The closing of the school year gives me another opportunity to offer my sincere gratitude to the many dedicated people who make our district the success that it is.

From our incredibly bright and enthusiastic children who come to school each day eager to learn, to our supportive parents and families who not only offer assistance to our schools but make sure their children arrive at school prepared to meet the challenges of each day, to our amazing teachers whose dedication and commitment are awe inspiring.

I am especially grateful to work for a district with such devoted and talented people whose focus remains steadfastly on the success and well-being of students. While there is no doubt we continue to be faced with many challenges beyond our control, I am confident in the ability of our teachers, administrators, staff members, students, parents and community to forge ahead and continue our tradition as a top-performing district.

The end of this school year is especially meaningful as I reflect on my first graduation ceremonies and first several months as your superintendent. It is an honor and privilege to serve in this capacity and there is nothing I take more seriously than the care and education of your children and young adults.

It was exciting to witness nearly 2,000 graduates walk across the stage to receive their diploma. They are now equipped with the essential knowledge, skills and strength of character to excel in the next stage of their young lives.

I also want to say special thanks to our support staff. From bus drivers, to cafeteria workers, to administrators, to clerical staff, to custodians, we have the very best. Thank you for all of the hard work you put forth for our children.

We are fortunate to have a school board who makes decisions based on a philosophy of “children first.” Their leadership during difficult times has demonstrated the true character of our board, and I am honored to work with each of them.

Best wishes for a relaxing and enjoyable summer, and I look forward to an outstanding 2017-2018 school year.

Community Relations

Instructional Television

Jim Harbin Awards

The video production team is in the midst of judging regional entries for the annual Jim Harbin student-produced video contest. St. Johns County students have produced a number of high-quality videos that will most certainly do well on the state level. Other counties from our judging region including Clay, Marion, and Flagler, have also submitted a wide array of outstanding videos to be judged alongside the St. Johns County winners.

Graduation Videos

Graduation is here and videos of the ceremonies for St. Augustine, Pedro Menendez, St. Johns Technical, and St. Johns Virtual high schools are being produced by the district. These videos will be posted online to the district video library at http://www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/video/ which can be downloaded for free. The videos are also available for purchase on DVD for $10 each. Please contact your student’s school for more information.

Webmaster

The Community Relations Department recently launched the new website for Picolata Crossing Elementary School at www-pce.stjohns.k12.fl.us/. Also, several improvements have been made to the online Pre-employment Information Course which new employees use to learn about school district policies and procedures. The course now caters its content to four different types of new hires to ensure that they only see the information they need to complete the pre-employment process.

Character Education

Student Leadership

Recently over 300 Link Crew Leaders from Allen D. Nease, St. Augustine and Bartram Trail high schools spent a weekend at a Link Crew retreat. The goal was to train the new student leaders for this student-to-student mentoring program that matches upperclassmen with incoming freshmen. This helps new students acclimate to the high school campus, culture and routine. Aside from this valuable training, the retreat serves to form a bond among the leaders. These student leaders can now bring this spirit of togetherness back to their respective high schools for the upcoming school year.

Over 90 students from Gamble Rogers Middle School spent an entire day being trained in the Where Everybody Belongs (WEB) program that will welcome incoming sixth graders to their school. The program is comprised of eighth-grade students who have applied and gone through an interview process at their school to be considered a WEB leader. These WEB leaders are eager to mentor the incoming sixth graders for the 2017- 2018 school year. Other middle school WEB trainings will take place in early August.

Pillar Patrol

The CHARACTER COUNTS! Steering Committee of St. Johns County is pleased to announce that the new CC! the Pillar mascot has arrived! “CC! the Pillar” has been active in celebrating students who display great character during their monthly school-wide recognition programs. CC! has also been spotting good character at several fifth-grade completion ceremonies encouraging students to continue to make good choices as they enter middle school.

RSVP and Volunteer Services

RSVP of St. Johns County

Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) members have been very busy this year fulfilling their mission to assist students in their educational pursuits, and assist not-for-profit agencies in St. Johns County with special support. These volunteers have made a huge impact on academic achievement this year. Hundreds of students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade received literacy enhancement, tutoring, and/or mentoring services. The results were higher achievement levels and increased academic engagement. Volunteers also took part in special activities with community partners including ASSIST, St. Augustine Historical Inns, CHARACTER COUNTS! and EPIC Behavioral Services. To read more details about this active group, visit the RSVP website at http://www.rsvpstjohns.com.

If you want to make a difference in the life of a student this year, RSVP is looking for community members to assist once per week in the district’s summer reading or math program. Hours are flexible, and even if you are traveling this summer you can help out while you are in town. Call RSVP/Volunteer Services at (904) 547-3952 or email [email protected] for more information.

Volunteer Services

As the 2016-2017 school year comes to a close, reports show that school volunteers once again gave tirelessly to students throughout the county. With more than 19,000 volunteers providing approximately 240,000 hours of service, students and staff have received support resulting in higher achievement levels as well as a culture of caring for all. There were 35 elementary and secondary schools receiving Golden School status (for community volunteer hours and volunteer coordination), and 13 secondary schools receiving Silver School status (for student volunteer service). The Volunteer Services Department would like to extend its sincere gratitude to all who gave their time and energy in the district this year.

