Sagemont, a Broward County Private School, Celebrates its 15th Anniversary

WESTON, FL, August 25, 2011 (Press-News.org) In 1996, The Sagemont School in Weston opened serving 23 preschool through 5th grade students. When the building was not ready on time, classes were held in meeting rooms at the Bonaventure Hotel, currently known as The Hyatt. The students studied there for two months until they were able to officially move into the building. Flash forward to 2011. Now, the school has 800 students on two beautiful campuses and is a well-established, accredited college preparatory school.

Richard and Renee Goldman, their son Brent, and a group of investors founded the Sagemont School. Their goal was to create a quality private school in Weston. "When we opened in 1996, there were only 3 public schools and they were all overcrowded, says Dr. Brent Goldman, President, The Sagemont School. "Weston seemed like a growing, family community so we thought it might be an ideal place for a private school. We wanted to provide parents with a choice."

The Lower School campus was designed for children in preschool through 5th grade. Soon there was a demand for a middle and high school. In 2000, Sagemont opened its Upper School campus just five miles away from the elementary school. The Goldman's vision has not changed since they first opened their doors. The goal was to create a college prep school with a focus on strong academics, extra curricular activities and community service. Sagemont graduates have gone on to attend such prestigious colleges such as Princeton, University of Pennsylvania, New York University, Cornell, Georgetown and the U.S. Air Force Academy.

The Lower School campus, located near Weston Town Center, still serves students in preschool to fifth grade. The school challenges its students with a rigorous curriculum and offers many extracurricular activities including band, chorus, sports, drama, National Elementary Honor Society, Junior Achievement, Odyssey of the Mind, and much more. In addition, the students participate in a wide variety of community service activities.

The Upper School campus, located on Glades Circle, is a beautiful 2-story building with an NBA style gymnasium. Sagemont has created relationships with different Weston facilities to enhance its golf, track and field, swimming and soccer programs. The school offers more than 19 varsity, junior varsity and middle school sports teams as well as an intramural sports program.

Not only has Sagemont made a name for itself academically, the Lions have been very successful in sports and the arts, as well. This past year, the Lions won two state championships. The boy's basketball team and boy's tennis team took home the class 2A trophy. The Lady Lions basketball team, made up of mostly freshman, also made it to the state championship.

The high school thespian team was invited to present its production of Dracula at the 2011 Florida State Thespian Festival. They earned many Superior ratings and Christopher Merlino was awarded one of ten thespian scholarships presented at the festival. The drama department won five Cappie awards, including Best Lead Actor to Dean Malahias and Best Play for Dracula.

Both campuses utilize technology to enhance the educational experience. Dr. Goldman states, "Our philosophy has always been to integrate technology into the curriculum in meaningful ways. We want to make sure our infrastructure can meet the needs of the different technologies." Lower School students are enjoying the use of Mimio boards for interactive learning, as well as a mobile laptop laboratory. The newly introduced fifth grade laptop program ensures that the students are prepared for the transition to middle and high school.

Once the students enroll in middle and high school, they become part of a wireless laptop community so that they will be prepared for the real world. Aerospace engineer, Santiago Lattanzio was a Sagemont graduate in 2007. He says, "The Sagemont School brings two very important aspects of today's world into the classroom: knowledge and technology. I was always intrigued by how every student was encouraged to bring a laptop to school, and how most of the assignments and class materials were often reviewed and studied via computer. This integration of technology and studying not only prepared me for what might come, but it spiked my interest in technology."

Although Sagemont has only been around for 15 years, it has clearly established itself as a top college prep school in south Florida.

The Sagemont School offers a college prep curriculum and operates two campuses in Weston, Fl. In Pre-K through Grade 5, The Sagemont School provides core concepts in a creative environment combined with weekly specials that include science, art, music, Spanish for non-native & native speakers, swimming, PE and media and technology. From middle school through high school graduation, Sagemont students choose from a variety of regular, honors and AP course work. In addition, students share in a networked wireless laptop environment and participate in a comprehensive guidance program for college entrance. Visit The Sagemont School website at http://www.sagemont.com/.

For more information on The Sagemont School contact Dr. Brent Goldman, President at (954) 389-2454 ext, 305, or email to bgoldman@sagemont.com.