Varela High chasing another state title in boys' soccer

BY ANDRE C. FERNANDEZ
a1fernandez@MiamiHerald.com
After back-to-back state championships and a mythical national title, the Varela boys' soccer team enjoyed its role as an underdog last year.

But the Vipers still were Miami-Dade County's top team, with a surprising return to the Class 6A state final four led by players who were reserves during the championship seasons.

``The bus rides back home after every victory last year were great,'' Varela coach J.C. Gonzalez said. ``Everybody was having a blast because it was a first every time we won another big game for most of them.''

The Vipers won't catch anyone by surprise this season.

With nine seniors returning, including seven starters, Varela will endeavor to recapture the state title and become the second Dade team, joining Gulliver from 1991-1994, to advance to the state tournament four seasons in a row.

``We've got the bull's-eye on us again,'' Gonzalez said. ``The good thing is that these guys have matured a lot and seem to know how to handle the pressure they'll be under this year.''

Varela (1-0) already is off to a good start after beating Westminster Christian, a Class 2A regional finalist last season, in its season-opener. The Vipers' path to state will go through a tough Dade region that includes perennial contenders Killian, Ferguson, Columbus and American.

Varela's main striker, Johnny Vidales, is back after a stellar junior season, and he will try to help the Vipers navigate the tough path back to the state playoffs.

Vidales, who did not play soccer during his first two seasons of high school, scored 23 goals and was named The Miami Herald's Class 6A Player of the Year last season. He hasn't received college scholarship offers yet, but Gonzalez expects them to come soon.

``He's really grown up as a player,'' Gonzalez said. ``His ability to create goals and spread the ball around has improved. Several coaches have expressed interest in him.''

Gonzalez said the Vipers will have more depth and a tougher defensive team this season.

Danny Gonzalez, a 6-foot senior sweeper, became eligible this season and will anchor the defense. Senior Enrique Villa, who broke his toe early last season, also is back on defense.

Villa's brother, Andres, has been the most pleasant surprise so far.

Andres was a third-string goalkeeper last season, behind All-Dade goalie Bryan Medeiros. After Medeiros graduated, the backup goalkeeper moved to New York, giving Andres a chance to start.

He has three shutouts so far, including preseason victories against Hollywood Chaminade and a scoreless tie against Class 3A power Gulliver.

Gonzalez said he has seen major improvement from senior midfielder Victor Cortez, and he expects major contributions from sophomore midfielder Nahuel Medina, who scored in the season-opener.

``We got bigger physically, and our bench is deeper, which is good because I think we kind of ran out of gas toward the end of the season last year,'' Gonzalez said.

``Our concern is not to let the hype get to us, since we're going to have everyone targeting us as the team to beat again.

Miami Herald Story

Ultimate Frisbee

Despite the rain today, Ms. Torre's freshman classes participated in the exciting Ultimate Frisbee Tournament. Every class practiced for a month and the winning team played other teams.

The tournament was moved into the gym due to the weather. Both the boys and girls teams had a wonderful time. I had never seen ultimate frisbee and was thrilled to watch their skills.

The first place boys team was comprised of :
Christina Vivanco
Jesus Rodriguez
Ernesto Artega
Arthur Alcuria
Jonathan Hall
Christian Ortiz
Alejandro Estrada

The first place girls team was comprised of:
Stephanie Martinez
Stephanie Carrasco
Jasmin Salomon
Heba Kazmi
Alexandra Ramirez
Kamley Rodriguez

The champions got medals and will be going on a field trip to the Indian Hammocks Park to continue their frisbee love in the golf frisbee course.

CONGRATULATIONS CHAMPS !

Ms. Noris Tamayo's class Spreads Cheer

Ms. Noris Tamayo, spanish and German teacher at Felix Varela Senior High School and some of her students visited the Margret Facilitites.They shared time with the ederly living there and took a Thanksgiving basket.

The young and old had a great time. They vowed to return.

Viper turns Gator !