 

On the Horizon

Summer Reading and Algebra Programs

The Summer Reading Program is required for third graders who are reading below grade level and are at risk of retention. The Summer Reading Program provides an additional 96 hours of reading instruction in June and July.  At the end of the program, third-grade students may be promoted if they pass a test or qualify for other Good Cause Exemptions specified by the state.

The Summer Algebra Program is available for students who have completed Algebra I but did not pass the state End-of-Course (EOC) assessment.  Algebra students attend the program for 68 hours and re-take the EOC.  Students who complete the Summer Algebra Program receive a .5 elective credit.

Summer program locations are:

Summer Reading Program June 12 – July 14 8 a.m. – noon p.m.	Summer Algebra I Program June 28 – July 21 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
John A. Crookshank Elementary	Bartram Trail High
Cunningham Creek Elementary	Creekside High
Ketterlinus Elementary	Allen D. Nease High
Osceola Elementary	Pedro Menendez High
South Woods Elementary	Ponte Vedra High
Valley Ridge Academy	St. Augustine High
Wards Creek Elementary

Summer Food Service

The St. Johns County School District will be participating in the Summer Food Service Program for Children June 5-July 28.  There will be a break in service on July 4 as the school district will be closed for Independence Day.

Nutritionally balanced meals will be provided to all children regardless of race, color, sex, disability, age, or national origin during summer vacation when school breakfasts and lunches are not available.  All children 18 years old and younger are eligible for meals on a first-come, first-served basis at no charge and there will be no discrimination in the course of the meal service.  The programs are approved for geographical areas of need where 50 percent or more of the children qualify for free and reduced-price meals during the school year.

Summer feeding sites that are located at schools provide meals to all children in the immediate vicinity in addition to those enrolled in summer school; however, meals are only served during the identified meal service times.

Summer Energy Savings Program

Beginning the week of May 29, business hours for all schools and district offices will be 7:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Monday-Friday and will operate on a modified consolidation program with administrative teams and custodians remaining at their home schools. Summer school academic programs have been assigned to geographic areas of the district based on need. All schools and district offices will resume regular business hours beginning Monday, July 31.

 

Status Report

American Youth Character Awards

Congratulations to 39 seniors and 56 juniors who were honored last month at the annual American Youth Character Awards (AYCA) for exemplifying the Six Pillars of Character. Students and their families were invited to Anastasia Baptist Church for a banquet dinner where the honorees were able to highlight a mentor who has helped them develop into a person of good character. Each of the 39 seniors received a scholarship check provided by CHARACTER COUNTS! of St. Johns County. In addition, three special awards were presented. The David Macaulay Mathis Pursuing Victory With Honor Award and $1,000 scholarship to a student-athlete for outstanding character in athletics was awarded to Derrick Leroy Jr. of St. Augustine High School. The Tucker McCarty Memorial Scholarship was established to honor a student of good character who makes the world a better place. This year’s recipient of the $1,000 McCarty Scholarship is Charles “Hal” Swan of Ponte Vedra High School. The Dr. Joseph Joyner Sportsmanship Award for leadership in ensuring athletic programs mirror a high standard of ethics, sportsmanship and good character was awarded to J. Randy Johnson, principal of Creekside High School.

 

Did You Know…?

• The first day of school for 2017-2018 is Thursday, August 10. The Superintendent’s Report will resume publication in August.  Have a great summer!

“Character is much easier kept than recovered.”

~Thomas Paine

Several principal appointments have taken place recently within the St. Johns County School District (SJCSD). Superintendent Tim Forson has named these appointments which are effective pending School Board approval.

“I look forward to working with the following group of talented leaders,” said Superintendent Mr. Tim Forson. “Their varied skill sets will serve them extremely well in these new positions. They all possess great character and the experience to take on these new opportunities, and I could not be more pleased.”

Edie Jarrell, principal at Wards Creek Elementary (WCE), has been named the new principal of Cunningham Creek Elementary (CCE). She will replace Principal Jud Strickland who was named the principal of Picolata Crossing Elementary School.

Jarrell has nine years of experience in St. Johns County, serving as the assistant principal of CCE and principal of WCE. Previously, she has served as a teacher of all elementary grade levels as well as a Media Specialist and Assistant Principal in Duval County. She is certified in Exceptional Education, Information Studies and Library Science, Educational Leadership, and School Principalship.

Jarrell holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Florida and master’s degrees from UNF and Florida State University.

Kelly Jacobson, assistant principal at Bartram Trail High School (BTHS), has been named the principal of Fruit Cove Middle School (FCMS). She will replace Lynn O’ Connor who is retiring from the SJCSD at the conclusion of this school year.

