Viper Principal: March 2010

Friday, March 26, 2010

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Remember that for the p-off competition, the kids had 3 minutes 14 seconds to write down as many digits of p as they could. The top student earned a plaque and a graphing calculator; 2nd and 3rd places will also receive a plaque. All the students will get a p -week flash drive and a p pin for participating.

1st Place: 123 digits RICARDO TRIMARCHI

2nd Place: 80 digits Sohaib Ahmad

3rd Place: 59 digits Neal Rabulan

Honorable Mentions:

54 digits Mahmmoud Abdeldayen

52 digits Natalia Tamayo

47 digits Daniel Camous

46 digits Fabian Diaz

26 digits Daniela Gallego (she actually wrote down over 50 digits but omitted digit # 27!)

Monday, March 22, 2010

College Week Live

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities’ (HACU) is partnered with www.CollegeWeekLive.com, the leading provider of online college fairs and admissions events. CollegeWeekLive is having a FREE Spring CollegeWeek admissions event for students and their families on March 24 and 25 from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 (EST). Each hour, during this event, students will have the opportunity to talk to experts in the fields of college admissions, financial aid and standardized testing or to representatives from different universities across the United States.

Agenda can be found at http://files.hacu.net/pdf/agenda.pdf.
It is important for students to register before the actual event in order to qualify for one of five scholarships totaling $10,000. To register, simply go to the following link http://www.collegeweeklive.com/en_CA/guest/app-colleges/refcode=HACU.

Quest Bridge College Prep Scholarship

Quest Bridge College Prep Scholarship

(10) Full Scholarships to Summer Programs at Harvard, Notre Dame, Stanford, or Yale

Deadline:3/29/10
Junior
Strong Academic Record
Annual household income of less than $60,000
Many past award recipients have also been part of the first generation in their family to attend college

Quest Bridge’s College prep Scholarship provides awards that equip outstanding low-income students to compete for admission to top-ranked colleges

Application available online at http://www.questbridge.org

Monday, March 15, 2010

Stampede to Success at USF

Stampede to Success at USF on April 9th, 2010 is designed for high school juniors, sophomores and their families. Visit www.usf.edu/Stampede for more information.

Stampede to Success
Friday, April 9, 2010
8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Selecting a university that’s right for you is a big decision. To help make the process a little easier, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at the University of South Florida invites you and your family to Stampede to Success, an event exclusively for high school juniors and sophomores.

Stampede to Success is different from most other college visits because you can meet with faculty and staff from the academic area of your interest, take campus and residence hall tours, hear first-hand about scholarship opportunities and the financial aid process, and learn about activities USF offers students outside of the classroom!

We invite you to come to Stampede to Success and discover what makes USF an Unforgettable University! The event will be held from 8:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. in the Marshall Student Center and will feature:

· Academic program previews

· Admissions information

· Current USF student panels

· Financial aid and scholarship opportunities

· Student life overview

· Walking campus and residence hall tours

Reserve your spot today!

Space is limited, so please register by Friday, April 2, 2010!

2010 South Florida High School Shakesphere Monologue Competition

The University of Miami Motion Picture Graduate Students and the members of the Miami Branch of the English-Speaking Union of the United States congratulate Sommer Carbuccia, a junior at Felix Varela Sr High School. He placed 1st and won an all expense paid trip to New York City to represent South Florida in the 27th National Competition at Lincoln Center.

Zack Lopez won 4th place. He performed King Henry from King Henry V.

Congratulations to both students and their teachers Mr. Rey Bode and Ozzie Quintana.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

March Scholarships

University of South Florida Honors College
$4,000 ($500.00 per semester)
• Senior
• 3.7 GPA or higher
• Planning to attend the Honors College at USF
• 1250 (math/verbal) SAT/29 ACT or higher
• Students who do not meet the requirements but have extraordinary life experiences might be admitted to the program at the discretion of the program director. You can contact the director to discuss options
For more information and application go to www.stpt.usf.edu/coas/honors

