Contemporary Report - The Sagemont School

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The Sagemont School
Annual Achievement Report
2014-2015
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“The Sagemont School is committed to delivering a
college-preparatory education in a technologically-rich,
supportive and culturally-diverse learning community.”
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A message from the Head of School...
It is hard to believe that the 2014-2015 school year is now complete. Our school has grown over the past 19
years from 23 students to 800 this year. We anticipate opening the 2015-2016 school year with over 820 students.
Fourteen members of the class of 2015 started with us at the Lower School Campus. Two of our graduates,
Christopher Iacono and Jacqueline Lutz started Sagemont in the preschool three year old class. Valentina Rangel
and Marco Wehrhahn started Sagemont in the pre-kindergarten four year old class. Watching them grow from
young children to young adults has been one of the most gratifying experiences of my educational career.
Our students continued to perform at very high levels during the 2014-2015 school year. Sagemont is creating
champions in academics, athletics, and the arts. We had a number of middle school winners at the Broward
County Science Fair. Sagemont had its first Silver Knights winner this year. In athletics, Sagemont won three
middle school league championships. Our high school varsity teams won four district championships, two region
championships, and one state championship. We had winners from all age levels in the Student Artist Showcase
sponsored by the Art Council of Greater Weston. The Lower School Campus chorus performed at Universal
Studios. Our high school Thespian students represented our school at the state level. The Thespians received 9
South Florida Cappie nominations including the winner for best actress. Our successes culminated with the class
of 2015 earning over 4 million dollars in merit scholarship money from the colleges that accepted them.
In August, we opened a 10,000 square foot Visual and Performing Arts Center highlighted by a 150 seat Black
Box Theater. This center has had a transformative effect on our school. We held our first annual Art’s Showcase
where we highlighted our students’ incredible talents to hundreds of visitors. This will become an annual event.
The Black Box Theater was used for our lower school, middle school, and high school drama productions this
year. The Visual and Performing Arts Center at Sagemont is the home for our many artists, musicians, and
actors.
The local media continues to be excited about the Sagemont story. During this school year, there were 40 stories
about our students and school in the press. Sagemont’s four social media sites (Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and
Instagram) enable us to promote our success stories to a broader community. Sagemont was also featured in
numerous online newsfeed stories during the school year.
The Sagemont School was named Best Private School, by Our City of Weston Magazine readers in 2015.
The public schools in Florida release letter grades on each school solely based on standardized test results. We
believe that standardized test results are only one component of what makes an outstanding school. The purpose
of this Annual Achievement Report is to give our stakeholders a complete picture of our continued progress. We
are reporting progress on eight different categories including standardized test scores. The categories are:
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Student Achievements
Extracurricular Activities
Standardized Testing
Community Service
Parental Involvement
Technology Integration
Educational Partnerships
College Acceptances
Alumni Spotlight
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Student Achievements
Our students are consistently performing on extremely high levels. Below are examples of our student success
stories in academics, the arts and athletics.
Academics
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Mahnoor Asif (class of 2015) was awarded over $380,000 in merit scholarships from colleges that
accepted her.
AP Scholars (scored a passing score on three advanced placement tests) awarded by the College
Board were Connor Hatch, Adam Jurko, Kristina Lutz, and Marco Wehrhahn.
AP Scholars with Honors (scored a passing score or higher on four of the exams) awarded by the
College Board were Katherine Ackermann, Veronica Betancur, Monique Concepcion, Carolina Leon,
Maria Moncaliano, Kavya Narendra-Babu, Bruno Pas-Leme, Carolina Pereira, and Myles Pitman.
AP Scholars with Distinction (scored a passing score or higher on five of the exams) awarded by the
College Board were Mahnoor Asif, Gabriella Blazquez, Jacqueline Lutz, Andrea Martinez, Valentina
Rangel, and Justin Roff.
Broward County Science Fair winners include Eiko Alzamora, first place in the county competition
and third place in the state competition and Alex Scaff (2nd place in the county competition.) Ten
Sagemont students competed in the Broward County Science Fair this year.
Eiko Alzamora won first place in Letters about Literacy Essay Contest in Florida.
