Intention for 2009-2010

letter of intent

 Job Descriptions

Goals and Objectives for 2009

letter of intent

Letter of intent

 

June 1, 2009

 

To Whom It May Concern:

 

                It is my intent to become Publisher and Business Manager of The Beachcomber for the 2009-2010 school year. As a journalist and editor of the newspaper for two years I have gained invaluable experience and insight as to how things are done, necessary steps to get those 8 pages of glory to print, and all the different components that go into a newspapers publication. This past year has presented some difficulties in regards to funds and allocated ads. For this very reason, it has come to the attention of the editorial board, as well as our advisor that we need a dedicated team to raise money, obtain ads, and instill some public relations aspects into our newspaper team.

                What can I do better and differently than others? Attached, you can find a proposed business team outline as well as some goals and objectives of the business team. As a member of Future Business Leaders for four years, I feel that I truly have a deep understanding of the business world and its operations. Last summer, to further my knowledge and expand my horizons of business, I took a four-week long International Business class at Brown University taught by Professor Micha who was also worked on John McCain’s campaign for the 2008 elections. He showed us more about the business world than any regular high school student can possibly know and I still enjoy reading our case studies and books from time to time to further the things we learned.

                Years ago, my sister and I started a business venture selling lemonade, baked goods, and even kosher items (due to the population and majority of our market) and were able to make more than $300 in one afternoon to support the cause to find a cure for breast cancer.  We were featured in the Neighbors section of The Miami Herald for our efforts. But as anyone in business goes, the market is measured solely by output, and our recognition was partly due to the fact that a 13 and 11 year old were able to raise $300 due to publicized advertisements, phone calls, and determination.

                I truly feel that I could do the best job for the newspaper as Publisher and Business Manager by raising the necessary funds, obtaining ads, creating a strong basis for future business endeavors and creating public relations connections. I have a personal relation with the president of the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce and feel that under my lead, the business side of The Beachcomber will not only grow and thrive, but set a foundation for future years, and an opportunity for the paper to print without worrying about funds, but rather the sole content aspect.

                I appreciate the consideration for the position and look forward to working as Publisher.

               

 

                                Alessia Pizzorni 

                                (305) 926-0032

about those five W’s…

i’ve got my phone on me.

 

A big step was taken in mid-April for Miami Beach Senior High School when it became one of the six schools in the county to be selected in the primary steps of becoming a Magnet School. The public high school was chosen due to due to its low enrollment, potential for success and geographic magnet school void. The future magnet program will be sponsored by MDCPS in the grant-writing process to receive money from the United States Department of Education. Assuming all goes according to plan; MBSH will become a magnet school by 2011 and will start gearing up in the following months. The USDOE initiative to assist traditional high schools in becoming Magnet Schools provides a three year funding cycle to eligible school districts. Their goals include: reducing minority isolation, improving academic achievements of students, and sustaining a magnet program at a high performance level even after the three year government funding cycle. “Of course no one can say for certain,” Andy Weiss, lead teacher of Scholars Academy expressed, “but the district has gotten the grant every time it’s applied since 1991 so I’d say there’s a very high chance that Beach will get the grant.” The underrepresented population at Miami Beach Senior High School is currently the white, non-Hispanic students, making up 19.5% of the school, with Hispanic making up about 72% of the school population. “The active goal of the grant is to decrease minority isolation, which means for our school, increasing the white population” says Principal Rosann Sidener, “Our hope is to get the school a little more balanced. Upon the school’s construction completion, there will be a holding capacity of 2,844 students, approximately 800 students more than the current attendance at Beach High. The current 71% utilization requires an increase in the number of students. “When the school is finished with construction it will seat an additional 800 kids,” Sidener explained, “and we need to fill the 800 seats.” By attracting students from outside the current attendance boundaries, it is the hope of MBSH that school will not only fulfill its required capacity but also fulfill the Magnet school purpose and obligation as well. Popular current Magnet programs include New World School of the Arts and Design and Architectural Senior High. “Sometimes, if a kid gets into MAST or DASH and the Scholars Academy, they’ll come here,” explains Weiss, “but many times, they’ll choose to go to DASH or New World.” The federal government will allot up to $12 million dollars for transitioning magnet schools within Miami Dade County. The funds will then be divided between Emerson, and R.R. Morton Elementary schools; Homestead Middle School; and Hialeah Gardens, Miami Beach and Miami Northwestern Senior High schools. The Magnet Schools Assistance Program will help fund the transformation of Miami Beach Senior High School into an academy-based institution. “We’re not going to change our [current] academies,” says Sidener, “but we may expand some of the ones we already have.” In addition to the primary Global Studies and Global Citizenship magnet school theme, the school will be divided into eight academies; Academy of Hospitality and Tourism, Academy of Information Technology, Academy of Visual and Performing Arts, Academy of Digital Media, Academy of Marine and Environmental Science, Academy of Entrepreneurship, Academy of World Languages, and the Scholars Academy which will soon incorporate the International Baccalaureate program. “Just because you’re a magnet doesn’t mean like “boom” it changes the school,” says Sidener, “kids win more awards, kids go to better colleges, kids come home and talk about cool things that are happening in their classes. That’s how it changes.”