Jacobson started her career in 1997 in Pinellas County Schools first as a teacher and then acting assistant principal before she joined the SJCSD in 2005 as a dean at Switzerland Point Middle School. She has also served as an assistant principal at Pacetti Bay and Alice B. Landrum (LMS) middle schools before joining BTHS in this capacity in 2014.

Jacobson holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida and a master’s degree from National Louis University.

Traci Hemingway, principal at Timberlin Creek Elementary (TCE), has been named the new principal of Liberty Pines Academy. She will replace Principal Judith Thayer who is retiring from the SJCSD at the conclusion of this school year.

Hemingway has been with the SJCSD for over four years serving as the assistant principal at Pacetti Bay Middle School and the principal of TCE. She also has more than 15 years of experience spent in Fairfax County, VA; Pasco County, FL; Fulton County, GA and St. Tammany Parish, LA. She began her career as a teacher and served as a literacy coach, reading specialist, curriculum coordinator and an assistant principal.

Hemingway holds a bachelor’s degree from Kennesaw State University in GA, and a master’s degree and certificate in Educational Leadership from the University of South Florida.

Steve McCormick, principal of Ponte Vedra High School (PVHS), has been named the new principal of Creekside High School. He will replace Principal Randy Johnson who is retiring from the SJCSD at the conclusion of this school year.

McCormick has been employed with the SJCSD since 1995 and spent seven years as the principal of FCMS before becoming principal at PVHS. He also served as dean of students at BTHS and Allen D. Nease High School and as assistant principal at LMS and BTHS.

McCormick holds a bachelor’s degree from The State University of New York at Cortland, a master’s degree from Indiana State University and a certificate in Educational Leadership from the University of North Florida.

The next step will be to gather input from staff and the community for the new principals of WCE, TCE and PVHS.

Academic and Student Services Update

ACCOUNTABILITY AND INTERVENTION SERVICES

Early Childhood Services

Summer VPK

St. Johns County School District is offering the 2017 Summer Voluntary Pre-kindergarten (VPK) program at Osceola and Durbin Creek elementary schools.  Children must be age 5 on or before September 1, 2017.  The program begins Tuesday, May 30 and continues until Friday, July 21, and closed on July 4.  The hours are 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Parents can call the Early Childhood Services office at 547-8965 to reserve a spot.  Parents need to register their children for VPK online with the state and obtain the Certificate of Eligibility.  The website is http://www.ecs4kids.org.

If you have any questions or require further information, please contact Donna Fenech at Early Childhood Services at 547-8959.

Exceptional Student Education

Transition services for students with disabilities ages 18-22 continue to grow in St. Johns County.

• Project Search is a new program for the 2017-2018 school year that will provide a unique, business-led, one-year school-to-work program that takes place entirely in the workplace at the district’s host business, The Renaissance World Golf Village Resort. Total workplace immersion facilitates a seamless combination of classroom instruction, career exploration, and hands-on training through worksite rotations for students with developmental disabilities who have completed high school graduation requirements.
• Life Work is a program designed to provide young adults with significant cognitive disabilities an opportunity to develop self-determination, independent living, and employability skills. The program began in August 2015 and has been based at St. Augustine High School. Beginning in August 2017, Life Work students will be based at First Coast Technical College with peers their own age.
• Johns Community Campus is a charter school affiliated with The Arc of the St. Johns that provides a vocationally focused opportunity for students with developmental disabilities to prepare for gainful employment and practical life skills upon graduation.

For more information on any of these programs, contact Leigh Ann Hale, ESE Program Specialist, 904-547-7678 or [email protected] .

The SJCSD Deaf/Hard of Hearing (DHH) team has partnered with the Lion’s Club of St. Augustine to offer two amazing events for students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing and their families. At the end of April, an annual fun-filled family picnic will be held for all families of students who are part of the DHH program. This exciting day includes lunch, entertainment, games and great opportunities for families and students to get together and form supportive relationships.

In May, the DHH team will host the second annual DEAFinition, a vocabulary contest for students who are Deaf/Hard of Hearing to show what they know! Students have been working all year for this event by studying middle and high school vocabulary words that coordinate with state and district testing. This event is open to middle and high school students in surrounding counties as well.

Federal Programs

The Federal Programs Department has now completed ACCESS testing for all English Language Learners (ELLs) and making sure accommodations are being met for testing season throughout the end of the school year. A final ELL parent informational meeting was held at Valley Ridge Academy on April 19 to review present school year and survey needs for the upcoming year. Summer options for ELLs were also be shared at this meeting.

For the 2016-2017 school year, the Title I Program helped fund two additional full-day VPK classes at The Webster School and John A. Crookshank Elementary School.  For the 2017-2018 school year, Title I will be expanding the district VPK program by adding an additional two classes to Osceola Elementary School. There will be a total of six VPK classrooms funded through Title I and VPK.

Planning, Accountability and Assessment

The Planning, Accountability and Assessment (PAA) department is currently overseeing the administration of state and district exams throughout the schools in our county. Data from these exams is used in for many purposes, including final exams for the grade book, teacher evaluation, and raising student achievement.

