Lion Life, December '22

Invent the Future Mel Nelson, Head of School Respect the Past Nurture the Present Invent the Future It has been an exciting year. We have been so elated to share with you the changes so far this year. We have revitalized our educational programming by blending our great passion and keen look to the future with 26 years of experience. We opened our doors in 1996 as a small school with ambition. Today, we are still reaching for the stars, now with 26 years of experience to guide us in the present and launch us into the future as Sagemont Preparatory School.

Sagemont Preparatory School is putting innovation and entrepreneurship at the core of our curriculum.

We are appreciative and thankful for our parents, who have trusted us to guide their children toward a successful future, and our teachers and staff, who have supported this work and journey to innovate.

Sagemont Prep is supportive, inspiring, and motivating for our students. This allows each student to be a thoughtful and creative problem-solver. Our students are curious, and this is fostered in a dynamic environment that is built of genuine care for each individual.

As we rebrand and evolve into Sagemont Preparatory School, we continue to provide a nurturing environment built of intellectual curiosity, creativity, analytical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, responsible risk-taking, and reflection.

What should my child expect at Sagemont Prep? Sagemont Prep is a rigorous educational environment that allows students to eagerly connect existing knowledge to unique ideas that extend beyond the classroom. Our students experience a learning community supportive of sharing ideas, wisdom, and approaches to uncover untapped opportunities. We break the traditional grades-driven approach to explore ideas, partnerships, and leadership. We want to expose our students to the vulnerability that leads them to student-powered confidence, new skills, knowledge, and success. Sagemont Prep students build the ability to cut through the noise to assess issues and efficiently and effectively tackle complex problems to make informed decisions and find innovative solutions. Our students are consistently challenged by thoughtfully examining results and experiences. Together we work to improve and develop confidence and self-awareness in our students. Sagemont Preparatory is a unique and remarkable place where your children grow beyond their wildest imaginations.

At Sagemont Preparatory School, we are empowering students to innovate for tomorrow. This reason alone is why we do what we do and why it matters that we identify in a space that continually evolves.

Sagemont Prep exists to prepare students for what is known and unknown as they become the architects of the future.

Sincerely yours in transformative educational excellence, Mel Nelson

Sagemont Preparatory Upper School Felicia Myers, Upper School Principal The past year at Sagemont Preparatory School has been a year of reflection and purposeful planning as we established our educational trajectory. While respecting the past, the team identified areas of growth and the future direction of Sagemont Preparatory School. We tasked our faculty to collaborate consistently across the curriculum, to incorporate innovative teaching strategies regularly, and to instill an entrepreneurial mindset while reevaluating their instructional practices to find opportunities to increase the rigor and complexity of lessons and assessments.

To facilitate this process, the faculty has engaged in intensive professional development, and Sagemont Prep, with the support of Spring Education, rolled out new curriculum acquisitions to include a new platform in Language Arts, mathematics, Spanish, and entrepreneurship. Sagemont also implemented new courses in College Prep & Counseling, Weekly Advisory, Astronomy, Theatre Production, Percussion, Entrepreneurship, Engineering, Speech & Debate and the SAGE Middle School Honors Program.

We established a partnership with Uncharted Learning to infuse entrepreneurship throughout all subject areas, where faculty engaged in training to incorporate real world scenarios and enhance opportunities for creative and critical thinking to promote increased student engagement. The acquisition of knowledge is no longer sufficient to be successful in today’s ever changing environment. It is essential to prepare students to handle uncertainty, be adaptable, to collaborate and communicate effectively, and to identify and solve problems.

Ms. Mejias preparing her Engineering students for competition Faculty and Staff were also encouraged to take ownership of and grow academic programs with our new mission at the forefront, as well as develop future curricular opportunities. The science department proposed an Innovation Fair, the mathematics team is piloting Sagemont Prep’s first entry to the Astronaut Challenge to compete at Kennedy Space Center, and the Visual and Performing Arts department will be heading to state thespian competitions, as two out of five entries received superior scores and three students received excellent scores at the district level.

We also looked at our current facilities and where enhancements could be made. Due to the generosity of the PTO, our cafeteria is now a space for our Culinary Club to shine. The Culinary team was able to cater multiple sporting events and put on a gourmet three-course meal with white glove service at the recent Winter Follies production. The reinvented space of Pride Rock Cafe, the heart of the entrepreneurial program at Sagemont Prep, will be unveiled in the second semester. The Media Center is slowly transforming into our Innovation Hub, as new drone fields were acquired and Sagemont Prep has applied to host an Aerial Drone Competition in February. In addition, security remains a top priority and classrooms are currently being fitted with NightLock safety door locks, a new security badge system was installed and a new key checkpoint system was purchased to hold our security contractors accountable.

Winter Follies

Athletic programs continue to grow and excel, as the intramural sports program thrives and more opportunities for Middle School students are now

available. Mentorship has played a vital role in our athletic evolution, with the BBall buddy and cheer program partnering with lower and upper school students. Upper School athletes are encouraged to reflect on their impact within the school and how they model Sagemont Prep’s core values.