Plagiarism

Teachers at Miami Beach Senior High School have recently started to incorporate the TurnItIn.com plagiarism detection service into their classes to deter students from using unauthorized work as their own. Plagiarism programs, such as “Turn it in .com”, require students to upload assignments for classes thruogh the website which will automatically verify the authenticity of the student’s work. Once an analysis is completed, the program generates a report that categorizes the plagiarism percentage of the report/essay by sources. The website has access to all online sources, publications, and reports, as well as papers by other students who have at one point in time, uploaded to Turnitin.com. Patricia Gregory, AOHT department leader and math teacher finds plagiarism to be dishonest as well as despicable, all the more fueled by the fact that almost every single one of her students has plagiarized at least once this school year. Chemistry teacher Carlos Rodriguez believes that plagiarism is always a problem for teachers because “students are taking someone else’s work and claiming it as their own. That’s the same as stealing.” Gregory supports the new plagiarism program and her claim that a majority of students have plagiarized is supported by 45% of student’s admission to cheating in an anonymous poll. “It’s pretty easy to detect,” Julie Klein, English teacher, said about plagiarized and copied work, “I don’t think I need TurnItIn.com to figure out that something’s been plagiarized.” The penalty for plagiarizing is dependent on the individual teacher involved. Some teachers give warnings for a first offense, others immediately fail the student, and other teachers have found innovative, yet effective ways to deter cheaters. Klein doesn’t call homes, but rather publicly humiliates the student. “After publicly calling them out and saying ‘oh, you’re not smart enough to do your own work so you copied from him?” Klein remarked, “well his answer was also incorrect, so not only are you a plagiarist, but you’re also stupid.’ And that totally does the trick. “ The University of North Carolina defines plagiarism as “the deliberate or reckless representation of another’s words, thoughts, or ideas as one’s own without attribution in connection with submission of academic work, whether graded or otherwise,” and explains that it’s always best to cite when a student is in doubt. It points out that by improving note taking skills, and improving time management, students will be less likely to plagiarize and clearly and effectively transcend their own ideas. “In my class, you get an F for the nine weeks,” said Eduardo Devarona. He believes a stricter penalty will prevent students from cheating because it will cause students to seriously reconsider the choices they make. The Council of Writing Program Administrators outlines five different reasons why students may resort to plagiarism: • Students may fear failure or fear taking risks in their own work. • Students may have poor time-management skills or they may plan poorly for the time and effort required for research-based writing, and believe they have no choice but to plagia¬rize. • Students may view the course, the assignment, the conventions of academic documenta¬tion, or the consequences of cheating as unimportant. • Teachers may present students with assignments so generic or unparticularized that stu¬dents may believe they are justified in looking for canned responses. • Instructors and institutions may fail to report cheating when it does occur, or may not enforce appropriate penalties. Cheating of all kinds has been a persistent problem for educators since the beginning of time. Students who panic and are left with no other outlet to complete their work generally turn to plagiarism and sell other peoples work as their own. “I don’t really think it’s someone’s first instinct to plagiarize,” Klein expressed, “I think it’s just something they do out of desperation.”