Senior student John Barbato Jr signed his letter of intent to attend the University of Florida on a baseball scholarship.

Johnny's mom, sisters and proud dad (also a teacher at Varela) were present during the signing.

We wish Johnny much luck in his baseball career and hope to be cheering him on the major leagues one day.

HOSA pennies are really adding up thanks to all of you. The drive ends in March and they will be transported to Orlando in April where, at the State Conference, they will be donated to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Teachers example is really motivating our students. You’re amazing.

While this is not a race or anything, thank you Ms. Dymond for filling her liter container already. HOSA will clean your room on 01/18/10. Those who requested containers are also doing really well so thanks again and expect the same service, as promised.

Christina Eve Elementary School visits Varela

The students from Chrisitina Eve Elementary School collected pet supplies for Varela's Vet Program. On November 24th, they visited the program.

They visited the barn and saw the goats, bunnies, and turkeys. They viewed the pond with ducks and geese. They, also, tasted homemade butter. YUM !

All students had a great time and the animals and humans appreciated the supplies they donated to the program.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a day set aside to give thanks for our blessings. Second only to Independence Day, Thanksgiving is a uniquely American holiday.

It was first celebrated in Virginia at Berkeley Plantation, where English colonists first held a Thanksgiving celebration on December 4, 1619, one year and 17 days prior to the landing of the Pilgrims in Massachusetts. This first Thanksgiving occurred when Captain John Woodlief led the newly arrived English colonists to a grassy slope along the James River and instructed them to drop to their knees and pray in thanks to God for a safe arrival to the New World.The first Thanksgiving feast lasted three days providing enough food for 53 pilgrims and 90 Indians. The traditional Thanksgiving menu often features turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes and pumpkin pie. Americans may eat these foods on modern day Thanksgiving, but the first feast did not consist of these items. On the first feast turkey was any type of fowl that the pilgrims hunted. Pumpkin pie wasn't on the menu because there were no ovens for baking, but they did have boiled pumpkin. Cranberries weren't introduced at this time. Due to the diminishing supply of flour there was no bread of any kind. The foods included in the first feast included duck, geese, venison, fish, lobster, clams, swan, berries, dried fruit, pumpkin, squash, and many more vegetables.

This year many families are struggling in our Varela community, the students and faculty with the guidance of Ms. Christin and the student goverment officers were able to feed over 30 needy Varela families.

My wish for you and your family is that this year you are thankful for:

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

Army comes to Varela

The Army brought one of their interactive trucks to Varela. Classes were given tours and talks about staying in school and college opportunities.

Everyone including the administration had fun touring the bus and playing the simulations.

Varela Boys Soccer Season

The season for Boys Soccer has begun. On November 19th, they played rivals Killian at the Kendall Soccer Park and beat them with an impressive 5-1 final score.

GO VIPERS !

St Rep Anitere Flores

State Representative Anitere Flores held an Educational Forum at Varela Sr High School. She invivted representatives from the Florida Department of Education, Miami Dade Community College, Florida International University and the College Board.

Many parents and students took advantage to ask questions and get information about college and scholarships.

Scholarships Available

The National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y) is offering more than 600 full scholarships to U.S. high school students to study abroad and learn Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Hindi, Korean, Russian, and Turkish. Programs begin in Summer 2010.

The Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, in cooperation with American Councils for International Education, AFS-USA, iEARN-USA, and Concordia Language Villages, is awarding U.S. government funding to high school and just-graduated students (ages 15 – 18) to participate in summer, one-semester and full-year language programs in countries where these languages are widely spoken. Past participants of the NSLI-Y program are eligible to apply again.