School administrators will participate in accountability and assessment trainings this summer during which they will learn how to best use data to help students succeed. A new data reporting platform, called data dashboards, was created in-house by the PAA department and will be available for all schools to use as a means to review data. The data dashboards provide schools with district, school, and student level data to help drive instruction and make educational decisions.

CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION

Career and Technical Education

Spring is the season for competitions among the student organizations associated with career academies.  Competitions are usually held at the local, regional, state and/or national levels.  These events enable students to apply skills learned in class and compete against students in similar programs around the country.  Listed below are some of the outcomes of spring competitions to date.

DECA, a business-oriented student organization at Bartram Trail High School, has 19 students who received awards at the state competition and then competed in the national competition in California in late April.

Future Business Leaders of America at Ponte Vedra High School had 18 award winners at this year’s state competition in Orlando in March.  Nationals will be held in California in June.

Thirteen students from the communications academy at Allen D. Nease High School attended the Student Network Television national competition in California in March.  One team came in first place in the morning news category.

The student chapter of Florida Future Educators of America at St. Augustine High School won Best Chapter in Florida for the fourth straight year at the competition in Orlando in January.

 

Instructional Resources and Media Services

Instructional Services Elementary

The St. Johns County Elementary Science STEM Fair

The St. Johns County Elementary Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Fair will be held at Palencia Elementary School Saturday, May 13.  The purpose of this event is to encourage and celebrate student interest in STEM, with the primary goal being to promote the innovative use of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to solve real world problems.  Student representation will be decided at the school level.  Teachers, parents, administrators, and community members are welcome to attend.

Third Grade Summer Reading Program

The Summer Reading Program is required for third-graders who are reading below grade level and are at risk of retention.  The Summer Reading Program provides an additional 96 hours of reading instruction and takes place from June 12 through July 14.  At the end of the program, third-grade students may be promoted if they meet requirements specified by the state.

Instructional Services Secondary

Exams

The district is now in the state assessment window for English language arts and math, 8th-grade science, and End-of-Course (EOC) exams which count 30 percent of a student’s final course grade (7th-grade civics, Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Biology and U.S. History).  For courses that do not have a state assessment, district final exams will be given during the last 10 days of school and those will be 10 percent of the second semester grade for middle and high school students.

In addition, the instructional services secondary education department has Year-at-a-Glance resources for language arts, math, science, social studies and world languages, grades 6–12.  These pacing guides provide week-by-week topics and resources for parents, students and tutors, and would be a great place to identify areas of strength and possible needed growth for students.  They are available at http://www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/year-at-a-glance/.

A plethora of additional math resources assessments is available to help your students prepare for the state assessments at http://www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/smath

State EOC guides for Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II and Biology are available on our website http://www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/isse/

Summer Algebra Camp

Passing the Algebra I EOC is a graduation requirement for all students.  If you child is enrolled in Algebra I and does not earn a passing score on the EOC this spring, help is available.  Each high school site will offer Summer Algebra Camp to prepare students for a retake of the Algebra I EOC on July 19 and 20.  The program runs 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday through Friday, June 28 – July 21, except July 4. Transportation is provided.  Students who complete the Summer Algebra Camp earn a half-credit elective and may qualify for grade forgiveness as well.  For more information, contact your school counselor or assistant principal.

State Science and Engineering Fair

St. Johns County students recently attended the 62^nd State Science and Engineering Fair in Lakeland. More than 850 projects were presented by students all over Florida. We are excited to share the honors earned by our students. The best time to get students thinking about a project is now – they have the summer to begin their research.   Did you know that there is a math category for projects?

School	Category
Landrum MS	Special Award in Animal Sciences (Junior)
Ponte Vedra HS	Special Award in Animal Sciences (Senior)
Ponte Vedra HS	4th Place–Cellular/Molecular Biology
Fruit Cove MS	4th Place–Plant Sciences
Fruit Cove MS	3rd Place-Physics
Landrum MS	3rd Place-Intelligent Machines, Robotics, Software Systems
Landrum MS	3rd Place-Chemistry
Valley Ridge Academy	2nd Place-Engineering

 

STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

Guidance and Programs of Choice

Controlled Open Enrollment

The St. Johns County School District had four schools with capacity available for the Controlled Open Enrollment (COE) application process for the 2017-2018 school year which closed on March 10.    A total of 163 applications were received during the application period.  A random lottery was conducted for applicants from the schools with more applications than available seats on March 13.  All applicants were notified regarding their status which was either an open seat or being placed on the wait list and given 10 days to accept or decline the option.  Once the parent/guardian accepted the seat for their student, registration information was sent to them and future communication was directed to the school.  Any seats that were declined were then offered to the next student on the wait list.  The district now has only one COE school, Durbin Creek Elementary, with a wait list of 30 students.  After the first day of the 2017-2018 school year, the wait list will be discontinued.  There is no appeal process for COE as it is based strictly on a lottery procedure.  For more information regarding the district’s COE Plan, please visit https://www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/coe/.

