Academic calendar
First Semester 2026 runs Aug 13, 2026 – Dec 17, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.
- Trimester 3
- First Semester 2026Trimester 1 2026Relevant now
- School Year 2026-2027
- Trimester 2 2027
- Second Semester 2027
- Trimester 3 2027
Campus language
Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.
Showing 24 of 24 terms
B
- B&F
- Business and Finance Academy.
- Black and Silver
- The school colors, often used to refer to school spirit days or required attire for events.
- Bolt
- The official name of the Ferguson Falcon mascot.
D
- DADA
- Design and Art Digital Academy.
F
- Falcon Pride
- The official school motto and a common phrase used during pep rallies and events.
- Falcons
- The school mascot and the collective term for the student body.
- FBLA
- Future Business Leaders of America, the core organization for the International Business and Finance Academy.
- FEA
- Florida Educators of America, a club for students interested in teaching careers.
- Ferguson
- The common shorthand name for the school used by students and the local community.
H
- HOSA
- Health Occupations Students of America, a major club for students in the Medical Academy.
- HT
- Hospitality and Tourism Academy.
I
- IB
- International Baccalaureate, a rigorous college-preparatory program.
- IT
- Information Technology Academy.
J
- JAF
- The common shorthand acronym for John A. Ferguson Senior High School.
L
- Lunch A/B/C
- The specific lunch shift assigned to a student based on their 3rd or 4th period teacher's location.
M
- M&B
- Medical and Biomedical Sciences Academy.
- MAO
- Mu Alpha Theta, the school's competitive mathematics honor society.
- MASH
- Medical Academy for Science and Health, the school's specialized medical program.
N
- NHS
- National Honor Society, the organization for high-achieving students focused on service.
S
- SGA
- Student Government Association, the primary body for organizing school-wide events and pep rallies.
T
- The Caf
- The main cafeteria where students gather for breakfast and lunch.
- The Nest
- A nickname for the school campus, frequently used in social media and spirit slogans like 'Protect the Nest'.
- The Nest
- The school's spirit store which also sells snacks and drinks.
- The Patio
- The outdoor courtyard area where students are permitted to eat lunch.
Places and practicalities
Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.
- 10/10 Rule
- The campus-wide policy where students are not allowed to leave the classroom during the first or last 10 minutes of a period.
- 1000 Building
- The primary building housing the main office, administration, and core classrooms.
- 2000 Building
- The secondary classroom wing located in the middle of the campus layout.
- 3000 Building
- The building housing the gymnasium, locker rooms, and additional elective classrooms.
- A Day / B Day
- The block schedule system where students attend periods 1, 3, 5 (A Day) or 2, 4, 6 (B Day).
- A/B Days
- The block scheduling system where students attend periods 1, 3, 5, and 7 on 'A' days and 2, 4, 6, and 8 on 'B' days.
- B&F
- The Business and Finance academy wing.
- Community Service
- The mandatory hours (usually 75-100) required for graduation and Florida Bright Futures eligibility.
- Community Service Hours
- The 75 hours of volunteer work required for students to graduate with a standard diploma.
- Early Release
- Designated days when the school day ends earlier than the standard 2:20 PM dismissal time.
- ID Badge
- The mandatory identification card that all students must wear on a lanyard for security purposes.
- ID Lanyard
- The mandatory identification badge that students must wear at all times while on campus.
- IT Academy
- The specific wing or area of the building housing Information Technology classrooms.
- Magnet
- Refers to the specialized academy programs that define the school's curriculum structure.
- Parent Portal
- The online system (Dadeschools portal) used by students to check grades and attendance.
- school_cafeteria
- School Cafeteria
- Schoology
- The primary learning management system used by teachers to distribute assignments and digital resources.
- The 100s
- The first floor of the main building, housing administration and various classrooms.
- The 200s
- The second floor of the main building.
- The 300s
- The third floor of the main building.
- The Auditorium
- The venue for academy inductions, drama performances, and guest speakers.
- The Bridge
- The elevated walkway connecting the main school buildings to the gym and athletic areas.
- The Courtyard
- The central outdoor area where students gather during lunch and between classes.
- The Gym
- The athletic facility used for physical education and school-wide pep rallies.
- The Main Building
- The primary two-story facility housing the majority of classrooms and administrative offices.
- The Media Center
- The school library and primary location for research and testing.
- The Nest
- The school gymnasium and athletic facilities, used for indoor sports and pep rallies.
- The Portables
- The temporary classroom units located outside the main building structure.
- The Portal
- The MDCPS (Miami-Dade County Public Schools) online system where students access grades, attendance, and schedules.
Quick answers
Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.
- What academic term is relevant now?
- First Semester 2026 runs Aug 13, 2026 – Dec 17, 2026.
- How much campus context is included?
- 24 approved campus terms and 29 local details are included in full.
- Are all approved campus terms included?
- Yes. The complete approved glossary is available in the scrollable, searchable campus-language section.
- Where does this guide come from?
- Calendar dates, campus terms, and local details come from DormWay's approved campus reference library.