MAST - Three Weeks at Sea

Despite a very active few weeks in the Atlantic, we have managed to keep our voyage out at sea and sailing along nicely.  We have had a very busy few weeks.  We received word that Mr. Tohulka has been chosen to be the first "Teacher Under the Sea" with the Aquarius Project.  He will have the opportunity to spent eight days living alongside scientists in an underwater habitat.  Mr. Tohulka will have the opportunity to link back with students at MAST through blogs, email, and live streaming video.  

The MAST Makos started off the year strong with both swimming teams and the girls' volleyball teams recording wins during the opening week of the season.  The boys' and girls' swimming teams teams defeated Sunset at the Shark Tank.  The Lady Makos lost a tough opening match to Ransom but came back to avenge the loss by defeating West Hialeah High.

On a more somber note, Mr. Stephens was reassigned and left our MAST family late last week.  We will all miss him very much but we wish him the best on his new shores.  

As a reminder, Back to School Night is quickly approaching.  Our ship will come to port for parents and families to visit on Tuesday, September 23.  Please be on the look out for more information and details in the coming week.  We hope to see all families there!

Out to Sea - The 2008-2009 School Year Begins!

After being delayed by Tropical Storm Fay, our 2008-2009 voyage got underway this past Wednesday.  Our first three days went very smoothly.  It was absolutely great having the ship full of students embarking on the next leg of their learning journey at MAST Academy.  There was much that we did this first week and students were very busy collecting new books and materials for this year's classes.  The MAST crew eased us out into the broad ocean of knowledge quickly and effectively began students' learning experiences right from the start.  Congratulations to all!  All ahead full!

TS Fay - Delayed in Port!

Tropical Storm Fay caused a delay in our setting sail for the 2008-2009 voyage.  It was a blustery event for MAST Academy but we have gotten through without any major damage.  Our ship has weathered the storm and passed inspection!  We are awaiting the go ahead to sail into a new dawn.  As we make plans to open school, please pay careful attention to local news sources and make sure that safety comes first as we begin to return to our normal routines.  I hope to see you all aboard tomorrow.  We sail forth on Wednesday, August 20, 2008 at 8 AM SHARP!

All Ahead Full!

What an amazing summer we have had at MAST. The Summer Anchor program was terrific and the Class of 2012 is ready to start their new year with energy and excitement. It is hard for me to believe that we ahve just about finished another summer. Time flies by!

Tomorrow the Class of 2009 begins their activities. They will get their crown and their parking stops ready to represent their time as seniors at MAST. The new leadership team has been in touch and is getting things rolling. GO MAKOS!! Seniors, what will you make your time out to be?

The latest Jib Sheet has been mailed out to teachers and parents. It is a great piece that highlights new direction and focus for the coming year. This voyage is full of promise and I feel much anticipation for what the future holds. I believe we can make our ship tighter and faster yet!

I hope that you have each had a restful summer and are ready to begin the next leg of your trek at MAST. I cannot wait to see our staff and teachers beginning with the two opt days on Tuesday, August 12th and then for our opening day on Monday, August 18th. Enjoy the waning days of vacation and prepare to sail on!

Summer Anchor Program Teacher Work Day

Today we had a great day of planning and getting ready to begin the MAST Summer Anchor Program. The whole staff participated and created their own individual weblog through Blogger.com. We each also created a Bloglines account to "catch" the students' postings. Tomorrow one of the first activities we will do is work with each of the students as they follow the same process to create blogs for themselves. The purpose of the student blogs is to collect artifacts of and record reflections on their learning throughout the summer. It is the first step in the development of our MAST ePortfolio, wherein students collect samples of and document their growth and learning over the course of their career at MAST.

USCGC Bertholf Tour

     This past Friday, MAST faculty, staff, parents and students had the opportunity to tour the Coast Guard's newest cutter and first in the new Legend class, the USCGC Bertholf.  The 418 foot cutter was absolutely amazing.  DC3 Russell lead us on a tour that included the flight deck and hangars, crew accommodations, damage control areas, and the bridge.  We even got the chance to meet with the ship's captain, Captain Stadt.  The vessel was truly magnificent.  he view from the bridge and to see the technology involved in running such a ship was impressive.  It was an extraordinary experience for MAST Academy.  In addition, three USCG JROTC cadets and Chief Lasseter had he opportunity to be aboard as the ship left the Port of Miami on Saturday.  I cannot wait to hear about their experience of actually getting underway on the USCGC Bertholf!  (Click on he post title to see the USCGC Bertholf's homepage)

MAST Anchor Program - Summer 2008 Parent Meeting

On Tuesday, June 17, we held a parent meeting to discuss the MAST Anchor Program - the ninth grade summer school course mandatory for incoming MAST ninth graders. We had an amazing turn out of about 200 parent and students. We discussed many details of the summer program including the class structure and activities, water safety, technology, academic performance, transportation, and the expectations and responsibilities of students at MAST Academy.

The summer school curriculum is broken down into four areas in which students will be working cooperatively throughout the school day. The areas include:

• Science Research - Development of Science Fair topics, problem statements, hypotheses, materials and procedures, and research descriptions and plans.


• Engineering and Design - Hull design, Google Sketchup for design plans, boat building (and subsequent racing), and multimedia presentations.


• Critical Thinking - Personality profiles, learning stylers inventories, career research, tools of persuasion, and time management/study skills.


• Mathematics - reinforcement of Algebraic skills, technology infusion with graphing calculators, Logger Pro, and Geometer's Sketchpad

This year we will also begin the process of electronic portfolio development by students with the creation of individual student weblogs on the first day of the program. Studnets will use thier blogs to record reflections on their learning, post questions, and track the personally meaningful learning activities experienced throughout their careers at MAST. Students will be swim tested and begin hands on activites in our unique marine environment beginning immediately. Seine netting form marine organism studies is slated to be one of our first experiments.

This summer promises to be extremely exciting for both students and teachers. If the parent meeting is a foreshadowing of the work to come, this will be one of the best we've ever had. I am looking forward to getting underway! Our voyage is looks promising - tight lines and fair winds!