (4.0/6.0), who finished tied for 8th Place and had a rating increase to 1472. Aaron Ser, Neil Mehta, Ian Gonzalez, Albert Katz, & David Gonzalez also had 3 wins in a strong overall team effort. Congratulations to Coach Peter Konen!

1st: Nova University School
2nd: Divine Savior Lutheran Academy
3rd: South Dade Senior High School
4th: Miami Country Day School
5th: Gulliver School

K-12 U/1000
Led by Matthew Cohen & Sascha Kappos (3.5/6.0), the Spartans earned a 3rd Place trophy in the K-12 U/1000 section. Cristian Padilla got 3 victories in his first-ever rated tournament, and Ricky Gonzalez also had multiple wins. This is the first time that MCDS has won team trophies in two K-12 categories.

1st-South Dade Senior High School
2nd-Archbishop Curley-Notre Dame High School
3rd-Miami Country Day School
4th-Hialeah Garden Middle School
5th-Shenandoah Middle School

K-3 OPEN
Elliot Starkman (4.5/6.0) brought home a 6th Place individual trophy from the state championship to help the Spartans win the 5th Place team trophy. James Srebnick's performance helped the team finish the best among all two-person teams in the section.

1st-Elbridge Gale Elementary
2nd-Williams Elementary
3rd-Norwood Elementary
4th-Twin Lakes Elementary
5th-Miami Country Day School

K-3 U/500
Filippo Sbroggio had a fantastic five-win performance that resulted in a 3rd Place trophy. This was a career performance for Filippo and resulted in a 150 point rating increase!

Aaron Ser & Albert Katz also won a 4th Place trophy in the Bughouse side event.

International Master John Donaldson Visits
One of the world's best chess players took on Miami Country Day's best last Wednesday and Thursday. IM Donaldson played 20 games simultaneously against our chess team. It was a great warm-up for the Super State competition last weekend.

Woodstock at Miami Country Day

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:11:57 GMT

2012 Upper School Minimester

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 03:48:18 GMT

Upper School Minimester is beginning! Check out our page with information about this year's offerings!

Upper School Minimester

Academic Achievements

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 03:54:00 GMT

Early College Acceptances (pdf) (doc)
College acceptances have begun pouring in! Here is a list of our Early Acceptances and Early Decisions from the Senior Class of 2012.

MS Director's List (pdf) (doc)
Students who earn all A's and B's on their report card are eligible for the Director's List:

MS Headmaster's List (pdf) (doc)
Students who earn all A's, or all A's with one B+ are eligible for the Headmaster's List.

US Director's List (pdf) (doc)
Students who earn all A's and B's on their report card are eligible for the Director's List:

US Headmaster's List (pdf) (doc)
Students who earn all A's, or all A's with one B+ in an honors class, or all A's with a B+ in any AP class are eligible for the Headmaster's List.

Superior Mathlete Invited to UM to Compete

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 22:15:02 GMT

Congratulations to Neil Mehta for earning a Superior Score in the Preliminary Round of the 2011-2012 David Essner Mathematics Competition! He is invited to the University of Miami to compete with some of the best mathematical thinkers in South Florida on January 28th for the Final Exam. If you are interested in finding out more information about the Essner Mathematics Competition, please visit http://www.math.miami.edu/anno/essner/index.html.

Miami Country Day Gives Back

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 22:12:58 GMT

In the spirit of giving, we want to remind you that we believe it's important to serve your community. Miami Country Day gives students a wide variety of ways to give back to the community:

Vanessa Cabrera presented her work with the Miami Country Day School chapter of the Middle School National Spanish Honor Society at the recent National Middle School Conference. Each year, Mrs. Cabrera guides students through a series of events ending in an immersion experience in Immokalee, Florida. Throughout the project, students propose and lead service activities centered around raising awareness for the plight of migrant workers in the United States.

Livia Silla and her Operation Smile club members give the gift of a new smile every year to children with cleft lips and palates. It's incredible to see the zeal with which this club prepares fundraisers to benefit children who are born with potentially life threatening deformities.

Jennifer Sennett and the Anchor Club have worked hard this year to help build a handicap-accessible playground for Arcola Lakes Elementary School. Earlier in the year they hosted a dodgeball tournament to raise money for the playground, and more recently they visited the school and donated gifts for its annual Holiday Party.

There are so many more ways our students are giving their time and energy back to our community from our Key Club and Silver Knights, to our Reach for the Stars Club and more! We are very proud of the selfless service Miami Country Day Students give!

Week of Possibilities

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 22:00:38 GMT

We hear what Lower School Parents are saying about The Week of Possibilities:

"I am truly delighted by the depth and breadth of innovative activities that my children experience every day at your school. You are showing them what it means to be out of the box thinkers, you are molding them into creative and adventurous young minds, and you are truly showing them what a lifetime of "possibilities" lie ahead."

Click here to read more about what Lower School Students are experiencing this week.

Wondering, featuring new work by London Tsai

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 13:48:23 GMT

Please RSVP to Mary Novas at novasm@miamicountryday.org or 305-779-7204.

Theatrical Accolades

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 13:46:51 GMT

Congratulations are due to our Theater for Social Change for another outstanding production! We hope that this production sparked meaningful conversation between the parents, students, and community members who attended.

Congratulations are also in order for Senior Tiffany Kontoyiannis for being chosen as one of only five other student playwrights who will represent our district in this year's State Theater competition. Her play will also be produced by the New Theater and Actors Equity.

Conversational Spanish for Adults

Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:55:36 GMT

http://www.miamicountryday.org/adultspanish

Letting Go: An Evening Lecture with Karen Levin Coburn - 11/14

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:36:02 GMT

Rally for the Cure - 11/13

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 15:56:00 GMT

Theater for Social Change Presents "The Room"

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 20:26:00 GMT

Please join Country Day students and parents for a special production of "The Room" by J.B. Cheaney on Thursday, November 10, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. in the school’s Garner Center. "The Room" is a place of refuge for adolescents where they are able to help each other with real life problems without pressure from the outside world. The production begs the question, “where do you go during times of need and how long do you need to feel safe before stepping out into the real world?” (Click to see our student performers)

Morning Mile Begins October 31st

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 20:25:00 GMT

WHAT: A before school walking/running program designed to let students begin each day in an active, healthy and fun way.

WHEN: The program will begin on October 31, 2011 and will run the entire school year.

TIME: Each morning, Monday thru Friday from 7:15am to 7:45am (except Wednesday morning)

WHERE: Everybody will gather at the track and will walk or run as many laps as they want to or can.

WHY: To promote an active healthy lifestyle starting at a young age

WHO: All students are invited!

COST: FREE

Coach Watson and parent volunteers will staff the program. The students will attempt to complete as many laps as they are comfortable with each morning. The laps will be totaled and the students will be rewarded as they accumulate miles. Providing children the opportunity to exercise each morning not only works to fight childhood obesity, it allows students to expend youthful energy on the field leaving them more likely to sit still and focus once the school day begins. It’s a win-win for everyone involved and Miami Country Day School is thrilled to promote fitness an all the great benefits that go with it.

For more information about the Morning Mile please visit www.MorningMile.com or join the MorningMile facebook page.

Parents are welcome to participate with their children or volunteer in the program. For more information on how to get involved, e-mail Coach Jeff Watson at watsonj@miamicountryday.org.

MORNING MILE GUIDELINES:

Students will complete as many laps as they are comfortable with between 7:15am and 7:45am. Each day, the number of laps completed that morning will be recorded and transferred to an accumulating database. 4 laps equals 1 mile (actually our school track 3 ¾ laps make 1 mile).
When the student reaches a total of 5 miles, he or she will receive a necklace chain with one colorful sneaker charm. They will continue to receive one sneaker charm for each 5 miles completed. Students will also receive a number “100” charm for every 100 miles they complete. Yes! Many students will complete several hundred miles!
Students are encouraged to wear their Morning Mile achievement necklaces to school.
Students who are currently on campus prior to the first bell will be encouraged to participate.
Parents wishing to walk/run with their child are encouraged to do so.
The students will often be walking/running to age appropriate songs played on the field.
Attend as many days as you like…there is NO minimum required.
We encourage a 7:15am start, but as long as you have time to complete one lap, join in anytime you arrive.
There is NO minimum lap count required. Even the youngest students can accomplish great things a single lap at a time.
Weather restriction: The Morning Mile will NOT take place in a thunderstorm.

Red Ribbon Week

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 20:17:52 GMT

This week our Upper and Middle School students took part in a number of activities designed to raise awareness of drug-related issues. From "Team Up Against Drugs" day, to the Red Ribbon Week dramatic productions and discussions with Motivational Speaker Charlie Miller, students were presented with facts about drug and alcohol abuse and the consequences of their decisions were explained to them.

Travels with Van Gogh and the Impressionists

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:24:18 GMT

The Games We Play

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 15:08:00 GMT

Thursday, October 6^th
6-8 PM

An exciting evening of playing games suitable for ages 3 and up. All Lower school students must be accompanied by an adult.

Parents and Students are invited to learn about the games we play, including - physical games, online games, board games, and more!

Parents - Come see what games your kids are playing and what they are learning from them!

Please arrive promptly to Garner Center at 6PM

Online registration required

…GAME ON…

Faculty Achievements

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 16:04:00 GMT

We love to highlight our accomplished faculty, and after this summer, we have a lot to share with you: Michael Fallik and Rowena Gerber attended this summer's IEARN conference in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Kate Greene was reappointed by the city of Boca Raton as a member of the Library Advisory Board from 2011-2014. Janet Haas was featured in a story by CBS News titled "Cookies for All". Kim Jordan completed her masters degree! Bill Larzelere is now a Certified Acupuncturist. Nurse Fran Oppedisano was selected to be the Voice of Meningitis in the Florida Nurses' Association. Kristin Stickels competed in the World Dragon Boat Championships as a member of the U.S. National Team! Jeff Watson was selected to the Florida High School Athletics Association Hall of Fame for his work as a soccer coach - he was the only coach honored from a private school!

These are just some of the recent achievements of our outstanding faculty - we will share more soon!

Inside the Katherine E. Franco Center

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 16:01:00 GMT

The Katherine E. Franco Center for Learning Resources has opened its doors. The state-of-the-art facility was dedicated on Sunday, August 21 at a celebration that included trustees, parents, alumni and friends. The Franco Center will service all three divisions at Country Day. There were dedications for the students held on Wednesday, August 24th. If you would like a tour, please contact Sheryl Piper by email at pipers@miamicountryday.org.

Dr. Davies speaks at the Upper School Dedication

The Middle School Gathers for their dedication

Safety Matters!

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 16:06:00 GMT

If you have come onto campus this year, you may have experienced some of our new security measures. You can find more information here. Please keep in mind that if you plan on coming onto the campus you should have a Photo ID ready when you arrive at the security checkpoints.

9/22 - Guidance Department Presents Community Lecture Featuring Susan Kaiser Greenland

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 04:46:00 GMT

Join us September 22nd at 8:30 am as Susan Kaiser Greenland speaks about Mindfulness.

Date Change:9th Grade & New US Parent Evening

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 15:30:18 GMT

Please note that due to expected inclement weather, the 9th Grade & New Parent Evning will be held Wednesday, 24 August at 7pm. Thank you!

EBO First Day - Thursday 8/25

Fri, 19 Aug 2011 02:45:26 GMT

Early Bird Orchestra will begin Thursday, 25 August.

New Parent Meetings

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 15:11:00 GMT

Lower School (New Student Orientation)
Lower School Breezeway
Friday, 19 August 9:30 am

Middle School
Smurfit Hall
Monday, 22 August 7:00 pm

Upper School
Franco Center
Thursday, 25 August 7:00 pm

New Parent Reception
Franco Center
Tuesday, 30 August 7:00 pm

Calculators for Integrated Math & Honors Functions and Calculus I

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 15:06:00 GMT

ATTENTION students going into Integrated Math 7, Integrated Math 8, Integrated Math 9, or Honors Functions & Calculus I. DO NOT purchase any calculator for the year. We are introducing the next generation of Texas Instruments (TI Nspire CX CAS) calculators into these courses this year. These are only purchasable through the school. They are not available online or at any store. A calculator has already been order for you and your account will be charged $150. This price includes the handheld device and home software. Any other TI calculator is not compatible with the new system and will not be usable in these courses. You will receive your new calculator in class the first week of school. Students will be required to have their calculator with them in class on a daily basis.

Summer is Here!

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 15:13:00 GMT

Wishing You a Safe and Restful Summer!
Now that the school year is officially over, it's time to enjoy some much deserved down-time! Whether you will be traveling or soaking up some sun at the beach, we hope these summer months will help rejuvenate you and ready you for the coming school year!

Upper School Graduation

Members of the Class of 2011 at Graduation

Celebrating Success
We have had a lot to celebrate this year, and we would like to start the summer off with one more round of recognition for our students:

Middle School Academic Awards
Middle School Special Awards

Upper School Baccalaureate Awards
Upper School Academic Awards
Upper School Leadership Awards
Upper School Service Awards

Athletics Major Awards

Summer is Here!
...But it's not too late to sign up for one of our summer programs! For more information about our Summer Clubs, Summer Camp or our Summer Studies opportunities, visit www.miamicountryday.org/summer.

Middle School Reflections

Two of our new Freshmen from the Class of 2015 at the Eighth Grade Reflections Assembly

Fifth Grade Stepping Up

A few of our new middle schoolers showing off their certificates from the Stepping Up Ceremony

All of this and more happens every day here at because of our Family of Givers.

Old Tradition Meets New

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 19:02:00 GMT

Miami Country Day School respects and appreciates our school seal. Redesigned by alumna Carolyn Dooley Keating ‘83, our seal includes two important components:
• Our founding year, 1938, representing our almost 75 year history; and,
• The lamp of knowledge representing our mission to educate lifelong learners.

Thank you for being respectful of our school and our seal by walking around it.

The Claramonte family and Elida Glass are honored to donate this magnificent work of art, the School Seal Mosaic, to Miami Country Day School.

To sneak a peek inside the building and for more information about it as we near our August opening, check out www.miamicountryday.org/securethefuture.

