Author: CASANDRA FLORES

Allapattah students have taken on a new challenge this year with the implementation of the 100 Book Challenge.  Students are asked to earn ‘steps’ which are each equivalent to 15 minutes of sustained independent reading.  Just this week, a group of third grade students were recognized as the first to reach 100 steps. They were recognized by administration, given a medal and a speech of encouragement to continue down the path of regular reading. Students were excited to be awarded and they can be seen all around campus proudly wearing their medals to show off their hard work. Pictured are the students … Read More

Second grade students at Allapattah Flats K8 School celebrated Florida Literacy Week! Guest readers came in to classrooms to read aloud to students. Former teacher Donna Dorio shared some of her favorite books with students, including several from one of her favorite authors, Robert Munsch. Pictured, from left, are students Nailah Auguste, Asher Alberts, Zaniya Scott, Emilie Middlebrooke and Lillian Wagenman with Ms. Dorio seated in front.

Students in Melissa Nelson’s class at Allapattah Flats K8 School used cards to understand, create, and practice exponential equations. Students worked in pairs and flipped over cards to provide bases and exponents. Students then solved the exponential equations they created! Pictured are Sharon Charite, left, and Sarla Dominguez.

Danya Etter’s third through fifth grade students at Allapattah K8 School are karate chopping recorders to the next level. Recorder karate is a fun and exciting method that allows students to learn the recorder and test for “karate belts.” These belts hang from their recorders and they earn different colors as the music progressively gets harder. The first song, “Hot Cross Buns,” is a simple yet exciting tune that teaches students three notes: B, A, and G. Pictured are six, fourth grade students diligently working on their fingerings to successfully pass this song. Pictured, from left, are Jaime Williams, Aaron … Read More

Third grade students at Allapattah Flats K8 have been learning about different forms of energy in science class. Students in Shannon Johnson’s class went to the science lab to learn more about potential and kinetic energy. Science teacher Joseph Kline instructed students to experiment with different heights of a ramp to test the objects’ potential and kinetic energy. Students rolled a tennis ball down a ramp at different heights towards a funnel and then measured how far the funnel moved. Pictured, from left, are eighth grade student Mallorie Sonenblum, with third graders Austyn Adderly and Von’che Jones.

Sixth through eighth grade students at Allapattah Flats K8 in John Koch’s Career and Technical Education course, Business Keyboarding, stood up to cyber bullying for Bully Prevention Month. Each student completed a research paper using newly learned internet research and word processing techniques. The students then took that research and put it into a group PowerPoint presentation using their newly acquired electronic presentation skills.  Those presentations were later presented to their classmates.  Pictured, from left top row, are Skylar Lasseure, Lia Optacy, Seth Bertorelli, Allen Castro, Vincent Ancewicz, Grace Jiminez, Q’Markis Brooks, and William Taylor (top row), and bottom row, … Read More

Students in eighth grade language arts classes at Allapattah Flats K8 are busy brainstorming and categorizing different topics. Pictured, from left, Jonaton Jeantry, Latonia Jones, and Skylar Lasseur are racing against a clock to brainstorm as many phrases, words or related categories as possible. Once their time is up they create different categories to narrow the topic for the words they wrote on their desks. Students love the novelty of writing all over their desks, but don’t worry — the desk washes clean.

“Ho, Ho, Ho,” proclaimed Santa, at Allapattah Flats’ Santa Breakfast recently. Parents, teachers and students alike enjoyed the festivities as they watched Danya Etter’s elementary chorus perform several Christmas songs to bring in the holiday season, and eagerly awaited the arrival of Santa. The morning included a pancake breakfast, pictures with Santa and a holiday shop for all to enjoy. Students were overwhelmed with all the holiday decorations and couldn’t wait to tell Santa their wish lists. It was a great event for the whole family. Allapattah staff even took a quick moment to get their own picture with the man … Read More

Students at Allapattah Flats recently held a food drive for families in need for the Thanksgiving break. Students were asked to bring in canned and boxed food items over a one week period.  The classes with the most participation were rewarded with a pancake breakfast prepared by Principal Patti Galloway and served by Assistant Principals Casandra Flores and Ana Rodriguez. Susan Funari’s second grade class won for the primary grades and the students were delighted to be served at their desks, partaking in the home made pancakes covered in syrup used to create hearts, stars, and smiley faces for a little extra cheer. Pictured, from left, … Read More

Students at Allapattah Flats K8 students received enjoyed a scientific as well as fun special visitor recently. District Science Curriculum Coordinator Steve Shotola came to work with eighth grade students in Joseph Kline’s class with his amazing golf ball launcher. Students calculated the speed, velocity, and time it took for golf balls to be launched from the high powered launcher. The students had a great time as well as using math and science in a hands on and real world scenario. This is one lesson they won’t soon forget.