The JCI Senators of Florida Foundation, Inc.
Up to two $1,000 scholarships to high school graduates who attend a college/university or vocational school full-time
A third scholarship will be awarded based on need
• Senior
• Resident of Florida
• Must include the FAFSA application
• Complete the FAFSA online and include the print summary as completed by FAFSA
• Resume
• References
• Transcript
• All submissions must be typewritten or printed
• Personal Statement
For application information, please visit the website, click on Florida and email the Florida contact person: http://www.usjcisenate.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13&Itemid=26

NROTC Scholarship Program
Full tuition, books, fees and other financial benefits
• U.S. Citizen
• Not less than 17 years old by 9/1 of year starting college and no more than 23 on June 30 of that year
• High school graduation or equivalency certificate by 8/1 of year of entrance into four year NROTC scholarship program
• Physically qualified by Navy or Marine Corps standards
• Apply for and gain admission to NROTC colleges
• SAT score of 530 Verbal, 520 Math or ACT 21 Math, 22 English. If you do not meet the test scores but are in the top 10% of your class you still qualify
• Students will receive a $250 per month allowance
• For more information or to start your NROTC application go to:

Bridges to the Future
(Miami Dade College and the University of Miami)
Two years full tuition at Miami Dade Honors (separate application needed) and two years full tuition at UM if student meets the requirements to transfer

• Senior from an underrepresented minority group (Hispanic, Black, Pacific Islander, and Native American) planning to continue studies in biomedical science
• U.S. citizen or permanent residency status
• Planning to attend Miami- Dade Honors College the first two years (separate application needed), then planning to transfer to the University of Miami
• For application and future information please visit http://mdc.edu/honorscollege/enrichment_bridges.asp

Miami Dade College- Kendall Summer Scholarship
(Early Start)
In-state tuition coverage for up to 5 credits (prep or college credits) plus $50 towards the cost of books and mentoring throughout the summer
• Senior
• Planning to attend Miami-Dade Kendall in the summer term (June 21-July 30, 2010). Participation requires attending classes only two or three mornings per week
• For application please contact Sue Giorgi at dgiorgi@mdc.edu or (305) 237-2582 or (305) 237-0742

Scholar Athlete Milk Mustache of the Year
(SAMMY) 2009 Award Program -
(25) winners $7,500 scholarship
-An invitation for winners, parents and/or guardians to attend a weekend at the Disney World Complex in Orlando, FL
03/12/10
• Senior
• If you are a star both in the classroom and on the field, the Scholar Athlete Milk Mustache of the Year Award is for you
• Judging will be based on academic performance, athletic excellence, leadership, and community service
• Essay: 250 words about how milk has helped him/her in his/her academics and/or athletics
• Application and nomination information available at the Athletics Office see Ms. Cortright for additional information www.BodyByMilk.com

Clara B. Knight Scholarship/The Links
$1,500.00 DEADLINE:03/19/10
• African American background and reside in Miami Dade
• Financial need (Copy of parent’s 2009 income tax return
• Evidence of being accepted or having applied to a post-secondary institution
• GPA 3.0 or better and attend a public school in Miami Dade County
• SAT or ACT scores (attach a copy of original report with a minimum of 1000 SAT or 20 ACT)
• Photograph
• Letter of recommendation
• Transcript
• Personal statement
• Application available at the CAP-Office

The King of Clubs Scholarship Award
(3) $1,000 Received by: 03/26/10 • Senior
• African American background
• GPA 3.0
• Financial need
• Involvement in school and community activities
• Two letters of recommendation
• Two senior class photos
• Essay
• Must be able to attend Scholarship Banquet May 2, 2010
• Application available at the CAP office

Judge Sidney M. Aronovitz Memorial Scholarship
At least three $1,000 scholarships will be granted
annually 03/26/10
• Senior
• Scholarships will be awarded to Miami-Dade County minority students planning to continue their education through to the university level and pursue a career in South Florida.
• Applicant must be a high school senior or GED recipient in a Miami-Dade County Public School.
• Applicants must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher
• For an application go to: http://www.dadecommunityfoundation.org