Celebrating Success

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 19:01:41 GMT

Celebrating Success
Earlier this month, Laylah Borchers had her Economics students take part in the National Financial Capability Challenge. The national average score was a 69%, but our students averaged 87% on the challenge. Several of our students earned the following exceptional honors:
Top 1% in Nation - Columbia Clancy
Top 2% in Nation - Zachary Berger, Connis Brown, Nicholas Palenzuela, A.J. Pitchman, Hannah Roden
Top 5% in Nation - Natalie Agudo, Rolando Rodriguez
Top 10% in Nation - Marissa Bolton, Harley Cantor, Bradley Jean-Baptiste, Victoria Perez, Jill Tunis, Nadim Visram

Dr. Davies had the privilege of presenting the following students as ISSF Star Students at a recent ceremony: Michelle Yakobi, Felix Elfering, Columbia Clancy, and Stefan Marrero. An ISSF STAR STUDENT is an exemplary student. He/she is a student who sets an example for others to follow, whether in the home, school or community. The students have excelled in one or more of these areas: academics, community service, citizenship, fine art, athletics, student activities, perseverance, effort, dedication, commitment to positive goals, improvement in performance, and attitude.

Two of our young writers will be honored this May 14th at the Florida Studio Theater's Young Playwrights Festival. Yakira Matison earned Honorable Mention for her play "Why Are We Leaving?" and Lea Ankonina earned Honorable Mention for her play "The Puppy". Yakira and Lea are among 74 honorees out of a field of over 4,000 entries! Congratulations!

Finally, five of our 8th Grade girls were nominated and accepted to take part in the 2011 Girls Leadership Institute. Join us in congratulating Mila Boano, Jackie Lash, Ashley Polyak, Sidney Thomas, and Marni Weiss on what will surely be a tremendous opportunity to develop their leadership skills and network with other young ladies from the region!

Upcoming Events - Save the Dates!

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 19:00:50 GMT

National High School Chess Championships
Friday through Sunday, April 29th to May 1st - Several of our Spartan Chessletes will be participating in the National High School Chess Championships this weekened in Nashville, Tennessee. Moshe Libbin, A.J. Pitchman, Daniel Goldfarb, Bharat Chandar, and Elliot Starkman will be representing Miami Country Day School in the tournament. Even if you can't make the trip, you can follow them as sponsor Mike Hutsko tweets updates from the event at www.twitter.com/spartanchess.

Plaza de Colombia Dedication
Tuesday, May 3rd - Please join Anne Paulk, Board of Trustee President and John Davies, Head of School from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. to welcome President Andres Pastrana to Miami Country Day School on the occasion of the Dedication of the Plaza de Colombia in recognition of our Multicultural Community
Please confirm your attendance by phone or email:
305-779-7204 or pipers@miamicountryday.org

Parking provided in the North Lot

Silver Knight Awards Ceremony
Wednesday, May 18th - Come see our Silver Knight honorees - Columbia Clancy, Bradley Jean-Baptiste, Ashely Hatcher, and Mallorie Thomas - at the 53rd Annual Silver Knight Awards. The doors will open at 5:30 pm at the James L. Knight International Center. The ceremony begins at 7:00 pm sharp.

Parents' Association Spring Luncheon
CHANGE IN DATE! Monday, May 23rd - Enjoy lunch with your fellow Country Day parents at ONE Bal Harbour, 10275 Collins Avenue. The price will be $60 per person. To RSVP, email pa@miamicountryday.org or call 305-779-6773 or 305-310-0331.

Summer is Coming!
Even though the fourth quarter is just beginning, now is the time to plan your summer! For information about our Summer Camp or our Summer Studies opportunities, visit www.miamicountryday.org/summer.

Spring Cleaning

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 12:32:09 GMT

It's inevitable that once spring hits, we all start some much needed tidying up and home improvement projects. In the upcoming weeks we will have some major projects going on, including the furnishing of the new Katherine E. Franco Center for Learning Resources as well as some welcome improvements to 107th Street. We also have some exciting events coming up...

107th Street Improvements

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 12:31:04 GMT

Starting this Monday, April 11th, 107th Street will be closed to begin the functional and cosmetic updates planned for the main entrance to our campus. While this may be an incovenience, we can assure you that the results will be well worth it!

We've been doing our best to get the word out about the closure of the street, but just in case you haven't seen an email or letter regarding the new traffic patterns, check out www.miamicountryday.org/dropoff to see an image and explanation of the new traffic procedures as well as a letter from Dr. Davies. Thank you.

Upcoming Events

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 12:29:53 GMT

Art in the Park Miami
Saturday & Sunday, April 9th & 10th - Show your support for education and love for the arts as neo-pop artist Ed King enlists your help to paint four huge mural art pieces! Check out the flyer for more details.

Parent Coffee Presentation of "The Cycle"
Monday, April 11th - Please join the Parents' Association Outreach Committee for a special performance for all MCDS parents in Smurfit Hall from 8:15-9:00 am. This play, written by Junior student Tiffany Kontoyiannis, presents a bullying prevention message through a series of stories told from the perspectives of bullies, victims, bystanders, parents, teachers, and coaches. The play will be followed by a brief discussion surrounding the themes presented.

Preview the New Marlins Stadium
Thursday, April 14th - Join your fellow Spartans for a behind-the-scenes tour of the new Marlins Stadium. Enjoy complimentary food and drinks from the Marlins Executive Front Office! For more information, view the flyer.

Parents' Association Spring Luncheon
Tuesday, May 3rd - Enjoy lunch with your fellow Country Day parents and support the Parents' Association at One Bal Harbour, 10275 Collins Avenue. The price will be $60 per person. For more information, email pa@miamicountryday.org or call 305-779-6773.

March Madness

Sun, 13 Mar 2011 18:38:18 GMT

Spring has sprung, and around here that means that there is a ton going on! From arts events, to a nice spring break, to the start of the final quarter of the year, we have lots of events as well as recent successes to celebrate...

Celebrating Success!

Sun, 13 Mar 2011 18:37:29 GMT

Congratulations to Manuel Viamonte '07. Manuel is graduating from the University of Miami in May as a member of the UM Honor Society and the Pre-Med Honor Society. Manuel is currently deciding which medical school to attend out of the six that have accepted him!

Congratulations also to Freshman, Matthew Cohen! Matthew flew to Los Angeles last week to accept an award from Children Uniting Nations. The Children's Dream Awards were televised locally, and Matthew did a great job with his acceptance speech at the ceremonies. Matthew was honored for his work in providing solar ovens to Haiti. For more information, see his website - www.powerfromthesun.us.

It wouldn't be March Madness without basketball, and we have two great teams to celebrate! Both our Varsity Boys and Varsity Girls Basketball teams are district champions, and each team competed well in regionals, with the boys matching up against Sagemont in Country Day's first ever Regional Championship matchup! Great season to all!

Gardner's Supply Company recently featured some of our young gardeners and Rowena Gerber at work in their blog - http://blog.gardeners.com/2011/02/create-pizza-garden.html.

Following up on the previous announcement of the finalists of the 8th Grade Oratorical Contest: The 10 Finalists will be delivering their speeches during the March 30th Middle School Assembly. After that, they will go on to compete in the April 7th North Bay Optimist Club sponsored event. Good luck to Blake Thomas, Jackie Lash, Ramiro Lozado, Ashley Polyak, Hunter Friedland, Sydney Thomas, Sammy Sosa, Marnie Weiss, David Gonzalez, and Stephanie Mackenzie this month and next!

Recent Events

Sun, 13 Mar 2011 18:27:00 GMT

Thursday, March 3rd
Theater for Social Change presented: Reginald Rose's award winning "12 Angry Jurors".

“…They are instructed to apply the standard of “reasonable doubt.” Each member will, of course, interpret this finally indefinable notion in his or her own way; and this is the genius of the jury trial, that these idiosyncratic understandings and applications of this abstract notion must each be defended to the group. The untutored, diverse group must then apply its own communal understanding of an abstract concept to a set of debatable facts and conflicting presentations, and arrive at a unanimous conclusion.”

Friday, March 4th
We held our annual spARTan Event. Many beautiful pieces of art were auctioned off, including pieces by Jasper Johns and Purvis Young. If you didn't make it to pick up your child's pieces of art at the event, we still have some available for purchase. For more information contact Danny Andino (andinod@miamicountryday.org), Marilyn Greenfield (greenfieldm@miamicountryday.org), or Sheryl Piper (pipers@miamicountryday.org) in the Development Office!

Saturday, March 5th
Spartan Chess hosted the fifth installment of the Miami Country Day Grand Prix chess tournament series, sponsored by Epicure Gourmet Market & Café. For more details, visit http://www.bocachess.com.

Wednesday March 9th
We Celebrated our student athletes at the Winter Sports Awards Ceremony! Our winter athletes saw some great successes including our boys and girls Varsity Basketball District Champions!

Tuesday - Thursday March 8th - 11th
Artist and author Dar Hosta returned to Miami Country Day School. For more information, please visit www.darhosta.com.

Thursday-Friday March 11th - 13th
Let's not forget the outstanding performances of Dark Side of the Moon concert in the Nathan Hurst '89 Amphitheater!

Spring into the Arts!

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 14:53:00 GMT

Spring is just around the corner, and so are some of our fantastic art events. Join us for an Evening with the Arts presented by our students and faculty! Join us for the spARTan Event and bring home some fantastic art while helping support Miami Country Day School's faculty! See details below...

Join us Friday, March 4th, 2011
at Diana Lowenstein Fine Arts Gallery
2043 North Miami Avenue, Wynwood

Enjoy an elegant evening browsing through hundreds of original 6”x 8” art pieces, sipping the evening’s signature drink ~ the Spartini, while purchasing your favorite pieces for $50 each. An exciting mini-auction will feature art pieces and more... Register today!

Book Discussion This Friday

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 14:47:52 GMT

The next event in our series of Book Discussions will be held Friday, February 18th at 9:15 a.m. at Barry University's Broad Auditorium.

"Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us"

A paradigm‐changing examination of what truly motivates us and how to harness that knowledge to find greater satisfaction in our lives and our work. Author Daniel Pink leads this discussion about what drives us to action. For more details about this event, view the flyer.

Celebrating Success!

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 14:46:19 GMT

Help us congratulate our students!

Many of our young musicians participated in the Florida Orchestra Association's Solo and Ensemble Event last weekend. They all did amazing and earned these ratings:

Amelia Gregorio—Superior with distinction (with distinction signifies that the solo was memorized)
Jonathan Abramowitz—Superior with distinction
Audrey Noel—Superior with distinction
Breno Medina—Superior
Olivia Bronzi—Superior
Jordan Lips—Superior
Ciel Torres—Superior
Chance Chavies—Excellent
Aaron Dillworth—Excellent
Guilia Bronzi—Excellent
Veronica Ortiz—Excellent

Our Spartan Chess team turned in an outstanding performance, netting them 3rd place in the K-12 Open Team category at the Orlando Superstate VIII competition. They are currently ranked 3rd in the state in the K-12 division! Our Spartan Chess team can be followed on twitter at: http://twitter.com/spartanchess. Their next event is Quick Quads tomorrow, February 12th. Come join the team for a morning of competitive chess - Registration closes at 9:45 a.m. so make sure you get there early!

The following students will be competing in the Oratorical Contest Finals on February 24th:

Blake Thomas           Jackie Lash
Ramiro Lozado         Ashley Polyak
Hunter Friedland      Sydney Thomas
Sammy Sosa             Marnie Weiss
David Gonzalez        Stephanie Mackenzie

The Upper Schoolers are really working hard! Follow the links below to view our Upper School academic achievements:1st Semester Academic Achievements (pdf)

Last, but not least, make sure you catch our Varsity Basketball teams! The boys defeated Hillel to advance to the District Championship this Saturday at 7 p.m. where they will face Archbishop Curley, and our girls defeated Westminster Christian in the regional quarterfinals to advance to the Regional Semifinals Tuesday at 7 p.m. where they will go head to head with Florida Christian.
GO SPARTANS!

*UPDATE* Our boys are now district champions! Keep your eye out for future updates!

Save the Date!

Sat, 18 Dec 2010 15:02:00 GMT

Join us Saturday, January 29, 2011 at Turnberry Isle Resort & Club!

Our 4th Annual Golf, Tennis, Lunch, & Auction Benefit is a great way to start off the year!

Golfers – Join us for a competitive tournament on the exclusive Turnberry Course!
Tennis Players – Join us for a fun-filled round robin tournament!

Even if golf or tennis aren’t your games, we invite everybody to join us for lunch and an exciting auction featuring jewelry, art, sports memorabilia, and other unique items!

Sign up online today to join us on January 29! Sponsorship and underwriting opportunities are also available. Funds raised at this event will support Faculty Endowment. See you there!

Book Discussion Series

Sat, 18 Dec 2010 14:39:35 GMT

The next event in our series of Book Discussions will be held Tuesday, January 25th at 7pm.

"Outliers: The Story of Success" looks at the question "What makes high achievers different?" This session, led by John Camp, a Board Member, lawyer, and Country Day Alumnus, will cover how culture, circumstance, timing, birth, and luck account for success.

Join us at Dr. Davies' home for this, our fifth discussion in the series. For more details about this and future book discussions, view our flyer.

Celebrating Success

Sat, 18 Dec 2010 14:32:41 GMT

Congratulations to Ian Gonzalez! Ian earned the highest mark on the Essner Math Exam in the preliminary round. Ian will be participating in the final round of the Essner Competition in February, where he will have a chance to win cash and other prizes. Good luck!

Mr. Chris Hayes has earned a rare honor this year as well! Mr. Hayes is finishing up his graduate studies, and has been invited to join the prestigious Delta Iota Epsilon Honor Society. Congratulations on your degree, and on your invitation to DEI!

Congratulations are also in order for our Fall Student-Athletes. Each season, the Florida High School Athletics Association (FHSAA) ranks each team based on classroom performance (based on GPA) and then grants points to a school based on its teams' rankings. This Fall, Miami Country Day School student-athletes consistently performed well in the classroom, earning the school an overall top-five ranking state-wide in the Class 2A level. Keep up the great work Spartans!

Not to be outdone, our Spartan Chess team recently held their third Grand Prix of the year. The Spartans brought home three trophies, including first place team prize for our Upper School (their second consecutive), first place individual prize in the K-3 level (Elliot Starkman's third first place finish), and 3rd place team prize in the K-5 level! The tournament also gathered more participants than any other that Miami Country Day has hosted, with 184 students coming out to play!