UTD article

UTD

Students will celebrate the end of school two days before expected this year as Miami Dade County Public Schools tries to balance its miscalculated budget by deferring two days payment from teachers. 

“So the custodians agreed to it, the bus drivers agreed to it, the techs agreed to it, the administrators agreed to it, but the teachers union did not agree to it- until recently,” says Sidener.

On Friday May 15^th teachers voted 15,504 to 3,980 in favor of the district’s decision to cut teacher pay, with the guarantee that it will be paid back in the fall of the 2009-2010 school year. “This way the school district will avoid laying off teachers while ultimately balancing the budget,” explains Sidener. “Essentially you’re getting paid time off, but you’re deferring the payment until next year.”

             On Monday, May 18^th Superintendant Alberto Carvalho reported to the school board that there will not be a need to fire any teachers with the new budget plan. With teachers deferring payment, the school district will save an approximate $27 million, contributing to its effort to minimize deficit for the end of the year.

While the district would step in to avoid ending the year in debt despite UTD opposition, a “no” vote would express the discontent with the MDCPS decision and reject any benefits proposed by the district.

As part of their three-year contract, teachers have been promised pay raises since 2006. In March of 2009, the district insisted that there was not enough money in the budget and continued to freeze all pay raises for district employees.

With school board promising to return the money, some teachers are skeptical. Some teachers have made their time restrictions clear to their students.

“While most teachers used to be available before 7:30 and during lunch time, there are few who have decided to only allot time to students during teaching hours,” described Taylor Calibo, “they’ll only work when they’re getting paid to work.”

“I trust the superintendent,” says Sidener. “I think he understands that he has asked his employees to put themselves on the line and that his credibility and his ability to do the job will be completely undermined if he doesn’t come through.”

Dr. Sidener Interview, May 19

Magnet School Article

“When the school is finished with construct6ion it will seat an adduiti8oanl 800 kids, and we need to fill the 800 seats.

We’re not going to change our academies. We may expand some of the ones we already have, because they have room to add more teachers, but in terms of what we have here I think we’re pretty much going to stay with the academies we already have.  We have ten.

The Magnet Grant provides release time. Like for your lead teachers. Which then will create empty seats. So more kids brings more teachers.

The active goal of the grant is to decrease minority isolation, which means for our school, increasing the white popu8lation. But you go out there and recruit. You can’t admit kids on a quota, or anything like that, but the hope is that you get the balance a little more balance. Right now, the schools is at about 72% Hispanic.

All the academies will be magnet academies. Just like every kid- well we’re through the tenth grade right now- is in an academy.

2011

That’s part of the whole package. I mean the perception is changing already. Just because you’re a magnet doesn’t mean like “boom” it changes the school. It changes because you do things better, kids win more awards, kids go to better colleges, kids come home and talk  about cool things that are happening in their classes. That’s how it changes. So I think the most important thing is that you’re doing things in the classes that kids like to do, or that are project orientated, or they see is relevant, and that’s how it will change.

 

UTD/Teachers Contract Article

The district has been in a very tenuous financial position- all districts in the state  of Florida have been, but our district is more so than others for a number of reasons. First of all, Dade is just more expensive. Things cost more here. Secondly, our previous administration at the district level brought in a whole lot of people at the higher level of administration, like in the budget office that really didn’t have experience in the county schools, and they didn’t quite understand how things work, so there were some fatal flaws.  The salary calculations were off. I think that is was off almost a million dollars a payroll, so the projected budget was already off $20 million for the future.

Inherited technical deficiencies in the budget process resulted in $202 million budget and reduction appropriations between July 1^st and September 2008. The fragile fiscal condition was compounded by a worsening national and state economy resulting in the exorbitant funding reductions from Tallahassee forced the district to make drastic cuts required an additional $123 million reduction in November. In January, the special legislative session resulted in the need to cut an additional$ 55 million from the budget.

So add it up, 202, plus 123, plus 55 is a lot of money. That’s $380 million. And the whole budget is a 3 billion dollar operating budget and you’re talking about cutting $400 million of it.

