The School Board of Broward County recently approved seed money for the development of a "Flying L" Sports Complex encompassing the current Fort Lauderdale High School football field and track. Rio Vista resident and Flying L parent, John Wilkes, is chairing a committee comprised of the school's parents, teachers, students, and alumni; representatives of the cities of Fort Lauderdale and Wilton Manors; and representatives of the surrounding neighborhoods to coordinate the design, funding and operation of a facility that will benefit both Fort Lauderdale High School and the community. The complex will include stadium seating for up to 2000, lights, concession stands, restrooms and a new scoreboard.

   The sports complex will complement a $24 million capital improvement project currently underway to renovate the forty-year-old Fort Lauderdale High School.

   A specialized college-preparatory program with a track record of success has been added to the selection of programs offered at Sunrise Middle and Fort Lauderdale High Schools. Fifty eighth grade and fifty ninth grade students are enrolled in Achievement Via Individual Determination (AVID), a twenty-year-old program designed especially for the college preparatory needs of students in the mid-range of academic ability. Sunrise Middle School and Fort Lauderdale High School are two of only a handful in South Florida that offers the program.

   AVID students are provided with a support system that expects and rewards "individual determination" in the form of hard work, perseverance and academic achievement. AVID classes, led by specially trained teachers and tutors, provide students with the academic content, study skills and motivational support needed to help prepare them for entrance into four-year colleges and universities. Research has shown that AVID students are much more likely to enter and graduate from college than non-AVID students of a similar academic ability.

   AVID is not a remedial program. Students must perform at the mid-range of standardized testing and commit to a rigorous program of academics, including honors and Advanced Placement courses in high school, a defined study schedule and other skill-building activities. AVID students take the course as an elective in addition to their academic classes. Parent commitment and involvement is a critical part of the program.

   The AVID programs at Sunrise Middle School and Fort Lauderdale High School are expected to expand in the future. For more information or if you are interested in becoming an AVID tutor, please contact Ms. Daphne Brown, Sunrise Middle School, at (954) 765-6785 or Mr. Jim Jones, Fort Lauderdale High School, at (954) 765-6924.

   Sixty-nine seventh grade students at Sunrise Middle School have qualified to take the College Board Scholastic Aptitude Test (S.A.T.) on January 25, 2003. The students scored at or above the 96th percentile on standardized tests at the end of the sixth grade. The Duke University Talent Identification Program (TIP) offers academically gifted students this opportunity to take the S.A.T. Those who score at a certain level on the test are then invited to participate in special academic programs at Duke and other universities and colleges during the summer.

   Mrs. Pat Houchens, who teaches Social Studies to Sunrise Middle School gifted students and is coach of the school's Academic Games Team, will prepare the students planning to take the S.A.T. in January for the testing experience.