Charter Schools open their hearts to displaced students from Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands

An estimated 7,000 students from the Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are now attending schools in Florida, state Education Commissioner Pam Stewart told the Senate Budget Committee recently. Many charter schools have opened their doors and hearts to these students, including Mater Brighton Lakes in Osceola and Somerset Academy in Pembroke Pines.

To help students with the transition, Somerset Academy assigns a classmate buddy to every new student.

“Members of the Spanish Honor Society are assigned to a student from Puerto Rico,” explains Bernardo Montero, Principal, Somerset Academy in Pembroke Pines (pictured left with his son, Anthony, during a “Panthers for Puerto Rico” fundraiser held on his campus). “This is particularly helpful for students with limited English proficiency. We are also providing one-on-one counseling and assistance with uniforms and school supplies.”

 

At Mater Brighton Lakes in Osceola County, the middle school’s Leadership class has paired up with new students and have started a tutoring/buddy system, explains Mrs. Cangemi (pictured above with some of her new students).

The school’s goal is to help the students feel welcomed and know they are not alone.

Organizations that work with charter schools have also stepped up to help.

In conjunction with Governor Rick Scott, State Representatives Manny Diaz Jr (Hialeah), Bob Cortes (Altamonte Springs), and Eddie Charbonier (Puerto Rico), The A.C.E Foundation and its partner charter schools in Florida raised more than $8,000 for relief efforts in Puerto Rico.  The A.C.E. Foundation — which stands for Achieving through Choice in Education — provided support to  Unidos Por Puerto Rico, the foundation established by the First Lady of Puerto Rico. Unidos Por Puerto Rico is an initiative brought forth by the First Lady of Puerto Rico, Beatriz Rosselló, in collaboration with the private sector, with the purpose of providing aid and support to those affected in Puerto Rico by the passage of Hurricane Irma and Hurricane María. 100% of the proceeds will go to helping the victims affected by these natural disasters in Puerto Rico.  The A.C.E. Foundation is a Florida not-for-profit organization established to promote high quality public education by supporting charter school initiatives in order to expand their capacity in serving the local community. The foundation supports charter schools whose focus is to increase educational opportunities for all children, despite social or economic barriers, in order to ultimately close the achievement gap. In addition to raising funds to support those affected by Hurricane Maria and Hurricane Irma, A.C.E. has assisted displaced families in finding high quality schools for their children in Florida.

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