Senior Crown Day

The new school year has begun and as a rite of passage the Seniors wore their crowns to school on Friday, August 28th.It always amazes me how creative they are. I also appreciate how they always make crowns for the administrators.

This year, I had two crowns. Both were beautiful and full of bling. I had as much fun as they did, proudly wearing it.

Senior Crown Day Pictures

State University Admission Deadlines

USF www.usf.edu
Modified Rolling Admission March 1. In order to be considered for Undergraduate Admissions' freshman scholarships, you must apply by January 2. Final consideration for admission is April 15.

FIU www.fiu.edu
Dec. 1- First notification deadline. After 12/1, applications will be considered on a space-available basis.

UF www.ufl.edu
November 1
Applications received after Nov. 1, will be reviewed on a space-available basis. Essay and Resume needed with application

UNF www.unf.edu
Priority deadline: November 13. Applications received by this date will receive admission decision on December 11, 2009. All packages received after November 13, will be reviewed on a rolling basis with decisions made starting in January 2010.

FSU www.fsu.edu
There are two notification dates for freshmen applying for either the summer or fall term. Completed application and all documentation received by Oct. 14, decisions will be mailed by Dec. 9. Applications received by Jan.20 for decisions mailed by March 17.
UCF www.ucf.edu
Summer deadline March 1. Fall deadline May 1, but students are encouraged to apply between September and December of their senior year in high school. Counselor Recommendation Form needed with application.

UWF www.uwf.edu
Summer deadline is April 1. Fall deadline June 30. Students are encouraged to apply early in their senior year

FAU www.fau.edu
Priority is given to applications that are received on or before February 15. Summer deadline is March 15. Fall deadline is June 1.

FAMU www.famu.edu
Summer deadline is March 15. Fall deadline is May 15th. Essay and letters of recommendation required for admission.

FGCU www.fgcu.edu
Fall deadline is May 1, but priority deadline for Fall term is February 15. Priority deadline for Summer term is February 1. To be considered for Merit Scholarships deadline is November 15.

NCF www.ncf.edu
Feb. 15 for decision by April 1st and April 15 for decision by April 25. Guarantee scholarship funding for admitted first-time-in-college students to attend New College in Fall 2010, as long as you complete the admission application file by February 15. One letter of recommendation is required. Prefers the common application: www.commonapp.org.


For more information, please call Ms. Clara Gonzalez, CAP Advisor at 305-752-7900 x 1038

FREE Engineering Weekend at Cornell University

FREE Engineering Fall Diversity Hosting Weekend at Cornell University- DEADLINE: 9/16/09

Friday October 16 – Sunday October 18, 2009

This three-day hosting event offers under-represented minority high school seniors a first hand view of Cornell University’s College of Engineering, providing insight on academic, social, and post-Cornell career opportunities.

Visiting students will learn about the breadth and depth of the College’s academic programs; complementing this will be information about academic resources, student services, admission policies, and financial aid opportunities. If you are a high school senior, we invite you to fill out the online student application for the Fall Diversity Hosting Weekend. With a mix of information sessions, lab demonstrations, tours, classes, interactions with current engineering students, and social events, we are confident your experience will be both useful and exciting.
Students who are considering attending the visitation program should have: a rigorous high school curriculum with strong academic performance, particularly in Math and Science a sincere interest in learning about the College of Engineering at Cornell University.

To be considered for the Fall Diversity Hosting Weekend, the Cornell Engineering Admissions Office must receive the following items by September 16:
1. a completed online application, including the essay question at https://mail.dadeschools.net/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.engineering.cornell.edu/prospective/undergraduate/Student-Profile-Form.cfm
2. a copy of your high school transcript

Please submit your profile form and transcript to Engineering Admissions at:
Engineering Admissions OfficeCornell University102 Hollister HallIthaca, NY 14853-3501
Fax: 607.255.0971

You must be selected for the program in order to attend this weekend. Selection notification will be done on a rolling basis until September 18, 2009.

