As Broward County citizens learned more about conservation, South Plantation Paladins were honored for their contributions.
Dr. Jody Berman and her students received the coveted (and very heavy) Emerald Award. It was the third time the County honored SPHS for their landscaping and conservation work. ER Ambassadors showed visitors how to make flower pots out of discarded newspapers and children to craft their own "turtle" plates. Horticulture raise funds for its program as children enjoyed the animal science "adoptees." More photos are in CLUBS. |
During the summer of 2021, Aileen Benitz served as an intern with Broward County's Environmental Division. During the the five-week program, she focused on Clean Up and Waste Regulation both local and national.
"This experience has helped me view everything in a different matter," she said. "Such as, how a small lithium ion battery thrown in the trash, can ignite fires in recycling facilities that can harm employees, company shutdown, and polluted groundwater." She learned about water quality and the inspection of groundwater wells, landfill construction and regulations, GIS mapping, and the repurposing of brick, marble and tile to create solid foundations for new construction. "The absolute best thing was meeting new people and having the opportunity to experience how they work." She will present the internship report she completed at the end of the internship at the 2022 Senior Symposium. |
Students combine their science knowledge with their art skills by providing original art for the Broward County Clean Air Calendar. Often teachers share the opportunity for their students to participate as Dr. Jody Berman and Matt Zealy did in their classes.
Winners who will see their poster on the 2022 |
calendar will be featured on a month include Julie Jean, Erianna Domitrovits and Jaya Jackson. Receiving Honorable Mention recognition are Cassidy Stumer, KyleHanson, Michelle Torres and Cara Kulhanjian. The contest is sponsored by the Broward County Environmental Protection and Growth Management, Air Quality Division.
|
When students were able to return to campus, those in Experimental Science worked to create Florida Friendly yards at home. After learning the requirements in class they continued to work at home on their family's landscape.
Students with no yard space were able to use "Grow Bags" that had plants for food, a dish for water and an item providing for habitats for small living things to survive. Once the yards were established, a representative from Broward County |
came and "certified" the yards presenting the with certificates.
Dr. Jody Berman, the teacher who coordinated the activity, also had her yard certified. She also earned a special Broward County Emerald Award for designing and maintaining a Florida Friendly landscape at her home with husband, Kelly Gestring. The couple received their unique award at their home from Rose Bechard-Butman, Broward County. |
South Plantation magnet students and teachers continue to earn accolades at the Broward Schools' 3P Eco Challenge: Preserving Our Planet for Posterity.
Teacher, Dr. Jody Berman, was named the High School Environmental Educator of the Year. Along with community partners, she worked on the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) Eco-Schools USA Biodiversity and LEAF Pathways, earning the Bronze level award. She is one of 36 nationwide accepted into |
Dr. Jody Berman Becomes Broward County's
|
the Class of 2019 National Oceanographic and Atmospheric administration (NOAA) Planet Stewards program for her project designed to develop a sustainable green space on campus that will serve to reduce our carbon footprint, while increasing critical habitat for wildlife.
South Plantation students won in the School Grounds Enhancement and the Community Involvement areas. Senior ER Ambassador President Adrien Hienz was South's nominee for Student of the Year. |
Once again the team from South Plantation High took home First Place in the Student Astronaut Challenge held at Kennedy Space Center after winning its first title in 2015. The school has entered six times and has made the finals five of those but not last year.
"I am really honored to work with such devoted and hardworking students," said coach Katherine Boutin who has been the team's only coach. "They showed an amazing ability to work as a team helping each other as needed." Teams from throughout Florida, several from Georgia and one from Ireland competed in the 2017 competition that tested space shuttle knowledge as well as team work shown through four challenges: Shuttle Simulator, Engineering, Lab, and Landing. South's team placed second in the Simulator, second in the engineering, first in the Lab, fifth in the Landing, and first overall. Team members included Michael Rogatinsky (Flight Engineer), Nick Schwab (Commander), Juan Cabrera (Pilot), |
Regan Williams (Mission Control), Parker Crooks (Mission Control), and Joshua Hall. Jakob Hall.
The finals required the Commander to switch places with another team member so Regan Williams replaced Nick Schwab. "We never practiced switching positions so that was a real shock," Boutin said. "The judges loved Regan) and have asked her to work with them next year since she is going to FSU and they are based in Tallahassee." Last year the Landing Challenge was introduced, so 2017 was the first time South's team was tested on its landing abilities using the space shuttle simulator. The students involved in this test could not be from the flight crew of the Simulator Challenge. In the Engineering Challenge, teams solved an problem that consisted of determining which systems were needed during different phases of the landing of a space shuttle with limited power available. In the Lab Challenge students designed an experiment for growing food on Mars. |
After competing in different options for the Fairchld Challenge, the SPHS team took home the Silver Award in May.