Book Discussion Series

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 16:47:00 GMT

By now you have undoubtedly heard about the series of book discussions that we have been hosting this year. So far, we have covered topics ranging from Social Involvement to Digital Culture to the College Admissions Process. Be sure not to miss our upcoming session, "Grown Up Digital: How the Net Generation is Changing Your World", during which we will look at the question, "How will your child approach the world compared to the way you did?" This session will meet on Wednesday, December 1st at 7pm, at the home of Dr. John Davies, Head of School. For more details on this session, as well as previous and upcoming sessions, check out our flyer for the Discussion Series - (pdf)

Alumnus Jarrett Perlow '97 Joins Fall Concert

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 16:46:10 GMT

Our Fall Music Concert was held last night in the Nathan Hurst '89 Amphitheater. Students from Lower, Middle, and Upper School performed choral, orchestral, and jazz music for all to enjoy. As a special treat, alumnus Jarrett Perlow '97 returned to campus for a visit and assisted John Wicker, Director, with the trombone section of the orchestra.

Spartan Chess Results

Fri, 26 Nov 2010 16:40:00 GMT

The most recent Miami Country Day Grand Prix Chess Tournament, sponsored by Epicure Gourmet Market & Café, broke a record! It was the largest number of participants we’ve had here for a chess tournament in at least 10 years! There were 160 participants, young and old, here for the second tournament of the six-tournament series.

Congratulations to our Upper School Team & Sponsor Mr. Peter Konen! They brought home a 1st Place trophy in the K-12 division for their second team trophy of the year. A.J. Pitchman went 4-1 and brought home a 4th Place individual trophy. Moshe Libbin had a superb draw against a player rated over 2000! For those unsure of what that means, it shows that Moshe was competitive against a player that is rated very close to that of a National Master! Giovanni Cragnotti, Daniel Goldfarb, Bharat Chandar, Miroslav Kriz, & Michael Viamonte all had 3 wins and helped propel the Spartans to victory.

Congratulations to Elliot Starkman! He went undefeated to earn his second 1st Place trophy in the K-3 category! Also in the Lower School, Andre Harper-Rosenberg earned a 3rd Place trophy in the K-5 section! Congratulations to our Lower School top finishers!

Our Middle School Team brought home its first team trophy of the year, a 4th Place trophy in the K-8 division. Aaron Dillworth, Justin Russell, & Ian Zigel represented the Spartans in the K-8 section. Congratulations to the team and sponsor Mr. Phil Cahill.

In addition to Miami Country Day Grand Prix #2, there was also a smaller quick chess quads tournament that took place in Sommers Hall. James Callado was the only Spartan to win his quad section outright. Moshe Libbin, Daniel Goldfarb, A.J. Pitchman, Bharat Chandar, & Miroslav Kriz all tied for 1st Place in their quads.

Miami Country Day Grand Prix #3 will take place on Saturday, December 4th, in the Garner Center. You can follow the Spartan Chess Club, as well as all chess events that take place at MCDS, on Facebook!

An event like the Miami Country Day Grand Prix cannot be successful without the help of many people. Special thanks go to Jason & Diana Starkman for their continued support and sponsorship of chess at Miami Country Day School. Thanks to our chess club sponsors, Mr. Peter Konen (US), Mr. Phil Cahill (MS), & Ms. Deborah Lee (LS). Thanks also go out to Hope Stern, Rachel Block, Jonina Pitchman, Mike Caban & the Maintenance staff, Carroll Kelly, Steve Charles, Chris Hayes, Kristi Kassebaum, Adrian Garcia, Aleks Rosenberg, Daniel Goldfarb, Moshe Libbin, A.J. Pitchman, Miroslav Kriz, Neil Mehta, Bharat Chandar, Ian Gonzalez, Ingrid Palmisano, Denise Palacios, Ana Izaguirre, Yvonne Moyer, Cheryl Skalberg, Sophia Tranoris & John Wicker.

Parents' Association and Sally Foster

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 19:16:38 GMT

You can help support Miami Country Day by making a purchase at www.sallyfoster.com. Use the account number 86111 and the school will receive 50% of all purchases! All orders will be shipped directly to your house.

For more information, contact the fundraising chairs:
Jessica Rodriguez - profrodriguez@aol.com
Wendy Russakof - wendyrussa@aol.com
Lisi Port - lisiport@aol.com

Homecoming!

Fri, 22 Oct 2010 18:10:00 GMT

Recycling Takes Off

Fri, 22 Oct 2010 18:08:00 GMT

This year we renew our recycling efforts on Campus, thanks to our Green Committee represented by faculty, staff, students, and administrators who have taken action and expressed their concerns for protecting our environment. Blue recycling bins and large black bottle containers have sprouted up around campus, offering students, faculty, staff, and visitors a more earth-friendly way to dispose of some of our waste. For more information, check out our informative flyer which can also be found around campus.

Garden Greetings from Mrs. Gerber

Fri, 22 Oct 2010 18:06:42 GMT

Thyme to celebrate!!! We have begun arranging and planting our edible gardens. Most of it will be completed in about three weeks, and you will continue to see changes throughout the growing season. This year there will be no “class gardens”…instead we are planting themes and points of interest for students, faculty, and staff.

The garden will include: pepper (red, green or yellow), red romaine, mixed salad greens, romaine, buttercrunch, eggplant, tomato, cherry tomato, roma tomato, basil, cilantro, thyme, spearmint, chocolate mint, peppermint, rosemary, French sorrel, broccoli, and oregano. All plants are pesticide- free.

Naturally…if anyone would like to help in the garden, please contact Rowena Gerber at gerberr@miamicountryday.org! No experience needed.

Community Book Discussion Series

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 14:48:29 GMT

Miami Country Day School is hosting a series of book discussions! Topics include Digital Culture, College Admittance, Motivation, and more!

For more information, view the flyer - (pdf)

Recognizing Our AP Scholars

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 20:01:00 GMT

Forty-three students at Miami Country Day School earned AP Scholar Awards in recognition of their exceptional achievement on AP Exams. Miami Country Day offers 17 AP courses.

The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program (AP) provides willing and academically prepared students with the opportunity to take rigorous college-level courses while still in high school, and to earn college credit, advanced placement, or both for successful performance on the AP Exams. About 18 percent of the more than 1.8 million students worldwide who took AP Exams performed at a sufficiently high level to also earn an AP Scholar Award.

The College Board recognizes several levels of achievement based on students’ performance on AP Exams. Congratulations to the following award recipients.

National AP Scholar Award (4 or higher on a 5 point scale on all AP Exams taken; scores of 4 or higher on 8 or more of these exams) Shahil Mehta, Amanda Montenegro, and Matthew Murawski.

AP Scholar with Distinction Award (Minimum average score of 3.5 on all AP Exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on 5 or more of these exams) Marissa Bolton, Kashif Fulton, Kevin Goldfarb, Lily Harriman, Alan Herskowich, Bradley Jean-Baptiste, Larissa Liburd, Claire Long, Morgan Matthews, Shahil Mehta, Amanda Montenegro, Matthew Murawski, Justin Paluch, and Victoria Perez.

AP Scholar with Honor Award (Minimum average score of 3.25 on all AP Exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on 4 or more of these exams) Sanford Aronson, Zachary Berger, Natasha Cirisano, Columbia Clancy, Kyle Ginzburg, Daniel Goldfarb, Lilian Hommes, Kelbe Jahnke, Raquel Papu, Carlos Perez, Alexandra Schwartz, Andrea Szerer, Jill Tunis, and Denise Volovitz.

AP Scholar Award ( 3 or more AP Exams with scores of 3 or higher) Joshua Aronson, Shadia Ayoub,Connis Brown, Felipe Croitoru, Jake Friedman, Morgan Furlong, Margaux Galitz, Summer Galitz, Tara Gavcovich, Ashley Hatcher, Manolis Macropulos, Alan Moreno, Katherine Obermeyer, Hannah Roden, and Alexandra Singer.

Congratulations!

E-Business Leader Shares with Our Students

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 19:30:00 GMT

Ben Kaufman, founder and CEO of the e-business Quirky, visited our campus to speak to our budding entrepreneurs. He met recently with a group of our lower school students and a group of Middle Schoolers from our Mind Your Own Business class to share how he got started and to share his philosophies. Read more on this story which was written by Miami Country Day student and Miami Herald intern Carly Morales, Class of 2011. Special thanks to Jason and Lisi Port for arranging Mr. Kaufman's visit.

Lower School Scientists Measure 'Greenness'

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 19:00:00 GMT

Lower School students in Ms. Tiffin's and Mrs. Finny's Science classes wanted to see just how much waste we produce in one day of lunch. In an effort to see how we can reduce the garbage we produce on campus, the young scientists set forth to measure the weight of our trash. The results? One Lower School lunch produced 124 pounds of food and liquid garbage and 49 pounds of 'other' waste for a total of 173 pounds.

In Mrs. Gerber's second grade ACES class, students have also been learning about waste and decomposition. The kids each made their own compost bag, filled with worms, soil, and a sampling of different types of garbage. In just a few weeks they will open the compost bags and see what has changed (and also what hasn't).

This isn't just stinky science - Mrs Gerber, Ms. Tiffin, and Mrs. Finny plan to use the information they have collected to prompt student discussions on how to advance the campus greening initiative.

Parents' Association Partners with Sally Foster

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 20:57:00 GMT

You can help support Miami Country Day by making a purchase at www.sallyfoster.com. Use the account number 86111 between September 15th and September 30th and the school will receive 50% of all purchases! All orders will be shipped directly to your house.

You can also purchase cookie dough during this sale by picking up the order forms that are available in your division office.

For more information, contact the fundraising chairs:
Jessica Rodriguez - profrodriguez@aol.com
Wendy Russakof - wendyrussa@aol.com
Lisi Port - lisiport@aol.com

Dr. Bernstein Earns National Teaching Award

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 20:56:01 GMT

Dr. Jesse Bernstein earned the James Bryant Conant Award in High School Chemistry Teaching for his local, national, and international work supporting chemistry students of all ages.

Dr. Bernstein has presented at conferences, developed chemistry programs for younger children, mentored the United States Chemistry Olympiad Team (to a world 1st place finish), coached our very own Miami Country Day Science Olympians in their quest for a state title, and earned two other honors from the American Chemical Association!

This honor is only awarded by the American Chemical Society to one High School Chemistry teacher per year. He will accept the award in Anaheim this coming spring.

Congratulations to Dr. Bernstein on this outstanding professional achievement!

Middle School Students Excel!

Fri, 17 Sep 2010 20:52:18 GMT

Congratulations to the following 7th grade students who qualified for the Duke University TIP (Talent Identification Program) based upon ERB scores of 95th percentile or better in verbal and/or quantitative reasoning scores on the 6th grade exam. These students were invited to join the Duke TIP program and take the SAT exam in December or January.

Verbal/Math
Emma Rodriguez, Jonathan Farchi-Segal

Verbal
Eduardo Fajardo, Madelyn Hertz, Emerin Ferreiras, Everett Levy

Math
John Seiden, Ian Spence, Tyler Grosman, Taylor Sennett, Lily Stone

School Hours

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 12:13:00 GMT

Our school hours are slightly different this year, so check out our School Hours Schedule if you are unsure of start and end times.

Fall 2010 Lower School Clubs

Wed, 04 Aug 2010 17:43:00 GMT

The Fall 2010 Lower School Clubs Packet is available online. Get signed up now, as spaces fill up quickly!

Lower School Clubs Packet

Class of 2010 Matriculation

Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:19:00 GMT

Congratulations to the Class of 2010 on their matriculation!!

Middle School Drama Presents: Almost Alice in Wonderland

Tue, 25 May 2010 19:53:00 GMT

The Middle School production of Almost Alice in Wonderland will be presented this Thursday and Friday evening at 7:00 PM in Garner Center. The play will not be presented this year as an assembly, so your only chance to see it will be one of these two evenings.

Middle School Students attending will be granted a jean dress down day Tuesday, June 2nd. Please come support your classmates!

Science Olympians

Mon, 24 May 2010 14:07:00 GMT

Science Olympiad at FAU – finished tenth in the region (competed in only 15/20 events); had one second place and three third place (team of two) finishes: James Callado, Sarah Rutland, Bradley Jean-Baptiste, Eduardo Rangel, Neil Mehta, Shahil Mehta, Dan Goldfarb, Kashif Fulton, Andrea Szerer, Justin Paluch and Jill Tunis

Jets Competition – (at FIU) these tenth graders finished FIRST in their age group (9-10) regionally, Fourth in State, and 31st Nationally: Eduardo Rangel, Jasmin Oliveira, Sarah Rutland, Bharat Chandar, Ian Gonzalez, Dylan Schwartz, Neil Mehta and James Callado

JETS team (11-12 grade) finished fourth in the region, 17th in State, and 160th Nationally): Dan Goldfarb, Kevin Goldfarb, Bradley Jean-Baptiste, Raquel Papu, Jill Tunis, Lilian Hommes and Zach Berger

Science Olympiad at Barry University –

The First Year Chemistry finished fourth as a team; Ian Gonzalez finished Third Overall in First Year Students: Bharat Chandar, Ian Gonzalez, Neil Mehta, Jasmin Oliveira, Eduardo Rangel and Alex Brody

The Second Year Chemistry finished Third as a Team (received medals): Columbia Clancy, Felipe Croitoru, Zach Berger, Bradley Jean-Baptiste and Lilian Hommes

The first year Physics finished fourth as a team: Alan Moreno, Natasha Cirisano, Zoe Respondek, Andrea Szerer, Kashif Fulton and Hannah Roden

National News - Chess Team Success

Mon, 24 May 2010 14:01:00 GMT

National News - Congratulations to Elliot Starkman! He participated in the National Elementary Championships in Atlanta this past weekend. How did Elliot do in his first-ever National tournament? He brought home a 25th Place trophy in the K-1 section! Wow! Congratulations to Elliot!

Miami Country Day Grand Prix Results

· The Miami Country Day Grand Prix finished hosting its six-tournament series. After that final tournament, trophies were awarded for the results of that tournament in addition to overall results for all six tournaments. They were:

Grand Prix Team Results (include the whole season of six tournaments)
MCDS K-12 Team finished in 1st Place for the year.
MCDS K-1 Team finished in 2nd Place for the year.
MCDS K-8 Team finished in 4th Place for the year.

Grand Prix Individual Results (include the whole season of six tournaments)

Elliot Starkman finished in 2nd Place for the year in the K-1 section.
Adrien Pitchman finished in 2nd place for the year in the K-12 section.
Andre Harper-Rosenberg finished in 3rd Place for the year in the K-3 section.
Moshe Libbin finished in 5th Place for the year in the K-12 section.
Giovanni Cragnotti finished in 9th Place for the year in the K-12 section.
Miroslav Kriz finished in 10th Place for the year in the K-12 section.

