Issue 4
Spring 2016
Evening of the Arts dazzles Campus under construction
By Bernard Krasuski At Evening of the Arts, I was a dancer. During Evening of the Arts, I mostly played with my friends and practiced my dancing piece. I really loved Evening of the Arts because I could show off my amazing dancing skills to the parents. Many of my colleagues and the Evening of the Arts loved it. I did not really love it that much because one of our dance classes partnered up with my dance class, which made it a little annoying. Many people don’t know how to dance, but I do and it is very fun because you can express your feelings in a physical way. During the Evening of the Arts, I was able to dance and show my skills to people for them to enjoy it, and it’s really fun. During Evening of the Arts, I also got to see all my other comrades dance and it was really cool. I think that we danced
By Belle Greenberg
After many years of planning, our school has decided to construct a new Center for the Arts, a parking garage, and redoing the field. No doubt that the school is changing for the better! And everyone agrees.
Photo by Mr. Fallik
The middle school dancers entertain the crowd during MCDS's annual Evening really well, which made the parents real- their skills as an arts performing, or nonize that we have an amazing instructor performing, student. I hope all the visi(Mr. Johnson) and an amazing crew, if tors and parents had a very good time they did not already know. I hope that and that they will be encouraged to come all the other art classes had as much fun next year to the Evening of the Art, hopeas I did and that they got to demonstrate fully being held in the new Arts center.
“MCDS is going through a tremendous year of growth,” said Mrs. Robert, a middle school science and math teacher, “The facility improvements coming online within the next year or so such as the parking garage, Center for the Arts, World Language Center, athletic field, and new science labs will provide the facility that matches the world class education that students receive. Although growing pains always accompany growth, it will be worth it when all of the construction is complete. I am very excited about the improvements to our campus and I appreciate that I am part of the MCDS community during this exciting time!”
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MCDS purchases pontoon By Ilan Zenatti Several students have taken a trip on the pontoon boat in the canal. Maybe it was during the summer camp at this school, or maybe for an art class. It’s a great addition to the school, but do you know why the school got the pontoon boat? Ms. Yvonne Moyer, the lower school art teacher, can tell you all about it. “The pontoon boat was purchased as a cooperative venture between the school and the summer camp,” said Ms. Yvonne Moyer. “The Green Task Force was excited about the students enjoying the view from the water, becoming more aware of canal life and enjoying things like the reflections, animal and bird life, and helping to keep that canal environment clean. Any teacher may request to use the pontoon boat by contacting Lourdes in maintenance who in turn hires the driver and lifeguard. Students have gone out to
draw on the boat, be inspired to write poetry, view the new Center for the Arts, or even clean up the canal.” And of course, the school needs a captain for the boat. The captain for the pontoon boat is Joseph Tesini, also known as Jojo. “I became the captain of the pontoon boat working during the summer camp,” said Jojo. “I worked as part of the canoeing and fishing department. They asked me if I would be able to drive the boat they were planning on getting and I told them yes. I have been the captain ever since.” Although the school does have lifeguards, there are no official lifeguards for the pontoon boat. Instead, Bryan Garcia and another lifeguard take turns for lifeguard duty on the pontoon. Classes have enjoyed their trip on the pontoon a lot. The journalism crew had a publication party on
Photo by Mr. Fallik
The journalism staff took a trip on the pontoon. From left: Ananda NavesPenkwitt, Ilan Zenatti, Rachel Hodes, and Belle Greenberg the pontoon. They had pizza and had an opportunity to take pictures of the new Center of the Arts currently in progress. “The pontoon is very spacious and bigger than I thought it would,” said Ananda Naves, a member of the journalism crew.
“The boat ride was fun,” said Rachel Hodes, another member of the journalism crew. “I’ve never in my life seen so many lizards in one place. There was one house that has a cage with bunnies and all the lizards were surrounding it.” The pontoon boat is a great addition to the MCDS community and will definitely be used in the future.
Saying goodbye to a friend
8th grade does service
By Ananda Naves-Penkwitt
By various students
In addition to working at Miami Country Day she has had a few other jobs.
Miami Country Day School is losing one of it’s most loved teachers this year. Mrs. Avalos, a guidance counselor at MCDS for over 16 years has decided to retire to be with her family.
“My first job ever was when I was a teenager, must have been 15-16 and I was teaching ballet classes, like little kids ballet at the company I used to dance with,” Mrs. Avalos said.
Imagine a field trip the first day back from vacation! That’s what happened to the MCDS middle school’s eighth grade. As part of the curriculum, the students attended a service day field trip to give back to the community.
“Well, I need some flexibility because now my youngest son is graduating from college and he’s probably going to be living in NY or LA and I want to be able to go visit him, and I now… before the end of the year we found out we’ll have four grandkids. I just want to be able to go and spend time with them,” she said.
She started working at the school in 2000, but has been part of the community for over 25 years as a parent.
Some kids went to Oleta River Park to help with the beach clean up, and others when the Miami Jewish Health System. Some went to the Miami Rescue Mission and helped the homeless, and some even stayed right here on campus!
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The kids varied from calling about the new Arts center, to serving food, to cleaning up beaches, but over all the thought was the
same. Everyone wanted to help and they did a wonderful job, too. “When we first arrived at the Miami Rescue Mission, we were greeted by a group of men singing choir songs, which felt like a really nice welcome,” said Sofia Paredes, an eighth grader. We were then given a talk about what the Miami Rescue Mission is and the different services they provide; they provide homes for homeless men, women, and children, they educate them, feed them, give them jobs and prepare them to leave the Rescue Mission to look for a job and a home of their own.
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