St. Johns Virtual School

The St. Johns Virtual School (SJVS) Open Enrollment window for the 2017-2018 school year began April 10 and will run through July 10.  The district operated virtual instruction program and the Florida Virtual School franchise is accepting applications for their K-12 full-time programs.

Currently enrolled district students may make individual course requests for the 2017-2018 school year by contacting their school counselor and visiting the SJVS website for instructions.  SJVS also welcomes Home Education students.

Full-time SJCSD virtual teachers are now available to more fully serve their students during the school day in addition to after school. Applications, course registration and additional information may be found at www-sjvs.stjohns.k12.fl.us/

Health Services

Health Services has been working with Flagler Hospital’s Life Institute to provide professional development training to all school nurses.  The Life Institute hosted an all-day education series for the district’s nurses at Flagler Hospital on March 20.  Providers from surrounding agencies such as St. Johns County Fire Rescue, UF Health, Trauma One, Orthopedic Associates, and Wolfson Children’s Hospital along with Flagler Hospital presented at the event.  These community partners view the school nurse as a frontline health care provider for children and see the need for resources and education updates as vital to pediatric health.  Education topics covered concussions and trauma, sports and bleeding injuries, asthma, 911 calls, and Florida Kidcare enrollment.  All nurses received eight continuing education units toward licensure from Flagler Hospital free of charge.  The ongoing partnership has become an integral part of the Health Services Program.

Hands-Only CPR

St. Johns County Fire Rescue will be wrapping up their Hands-Only CPR training for all graduating seniors this month as they visit their last high school, Creekside.  When the program is complete, they will have trained 2,500 of the district’s students this school year in the life-saving measures of CPR and AED use.  The program was initiated in 2012 and by the end of the 2016-2017 school year approximately 10,000 students will have participated.  This community outreach is unique to the St. Johns County School District and shows great investment by St. Johns County Fire Rescue Department in empowering students with the ability to intervene in an emergency situation.

Student Services

April has been proclaimed Child Abuse Awareness Month by the City of St. Augustine, St. Johns County, and the St. Johns County School District. By working together as a community, we all can play a part in promoting children’s emotional well-being and strengthening families.

Three early kindergarten registrations have been held so far this spring, resulting in more than 670 early registrations.  One more district-wide registration date is scheduled for May 15, from 1-5 p.m., at each elementary school with the exception of our new Elementary “M” which will be held at Pacetti Bay Middle School.

Juniors and seniors in the A.S.S.I.S.T. program had the opportunity to tour First Coast Technical College on April 13 and St. Johns River State College on April 27. The tours provided assistance with applying for financial aid, course selection, enrollment and other important information.

INK!

Five Learning Years (FLY)

The FLY program, supporting early literacy initiatives, is finishing its school-based program for the school year. The program will conclude with just over 200 students this year and continues to grow. Testing of students has begun and we look forward to another year of great results!  FLY is also developing a six-week summer program at Woodlawn Terrace. There will be an end-of-summer event held July 28 for the children of that community. In addition, FLY has recently recorded two short videos about the program and its teachers, which will soon be available at http://www.ink-stjohns.org/.

Take Stock in Children (TSIC)

The Investing in Kids’ Take Stock in Children (TSIC) Program held its annual Bright Beginnings Celebration April 6 at the Fullerwood Center. The event recognizes the achievements of graduating seniors and welcomed new inductees into the program. Eight seniors were recognized for their participation in the program and academic achievements. Nine new students took their TSIC Agreement Oath led by the Honorable John Alexander. Guest keynote speaker Colby Keefe, Esq. shared her experience as a TSIC scholar and the importance of grit and determination in reaching goals. The event was attended by students, their family, mentors, donors and district staff and administration. The program was made possible through donations from Leonard’s, Chick-fil-A and G.I. Associates of St. Augustine.

Tools-4-Schools

INK’s Tools-4-Schools delivered over 750 orders to teachers all across St. Johns County this school year! This was made possible through the combined help and support of The Bailey Group, teachers and students from Gaines Alternative & Transition School, as well as many others.  The upcoming annual supply drive will run from July 24 until August 11. The website (ink-stjohns.org) is currently closed for inventory and will re-open for teachers on September 5. (Summer school teachers who need supplies, please send an e-mail to [email protected].)

Thank you for all contributed for the 2016 – 2017 school year!

School Services

The School Services Department has been working its way through the Hardship Out-of-Zone Transfer Applications received to date.  The online and paper applications are available on the website at https://www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/schoolservices/transfers/ and must be submitted annually.  Parents are encouraged to complete and submit the application as early as possible.  With over 2,000 applications being processed last year, the department has already received a little over half of the anticipated applications.

The Student Code of Conduct is being reviewed for updates and revisions for the 2017-2018 school year.   Suggestions have been gathered from our district administrators, school principals, assistant principals and deans of students, our schools’ SAC teams, and the district’s legal counsel.