Programs immerse participants in the cultural and political life of their host country, giving them invaluable formal and informal language practice and sparking a lifetime interest in foreign languages and cultures. While abroad, students will have the opportunity to possibly live with a host family, attend intensive language classes or enroll in a local high school, and participate in cultural and community service programs

As program partner, iEARN is administering programs in Korea, Morocco, India, and China. In addition, iEARN will be providing students with access to the Language Lounges -- an online interactive space where students can practice reading and writing their language of study before, during, and after their physical exchange. Through the Language Lounges, NSLI-Y students have access to thousands of native speakers of each of the seven NSLI-Y languages, who are part of the iEARN network around the world.

Students wishing to apply for the scholarship need to:
be U.S. citizens
be between the ages of 15-18 years at the time of departure
be enrolled in high school at the time of application
have at least a 2.5 GPA
Deadline for application is December 4, 2009.

For more information on the NSLI-Y program and to apply, please visit www.NSLIforYouth.org.

Posse Scholar Finalist

Congratulations! Felix Varela Sr High School student, ANGELICA SEPULVEDA has been selected as a Posse Finalist. This year, close to 800 students were nominated for Posse Miami and she is one of 21 students who have been selected to be a Posse Scholarship Finalist for Mount Holyoke College. This is the last stage of the Posse Scholarship recruitment process. From this group, ten students will be chosen to be part of Mount Holyoke Civic Engagement Posse 1. Each Posse Scholar will receive a four-year, full-tuition, merit-leadership scholarship to Mount Holyoke College, worth approximately $100,000.

Good luck Angelica.

The Felix Varela Sr High School Visual Arts Department, faculty and student body congratulates the following students for receiving the M-DCPS Award of Distinction for Art at the Mystical Imagery Exhibition:

Ceramics:
Yadezi Abreu
Michelle Diaz
Bianca Khan
Randol Martinez
Natacha Montoya
Meylin Rojas
Maia Verano

Computer Art:
Sebastina Rayo

The award ceremony takes place Nov. 19th at 6PM.
801 Studios located at:
The Jose Marti Building
801 SW 3rd Avenue
Miami, Florida

Posted picture is award winning Digital art/photoshop by Sebastian Rayo 11th grade, Titled “Brina’s Spell”

Varela's Band of Mystery

At the November 13th football game the Felix Varela's Band of Mystery entertained the crowd and performed their award winning performance at the halftime show.

A special thank you goes out to all the band parents for their unwavering support of their children, the music department and the long hours they dedicate to make the band such a success.

Also, a very heartfelt congratulations to Mr. Chris Illa, band director for his leadership, perseverance, loyalty and love of the his band.

And lastly but most importantly, thank you to the young men and women who make up the Band of Mystery Marching band and Flag Corp. We thank you for the long hours of practice in the hot sun, the entertainment you provide at pep rallies, special occasions and at games, and the pride with which you perform. You are true Vipers! Your sacrifices do not go unseen and unheard. Your superior ratings at competitions are a testament to your greatness.

THANK YOU.

Last Football Game of the Season

Tonight, the Varela Vipers football team played their last game of the season. They beat Coral Park in an astonishing win.

The faculty and student body of Varela is very proud of their team. Congratulations are in order to first year head coach,Matt Dixon,and all of the coaching staff. The parents and families of the players are also to be commended for their dedication to our athletes on and off the field.

We are very proud of you !

Scholarship Opportunity

The Hispanic Heritage Foundation and Colgate-Palmolive Company

You could win:

(1) Grand Prize — $10,000 educational grant
(15) First Prizes — $1,000 educational grant

Open only to legal residents of the 50 United States and Washington, D.C., who are high school students 16 years of age or older as of 9/15/09. Additionally, one of entrant's biological parents must consider themselves Hispanic.

Visit www.colgate.com/hazlau and follow the on-screen directions to submit your contest entry.

Essay (500 words or less) on:

HOW CAN EDUCATION IMPACT THE HERITAGE OF HISPANIC GENERATIONS TO COME?

Essays will be judged by The Hispanic Heritage Foundation to determine (1) Grand Prize winner and (15) First Prize winners. All judging will be based on the following 3 criteria: originality and creativity (40%); inspirational quality (40%); and appropriateness to topic (20%).