Tournament #6 Results

MCDS K-12 Team (Pitchman, Neil Mehta, Giovanni Cragnotti, Moshe Libbin, Miroslav Kriz, Shadi Tabbara, Albert Katz, & Eduardo Rangel) finished in 1st Place!

MCDS K-8 Team (David Gonzalez, Sascha Kappos, Julian Schultz, Jordan Rosendorf) finished in 2nd Place!
This was our first ever middle school trophy. Congratulations!

MCDS K-1 Team (Starkman, Nathan Gumenick, & Christopher Basile) finished in 3rd Place.

Individual

Elliot Starkman finished in 4th Place in the K-1 section.
Andre Harper-Rosenberg finished tied for 5th Place in the K-3 section.
Adrien Pitchman tied for 5th Place in the K-12 section.

David Gonzalez finished in 6th Place in the K-8 section.

Fourth Quarter Interim Reports Available On NetRecords

Thu, 13 May 2010 15:21:00 GMT

You can now view Quarter 4 Interim Reports here:

http://netrecords.miamicountryday.org/NetClassroom7/Forms/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fNetClassroom7%2fDefault.aspx

spARTan Show - Friday, April 30

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 23:22:00 GMT

Want artwork from renowned artists including Romero Britto and Pervis Young for only $50?!

Want to discover the next famous artist of our generation?

Then the spARTan Show is where you need to be Friday, April 30, 2010 at 7 pm!

Enjoy an elegant evening in Wynwood browsing through hundreds of original 6” x 8” art pieces designed by professional artists, students, faculty and parents,; purchasing your favorite pieces for $50 each and discovering who your favorite artists are when the name is revealed to you after your purchase.

Friday, April 30, 2010 | 7:00 to 11:00 p.m.
Diana Lowenstein Fine Arts Gallery
2043 North Miami Avenue |Wynwood
www.miamicountryday.org/spARTanRSVP

Your participation and support will help fund an Endowed Teaching Chair in Fine Arts at Miami Country Day School. Miami Country Day School is a qualified 501(c)3 organization and gifts are deductible for income tax purposes as provided by law.

Doodle for Google

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 21:15:44 GMT

Please congratulate the following students for participating in Doodle for Google:
Michelle Yakobi, Jasper Wolf, Eduardo Dana, Julia Bernstein, Izzy Goihman, Isabel Brous, Evelyn Abramowitz, Molli Leoni, Daniela Saffran, Margherita Lionello, Zach Charalambides, Kayla Rosen, Tamara Lilenbaum, Ariel Kayton, Alexa Altman and Chloe Chua

They did a beautiful job as you will see on the attached poster!

Peer Helpers Showing Compassion to Animals

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 21:08:47 GMT

Lower School Peer Helpers did a bake sale raising $630 for an organization called my animals Rock.

Below is the message posted on the My Animals Rock website:
WE WOULD LIKE TO GIVE HUGE HEARFELT THANKS TO SOME VERY SPECIAL MIAMI COUNTRY DAY 5TH GRADE STUDENTS WHO SHOWED THEIR COMPASSION FOR ANIMALS BY HOSTING A BAKESALE TO BENEFIT MY ANIMALS ROCK. OLIVIA, AMELIA AND KATARINA APPROACHED THEIR ADVISOR, SUSAN GLICK, WITH THE PROPOSAL TO RAISE MONEY FOR ANIMALS IN NEED. AFTER THE PROPOSAL WAS ACCEPTED ,THE 5TH GRADE LEADERSHIP GROUP(PEER HELPERS), CONSISTING OF Olivia, Amelia, Calypso, Rebecca, Luna, Gabriella, Griffin, Arthur, Jordan, Jonah and Riley PUT ON THEIR CHEF’S HATS AND BAKED AND PREPARED FRUIT KABOBS AND CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES WHICH WERE SOLD DURING LUNCH.

THERE WAS SUCH AN OUTPOURING OF SUPPORT FOR THIS CAUSE THAT ONE STUDENT,FLYNN,WHO WAS NOT EVEN A FIFTH GRADER, PUT FORTH HIS INDEPENDENT EFFORT AND BAKED COOKIES TO SELL AT THE BAKE SALE TO RAISE ADDITIONAL MONEY. THERE WERE ALSO MANY STUDENTS AND PARENTS THAT PUSHED THE FUNDRAISER OVER THE TOP WITH THEIR DONATIONS.

FOR THEIR EFFORTS, THE STUDENTS RAISED $630 WHICH WILL GO A LONG WAY TO HELP ABANDONED, ABUSED AND INJURED DOGS AND CATS. SPECIFICALLY, THAT MONEY WILL PAY OFF THE VET BILL FOR ELLA, WHO HAD DOUBLE EYE CATARACT SURGERY 4 MONTHS AGO. WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO PAY HER SURGERY DOWN(IT WAS ALMOST $4,000) AND WE HAVE $500 LEFT. THE DONATION FROM THIS BAKE SALE WILL ALLOW US TO PAY OFF THE VET BILL!!!

Student Accepted into Interlochen Art Camp

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 21:00:00 GMT

Third Grade student, Andre Harper-Rosenberg has been accepted to a two week orchestra/violin intensive art camp this summer in Interlochen, Michigan. "Thanks for MCDS's great music program!"

Students Helping Students

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 20:39:00 GMT

Students in the Key Club at Miami Country Day School help tutor students at Miami Shores Elementary School and play a key role in keeping alive a valuable program - the All-Aboard literacy program - that would have been lost because of financial cut-backs. As of today, All-Aboard has dropped from over 30 participating schools to only 2 with Miami Shores being the most successful because of our Miami Country Day students.

In a letter from the Program Coordinator about our student volunteer, it reads "... I’ve heard from Miami Shores that you have been a tremendous help in the after school program. As you noticed there aren’t enough staff to help the children with their homework. Carmen tells me that the moment the children see you they come running. I’m so happy to hear this."

Success is becoming tradition with the Spartan Chess Club

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 20:27:00 GMT

Success is becoming tradition with the Spartan Chess Club, as we brought home four more trophies to put on the shelf at the 5^th Grand Prix tournament held right here at MCDS on Sunday, March 7^th.

With a 2^nd Place finish, Elliot Starkman continued his success in the K-1 division by earning his fifth individual trophy in what was the largest group in the K-1 division all year. The team of Starkman, Filippo Sbroggió, and Nathan Gumenick earned a 3^rd Place team trophy, our third of the season. Well done, team!

Finishing in 2^nd Place, Andre Harper-Rosenberg earned his fifth individual trophy of the season by winning 4 out of his 5 games in the K-3 division. One of those five trophies was earned at the Southern Regional tournament in January, where he finished in an impressive 6^th Place out of 66 entries. Congratulations to our Lower School players and sponsor Mr. Jonathan Knowles.

The competition in the K-12 (high school) division continues to grow along with the quality of chess. Our K-12 team won 2^nd Place, their fifth team trophy of the year. Daniel Goldfarb & Bharat Chandar both tied for 4^th place overall with 3.5 out of 5 points. Adrien Pitchman, Miroslav Kriz, and Michael Viamonte also played well for the Spartans, winning 3 out of their 5 matches. Congratulations to our Upper School players and sponsor Mr. Peter Konen.

In the most recently played Friday Quads @ MCDS event on February 19th, Daniel Goldfarb, Bharat Chandar, and Shaun Bitar were the quad winners from the MCDS community.

MCDS will be represented at the upcoming chess events:

Friday, March 20-21: 2010 Florida Scholastic Superstate VII Championships, Miami, FL

Friday, April 16-18: 2010 National Senior High Championship, Columbus, OH

Saturday, May 1: Miami Country Day Grand Prix #6

A special thanks goes to the people that spent time at the event helping to ensure a great experience for the 138 participants along with their families and coaches: Carroll Kelly, Diana & Jason Starkman, Jasmine Lake, Noelia Vaccaro, Jonathan Knowles, Phil Cahill, Daniel Goldfarb, and Giovanni Cragnotti. Thanks also go to many other contributors, including Chuck Sennett, Mike Caban, Joe Kules, Brenda Mora, Leo Milanes, Adrian Garcia, Steve Charles, Tech Support, and Peter Konen. The setup and cleanup assistance from Grant Siegel, Michael Viamonte, Chris Hayes, Scott Blair, Victor Dias Roncoletta, Natalie Agudo, John Davies, Margaux Galitz, Summer Galitz, Devon Rivkind, & Kevin Rodriguez is greatly appreciated.

For more information on the Spartan Chess Club or chess events, follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/spartanchess, or feel free to contact me at hutskom@miamicountryday.org.

Operation Smile

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 20:25:00 GMT

Middle School students recently organized a candy gram to raise money to buy smiles for the children in need through Operation Smile.

DAANS Star Awards

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 20:34:00 GMT

Congratulations to this year's DAANS Star Award recipients Megan Mosheim, Alec Koss, John Schamy and Jenny Roude. A Star Student sets an example for others to follow, whether in the home, school or community. A Star Student excels in one or more of these areas: academics, community service, citizenship, fine arts, athletics, student activities, perseverance, effort, dedication, commitment to positive goals, improvement in performance, and attitude. They will be honored at the DAANS Star Luncheon on April 21, 2010 at the Miami Mart Hotel.

Superior News for the Music Program!

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 20:29:56 GMT

Congratulations to the following students who made superior and excellent ratings in their prepared music at the Florida Orchestra Association and Florida Vocal Association Solo and Ensemble event. Marina Tabarra, Gina Macropulos, Valentina Lopez-Diaz, Luna Fayad, Gabriella Stigmamiglio, Emily Dalmas, David Gonzalez, Emily Windsor, Arman Medina, Katherine Obermeyer, Rachel Angel, Morgan Furlong, Justin Paluch, Elizabeth Finny, Shadi Tabbara, Noah Friedman, Victoria Perez, Neil Mehta, Sasha Brigante, Larissa Liburd, Claire Long, Manolis Macropulos, Bharat Chandar, Marni Weiss, Camille Martayan, Sophia Sandoval, Lenee Blot, and Shalini Chandar. This took a lot of work, preparation and courage to stand in front of a judge. Bravo!

Varsity Soccer All-Star Team

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 20:26:47 GMT

Miami Country Day School hosted the fourth annual Miami-Dade County High School Soccer Coaches / Soccer Locker Senior All-Star games on February 27. Congratulations to the following senior varsity soccer players on playing in their final high school soccer game in the All-Star game: Maggie Piper, Chelsea Brown, Quinton Watson, Jacky Sasson, Alex Dubovoy, Adam Holsing and David Naranjo. Quinton Watson and Jacky have been invited to play in the FACA senior all-star game in Ocala, FL March 12 & 13.

Jump Rope for Heart

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 20:25:00 GMT

Lower School students raise over $12,000 for the American Heart Association at the Annual Jump Rope for Heart.

8th Graders Advocating for Change

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 20:23:00 GMT

Our 8^th grade service learning focus this year has been Homelessness in Florida. The students have engaged in multiple activities which have educated them on this matter. They volunteered at local homeless organizations; they have done research on current statistics, and have met with advocates for the homeless. Last January, the class traveled to Washington DC and met with Florida state legislators to share with them what they had learned and advocated for the homeless in our state. One of our groups visited Senator Bill Nelson’s office and spoke with him and his staff about current legislation to help alleviate this quandary that affects many residents of Florida.

Spartan Cheerleaders Compete in Nationals - February 20 at 1 pm

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:02:00 GMT

The Miami HEAT, American Airlines Arena, and Spirit Cheer are thrilled to present the...

8th Annual "Bringing' the HEAT!" Miami Cheer & Dance Nationals!

The largest cheer and dance competition in Miami, February 20 and 21, 2010.
Admission: (Adults) $20.00 online, and $25.00 (at the door day of event).
(Students) $10.00 online, and $15.00 (at the door day of event).
http://cheer.heatexperience.com

Dee Dee, Colby, Samantha, Katie, Elizabeth
Coaches: Juliette and Annette Fulton
MCDS Cheerleaders will perform at 1:10PM at the American Airlines Arena

Golf & Tennis Tournament - Friday, February 26, 2010

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 16:50:00 GMT

Golf and Tennis Tournament Website

7:30 a.m. Golf Registration & Breakfast
9:00 a.m. Tennis Registration
12:30 p.m. Lunch, Auction & Presentation of Awards

Miami YouthCaN (Youth Communicating and Networking)

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 20:26:00 GMT

Friday, February 5, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade Miami Country Day School students hosted students from Calvary Christian Academy, Gulliver Academy, Hubert O’Sibley Elementary, and Miami Shores Elementary. Students in Pakistan and the San Francisco Bay area also joined us through video clips during the opening ceremony. This is our local version of the international environmental YouthCaN conference held in various locations throughout the world. http://www.youthcanworld.org/index.html

The unique thing about this conference is that all the workshops are taught by children. For a showcase of 21st Century skills in action…please see the attached program to view all the exciting topics and activities taught by our students and our guests.

One of the highlights of the day was the unveiling of a new MCDS website designed by our own Matthew Cohen. www.powerfromthesun.us He began his YouthCaN adventure in the 4th grade and has continued his dedication to our solar cooking projects over the years. His desire to blend our existing Haitian solar cooking projects with new relief projects for the earthquake victims has resulted in an ongoing funding and educational resource on his website. Hats off to Matthew!

Video of Miami Country Day School’s participation of the YouthCaN conference in New York can be viewed at: http://www.myhero.com/myhero/go/filmfestival/viewfilm.asp?film=rowenagerber&res=high
We thank Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens and Leonard and Jayne Abess for sponsoring this outstanding opportunity for our student.

Iron Chef Competition at Miami Country Day School

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 19:54:00 GMT

Check out pictures on Spartans Corner!

10 Upper School student teams participated in an Iron Chef type cooking competition where they were asked to use a given set of ingredients to assemble and present a dish in front of a live audience within a 15 minute time limit. The dishes were judged based on the criteria of taste, creativity, presentation, and use of the secret ingredient (kiwi) which was revealed at the last minute. Judges were Jackie Packar (alumna of MCDS and chef owner of Pink’s Catering), Piero Filpi (owner of multiple South Florida restaurants), and a team of students from the Johnson and Wales cooking school. This event was designed by Dr. April Vogel, Upper School Guidance Counselor, as part of the Theater for Social Change program which is focusing this year on eating and the prevention of eating disorders. Cooking for yourself was highlighted as fun and a healthy way to eat. Winners of the competition were: 1st place: Emerson Rosenthal and Santiago Hurtado, 2nd place: Larissa Liburd and Katherine Obermeyer, 3rd place: Ashley Hatcher and David Anusontarangkul.