Athletics

Recently, our middle school girls were invited to attend the Flagler Education Day at Flagler College. Approximately 160 middle school girls attended the program, where a tour of the educational area, as well as the athletic complex, gave many of these students a comprehensive look at a college campus.  The girls also attended a collegiate softball game.  Attendance at this type of event directly supports the department’s Title IX goal for increasing female participation in high school athletics.

School Safety

New AED machines have recently been delivered to every school and district office building in the county.

 

Operations

Planning and Government Relations

New School Construction

The St. Johns County School District continues to prepare for the opening of Elementary School “M” for the 2017-2018 School Year.  Elementary “M” is located at 2675 Pacetti Road in the central portion of the county near World Golf Village.  After reviewing community input collected by Principal Jud Strickland through meetings and a survey, the School Board discussed potential school names at the School Board Workshop on April 25.  The school was officially named Picolata Crossing Elementary School at the May 2 School Board meeting.  A community committee will meet to select school colors and a mascot now that the school name has been chosen.  For more information on the attendance zone for this new school, please visit the following link to the school district website http://www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/zoning/.

A two-story building addition to house classrooms, a media center and an administrative area is in the final stages of construction at Allen D. Nease High School.  It will also open for the 2017-2018 School Year.  Additional site improvements will be completed this summer.  Renovations to a number of existing pods will be planned for a future project phase.

Two K-8 Schools are also currently under construction.  K-8 School “KK” is located in the Nocatee community in Northeast St. Johns County and K-8 School “LL” is in the Aberdeen community in the Northwest.  These schools will open for the 2018-2019 School Year.  The process to develop their attendance zones and solicit community input will begin in the later part of August, after the start of the 2017-2018 school year.  Additional information will be provided as August approaches.

On the Horizon

The St. Johns County Elementary Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics Fair

The St. Johns County Elementary Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Fair will be held at Palencia Elementary School Saturday, May 13.  The purpose of this event is to encourage and celebrate student interest in STEM, with the primary goal to promote student use of these subjects to solve real-world problems.  Student representation will be decided at the school level.  Teachers, parents, administrators, and community members are welcome to attend.

Did You Know…?

• Flagler College is now accepting applications for students to start in August in the Public Administrative Degree program.  If you have a friend or co-worker who is interested, please encourage them to apply now.  The deadline for all application materials to be received for a student to start in August is Friday, July 14. Due to the Florida Resident Access Grant, which you will qualify for by being a Florida resident, total out-of-pocket tuition is only $600 for the entire 2017-2018 academic year. Flagler College offers this opportunity as a community service. Students can complete their bachelor’s degrees in just five semesters. The College accepts working professionals from the public, private, and non-profit sectors who have their A.A. or A.S. degrees or who have 60 transferable college credit hours from a regionally accredited college or university.The Public Administration Program teaches the subjects and skills needed for success.  For information on our curriculum and faculty, please refer to the Program’s web page:  http://www.flagler.edu/PAD.  The Public Administration Degree program is widely recognized for its value to the region by elected officials and agency administrators.To apply, please complete the online application at https://my.flagler.edu/ICS/Admissions/Home.jnz?portlet=Pubic_Administration_Online_Application.

Feed the Need 5K

“Our true nationality is mankind.”
~H.G. Wells

Several principal appointments have taken place recently within the St. Johns County School District (SJCSD). Superintendent Tim Forson has named these appointments which are effective pending School Board approval.

“I look forward to working with the following group of talented leaders,” said Superintendent Mr. Tim Forson. “Their varied skill sets will serve them extremely well in these new positions. They all possess great character and the experience to take on these new opportunities, and I could not be more pleased.”

Edie Jarrell, principal at Wards Creek Elementary (WCE), has been named the new principal of Cunningham Creek Elementary (CCE). She will replace Principal Jud Strickland who was named the principal of Picolata Crossing Elementary School.

Jarrell has nine years of experience in St. Johns County, serving as the assistant principal of CCE and principal of WCE. Previously, she has served as a teacher of all elementary grade levels as well as a Media Specialist and Assistant Principal in Duval County. She is certified in Exceptional Education, Information Studies and Library Science, Educational Leadership, and School Principalship.

Jarrell holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Florida and master’s degrees from UNF and Florida State University.

Kelly Jacobson, assistant principal at Bartram Trail High School (BTHS), has been named the principal of Fruit Cove Middle School (FCMS). She will replace Lynn O’ Connor who is retiring from the SJCSD at the conclusion of this school year.

Jacobson started her career in 1997 in Pinellas County Schools first as a teacher and then acting assistant principal before she joined the SJCSD in 2005 as a dean at Switzerland Point Middle School. She has also served as an assistant principal at Pacetti Bay and Alice B. Landrum (LMS) middle schools before joining BTHS in this capacity in 2014.

Jacobson holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida and a master’s degree from National Louis University.

Traci Hemingway, principal at Timberlin Creek Elementary (TCE), has been named the new principal of Liberty Pines Academy. She will replace Principal Judith Thayer who is retiring from the SJCSD at the conclusion of this school year.