As Homecoming week concluded, the campus was filled with an overwhelming sense of school spirit and global awareness as students learned and celebrated the theme of Carnival Around the World. Parents, faculty, and students worked side by side to create a spectacular event. The thoughtful combination of spirit week across campuses provided mentorship opportunities and enhanced school pride.

As 2022 draws to a close, we enthusiastically look forward to a new year filled with innovative curricular opportunities, enhanced executive internship partnerships, and new academic competitions. It is good to be a Lion!

Mr. Cheatham’s 10th Grade Socratic Seminar

Mr. Brown working with students to prepare for the Innovation Fair

Middle School Soccer Team

Sagemont Prep Lower School Monica Vigna, Lower School Principal

Success Stories: School Spirit and Sense of Belonging When the students at Sagemont Preparatory School chant “Let’s Go Lions” or “We Run as ONE,” they mean it. It comes from the heart. It represents what they belong to – the Lion Family! Throughout our carefully planned events and activities, school spirit creates relationships with a purpose. It promotes a richer acceptance of our talents and differences. Not only do we maximize school spirit within our school campus, hallways, and classrooms but also in the community. At Sagemont Preparatory, we truly value the relationships between our school and our partners in the community. Our faculty and staff work together to create a place where all talents and skills are honored.

The Lions were victorious in participating in the Annual Weston Commission Cup. We received 1st place for the highest attendance based on enrollment. The success lies not solely in the monetary reward or the trophy but in our school’s involvement and commitment. We were so impressed with the number of families at this run proudly showing off their red and black spirit wear. We witnessed chanting, togetherness, sportsmanship, motivation, and a sense of belonging.

After a long period of sharing our students' talents on campus, it was time to show our community the talented students we have. We were honored to have our Sagemont Prep Show Choir perform at the Weston Town Center Tree Lighting. What an amazing evening bringing smiles to the community! We love being back in the community but find it hard to leave the school because of the new curricular programming. There is much to share!

It has been an exciting semester for the Innovation Lab with our new partnership with Code Ninjas.

It is never too early to learn about the engineering design process.

Our Kindergarten and first-grade students have been introduced to basic engineering concepts

using VEX 123 robotics kits. Students have learned how to build and program their robots to move, turn, and complete simple tasks. They have also learned the importance of following instructions and working as a team.

Our second and third-grade students have been engaged with VEX GO kits to explore more advanced robotics concepts. The students have learned about sensors and how to use them to control the movement and behavior of their robots. They have also learned about simple machines, such as levers and pulleys, and how they can be used to make their robots more efficient.

Finally, our fourth and fifth-grade students have been using VEX IQ kits to delve even deeper into the world of robotics. They have learned about more complex programming techniques, such as loops and variables, and have used these skills to create more advanced robots to complete various tasks.

We are thrilled to announce that in semester two, Code Ninjas will expose students to new, state-of-the-art equipment such as Spheros, Cubelets, Circuit Boards, DJI Drones, and more! These tools will provide students with even more opportunities to explore the world of Robotics and Coding.

While our fifth-grade students will also be exposed to the new equipment, their focus will continue to be on VEX IQ as they prepare to thrive in our Upper School Robotics Program. They will continue to build on the skills they have developed over the past semester and work on more advanced projects that will challenge them to think critically and creatively.

Creativity and problem-solving rank among the top skills employers seek in new hires for the 21st-century workforce.

Brainstorming is a critical part of that process. Creative brainstorming is a commonly used practice to foster innovation.

Once we have introduced this skill, it can and is practiced throughout our classrooms whenever a challenge arises that could benefit from out-of-the-box, creative thinking. More than coming up with potential solutions, entrepreneurs notice problems in their everyday lives and frame them as opportunities.

This radical curiosity and skill for problem-finding are what we call “opportunity recognition” a core component of entrepreneurship.

This semester, we have been ecstatic with the creative ..brainstorming

brainstorming process started by our 5th-grade students. The 5th graders are engaged in freshINCedu, where they progress through the milestones of starting a new business. They identify a problem to solve, design and pitch a product concept, make and sell this product, and reflect upon the performance of their business idea. Evidence of learning includes a business model canvas, a budget and pricing model for the business, a product name and brand, a pitch deck, communications and marketing material, sales goals, and reflections. With the involvement of local mentors and volunteers, our students experience authentic learning, providing them an opportunity to feel empowered as entrepreneurs.

These opportunities provide a mindset that embraces creativity and resiliency and accepts learning from failure. The opportunities go beyond activities and projects that are business oriented. It is how to adapt to the ever-changing world around them.

The Entrepreneurship Curriculum will continue to expand in semester two by incorporating the following skills: Creative Brainstorming, Opportunity Recognition, Agile Process, Pitching, Rapid Prototyping, Idea Modeling, and Design Thinking. We cannot wait to share the final product as it continues to take shape and invite you to the 5th-grade marketplace.