What do you think?

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:47:15 GMT

The faculty and staff of Miami Country Day School are committed to continuous improvement of all aspects of our school so that every child entrusted to us receives the full benefits of an excellent learning environment. To that end, we are seeking input from our parents about what we do well and what we can do to improve via a confidential telephone-based survey of randomly selected parents.

In order to ensure objectivity and confidentiality, we have retained a local firm, The Doug Williams Group, to conduct these surveys, analyze the results and assist us in focused implementation of improvements. Representatives of The Doug Williams Group will randomly select parents, contact them by telephone, and ask them to participate in the survey. The survey contains ten (10) questions and will take approximately ten (10) minutes to complete. Participation is entirely voluntary. Survey results and parent comments will be summarized and reported, however, no results or comments will be attributed to the individual who participated in the survey.

The survey will be conducted during the time period February 8, 2010 through February 26, 2010. If you are not randomly selected to participate in the survey, but would still like to give us your feedback, please contact Ms. Susana Pando-Taupier (Client Service Manager) at The Doug Williams Group via phone (305-598-9880) or via email (susana@thedougwilliamsgroup.com) to arrange an interview. If you have any questions about this process, please contact Mr. Doug Williams (Chief Executive Officer) at The Doug Williams Group via phone (305-598-9880) or via email (doug@thedougwilliamsgroup.com).

Thank you in advance for your participation in this process as we strive to continue to improve Miami Country Day School.

Read the NAIS Longitudinal Study

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 19:33:00 GMT

Click here for the report.

4th Annual Spartan Chess Fest

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:29:00 GMT

Join Spartan Chess this week as International Master John Donaldson participates in a simul-play, 20-match exhibition against players from Miami Country Day on Thursday! (Flyer)

Then, come back Friday as IM Donaldson and National Master Eric Rodriguez clash in an epic match! Each player will play from a separate room and comment on the game as it progresses! (Flyer)

Continue your weekend of Chess at the Miami Country Day Grand Prix USCF rated chess tournament. Please contact Mr. Michael Hutsko (hutskom@miamicountryday.org) with any inquiries and get your registration in as soon as possible! (Flyer)

Theater for Social Change Presents EAT - It's Not About Food

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 18:55:00 GMT

Eating in a Food-Obsessed Culture: Helping Our Children Find Balance

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 19:00:00 GMT

Our Guidance Department recently hosted a Q&A session with a panelist of experts in the subjects of diet, nutrition, and self-image. Find out what they had to say... (read more)

Congratulations to the Class of 2010 College Acceptances so far...

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 17:39:00 GMT

Auburn University
Averett University
Babson College
Barry University
Bowdoin College
University of Bridgeport
University of Central Florida
Eckerd College
Emerson College
Fisher College
Florida Atlantic University
Florida Gulf Coast University
Florida Institute of Technology
Florida International University
Florida State University
Georgetown University
University of Hartford
Immaculata University
Indiana University at Bloomington
Johnson & Wales University
Marshall University
Mercyhurst College
Miami International Univ. of Art & Design
University of Michigan
New College of Florida
New York University
University of North Carolina at Asheville
University of North Florida
Nova Southeastern University
Pennsylvania State University,
University Park
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia University
University of South Florida, Tampa
Stetson University
Texas Tech University
Tulane University
University of West Florida
Yale University

Our Annual Report has Gone Green!

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 17:37:22 GMT

Click here to view 2008-2009 Annual Report.
Our Annual Report has Gone Green!
Thank you to everyone who supported Miami Country Day School’s teachers, students and programs in the 2008-2009 school year. Click here to view the 2008-2009 Annual Report for a complete listing of our donors. There is still time to take advantage of 2009 tax-deductions; go online to make your gift by December 31st to support our 2009-2010 Annual Giving Campaign. www.miamicountryday.org/giveonline
If you want to consider other contributions to the school, please contact Sheryl Piper, Director of Development.

Theater for Social Change Featured by Major Foundation

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 17:36:00 GMT

The Theater for Social Change Program at MCDS received a $50,000 matching grant this May from the Edward E. Ford Foundation. The program is one of the highlighted projects of interest. Congratulations to Pam Locker and Jonina Pitchman and all of the students who have made this program a success. Save the date for the 2010 Production of EAT: It's Not About Food on February 5-6, 2010. Check out the website here to see the information about this great program.

Save the Date - Play for the Arts - Friday, February 26, 2010

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 17:35:55 GMT

Save the Date - Play for the Arts
Friday, February 26, 2010
Alumni-Parents Golf & Tennis Tournament
Questions ?

MCDS Ceramic Teacher, Judy Mistor Selected for Sculpt Miami - Art Basel

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 17:35:21 GMT

Congratulations to Judy Mistor who was selected to be a part of Art Basel's Sculpt Miami. Check out the website - www.sculptmiami.com. "A few of us have seen Judy’s own sculpture but most of us know her through the great work that she does with her students. Her own pieces are truly unique and intriguing." - Yvonne Moyer, Fine Arts Department Chair

Thanking Our Soldiers

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 17:34:30 GMT

As a follow up to the Veteran's Day tribute and the Thanksgiving Holiday, the entire Middle School wrote letters and made thank you cards to soldiers. Please take a look at the following website which inspired this project, it also has some sample letters: www.amillionthanks.org
There is also a nice YouTube clip that can be played to inspire them:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLfcffscX-Q

English Teacher, Scott Brennan Published Poet

Tue, 05 Jan 2010 17:33:53 GMT

Congratulations to Scott Brennan whose poetry has been accepted by The Christian Science Monitor, Notre Dame Review, Magnolia, and 2River to be published this Fall.

Spartan Chess Club Brings Home 1st Place Trophy

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:48:00 GMT

On Halloween, the Upper School Spartan Chess Club, sponsored by Peter Konen, brought home its second 1st Place trophy! The team won the K-12 (high school) division at the second of six Grand Prix tournaments hosted by MCDS. In addition to the team victory, Moshe Libbin won a 5th Place trophy in a very competitive high school division, with his only loss being to the individual champion. Michael Fine also did very well for the Spartans, finishing with 4 wins in 5 matches. Ian Gonzalez, Devon Zifferblatt, A.J. Pitchman, & Shadi Tabbara all had winning records for the day and represented MCDS well.

From the Lower School, Elliot Starkman won his second trophy of the year for finishing in 3rd place in the K-1 division. Andre Harper-Rosenberg, also a repeat trophy-winner, finished in 5th place in the K-3 section. Christopher Basile scored for the K-1 MCDS team in his first ever rated tournament.

Registrations have grown from 117 participants in the first tournament to 146 entrants this past Saturday. The next tournament will take place on December 5 in Garner Center.

An event of this magnitude cannot take place without the help of many. Diana Starkman, Carroll Kelly, Jasmine Lake, Peter Konen, Jonathan Knowles, Mike Caban, Kristi Kassebaum, Jennifer Kahn, Chuck Sennett, Leo Milanes, and Adrian Garcia all helped make MCDS an enjoyable place for families and players to enjoy a day of chess. Thank you!

If you would like to be added to the Spartan Chess Club mailing list, please send an email request to hutskom@miamicountryday.org.

Musical Achievements

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:47:00 GMT

We are pleased to announce that we have five students that have been accepted into All State ensembles this year. The most we have had in recent times. The All State students are Valentina Lopez Diaz, Zach Kappos, Katrina Herrera, Manolis Marcropulos. and Claire Long.

MCDS Debate Team Wins Again

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:46:00 GMT

The Debate Team competed in its first tournament of the year at Taravella High School on November 14. Eight students competed in Public Forum Debate and three in Student Congress. This was a huge tournament with over 650 competitors from 38 schools, which shows the growing popularity of competitive speech and debate in South Florida. Please congratulate Dylan Schwartz for placing second in his chamber of Varsity Student Congress, and Livio Zanardo and Aaron Weisman for each giving four great speeches in their first tournament.

Our Newest Resident Author

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:51:00 GMT

Ten years ago (1999)..our students helped to save the most important artifact in Miami’s history: The Miami Circle: Now art teacher, (who led the charge at our school) Yvonne Moyer has written, a children’s book about that event, the artifacts found and what the students did to save it.

MillieMay and the Miami Circle is about a exciting field trip to the Miami River to see the circle and a visit with an archaeologist. He shows the students the artifacts which range from ax heads to teeth from which they learn the about the life of the early Tequesta Indians who populated this area. MillieMay’s imagination takes off until she is interacting with the Tequesta children.

Mrs. Moyer presented a reading of the book in the Children’s Alley at the Miami Book Fair in November and will be presenting the book as part of the early history of Miami to our lower school students in early December. This is a book full of facts, colorful illustrations and a story seen through the eyes of a Miami Country Day Student. There is also a MillieMay doll complete with uniform, backpack and a “Save the Circle” badge to go with the book. The story will be enjoyed by lower school students of all ages.

Lower School Teachers as Learners

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:49:00 GMT

By: Terry Alfonso, Asst. Lower School Director and Brenda Holsing, Lower School Teacher
With the belief that continual growth is an essential characteristic of an outstanding educator, and the knowledge that teacher professional growth does positively impact student learning, Miami Country Day School strives to provide training/learning opportunities for teachers and administrators. In the Lower School, we have recently had teachers in the student role through an on-campus workshop and an off campus field trip.

On November 3rd, first, second, and third grade teachers attended a workshop on implementation of our new Literacy series, VOICES. This series promotes achievement through literacy and character. Training took place during the summer for preparation for the school year. The November training was designed to follow up on teacher questions, support in future planning, and refine implementation of the program. Teachers met by grade level with the VOICES national consultant, Anne O’ Mara and then had a culminating meeting with the various grade levels together. The discussions were insightful and furthered evidence of the power of teacher networking.

On Friday, November 6th, 14 LS teachers and administrators attended an in-service field trip to The United Way Center for Excellence in Early Education. The United Way Center for Excellence in Early Education which opened in 2007, is an innovative learning, teaching, and training initiative dedicated to elevating the quality of early care and education in Miami-Dade and beyond. The Center models proven best practices, and as a demonstration school, shares those practices with adult learners including parents, educators, and child care providers. The Center also works with business leaders and lawmakers to raise the standards of early childhood education, and support sustainable and lasting change”.

With 120 students ages 4 months to 4 years, the Center is currently working on implementing Project Zero and Visible Thinking at the early childhood level. Project Zero, a research group at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, has investigated the development of learning processes in children, adults, and organizations since 1967. Today, Project Zero is building on this research to help create communities of reflective, independent learners; to enhance deep understanding within disciplines; and to promote critical and creative thinking. Project Zero's mission is to understand and enhance learning, thinking, and creativity in the arts, as well as humanistic and scientific disciplines, at the individual and institutional levels.” While Project Zero has been implemented and tested for elementary to upper school, Project Zero Miami is approaching Visible Thinking at the early childhood ages through introductory vocabulary and thinking routines that help develop early problem solving skills. A key premise of the Visible Thinking approach is to seek ways to uncover and document students’ thinking so it can be discussed, reflected upon, and extended.

Lower School teachers are passionate about what they do. Their desire for growth truly speaks to our mission as a community of learners!

Veterans Day Tribute

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:26:00 GMT

Miami Country Day School held a Veterans Day Tribute Wednesday morning. Students and faculty joined together to stand for the singing of the National Anthem by Upper School student, Katherine Obermeyer. They also watched a short video, Veteran’s Day Tribute, and listened to some inspirational and moving words from Charly Bates, a Vietnam War veteran and Director of MCDS COEP. The ceremoney ended with the playing of Taps by Upper School students and Music Director, John Wicker.

Hundreds turn out for Miami Country Day's Walk For Cancer

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:55:53 GMT

Despite the rain, hundreds showed their colors - in shades of pink - at the Miami Country Day School's Annual Breast Cancer Walk

Rain, Rain, go away……although it didn’t go away, it certainly didn’t dampen the spirit of our MCDS Families!

A special THANK YOU to everyone who participated in our Spartan Family Day!
Our Walk for Cancer raised over $21,000 and we are still counting;

A very special thank you to Student Chairs - Summer Galitz, Lissy Rabin, Hannah Roden and Mallorie Thomas. Student Co-Chairs – Sophia Lakhani, Michelle Weintraub, Paige Weinkle and Dylan Schwartz.
We would like to thank our Locks of Love participants: Seniors; Morgan Furlong, Rachael Kamlet, Justin Paluch and Michelle Weintraub’s sister Staci Weintraub; Sixth grader Maddie Hertz’s Mother, Connie Hertz; Roxana Colongo from Development and Charly ‘Bear’ Bates from COEP.

USA Water Polo Academic All-American Player

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:55:00 GMT

Ashley Hatcher, Class of 2011, was recently recognized as a USA Water Polo Academic All-American for the 2008-09 academic year. The letter she received says: “This is a remarkable achievement, combining as it does a commitment to performing at the highest standards in sport and academics. Among eligible USA WP athletes, only 4.1 percent were selected for the honor of Academic All-American.”

Parents are committed to College Prep and Independent Schools...

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:43:00 GMT

Parents are committed to College Prep and Independent Schools...
An excerpt taken from the Blog from NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools) President, Pat Bassett

All NAIS schools that I know of are "college-prep" schools, including the elementary schools, and the Montessori and Waldorf schools, and even the LD schools, by which I mean that parents choose our schools because they want their kids to go to college and to be successful there, and they somehow have figured out what the record shows (and NAIS points to in documentation from various studies [see the National Educational Longitudinal Study and the Higher Educational Research Institute study]): NAIS independent schools are wildly and disproportionately successful in delivering on that “college-prep” promise. While private schools educate only about 10% of the school-age population (and independent schools only 1%), anywhere from 20–40% of the freshmen classes of the highly selective colleges and universities come from private schools (and we’re told a disproportionate percentage of those are from independent schools), mainly because these colleges know our schools and know that our students will succeed in their program. It is likely this factor will improve our college admissions records at the most selective colleges for years to come, given the accountability (graduation rates) pressure colleges and universities are under.

The distinction we need to make and continue to clarify is the bias of the Economist article: that independent schools' purpose is to matriculate students to a handful (about 10 or 12) of the most selective colleges and universities. Actually, for one thing, there are about 250 colleges and universities out of about 3000 four-year liberal arts colleges and universities that are actually selective: For many, if not most, of the rest, all you have to do is show up with a high school diploma, a pulse, and a checkbook: hence the abysmal graduation rate from college, overall (around 50%). But secondly, and more importantly, what we can promise and do deliver on is that our graduates will be matched to the right college, the one they belong at and will be successful at. And again, the data shows that it's the match that in the long run is the most important factor for success: Not "where" you went to college, but "what" you do at college is what tracks with later success in life.
To read Bassett’s blog in full, click here.

