MCDS News

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Our Cover Star this month is Mariandl Hufford, President and Head of School at Miami Country Day School.

In honor of the 85th Anniversary of MCDS, we thought you’d love learning more about the school’s first female Head of School. Mariandl opens up about her career path, family life, and what inspires her about MCDS.

The commencement issue of the Beacon magazine, the official literary magazine of Miami Country Day School, is an annual publication that honors the graduating class. This year’s Commencement highlights the yearlong shared moments, milestones and community celebrations of the Class of 2023 and is a treasured keepsake for the graduates, their families, friends and serves as a living history of the many accomplishments of the class of 2023. To share in the Spartan Pride please view below:

More information to come

Miami, FL - Cristina Pla-Guzman, theatre teacher at Miami Country Day School, received an Honorable Mention at the Excellence in Theatre Education Award, presented by the Tony Awards. The award, sponsored by Carnegie Mellon University, recognizes theatre educators who have demonstrated a positive impact on the lives of their students and their communities. Pla -Guzman has  crafted and directed student performances in various local and national competitions where her students have earned accolades and recognition for their talent and creativity.

Pla-Guzman was among 10 educators who received honorable mentions from a pool of candidates submitted by members of the public. During the 77th Annual Tony Awards ceremony.

Our school's President & Head of School, Mariandl Hufford, congratulated Pla-Guzman for her well-deserved honor. "We all know Cristina is an inspirational and life-transforming teacher, but it sure is wonderful to have an outside panel of experts confirm this." She writes. "When you see Cristina in these last few days of the school year, please be sure to congratulate her for this well-deserved honor!"

Pla-Guzman expressed her gratitude for the recognition and thanked her students, colleagues, and family for their support. Watch the video below to view what was submitted to the panel.

We are absolutely bursting with #SpartanPride as Dr. Nima Rouhanifard has successfully completed his doctoral degree from the University of Pennsylvania! 🎉

His dedication, hard work, and unwavering commitment to education have not only inspired our students but also elevated our school community. Dr. Rouhanifard's pursuit of academic excellence sets an outstanding example for all of us at Miami Country Day School. 👏

Congratulations to Guillermo Ouvina, the recipient of the 2023 William J. Creeden Humanitarian Award! 🌟 Guillermo personifies empathy, consideration, and a personal concern for the welfare of others, making him the perfect choice for this prestigious honor. For 14 years, he has been the friendly face that greets us with a smile, starting our day off right. He sets a warm and welcoming tone on our campus. Guillermo ensures our dietary needs are met and goes above and beyond to make us feel cared for. We are incredibly grateful for his unwavering devotion and are proud to call him a Spartan. Join us in celebrating Guillermo Ouvina

Congratulations to our Global Studies Diploma Endorsement candidates officially became global citizens and scholars. Congratulations! The world awaits! (Missing in photo: Maya B, Audrey M H, Mariana D-C)

Heidi Hewes is a nonprofit organization that supports cancer research and patient care. Recently, they hosted a recognition luncheon to honor their volunteers and donors. Among the recipients of the awards was Josh Ader, a 12th grade student who has been volunteering with Heidi Hewes for over 10 years. Josh received a certificate of appreciation for his dedication and service. He has been very involved in various activities and events, always with a smile and a willingness to help. He is also a junior member of the organization, which allows him to participate in leadership and fundraising roles. Josh is an exemplary volunteer and a valued member of the Heidi Hewes family. Congratulations Josh, we are so proud of you.

This replica, as well as accompanying Holocaust artifacts, will be displayed on the field east of the security office and in a corner of the CFA lobby, respectively.  As a reminder, this is a student-driven educational exhibit for which Miami Country Day School was selected to be a site. It is appropriate for students in grades 8-12.  All 8^th grade and 9^th grade social studies/history classes will visit as part of their curriculum, and all 10^th-12^th grade students have been invited to attend on their independent study periods.  As an educational institution that denounces any form of hatred, this exhibit supports Miami Country Day School’s quest to educate about the past so that we may better our future.  Antisemitism has no place in our community.  

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Mr. Glen Turf, Chief Officer for Global Initiatives, Equity & Belonging at turfg@miamicountryday.org.  You may read more about this impactful exhibit here and/or watch this video.

On Monday, March 6th, the school held another Kinder to College Day, which provided an excellent opportunity for Lower and Upper students to come together for a day of play. The beautiful weather provided the perfect backdrop for this fun-filled event, which allowed students to interact with one another and develop social skills while enjoying the outdoors.

Kinder to College mentorship initiative connects seniors with the youngest members of the community for mentorship and guidance. The program allows seniors to serve as "big buddies" and develop leadership skills while fostering a sense of responsibility and empathy in the younger students. 