College Counseling Tera Sweeting, Upper School College Counselor

The Sagemont Prep College Counseling Office celebrates the continued success of our seniors! Since August, our seniors have worked diligently on submitting college applications, obtaining recommendation letters, and fine-tuning their resumes. Students have had many opportunities to meet with various college representatives to narrow down their desired college list.

Sagemont Preparatory Senior Class has submitted their college applications. Over 15 students have already been accepted for Early Admissions, and the merit scholarship dollars are coming in.

December through February marks the time period when most Early Admissions acceptance will be in, so we will share with you as the list grows.

Sagemont Prep's Pathways to Success is a core component of the college planning process. Our goal is to guide each student to explore and discover paths to their future. Together with your child, we will look at future possibilities, but the journey to the right fit college starts with experiences.

You will often hear me talk about building a resume, which includes academics and rigor in courseload, co-curricular involvement, internships, community service, and of course, summer programs. If your child is younger, you may not be thinking about this yet, but all of our middle and high school students and parents should and must begin this discussion. The summer months are truly valuable in high school, and we encourage students to make the most of this time. This could mean spending the summer volunteering at an art museum because of one's immense passion and hopes to study this in college. Just as valuable is a summer job or internship at a local medical center. Of course, college summer courses also offer an opportunity to explore one's academic interests or strengths further. Summer 2023 may seem far away, but many programs close registration starting in March, so reach out to me so we can begin planning for what's ahead. High school parents, be on the lookout for an email on summer planning in January.

"Thank you, Ms. Sweeting, for putting confidence in me "Applications and essays can be the most challenging and applying to the colleges I would've never thought I part of applying for college, but with class; Ms. could get into."

Sweeting gives me support & a stern helping hand."

Jahna Rylie "Applying for college wasn't as stressful because of the College Counseling Prep Class. Everyone should have this class. I am grateful. Thanks, Ms. Sweeting!"

Emma H.

COLLEGE VISITS

Sagemont Prep students have had the opportunity to meet with college and university representatives from across the world. Below are the colleges and universities that have visited our campus this school year, and the list continues to grow.

Alcorn State University Rollins College Barry University Saint John's University Bethune-Cookman University Saint Mary's College Boston College Savannah College of Art and Design Boston University Savannah State University Bryant University Seton Hall University Clemson University Spelman College College of the Holy Cross St Thomas Columbia College Stetson University Dean College Sullivan University Drew University SUNY Cortland Edward Waters University Texas A&M University Eckerd College The American University of Paris Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University The University of Alabama Emmanuel College The University of Tampa Fairfield University University of Albany Fairleigh Dickinson University University of California Riverside Flagler College University of Chicago Florida A&M University University of Connecticut Florida Atlantic University University Of Delaware Florida Memorial Aviation University University of Florida Florida State University University of Maryland George Mason University University of Miami High Point University University of Oregon Hult International Business School University of Saint Andrews INTO University Partnerships University of Tennessee, Knoxville Jacksonville University University of Toledo Kennesaw State University Valdosta State University Lafayette College Vassar College Lees-McRae College Verto Partnerships University LIM College Virginia Tech Loyola University Maryland Lynn University Massachusetts Maritime Academy Miami International Institute of Art & Design Michigan State University New College of Florida New York Film Academy Nova Southeastern University Oglethorpe University Regis University Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rider University Ringling College of Art & Design

School Counseling Luann Burrows, Upper School Counselor

Your Older Children Still Need Your Guidance and Involvement With only a few weeks left in the first semester, it is the perfect time for parents and students to reflect on the many successes they have had thus far. When looking back, there are many aspects to take into consideration. As report cards will be coming out soon, academic achievement is at the forefront of parents' and students' minds. Two excellent resources for students and parents are the Plus Portals app and Google Classroom, which provide information about upcoming assignments, missing assignments, current grades, and attendance. It is recommended that parents check Plus Portals and Google Classroom regularly. Parental involvement not only enhances academic performance but also has a positive influence on student behavior and motivation. I encourage parents to communicate closely with their child's teachers and school counselor. Sagemont Preparatory also provides free after-school tutoring three times a week. Please encourage your child to take advantage of this service by Sagemont Prep teachers and Honor Society students.

Just as important as academics, another crucial aspect in a child's life is their social/emotional development. Early adolescence (ages 10-14) is a time of many physical, mental, emotional, and social changes. Children may be worried about these changes and how others perceive them. Early adolescents are developing their self-identity and may experience a withdrawal from parents while placing a greater emphasis on friends and their social lives. It is essential for parents to maintain open communication with their early adolescents, so they feel comfortable discussing complex topics. While it is necessary to foster your children's independence, providing structure, limits, homework expectations, bedtimes, and clear rules about the use of devices remain extremely important at this age.