Creating Positive Change

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:04:00 GMT

The fifth grade had the opportunity to meet William Belsey, a much sought-after speaker and presenter on the topics of bullying, cyberbullying, technology integration, innovation, community development and global education. He has presented at many conferences across Canada and around the world. He gave a multimedia presentation for students about being able to create positive change.

He is the creator and facilitator of www.bullying.org, the world’s most-visited and referenced Website about bullying. www.bullying.org has won many awards including the Childnet International Award that goes to Internet initiatives that make the world a better and safer place for young people and was a finalist for the Stockholm Challenge Award, an award that has been referred to as “The Nobel Prize of the IT (Information Technology) world.Mr. Belsey is the creator of www.cyberbullying.org, the world’s first Website about the issue of cyberbullying, in fact, he is often cited as the first person to introduce and define this word.

My Hero Project - Third Grade Interviews Leonard Abess '62

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:05:00 GMT

Third grade students are participating in the My Hero Project, an international internet based project to recognize people who make a significant impact on our everyday lives. Our heroes are all Miami residents who have made significant contributions to our community. Each class focused on a different person and topic.

Mr. Knowles’ class interviewed Becky Matkov who is working to preserve Miami’s historic landmarks. Mrs. Parizo and Mrs. Mink interviewed Gil Naranjo and Eloisa Echazábal who were part of Operation Pedro Pan in the early 1960’s and are now working on creating historic archives about Pedro Pan at three local universities. Mrs. McKinnon’s class interviewed Mr. Leonard Abess '62 who has supported our community through the Mt. Sinai Neonatal unit, UM’s Environmental studies program and our own ACES lab.

Mrs. McKinnon’s students learned about Mr. Abess by reading and listening to online articles and talking to Mrs. Gerber about the impact Mr. Abess has had on our school through his sponsoring the ACES program. Once the students completed their research on Mr. Abess, they thought of questions to ask him about his background and how he decided to devote so much of his life to the environment and helping other people. Mr. Abess came to campus on October 2nd and the children got a chance to meet him and interview him. After the interview the students used the computers to create drawings and record the responses he gave to their questions. All of the information will be posted on the MyHero website.

Congratulations to our Honor Students

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:05:00 GMT

National Honor Society
Congratulations to the 42 students who were inducted into the National Honor Society Kenneth L. Harris Chapter and Alecia Sachs, NHS Sponsor. Special thanks to Glenna Milberg from Channel 10 for addressing the students and families.

Natalie Agudo
Colby Allen
Josh Aronson
Oliver Berens
Zach Berger
Marissa Bolton
Sasha Brigante
Alex Brody
Jordanna Cantor
Bharat Chandar
Katie Chaplin
Feliper Croitoru
James Callado
Daniel Goldfarb

Ian Gonzalez
Alan Hershkowich
Adam Holsing
Rachael Kamlet
Tiffany Kontoyiannis
Neil Mehta
Samantha Meiselman
Alan Moreno
Jasmin Olivera
Justin Paluch
Leon Papu
Carlos Perez
Victoria Perez
Maggie Piper

AJ Pitchman
Elisabeth Rabin
Devon Rivkind
Josh Robins
Kevin Rodrigues
Sabrina Rudolph
Sarah Rutland
John Schamy
Dylan Schwartz
Matthew Seif
Khadijah Stephen
Andrea Szerer
Stefania Taic
Miguel Villaquiran

National Junior Honor Society

Congratulations to the following students who were inducted into the National Junior Honor Society L.B. Sommers Chapter. Special thanks to David Kahn '97 for addressing the students and families.

Ninth Grade

Maurizio Boano
Carol Civre
Isabel Docal
Alexa Halvorssen

Sydney Iadarola
Catherine Kriendler
Jared Robins
Henry Roden
Jessika Roude

Jenny Roude
Augusto Vaccaro
Michael Viamonte
Avery Watson

Eighth Grade

Alexandra Akimov
Mateo Bolivar
Ellen Gelman
Isaac Kassab

Hunter Kravitz
Grace Lumbreras
Gioanna Macropulos
Isabela Osorio
Winona Paez

Sophia Peraticos
Adam Seif
Steven Soriano
William Urban

Seventh Grade

Ryan Amoils
Amanda Baldor
Spencer Berens
Mila Boano
Marco Cartolano
Jorge Castro
Shalini Chandar
Felix Elfering
Elizabeth Finny

David Franco
Paul-Julien Giraud
Ryan Gomez
David Gonzalez
Sydney Jones
Jackie Lash
Stephanie Mackenzie
Pablo Mejia
Danielle Saad

Julian Schultz
Jason Stein
Megan Tate
Blake Thomas
Adriana Vivas
Ruben Volovitz
Justin Walker
Margaux Walker
Marni Weiss

Endangered Species Presentation

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:04:00 GMT

The 7th Grade me some animals from the Florida habitat up close and personal at a recent endangered species presentation. The Zoological Wildlife Foundation brought to campus a Crocodile, a Red Tail Hawk, a Diamond back Terrapin and an Indigo Snake.

Banned Books Week

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:03:51 GMT

In honor of Banned Books Week (9/26 - 10/3), the School Newspaper, The Spartacus , featured an online photo gallery of teachers and students posing while wearing an "I read banned books" pin and holding a favorite book that has been banned. Check out the link to see if you might have read one of these most frequently banned books.

Miami Shores Village Place

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:03:30 GMT

Special thanks to our student artists & musicians and the entire Art Department, Music Department and COEP Program for their successful presentations at the grand opening of Village Place in Miami Shores. It was a lovely community event at which many schools and organizations were represented and Miami Country Day’s displays reflected our arts and outdoor education programs.

The art show was an exciting combination of Upper School colorful hand built ceramic boxes, masks and pots, as well as hand painted photography of face close-ups. Middle School had a broad variety of work including recycled soda can flowers, plaster board relief sculptures, plaster figures in various poses, cut paper molas, and positive/negative black and white imaginary creatures. Lower School was represented by a large table set as The Dinner Of The Masters, complete with place settings with paintings representing the work of 49 different artists (produced by 5th grade students), cups, plates and flatware as well as invitations, menus and creative descriptions of a piece of the artists work were included.

The Jazz Band performed a concert in the park for the many guests strolling Second Avenue and COEP set up a demonstration in Memorial Park. Thank you to everyone who participated and visited during the evening. Click here to view pictures of the evening.

Join the MCDS Family at the Walk for Cancer & Spartan Family Day

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:07:00 GMT

Saturday, October 24 2009
7:30 am
Walk for Cancer registration
Benefits the University of Miami WCA and the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center
8:30 am
Walk for Cancer
5k through Miami Shores
10:30 am
MCDS vs Westminster Christian homecoming football game
12 to 2 pm
Family BBQ with swimming, dunk tank, bounce house & lots of fun games
1:00 pm
Cake cutting in celebration of the future Katherine E. Franco Center for Learning Resources

Look for Homecoming Week / Spirit Week pictures and stories in Spartans Corner and the Spartacus online.
www.thespartacus.org/

Congratulations to Miami Country Day School's 2008-2009 National Merit Scholars & AP Scholars

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:38:00 GMT

National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists
Tara Gavcovich, Shahil Mehta, Matthew Murawski and Emerson Rosenthal

National Achievement Scholarship Program
Larissa Liburd

AP Scholars (grades of 3 or higher on 3 or more AP exams)
Michelle Abeckjerr, Jake Friedman, Tara Gavcovich, Lily Harriman, Adam Lelchuk, Claire Long, Jane McDonough, Hersila Patel and Ann Siassipour

AP Scholars with Honor (average grade of at least 3.25 on all AP exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on four or more AP exams)
Sanford Aronson, Shadia Ayoub, Morgan Furlong, Kyle Ginzburg, Matthew Green, Larissa Liburd, Jack Long, Amanda Montenegro, Matthew Murawski, Emerson Rosenthal, Meredith Rutland, Alexander Sanchez, Alexandra Schwartz and Natasha Vlahovic

AP Scholars with Distinction (average grade of at least 3.5 on all AP exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on five or more AP exams)
Kelly Bonilla, Arjun Chandar, Nora Cohen, Peter Edelson, Kevin Goldfarb, Nicole Holtz, Samuel Huber, Max Kirkpatrick, Adrian Mahoney, Shahil Mehta, Michael Sale, Nicole Savdie, Eric Smith and Samuel Villoldo

National AP Scholar (average grade of at least 4 on all AP exams taken, and grades of 4 or higher on eight or more of AP exams)
Arjun Chandar, Peter Edelson, Nicole Holtz, Samuel Huber and Nicole Savdie

National Hispanic Recognition Program 2008-09 Finalists
Tara Gavcovich
Kyle Ginzburg
Kevin Goldfarb
Matthew Murawski

This award identifies outstanding Hispanic/Latino high school students who were selected from a pool of over 200,000 students who took the 2008 PSAT/NMSQT/PAA and identified themselves as Hispanic/Latino.

Fifth Graders go High Wire

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:31:00 GMT

On Wednesday, fifth graders gained experience challenging themselves physically at FIU’s High Ropes Course. But the day was not just about physical challenge. “I didn’t realize how high the rope was until I climbed the ladder and looked down,” was the comment which triggered the conversation about “perspective”, the way we look at things in life affects the way we act.
“Today I pushed myself through my fear and walked the high rope,” another quote engaging students in thinking about fears and challenges and the reward that comes from such hard work. Best of all, students are asking when can they return! Just another great day in the learning of fifth graders at Miami Country Day School. Here is a link to more pictures.

8th Grade Advocate for the Homeless

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:30:00 GMT

Last week, the 8th grade began their community service initiative for the year, which will focus on homelessness. The goal for the day was to dispel myths surrounding this topic with a combination of both on and off campus activities. The day started with a Hunger Banquet in Garner Center, followed by visits to four shelters around town. The 8th graders were divided into groups. They visited, served food and met with homeless men, women, and children. The students were able to get a first hand impression of what it means to be homeless and how someone can end up in this situation. They went to the Salvation Army, Community Partnership for the Homeless, Roots in the City, and Camillus House. The students and teachers ended the team day by meeting with formerly homeless individuals. Click here to see some poems written by some of the 8th grade participants in Ms. Lewis' class about the experience.

"Thanks to Joanne Aronson and Vanessa Cabrera for organizing a very meaningful day for the 8th grade. The experiential encounter with what it means to be homeless was much more valuable than a day of lessons. Also, thanks to Shelley Sowell for her part in moving the students to get in touch with the more emotional, sensitive side of the picture. This is one aspect that distinguishes our school from so many others." - Margaret Mahoney

MCDS Brings Home Three Chess Trophies!

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:29:16 GMT

There were 117 participants at the first of six Miami Country Day Grand Prix events, and many agree that it was not only a successful event, but a great performance by Miami Country Day School!

The Miami Country Day Upper School team won 1st place in the K-12 section! A.J. Pitchman and Neil Mehta won 4 of their 5 matches, tying for the second highest score in the section. Daniel Goldfarb, Moshe Libbin, Miroslav Kriz each earned 3 wins. Also impressive were the 3 wins earned by both Dylan Jaffe & Giovanni Cragnotti in their first ever USCF-rated event. Matthew Kydd & Shadi Tabbara each scored points in the K-12 section as well.

In addition to the K-12 team trophy, two of our Lower School students brought home individual trophies. Andre Harper-Rosenberg finished in 2nd place in the K-3 section and Elliot Starkman finished in 3rd place in the K-1 section. Congratulations!

Daniel Gallup also scored points for the MCDS K-3 team, resulting in a 3rd place team finish for this tournament. Matias Marine scored points in the K-5 section and the MCDS K-8 team earned points from both David Gonzalez and Sascha Kappos.

For a complete listing of individual and team results, visit: http://www.bocachess.com/GrandPrix

If you would be interested in participating in our next chess tournament on Saturday, October 31, contact Michael Hutsko at hutskom@miamicountryday.org for more information. All ages are welcome! There is an open section for adults and all ability levels are invited!

As Director of the Spartan Chess Club, I am not only extremely proud of the performance of the MCDS students, but also the sportsmanship, focus, and excitement. A very special thanks go to Diana Starkman, Neeta Singh, Jonina Pitchman, and Carroll Kelly, Upper School Sponsor Peter Konen, Lower School Sponsor Jonathan Knowles, Jasmine Lake, Mike Caban & the Maintenance Department, Shannon Reardon, Amy Gallup, Nina Lucchi, Jennifer Kahn, Charlie Lovett, and Steve Mathes.

Tournament report submitted by:
Michael Hutsko
Assistant Tournament Director, Miami Country Day Grand Prix
Director, Spartan Chess Club
USCF Certified Club Tournament Director

Walk for Cancer Assembly Kicks off Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:26:15 GMT

Written by Ines Hegedus-Garcia, past president and active member of the Heidi Hewes Chapter of the WCA - as seen in Miamism.com

Miami Country Day School has a yearly Walk for Cancer in October where proceeds go to the Heidi Hewes Chapter of the Woman’s Cancer Association of the University of Miami's Sylvester Center. 100% of that money goes towards cancer research and in many cases represents seed money used to start very important research and clinical trials to find a cure for cancer.

Last Friday was the school’s kick-off assembly for the Walk for Cancer which will be held on Saturday, October 24th. The Walk not only represents selfless giving from the committed children, young adults and faculty at the school, but it has also become a Miami Shores Tradition.

This year’s assembly was full of enthusiasm – from the Spartan Cheerleaders to singer Adriana Arce, Class of 2006, Beep-Boxing and even an amazing "step" performance of a number called “Walk the Walk” by AAA.

Miami Country Day brought the reality of cancer to the assembly by inviting Dr. John Goldberg from The University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center – a pediatric oncologist who specializes in the early phase of clinical trials. Dr. Goldberg explained how seed money is used to start research and how his team is responsible in many cases, for taking the lab research projects to clinical trials that give hope to real terminal patients - in some cases even 5 week old infants with Leukemia.

As past president and active member of the Heidi Hewes Chapter of the WCA, I commend Miami Country Day and everyone involved because they are truly setting an example and making a difference. Congratulations and good luck with The Walk for Cancer!