The state constitution requires that the district not go in the red. They have to end the year, by June 30^th, in the black. So the plan that they came up with was to ask employees to defer some of their pay till next year. So the plan was- depending if you were a 12 month employee, it was three days, if you’re a 10 month employee it’s two days- so basically what was agreed to by all of the unions except the teacher union, was to take

So let’s say I make a hundred dollars a day. So you’re going to take $300 of my pay and you’re going to wait and give it to me in October, instead of me getting it now. And they took that $300 and put it over five payrolls and $60 come out of each paycheck and you get it back. And they gave you’re the recess days, so you could take the days off so you could work. So essentially you’re kinda getting paid time off, but you’re deferring the payment until next year.

So the custodians agreed to it, the bus drivers agreed to it, the techs agreed to it, the administrators agreed to it, but the teachers union did not agree to it- until recently.

They did a straw vote which isn’t binding, but when it came down to the actual MOU (memorandum of understanding) went into effect, it went to a real vote. It was a vote on the binding contract.

Either way, they were going to end school early. No matter what, they had to have the money. But the difference is whether you were going to give your pay willingly and get it back in October or whether you were going to say “no” and they take it and you don’t get it back. When it finally came to that-when they were told ‘well it’s going to happen anyway. You can either vote yes and get the pay back or vote no and not get the pay back.’ So they voted yes.

They’re very upset about it. I think there’s a feeling that the Union didn’t do the right thing by them, they never really gave them the information from the beginning. I think that had they known it was going to happen anyway, they would have been more willing. I think there’s a distrust of the district whether or not they’re really going to give the money back, that maybe they’ll never see it again. Basically-everyone was supposed to get a raise but Alessia, who’s getting a raise right now? In the world? That’s just not happening.

I do [think Dade will follow through with their promises]. I trust the superintendent. I think he understands that he has asked his employeesto put themselves on the line and that he understands that his credibility and his ability to do the job will be completely undermined if he doesn’t come through. I think he’s smart enough to do that. He always talks about the human side. If you’re going to balance the budget, you’re either going to fire people- lay people off- or somehow you gotta get the money. In a school district money is spent on staff. It’s a people profession. It’s people intensive- that’s where our money is. 

It’s a constitutional law- all districts must balance their budgets.

 

And then the Unions position was’ find it somewhere else’ but the district kept coming back with ‘we’ve cut, we’ve cut, we’ve cut and the only thing we can do now is cut jobs.’ And we’re trying not to cut jobs.

Remainder for Miriam

Here are the remainder of the edits for the News Section. Due to the additions of two new pieces (in progress) of the Magnet Schools and the UTD Agreement, I’ve decided to cut the Day of Silence article. Josh and I will get the articles uploaded ASAP.

 –Plagiarism article was written by Helen Rynor

DECA EDIT (Lyssa Goldberg)

Five students in the Academy of Hospitality and Tourism at Miami Beach Senior High will attend the International Career Development Conference in Anaheim, California after winning at the DECA Career Development Conference in Orlando from March 5 to March 8.

“I am extremely proud of our DECA students and the success of DECA at Beach High,” praised Dr. Lupe Ferran Diaz, business and marketing teacher and club sponsor.

Seniors Janessa Cuba and Viviana Yerex placed third for their Public Relations Project describing the club’s participation in the AOHT auction. The two students compete at the national level from April 29 to May 3.

“We prepared by staying after school, even until 7:30 or 8:00, working on our written report, and then on our visual project board,” explained Yerex.

Juniors Hanibegk Coll and Karl Laxy placed sixth in Hospitality Management, which evaluates knowledge of hotel operations. The pair will participate in the Leadership Academy to enhance their leadership skills.

“There are really no words to describe the feeling of hearing your name called out in between hundreds of students hoping for the same chance,” expressed Coll.

Senior and DECA President Angela Castro won the Gold Chapter Program of Work for a written report detailing club activities, making Beach High the only Gold Chapter in Miami-Dade County.

Castro will be the first Beach High student to participate in the Senior Management Institute, a seminar for high school seniors who wish to pursue DECA in their future.

