Miami, Florida

Growing with Doral

Divine Savior Academy

 

Divine Savior Academy

By Dana Kirchoff

 

Located within the rapidly growing City of Doral, Divine Savior Academy has an incredible story of growth to match its surroundings. In 2004, Divine Savior Academy opened its doors with 26 students. Just ten years later, the school has nearly 600 students enrolled in PreK3 to 12th grade. This May, DSA broke ground for its third building project: a stand-alone high school on property that adjoins its current campus. The new building will open for the 2015-2016 school year. With over 88,000 square feet of additional educational space, the high school will have 23 classrooms, 4 science labs, tiered lecture rooms, an outdoor classroom, a full size high school gymnasium, a weight room, media center, chess room, dance studio, art rooms, music labs and much more.  Added outdoor facilities include four tennis courts, a soccer field, additional parking and more playground space. The fact that the community of Doral is growing attributes to the Academy’s growth, but so do other important factors. Divine Savior Academy is the only private Christian academy located in Doral. A fully accredited school, the Academy prides itself on its rigorous, college-prep curriculum, its well-trained teachers, and its welcoming, family atmosphere. “DSA is a special place. There is a sense of community here that I haven’t encountered anywhere else. Teachers, families, and administration all work together to ensure that every student grows academically, socially and spiritually,” comments School Superintendent Carlos Leyrer. This mindset is Divine Savior Academy’s mission and has paved the way for its incredible story of growth. Looking toward the future, Divine Savior is committed to continuous growth in its facilities,  programs, and most importantly in the future of its students.

For more information about DSA, go to www.DivineSaviorAcademy.com, or visit the school at 10311 NW 58th Street in Doral, or call 305-597-4545

Social Media – Safety for children

Social Media

Socail Media and kids

By Dana Kirchoff, Director of Communications at Divine Savior Academy

 

According to Pew Research, over 80% of teenagers were active on social media in 2012. As more and more children have access to the Internet through laptops, tablets and smart phones, social media use among our youth continues to increase. Although social media can be a positive way for our children to connect with others, social media is also a source of concern for parents, guardians and teachers. Social media isn’t just interacting on networks like Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Social media is defined as any place online where a person interacts with others by posting, commenting or sharing media. Social media includes personal blogs, websites, wikis, chat rooms, YouTube, and videos posted online, as well as comments posted in reaction to shared material. “Many children using the Internet don’t realize that social media includes almost everything they do online,” says DSA Technology Teacher Michael Babler. “More importantly, students don’t always understand the future effects of their social media use today.” In response to the need for social media education, students at Divine Savior Academy attend a social media seminar on the first day of school. This seminar not only informs students of the rules and the responsibilities associated with using these platforms. This list of guidelines is presented to DSA students to encourage positive experiences when using social media: Be responsible. It is every student’s responsibility to use social media in a positive way. Students are held accountable for content they post online. Remember that if you share information, you are responsible for it. Even if you did not take the picture, make the comment or write the article, you are held responsible for sharing the information. Use caution. Do not post or share the following: confidential or personal information about yourself or anyone else, passwords or login information, copyrighted items and photos or videos without permission. Consider the future. What you post online now will follow you forever. Do not post anything that you would not say or do in front of your parents, teachers, school administration or future employers. Be honest, thoughtful and respectful. Avoid obscene or crude language, sexual comments, bullying (also known as cyberbullying), material related to alcohol, drugs or illegal behavior, discussions that are harmful to the reputation of others, including your school. Accept social media invitations only from people that you know. Cyberbullying is a serious offense. Avoid it and report cases that you see to parents, teachers and administration. Use privacy settings, but remember that even with the strictest privacy settings, your information can become public. Information that you delete is stored online indefinitely. Assume that whatever you post online is public and permanent. It is important to note that most social media sites have an age restriction of 13 years old, due to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (also known as COPPA). According to COPPA, it is illegal to collect personal information from children under the age of 13 without the consent of a parent or guardian. “It is crucial to teach our children not only the dangers of social media, but also the responsible use of these platforms. I encourage parents and guardians to begin conversations with their children at home and to seek support from their educational institutions,” comments DSA Principal Ben Troge. Divine Savior Academy is a Christian academy dedicated to excellence. Located in Miami proper, DSA is the only private Christian school in Doral and serves the community with early childhood, elementary school, middle school, and high school programs. Accredited by AISF, SACS, AI, and NCPSA, Divine Savior Academy provides a college-prep curriculum that prepares students academically, athletically, socially, artistically, and spiritually in a safe and moral environment. For more information, please visit www.DivineSaviorAcademy.com or call 305-597-4545

Divine Savior Academy

Importance of Education

Teenmagazine online educationWhat would you do if you were not allowed to get an education? You couldn’t read or write. You had to work a minimum wage job at a factory and you weren’t happy with the job. You couldn’t teach your kid any skills because you didn’t learn anything.

The biggest part of growing up is making the right choices that benefit you in the future. The idea is to get an education so you can choose a career, have hope, and reach your goals and dreams. Education is powerful because without it, early civilizations would have struggled to survive and thrive as a culture. It is important that adults trained the young of their society in the knowledge and skills they would need to master and eventually pass on.