High school students continue to grow in their social/emotional development as they attempt to understand their place in society and how to proceed in the future. It is a time of exploration, decision-making, social awareness, self-management, and identifying personal values. It is also a time of heightened stress, and parents play a vital role in maintaining open and honest communication with their children. Although teens are screaming for independence, parent involvement is the key to improving academic success. The Sagemont Preparatory team, in partnership with parents, continues to provide the support needed for students to maintain their success. Research shows that students with involved parents are more likely to have higher grades and test scores, attend school regularly, have better social skills, show improved behavior, and adapt well to school.

"To be in your children's memories tomorrow, you have to be in their lives today."

-- Barbara Johnson --

School Counseling Maritza Zea, Lower School Counselor Social Motional Learning through a Character Education Lens Helping to meet students' social/emotional needs while maintaining school-life balance is critical.

Fortunately, at Sagemont Preparatory School, the school counselor knows firsthand the role students' social/emotional development plays in their chances for long-term success. Character Education is essential to students' Social Emotional Learning. Mrs. Zea is directly involved in implementing character education curricula in formal and non-formal settings in school. She teaches all grades to reinforce the meaning of the Character Word of the Month introduced in the monthly assemblies in which all students participate. The school counselor empowers students to connect each lesson's interactive and fun nature with life experiences. A different perspective on each character word emerges from this. Ms. Zea works diligently on delivering classes that include role-playing and discussions done in small groups encouraging discovery and problem-solving.

This semester our elementary counseling program taught four essential character traits: respect, kindness, compassion, and responsibility. The character program is very interactive. The character trait of responsibility involved self-reflection by asking all the students to write on a paper shape key what they are responsible for at school. Ms. Zea worked with the students in their classrooms, and when finished, each key was attached to a giant key ring exhibition called The Key is Me. Being responsible is being accountable and reliable. Responsibility involves the ability to answer for one's behaviors and obligations. It also entails the ability to choose between right and wrong in a given situation. Being responsible brings satisfaction and benefits to students in their daily life, which increases self-esteem, contributing to the student's social-emotional learning process.

In teaching the character trait of compassion, students are encouraged to have meaningful conversations that could help them be more intentional about their peer relationships, behavior, and treatment of one another, thus leading to more kindness schoolwide. Students worked in small groups, role-playing scenarios noticing and caring about each other's feelings.

How students treat one another is a significant part of Sagemont Prep's student educational experience that affects learning, opportunities, and one's overall attitude toward school. Besides formal Character Education curricula, Ms. Zea often does informal check-ins with students to help maintain core relationships. The school counseling program intensifies communication and outreach with informal meetings, turning every interaction into a chance for social/emotional learning. As an educator, the school counselor has the opportunity and responsibility to help students acquire better ways to manage emotions in and out of the classroom. We know that a positive environment that supports a sense of belonging is key to student success. Sagemont Preparatory strives for this unequivocally.

Athletics

ATHLETICS

Shane Marcey, Athletic Director

Sagemont Preparatory's Athletic Department is proud of the overwhelming success of our student-athletes and teams. As we look forward to 2023, we continue to seek ways to strengthen and grow our department and enhance the overall experience of our studentathletes.

Currently, Sagemont Preparatory offers an intensive Sports Management Internship for students interested in running and operating all aspects of a successful sports department. Students work closely with Coach Marcey to schedule contests, assign officials, organize transportation, and rent the fields needed for games.

Additionally, they oversee the budgeting and purchasing process for all sports equipment and apparel. Students have the opportunity to attend FHSAA planning meetings, providing them with the experience of speaking to and networking with representatives from a wide variety of vendors.

Our middle school programs have worked hard and are making a solid comeback within the Independent Athletic League! Girl's volleyball had a fantastic season, narrowly missing out on the playoffs. Soccer also wrapped up an outstanding season having four straight wins with a clean sheet in each. Our boy's flag football and basketball programs have returned with a bang, and we look forward to cheering on their success.

We are happy to announce text the implementation of our intramural programs across both campuses. Coach Sandi and Coach Curtis currently run their programs on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3-3:30 pm at their respective campuses. Intramurals present an excellent opportunity for those students who enjoy learning various new athletic skills while also having much fun doing it.

The women's varsity golf program had a phenomenal year, winning both the district & regional championships. They placed 8th at the State Championships, with three of our golfers selected to First-Team All-County! Finally, our basketball team continues to excel, starting the year off undefeated. Later this month, they head to Louisville, KY, to compete in the National King of the Bluegrass Invitational! Keep following our success Sagemont Prep Families…..Are You All In???

Innovation & Technology Estefania Martinez, Innovation & Technology Coordinator

Hour of Code What is Hour of Code? What is the Hour of Code?

The Hour of Code started as a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify "code," to show that anybody can learn the basics and to broaden participation in the field of computer science. It has since become a worldwide effort to celebrate computer science, starting with 1-hour coding activities but expanding to all sorts of community efforts. All of our students in grades K12th grade participated in the Hour of Code.