Shared by faculty member, James Davis: "Bravo! Bravo! To the students and staff who worked so hard to put together such a magnificent assembly. The students who sat near me were attentive and enthusiastic. The cheerleaders, chorus, and steppers were incredible. As an African-American who participated in the “Stepping” tradition through college and fraternities, I was surprised and delighted to witness the craft being performed at MCDS. My mother died from colon cancer, and I am a proud supporter of cancer awareness. It was a memorable event. May the universe continue to work through reveal itself through the great work of our students and staff."

Come Celebrate Village Place! Friday, October 2 from 6 - 9 p.m.

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:24:00 GMT

Bring your family to the heart of Miami Shores for a fun-filled street party celebrating the new face of Village Place. Come wander the street from side to side, visit all the performances, stop at the exhibits - including MCDS's art & COEP displays. At the end of the road, 93rd Street, Memorial Park, there is a concert in the park by MCDS' Jazz Band. Performances continue at the Playground Theatre, both on the outside and inside stages, open mic for those anxious to take the microphone and entertain us all.

Check out the flyer!

Download map of event.

Then come to MCDS campus to cheer on the Varsity Football team. The game starts at 7:30 pm. Bring the whole family! Support your Spartans and enjoy the PA Booster BBQ as well.

Greetings Chess Players of ALL Ages, Parents, & Coaches

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:59:00 GMT

The Spartan Chess Club would like to take this opportunity to invite you to the Miami Country Day Grand Prix Chess Tourament, which will take place on Saturday, September 26. It is the first in a series of six USCF-rated events that the school is co-hosting with the Boca Raton Chess Club at Miami Country Day School this academic year.

There will be scholastic AND non-scholastic sections, as well as individual and team trophies . Please take a moment to view the attached flyer for more details. No matter what your age or level, all USCF members will be able to join the fun!

To enter for a $12 entry fee, you must do so by Wednesday, September 23. If you want to pay by cash, please submit your entry form to Mr. Michael Hutsko with payment by September 23. If you want to pay by check or credit card, please go to http://www.eventbrite.com/event/412486759.

Because we are expecting a large draw, you MUST register in advance if you want to play in all rounds of the tournament. Entries after Wednesday will be $15. You risk not playing in the first round if we do not receive your entry by Friday.

Click here to download the registration form. Please feel free to contact Michael Hutsko, Director of the Spartan Chess Club for more information.

Goodness sakes…we have SNAKES!!!!

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:54:19 GMT

FINALLY…first time ever the Abess Center for Environmental Studies (ACES) lab have successfully hatched two corn snake eggs…and they are BEAUTIFUL! Hopefully, we have four more eggs that will hatch this week. Congratulations to the proud parents (who could care less) and the excited teachers! A true rare experience and unique experience.

Duke University Talent Search

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:54:00 GMT

Each year a number of 7th graders qualify for the Duke University Academic Talent Search based on their 2008-09 ERB scores. They must post scores in the 95th percentile in the verbal or quantitative reasoning sections to qualify. These students, if they choose to participate, will go on and take the SAT or ACT exam this winter to qualify for state and national recognition in the search, as well as for access to the Duke summer program. Congratulations to Miami Country Day School's 18 qualifiers:

Both Verbal and Math
Amanda Baldor
Spencer Berens
Shalini Chandar
Jahmiya Cooper
Felix Elfering
David Gonzalez
Julian Schultz
Blake Thomas

Verbal
Elizabeth Finny
Jackie Lash
Ines Lei
Pablo Mejia
Nikolas Robinson
Sidney Thomas
Austen Weinberg

Math
Paul-Julien Giraud
Tavis Hom
Sydney Jones

The Parents' Association is Selling Giftwrap!

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 12:52:00 GMT

Lower Schoolers should have already received brochures and Middle and Upper Schoolers can pick them up in their division offices.

To order online, go to www.SallyFoster.com and register with our code - 86111. The sale runs through September 25th, and 50% of proceeds go to the Parents Association!

Words of Wisdom from recent Miami Country Day School Alumni

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:32:00 GMT

On Tuesday, three alumni visited campus to speak to the Freshmen & Sophomore classes about their experience as an Upper School student at MCDS. Brian Riemer '08 is entering his second year at Harvard University, Christine Chancy '08 is entering her second year at Mt. Holyoke College and Jane McDonough '09 is starting her first year at Barnard College. Brian opened by sharing one thing you do not need to know as a Freshmen & Sophomore: "What you are going to do with the rest of your life. Instead, work on the things that interest you and increase your options. Worry later about which path you are going to take and which trail you are going to blaze." The alumni shared some advice on the transition between Middle School & Upper School, urged them not to waste any time and to take advantage of all of the opportunities here at MCDS. They also spoke about the importance of making the most of their relationships with their teachers here at Country Day.

Check out what MCDS students did this summer.

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:30:00 GMT

Over the summer, Alee Schwartz has spent her time as a marketing intern at Miami Magazine by Modern Luxury and as a Sales Associate at Hollister Co. clothing store. At Miami Magazine she has helped out planning events, working on enhancing charity work, and has done extensive research on the benefits of social networking for marketing purposes. When she was not working at her two jobs, she spent her time collecting school supplies for the Children's Home Society and then helped packed them into backpacks for the foster children. She has also continued her work with the Jewish Community as she has been planning a fund raising phone-a-thon that will take place on September 3, 2009 in conjunction with the JCS of North Miami.

Tara Gavcovich, an upcoming Senior interned at Miami Children's Hospital with Dr. Colin Knight, a pediatric surgeon. While shadowing this doctor, she also served as a Spanish translator for those families that did not know any English. Through her ongoing project, "Libros Para Ninos," Tara donated children's books to the patients at the hospital as well.

Check back for more student stories.

Flu Update

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 21:08:00 GMT

Dear Parents,

We want to assure you that the Health Room at Miami Country Day School is prepared to partner with you in handling the flu season! At this time, the school has confirmed cases of influenza in the Upper School, but no confirmed cases of H1N1. Testing has not been done to rule out H1N1 flu - the CDC is not requiring testing this early. The CDC reports that the H1N1 flu is not any more severe than the seasonal flu, except that it is more contagious.

We are following the recommendations of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the Florida Department of Health. Masks and gloves are well stocked. The back room of the Health Room will become the isolation room if necessary to prevent the spread of illness. All hard surfaces are being washed and disinfected daily.

Please make plans now to keep your child home and follow up with their pediatrician if they show signs of the flu. Signs of the flu include, fever (over 100 F or 37.8 C) body aches, runny nose, sore throat, nausea/vomiting/diarrhea. Contact your physician and if diagnosed with the virus, plan to stay home from work/school for up to seven days.

The enclosed links are provided to give you more information and instruction on how to prevent and care for someone with the flu.

www.myflusafety.com
Florida Dept of Health website

www.flu.gov
CDC website

As always, should you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Health Room at 305.779.7261. The School Nurse will also be attending the Lower School Open House.

The Middle School and Upper School will continue to observe the attendance policy currently in place. However, students who are under a doctor’s care because of having contracted the influenza are invited to submit documentation by a physician. Provided documentation is given, absences for the influenza will be excused.

Thank you.

DNA, Biotechnology, Electrophoresis...just a summer at MCDS!

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 20:22:00 GMT

This summer four rising sophomores and four rising juniors participated in an intensive, hands on, three week DNA/biotechnology class. They learned how to perform electrophoresis and PCR; the two techniques that have combined to revolutionize the use of DNA in work ranging from population genetics to forensics. PCR is such a powerful amplification technique that students were able to test themselves and their family members for several different DNA sequences (one a noncoding piece of DNA that can be used to reconstruct the migration patterns of ancient human beings and the other an actual gene that dictates whether or not a person can taste a particular bitter compound). In addition the students tested various corn based foods to see if they had been genetically modified (augmented with a gene that confers resistance to a commercial weed killer). The results were very interesting but if you want specific details you have to take the class !

Other activities completed during the three weeks included a lesson on DNA sequencing, an online exploration of the use of short tandem repeat DNA to generate the "DNA fingerprints" used by law enforcement agencies, a lab involving the transfer of a jellyfish gene into bacteria in order to make them glow, and several labs that illustrated the usefulness of restriction enzymes. The students produced high quality work and in the process got a very realistic peek into the world of DNA science. Anyone interested in seeing sample work or finding out more about the class should contact Mr. Konen at konenp@miamicountryday.org.

Check out one student's impressive portfolio from class!

Senior Trip - Important Information

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 13:18:24 GMT

Our seniors are getting ready to head out for the annual Senior Trip. From Thursday to Sunday, the class of 2010 will enjoy white water rafting, square dancing, riding horses, climbing in a rope course, hanging out by the camp fire, and more!

Before they head out, we have some important information regarding the trip:

Tomorrow morning, please arrive at the NORTH PARKING LOT. This is a change from the original plan, please be sure to be on time at 4:45am.
Our return flight time has changed. We will be departing from Atlanta International Airport at 3:45pm, and we will arrive in Fort Lauderdale at 5:30pm. We will NOT be returning to Country Day as a group, so please arrange for a ride at the airport.

We hope you guys have a great time this weekend!

Welcome from the Head of School

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 14:30:00 GMT

Welcome back and a special welcome to our new families! I hope you enjoyed your summer and had some time to rest and relax.

This fall we will be undergoing re-accreditation as a part of our ongoing membership with Florida Kindergarten Council (FKC), Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and Florida Council of Independent Schools (FCIS). Miami Country Day is also seeking accreditation with SAIS (Southern Association of Independent Schools). We look forward to sharing the results with you early in 2010.

If you have been on campus you know that the construction of the Katherine E. Franco Center for Learning Resources is underway and we will celebrate the progress at our Spartan Family Day on October 24. When completed, this facility will include a state of the art library, media center, student center and alumni boardroom. Construction during the school year always presents a unique set of challenges and please know that we have worked very hard to devise a traffic and parking plan to insure the safety and well-being of your children. Please read carefully the information included about our traffic procedures. It is imperative for the safety of all students that we have everyone’s cooperation and understanding. (View our Traffic Procedures)

Thank you for being a part of our school community. If I can be helpful to you, please call me directly at 305-779-7201 or send me an email at daviesj@miamicountryday.org. I look forward to seeing you and your children back on campus.

Sincerely,

John Davies, Ed.D.
Head of School

Class of 2009 College Acceptances and more

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 21:20:00 GMT

Congratulations to our 5 Silver Knight Nominees: Nicole Holtz (Drama), Jane McDonough (Art), Meredith Rutland (Journalism), Michael Sale (New Media)
and Ann Siassipour (Social Science) - Click here to read more about their accomplishments.

The seniors have been busy with their senior project internships at a variety of businesses around Miami. The Senior Project Presentations will be held on May 22 in the Gym. Please come by to hear and see the results of their experiences.

College Acceptances...More arriving daily!

Student Architects at Miami Country Day School

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 21:20:00 GMT

The Honors Geometry class, grades 8-10, designed and built models of a Math and Science Center. During the year to prepare for the project, they studied architecture and researched famous architects and buildings known for their architecture. They created floor plans of the White House and the Pentagon. They also researched different roofing systems and built a roof model. They created a picture portfolio using pictures of different aspects of buildings. All of this work led up to this final project which was presented to a panel of judges including Dr. Bernstein – Science department chair, Mr. Bronish – Math Department Chair and Mr. Gutierrez – Local Architect.

Rube Goldberg Projects 2009

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 21:16:58 GMT

The Rube Goldberg Machine Contest (RGMC) brings the ideas of Pulitzer Prize-winning artist Rube Goldberg's "invention" cartoons to life. This Olympics of Complexity is designed to pull students away from conventional problem-solving and push them into the endless chaos of imagination and intuitive thought. To be specific, groups are given an elementary challenge: something as simple as peeling an apple, sharpening a pencil, or putting toothpaste on a toothbrush. But instead of just "solving" the problem, students have to make the solution as complicated and as convoluted as possible. In fact, the more steps - there's a minimum of twenty - the better the Rube Goldberg Machine. And what a machine! An assemblage of ordinary objects, mechanical gadgets, and the oddest odds and ends are linked together and somehow get to the desired goal.

We met the match!

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 21:15:56 GMT

Last year at this time, we were celebrating the Theater for Social Change program receiving a $50,000 matching grant from the EE Ford Foundation. We just learned that the final donations came in and we officially reached our goal of $50,000! The program will continue offering a unique way to introduce students to aspects of the human condition, stimulate discussions about important societal issues and foster change at the local, national and global levels. Congratulations!

8th Grade Team Day - Visit to the Juvenile Justice Center

Thu, 14 May 2009 21:20:00 GMT

By: Joanne Aronson
“Powerful, informative and provocative,” were the words used by 8th Grade English teacher Brenda Guevara to describe the day students and teachers spent at the Juvenile Justice Center. Continuing with a multifaceted educational approach to community service, students learned first-hand the importance of advocating on behalf of children who often have no one to represent their needs. The students were welcomed by The Honorable Cindy Lederman who remarked that, “These children need us: after all, they didn’t wake up one morning and say I want to have parents who neglect and abuse me.”

The students observed the proceedings of both delinquency and dependency court and this unique experience reiterated the need for all individuals to become involved in their community and to speak for those who do not have a voice of their own. Following this “eye-opening” experience, the students continued their morning with a visit to the detention center where Captain Steve Owens addressed the students and described a day in the life of a juvenile detainee.

The afternoon program began with a debriefing by Mary Woolley-Larrea, the Operations Director of Juvenile Court, and Rachel Kamlet, a junior at MCDS and a youth advocate with NCJW Teens. Both Ms. Woolley-Larea and Rachael facilitated a discussion with the students to provide a context for what the students witnessed and what organizations are doing to assist juveniles going in and out of the court system.

Reflective writing and discussion in small groups closed this informative day for the 8th grade class. Ms. Guevara noted that, “Many of the students felt grateful for their families and for basic things they take for granted, like privacy and education.” And, 8th grader Cameron Russell reflected that, “This made me understand different people’s situations and what it would be like to lose everything. I am going to take advantage of everything I have.”

Operation Smile Club - Making a Difference

Thu, 14 May 2009 21:19:41 GMT

Congratulations to Mrs. Silla and the Operation Smile Club for raising $11,417.24 this year for this worthy cause. This money will fund 47 operations for children around the world.