Quest Bridge College Prep Scholarship
(10) Full Scholarships to Summer Programs at Harvard, Notre Dame, Stanford, or Yale
03/29/10
• Junior
• Strong Academic Record
• Annual household income of less than $60,000
• Many past award recipients have also been part of the first generation in their family to attend college
• Quest Bridge’s College prep Scholarship provides awards that equip outstanding low-income students to compete for admission to top-ranked colleges
• Application available online at www.questbridge.org

National Conference of Puerto Rican Women
Up to $2,000 annually Postmarked by 04/14/10
• Puerto Rican female, by birth or descent (include birth certificate)
• Student admitted for fall term of 2010 at an accredited College or University of choice
• GPA 3.0 or higher
• Proof of financial need (IRS Income Tax Return for the year 2009)
• Transcript
• Statement including professional goals
• Essay:” What it means to be Puerto Rican.”
• Photo of choice (2x2)
• Application available in the CAP-Office

Essence of a Haitian Woman Inc.
$500.00 Postmarked by: 04/16/10
• Senior
• Female of Haitian descent
• Transcript
• Essay
• College/University Acceptance letter indicating intended major
• This scholarship is committed towards increasing the number of Haitian women in pursuing an undergraduate/graduate degree in the area of Business Administration, Accounting, Marketing, Finance, and Business Management
• Overall GPA of 3.3 or above
• For further information contact Cassandra Theramene at www.ehwinc.org or (850) 294-0441
• Application available in the CAP-Office

ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Math and Science Scholarships
(4) 2 males and 2 females $5,000 Postmarked by: 05/14/10
• Senior
• African American or Hispanic student
• Evidence of academic achievement in high school
• Leadership skills or community service in the area of Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics
• Commitment to pursue a career in a STEM field
• Transcript
• Essay
• Three letters of recommendation
• Three copies of the application (original and two copies)
• Application available at http://www.cgcs.org/Awards/Harris_Scholarship.pdf

SENIORS:
CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE
Required by certain colleges and universities)
More information at www.collegeboard.com/profile
PROFILE Application for 2010-2011 will be available on October 1, 2009. You should file this application if you are entering college in the fall of 2010 or the spring of 2011 and if required by your college or university.

CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE® is the financial aid application service of the College Board. Almost 600 colleges, universities, graduate and professional schools and scholarship programs use the information collected on the PROFILE to determine eligibility for nonfederal student aid funds. The PROFILE is a fully Web-based application system that provides students a secure and efficient method for reporting their financial data to schools.
• Required by some colleges and universities
• Institutions use the information collected on the CSS Profile to help them award non-federal student aid funds
Application is available online at www.collegeboard.com/profile or by calling (305) 829-9793

What happens after FAFSA?

After you submit your FAFSA:
 Once your FAFSA is processed you will have access to a Student Aid Report (SAR), either through an online summary of the online application process, or through a printed document mailed to you if you apply using a paper FAFSA.
 VERY IMPORTANT- review your SAR for accuracy, and make corrections if necessary. In some cases, additional information is necessary before the application can be considered complete
 If selected for verification, the colleges and universities where you are planning to attend will request additional information, keep copies of any documents that you submit. Make sure to include your name and social security number or college/university ID on the top corner of all documents submitted.
 Most college send universities will provide you with online access for you to monitor your financial aid file.

The data provided by you to the federal processor on the FAFSA form is put through a calculation established by the federal government. This calculation establishes an Expected Family Contribution (EFC). Your eligibility for need based aid is calculated by subtracting your EFC from your Cost of Attendance (COA). This gives the financial aid office at the college/university you are applying your financial need.
- COA
- EFC
- Other resources

Understanding the Student Aid Report (SAR)

Student Aid Report (SAR): A Student Aid Report (SAR) is a document the student will receive after the FAFSA is processed. The SAR will list all of the answers they provided on their FAFSA. Students should review these answers carefully to make sure they are correct. If they provided an email address, they should receive an electronic SAR by email; otherwise, they will receive a hard copy SAR by mail.
If they need to make any changes, select Make Corrections to a Processed FAFSA under the FAFSA Follow-Up section of the home page at www.fafsa.gov. They can also make corrections on the paper SAR, if they received one, and mail it back to the address provided.