The evolution of culture, and human beings as a species depended on the practice of knowledge. When cultures began to extend their knowledge beyond the basic skills of communicating, trading, gathering food, religious practices, etc, formal education, and schooling, eventually followed. Schooling in this sense was already in place in old times.

www.Student .com

Kids’ Corner Florida

Kids’ Corner Child Development Center is built upon a strong foundation of excellence and we are 100% dedicated to the advancement of your children. We strive to provide quality, individualized education, in a fun, stimulating and nurturing environment.

We care about not only developing the intellectual aspects of your children, but also doing our part in fostering their critical thinking processes.  We offer a warm and caring environment where children are able to learn cooperation, manners, and respect for others.  Each child is given the tools and opportunity to achieve their greatest potential.

Our mission is to provide quality education in a safe, secure, happy and healthy environment. We strive for professionalism by providing love, guidance, positive reinforcement, and constant communication to meet the individual needs of every family. Our ultimate goal is to be partners with families, teachers, staff, and children to promote a love for learning.

Kids’ Corner endeavors to provide high quality care in a safe & healthy learning environment which enhances personal and academic growth to all children who attend.

Our goal is to:

  • Enhance learning through the use of Creative Curriculum
  • Utilize Developmentally Appropriate Practices
  • Establish open and ongoing communication with families
  • Use a positive behavior plan that emphasizes respect and responsibility
  • Include all children so that we function as a family where everyone cares for each other and celebrates each other´s successes
  • Build family partnerships and involve the community by holding activities that invite our parents and our community stakeholders to participate
  • Expose children to foreign languages and technology skills
  • Provide children with the foundation needed to build self-esteem, develop school competence, and reach for higher levels of learning

Donate

Donate to the needy

DonateIt is very sad how many people are struggling with life. So many lost their homes, jobs, fell sick to an incurable disease.

Many of those have no way of getting help.

We will post every now and then about those people. We are counting on the generosity of kind people to help.

 

Street Racing Made Safe

Street Racing Made Safe

Street Racing Made Safe

The 21st Century is the era of street racing and our program is perfectly positioned
to help you meet the growing needs of this adrenaline filled sport.

Satisfying the public from coast to coast takes efficient, responsive community services;
here’s what we can do for your communities:

• Organize safe street race events
• Video coverage of events and classes
• Educate the public on safety, statistics, and sanctioning the sport
• Safety seminars and walk through on program goals

Distracted driving

Distracted Driving

Distracted driving

From NBC News

Tom and Evie Lesser and their sons wear shirts in honor of their son Tommy Clark, who was killed by a texting driver.

Evie Lesser has a tattoo of her second-oldest son’s name scrawled on her left wrist: “Tommy.” Her husband Tom bears a tattoo in honor of their son across his chest.

On the night of Sept. 2 last year, Thomas LaVelle Clark, 15, also known as Tommy, was struck from behind by a pickup truck as he walked with a friend along a road near where they lived in Vernal, Utah. Clark, who was wearing a Day-Glo yellow sweatshirt, was thrown about 40 feet on impact and died the next day after being taken off life support.

The driver, Jeffery Lloyd Bascom, then 28, would later tell police he had been texting at the time of the accident. He never even saw the boy, he said. “There is no way our son could have been missed, other than flat out not paying attention,” Lesser said in an interview last week.

Bascom was sentenced in July to up to five years in prison and ordered to take part in a public service campaign about the dangers of texting and driving.

Everybody thinks they’re the exception

Safety experts and advocates say they’re struggling to convince Americans to stop distracted driving, even as a growing body of evidence shows that drivers who insist on texting or talking on cell phones while behind the wheel pose deadly threats on the nation’s roads.

Survey data from State Farm released earlier this month showed that a majority of American drivers admit to distracted driving. Some forms of the dangerous habit have actually increased in recent years, especially among young drivers, according to the data. Fifty-seven percent of drivers admitted to talking on a hand-held cell phone while on the road. About 35 percent reported that they have texted while driving, up from 31 percent in 2009. Among drivers aged 18-29, 77 percent said they used a hand-held cell while driving, and 69 percent admitted to texting behind the wheel.

Not that Americans believe distracted driving is OK. Nearly three-fourths of survey respondents strongly supported bans on texting while driving, and over half supported imprisonment as the appropriate penalty for fatal cellphone-related crashes.

The problem, according to one expert, is that Americans overestimate their own ability to stay focused while driving and texting or talking on the phone. “People recognize that these things are dangerous, but they think that they themselves are good at it,” said Robert Rosenberg, an assistant professor of philosophy at the School of Public Policy at the Georgia Institute of Technology who has written about distracted driving. “Everybody thinks they’re the exception.”

Parents and schools

Why do parents need to get involved with the school system?

Parnenting and SchoolsParents, carers and families are by far the most important influences in a child’s life. Their support can play a vital role at all stages of education.

Parents who take on a supportive role in their child’s learning make a difference in improving achievement and behaviour. The active involvement of parents in the life of the school can help promote a learning community in which pupils can engage positively with school staff and their peers.

Schools can benefit from developing positive partnerships with parents by involving them in all decisions affecting their child’s education and learning. Engaging with parents gives them the chance to understand the role that they play in their child’s learning and development and fosters parental involvement.