Transportation:The College of Engineering will cover all travel expenses. If you are selected for the program we will contact you about travel arrangements.
Accommodations:

Current Engineering students in residential halls or program houses will host overnight program participants, offering a unique chance to experience student life at Cornell.

Meals:We will also provide on-campus meals for all students throughout the program.

Capacity:Due to the limited capacity of 50 students for this program, we require that interested participants apply for the program by September 16, 2009.

Notification:Notification of selected program participants will be sent via e-mail and phone. Confirmation information concerning registration, what to bring, and travel schedules will follow after your notification. Those students not selected will hear by e-mail and mail. Please note not being selected for this program does not mean that you are not a viable candidate for admissions to Cornell’s College of Engineering– we just have limited capacity for this special program.
Questions:

If you have any questions about this program please call the Engineering Admissions Office at (607) 255-5008, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., EST, or e-mail engr_admissions@cornell.eduand put “Fall Diversity Hosting Weekend" in the subject line.

First Varela Alum Returns as Viper Faculty

Tomorrow begins a new school year. Every beginning is exciting. This year will mark Felix Varela Senior High School's 10th anniversary.

It is also the year that a Varela graduate join the ranks as a faculty member.

Natalie Castillo will be teaching language arts. She was a proud graduate of Varela's first graduating class.

I asked her to share with me what had inspired her to be a teacher. She said, "I have always enjoyed teaching in one sense or another and during my years at Varela I became very aware of the achievement gap in schools in this country. Up to that point, I had done a fair amount of tutoring and I thought about all the amazing teachers I had and thought it was so unfair that most students would not have gotten the same opportunities. I decided I would teach English because it was always my strongest point. I wanted to help students learn to love literature as much as I always had, and to be able to express themselves with ink in ways they hadn't been able to yet. "

Nat's thoughts about Varela's tenth anniversary- "When they told us they were building a new school, I remember we all were a little bit disappointed. Until then, all of our friends figured we would all be going to another school together. Then the feeder pattern lines were redrawn and one was made between my house and my best friend's. I was so unhappy, but soon got excited about being able to start all these traditions at a new school. I haven't even thought about how I felt before I got to Varela since then until right now because of all the incredible people I met and the memories we made. It is kind of strange being back. Superficially it seems very natural walking through the same hallways again, but it very strange considering all of my former teachers now colleagues, but I also very privileged to work with the same people I have always respected and who helped to bring the best out of me ten years ago. "

The Varela faculty welcomes Ms. Castillo as a fellow colleague and applauds her for joining such a rewarding profession.

Superindent's Opening Of School Message

Yesterday at The Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theater, Superintendent Alberto Carvalho began his Opening Of School Message with "You are Simply the Best. "

For the first time since I have been an administrator, the meeting was held not only for administrators but included teachers, students and parents.

Following are some of his comments during the speech:

• To teachers: You engage in the most noble of professions, the closest thing to God's work on Earth.
• A moment is in our hands now, we must grab it, we must take what we are given and make it something better, to better the lives of our students and ultimately everyone in our community.
• We see a growing digital divide in the way children live and learn and the way we interact and teach.
• What we need to teach is not only the three r's of reading, writing and arithmetic but the 3 r's of rigor, relevance and relationships but also respect, responsibility and reasoning.
• Dreams are not only for those sleeping.

To view the complete speech visit : http://tv.dadeschools.net/Events/fillmore.html

Upcoming Events

August 24 First Day of School

August 27 Parking Lot Lottery for Seniors - after school in the auditorium

September 1 Senior Orientation

September 2 Junior Orientation

September 3 Sophomore Orientation

September 4 Freshman Orientation

September 7 Labor Day Holiday

September 9 Club Rush - lunchtime

September 10 Ring Orders

September 10 Football game vs Reagan High at Milander Park

Meet our "Freshman" Assistant Principal

It is a pleasure to welcome Mr. John Galardi to the Viper family as our new assistant principal. Mr. Galardi has walked into Varela full of excitement and new ideas.

