M.A.SSS.T. @ HHHomestead

A Message from our Administration

955 SE 18 AVENUE HOMESTEAD, FL

November 2010 Volume 1, Issue 3

RROOAARRIINN

TTIIMMEESS

FIU Visits MAST@ Homestead

Jonah Loctar, Staff Writer

M.A.S.T. @ Homestead has been very busy over the past few weeks; our students have had the opportunity to visit Florida International University (Modesto A. Maidique Campus), Miami Dade College (Homestead Campus) and Nova Southeastern University (Kendall Campus) in order to learn about the medical field. We have hosted a Book Fair, celebrated Spirit Week and recognized National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness week. In addition, our students have donated over 100 non-perishable foods for the underprivileged.

Furthermore, it was an honor to have Mr. Bill Duquette, CEO of Homestead Hospital serve as our ‘Principal for a Day’ on November 17, 2010. During his visit our Student Government Association (SGA) served as Student Ambassadors, providing Mr. Duquette with breakfast as well as a tour of our facilities.

We have received over 300 applications thus far for admission into M.A.S.T. @ Homestead for the 2011-2012 School Year. The application process ends on January 15, 2010. Both 9th and 10th grade students are encouraged to apply. For more information please visit our website: http://mastmedical.dadeschools.net . We have just begun the second nine weeks and we are truly excited to see what the future holds for our students.

Happy Holidays Sabers!

Greg Zawyer, Principal and Ada Gonzalez, Assistant Principal

M.A.S.T.@Homestead is a medical magnet school which features three academies; Physical Therapy, Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences (Fall 2011). On November 8th 2010, we had the distinct pleasure to have a visit from Ms. Colleen Rose-St. Prix, an Associate Professor in the Physical Therapy Department at Florida International University (FIU) and a physical therapist herself. During her visit she informed the students about a career in Physical Therapy.

Physical therapy is a division of the health care industry that deals in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the musculoskeletal system. The aim is to assist patients in resuming their normal lives after various injuries. To achieve these goals, physical therapists utilize treatments such as exercise, heat and cold therapies, massages, and electricity. Physical therapy is primarily sought after in the case of a sport, orthopedic, neurological and muscular injury. Through the interaction of patients and therapists, physical therapy can help restore movement and function to a patient, returning to their prior level of independence.

Professor St. Prix gave the students an excellent presentation on the importance of physical therapy. Since our school is a medical magnet school, the students found her presentation to be enlightening, especially the physical therapy students. She also showed us documentaries on the life of a physical therapist. Being a physical therapist is an excellent profession and a continual learning experience. Not only does someone in that position help people resume their daily lives, but they can also form friendships as well. She says that the best thing about her job is watching patients, who came into the facility month’s earlier suffering from serious injuries, walking by themselves out of the facility, just in time for the holidays.

Injury. (n.d.). What is Physical Therapy?. Physical Therapy - A Comprehensive Guide of Physical Therapy. Retrieved

November 18, 2010, from http://physicaltherapy.about.com/od/typesofphysicaltherapy/a/whatistherapy.htm

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Our New Building

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Principal for a Day: Mr. Bill Duquette

1. What are you most looking forward to as ‘Principal for The Day’ at

M.A.S.T?

“To see what needs your school may have that our hospital can help with” 2. What made you decide to go into the healthcare field?

Ever since I was young I was always interested in science and medical technology” 3. What degree do you have? How long did you go to school?

“I have a Bachelor’s degree in Science and a Master’s in Public Health. I went (to school for) 4 years for the Bachelors degree and 2 years for the Masters degree” 4. Why did you choose to be a CEO?

“I ask myself that question all the time; I have a lot to offer and feel I can give back to the community.” 5. How did you become a CEO?

“I was a Lab Manager, promoted to Vice President and they asked me if I wanted to be a CEO.”

6. What is the daily life of a CEO?

“There are some days that are light and other days with a lot of meetings, I interact a lot with my employees, I try to keep everybody happy.” 7. Do you have any advice for the students here at M.A.S.T.?