Students in Ann Hartman’s first grade class at Allapattah Flats are learning about fact families. Pictured is Chinhayi Evans working on using subtraction to help solve addition problems. The more students practice, the better they will get.

Congratulations to the Allapattah Flats girls volleyball team for winning the county tournament. The girls devoted the past eight weeks preparing and competing for this tournament. Allapattah went 4-0 at the tournament and won in Gator fashion in the championship game 2-0. This is the first county title for the girls volleyball team at Allapattah. Pictured standing, from left, are Assistant Principal Casandra Flores, Coach Amy Franklin, Danielle Rosenthal, Maria Hernandez, Ashley Kinberger, Taylor Brennan, Gracie Jimenez, Coach Justin Allen, and Assistant Principal Ana Rodriguez. Kneeling are, from left, Tori Braessler, Kali Hartman, and Danya Lenoir.

Students and teachers at Allapattah Flats K-8 recently participated in the “Stand Out to Stand Up” district event. The whole school turned pink as everyone wore pink shirts to show that they do not tolerate bullying. Students  also made posters and short skits to show how to handle bullying and ways to prevent it. Dean Renee Adderly-Clark took the lead on this event, promoting students’ involvement and helping them put together presentations shown throughout lunch periods for students at all grade levels. 

Allapattah Flats K8 recently held student led conferences with every child on campus in kindergarten through eighth grade. Parents attended conferences where the students had the opportunity to take the lead. Students presented their academic data as well as goals they set for themselves throughout the semester. They shared work samples, projects, and assessments that allowed parents to see what they do in class as well as track their progress over the course of the nine weeks. Students were able to discuss their strengths and weaknesses and present their goals for the upcoming semester. All students spent time going over their portfolio with either parents or … Read More

Allapattah Flats’ PTO put on its annual pumpkin patch this year. Teachers and classes created pumpkins to show off their artistic talents. They highlighted some of the current trends and favorite books in their creative pumpkin presentations. Pictured are Moby from Brainpop, a few “Angry Birds”, Dr. Suess’ beloved Thing 1 and Thing 2  as well as a pumpkin with “A bad case of the stripes” from David Shannon’s book about a girl who gets a little bit too worried about what everyone else thinks.  Students and teachers alike had a great time decorating their fall pumpkins and displaying them in Allapattah’s annual … Read More

First grade students at Allapattah Flats K-8 recently enjoyed a visit from the Children’s Museum of the Treasure Coast to learn about nutrition and healthy eating. Students learned about the food pyramid, healthy eating habits, and the importance of exercise. Pictured, from left, are Maximo Mendoza eagerly awaiting his turn to make a yogurt parfait, with classmates Claudia Jolivert and Chinhayi Evans.

Kindergarten through second grade students at Allapattah Flats K8 School recently were visited by Wyland Foundation, along with Stella the Whale.  Stella is a near life size canvas painting of a baby right whale. Students got to take part in a unique exercise in goal setting to help Stella migrate 700 miles from one end of the state to the other. Stella’s epic 30-day journey is part of an effort to draw attention to the plight of the endangered north Atlantic right whale whose numbers have dwindled in recent years to less than 400. To mirror the average traveling distance … Read More

Seventh grade students in Christine King’s class at Allapattah Flats K-8 School created an interactive bulletin board of the short story “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe. The board gives other students, through the use of a flip chart, the opportunity to get a synopsis of the short story that will encourage them to seek Poe’s entire classic work out and read it on their own. The learning goal was for students to understand that text has meaning and students should be able to use dominant strategies and skills to construct that meaning.  Pictured, from left, are Ahlyissa Hicks, Zachary … Read More

The kindergarten students at Allapattah Flats K8 recently participated in an apple tasting. The students made predictions about which apple they would like best.  Then, they tasted green, red, and yellow apples.  Lastly, the students made a chart to tell which apple was their first, second and third choice.  The tasting activity provided an opportunity to use descriptive language: juicy, sour, sweet, delicious, and crunchy.  Pictured are Ivy Cooper, right, and Noah Cullen with some of the kindergartners’ apple findings.

Students in Bridget Valinote’s reading class at Allapattah Flats K8 used role play to identify conflict, evaluate evidence and solve problems. Using the short story “Louisa Please Come Home,” students took turns acting as a crisis counselor and a runaway teen. Students evaluated evidence to support a variety of viewpoints in the story. Working together, they brainstormed solutions and worked to solve the presented problems. Tyrek Gardner, left, and Jean Frejuste role play as a crisis counselor and runaway teen.