Congratulations to this year's DAANS Star Students

Thu, 14 May 2009 21:19:00 GMT

* Celina Lindemann, Grade 5 * Avery Watson, Grade 8
* Daniella Azrad, Grade 12 * Max Kirkpatrick, Grade 12

A Daans Star Student is an exemplary student who sets an example for others to follow, whether in the home, school or community. These students have excelled in one or more of these areas: academics, community service, citizenship, fine arts, athletics, student activities, perseverance, effort, dedication, commitment to positive goals, improvement in performance and attitude.

Stock Market Challenge Winners at MCDS

Thu, 14 May 2009 21:19:00 GMT

Congratulations to Miami Country Day’s seniors who placed all three winning teams in the regional Spring 2009 Stock Market Challenge!

Congratulations to the winners:
1st Place: Michael Peisach and Michael Sale with a 47.9% return (not pictured)
2nd Place: Adnan Charania* and Max Kirkpatrick* with a 39.6% return
3rd Place: Pedro Adrian and Evan Orth with a 37.4% return

The contest took place during a highly volatile market period this Spring. Despite the obstacles, these students outperformed last year’s winners by an amazing 15%.

The winners were awarded:
- A 100.00 gift certificate (1st Place) or 50.00 Pizza party (2nd and 3rd Place)
- Lunch paid by the Florida Council on Economic Education (FCEE) at an FCEE partner restaurant
- Visit to the Federal Reserve Building in Miami
- Certificates of Recognition

*Adnan Charania and Max Kirkpatrick won the MCDS Challenge which ended one week earlier.
Thanks to all who participated and supported our Seniors!

2009 Outstanding Student Award

Thu, 14 May 2009 21:18:38 GMT

The Miami Shores Chamber of Commerce recognized Senior, Meredith Rutland as the 2009 Outstanding Student Award recipient.

Joining her for the reception were Glen Turf, Upper School Director, Dr. John Davies, Head of School, Carolyn Dorn, Upper School teacher and her family.

Click here to see the current list of College Acceptances.

Wed, 13 May 2009 21:28:00 GMT

Debate Team Success

Wed, 13 May 2009 16:49:12 GMT

The Debate Team has grown substantially over the past two years, both in number of students competing and success at tournaments. We now have 33 team members who have earned their memberships in the National Forensic League (the national speech and debate honor society), and another 19 team members who have competed in tournaments but not yet earned their NFL memberships. This is an increase from 12 NFL members at the beginning of the year. MCDS now has the 6th largest debate team of the 21 teams competing in Miami-Dade County. Read more.

Top Science Department at MCDS

Wed, 13 May 2009 16:48:55 GMT

Congratulations to Mr. Robin Hori, Mr. Paul Wieser, and their students who had a great showing at this year's Science Olympiad at Barry University. Chemistry II (AP Chem) placed 3rd in the laboratory activity and 3rd overall. The team consisted of Morgan Furlong, Alee Schwartz, Tara Gavcovich, Shahil Mehta, Justin Paluch and Kelbe Jaehnke.

Physics I (Honors Physics) placed 2nd in the History of Physics. The team consisted of Kevin Goldfarb, Adam Holsing, Josh Aronson, Sandy Aronson, Kyle Ginzburg and Alexandra Singer.

Each team competed in three categories. Chem II had a laboratory component, a written test, and an oral test. Physics I had a written test, an oral test on Newtonian Mechanics, and an oral test on the History of Physics.

These results, along with how well they have traditionally done in the JETS competition, really do point out a great science department.

State Recognition in the 2009 JETS Competition

Wed, 13 May 2009 16:48:37 GMT

Congratulations to the 2009 JETS Team for their state rankings! JETS (Junior Engineering Technical Society) is a national non-profit educational organization dedicated to promoting engineering and technology careers to our nation's young people. The following are the official results for the 2009 JETS competition:

Varsity A (Sam Huber, Sam Villoldo, Arjun Chandar, Nicole Savdie, Max Kirkpatrick, Eric Smith, Adam Lelchuk and Patricia Ramos) 6th place, Division II State of Florida.

Jr. Varsity B (Daniel Goldfarb, Jake Friedman, Josh Aronson, Sandy Aronson, Katherine Obermeyer, Claire Long, Kelbe Jaehnke, and Justin Paluch) 5th place, Division II State of Florida.

Jr. Varsity A (Kevin Goldfarb, Kyle Ginzburg, Shahil Mehta, Alee Schwartz, Tara Gavcovich, Matt Murawski, and Jacky Sasson) 6th place, Division II State of Florida.

Coming into this year, the Varsity A team is listed as 20th, nationally, for Division II Schools and the MCDS Jr. Varsity A team is listed as 19th, nationally, for Division II Schools.

Miami-Dade Youth Fair Scholarship Recipients

Wed, 13 May 2009 16:48:07 GMT

Congratulations to seniors, Arjun Chandar and Natasha Vlahovic who received the Miami-Dade Youth Fair Scholarship this year at an award ceremony last week. It was a very nice event made even more special by the fact that the award sets aside only six spots for non-public schools, and Arjun and Natasha took two of those places!

Miami Country Day School Zoo Club Makes the News

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 23:55:00 GMT

Core Values in Action

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 23:55:00 GMT

The seventh grade practiced the four core values of Compassion, Wisdom, Honor and Respect when they participated in a service day visiting Villa Maria Nursing facility. The students interviewed residents engaging them in dialogue, asking questions and sharing stories from their lives. Acting as historians, the students returned to MCDS to create textual and graphic records of the stories and the visit. These records will be laminated into individual commemorative mats and into a memory book. Additionally, the students will also write poems using this experience as inspiration. One highlight of the day was when a resident’s daughter expressed, “I want to thank the students, this is the first time I have seen my mother smile in a long time.”

Anchor Club Brings Spring Cheer to Arcola Lakes Students

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 23:55:00 GMT

Thirty Upper School students recently spent the day with young special needs students at Arcola Lakes. They enjoyed arts and crafts, hanging out and a special easter egg hunt. Supplies and materials were purchased with funds raised by sales on campus. One of our Anchor Club members spent quality time and brought a smile to one special young boy who was unable to participate due to his disabilities. Special thanks to Jennifer Sennett and the Anchor Club for making a difference in the community.

MCDS has another team for Relay for Life

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 23:54:00 GMT

Relay for Life is a fifteen hour walk sponsored by the American Cancer Society to raise money for the fight against cancer. Last year, the Miami Country Day team, led by Katherine Obermeyer, Class of 2010, with co-captain Harrison C. Davies, Class of 2009, was one of the top five fundraising teams, and also was the only team with a star supporter (someone who raises over $1,500, Katherine Obermeyer). You can find more information about the relay at www.relayforlife.org/miamishoresfl. This year's relay is April 24th at 6:30 p.m. at Doctors Charter School. Visit the Miami Country Day team webpage for more information.

The April 7th Cookbook Kickoff Party was a huge success.

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 23:54:00 GMT

Thank you to chairs, Honey Revitz and Jessie Mendal and Parents' Association President, Debi Beasley, for all their hard work in making this a successful event. Thanks to Amarilis Osorio for bringing Romero Britto to the event. He signed cookbooks for well over an hour. Thanks to SAGE DINING for providing the foods. The new food service company was well received. All who attended and tasted – LIKED THE FOOD A LOT – Yeah! Thanks also go to SOUTHERN WINE AND SPIRITS for donating the wines and Brazilian Specialty drinks. For those of you that weren’t able to attend, do not fear, there are still cookbooks left to purchase. The price is $30 for the cookbook and that is a bargain. Contact Debi at bbeaz@aol.com or 305-794-6860 or stop by the Development Office in Primary Hall.

Award winning staff

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 23:53:00 GMT

Lower School Library staff member, Meribeth Shank recently won the "Editorial Bronze Award" from the Parenting Publications of America (PPA) 2009 Editorial and Design Awards. The PPA Judges described Meribeth's winning writing style in this way: "Thoughtful book selections that adhere to a clear theme, along with insightful and well written commentaries are the winning attributes of this column [in the Miami Family Magazine]."

Faculty as Published authors!

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 14:34:00 GMT

A collection of poems by Scott Brennan, English teacher, were accepted for publication in The Gettysburg Review. Go to this link to learn more about this important journal. This is not the first time Scott has been published. His works have been published in a number of literary journals. Congratulations, Scott!

"Extraordinary Morning"

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 14:33:44 GMT

Terry Alfonso, Assistant Director of the Lower School
"I had the wonderful opportunity of watching teachers and students from Miami and Hong Kong revel in each other’s company and learn together! Rowena Gerber, John Wicker, Ana Izaguirre and Julie Ruben’s 4th Grade class hosted a videoconference in the ACES lab with a class in Hong Kong. With Mr. Barbick and Ms. Gerber as animal wranglers, our students shared the wonders of ACES lab and their solar cookers, performed a great percussion ensemble under Ms. Izaguirre’s direction, and then Ms. Izaguirre taught the students in Hong Kong and they all played together-fabulous!!!!

The students in Hong Kong shared facts about China (including a demo of Kung Fu), waltzed (to Edelweiss!!) and then invited our students to join in (and they did!). The students on both sides of the camera were warm and delightful.

The morning ended with a rousing international game of charades. It was truly an extraordinary morning…..every student….every day!

Congratulations to the teachers and students….I know extraordinary things are happening in every room, every day (biographies, art shows, puppet shows, singing, book publishing, sparkly pattern pictures…..), it’s such a treat to be a witness!"

Students from Around the Community Collaborate on Environmental Issues to Make a Difference

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 14:32:55 GMT

On Tuesday, March 31st, Miami Country Day School hosted the annual YouthCaN conference. Students from five local schools came to MCDS and shared their ideas and projects about environmental issues and conservation. An all-day conference organized through the world-wide youth run organization, YouthCaN, provides a unique opportunity to unite environmentally active youth to exchange ideas about the environment and empower others to make a difference in their own communities. All students participated in a variety of hands-on activities and toured the Abess Center for Environmental Studies Animal Lab and campus gardens at Miami Country Day School.

Annual Evening of the Arts a Great Success

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 14:31:10 GMT

Guests enjoyed a wonderful evening at the annual Evening of the Arts on Thursday, March 26. Our talented students were involved in many ways celebrating the arts with our community. Parents and students listened to jazz and solos with Mr. John Wicker. Mr. Sal Vinciguerra's Middle School group played beautifully in the breezeway. Middle School dancers performed and the community enjoyed Middle and Upper School art work displays around campus. The Lower School chorus "rocked the roof" in the Chickee Hut. The Thespian troop intrigued and amazed the audience with their talent and Middle School actors entertained all who watched. As an added treat, student literature and poetry were displayed and enjoyed.

Upper School Service Day...uniting through community service.

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:47:00 GMT

This year 89% of the student body participated in the all Upper School service day. Freshmen worked at the Miami Metrozoo, sophomores worked with Citizens for a Better South Florida helping to restore Virginia Key. Juniors removed invasive species form Oleta State Park and seniors got to help clean Pelican Harbor Island. The weather was magnificent and the students received accolades from all organizations for their help and hard work.

Project Based Learning...Solar Cars & Algebra

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:47:00 GMT

Algebra I students in grades 7-9 explored equations and linear functions by racing student built solar cars over a 20 foot track. After building their own cars, students tested these vehicles to see how the sun's energy impacts a solar cell whose resulting energy powers the car's engine giving it a unique velocity and acceleration. Students then used the data to create scatter plots of distance versus time to develop a mathematic model for the car's speed. While the underlying lesson of this project was math, students also learned valuable lessons in engineering and science as well as working on a team!

The advantage of a PK3 - 12 school...

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:46:00 GMT

...students working together across divisions.

During Dr. Suess Week, senior Josh Ayala stopped in to read some classic Dr. Seuss stories to Mrs. Rutland's first grade class.

Math Competition - Top in the County!

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:45:00 GMT

Congratulations to senior, Arjun Chandar and junior, Kevin Goldfarb, and the Math Department for their recent accomplishments in the David Essner Math Competition. Students who ranked in the top 20 in the county were honored at a reception at the University of Miami. Miami Country Day School had the most students of all private schools represented. Arjun Chandar placed 8th and Kevin Goldfarb placed 18th. The tests were administered to students in Miami-Dade County and only the top 20 were invited for the presentation.

Physics test students’ knowledge...

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 13:29:00 GMT

... at the 7th Annual Buoyancy Cup

The Buoyancy Cup at Miami Country Day School is a race of cardboard boats that are built and paddled by a team of no more than six members from each class advisory from grades 2 through 12. There are specifications that must be met and it is a timed event. Each team is responsible for the design, manufacture, and the piloting of their craft. Construction materials are limited to cardboard, Elmer’s Glue (Water soluble) and Duct tape. Each craft must also meet design parameters to qualify for the event. Medallions of achievement will be awarded to members of the top finishing teams. Congratulations to winners Fadi Fayad and Michael Paz in the Lusitania.

(See this story in The Miami Herald)

Chess Team Success

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 13:24:21 GMT

Congratulations to the MCDS team of A.J. Pitchman, Miroslav Kriz, and Devon Zifferblatt who brought home a 5th Place K-12 Under 1000 trophy from the Florida State Championship Chess Tournament, a.k.a. Superstates VI, which took place here in Miami. This is the first MCDS team trophy from a state chess tournament since 2001.

On the 13th, Spartan Chess Club alum Warren Ifergane enjoyed a Friday afternoon of chess with many of the current Spartan Chess Club members and sponsors and showed that he still has the skills to win. After winning a tactical championship match versus Mr. Konen, Ifergane finished 4.0/4.0 and took home his second championship trophy from a tournament hosted at MCDS.

Congratulations are also in order for the scholastic champion, Kevin Goldfarb (3.0/4.0), and scholastic runner-up, A.J. Pitchman (3.0/4.0). David Gonzalez and Spencer Berens were the highest finishing middle school participants, finishing 2.0/4.0.

Writers Among Us!

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 13:19:00 GMT

Congratulations to the following 8th grade students who have won Judges’ Awards from the Creative Writing Department of the Miami-Dade County Fair & Exhibition:

• Laura Szerer for her poem, “Holocaust”
• Jacob Gershon for his vignette, “The Playground of my Childhood”

Laura and Jacob will be honored at an Awards Ceremony that will take place on Tuesday, March 31.

Pennies for Peace

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 14:37:00 GMT

Inspired by a presentation by author Greg Mortenson, a group of Miami Country Day faculty set off to make a difference by starting a Pennies for Peace drive connected to Valentines’ Day. The children poured out all their pennies that were collected in the classrooms into a beautiful painted heart that Yvonne Moyer’s art classes painted. Together they raised over $1000! The Lower School faculty & students will send a check with valentines the children wrote to the students of the schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan.