Magnet Department News

  • Check out SM Cobra TV's exclusive interview with NBC News correspondent Mark Potter. Potter visited the SM Cobra News studios on Tuesday where he was interviewed by Shihan Fahim for the newscast. For more on Mark Potter click here for his MSNBC profile.


  • Congratulations to the Magnet Cobra Chorus on earning straight superior ratings in their district music performance assessment at Ronald Reagan Sr. High School. The Magnet Chorus now qualifies our chorus for state evaluation held in Coral Gables during late March/early April.
  • Congratulations to the Magnet Photography students who competed at the PTSA reflections competition.
    • Ian Raisbeck - grade 11 - First place/State Finalist
    • Joan Rodriguez - grade 11 - Honorable Mention
    • Janel Vegas - grade 12 - Honorable Mention
    • Lisette Ortiz - grade 11

  • Sulay Palenque is one of the five finalists for this year's Publix Design Challenge. Congratulations!

  • The following Visual Fine Arts, Visual Media Arts and Photography students have been selected for exhibition and sale of their works at the Woman's Club of Coconut Grove's 2009 Young Artists' Gallery at the Coconut Grove Arts Festival (February 14th-16th, 10:00 am-6:00 pm). Congratulations to all the students.
    • Violeta Acosta, grade 12
    • Max Borgen, grade 12
    • Sasha Bruno, grade 11
    • Alexandra Epstein, grade 10
    • Laura Garcia, grade 12 (2 pieces on display)
    • James Heredia, grade 11 (2 pieces on display)
    • Michelin Janvier, grade 12
    • Alexa Morales, grade 9
    • Lisette Ortiz, grade 11
    • Sulay Palenque, grade 12 (2 pieces on display)
    • Joanne Rodriguez, grade 11
    • Ariel Soto, grade 12
    • Gabriela Velez, grade 11

  • Each year, the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers invites students in grades 7-12 to participate in The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards of 2009, the nation's longest-running, largest, most prestigious recognition program for creative teenagers in the visual and literary arts. The following SMSH students will have works exhibited at the Miami Art Museum:
    • Visual Fine Arts
      • Jessica Arce, Grade 10 - Gold Key
      • Laura Garcia, Grade 12 - Gold Key
      • Alden Solis, Grade 10 - Silver Key
    • Photography
      • Vanessa Alvarez, Grade 11
      • Sasha Bruno, Grade 11
      • Alexandra Epstein, Grade 10 (x2)
    • Visual Arts
      • Alice Betancourt, grade 10 - Silver Key
      • Michael Delamo, grade 10 - Silver Key

  • Please join us in congratulating our talented arts students for their participation and recognition in the 58th Annual Beaux Arts Festival of 2009. This Student Showcase is a juried exhibition taking place this weekend at the Lowe Museum on the University of Miami's campus. The following students earned this honor:

    Fine Art: Jean Carlos Fernandez (12) *3rd Place in the Graphics Category
    Visual Fine Arts: Emily Binnie (12), Jennifer Hernandez (12) *Best in Show Runner Up
    Photography: Julie Arango (11), Lisette Ortiz (11), Ian Raisbeck (11), Gabriela Velez (11)

  • South Miami Visual Arts Magnet students participated in The Shapes of Space Exhibition at the 801 Art Studios. The show, featuring 340 works, is presented by Miami-Dade County Public Schools and the Division of Life Skills and Special Projects. Congratulations to the following students for their entire's in the show. ShareThis
    Max Borgen
    Sasha Bruno
    Carlos Canales-Silva
    Laura Garcia
    James Heredia
    Joanne Rodriguez (Her art is featured in the Miami Herald's 11/20/08 edition of Neighbors.)
    Alden Solis
    Rohan Walker
    Click Here for the Gallery



  • Last Thursday (10/23) Nike partnered with Miami-Dade County Public Schools on a contest challenging high school students to create art expressing their Hispanic pride. Winners included SMSH student, Laura Garcia. As the first-place winner, Laura received a special Nike award and $2,500 check presented on her behalf to the school's art program. The school's student body also will receive a Nike T-shirt with an image of Garcia's artwork. Congratulations to Laura Garcia for her award-winning entry.