Our Miami Country Day Girls Varsity Basketball Team are headed to the 3A girls' basketball final after a convincing 58-33 win over the Providence Stallions in the semifinal round of the 2023 FHSAA State Championships. Miami Country Day's performance in the semifinals was a testament to the team's hard work and dedication as they played an aggressive and determined game. The Spartans have proved time and time again that they have the talent and drive to be the best in the state. 

Congratulations, the entire community is incredibly proud of you. The Lady Spartans will take on their opponents at 10 a.m. on Saturday for a chance to bring home the championship. Go Spartans!

Join us in congratulating Mariandl Hufford, President and Head of School, for being published in the National Association of Independent Schools' Spring 2023 magazine. This prestigious honor highlights the national prominence of Mariandl’s purposeful leadership. The article "Refocusing Community with a Mission-Centered School Pledge" emphasizes the importance of creating a shared sense of mission and community in independent schools. Our Head of School suggests that our mission-centered school pledge can help achieve this by outlining values and commitments that all members of the school community agree to uphold.

It provides examples of how our school highlights the benefits of involving all members of the community in the creation of the pledge. Overall, a mission-centered school can serve as a powerful testament for creating a cohesive and focused school community. Her insightful article, 'Refocusing Community with a Mission-Centered School Pledge', is a must-read for educators, learners and the entire independent school community. To read the article please visit the NAIS website at https://www.nais.org/magazine/independent-school/spring-2023/

The MCDS Girls Varsity Basketball team had an unforgettable experience when @Nike invited them to the opening of their new store in Aventura Mall. The team was excited to meet three-time WNBA MVP and four-time Olympic gold medalist, Lisa Leslie, DBC Fitness Founder/Owner, David Alexander, and Nike representative, Kenzy Isnady. The Lady Spartans participated in a Q&A session and expressed their commitment to and love for basketball.

🚨🏀GAME DAY ALERT🚨🏀 Our MCDS Girls Varsity Basketball team is playing in the state semifinals against Providence High School on Wednesday, Feb. 22nd at 10:00am! Join us in cheering them on by connecting with Carroll Kelly to catch a ride on the fan bus 🚌 and tune in to the live stream on NFHS Network to watch the game!

Congratulations go out to our US art students and all their teachers! It is the collective effort of everyone that has brought these students to a high level of thinking and doing. As art students, Asher Hare and Debora Sirotsky have been standing out in their classes. Their hard work has paid off when they earned Silver Keys in the Fashion and Digital Art categories for their respective pieces, "Mangroovy" and "Russian Roulette." 
These two pieces will be displayed at the Rubell Museum, a prestigious art museum in the United States. It is a testament to their hard work and dedication that they have been recognized for their art. Asher Hare earned a Silver Key in the Fashion category for "Mangroovy," Debora Sirotsky earned a Silver Key for her digital painting in the Digital Art category for "Russian Roulette," and Isa Possin 11 earned an Honorable Mention in Photography for her piece, "Sonia." 

This is a reminder that hard work pays off, and that anyone can achieve success with enough dedication.

On Wednesday, EBO was invited to attend New World Symphony’s first rehearsal of Tchaikovsky’s 5th symphony. The experience was extraordinary. It made a visible impact on our students and provided motivation for our young musicians in orchestra. Part of what made it special was the hearing and seeing a live orchestra. But perhaps what was truly unique was the opportunity to hear professionals working on their craft, striving to make a collective musical statement. It wasn’t perfect…There were mistakes, there were discussions, and there were changes made as an ensemble and individually that made the music come to life. It was special!

Today our visiting students from Colegio Yapeyú in Corrientes, Argentina had the opportunity to meet with President and Head of School @mariandl_hufford. The students were warmly welcomed by the entire school community and had a chance to learn more about the school's educational approach. We are grateful for their visit and look forward to welcoming them back in the future. Thanks to everyone in our community for making them feel so welcome!

Over the past four days at six sessions in Boston, our 22 MCDS Model UN delegates caucused, made motions and speeches, and represented New Zealand, Korea, and two historical characters, Col. Emiliano Ramirez and Soong Qiling (Mme. Sun Yat-Sen) with distinction. We toured Harvard’s campus and attended workshops. It was a very full time and we came home tired and happy last night.

The thousands of delegates were part of a truly international conference; many of the top schools were from other countries. In their committees, students truly were able to work collaboratively with peers from all over the U.S. and the world. While awards are far from the only goal at a conference, after the four days of deliberation and writing, it was especially cool to see our two Head Delegates, Sophia and Scout, take home awards as Outstanding Delegate on the Legal Committee as South Korea (ROK) and Honorable Mention on the Futuristic General Assembly as New Zealand. We are so proud of them and all our delegates, several of whom gained valuable experience as novice or younger delegates.

Special shouts to my amazing fellow chaperone, Wyatt Ashby, Hiram Rosas, who guided and encouraged us, and Jill Robert, Alice Florin and the business office staff, Bianca Ricart, Iara Coltro, Jackie Gerry for their work in helping make this trip possible. Special thanks to all of you who teach these students too!