The groundbreaking ceremony for Eagle Nest III — which will be the third home to be built from the ground up by the Atlantic Community High School Construction Academy — is Thursday, Dec. 11 at 8:30 a.m. at 108-110 NW 12th Ave. The JROTC Color Guard and the brass choir will provide entertainment.

Community Yoga Day at Sun Life Stadium on Dec. 14 from 1 pm to 5pm features master yoga teachers and a special guest appearance by Ricky Williams. Tickets are $30 to $75 and include a ticket for the Dec. 21 Dolphins game. This event is family friendly, and all levels of yogis are welcome. Click here for more information and to order tickets online.

Community Yoga Day supports two local nonprofit organizations:
 
Move Through Yoga aims to graduate mind-body fit students by providing them with an opportunity during their school day to lessen stress and heighten acuity. Students who Move Through Yoga, move through life. Ultimately students who have taken the full-year elective continue to prioritize and advocate for their own mind-body- on and off the mat, in and out of school.
 
Connected Warriors provides free yoga to veterans, servicemen and women, and their families. 

The Atlantic Community High School drama club presents An Evening of Science Fiction by Ray Bradbury, featuring productions of Bradbury's short stories The Veldt, Kaleidoscope and To the Chicago Abyss.

Performances at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, Dec. 3-5. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults.

We hope you all will join us on Wednesday, Dec. 3 at 6 pm in the media center for a PTSA general meeting. On the agenda:

• City of Delray Beach Education Coordinator Janet Meeks will give us an overview of her position with the city, the Delray Beach Education Board, and the city's education initiatives. 
• We'll discuss and plan our springtime community event to raise money for college application fees for Atlantic Community High School students.

Young Artists and Authors Showcase
The annual Young Artists and Authors Showcase (YAAS) encourages youth from around the globe to express the mission of Sister Cities International through original artwork and literature. This year, in addition to artwork, essays, and poems, students CAN ALSO SUBMIT A SHORT 1-10 MINUTE VIDEO for Cinequest's inaugural Sister Cities Film Challenge.

The 2015 theme is "Connecting Communities for Peace and Prosperity." Artists, authors, and filmmakers from around the world are encouraged to use their imagination. What is your vision of peace? How does connecting globally allow you and your community to prosper?

A panel of judges selects the winners based on originality, composition, and theme interpretation. Grand prize winners will receive $1,000.

The deadline for all artwork, film, and literature is May 1, 2015. Visit the YAAS website for more information and to view last year's winning entries.
 
High School Home Stay Exchange
The High School Home Stay (HSHS) exchange program is an opportunity for member cities to host students from their sister city for a year or semester of high school in the U.S. 

The international cities choose the high school students, who must be between the ages of 15 and 18 1/2 on the first day of school. Once the international student arrives, the U.S. sister city will provide oversight for the student, organize a host family, and include the student in sister city activities.

Deadline for applications is May 1, 2015. Visit the HSHS website for more information.  

Contact Mrs. Salzman in room 5-211 for more information about Sister Cities International.

Neuroscience Discovery Day on Saturday, Dec. 13 is an all-day celebration commemorating the December 2012 grand opening of the Max Planck Institute for Neuroscience. 

Students of all ages and adults are invited to explore interactive neuroscience activities such as Measure your Muscles, Do-it-yourself DNA, and Rewire your Brain. The celebration is free of charge and open to the public.

Participate in experiments and demonstrations with neuroscientists and get a behind-the-scences look at where discoveries are born.

Email [email protected] for information on volunteering at Neuroscience Discovery Day 2014.

The Pathfinder High School Scholarship Awards are presented each year to high school seniors in Palm Beach and Martin counties who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in 18 academic, vocational and athletic categories — to recognize excellence and to encourage these students to one day bring their considerable talents to the communities where each received a start on the path to a good education and a rewarding career.

Pathfinders is sponsored by Cox Media Group Palm Beach, publisher of The Palm Beach Post and Palm Beach Daily News. 

Nominees will meet with judges for personal interviews and/or performances on March 11, 2015, at Palm Beach Atlantic University. College scholarships of $4,000 for the first-place winner, $3,000 for the second-place winner, $2,500 for the third-place winner and $2,000 to the fourth-place winner in each category will be presented at a ceremony on May 13, 2015, at the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach. 

Top winners in each category will also receive the special “astrolabe” trophy, a symbol for the path each student may follow in the world and the leadership and direction each may provide for others in the future.

Congratulations to our 2014-2015 nominees! Please wish them luck as they continue in the competition.

In conjunction with the Star-Spangled Heroes exhibit honoring veterans, the West Palm Beach Library is hosting an essay contest for Palm Beach County students in grades 10 through 12. 

Winners will be awarded $800 for first place, $600 for second place and $400 for third place. Teachers of winning students will receive $250 gift cards for classroom purchases.

Students interested in entering should see Ms. Boileau or speak with your English teacher. Click here for more information about the exhibit and the contest.

The fifth annual Alcohol Prevention Poster Contest sponsored by the Palm Beach County Substance Awareness Coalition is open to students in grades K-12. 

Submit an alcohol prevention poster with a clear message promoting an alcohol‐free lifestyle for young people for a chance to win a $500 scholarship and other prizes. Winning entries will be posted on the inside of Palm Beach County school buses. The entry deadline is Friday, Dec. 5, 2014. Visit PBCBusPoster.org for more information.

The School District of Palm Beach County and the Exceptional Student Education (ESE) Advisory Council are hosting a family forum on Thursday, Nov. 13, from 5 pm to 8 pm at Santaluces Community High School. The program includes a resource fair and sessions on ESE/504 topics. Contact Marilyn Segura-Orozco at 561-434-8740 or [email protected] to register.