Mr. Galardi was an administrative assistant at Killian Senior High School, where he was also a social studies teacher and a student.

His responsibilities will include the discipline of 10th and 11th grade students, the clerical staff, transportation, security personnel , Dade Partners, volunteers and athletics.

He can be reached by email at jgalardi@dadeschools.net

Surviving the First Day of High School

Next week thousands of 13-, 14- and 15-year olds will embark upon the first year of a four year educational journey.

For the next 10 months, you will commiserate over a status that no one, not even the pretty people or preordained cook kids, can escape: being a freshman. At the onset, there is fear. Will you get lost ? Will you find the cafeteria ? Earn decent grades ?

First Day Jitters: The first day of high school is the most dreaded, and quite possibly the most falsely built upon day of the year. The upperclassmen are busy with their friends and really will not send freshmen to the third floor non-existent pool.

Join Extracurricular Activities/Athletics: Your team/club can become your best friend from the first day of practice.

Lunch: Where do I sit ? Where do I go for lunch ? These are common questions that will run through your head. Have a plan. Whenever you get your schedule, connect with your friends and see which ones share your lunch period. (At Varela, the lunch period is during 3rd period or 4th period depending if it is an A or B day. There will be 2 lunch waves and they are organized around sections of the building. Chances are that if you are on the second floor, all your friends scheduled for a second floor class during that period will have lunch together.) Then arrange a place to meet, as to avoid the panicky "where are they" feeling. You have 40 minutes for lunch so do not panic if the lines are long the first few days. You might figure out it is easier to sit and chat with friends for the first 10 minutes and then get in line. You will develop a routine that works for you.

Organize yourself: Some people are naturally more organized than others. Learn how to organize your time. Identify the tasks or habits that take time away from your studies and develop a schedule.

I hope this advice will ease your nerves about the first days of high school. Most of your learning experiences will come from trial and error, but keep your grades up, find an extracurricular activity, set aside time for friends and enjoy the best days of your life.

For more tips, visit: http://www.wikihow.com/Survive-Your-Freshman-Year-in-High-School

H1N1 Virus

Miami-Dade County Public Schools is taking general precautions against the H1N1 flu.

About 55 million students and 7 million staff will be attending the more than 130,000 public and private schools in the United States each day, soon. By implementing these recommendations, schools and health officials can help protect one-fifth of the country’s population from flu.

Recommended school responses for the 2009-2010 school year:

Stay home when sick:Those with flu-like illness should stay home for at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever, or signs of a fever, without the use of fever-reducing medicines. They should stay home even if they are using antiviral drugs.

Hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette:The new recommendations emphasize the importance of the basic foundations of influenza prevention: stay home when sick, wash hands frequently with soap and water when possible, and cover noses and mouths with a tissue when coughing or sneezing (or a shirt sleeve or elbow if no tissue is available).

Routine cleaning:School staff should routinely clean areas that students and staff touch often with the cleaners they typically use. Special cleaning with bleach and other non-detergent-based cleaners is not necessary.

For more information visit the Center for Disease Control Page at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/

New Student Orientation

This morning was the new student orientation at Varela Sr. High. It is always a wonderful experience to meet the anxious parents and nervous students. We had a great turnout in spite of the rain this morning.

The event would not have been possible without the help of Ms. Christina, who had to be absent ; Ms. Gamable, who did a fabulous job in her place; Mr. Vinat, the best faculty cheerleader at Varela; Ms. Spinosa, athletic director ; the pep squad and the student government.

Also, a big thank you to Ms. Kubit, cheerleading sponsor and her girls; Commander Leo and his JROTC cadets; the coaches who attended: Coach Dixion, football; Coach Gomez, golf; Coach Kensler, swimming; Coach Lacaci, boys basketball; Coach Torre, girls soccer and the various assistant coaches.

Lastly, a standing ovation goes to my administrative team: Ms. Fins, APC; Mr. Nunez, AP and our own freshman AP, Mr. John Galardi.