Expected Family Contribution (EFC): Top of page 1. The EFC is the amount the federal government believes that the family is able to contribute towards the college cost, based on the information provided on the FAFSA. This is not necessarily the amount the student will have to pay (see award letter).

Verification: If there is an asterisk next to the EFC, it means that the SAR has been flagged for verification. More information needs to be provided to the Financial Aid Office at the college or university.
Data Release Number (DRN): Top of page 1 underneath the EFC is a four digit reference number needed when contacting the Federal Student Aid Information Center to make corrections to the mailing address or the schools listed on the FAFSA. The DRN also allows students to release the FAFSA data to schools not listed on your original FAFSA.

Award Letter

Once a financial aid officer at the college/university reviews your SAR, the college/university will put together your financial aid package and send you an award letter. The award letter will include the financial calculation that determines the amount of aid you receive: Cost of Attendance (COA) minus Expected Family Contribution (EFC) = financial need. It will also list the financial aid awards that the college has determined you are eligible to receive. Financial aid awards may include:
• Scholarships. Scholarships are awarded to students based on financial need or to award them for special talents in academics, music, athletics, etc. They are offered through colleges, the community, and other organizations. Scholarships do not have to be paid back.
• Grants. Grants are awarded by the federal or state governments or by the school and are usually based on financial need. Grants do not have to be paid back.
• Federal Work-Study. Federal Work-Study is self-help aid and is awarded to students with financial need. Students can work part-time to earn this award money to help with the cost of attendance. Work-study jobs can be found on or off campus through the school's Financial Aid Office.
• Student Loans. Student loans must be repaid.
Once you receive the different financial aid award letters from each of the schools to which you have applied, you need to compare the financial aid packages offered from each school. Once you have decided on a school, you must let the school know whether or not you are accepting or declining the awards by filling out and signing the award letter and sending it back to the school. If you find that the college you want to attend offers less aid than your financial need, be sure to look into ways of filling that financial aid gap.

NJROTC Joseph C. Gilliam Award

The Area SEVEN 2009/2010 Gilliam Scholarship winner is Cadet/LCDR Ivonne Navarro of Felix Varela High School. Enclosure is submitted to support her as the 2010 NJROTC Area SEVEN selection for the Joseph C. Gilliam Award.

Cadet Navarro is currently serving as Varela's "Viper" Company Commander. She is the third member of her family to become a member of Varela's NJROTC program and the second to serve as its commanding officer. Her parents are Hispanic immigrants with modest income who speak limited English, yet her brother Danny is a Junior at the University of Virginia and brother Giovanni is a Freshman at the University of Michigan. Cadet Navarro has applied to attend college next year at Harvard, Yale or Johns Hopkins University. Cadet Navarro's current ranking is 7 of 729 Varela seniors, with the likelihood that she will finish in the top 5. I am very proud to submit her as Area SEVEN’s Joseph C. Gilliam scholarship recipient for school year 2009/2010.

For Students attending UF

The Gator Club® of Miami is giving away up to $10,000 worth of scholarships to deserving students and so far, we have not received enough applications. The scholarship is limited to Miami-Dade County high school seniors graduating at the end of the current school year (May/June 2010) and the student must be accepted and enrolled at the University of Florida for summer and/or fall semester of 2010. Please follow this link to access our scholarship application: http://www.miamigators.com/wp/?page_id=26

Deadline for applications needs to be postmarked by Friday, April 16, 2010.

On a different note, each year our club has 2,500 volunteer hours that we would like to offer to your students. Each student will receive between five to ten hours based on which event they are able to attend. If you have any students that are interested in volunteer hours, please have them go to our web site at www.miamigators.com and click on “Gator Volunteer” for more information.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly at sergio@miamigators.com or at 786-447-4830. You can also send any questions and inquiries to info@miamigators.com.

Monday, March 8, 2010

District Music Performance Assessment

The Felix Varela HS Wind Ensemble performed Friday at the District Music Performance Assessment and received Straight Superior ratings. Congratulations to the students for all of their hard work and dedication in successfully performing college level literature with high standards.