Hemingway has been with the SJCSD for over four years serving as the assistant principal at Pacetti Bay Middle School and the principal of TCE. She also has more than 15 years of experience spent in Fairfax County, VA; Pasco County, FL; Fulton County, GA and St. Tammany Parish, LA. She began her career as a teacher and served as a literacy coach, reading specialist, curriculum coordinator and an assistant principal.

Hemingway holds a bachelor’s degree from Kennesaw State University in GA, and a master’s degree and certificate in Educational Leadership from the University of South Florida.

Steve McCormick, principal of Ponte Vedra High School (PVHS), has been named the new principal of Creekside High School. He will replace Principal Randy Johnson who is retiring from the SJCSD at the conclusion of this school year.

McCormick has been employed with the SJCSD since 1995 and spent seven years as the principal of FCMS before becoming principal at PVHS. He also served as dean of students at BTHS and Allen D. Nease High School and as assistant principal at LMS and BTHS.

McCormick holds a bachelor’s degree from The State University of New York at Cortland, a master’s degree from Indiana State University and a certificate in Educational Leadership from the University of North Florida.

Forson will gather input from staff and the community for the new principal of WCE, TCE and PVHS.

It is an honor and privilege to serve as your superintendent and there is nothing I take more seriously than the care and education of your children and young adults.

Our community is one built on collaboration and trust. This is why I feel it necessary to share my concern over the state education budget up for vote on Monday afternoon. This budget is not one filled with hope and promise for our students. This budget hurts your children and our schools by decreasing the funds that create programs for students and the funds that compensate teachers for their hard work. This budget reduces the Base Student Allocation (BSA) by $27.07 per student from $4,160.71 last year to $4,133.64 and will require us to make cuts that have the potential to impact service to students.

Collectively, we take great pride in being a top-performing district. Our strong student performance coupled with high expectations for teachers and staff is the foundation of our success.

We are dependent on funding and support from the legislature to ensure that we can continue the level of service we provide and you expect.

I urge you to make your voice heard by contacting our legislators and let them know this budget is not acceptable and that it negatively impacts your children. Visit http://www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/gr/ for contact information for the Governor’s office and Legislative Leadership.

Here are the facts and stats for the proposed 2017-2018 budget:

The increase in total funds for K-12 funding statewide is $241,293,414 or 1.2%. These dollars fund an additional 23,919 students entering Florida’s public school system in the upcoming school year. When looking at additional dollars available per student, the budget provides for a mere $24.44 or less than a 1% (.34%) increase over last year’s budget.

In Florida schools are funded on a per-student basis through a formula called the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP).

The FEFP is comprised of the Base Student Allocation (BSA) and pots of money called categoricals which are reserved for specific purposes such as Transportation, Instructional Materials, ESE Guaranteed Allocation (services for disabled students) and Safe Schools (funding for school resource officers).

Any increases in funding in categoricals cannot be used for general operating expenses or to increase teacher pay.

The BSA are the only flexible dollars school districts have access. They are used to fund teacher’s salaries and benefits or to add new programs for students.

While St. Johns County will receive a small increase in funds in overall per student funding, all of the increase is reserved for specific purposes.

In 2007-08, St. Johns County received $7,202.43 per student. Ten years later, St. Johns is being funded at $7,067.20 per student, a DECREASE of $135.23 per student.

This year’s budget cuts the Base Student Allocation (BSA) $27.07 statewide from $4,160.71 last year to $4,133.64.

In a fiscal year where the state has a budget surplus, we cannot support a budget that cuts the BSA for the first time since the great recession.

The budget agreed upon in conference is predicated on a $535.1 million reduction in the FEFP resulting from a .316 rollback of the Required Local Effort millage or 6.7%. Outside of the FEFP, $213 million is being provided for Best and Brightest Teacher bonuses and $200 million in incentive funds to attract out-of-state charter operators (Schools of Hope).

Even if districts are given access to some of the $200 million in charter incentive funds, St. Johns County will not receive a penny of these funds due to our academic success because they are only for persistently low-performing areas.

If these funds were instead redirected to the FEFP, it would result in over a 2% increase in funds per student.

Three individuals were honored as St. Johns County’s 2016-2017 Outstanding Volunteers of the Year at the 10th annual Volunteer Recognition Reception held recently at First Coast Technical College. Cheryl Freeman, volunteer coordinator for the St. Johns County School District, served as emcee and Superintendent Tim Forson announced the outstanding volunteers.

Outstanding Senior Volunteer Thelma Ford, from Otis Mason Elementary School (OMES), has a desire for each student she works with to develop a love learning.  She helps approximately 200 students each year to improve testing performance. Most of the students she works with see their scores increase by one or two levels. The students also become more independent in their ability to complete tasks, and their confidence is boosted at the same time. In addition, Ms. Ford organized a lending level library at OMES, increasing efficiency and saving time for both students and teachers. Offering her excellent seamstress skills, she made superhero capes for the safety patrol students. Other activities include taking groups to the media center, being a test proctor, laminating, and decorating bulletin boards that align with themes and standards. Utilizing her amazing talents of teaching, organization and creativity, students are impacted because of her time and servant’s heart.