Can my child still code at home? Absolutely! Kodable is an award-winning coding curriculum for kids ages 4-10.

Kodable is also available on an app! Kodable teaches your kids everything they need to know about computer science, from zero to JavaScript - no experience required!

Scan here to download Kodable onto your device!

Technology-Rich Classrooms Our third-grade teachers, Mrs. Mortakis and Mrs. Garcia, infuse technology daily within their classrooms. An instructional program they regularly incorporate is Padlet! Padlet is an educational tool that allows learners to collaborate online by posting text, images, links, documents, videos, and voice recordings. Padlet is an effective way to collaborate with students in any grade using technology!

Recently, Mrs. Mortakis and Mrs. Garcia utilized Padlet as a way for students to analyze the story "Dear Primo." Students creatively wrote and shared their summaries on Padlet. They then had the opportunity to share their thoughts digitally.

Scan here to see our 3rd graders' "Dear Primo" summaries on Padlet!

A Day in the Life Written by Lion Life student editor, Serena Mair .....and a look into our future Overall, this school semester has gifted Sagemont Prep with unforgettable outcomes and memories and highlighted the bright light of our future. There’s purely no accurate way to express the celebration of our success so far by the sole feature of only one Sagemont Prep student because, truly, our success builds off of each other as our journey develops and progresses.

Dedication is a skill we learn from a young age and work to improve as we grow. Decision making: constantly applied in the classroom and the real world. Our mission, on both campuses, focuses on enforcing the instruction of real-world education in the minds of students from a young age to produce the next leaders of tomorrow. Recently, senior economic students have begun working alongside their teachers, Mr. Curtis and Ms. Rocco, to prepare the behind-the-scenes works of the annual Senior Market experience.

Excellence is bound in the hearts of determined students. This year we had the pleasure of watching the theatrical pieces presented by the Art department. The ingenuity and commitment of these students and their sponsors surely do not go unnoticed. This is evident in their recent success in the Winter Follies performance alongside their partnership with the Culinary Club.

Accomplishments have flooded the floor of expectations this semester from our leading athletic teams. From sophomore Ariana Silva’s nomination for Miami Herold’s player of the week and the women’s golf team’s regional tournament win to the undefeated Sagemont Prep Lions men’s basketball team ranking first in all classes in the state of Florida, through the first quarter of the season, teamwork, has worked to soar our student body to higher heights.

Innovation has been reinforced in our curriculum to further the importance of creativity, service, and outreach in the community. We have seen many outstanding student exemplifications of this skill, including junior Jesse Offolter’s Den Dash app design, Tri-M Honor Society’s project-based focus on artistic importance under the leadership of senior president Leiah Litwin, and Deca’s ongoing successful contributions to the Upper Campus through Pride Rock thanks to their dedicated student workers under junior president Alexa Francis and club sponsor Mr. Brown’s leadership.

We look forward to nurturing bright minds and ideas as the school year progresses. We thank the PTO, staff, teachers, Sagemont Preparatory families, and fellow students who continue encouraging us to work hard today for a better tomorrow.

Sagemont Prep Innovator Spotlight Charlie Newman 5th Grade What does being innovative mean to you?

"Innovation for me is creating, improving, and introducing new things in the future or in the present to facilitate people's daily life. Also, innovation is used to help the environment. For example, electric cars were introduced by Elon Musk to eliminate the use of cars that run on gasoline to decrease air pollution. With the elimination of those cars, it helps the glaciers and the animals in the ocean and earth. Now every car company is trying to sell electric cars."

In what ways are you innovative?

"I innovate while playing soccer and piano. When I play the piano, I must create rhythms and notes to make a song. When I play soccer, I am innovative by creating plays and making sure they are successful to make or stop a goal. Another way I am innovative is in taekwondo by moving around and planning a strategy to hit the target. Also, when we code at school, I made a robot that can be controlled by either autopilot or manually."

What is your favorite subject?

"Math is my favorite subject because it is fun, challenging and can be used every day. It helps me to develop logical and creative thinking. Math plays an important role in our daily activities. For example, when we cook we need to measure the correct quantities, when we organize our time to have fun or do our chores, when we measure objects or when we go to the groceries we have to organize our budget. When I grow up, I think I would like to become an engineer as I enjoy building things. Math will help me to create new inventions that will help make our lives easier."

What extracurricular activities do you take part in, both at school and outside of school?

"Outside of school I participate in Taekwondo and I am already a brown belt. I have played soccer since I was 7 years old and now play for AYSO Weston U12s. My favorite position is midfield as I get the ball a lot and I can tackle the other team’s players to stop them from getting close to our goal. At home, I love to play the piano which I have played since I was 5. Before the pandemic, I used to play at concerts. At school, I had the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities, for example, Basketball and American Football. I was also selected for the middle school soccer team, although I was only in 4th grade. I was the team’s left back and played in every game. Sports are my passion."

