Friday, May 8, 2026

Titan Nation,

 

The 2025-2026 school year is rapidly coming to our end, but our scholars are not resting in their laurels. For the past few days, our True North Titans have participated in a series of professional development events, received accolades, and fundraised for our school all while continuing to succeed in an extremely challenging environment. 

 

Below is your Weekly Scroll edition: 

Inaugural Summit on Classical Education 

This past weekend, the Florida Institute for Classical Learning (FICL) held its inaugural Summit on Classical Education, a historic event for the organization and the state of Florida.  The institute was founded by Mr. Michael Bileca and True North was honored to help organize the event.

 

Over the course of two days, nearly 400 attendees from across our state and nation gathered at Florida International University (FIU) to learn from the best classical thought leaders in our nation. The summit's size officially cements the event as the largest conference of its kind in the Eastern United States and the second largest in the nation. 

 

Leading up to the event, True North National Honor Society scholars prepared 300 attendee swag bags and individually wrapped snacks for guests. During the summit, they helped keep the event running smoothly by guiding attendees across the FIU campus, helping maintain the schedule and preparing rooms for breakout sessions.

 

The summit opened with a performance by the True North Chorus, including their rendition of Dona Nobis Pacem arranged by Emily Lund. Their performance was a highlight of the event, with many attendees reminiscing the performance well into Saturday's program. 

 

We are also proud to share that our very own Mr. Patricio Mendez led a breakout session alongside Dr. Junius Johnson on the role of technology in classical education. Mr. Mendez' breakout session was so popular that the back of the room was filled with attendees standing refusing to leave a packed room to learn from his expertise. 

 

One of the most remarkable moments of the summit was witnessing our scholars attend breakout sessions between tasks. This organic event shows their love for the greater things in life and is a vivid example of what distinguishes a True North Titan from other students. 

Arete Program: Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen

The Honorable Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a former member of Congress, a former member of the Florida House of Representatives and Senate, and the author of some of our nation’s and state’s most prominent legislation, hosted an Arete Panel at our True North Classical Academy Sunset Campus. 

 

During the event she outlined 6 characteristics that she believes are crucial for success:

She concluded her panel with a Q&A session, where students and faculty members candidly asked questions on various topics, such as her favorite book, The Great Gatsby, and provided guidance on entering the world of public service. They also had an opportunity to thank her for the impact she had on their lives during her time in Congress. 

True North Gala

The 2026 True North Gala took place on April 25 and the evening was perfect! 

 

Every bid placed, every toast raised, and every moment shared on that dance floor was a reflection of the extraordinary community that surrounds our school. Together, we fundraised for our school. Every dollar received will provide invaluable support to our school's mission to cultivate scholars who embody the classical ideal of excellence in mind, body, and soul.

 

The evening's photographs are now available to view and download.  

 

 

Evi Golburgh & I Travel Poetry Magazine

One of the most important literary magazines in Greece, I Travel Poetry, which is also considered among the most recognized poetry magazines in Europe, has accepted one of Evi Golburgh's, 10th grade scholar, poems for publication. The journal's editor is among the most well-known and established poets of modern Greek poetry, making this recognition even more meaningful and prestigious.

In the near future, Evi will also be invited to attend the official presentation of the anthology.
 

Congratulations, Evi! What an incredible accomplishment. 

Historian of the Year Award

Over the weekend Mr. Michael Santana, one of our upper school history teachers, received the ‘Historian of the Year’ award by the Civil Air Patrol’s Florida Wing at their annual conference. This is the second consecutive year that Mr. Santana is awarded this honor. 

 

Michael Santana currently serves as the Deputy Commander of the Tamiami Composite Squadron, which serves Miami-Dade with cadet programs, aerospace education resources, and emergency services training for adults and teenagers. He was also recently appointed as the Civil Air Patrol wing's historical officer.