Zachary Dishinger and Jacob Shawaa won first place in the Fairchild Spoken Words Biodiversity
Challenge.
Aleeza Kessler won the Citizenship Award for School and Public Service from the office of
Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz.
Jacqueline Lutz won first place in the Broward County Literacy Fair.
Adam Jurko received a Miami Herald Silver Knight Award Honorable Mention in the category of
Athletics.
French students took part at their respective levels in the American Association of Teachers of
French. Sagemont students ranked nationally and awards included four gold medalists and six bronze
medalists. The Gold Medalists were Joao Victor Bezerra, Sofia Gugliemone, Paula Martin Pancorbo,
and Susana Obando. The Bronze Medalists were Isabel Ho, Hoorish Abid, Veronica Betancur,
Nicole Leon Vargas, Catalina Correa, and Claudia Moncaliano.
The National Spanish Examination was administered to 56 of our students who have taken Spanish
for at least two years. The Gold Level winners were Alexandra Kreitenstein, Keshav Narendra-Babu,
David Siher, Heinrich Perez, Emilio Manzo, and Manuela Usher. The Silver Level winners were
Nicholas Ulloa, Julia Koltis, Catalina Correa, Maria Cummings, Samuel Quintero, and Maria Amaya.
The Bronze Level winners were Lauren Quant, Lourdes Ubiera, Braedon Villano, Bruno Saade, and
Alondra Almodovar.
Mu Alpha Theta (Math Honor Society) competition results ranked our Pre-Calculus team in the top
12 in South Florida and the Algebra II team in the top 15 in South Florida.
Youth Leadership Broward participants for the 2014-15 school year were Alina Asif and Claudia
Moncaliano. Carolina Alzamora and Gabriel Garrison were selected to participate in Youth
Leadership Broward for the 2015-16 school year and Claudia Moncaliano was selected as a Youth
Leadership Broward Advisory Council Member for the 2015-16 school year.
Fifteen 7th graders participated in the Duke University Talent Identification Program. Daniel Serrano,
Jacob Shawaa and Giuliana Cascarano qualified for State Recognition. Seven 4th and 5th graders
qualified for the Duke TIPS Program.
Claudia Moncaliano was a member of The Broward Center for the Performing Arts Teen Ambassador
program for the second year in a row.
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The Arts
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Sagemont’s Thespian Honor Society received 7 Superior and 8 Excellent ratings to qualify for the
State Competition. Jessica Jordan, Marcella Vargas, Amanda Jimenez, Angel Martinez, and Erica
Merlino received Superior ratings.
Sagemont’s Junior Thespian Society received 4 Superior and 7 Excellent Ratings in the District
Competition. Isaac Ryaboy, Zachary Dishinger, Skylar Scorca, Samantha Suito, Amanda Correa, Inas
Ahmed, and Laura Saade represented Sagemont at the State Competition and earned 4 Superior and 4
Excellent ratings.
Sagemont received 9 nominations for the South Florida Cappies Awards.
Erica Merlino won the Cappie for Best Lead Actress for her performance as Helen Keller in The
Miracle Worker.
Sagemont art students participated in the annual Student Artists Showcase sponsored by the Arts
Council of Greater Weston. All public, private, and charter schools in the city participate. Sagemont’s
first place winners were Yingchen Lin in middle school and Valentina Rangel for high school. Maria
Arellano won third place in the middle school category and Dora Dong won honorable mention in
high school.
Calvin Cohen has been selected for the Florida Bandmaster’s Association Summer Convention
Honors Band composed of some of the best 9th grade musicians in the state.
Peter Koltis (snare drum), Keshav Narendra-Babu (trumpet), and Derediz Torres (alto sax) received
an overall Excellent rating in the Florida Bandmaster’s Association District 15 Middle School Solo
and Ensemble Assessment.
Daniel Eaton (snare solo), Angelique Gronberg (tuba), Anirudh Guda (snare solo), and Jonathan
Lopez (tenor sax solo) each received a Superior rating in the Florida Bandmaster’s Association
District 15 Middle School Solo and Ensemble Assessment.
Sagemont high school students participated in the Florida Bandmaster’s Association District 15 Solo
and Ensemble Assessment. David Paradela and Kavya Narendra-Babu represented Sagemont and
received Superior ratings. Kavya performed a solo and qualified for the State Solo and Ensemble.
Peter Koltis and Derediz Torres were selected to the Broward Middle School All County Band and
Derediz was also selected to the Florida All State Band.
Athletics
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The boys’ varsity tennis team won its 12th consecutive district championship, regional championship,
and the state championship. Andres Hernandez and Luis Marcano won individual state
championships.
The boys’ varsity basketball team were the district champions, regional champions, and state-runner
up. Prince Ali was named 3A Player of the Year by the Miami Herald. Adam Ross was named 3A
Coach of the Year by the Miami Herald.
The girls’ varsity tennis team won the district championship.
The boys’ varsity soccer team were district champion and regional runner-up.
The boys’ varsity swimming team qualified 5 swimmers for the state meet. Mateo Gonzalez was the
state champion in the 200 IM and 100 butterfly.
The girls’ varsity diving team qualified Daniella Castillo for the state meet.
The boys’ middle school tennis team won the IAL championship.
The girls’ middle school tennis team won the IAL championship.
The boys’ middle school baseball team won the IAL championship.
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Mateo Gonzalez (swimming), Prince Ali (basketball), Keyshawn Evans (basketball), Marco
Wehrhahn (soccer), Braedon Villano (soccer), Charlotte Hynes (tennis), Isabella Lowrey (tennis),
Austin Debruyne (tennis), and Chris Tasker (tennis) were named first team All County by either the
Miami Herald or the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Extracurricular Activities
It is our goal to develop well-rounded students. As a result, we offer a wide variety of extracurricular activities to
our students. We define an extracurricular activity as a sport or a club. The following extracurricular activities are
offered at the Lower School Campus:
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Student Council
National Elementary Honor Society
Safety Patrol
Flag Duty
Morning News Team
Sagemont Singers
5th Grade Coed Soccer
5th Grade Boys Basketball
5th Grade Girls Volleyball
Drama Club
Cheerleaders
Honors Club
Band
The following clubs are offered for middle school students:
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Student Government
National Junior Honor Society
Spanish Junior Honor Society
Drama Club
Art Club
Book Club
Environmental Club
Chess Club
Chorus Club
Jazz Band Club
Keyboard Club
Guitar Club
Rock Band Club
Junior Thespian Honor Society
Anime and Manga Club
Drum Line Club
Science Club
Intramural Club
Chi Alpha Mu Club
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The following clubs are offered for high school students:
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Cappies (Critics Awards Program)
Thespian Honor Society
National Honor Society
Spanish Honor Society
French Honor Society
Science Honor Society
National English Honor Society
Drama Club
Interact Club
Mu Alpha Theta
Student Government
Weston University
Jazz Band
Keyboard Club
Guitar Club
Rock Band Club
Book Club
Chess Club
Chorus Club
Environmental Club
Ultimate Frisbee Club
Art Club
International Club
Anime and Manga Club
Drum Line Club
Sculpting Club
Shockwave Spirit Club
Tri-M Music Honor Society
The following sports are offered at the Upper School Campus:
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Boys’ and Girls’ Middle School Cross Country
Boys’ and Girls’ Varsity Cross Country
Boys’ and Girls’ Middle School Soccer
Boys’ and Girls’ Varsity Soccer
Girls’ Middle School Volleyball
Girls’ Junior Varsity Volleyball
Girls’ Varsity Volleyball
Boys’ and Girls’ Middle School Basketball
Boys’ Junior Varsity Basketball
Boys’ and Girls’ Varsity Basketball
Boys’ and Girls’ Middle School Track and Field
Boys’ and Girls’ Varsity Track and Field
Boys’ and Girls’ Varsity Golf
Boys’ and Girls’ Middle School Tennis
Boys’ and Girls’ Varsity Tennis
Boys’ Varsity Baseball
Varsity Cheerleading
Boys’ and Girls’ Varsity Swimming
Boys’ Middle School Flag Football
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Girls’ Varsity Flag Football
Boys’ Middle School Baseball
Middle School Cheerleading
89% of all middle and high school students participated in at least one club or sport during the school year. The
chart below has the participation results from this year by grade level. This is an amazing accomplishment and we
are well on our way to our goal of 100% participation.
Percentage of Upper School Campus Students Who Participated in One Sport or Club
6th grade
7th grade
8th grade
9th grade
10th grade
11th grade
12th grade
74%
93%
89%
88%
89%
94%
93%
Standardized Testing
Stanford 10 Achievement Test
Sagemont administers the Stanford 10 Achievement Test to students in Kindergarten-8th grade. The focus for our
high school students is PSAT, SAT, and ACT preparation. This year all 9th-11th grade students took a practice SAT,
practice ACT, and the PSAT. These practice tests provide our students with experience on how to take these
important tests in the same testing environment as the real SAT and ACT that they take in the spring of 11th grade.
Both the Lower and Upper School Campuses use the Stanford 10 as an entry point for the Duke TIP Program.
Students in 4th, 5th, ,7th and 8th grade participate in this prestigious talent identification program. We had 7
elementary school and 15 middle school students qualify for the program this year.
The Stanford 10 Achievement Test allows us to measure the achievement of our students in comparison with other
students around the country. The results provide us with information to improve any gaps in our curriculum and
allow us to focus on individual student improvement. Our administrators, counselors, and teachers use the results
from the testing in order to differentiate the curriculum in the school. Unlike many schools, we do not teach to the
test. We teach our curriculum and prepare students for the test.
Below are two charts (one for the lower school and one for the middle school) that detail our national percentages in
total reading and total math. We are very satisfied with our continued progress.
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Stanford 10 Achievement Test
Composite Percentile Scores 2014-2015
Stanford 10 Achievement Test
Composite Percentile Scores 2014-2015
100
90
80
70
60
Reading 2014-2015
50
Math 2014-2015
40
30
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Kindergarten
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
8
Grade 4
Grade 5
Stanford 10 Achievement Test
Composite Percentile Scores 2014-2015
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
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Grade 6
Grade 7
Grade 8
Reading
Math
PSAT/SAT/ACT
It is a school requirement for 100% of 9th, 10th, and 11th graders to take the PSAT and 100% of juniors to take the
SAT or ACT in the spring of their junior year. The school offers high school students four practice SAT and ACT
tests during the school year. These tests are scored and the results are shared with students and their families.
Please see the College Acceptance section of this report to review a detailed list of what colleges and universities
accepted members of Sagemont’s class of 2015.
Advanced Placement Testing
Advanced Placement (AP) classes are college level classes that are generally offered to 10th, 11th, and 12th graders.
We currently offer 16 AP classes that are open to all qualified high school students. Students enrolled in AP classes
take an exam administered by The College Board at the end of the school year. Students who score a 3 or above on
a 5 point scale can earn college credit from schools that participate in the program. The AP Spanish, Art, French,
English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition, Music Theory, US History, US
Government, and Human Geography classes all averaged passing scores for the tests. 118 of our eligible high
school students took at least one AP class during the 2014-2015 school year. Four of our students were named AP
Scholars by the College Board. To gain this recognition, students must average a passing score on three AP tests.
Ten students were also named AP Scholars with Honors. These students averaged a passing score on four AP tests.
Six of our students were named AP Scholars with Distinction. These students received an average score of at least
3.5 on all AP exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams.
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Community Service
All of our students (Preschool-12th grade) are required to participate in community service during the school year.
Each Lower School Campus class or grade level participates in a project during the year. Additionally, Lower
School Campus students have the opportunity to join or be invited to the National Elementary Honor Society and
Student Government. Each middle school student is responsible for participating in either an individual or group
project. All high school students are required to complete 100 hours of community service in order to graduate from
our school. The Upper School Campus offers service clubs such as National Honor Society, National Junior Honor
Society, and Interact Club.
Examples of Upper School Campus Service Club Projects
* The Thespian Troupe 6915 participated in a 5k walk during their state competition in Tampa to raise money for
Broadway Cares/Equity Fight AIDS. Throughout the year, they also sold merchandise and collected donations for
the organization.
* The Interact Club ran the Sagemont Buddies Program helping preschool teachers at Temple Dor Dorim with
class activities. Members participated in the Rotary Club sponsored Harvest Drive to collect and organize food and
clothing for the needy during the holidays. In December, the club volunteered at the Rotary Run in Weston. The
club sponsored school-wide fundraising efforts to help support the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, Multiple
Sclerosis Foundation, American Heart Association, and Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Interact Club has
worked with other clubs in the school to support March of Dimes throughout the school year. Club members
volunteer their time at the annual Rotary Golf Tournament to raise money for college scholarships for local students.
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The Book Club held a book drive and collected over 500 books for Kids in Distress.
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National Junior Honor Society donated $1,000 to No Kid Hungry. The club helped French National Honor
Society with its annual UNICEF drive during Halloween. In November, the club sponsored a can drive for Kids
in Distress and collected over 4000 cans. NJHS also sponsored Meals on Wheels for Companion Pets, which is
a dog and cat food drive. The club is working with pet stores in the community to set up collections in their
stores.
* National Honor Society provided tutoring for all middle and high school students every Wednesday. Club
members attended Broward Outreach Center three times during the school year. Students worked in the kitchen and
helped serve lunch to the people in the program. Our students also collected toiletries and socks for the center. The
club sponsored three blood drives during the school year. Additionally, members volunteered their time at Lower
School Campus events such as the Halloween Carnival, Valentines Dance, Spring Fling, Sagemont Siblings, Daddy
Daughter Dance, and Car Wash for a Cure.
* The International Club spent 10 weeks on Sundays supporting the Weston Miracle League. The Miracle
League organizes a weekly baseball experience for physically and mentally disabled children. Additionally, the club
collaborated with the French and Spanish Honor Societies to hold an International Luncheon in which the proceeds
go to support the March of Dimes. The International Club also bought bilingual books that will be read to Lower
School students as mystery readers.
* The French National Honor Society raised money to support internationally known non-profit organizations
benefiting children. During Halloween, the club raised over $1,200 for UNICEF. In May, they donated over $1,000
to March of Dimes. In addition, members participated in a 5K walk on the Nova Southeastern University campus.
* National English Honor Society members created a new program called Book Buddies where they worked with
Sagemont 3rd grade students at the Lower School Campus. Club members read a book to the classes and assisted
students in creating bookmarks. The club held a Pizza and Poetry Night and participated in the 2015 Broward
County Literary Fair.
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Examples of Lower School Campus Service Projects
The Lower School Campus students are required to participate in one community service project of their interest
during the school year. Every grade level decided to get involved and help the following organizations in Broward
and Miami Dade Counties:
GRADE
PreK
AGENCY/ORGANIZATION
Coral Springs Nature Center and Wildlife Hospital
Early Childhood’s community service project this year was to increase student awareness of the wildlife around
them and to encourage preservation of natural habitats. A volunteer from the Sawgrass Nature Center came to
Sagemont to give an outdoor educational presentation to students. For their project, students visited the center and
donated white vinegar, tissues, and liquid dish detergent to help the animals at the wildlife hospital.
GRADE
AGENCY/ORGANIZATION
Kindergarten Smitten with Kittens—Cat Rescue Charity
Kindergarten students collected supplies to support Smitten with Kittens, a cat and kitten rescue organization in our
area. The students saw pictures of the cats and kittens and learned how they are successfully rescued, fostered, and
rehomed.
GRADE
1st Grade
AGENCY/ORGANIZATION
Jack and Jill Children’s Centers
The first grade students and teachers completed their community service project at the Jack and Jill Children’s
Center. A couple of weeks prior to visiting the facility, the first graders held a non-perishable food drive for
Thanksgiving. The project included constructing a craft turkey using paper plates and construction paper with the
students at the center. The students learned the importance of helping children who are less fortunate then
themselves.
GRADE
2nd Grade
AGENCY/ORGANIZATION
Nursing Home: HCR Manor Care of Plantation
The second grade students completed their community service in April by visiting the HCR Manor Care of
Plantation. The students put smiles on the resident’s faces. The project was to read their favorite picture story book
with the elders (one-on-one). The students practiced reading their books out loud to their classmates, then to family
members at home, and finally to a resident at HCR Manor Care. The seniors at the center enjoyed this year’s
program very much and are already looking forward to their visit next school year. They were impressed with how
much the second grade students genuinely cared for them. This intergenerational community service project was
perfect for bringing the generations together.