How do you plan to use your innovative skills for the future?

"My skills will be used by creating machines that facilitate people’s daily lives. For example, I can create a robot that takes your dog on a walk. The robot will be created by setting a code that will take the dog on a specific route and feel a motion when the dog wants to stop to sniff or do her necessities. For example, take it to the gate and back, and the robot will follow these commands.

Also, I see myself creating music with my piano to make people have fun."

Sagemont Prep Innovator Spotlight Eshan Peshimam 6th Grade What does being innovative mean to you?

"Being innovative to me means being creative and being able to find new and spontaneous solutions to solve problems."

In what ways are you innovative?

"I'm innovative because I'm very creative. I'm not afraid to improvise and always think of creative solutions to problems. One way that I've been innovative at Sagemont is by creating and implementing a sports segment on Monty's Morning Show. The interest that was generated around the sports segment also led to the creation of a sports podcast club at the Lower School!"

What is your favorite subject?

"Math because I like seeing how all the numbers come together and different parts of a problem come together to form a solution. I find it satisfying."

What extracurricular activities do you take part in, both at school and outside of school?

"Aerospace Engineering Club, Morning Roar News Show, Media Club, Robotics Club, Piano, Tae Kwon Do, Flag Football, Soccer, Basketball, Arabic/Religious Studies, and Student Innovation Committee."

How do you plan to use your innovative skills for the future?

"In the future, I'd like to pursue sports broadcasting journalism. I love sport statistics and analysis and enjoy being on camera. I like the improvisation that comes with live-action commentary and analysis. I hope that I can bring new insights to the game."

Sagemont Prep Innovator Spotlight Alexa Frances 11th Grade What does being innovative mean to you?

"Being innovative means continuously creating solutions to problems and creating new ideas to improve."

In what ways are you innovative?

"As president of DECA, I am constantly thinking of ways to improve the service and quality of our student-run Pride Rock Café. For example, recently, we helped our club members sell their culinary creations to our customers. This helped several underclassmen showcase their entrepreneurship skills and encouraged other students to sign up for DECA once eligible."

What is your favorite subject?

"Art class because it allows me to express my creativity. I get to do what I love and use my hands to create art while helping out my classmates. I look forward to art class daily, thinking about what I can do to improve my art."

What extracurricular activities do you take part in, both at school and outside of school?

"I am the Co-captain of the Varsity Cheer Team, President of the Business & Entrepreneurship Club (Pride Rock), Vice President of the National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, and participate in Student Government. Out of school, I enjoy doing my client's makeup for special occasions and art. I also enjoy volunteering at my local daycare!"

How do you plan to use your innovative skills for the future?

"As a leader, I plan to use my innovative skills to help not only myself but the people and establishments around me. Pride Rock, for example, is a great place where I project my ideas and put them to use. My skills will also be used in the future to help myself as an entrepreneur prosper as I forward my career."

SAGEMONT PREP Staff Spotlight

LISA ECOLONO LOWER SCHOOL 4TH GRADE TEACHER EDUCATION Florida Atlantic University Bachelor of Science, Elementary Education ESOL & ESE Endorsed

Instructional Mentor Teacher National Elementary Honor Society Advisor HOW DO YOU IGNITE CURIOSITY AT SAGEMONT PREP? I ignite curiosity by exposing students regularly to real-world events and problems within the classroom. Encouraging my students to seek solutions using their creative and collaborative mindsets provides an engaging and exciting experience. Through this process, students take accountability for their learning and acquire a deep knowledge of the standards addressed.

HOW DO YOU EQUIP YOUR SAGEMONT PREP STUDENTS TO TACKLE THE REAL WORLD? I equip my students to problem-solve real-world events by providing a comfortable, safe space to analyze and collaborate. I routinely engage my learners through hands-on projects, classroom transformations, classroom debates, and solution-seeking activities. We help our students become not only well-rounded students but well-rounded individuals to become successful independent adults!

Ms. Ecolono also holds "Ecolono Essential Meetings," to provide tailored professional development for faculty and staff.

SAGEMONT PREP Staff Spotlight

MARTHA BASS LOWER SCHOOL SPANISH TEACHER EDUCATION Universidad de Antioquia Bachelor of Education World Languages

Sagemont Sunshine Club Coordinator HOW DO YOU IGNITE CURIOSITY AT SAGEMONT PREP? Learning a new language opens the students' minds to an exciting new world. It allows them to acknowledge and participate in a variety of cultural experiences, as well as to feel confident and engaged when communicating.

HOW DO YOU EQUIP YOUR SAGEMONT PREP STUDENTS TO TACKLE THE REAL WORLD? Learning languages benefits students in a multitude of ways. Learning new languages can lead to more remarkable academic achievements while providing opportunities to embrace new cultural experiences. Strengths in languages provide students with the ability to achieve and advance careers within our modern global marketplace.

Ms. Bass has been teaching at Sagemont for 22 years!