DEADLINE: Applications are being accepted through 11/30/09.

Burger King Scholarship Opportunity

BURGER KING® Scholars Program criteria

Applicant must be a high school senior who:

Maintains a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or higher

Works part-time for a minimum of 10 hours per week or 40 weeks per year

Be actively involved in community service activities

Demonstrates financial need (1040 form required)

Plans to enroll in an accredited two/or four-year college, university, or vocational/technical school by Fall of the application year.

The $1,000 awards may be used for educational expenses, such as tuition fees and books, during the first year of college or post-secondary vocational/technical school. For students to qualify, they must be a high school senior and a U.S. or Canada resident that meets our criteria above. To learn more about the program, please visit our website at www.haveityourwayfoudation.org, and click on BURGER KING® Scholars.

Applications are available online Sept. 14, 2009 – Feb. 1, 2010. Applications and all accompanying materials must be postmarked no later than Feb. 1, 2010. Instructions on how students can apply are indicated on the attached flyer and can be posted on your high school’s scholarship bulletin board. Furthermore, if you or the applicants have any questions regarding the program, please contact International Scholarship and Tuition Services (ISTS) at (615) 320-3149 or info@applyists.com or Barby Dorado at (305) 378-3186 or bdorado@whopper.com.

Education Forum Hosted by St Rep Anitere Flores

Florida House of Representatives

Representative Anitere Flores

District 114

WHO: Representatives from the College Board, Florida Department of Education, Florida International University Admissions, and Miami-Dade College Admissions.

WHAT: Education Forum on College Preparedness (information about Florida
International University and Miami-Dade College undergraduate programs, the SAT test registration and preparation, financial aid options, scholarship
opportunities, and general information on preparing for college after high-school graduation).

WHERE: Felix Varela Senior High School
15255 SW 96th Street
Miami, FL 33196

WHEN: Monday, November 16, 2009
6:00PM-8:00PM

State Representative Anitere Flores (R, 114) invites the community to an education forum on college preparedness. The forum will bring together community leaders, educators, students, parents, and others to discuss the importance of a college education and how to prepare, and the future of public education. Participants will provide information about the transition from high school to college.

“This is a great opportunity for students and parents to come learn more about life after high school—applying and getting into college, financial assistance options, and scholarship opportunities,” said Representative Flores. “In today's economy a college education is extremely important, and I want to make sure that our students and parents feel that they have the information available to prepare for that next step after high school graduation.”

Veterans Honored at Varela

This morning faculty, staff and students honored Veterans to commemorate Veterans Day. Once again we had a surviving Tuskegee Airman visit classes and receive a commendation in the name of our school for his bravery.

Mr. Vinat, social studies teacher and Master of Ceremony organized the event. The NJROTC presented the colors and the Varela Band of Mystery played for the assembly. Everyone was moved as TAPS was played dedicated to all our brave men and women who gave their lives for our freedom.

This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave. ~Elmer Davis

Veteran's Day

There will be no school on Wednesday, November 11th in commemoration of Veteran's Day.

This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave. ~Elmer Davis

Felix Varela Senior High

Veterans Day Ceremony 2009

Tuesday Nov. 10

8:45am

Open Courtyard

The NJROTC along with the Social Studies Department will recognize the dedication and service of our men and women in uniform.

Veterans at our school include:

Walter Koppel, US Air Force- 4 Years

Ernesto Lorenzo- US Air Force- 6 Years

Ralph Flores- US Army- First Infantry

Ernesto Marquez-Reyes (Son of Graciela Reyes) - Staff Sergeant- US Army- 82nd Airborne at Ft. Bragg, NC- 4 ½ Years- Army Reserve

Carl Stephen Norton (Late Husband of Nicole Townsend) - US Army- Ft Drum NY

Charles Leo- Commander- US Navy (Retired) - 26 Years

Eduardo Lowe- Gunnery Sergeant- US Marine Corps (Retired) - 20 Years

Rafael Camacho- Electronic Technician- 1st Class- US Navy- 20 Years

Homecoming Game Alumni and Faculty Reunion

November 6th was a special night for Felix Varela Sr High. During our homecoming football game, alumni, former and current faculty attended the game to celebrate the school's 10th anniversary.