GRADE
3rd Grade
AGENCY/ORGANIZATION
Long Key Natural Area
Third grade teachers and students successfully completed their community service project at Long Key Natural
Area. Our students helped the park maintenance team by removing the air potato, an invasive plant species, from a
natural wooded area. The students learned how this invasive plant can harm the native plants in the area and why it
is important that they are removed. While at the center, the students learned about the natural history of the area and
had the opportunity to explore a hands-on nature museum.
GRADE
4th Grade
AGENCY/ORGANIZATION
Humane Society
Fourth grade helped hundreds of homeless and rescued animals sheltered by the Broward County Humane Society.
The students and their families collected towels, blankets, washcloths, paper towels, disinfecting wipes, hand
sanitizer, small toys, and small ceramic food bowls to donate for this worthy cause. Boxes were placed in the 4th
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grade Annex and the students brought in their contributions throughout November and December. The students went
on a field trip to the Humane Society. They had the opportunity to deliver the donations and to learn about the
proper way to take care of the animals and petting them. Children enjoyed the visit and were proud to have helped
the animals. The students hope to make this their yearly community service project!
GRADE
5th Grade
AGENCY/ORGANIZATION
Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital/Pediatric Hermatology/Oncology
The fifth grade students participated in a project to help brighten the days of children undergoing treatment at Joe
DiMaggio Children’s Hospital. The fifth graders put together a “treasure box” of fun band aids that children could
use during their stay. Our students also made get well cards for the patients. The students designed the cards to
match the band aids. Finally, our students made friendship bracelets for the patients. All of the fifth graders had the
opportunity to learn about the impact of childhood cancer on the individual and the family.
Parental Involvement
The Sagemont School has always prided itself on having a high level of parental involvement in the school. Both
campuses have active Parent Teacher Organizations (PTO) that contribute to the overall mission of the school. Both
PTOs sponsor a variety of social and spirit building programs which contributes greatly to our community of
learners. Examples of parent volunteer opportunities at Sagemont include classroom assistants, field trip
chaperones, Junior Achievement, mystery readers, working in the Lion’s Den store, and pizza lunch coordinators.
Examples of these events and PTO school contributions include:
Upper School Campus PTO Contributions
In addition to community wide events, our parent volunteers around school have been invaluable to the success of so
many services provided to teachers and students throughout the school year. The Upper School Campus PTO has
donated more than $70,000 to the school this year:
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Provided the Lion’s Den Uniform and Supply Store creating a convenient on-campus shopping service
for both parents and students.
Provided weekly student pizza and salad lunch every Friday.
Provided holiday lunches for teachers and students.
Sponsored a Teacher Appreciation breakfast and lunch in the month of May ($3,000).
Sponsored a student lunch from Offerdahls to celebrate the end of the school year. ($4,500).
Volunteers supported Battle of the Grades events and Friday lunch for students and staff ($2,000).
Established and supported the creation of the “Walk of Fame Brick Pavers” leading to the Visual and
Performing Arts Center ($2,500).
Donated the catering at the grand opening of the Visual and Performing Arts Center ($7,500).
Donated $10,000 towards the purchase of equipment in the new Visual and Performing Arts Center.
Donated $16,000 from Lions Den sales for athletics to purchase a new trophy case for the school.
Donated $23,000 for teacher wish list items.
Provided over $9,000 in gifts to teachers and staff over the holidays and at the end of the school year.
Purchased a brick/paver in the memory of long-time Sagemont substitute teacher, Mr. Hutchison.
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Lower School Campus PTO Contributions:
Fundraisers: The Lower School Campus PTO has generously donated more than $19,000 to purchase the
following educational enhancements for the benefit of our children:
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Playground equipment, Mimio projector for preschool, two iPads for Spanish, 20 keyboards for music,
and banner for end of the year celebrations ($10,000).
Accelerated Reader reward magic show ($650).
Provided media center Accelerated Reader charms ($450).
Provided Lice Check services for all students ($450).
Funds for class holiday parties and events throughout the year ($8,000).