SAGEMONT PREP Staff Spotlight

ANDREA COLLAZOS UPPER SCHOOL SPANISH TEACHER EDUCATION University of Central Florida Bachelor of Science, Radio & Television Communications

Spanish Junior Honor Society HOW DO YOU IGNITE CURIOSITY AT SAGEMONT PREP? I open the window of curiosity by showing students a world outside of Sagemont Prep with cultures from different Spanish-speaking countries. When my students learn about someone else's culture, they want to dig deeper into the language. Students have the opportunity to be creative and innovative with their projects, and I am always fascinated with how different every student's approach is to each assignment.

HOW DO YOU EQUIP YOUR SAGEMONT PREP STUDENTS TO TACKLE THE REAL WORLD? Becoming bilingual is essential to joining the workforce, especially in Florida. Speaking multiple languages will result in higher pay and more opportunities in the future. Collaboration, communication, and teamwork are essential in learning a foreign language and being successful in the workforce. My students leave my classroom with the tools to communicate and connect with others globally.

Ms. Collazos has three incredible children at Sagemont Prep!

SAGEMONT PREP Staff Spotlight

CHRISTY SAFONT UPPER SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHER EDUCATION Florida International University Bachelor of Science, Biology

Upper School Cheerleading Coach HOW DO YOU IGNITE CURIOSITY AT SAGEMONT PREP? One of the aspects that I love about teaching science is the ability to engage my students in challenging laboratory activities that allow them to have hands-on experiments to connect the theoretical concepts taught in class.

HOW DO YOU EQUIP YOUR SAGEMONT PREP STUDENTS TO TACKLE THE REAL WORLD?

In preparing our students to perform at the college level, especially in the sciences, we must incorporate technology by utilizing the most updated methods of measuring and sampling data. At Sagemont Prep, we can provide our students with a college-like laboratory setting that performs many of the same laboratory exercises you would see in a freshman college-level biology class. In addition to lab experiments and many classroom activities, the Science Department, this year, is focused on applying science and relating it to the real world. Examples of preparing our students to excel in college are by teaching them sign skills that will transcend across multiple science disciplines they take.

Ms. Safont has been at Sagemont Prep for over 15 years!

Sagemont Prep Alumni Spotlight Luis Peraza, Class of 2009 Undergraduate: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Bachelor of Science: Electronic Media & Arts and Communication Life After Sagemont: I spent 12 years at Sagemont. 12. When I started, the Upper School didn't exist, and the Lower School Dome was just an empty field where we ran the Turkey Trot every year. It's hard to imagine that I have been out of Sagemont longer than I was in. Yikes. Life moves fast.

After Sagemont, I attended and played baseball for Rensselear Polytechnic University in upstate New York.

Nothing like your first outdoor baseball practice in the middle of winter to make you question leaving Florida.

It was 12 degrees. 12. At RPI, I worked on my first-ever project, The Yes Men Are Revolting. The Yes Men are a group of political and social pranksters who use their platform to raise awareness for different causes. Check the movie out, it's pretty fun! Bonus points if you find me in it. My professor, Igor Vamos, is a founding member of the group and one of the coolest guys you'll ever meet.

I graduated from RPI in 2014 with a degree in Electronic Media, Art & Communications, EMAC. I went to a prestigious engineering school and ended up learning how to make movies instead of bridges. Whoops. A couple of months after graduation, I got a job offer, sort of. A friend of a friend offered me a production assistant job on a movie in Boston. I said yes. Having exactly zero idea what a production assistant did or how I was supposed to live up there. That movie was a learning experience. I spent all the money I had and all the money I made on that show to live in Boston for six weeks. I risked it all, and it paid off. I met my buddy Justin on that show. He was from LA. He was my first call when I moved west at the end of 2014. He and I have worked on 20+ projects together over the years.

Today, I split my time between Los Angeles and Atlanta. I work primarily as a line producer or assistant director on features and television shows. As a line producer, I am in charge of the budget and the crew. I hire most of the department heads and make sure that the show has enough money. I am the last word on all spending. I like to tell people, "I don't have to know what it does. I just have to know what it costs." It's a pretty stress-free job, is a lie I like to tell. A $500,000 Lifetime movie is just as stressful as a $10,000,000 action movie with stunts. Believe me.

As an assistant director, my job is to schedule the movie or television show and keep the director on track and on time. In the movie world, delays cost lots of money. The AD's job is to ensure everything is running smoothly and that everyone is where they need to be when they need to be there. As the AD, I decide what gets filmed on which days. This is where the job gets really fun. Sometimes schedules are easy and straightforward. As I type this now, I am in Atlanta on a Christmas movie that took me 45 minutes to schedule. Sometimes a schedule takes me weeks. I have to account for actors' schedules with other shoots, filming location availabilities, weather, and even what time the sun rises. I've had to schedule around weddings and holidays like Chinese New Year's and Game 7 of the World Series. Scheduling a movie is a giant puzzle with millions of dollars on the line. The feeling I get when I solve it is inexplicable. It's a lot of fun.