Social Studies teacher Eduardo de Varona, secondary sponsor of the club, was recognized for his “tenth year of outstanding service to Florida DECA”.

The Beach High chapter had no winners at the state level last year. The victors feel that Castro and Diaz led them to this year’s triumph.

“Angela has always taken things to another level, and because of her leadership along with our sponsor, Dr. Diaz, Beach returned with a state championship,” commented Cuba.

“We have a good chance this year to again place in the top ten,” predicted de Varona, hopeful for another eventful competition in Anaheim. “Our third-place state finish could turn into a top international winner.”

The students were honored for their achievements at an honorary ceremony, held in the Beach High Media Center on March 24, in which Miami Beach Commissioner Deede Weithorn presented awards.

“We are always very thrilled having students in our community display their success at a state level,” remarked Weithorn. “We’re a world-class city, and when we can display that through our students, it makes the entire city very proud.”

 

 

GRANTS EDIT (Nadine Goldberg and Rachel Coller)

Grants totaling over $84,000 were awarded to 59 clubs, sports teams, programs, departments and academies at Miami Beach Senior High School on March 16, in return for their members’ assistance at the PTSA Boat Show Fundraiser.

According to Kathy Bass, PTSA member and former Boat Show chair, grant applications were due before winter break, and requests ranged from “science supplies [to] math CD’s, language learning tools, PE equipment, computer tools and much more.”

“Over 110 people (teachers and parents) worked over 1200 hours directing parking at Miami Beach High during the Miami-International Boat Show,” shared Leslie Coller, PTSA Vice President of Advocacy. The PTSA members who volunteered for the most hours between February 9 and February 16 “were given the privilege of having voting rights on the grant committee.”

“We all take the task of allocating the grant money very seriously,” Theresa Sutter, PTSA Treasurer, said, “and we try to be as fair and equitable as we possibly can.”

According to PTSA President Karen Rivo, the PTSA raised more than $100,000 from the Boat Show Fundraiser. However, the turnout was down by about eighteen percent.

 ”The economy really played a big factor in what we didn’t get,” Sutter explained.

About 73% of Boat Show revenue went directly to grants. The balance covered other PTSA programs, the cost of the Boat Show fundraiser and administrative expenses. 

Junior States America, the boys’ Basketball Team, the Football Team, the Cheerleading Squad, Family, Career and Community Leaders of America and Future Business Leaders of America are among the grant recipients.

 ”The grants provide a sum of money that would require hours and hours selling boxes and boxes of candy,” said Julie Rivo, senior and governor of the JSA Southeast Territory.

 Students were not allowed to participate in the Boat Show Fundraiser. Patricia Gregory, math teacher and grant recipient, explained that she understands the liability issue associated with students working near motor vehicles. However, she believes that they benefit most from the grants, and should therefore play a role in the fundraiser.

Sutter recalled that three or four grants were not approved, either because the requests were already being funded by other means or because “the timing wasn’t right.”

 

 

DIVING EDIT (Nadine Goldberg)

The Women Divers Hall of Fame awarded a $1,500 Women’s Scuba Association Training Grant to sophomore Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps. cadets Andrea Orduz, Sasha Dyroff and Adriana Chait on February 16, 2009. The funds will be submitted directly to the recipients’ training facility and will help cover the $250 fee for each diving license and the cost of equipment such as wet suits, fins, snorkels, masks and booties.

The WDHOF is a nonprofit organization devoted to honoring female divers. It awards several scholarships and training grants annually to individuals of all ages. According to the organization, a candidate for the Women’s Scuba Association Training Grant must be enrolled in the NJROTC or NROTC program and be a “deserving young male or female who wishes to begin or further his/her dive education/training”.

“I decided to apply for this scholarship because I’ve always had a passion for the ocean,” Chait shared.

Applicants were required to submit an application, their picture, a 750-word autobiography, an essay on their role in JROTC and an explanation of their desire for the scholarship.

According to Orduz, NJROTC instructor Ronald Hunter facilitated the application process. “He was always encouraging us and reminding us about deadlines,” she explained.

Hunter discovered the scholarship in an email from the ROTC. “It came at the right time, while we were starting the SCUBA club,” he remarked.