“Congratulations on being at M.A.S.T. continue to study, do well in school and enjoy your life.”

Roxanne Ayala, Staff Writer

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Principal Greg Zawyer Principal for a Day Mr. Bill Duquette

Principal for a Day Mr. Bill Duquette with M.A.S.T.@ Homestead Students

Wednesday was Jersey Day; students came to school with their college jerseys, however no winners were chosen.

On Thursday, we celebrated Hollywood Day. Famous idols from “The King of Pop” to Nicki Minaj were seen that day, but the one who stole the crown was Paris Hilton …doesn’t she have enough already? Ms. Hilton was actually Amber Walters…couldn’t tell the difference. On Friday, the last day of Sprit Week, Roxanne Ayala and Jailene Suarez were the winners as they proudly wore the school colors.

Furthermore, a Sprit Week king and queen were selected. This was based on overall academic excellence and honorable conduct. Many of M.A.S.T.@Homestead students qualified but by democratic means, voting, one king, Ian Carter, and one queen, Andrea Valencia were selected. They were awarded certificates that said they were the king and queen for one day. Moreover, the students who qualified but were not crowned became the royal princesses and princes.

It only cost $5 dollars to participate in these events. The funds will be used to plan future events for the students like a field trip for a sports/field day.

Students from M.A.S.T.@Homestead were pumped up for their first Spirit Week celebration. All expectations were high when the Student Government Association (SGA), announced that Spirit Week was to be held during the 15th- 20th of November. (Student, Stephanie Pizonero said she was thrilled to hear about the upcoming event and was very eager.) Each day of that week different themes were celebrated and winners were chosen based upon who represented the best theme.

A prize was also given out to the champions. On Monday, we observed Twin Day, where students found someone who they wanted to be their look-a-like and dressed identically. The day was filled with pairs of students who looked very similar, but the winners were the indistinguishable Nicole Tjokroredjo and Nicole Balaguer. On Tuesday, everyone looked ridiculous as it was Wacky-Tacky-Day where the victor was Ian Carter. He sported five hilarious hats along with a huge clown shoe on one foot with a roller skate on the other. He also wore a Batman utility belt around his neck, a leather jacket and much, much more. Alejandra Morales said in an interview that Ian looked extremely bizarre and was sure to win.

Arun Ramkissoon, Staff Writer

Spirit Week King Mr. Ian Carter and Spirit

Week Queen Ms. Andrea Valencia

SPIRIT WEEK!

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Spirit Week Princes and Princesses

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Breast Cancer Awareness is commonly observed in many public schools but we, M.A.S.T @ Homestead, took it a step further than just putting up flyers in the hallways. We held our first school celebration, and also our first “Pink” party. “It was fun, but too short. It should have been longer” commented fellow student’s Hector Martinez and Jovan Cano. To those who missed it; we had pastries and ice cream and fun music filled the air.

The party was sponsored by our cheerleading team, the Saberettes. The hope is that someday we may be able to eradicate such a painful malady. Maybe the white coat scientist who discovers the cure for breast cancer would have attended M.A.S.T @ Homestead as a young high school student.

THINK PINK

Breast cancer is a disease found in a person’s gene mutation in a section of the DNA where the growth process unfolds. In time, a tumor may form to be either harmless (benign) or fatale (malignant) in the breast area. But great advancements and strides have been made in the cure for breast cancer. Information can be found whether it be for symptoms, diagnosis, or treatment, at http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms.

M.A.S.T. @ Homestead Students enjoying the Pink Party

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Homeless and Hunger Awareness A Warm Meal

Abelardo Rodriguez, Editor

We Pay Homage Alejandra Morales, Staff Writer

We all must face reality and remember that there are people less fortunate. Maybe you have heard it a hundred times, or this will be the first, but a little help goes a long way. Through your 1st period homeroom, teachers and school administrators urged you to give a little back to your community by means of a hot meal.

In the spirit of the holidays, homeroom students rushed with a bundle of presents for the less fortunate. Here is a list of homerooms and the total amounts student’s delivered:

Mrs. Delafuente – 73

Mr. Mintz – 24

Ms. Gilliard – 21

Ms. Ajileye – 15

As gift from us to you, the students who donated will have a pizza party to celebrate the holiday cheer. Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!

The purpose of National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week, (November 14-20, 2010) was to have students and school personnel become aware and sensitive to the needs of homeless people in our community. During that week M.A.S.T. @ Homestead, along with many other schools in the Miami Dade County Public School System, recognized the seriousness of hunger and homelessness. Students at M.A.S.T. @ Homestead like Jovan Cano are worried that there are homeless people dying because they have no food.

Ms. Baugh’s Peer Counseling class educated their peers about hunger and homelessness. The students discussed ways to be polite and help people in need. They also played fun games and showed videos related to hunger and homelessness. Student, Andersen Harrill, stated that after watching the presentation he learned that “homeless people are good people”. Freshmen, Aldrich Dominguez, said “what I liked about the presentation was …they gave me ideas to help the people in need”.

Students at M.A.S.T. @ Homestead are taking the right steps needed to help out the community by learning about those in need. Remember December 9, 2010 is designated as Homeless Awareness Day.

About Christmas. (n.d.). Christmas Carnivals, Christmas decorations and ideas. Retrieved November 22, 2010, from http://www.christmascarnivals.com/aboutchristmas/

C h r i s t m a s . ( n . d . ) . R e t r i e v e d N o v e m b e r 2 8 , 2 0 1 0 f r o m h t t p : / / w w w . h i s t o r y . c o m / t o p i c s / c h r i s t m a s

C h r i s t m a s h i s t o r y . ( n . d . ) . R e t r i e v e d November 22, 2010,f r o m h t t p : / / p a r t y s u p p l i e s h u t . c o m / c h r i s t m a s / c h r i s t m a s -h i s t o r y . h t m

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Roxanne Ayala, Staff Writer

Christmas is celebrated on December 25th, which is recognized by Christians as the day of Jesus Christ‟s birth. Christians believe that Jesus is the Son of God and therefore, celebrate his birth as a religious holiday.

On June 26, 1870, Christmas was declared a federal holiday in the United States. One filled with traditions inclusive of gifts, trees, decorations and an overall tone of peace and love.

According to Marissa Morrison and Alejandra Morales, to them Christmas means spending quality time with family, having a nice Christmas tree, nice lights, eating good food and having fun.

Merry Christmas M.A.S.T. @

Homestead!

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Christmas Background

Hanukkah/ Chanukah is spelled differently due to the Hebrew language translation. It is a Hebrew word that means “Dedication.” The roots of this name and the Hanukkah holiday, come from second century B.C. Hanukkah begins the evening of December 1st until December 9nd this year, the dates change each year in accordance with the Jewish calendar. The festivities last for a total of eight nights in order to remember what Jewish people believe to be a miraculous event. This event happened in the Jewish Holy Temple, after the Hellenist Syrians who previously ruled Jewish worship to be illegal, were conquered. They only had enough oil to light the menorah in the temple for a day. However, extraordinarily the oil lasted for eight days and nights. This enabled them to have enough time to locate more oil. Hanukkah is often referred to as the „ Festival of Lights‟

The hanukkiyah is a special kind of menorah with 8 branches and a ninth holder for the Shamash, or helper candle. On the first night of Hanukkah, two candles are placed in the menorah. One serves as the Shamash to be used to light the other candle. On each consecutive night, another candle is added to the menorah, lighted by the Shamash.

Other familiar Hanukkah customs include spinning the dreidel, which is a special top with Hebrew letters on the sides. The letters stand for Shin, Hey, Gimel, and Nun. They are the letters of the four-word Hebrew sentence which means: “A great miracle took place here.” There is also festive eating of potato latkes, which are like pancakes. In addition, there is sufganiyot, which are jelly donuts, and the giving gifts of gelt, which are coins, to children.