How did Sagemont ignite your passions?

"My entire life, I wanted to work in movies and tv.

Well, that and being a professional baseball player.

Twenty-something broken bones and a lack of talent left me with one option. I was always the guy who tried to turn any group project into an excuse to make a movie. Myself, Axel Miranda and Ricardo Wehrhahn teamed up to produce some real gems.

My senior year SNEWS came around. I really hope y'all still have something like that going on now. If not, please get on it. Ms. Wolff was the mastermind behind it all. SNEWS was a weekly news broadcast that we would put together and show to the entire school. My team, RED, was the best. Axel will argue that his team was better. He is wrong. SNEWS CLUES and The Office: SNEWS were two gems that could have won awards. I'm just saying."

Sagemont Prep Staff Inspiration: This question is going to get me in trouble. I still talk to a few of my teachers and faculty. They're going to see this and get mad that I didn't mention them. Dr. Goldman and Mrs. Laskin met me when I was six years old and Coach Simmonds when I was ten. We hung out in LA a few months back. Disappointingly, he's still a Yankee fan. I took every class I could with Ms. Gonzalez (now Ms. Safont) and Ms. Wolff. Mrs. Arteche was equal parts terrifying and wonderful. Mrs. Nelson was my college counselor. Back then, I would give her a hard time about the size of her Boston College diploma. My sister has one of those Boston College degrees now, and every time I see it, I think of that office in the library where I spent much time. I'm still close to Coach Tamayo. Our district championship and state championship run with the soccer team is still one of my favorite memories. Coach Tommy and the baseball team were a huge part of my time there. Those 2 district championships are memories I'll never forget.

Words of Advice: Through my job, I have been lucky enough to do the things I love. Work has taken me all over the country. I've shot westerns in Wyoming and Tennessee, thrillers in Hawaii, and huge action sequences down the middle of the Las Vegas Strip. I've been able to work with the action heroes I grew up watching and bands I love. None of that would have been possible if I hadn't said yes to that movie in Boston. I took a huge risk, and it paid off. Don't be afraid of failing. I took jobs that I was capable of but not yet qualified for and worked my butt off. My advice? Learn by doing.

Be remembered for the quality of your work. Work smarter not harder.

Started at Sagemont Prep in 1st grade!!

PTO Sagemont Preparatory School's Parent Teacher Organization

Lower School It’s here, the Holiday season is in full swing at The Sagemont Preparatory Lower Campus! PTO has been involved in spirit week, carnival decorating, field day fun, and organizing our annual holiday show. In addition, we have planned a wonderful holiday hot breakfast filled with raffles for our beloved teachers and staff. We are excited to partner up and receive donations from our local business owners and some of our Sagemont Prep family businesses!

A special thank you to our outstanding local chiropractic practice, Live Well Chiropractic, for providing complimentary chair massages to our teachers and staff during our Thanksgiving luncheon. Thanksgiving was a huge success with full bellies and grateful hearts!

Thank you to our Room Parent Coordinators, Specialist Coordinators, and our Sagemont Prep Families for attending our monthly PTO meetings and for your involvement in the many events in November and December. Thank you for making special memories for our children.

Important Dates & Reminders: January PTO Meeting is on 01/11 at 8:45 a.m. in The Lower School Campus Multi-Purpose Room (MPR). We need your support in volunteering weekly for Friday Pizza and Ice Cream, so please sign up in the Signup Genius! If you have questions, please email us at sls.pto@sagemont.com.

Upper School It has been a very busy beginning for the Upper School PTO. We ended the month of November with the Thanksgiving lunch for the students and staff. Seeing everyone enjoying a meal together and taking pictures in our beautifully decorated fall background was a pleasure. A big thank you to the volunteers who helped that day!

December began our holiday festivities. We all know that decorations bring out the joy of the holiday season.

We wanted the students to be involved in decorating the school, not just the PTO. For that reason, all clubs received a holiday tree from the PTO. The club members started making ornaments that identified with their specific club and the activities they did. Once finished, all clubs will have a tree representing them in the classroom for all to see.

This week, the decorations around the school have begun. We will be decorating the front entrance of the school, the office, the art building, the cafeteria, the courtyard, and the media center. Our annual holiday teacher and staff luncheon provided by the PTO will include an array of holiday food with beautiful music to accompany their lunch. It is our way of saying thank you for all that is done for our students and showing appreciation for each and every one of them.

We love to go above and beyond and what better way to show off the holidays than with a photo booth?

Students will have the opportunity to have fun snapping pictures with their friends.

As this year comes to a close, we wish everyone a Joyous Holiday Season and a Prosperous and Healthy New Year. We hope to see more parents in the coming year. Join us for our next PTO meeting on Wednesday, January 11, 2023!

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Kristin Sorokin Lion Life, Editor-in-Chief