Community Building Social Functions: In addition to the purchase of educational enhancements, the Lower
School Campus PTO has a stated mission of helping the school in its determined mission to build a school that feels
like an extension of family. The following are examples of the various socially focused activities that the PTO
provides to help our families achieve this noble quest:
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First Day of School Celebration featuring a welcome back ice cream social for all students.
School supply boxes for participating children containing all grade specific supply list items.
Student Directory compiled and distributed to all PTO members.
New Parent Breakfast and Sweet Meets gatherings in the fall to welcome parents whose children are new
to Sagemont.
Three PTO General Meetings featuring Q&A sessions with Administrators and outside speakers/authors
regarding relevant school issues & policies.
Volunteer Coordination (room parents, administration-sponsored events and programs, as well as PTOsponsored events and programs).
Halloween event providing families with an evening of children in costume, a catered dinner, DJ
activities, raffles, games, and prizes.
Holiday Boutique providing a festive opportunity for children to shop for small gifts for their family
members during the holiday season.
Valentine’s Dance with DJ, finger-foods, refreshments, games, activities, and prizes.
Father/Daughter Dance providing an unforgettable evening for the girls and their fathers which included
dinner, dancing, and pictures.
Magic show celebration for reaching school-wide Accelerated Reader goal.
Pizza Friday provided all children with a delicious pizza lunch and treat throughout the year.
Used Uniform Sales offered at each PTO General Meeting were a convenient way for parents to buy
gently used uniforms at a reasonable price.
Teacher Appreciation Week surprises, including a themed pot-luck luncheon and entertainment for the
entire Lower School Campus staff, as well as gift certificates and other special gifts for each of the staff
members.
Teacher and administrative gifts were distributed for birthdays and special occasions.
Last Day of School Celebration providing a trip to Little Java and a movie for some fun!
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Technology Use
It has always been one of the goals of The Sagemont School to integrate the emerging technologies into the
curriculum in meaningful ways. Our plan has evolved over the years to ensure that technology is used to enhance the
curriculum for students and teachers. The following are success stories for the technology program this year:
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Coding was taught for the first time to our Lower School Campus students through the code.org
initiative.
iPads were further utilized in the early childhood and kindergarten curriculum to enhance learning and
teaching opportunities.
Interactive whiteboards continue to be utilized at all grade levels to enrich and enhance lessons
throughout the curriculum.
Microsoft Wireless Bluetooth Adapters were added at the Upper School Campus to allow teachers to
wirelessly instruct the students from anywhere in the classroom.
The yearbook staff at the Upper School Campus integrated the use of the Aurasma app, which enables
the yearbook to come alive with videos and photo slideshows with a click of the button.
The school’s evolution from a one-to-one laptop program to tablets began in the 2014-15 school year for
students in 5th-12th grades. The Microsoft Surface Pro 3 Tablet enhanced daily instruction with the
infusion of real-time learning and relevant apps.
The 2015 high school graduation was streamed over the Internet. Over 1000 friends and relatives from
around the world were able to watch our graduation ceremony live on the Internet.
Sagemont Facebook page, YouTube channel, Twitter feed, and Instagram account are ways to promote
our student success stories to the world. The Facebook page has been an incredible success with
thousands of page views during the school year.
Educational Partners
The Sagemont School is a community of learners. We have always strived to make Sagemont a place of learning for
people of all ages. This is accomplished through the development of a variety of educational partners. IMACS has
been our partner for the last 15 years. IMACS is a math and computer science enrichment program. They have
classes three days a week and have a summer camp program. Over 250 local children attend IMACS classes at the
Upper School Campus.
Cleveland Clinic Florida is the official athletic trainer for The Sagemont School. Cleveland Clinic conducts all of
our athletic physicals in the fall as well as having a certified trainer at each of our varsity home games. In the event
of an injury, athletes may use the physical therapy facilities at Cleveland Clinic to rehabilitate their injuries.
The Sagemont School partners with Ultimate Sports Institute (USI) to provide strength and conditioning programs to
our varsity athletes. Sagemont would not have the success we have in athletics without the USI program.
The Sagemont School partners with All American Basketball School to provide 9 weeks of basketball camp during
spring break and summer vacation. All American Basketball School is the premier basketball camp in Broward
County with a 16 year history.
