By Bari Auerbach….
- Mercantil Commercebank team and M-DCPS Board Members gather with AMC Dade Partner Student Leaders (l-r) Belen Mella, Sunny Isles Beach Community School K-8; Dr. Martin Karp, M-DCPS Board Member; Pablo Rosero, Ojus Elem.; Julia Kingsley, Aventura Waterways K-8; Gary Ladolcetta, Mercantil Commercebank; Ean Schwartz, David Lawrence Jr. K-8; Supt. Alberto Carvalho; Andrew Waxman, Mercantil Commercebank; Mayrav Lapidot, Aventura City of Excellence School; Alejandra Martinez, North Miami Beach Sr. High; M-DCPS Board Vice Chairman Dr. Lawrence Feldman; Danielle Kozavchinsky, Krop Sr. High; Carmena Allen, Highland Oaks Middle; Samantha Kwan, Greynolds Park Elem.; Mathew Hunt, Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Sr. High; M-DCPS Ass’t Supt. Enid Weisman; Julia Brauner, Mercantil Commercebank M-DCPS Board Member Dr. Wilbert “Tee” Holloway; Dr. Mickey Krop, Former M-DCPS Board MemberOn the day exciting headline news proclaimed “Third graders shine on new FCAT,” Mercantil Commercebank hosted the Aventura Marketing Council’s annual Student-Run Breakfast Meeting. The event, highlighting the benefits of school / business partnerships, featured special guest speaker Alberto Carvalho, Superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools.Hundreds of business, community and education leaders gathered at the Fairmont Turnberry Isle were impressed by “best and brightest” students who expertly ran the meeting representing the AMC’s ten Dade Partner schools: Mayrav Lapidot, Aventura City of Excellence School; Pablo Rosero, Ojus Elementary; Julia Kingsley, Aventura Waterways K-8; Ean Schwartz, David Lawrence Jr. K-8; Samantha Kwan, Greynolds Park Elementary; Belen Mella, Sunny Isles Beach Community School; Carmena Allen, Highland Oaks Middle; Danielle Kozavchinsky, Krop Sr. High; Alejandra Martinez, North Miami Beach Sr. High; and Mathew Hunt, Alonzo and Tracy Mourning Sr. High.
Following an inspiring rendition of God Bless Americasung by talented vocalists from North Miami Beach Sr. High’s Spectrum Singers, appreciation was expressed to Mercantil Commercebank, members of the AMC’s Education Committee chaired by Eileen Glastein of Bnai Zion Foundation; School Board members, principals, teachers, guidance counselors, parents and AMC members supporting the goal to help students achieve success.
The AMC has won the annual Dade Partner of Excellence award four times and has been inducted into the Dade Partners Hall of Fame for four consecutive years.
On behalf of Mercantil Commercebank, Aventura Banking Center Manager Andrew Waxman commented, “We are proud to sponsor an event that provides such a positive impact to the students within our community.” He added, “this event gives students the chance to demonstrate their talent and potential, and provides valuable experience they can apply to their future endeavors.”
MDCPS Superintendent Carvalho leads the fourth largest school system in the nation with over 53,000 employees and 345,000 students.
“It’s time to celebrate the ‘community’ of public education – what other sector of our country is so embedded in the rich history and tradition of our nation?” Carvalho said.
Commending students’ success, Carvalho noted third graders continued to perform well on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) despite tougher standards; and for the fourth time, Miami-Dade County Public Schools is a finalist for the 2011 Broad Prize for Urban Education – one of the nation’s most prestigious education awards honoring districts demonstrating the greatest overall performance and improvement in student achievement. “I’m so incredibly proud of this district for not only beating the odds, but for outperforming everybody else, not only in the state, but the country,” Carvalho said.
Addressing budget cuts, Carvalho spoke about the importance of working with the School Board to maintain a strong commitment to local classrooms; preserving art, music, language, and physical education programs; and introducing a new performance pay plan for teachers.
Carvalho closed by encouraging the community to support and invest in public education. “The one element that pulls us all together is the public classroom where every kid is recognized only by how high the sky is and how far the stars are – and that is their ambition and right to fulfill their dreams. This will be ‘the greatest generation’. They’ll get to do it all – if we do right by them.”
For information about Mercantil Commercebank’s Aventura Banking Center, call 305-521-4912 or visit mercantilcb.com.