It’s Kwanzaa! Bright colors and people celebrating all over the world, it is an African-American holiday celebrated on December 26th at sundown until January 1st. Kwanzaa is one of the fastest growing holidays in the history of the world. It was started 30 years ago by then graduate student, Maulana Karenga. He was disturbed by the 1965 riots in the Los Angeles area, and decided that African-Americans needed an annual event to celebrate their differences.

Kwanzaa is not a religious holiday; it is a spiritual, festive and joyous celebration of the oneness and goodness of life. Kwanzaa is based on Nguzo Saba (seven guiding principles), one for each day of the observance. They are Omoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Umija (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith).

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Stephanie Pizonero, Staff Writer

Hanukkah/Chanukah

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Kwanzaa Stephanie Pizonero, Staff Writer

Kwanzaa: http://www.weau.com/unclassified/4678336.html Hanukkah: http://www.ridgenet.org/Szaflik/hanukkah.htm

http://www.history.com/topics/hanukkah http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2478848/why_do_the_date_and_spelling_of_hanukkahchanukkah.html?cat=4

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This is the Top Ten Holiday Gift List from the students at M.A.S.T. @Homestead. Freshman students provided their commentary about the various items.

1. Vehicle- Valentina Burnside “Getting a vehicle for Christmas would make it

the best Christmas ever”.

2. Money- Yolimar Ginarte “I (would) buy myself some cute clothes; I think

money for Christmas is awesome”.

3. Laptop- Nicolas Gomez “A laptop for Christmas (would be) nice because I

(would) get to do my homework on it”.

4. I Pod- Ashley Knight “Everyone has one so getting one (would be) pretty cool, I

(would) get to put all the music I love in it”.

5. Video games- Alex Calderon “I get to play on my free time; I (would like to)

get my favorite game which is God of War”.

6. New phone- Angel Velez-Barrios “I finally get to get a better phone, that gift

(would be) amazing”.

7. Digital camera- Yuvannia Corujo “That‟s exactly what I want for Christmas; I

can post some new pictures on Facebook”.

8. Concert tickets- Jailene Suarez “I think I will have a great time, that‟s a

very fun present”.

9. Piercing, tattoos- Yesmine Barreda “Even though it is not an expensive gift it

is cute because I want my belly (button) pierced for Christmas”.

10.Clothes (Shoes, Accessories, etc.) - Roxanne “I (would) love some new

clothes and shoes for Christmas”.

Alejandra Morales, Staff Writer

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Top 10 Holiday Gifts

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T N O R T H P O L E I S S E F J

N A M W O N S Y X V C S J F C F

X U J D M H I U J S T D Y P P P

Z J E S A B E K A N E E R G D F

P R O B Y Q C Q A L H U L P U I

O E T P H S C Q E J C W B E H Z

I E E R E N A C Y D N A C R I J

N D L Q Y E N M I H C L T K R P

S N T S A M T S I R H C J N E O

E I S S N O W F L A K E S Y A B

T E I R Y V H A K K U N A H T S

T R M U R E B M E C E D T D F V

I R C S X Z G J J K W A N Z A A

A X B Y W U R I Z Y Y O D I Y G

O J J S K X W C C R E D I G C L

K S I K R S G N I K C O T S D T

Candy Cane North Pole

Chimney Poinsettia

Christmas Red

December Reindeer

Green Santa Claus

Hanukkah Snowflakes

Kwanzaa Snowman

Mistletoe Stockings

Holiday Word Search

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Chili’s Give Back Night November 170

from 5:30pm-10:00pm

PLEASE PRINT FLYER and BRING IT WITH YOU TO THE EVENT

PLEASE PRINT FLYER and BRING IT WITH YOU TO THE EVENT

December 1st Aids Awareness Day December 1st Hanukkah Begins (begins at

sundown) December 7th- Information Session December 9th – Early Release

Homeless Awareness Day December 17th- Last Day of School Before

Winter Recess December 21st – First Day of Winter December 25th –Christmas Day December 26th - Kwanzaa Begins December 31st- New Years Eve January 3rd– School Resumes

Days to Remember