The Broward Swim Academy has provided swim lessons for The Sagemont School and the community for the past
seven years. Drowning prevention is the most important goal of this organization. Sagemont is proud to offer
instructional swim as part of its Lower School curriculum.
Broward Wildfire is a club volleyball program with over 250 members from elementary age students to high school.
Wildfire trains in both the Lower School Campus Dome and the Upper School Campus Athletic Center.
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College Acceptance
Ultimately, college-preparatory schools are judged on the percentage of graduates who are accepted to colleges and
universities. At Sagemont, our goal is for all of our graduates to get accepted into the college of their choice. Our
school prepares students to attend a wide range of colleges including Ivy League schools, state universities, small
private colleges, and art schools. Sagemont’s college advising program focuses on finding the right fit school for
our graduates. We emphasize helping our students attain scholarship money from the schools that accept them. The
class of 2015 has earned more than $4 million dollars in merit scholarship money from the schools that they
were accepted to.
The Sagemont School class of 2015 was accepted to the following colleges and universities:
Allegheny College
Boston University
College of Wooster
Colorado State University
Denison University
Drexel University
Depaul University
Duke University
Emory University
Florida Atlantic University
Florida Gulf Coast University
Florida International University
Florida Institute of Technology
Florida Polytechnic University
Florida State University
Illinois State University
Indiana University
Lynn University
Manhattanville College
Marquette University
MIT
Northwestern University
Nova Southeastern University
Oglethorpe University
Parsons School of Design
Pace University
Ohio State University
Penn State University
Purdue University
Rollins College
SCAD
St. John's University
Stetson University
SUNY-Albany
SUNY-Binghamton
SUNY-Buffalo
SUNY-Stonybrook
Syracuse University
Temple University
Texas A&M University
University of Ca-Davis
UCLA
University of Arizona
University of Central Florida
University of Colorado
University of Denver
University of North Florida
University of South Florida
University of West Florida
University of Florida
University of Houston
University of Massachusetts
University of Miami
University of North Carolina
University of North Florida
University of Pittsburgh
University of Rhode Island
University of Tampa
Vanderbilt University
Virginia Tech University
Worcester Polytechnic
Alumni Spotlight
Jorge Aguerrevere (Class of 2008) is a consultant engineer for Process System Enterprise in London, England.
Jorge works on the development of model libraries for simulation of fuel cells. He has his Bachelors Degree in
Engineering from The Cooper Union and his Masters Degree from University College London, University of
London.
Alejandra Briceno (Class of 2005) is a Clinical Dietician at The Miami Children’s Hospital. Alejandra
graduated Cum Laude from Florida International University. She completed the Dietetic Internship and a
Pediatric Nutrition Fellowship at New York Presbyterian Hospital.
Zach Hunter (Class of 2008) is the Founder and CEO of UConnection, Inc., a mobile app and website for
college students to explore and save money on all of their dining and entertainment needs in their college town.
UConnection has expanded to five major universities in North Carolina and will launch nationwide in 2016.
This app was ranked in the top 10 on the iTunes App store in the Food and Drink Category.
Kevin, Emily, and Chase Maddox (Class of 2009,2010, and 2011) all attended the University of North
Florida to pursue jazz performance degrees for piano, guitar, and drums receptively. At UNF, they performed
alongside some of the top jazz musicians in the world including Christian McBride, John Pizzarelli, Randy
Brecker, and Danilo Perez. Recently, the Maddox siblings founded their own entertainment company called
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Maddox Music Group (www.maddoxmusicgroup.com), in order to partner with the top musicians and
entertainers in South Florida and to provide the best musical experience for their clients and events.
SUMMARY
The 2014-2015 school year has been an outstanding year. Our students are learning and are committed to
becoming involved in the school. Sagemont students are also some of the most caring young people that we
have in our country. We are fortunate to have the best teachers and administrators working with our families on
a daily basis. Given the innovative nature of Sagemont, we have a steady stream of visitors from throughout the
country. They all comment about our students’ positive behaviors and maturity. We have an unmatched level
of parental involvement at Sagemont. We are a community of learners!
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