As the 2011-2012 school year comes to a close, the PTSA wants to wish all of the graduating seniors much success and best wishes as they begin a new chapter in their lives. To new and returning NWSA parents we want to invite you to our last meeting of the year to be held on Wednesday, May 16, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. in room 5705, 7-th floor of the main NWSA building.

In addition to regular business, we will be holding elections for next year’s board positions.

The PTSA congratulates Javier Aranzales, NWSA senior in the dance strand, on receiving the Gates Millennium Scholar Award. This award, funded by Bill and Melinda Gates, will provide a full scholarship for his undergraduate, graduate and doctoral studies.

Mr. Aranzales will be attending Harvard University to major in Neurobiology, and hopes to become a medical doctor. We wish him the best of luck with his studies and is dance.

On May 2, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced the 48th class of Presidential Scholars. NWSA students Jessica Suhr, Visual Arts, and Kelley Kessell, Voice, are among those receiving top honors. NWSA student Antonio Madruga, Music, was honored as a finalist in the competition.

This places NWSA on a short list of only three other schools in the country — San Franciso’s School of the Arts, NYC’s Laguardia HS, and South Carolina’s Governor’s School for Arts & Humanities — which also had 2 scholars selected.

We parents, administrators, and Florida legislators should take this validation of NWSA to heart, and continue our encouragement to the teachers and students for the exceptional high school that they create each and every day.

It’s been another year of blood, sweat and tears at NWSA: of Promethean toil, sleepless nights, juggling schedules amidst worry, exasperation and despair. And that’s just the parents!

Now come and see what the kids have done!

(The following three entries detail the must see senior events.)

Balanchine’s 1934 Serenade and works performed by the high school, choreographed by NWSA faculty, will be preformed at the New World Dance Theater (25 NE 2nd St, 8th floor) on May 17, 18, and 19 at 7:30PM and May 20 at 2:00 PM.

For information call 305-237-3341 or get tickets online.

Juniors and Seniors will close the performance season with a performance of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town at the Luise O. Gerrits Theater (25 NE 2nd St, 8th floor) on May 17, 18 and 19 at 7:30PM and May 20 at 2:00PM.

For information call 305-237-3541 or get tickets online.

According to the Miami-Herald:

The Silver Knight Awards program was instituted at The Miami Herald in 1959 by John S. Knight, past publisher of The Miami Herald, founder and editor emeritus of Knight-Ridder Newspapers and 1968 Pulitzer Prize winner.

Nominations are made based on exemplary scholarship and for an outstanding personal and creative contribution to civic society. NWSA is pleased to nominate, in the indicated Silver Knight category:

• Javier Aranzales, General Scholarship. Harvard University
• Frances Collins, Music and Dance. Rice University Shepherd School of Music
• Naomi Davis, Business. Southern Methodist University , Meadows School of the Arts
• May Erlinger, World Language. University of New South Wales
• Crystal Ferreiro, English and Literature. Syracuse University
• Maite Francois, Social Science. University of Southern California
• Dylan Guerra, Drama. Southern Methodist University, Meadows School of the Arts
• David Leon, Science. University of Miami Frost School of Music
• Taylor Guy Manning, Math. University of Miami Frost School of Music
• Krystal Ortiz, New Media. Emerson College
• Megan Perritt, Art. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Stephanie Rasch-Chaves, Journalism. Stetson University

(This article was written with the help of News from New World School of the Arts subscribe)

Said to be one of the most comprehensive and renowned college access and youth leadership development programs in the United States, the Posse Foundation has been recognized by President Obama in his interview with the Chronicle of Higher Education. The innovative program supports students through posses of youth helping each other, and a $160,000 scholarship.

• Kandyse Samuel, voice, will attend the University of Pennsylvania for pre-med and foreign languages
• Alexis Hooliday, voice, will attend Mount Holyoke College for a major in Health Science and voice.
• Emily Rivera, dance, will attend Hamilton College for a degree in English, with dreams of studying law.

The New World family wishes them the best, with confidence in their bright futures.

(This article was written with the help of News from New World School of the Arts subscribe)

The National Scholastic awards have been announced. This gives national recognition to Gold Key works selected from all regional competitions. The NWSA students recognized by the 2012 National Scholastics are:

• Yann Herry, Portfolio Silver
• Tatianna Reina, Gold Drawing
• Mika Rosenberg, Gold Drawing
• Daniel Santa, Portfolio Silver with distinction
• Erika Suhr, Portfolio Silver
• Jessica Suhr, Portfolio Silver
• Angelica Yudasto, Portfolio Silver

(Originally posted April 14, 2012.)