It was a wonderful night when we all saw friends and former students. All alumni and faculty were treated to a special halftime salute ! You could feel the Viper family love.

The anniversary committee is to be commended for getting the word out and a heartfelt thank you to all the former faculty, administrators and students who attended and made it such a wonderful night.

Spooky Shadows

On October 28, Varela sponsored its annual Spooky Shadows. Children from the neighborhood were treated to candy, games and fun.

A big SHOUT OUT goes to Ms. Felicia Christin for organizing it and all the club sponsors and students who made this annual event such a success.

Survey of Federally Connected Students

On November 9, 2009, all schools will participate in a Title VIII survey to determine the number of federally connected students in M-DCPS for each "eligible student." An eligible student is defined to mean a student who lives with a parent/guardian that meets one or more of the following criteria.

- Is in the uniformed services which includes the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines, Navy, Commissioned Geodetic Survey, or Public Health Service; or
- Is both an accredited foreign government official and foreign military officer; or
- Is a civilian employee who works at one of the federal properties (list at the end)
- Is a migratory worker residing in: Everglades Village, Redland Labor camp, or South Dade Labor Camp.

Properties Certified Eligible Under Title VIII

Air Defense Support Facility HM01 (Perrine)
Army Reserve Center (11700 NW 27 Ave
Army Reserve Center (5600 San Amaro Dr)
Army Reserve Center (Richmond Field)
Biscayne National Monument (Homestead)
Coast Guard Air Station
Coast Guard Base
Coast Guard Miami radio Station
Coast Guard Richmond Heights Housing
Engineers Sub-Office
Everglades National Park - WORK ON
FAA Air International Flight Station
FAA Air Route Traffic Control Center
Federal Office Bldg
Homestead Air Force Base LIVE ON OR WORK ON
Metro Correctional Center
National Guard Homestead
Naval Observatory Substation
Naval Reserve Training Center
Naval Security Group (Old Card Sound Rd.)
Nike Hercules Site #69 / Site #95
NOAA
Plant introduction Garden (Cutler Rd-Chapman Field)
Post Office & Courthouse (300 NE 1st Ave)
Richmond Air Force Station
Veterans Hospital (1201 NW 16 st)

A federal law, Title VIII, provides reimbursement for each child whose parent or guardian qualififes. Please have your child return the form to the attendance office on or before November 18, 2009.

Varela Students share their Artwork with the World!

Miami, FL -- Move Over Famous Artists! Felix Varela Senior High School artists are taking over the spotlight! Felix Varela Visual Arts Department, has teamed up with Artsonia, www.artsonia.com -- the world's largest online kid's art museum -- to display the students' artwork.

Anyone can view the school gallery online at: www.artsonia.com/schools/felix2 . Visitors can browse the artwork in the school gallery by grade level, or by specific exhibits. Felix Varela Senior High School students join thousands of students from over 100 countries whose artwork is showcased on Artsonia.

All of Artsonia's artwork (nearly 5 million and counting!) are viewable online, and any teacher or parent can create an online art gallery for their child or school. Artsonia provides several online features such as fan clubs and personal guestbooks, as a way for families to encourage the creativity and imaginations of their young artists. In addition, family members can purchase keepsakes imprinted with the child's artwork, with Artsonia donating 15 percent of their annual product revenue back to school art programs.

Headquartered in Gurnee, Ill., Artsonia was established in 2000 as an online kid's art museum providing free, educational resources for kids, families and schools to create art projects. Since its inception, Artsonia continues to integrate technology in the classroom, develop multi-cultural understanding through art and increase family involvement in children's education. To find out more, visit www.artsonia.com .