This is a great accomplishment especially since it makes this the first year in the schools 10 year history that all the bands receive Superior ratings! Congratulations to the band program, volunteers, parents and Director, Chris Illa.

Monday, March 1, 2010

P-Week Festivities

March is around the corner and I am planning some activities in anticipation of March 14, p-day. I am inviting you and your students to be a part of the following:

HALL DECORATION:

Ask your students to decorate 8½ x 11 unlined sheets of paper with digits 0 – 9. I also need a good looking p, a decimal point, approximately equal sign (»), and an ellipsis (…). Ms. Daire needs all of your decorated sheets on our planning day, March 1st.

p-THEMED CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES:

Next week Ms. Daire will e-mail you 2 – 3 activities that you are invited to complete with your classes (Friday 3/12 & Monday 3/15). This of course is optional. If you have any great activities that are also p-related please share them with the department.

p-OFF COMPETITION:

Friday 3/12 at 2:40 PM in room 138.

Participants will have 3 minutes 14 seconds to write as many digits of p as they can remember. Winner receives a trophy and a graphing calculator.

p-RELATED POEM AND/OR ARTWORK:

Students can submit an electronic copy of a p-themed poem or artwork. The winning entry will be printed as p -postcards that will go to the faculty on p -day. The deadline for submission is Friday March 5th (NO EXCEPTIONS).

State Wrestling

Cris “The Spider” Molina made history at the State Wrestling Tournament at Lakeland, FL. He was Varela’s first time State Finalist. He was awarded a Silver medal for taking 2nd at State.

Also, Kevin Alzate showed great resiliency by knocking off a number 1 seed, but unfortunately could not win his next two matches to place at state.

Congratulations to both of them for one of the greatest wrestling season in school history.

Fairchild Challenge

Congratulations to Felix Varela student, Samantha Barnes,she received an Honorable Mention for her Lychee Watercolor.

Congratulations to Varela Science Students

Please join the Felix Varela Science Department in congratulating Jonathan Prendergast and Christopher Sanchez who will be two of eight students representing Miami Dade County Public Schools at the Intel International Science Fair May 9-14 in San Jose, California.

Jonathan presented the results of a year long research project with Dr. Ligia Collado and his poster is entitled “Interpreting the nutrient limitations, salinity, and seasonal variations of Florida Bay in order to analyze shifts in species and biomass productivity”

Christopher’s poster summarized two years of research with Dr. Evelyn Gaiser, the Lead Investigator at FIU’s Florida Coastal Everglades Long Term Ecological Research Program and is entitled: “Quantifying hydroperiod fluctuations across an Everglades wetland through microscopic analysis of siliceous microfossils”. This project is a continuation from his 2009 project for which he received 2nd Place at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.

The Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce 2010 College Scholarships

Application Deadline: March 15, 2010

MIAMI, FL, February 22, 2010 – The Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce is currently accepting applications from Miami-Dade high school seniors for the Jeanne Bellamy Scholarship and Maloof Family Scholarship Fund. The application deadline is Monday, March 15, 2010 at 5:00 p.m. Applications are available at www.MiamiChamber.com.

The Jeanne Bellamy Scholarship fund was created by Jeanne Bellamy, the first woman to serve as chair of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce. One scholarship of $2,500 will be awarded to a female, high school senior from a Miami-Dade County public high school who intends to pursue a degree in business. The scholarship is restricted to 12th graders.

The Maloof Family Scholarship Fund was created by board member Al Maloof, PhD to ensure that five deserving Miami-Dade students would have a scholarship opportunity to be able to attend the college of their choice. Five scholarships of $2,000 will be awarded to seniors from Miami-Dade public or private high schools who intend to pursue a degree in business, law, political science or government service. Two of the scholarships will be awarded to the child of a Miami-Dade County and/or City of Miami employee.

The recipients will be announced and the scholarships presented at the May or June 2010 Chamber Board meeting. For more information about the Jeanne Bellamy Scholarship contact, Tania Valenzuela: 305-577-5491 or tvalenzuela@miamichamber.com. For more information about the Maloof Family Scholarship Fund contact, Cornelia Pereira: 305-577-5432 or cpereira@miamichamber.com.