  • Congratulations to the latest accomplishments of the Photography Magnet students who participated in the Photography Exhibit at the Miami-Dade County Youth Fair this year. The artwork can be viewed in the display case on the first floor of the new building, just outside the main office.
    • Valerie Aleman 1st Place
    • Julie Arango 2nd Place
    • Rick Betancourt 1st Place *Special Award
    • Sasha Bruno 3rd Place
    • Talia Capistrano 1st Place
    • Melissa Castillo 2nd Place
    • Ivette Chavarria 2nd Place
    • Tatiana Delgado 4th Place
    • Gina Denis 1st Place
    • Alberto Dominguez 3rd Place
    • Alexandra Epstein 2nd Place
    • Kevin Fletcher 2nd Place
    • Natalia Gonzalez 1st Place
    • Megan Koop 1st Place *Special Award
    • Angela Moreno 2nd Place
    • George Ortiz 2nd Place
    • Lisette Ortiz 1st Place
    • Karyn Ortiz 1st Place
    • Morgan Pelzman 1st Place
    • Ian Raisbeck 1st Place *Special Award
    • Joanne Rodriguez 1st Place
    • Leticia Romano 1st Place
    • Samantha Romero 1st Place
    • Kristoffer Senzig 1st Place
    • Gabriela Velez 1st Place
    • Tattyana Villegas 1st Place
    • Janel Vega 2nd Place
  • The following Magnet Photography students have their photographs on display in an exhibition titled A View Through the Lens at The Miami International Airport Concourse E Gallery:
    • Sasha Bruno
    • Talia Capistrano *Special Recognition
    • Ivette Chavarria
    • Gina Denis *Special Recognition
    • Alexandra Epstein
    • Angela Moreno
    • Lisette Ortiz *Special Recognition
    • Joanne Rodriguez

  • South Miami's Magnet Visual Fine Art and Visual Media Art students have recently exhibited their works in several exhibitions, and we would like to take this opportunity to announce their recent successes. If you happen to know any of the following students, please be sure to congratulate them on a job well done.

    African Art Exhibit
    Quentin Coffy (10)
    Gerardo Cruz (11)
    Kathleen Peruyera (12)
    Roger Sarria (12)

    Annual Countywide Student Art Show
    Violeta Acosta (11)
    Laura Garcia (11)
    Juan Guzman (11)
    Miguel Saludes (12)
    Adriana Sibaja (9)
    Luis Cano (12)
    Kathleen Peruyera (12)
    Roger Sarria (12)

    Annual Museum Education Program Exhibition
    Laura Garcia (11)
    Sulay Palenque (11)

    Art Abilities Purchase Award (UM Miller School of Medicine)
    Elizabeth Urra (grade 9) had one of her pieces purchased for the Mailman Center for Child Development art collection at UM.


  • Check out video clips from Magent Drama's performance of The Complete History of the United States Abridged.
  • Congratulations go out to the Magnet Photography students who entered the National PTA Reflections fine arts competition in the photography category.

  • Members of the Magnet Music Program at South Miami Senior High School have been invited to perform at Carnegie Hall on Monday, April 21st, 2008. We are currently taking sponsorship donations through Cobra Parents' Inc. to fund extra outings as this costs a lot of extra money. Anyone interested in donating should contact Jennifer Jimenez, or the booster president, Angie Fernandez. Students will be performing all Latin works with a world premier of a piece "Gloria". The entire concert will be presented in Spanish and Portugese. We are taking 17 students and 5 adults. Tickets are available through the Carnegie Hall Box Office.

  • Congratulations go out to the Magnet Photography students who entered the National PTA Reflections fine arts competition in the photography category.

  • Congratulations to the following Magnet Art students for their contributions to the 22nd Annual Impressions in Watercolor Exhibition -Lazaro Delgado (Honorable Mention), Laura Garcia (Judges Choice award), and Jubenthy Mendez (Dade Art Educator's Association's "Renay Rossi Award"). The students were juried by members of the Miami Watercolor Society. The show will run from February 4th to the 29th in the Jackie Hinchie-Sipes Gallery at Design and Architecture Senior High (4141 NE 2nd Avenue, Suite 114). Click on the link below to see the gallery.
  • Magnet Visual Art students Talia Capistrano, Sulay Palenque, Miguel Saludes, and Michelle Ziadie will be exhibiting their works in the "Beaux Arts Student Artist Showcase" in UM's Lowe Art Museum. Laura Garcia received first place in the Graphics category and will receive a cash prize of $200 the night of the showcase. The 57th Annual Beaux Arts Festival of Art will take place Saturday, January 19th and Sunday, January 20th, 2008 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the University of Miami.