How does your family celebrate the holidays?

• "Christmas is my favorite holiday. We have a family gathering on Christmas Eve. We have a typical Puerto-Rican Christmas Dinner and just talk about everything.

• We also celebrate Three Kings’ Day, also known as Epiphany or Dia de los Reyes Magos, which is a celebration of the three kings who brought gifts to Jesus when he was born. It is a long held Latin American tradition. According to Latin culture, January 6th saw three different men visiting Jesus – Melchor (representing Europe), Gaspar (representing Arabia) and Balthazar (representing Africa). They brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh respectively.  On the eve of Three Kings Day (known as Vispera de Reyes), January 5, children leave out candy and small gifts for the kings, and a box of straw for their camels. In exchange, the children are given gifts by the Three Kings the next day January 6." 

What is your favorite thing about the Holidays?

• "My favorite thing about the holidays is being able to share with my family and the food." 

Name your favorite holiday dessert/meal?

• "My favorite holiday meal would have to be pernil (slow roasted pork) and dessert would be tembleque (coconut custard)"

What is one of your holiday traditions?

• "On Christmas Eve we gather and we exchange one gift (secret Santa)."

Why is the holiday season special to you? 

• "I believe that the holiday season is a time for family and friends. It's the time to create memories and will last forever.  "

How does your family celebrate the holidays?

• "My family gets together and we have a big  meal as a family. We all come from out of town. We eat and exchange gifts, and of course the eggnog."

What is your favorite thing about the Holidays?

• "My favorite thing is being with my family and being able to give them the gifts they like or want!"

Name your favorite holiday dessert/meal?

• "Dessert- Red velvet cake"

• "Turkey w. Gravy (family recipe) dirty rice and Hawaiian rolls (all the goods)"

What is one of your holiday traditions?

• "On Christmas Eve each child opens one early gift. "

Why is the holiday season special to you? 

• "Jesus was born on Christmas!"

How does your family celebrate the holidays?

• "My family celebrates the Winter Solstice, the shortest day and longest night of the year, as our main winter holiday. It is usually celebrated sometime between December 20th and the 23rd, but this year it will be on December 21st. We celebrate this because it represents the return of sunshine and daylight to our hemisphere. We also celebrate New Year's Eve and New Year's Day according to the Gregorian calendar system."

What is your favorite thing about the Holidays?

• "My favorite aspect about the winter holidays is collecting together with friends and family. "

What is one of your holiday traditions?

• "One holiday tradition is that we burn our solstice tree the night of Winter Solstice. We then save a burnt portion of the tree for one whole year and then we burn that with the next year's tree, repeating the process year after year."

Why is the holiday season special to you? 

• "The winter holiday season is special to me because to me it is all about new beginnings. With the coming sun, and with the new coming year, so too comes the opportunity to embrace the changes and challenges that life and time imposes upon us."

• Deadlines:

• FAFSA is still open! The deadline for the 2021-2022 school year is June 30th, 2021. If you plan to attend college, check with your individual college choices to see when their deadlines are for both their applications and the FAFSA. 

• The December SAT Test Date is December 5th. 

• To register for the SAT/ACT, please email your guidance counselor for more information. Some colleges and universities have gone test-optional!

• For more information on when college applications are due for specific colleges, visit:https://www.collegesimply.com/guides/application-deadlines/florida/

•  If you’d like to email a teacher or administrator, please visit the ‘Staff’ section of the DHS’s website.

• Seniors, make sure to check out the DHS Senior Class of 2021 Google Classroom for frequent updates about scholarships, volunteer opportunities, and reminders.

Upcoming Testing:

• December 1st & 2nd: Algebra 1 EOC Retakes & Geometry EOC for students in Cohort A and Traditional students with the last names A-La

• December 3rd & 4th: Algebra 1 EOC Retakes & Geometry EOC for students in Cohort A and Traditional students with the last names Le-Z

• December 7th: Biology & U.S. History EOC for any student who signed up using Google Form: https://forms.gle/kvekqx3FosC7nU2Q8

• December 8th & 9th: Algebra 1 EOC Retakes for Virtual students

• December 10th-16th: Make-ups for any of the above tests.

**It is a requirement to pass the Algebra 1 EOC with a 3 or higher to graduate. Only students who have completed an EOC course can take an EOC.**

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the DHS Testing Coordinator, Erica Hudson, at 863-268-7799 or at Erica.hudson@discoveryfl.org.

• Grades:

• Interims Reports are to be distributed via Student Portal on Wednesday, December 2nd. 

• Quarter 1 ends on January 15th.

Weightlifting, or comprehensive fitness, is a relatively small class with only 5 students this year. Students within this class are typically athletes at DHS but it is by no means a requirement. The main focuses within this class include: agility, coordination, reaction time, proper lifting technique, and explosive movements. Each day in the class they do something different. Mondays are dedicated to research and planning workouts that work best for the student. The remaining two days are split between the weight room or in the gym/outside. Comprehensive fitness is a great class for students who are athletes at DHS or are looking to get in better shape with proper technique. Any questions should be directed towards Coach Thompson.

They are putting forth effort to make their school proud. We asked a few questions to a certain player, Seth Mathews. Seth answered a series of questions about being on the court this season. We asked him who he was most excited to play this year, he responded with Auburndale High School. We also asked him who supported him the most while he plays, Seth responded with his mom. They all are very confident in the team they are becoming. The boys are advancing their skills and are super excited to play this season. No matter the outcome of the season, they will continue to train and stay a family. It’s not just about playing the sport, it is about becoming strong individuals as well as becoming a closer group of kids. We are rooting for the Spartans and hope to see them become successful