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2026 CHARACTER COUNTS! 6K/3K Run/Walk

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Join the CHARACTER COUNTS! Steering Committee for its 13th Annual CHARACTER COUNTS! 6K/3K Run/Walk on Saturday, February 7, 2026, at 9 a.m. The run/walk will begin and end at Palencia Elementary School, located at 355 Palencia Village Drive, St. Augustine.

Walkers and runners will enjoy a course running through the neighborhoods of Kensington and Las Calinas and can choose to participate in the 6K (3.73 miles) or 3K (1.86 miles) distance.

Registration fees are as follows:

6K Walk/Run
$30 before January 1
$35 January 1 – 31
$40 on race day

3K Walk/Run
$30 before January 1
$35 January 1 – 31
$40 on race day

Register by December 31, 2025, to receive a race t-shirt and other give-aways from sponsoring businesses and community organizations!

Registration forms and more information are available online.

Race proceeds support CHARACTER COUNTS! initiatives throughout the St. Johns County School District (SJCSD). The run/walk is open to all ages, and the top three winners will be awarded in each of the age categories as well as the overall male and female finishers. A cash donation will be awarded to the schools with the most registrants. At the finish line, each race participant will receive a finisher’s medal.

This event is produced by the CHARACTER COUNTS! Steering Committee and is presented by Beaver Toyota with support from businesses and community groups. Action News Jax CBS47/FOX30 is the official media sponsor.

The SJCSD, along with area businesses, youth organizations and civic groups, selected the national character education program of CHARACTER COUNTS! as a countywide initiative to instill positive character traits in young people throughout the county. Additionally, the SJCSD became the first school district in Florida to implement Pursuing Victory With Honor in all of its athletic programs. Character education is an important part of every School Improvement Plan and a major component of the Student Code of Conduct and the school district’s Strategic Plan.

Visit RunSignUp.com to learn more and register.

2026 CHARACTER COUNTS! 6K/3K Run/Walk Read More »

Instructional Materials Adoption Update

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The St. Johns County School District is in the process of adopting new instructional materials for English Language Arts and HOPE. The resources that were selected by adoption committees for submission to the School Board for adoption consideration can now be accessed by using the following links:

All selected resources appear on the Florida Department of Education adoption list.

Instructional Materials Adoption Update Read More »

2025 School-Related Employee of the Year

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Congratulations to Michelle Reid, Administrative Assistant for the Regional Superintendents’ Office, who has been named the 2025 SJCSD School-Related Employee of the Year! Michelle’s selection was announced at the annual SREY Reception on November 19th at Beachside High School. Her nomination will be sent to the FLDOE to compete at the state level.

View the complete list of School-Related Employees of the Year below.

  • Victoria Ashe – Behavior Paraprofessional, Evelyn Hamblen Center
  • Christine Baccari – Media Para/Lab Assistant, Alice B. Landrum Middle School
  • Christy Beebe – Athletic Secretary, Beachside High School
  • Jennifer Bowmaster – Dean of Student Services, First Coast Technical College
  • Angela Celli-Jones – Computer Operator, Julington Creek Elementary School
  • Barbara Cervantez – Computer Operator, St. Johns Virtual School
  • Michael Clark – District Webmaster, Community Relations
  • Jaime Combs – Academy Coordinator, Allen D. Nease High School
  • Catherine Culver – ESE Paraprofessional, R.B. Hunt Elementary School
  • Doretha Douglas – Custodian, Ketterlinus Elementary School
  • Zaneta Floyd – School Clerk, St. Augustine High School
  • Kaitlyn Forier – ESE Paraprofessional, W.D. Hartley Elementary School
  • Silvia Galli – Guidance/LEA Clerk, Palencia Elementary School
  • Matt Hladik – Technology Support Specialist, Lakeside Academy
  • Julie Hughes – Confidential Secretary, Trout Creek Academy
  • Jennifer Johnson – ESE Paraprofessional, Palm Valley Academy
  • Lori Kosier – Pre-K Paraprofessional, South Woods Elementary School
  • Agnes Kuczon – Custodian, R.J. Murray Middle School
  • Kristy LaFronza – Guidance Clerk, Picolata Crossing Elementary School
  • Sandra Leadbetter – Guidance Clerk, Pine Island Academy
  • Heather Leseganich – Food Service Manager, Otis A. Mason Elementary School
  • Laura Lewis – ESE Paraprofessional, Fruit Cove Middle School
  • Stacey Lindahl – Secretary/Bookkeeper, Gamble Rogers Middle School
  • Yoel Lopez – Custodian, Durbin Creek Elementary School
  • EdithMarie Lupo-Tuttle – ESE Paraprofessional, Hickory Creek Elementary School
  • Lulu Mannella – Custodian, Pacetti Bay Middle School
  • James McCarthy – Maintenance Manager, PVPV/Rawlings Elementary School
  • Jennifer McCrary – ESE Paraprofessional, Tocoi Creek High School
  • Sheri Ann Mickley – Media/ESE Paraprofessional, St. Johns Technical High School
  • Hugo Mongelo – School Bus Operator, Transportation
  • Patty Moore – Extended Day Coordinator, Liberty Pines Academy
  • Vicki Morales – Registrar/Data Operator, Ocean Palms Elementary School
  • Melissa Moran – Secretary/Bookkeeper, Cunningham Creek Elementary School
  • Harold Payne – Mason, Maintenance
  • Kimberly Peterson – ESE/VE Paraprofessional, Wards Creek Elementary School
  • Michelle Reid – Administrative Assistant, Regional Superintendents’ Office
  • Donna Renfrow – ESE Paraprofessional, John A. Crookshank Elementary School
  • Karen Richmond – Paraprofessional, Ponte Vedra High School
  • Steven Sampson – Maintenance Manager, Switzerland Point Middle School
  • Demara Sherman – ESE Paraprofessional, Osceola Elementary School
  • Kevin Soares – Custodian, Valley Ridge Academy
  • Crystal Stone – Bookkeeper, Creekside High School
  • Jake Taylor – Custodian, James A. Webster Elementary School
  • Joseph Taylor – Maintenance Manager, Pedro Menendez High School
  • Jennifer Tedder – Cafeteria Manager, Sebastian Middle School
  • Jim Theberge – Parking Lot Attendant, Bartram Trail High School
  • Jessica Veon – Computer Operator, Mill Creek Academy
  • Jamie Woods – Bookkeeper, Patriot Oaks Academy
  • Kamila Zdanowski – Confidential Secretary, Hallowes Cove Academy
  • Omar Zepeda – Custodian, Freedom Crossing Academy
  • Alicia Zorrilla – VE Paraprofessional, Timberlin Creek Elementary School