QBIC Scholarships at FIU

Over the last three years, several faculty at Florida International

University (FIU) have formed a fantastic and highly selective

Undergraduate Premedical and Biology Scholarship Program.

This program continues to grow, and the students involved in it

continue to excel in their course study. At this time, we are seeking

to increase the scope of our endeavors. As a result, we are asking

South Florida High School Science Instructors to help us spread the

word to their interested senior class students.

Students can Google us at “QBIC FIU” or directly visit

our website at: http://qbic.fiu.edu

What is QBIC?
» QBIC (Quantifying Biology in the Classroom) is a new Biological Sciences Program intended for incoming freshmen interested in earning a BSC in Biology.

QBIC graduates will have a greater likelihood of being accepted into Medical, Biomedical, or Behavioral Science Graduate Programs.

Our rigorous, faculty-developed curriculum is both interdisciplinary and quantitative: QBIC courses integrate the biological and physical sciences with, statistics, mathematics, English, and other required electives.

QBIC Scholarships
36 total scholarships are available for the 2010-2011 academic year.

Two general awards are available:

1. FIU scholarship: Covers the cost of in-state tuition. There are no US residency/citizenship or FAFSA financial need requirements.

2. NSF scholarship: ~$5,315 per year. Does not fluctuate with credit load. Requires US residency/citizenship, and at least $1 of FAFSA financial need.

Currently, 33% of QBIC students pay no tuition.

QBIC Benefits
smaller and specialized classes
a tight social network of gifted classmates
close interactions with professors
research opportunities
a summer computer simulation and modeling workshop
and a chance at one of QBIC’s four-year scholarships, among others.
How To Apply
QBIC is actively recruiting entering freshmen with excellent academic credentials for Fall 2010.

Applicants must have:
minimum 3.3 GPA
minimum 1750 SAT score (Math 600+)
an interest in an M.D. or Graduate degree in the Biological Sciences

Applicants must provide:
completed application form (http://qbic.fiu.edu)
2 letters of recommendation from teachers/advisors
personal statement that explains your interest in QBIC

Small Works Exhibition

At the M-DCPS Small Works Exhibition at Miami International University of Art and Design, Bianca Khan was selected as the senior high school winner of the Renay Rossi Distinguished Artist Award for her ceramic sculpture. This yearly award is made possible by the Dade Art Education Association and the family of former M-DCPS Art Educator, Renay Rossi, who taught in this county for over 30 years. Please congratulate Bianca for her outstanding sculpture. Her piece will be featured on the Dade Art Education Association website.

Varela's Mock Trail

Congratulations to Varela's Mock Trail Team. The Mock Trial team won all four rounds of the mock trial competition and advanced to the District Final, which will take place Friday, March 5th. The teams competing are Our Lady of Lourdes, Coral Reef, Killian Sr. and Felix Varela.

In the photo:

(Bottom row Left to Right):
Zabrina (The Rock) Branca
Vanessa (The two-step) Martinez
Dalisi (Mrs. Mock Trial) Otero
Antonio (Awkward) Lopez

(Top row Left to Right):
Frank (The Tank) Samitier
Martin (The Helmet) Tenorio
Mateo (The Tinman) Riano
Luis (Mr. Mock Trial) Herrera
Stephania (Mom) Herrera
Dr. Vichot (The man, the myth, the legend)
Linette (Accident on heels) De Los Santos
Jonathan (Curly) Carrasco
Ivana (The Paperclip) Alvarez
Kabil (Big Sexy) Afzalirey

Harvard for Free

Free Harvard Education Opportunity!!!!! Please share with your students.

A family earning less than $60,000 a year with an honor student graduating from high school soon, Harvard University wants to pay the tuition. The prestigious university recently announced that from now on undergraduate students from low-income families can go to

Harvard for free... no tuition and no student loans!

To find out more about Harvard offering free tuition for families making less than $60,000 a year, visit Harvard's financial aid website at:http://www.fao.fas.harvard.edu/ or call the school's financial aid office at (617) 495-1581.

Viper Principal

Friday, March 26, 2010

April Scholarship Bulletin

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

P-off Competition Winners