In preparation for their scuba diving certification, the grant recipients have begun classes, practice pool dives and open water dives with the SCUBA club.

“Even though I haven’t started diving yet, I’m more than positive I’ll enjoy it,” Chait mused. “It’s a completely different world down there and I can’t wait to explore it.”

 

UNIFORM EDIT (Rachel Coller)

The “reinforcement” of uniforms at Miami Beach Senior High School began on March 18 2009 but ended soon thereafter. The week of March 18, administration gave students without proper school uniform a uniform violation citation from the Center of Special Instruction (CSI) before proceeding to class. However, a week later students donning shorts and tank tops freely roamed the hallways.

Parents were contacted by phone and letters concerning the enforcement of the uniform policy. “I thought the administration was really going to follow through,” Phillip Cohen, sophomore expressed, “but now no one takes the policy seriously considering the administration doesn’t seem to care.”

Last Year on April 29 2008 it was decided that a uniform policy would be implemented for the next three school years. According to a MBSH website bulletin, the policy allows red, white and silver gray shirts along with black tweed, jean, or khaki bottoms. The bulletin explained that MBSH strives to create productive citizens and leaders of the future, and that in order to “prepare for this role,” the bulletin reads, “students will be dressed in school uniform.”

According to Assistant Principle Raymond Patrice, the uniform policy has always been enforced; only becoming more lenient for the sake of the cold weather. Students were allowed to wear jackets and sweaters that were not red, silver gray, or white.

“A week ago we were not allowed to wear sweaters that were not the colors of dress code,” explained Adam Haas, senior, “this week [March 23] the administration announced that as long as the undergarment was a dress code color, the sweater color did not matter.”

During the period of uniform enforcement, the security monitors stopped students violating the uniform policy at the front gate of the school. The students were forced to wait outside of the gate until they received a citation. According to Gabriela Gerinska, freshman, a week later students were able to walk past security monitors and into the building without wearing uniform.

“The administration only enforced the uniform during the first [and last] quarter,” explained Micaela Burlando, freshman, “if they wanted to make sure that the students wore their uniforms, they should have enforced the policy year round.”

Patrice explained that students who do not follow the uniform policy are allowed three warning violation citations. If a student violates the policy a fourth time, the school will contact their legal guardians to discuss the situation.

According to Advanced Placement World History teacher, Nadia Zananiri, teachers were initially instructed to send students who did not abide by the uniform policy to CSI. Administration later decided that students should remain in their classrooms until security picked them up.

“If [the uniform policy is] only going to be enforced when it’s convenient for the administration, can we only wear [uniforms] when it’s convenient for us?” senior Hannah Snitzer mused.

Plagiarism edit

Teachers at Miami Beach Senior High School have recently started to incorporate the TurnItIn.com plagiarism detection service into their classes to deter students from using unauthorized work as their own.

Plagiarism programs, such as “Turn it in .com”, require students to upload assignments for classes thruogh the website which will automatically verify the authenticity of the student’s work.  Once an analysis is completed, the program generates a report that categorizes the plagiarism percentage of the report/essay by sources. The website has access to all online sources, publications, and reports, as well as papers by other students who have at one point in time, uploaded to Turnitin.com.

Patricia Gregory, AOHT department leader and math teacher finds plagiarism to be dishonest as well as despicable, all the more fueled by the fact that almost every single one of her students has plagiarized at least once this school year.

Chemistry teacher Carlos Rodriguez believes that plagiarism is always a problem for teachers because “students are taking someone else’s work and claiming it as their own. That’s the same as stealing.”

           Gregory supports the new plagiarism program and her claim that a majority of students have plagiarized is supported by 45% of student’s admission to cheating in an anonymous poll.

The penalty for plagiarizing is dependent on the individual teacher involved. Some teachers give warnings for a first offense, while others immediately fail the student.

“In my class, you get an F for the nine weeks,” said Eduardo Devarona. He believes a stricter penalty will prevent students from cheating because it will cause students to seriously reconsider the choices they make.

First Draft

Beach High Wins Again

First drafft

Beach High Wins Again