2025 School-Related Employee of the Year Read More »

District Committee Meetings for English-Language Arts and HOPE Adoptions

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As a part of the instructional material adoption process for English Language Arts and HOPE, four committee meetings will be held in early December at the following dates and times:

  • Tuesday, December 2, 2025 at 8:45 AM for Elementary English Language Arts
  • Tuesday, December 2, 2025 at 10:45 AM for Middle School English Language Arts
  • Wednesday, December 3, 2025 at 8:45 AM for High School English Language Arts
  • Wednesday, December 3, 2025 at 10:45 AM for High School HOPE

The meetings will be broadcast live online and may be viewed on the SJCSD Media Services YouTube channel.

Visit our Media Services Department website to learn more about the Instructional Materials Adoption process.

District Committee Meetings for English-Language Arts and HOPE Adoptions Read More »

PVHS Marching Band Shines at FFCC Florida State Championships

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The Ponte Vedra High School Marching Band, led by director Daniel Lezcano, achieved remarkable success at the FFCC Florida State Championships on November 8. The band earned a spot in the state finals, securing an impressive 2nd place overall, along with awards for Best Visual and Best Music in their division. This marks one of the most successful seasons in the program’s history, highlighting the dedication and talent of the students, faculty, and families involved.

In addition to their competitive achievements, the PVHS Marching Band is a pillar of school spirit, supporting the football team at every game with energy and enthusiasm. Their hard work and commitment have made them an integral part of the school community, and their recent accomplishments are a source of pride for the entire district. Congratulations to the band for their exceptional achievements!

PVHS Marching Band Shines at FFCC Florida State Championships Read More »

Come Drive the Bus With Us on Oct. 25

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On Saturday, October 25, from 8am to 11am, the St. Johns County School District Transportation Department will be hosting a unique recruitment event called “Come Drive the Bus with Us” at First Coast Technical College’s Public Safety Campus located at 3640 Gaines Road in St Augustine. This is more than an open house for interested bus drivers, but an opportunity to drive it before you apply for it!

Come meet school district team members and take a test drive in a full size school bus on our test track.

OneBlood’s “Big Red Bus” Bloodmobile and Baptist MD Anderson Cancer Center’s mobile mammography
unit, the “Buddy Bus,” will also be on site during the event. See the flyers for details.

Come Drive the Bus With Us on Oct. 25 Read More »

GRMS Best Buddies

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GRMS Best Buddies

The Best Buddies chapter at Gamble Rogers Middle School received a special recognition during the School Board Meeting on Tuesday, October 14, 2025.

Now in its fourth year at Gamble Rogers, the Best Buddies chapter continues to thrive and grow stronger each year. Gamble Rogers Middle School ESE teacher Lori DuFrain has been honored as Advisor of the Year twice, and the chapter has earned the title of North Florida’s Chapter of the Year for two consecutive years. Most impressively, this past year, the chapter was recognized by the organization’s founder, Anthony Shriver, with the Outstanding Chapter of the Year Award—earning the distinction of being the #1 Middle School Chapter in the entire state of Florida.

The Gamble Rogers Middle School Best Buddies members are creating meaningful change—not just within the school, but throughout the community—by participating in service projects that support local organizations in need.

Best Buddies is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering inclusion through one-to-one friendships, integrated employment, and leadership development programs for individuals with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Founded in 1989, the organization works to eliminate the social, physical, and economic isolation experienced by people with IDD by promoting connection and belonging in schools, workplaces, and communities.

Congratulations to the Gamble Rogers Middle School Best Buddies Chapter!

GRMS Best Buddies Read More »