AP Environmental Science teacher Jessica Brown coached the team. In fact, she continued the winning ways of the Challenge until 2016-17 completing the 10 years SPHS competed in the event. Top finishers were Mary Driscoll who took first place in the Mayoral Speech, and Leigh Bouskila and Tamir Rabinovich who won the Debate Team option. |
Magnet seniors won the top three awards in the 2015 Water Matters Essay Contest: 1st Place - Emily Morinelli, 2nd Place - Jack Jennings, and 3rd Place - Marlon Hall.
They answered the questions: How have we managed our natural resources, particularly water, over the past 100 years, and how can we better |
manage them in the next 100 years? What are some of the new challenges our natural resources are facing as Broward County's population increases?
Marlon Hall (Class of 2015) was Freddy, the mascot of the South Florida Water Management District, who congratulated the award-winners. |
The six-member team from South Plantation won NASA's 2015 Student Astronaut Challenge. From the Regional Qualifying Test, 15 teams competed at the Kennedy Space Center, Feb. 26-28. As the overall winners, they returned for a special behind-the-scenes tour of the facility.
The three-day competition consisted of four challenges: a technical exam, lab experiment. |
The three-day competition consisted of four challenges: a technical exam, lab experiment proposal for a flight to Mars, an engineering challenge and three rounds using a flight simulator.
Katherine Boutin has coached the team for all four years of the competition and the 2015 team finished the best of all years. |
Under the guidance of AP Environmental Science teacher Jessica Brown, South Plantation's C3 team captured the top honor for high schools in 2014. The fifth Annual Conservation and Climate Change Challenge was sponsored by the Broward County Pollution Prevention, Remediation and Air Quality Division.
Read the release below.
|
p3_winners_2013.pdf | |
File Size: | 85 kb |
File Type: |
Each year, the City of Plantation presents awards for environmental stewardship. South Plantation teachers have received the Plantation Landscape Award for Nurturing our Town (P.L.A.N.T.)
2011: Matthew Zealy- Sponsor for the ER (Everglades Restoration) Ambassadors, a community outreach club that teaches children and adults about conservation of Florida’s natural resources; Elisabeth Jacobi- Coordinator of the Plant a Fish mangrove renewal project. 2010: Carl Wallack – Sponsor of the 4-H Club, Small Animal Care and Horticulture programs that help landscape area schools and parks. 2009: Pamela Krauss – Sponsor of the Fairchild Challenge |
South Plantation High School was honored during the Papa John's Pizza Orgullo de Nuestra awards luncheon held Friday, May 14, 2010 at Jungle Island in Miami.
Students in the school’s Environmental Science and Everglades Restoration Magnet program were grand prize winners of $4,000 that will be used to continue their "green" |
initiatives.
Brandsmart USA and Univision 23 selected South Plantation High School for the award for its successful incorporation of environmental education and “green” initiatives into its curriculum. Students from South Plantation High serve as ER Ambassadors visiting elementary schools and taking part in community events on weekends to teach children and adults about the importance of protecting the earth, especially South Florida's ecosystem. Earlier this year, students at South Plantation High were champions of the Fairchild Challenge and national champions of the Dell-Winston Solar Car Challenge. |
Week of the Ocean
In May 2010, the National Week of the Ocean honors South Plantation for its work and community outreach with the Environmental Award. Magnet Coordinator Dr. Alyce Culpepper and teacher Elisabeth Jacobi received the award for the school. |
The first time Fabien Cousteau visited South Plantation's magnet, he brought a $50,000 check to present to the Eco Geeks who won the Lexus Eco challenge.
He returned later to work with marine science students to help restore mangroves as a habitat for marine life. At the annual Marine Environmental Day in the Spring, Cousteau spoke about the importance of conserving the world’s marine resources so sea life can continue to live. In 2010, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Cousteau, (grandson of oceanographer Jacques Cousteau and founder of Plant A Fish) celebrated Florida Mangrove Day with magnet students. Working with Plant A Fish, |
75 students went to John U. Lloyd Beach State Park to harvest more than 1,000 propagules, or mangrove seeds that will be grown in a nursery at South Plantation.
Governor Charlie Crist declared October 1, 2010 as Florida Mangrove Day which developed from a partnershipbetween Plant A Fish, a non-profit organization focusing on education, empowerment and restoration, and the magnet. “Plant A Fish is excited to partner with the magnet and DEP’s Division of Recreation and Parks on the inaugural Mangrove Day event," Fabien Cousteau said. "Our mission is to educate and empower local communities to play an active role in the restoration of the oceans for future generations." |