Aaron Jett, an eighth grader at Sebastian Middle School (SMS), is this year’s Outstanding Youth Volunteer and was nominated by both Ketterlinus Elementary School (KES) and SMS. He works with over 50 students at KES, tutoring math and spelling, and working on timed reading. The after school coordinator applauds him for displaying an eagerness to help others and responding to students who have behavior challenges in a calm and patient manner. Aaron also provides leadership in the WEB program at SMS. As a talented guitarist, he helps new students at school acquire the skills needed to be successful musicians. Aaron has been volunteering for the last three years and, at just 14 years of age, has given 446 hours of volunteer service over the last 18 months to district students.

Michelle Clark, from Creekside High School (CHS), is the district’s Outstanding Adult Volunteer as well as the Florida Department of Education Region II Outstanding Adult Volunteer.  This makes Michelle one of the top five adult school volunteers in the state. She has been extremely successful in raising funds for school needs.  Her most notable and favorite activity is the CHS Running of the Knights 5K which has raised $90,000 over the last five years for athletics, band activities and performing arts. Michelle was instrumental in implementing the Ambassador Program at CHS. Through her efforts, high school tours were provided to new families, or those considering relocating to St. Johns County. She led a year-round tour schedule with ambassadors. A few of her additional accomplishments include planning teacher appreciation events; active participation in yearly orientation, Freshman Day, Economics Reality Fair, Barnes and Noble Book Fairs; ticket sales and concessions for numerous athletic events; banquets for cross-country and track and field; and assisting with graduation set-up.

The Outstanding Volunteers of the Year will be recognized by the School Board at their May 2 meeting.

Awards were also presented to runners-up in each category. In the Youth Category, Rylie Baker of Gamble Rogers Middle School and Alexandra Bass of The Webster School were recognized for their volunteer efforts. Bonnie Ruckh of Durbin Creek Elementary, Carol Jasper of Palencia Elementary, and Kaajal Rijsinghani of Ocean Palms Elementary were honored in the Adult Category and the Senior Category honored Bill Yancey of Ketterlinus Elementary and Jim Wheelwright of Creekside High School.

In addition to the announcement of these outstanding volunteers, the school volunteer coordinators were also recognized. The 125 individuals honored at this event were just a few of the 25,042 volunteers who contributed 252,442 hours of service to district schools during the past year. National Volunteer Week is observed April 23-29.

Schools Update

W.D. Hartley

The students and staff had a busy night at Hartley Elementary School (HES) at their annual “Night of the Arts” family fun night held April 18 from 6-7:30 p.m. Student art from the entire year was on display throughout the school with 3-D creations featured in the cafeteria. A talented harpist, Murray Center for the Arts, and Hartley’s own Music Makers performed as a backdrop for an amazing silent auction. Tommy Bledsoe and his bluegrass band provided additional music to accompany square dance lessons, local vendors provided food for purchase and there was free face painting available for children. Hartley families and friends were invited to join this fun, free event.

Hickory Creek

Earlier this month, students at Hickory Creek Elementary School (HCES) participated in the third nine-week Brag Tag Assemblies in correlation to the CHARACTER COUNTS! initiative for good character as well as celebrated those students who met their reading AR goal. Throughout the ceremonies, HCES Hawks were treated with guest animal visitors from the Jacksonville Zoo. First and second-grade students had the privilege to take part in a presentation from the Chinese Cultural Center. Throughout their time together, students learned about Chinese New Year traditions and the Cann Sisters who performed on dueling pianos entertained the audience. The EMMA Concert Association of St. Augustine made this presentation possible.

Kindergarten and first-grade students participated in Field Day April 13. The music department from HCES will host its annual spring concert on May 4. The annual “Arts and Ice cream” event will be held on May 11, followed up with the band and choir performing at Universal Studios on May 19.

Julington Creek

In the month of April, Julington Creek Elementary School (JCES) faculty, staff and students participated in the “Bag It Up “event supporting Good Will with gently used clothing, household items and toys. This event served as a great service-learning project for JCES families to be involved in and really helped to display the pillar of citizenship to their community. The school is also gearing up for their annual book fair and “Evening of the Fine Arts” to display student artwork for their family and friends on May 9.

Liberty Pines Academy

Liberty Pines Academy (LPA) will be holding its final School Advisory Council (SAC) meetings on April 11 and May 9. LPA student council is encouraging the faculty, staff and students to participate in the “Bag it Up” clothing drive on April 27-28. GoodWill will be receiving the donations for the local community. The drama club will be presenting their “Beauty and the Beast Jr.” production April 27-29 at 6 p.m. and family, friends and community members are invited to join. On May 2 at 6 p.m. there will be a community-wide event featuring the movie “Screenagers.” The Spring Music and Band Concert will be on May 11 at 6 p.m. for families to enjoy.

Osceola

Osceola Elementary School (OES) will host its annual Field Day during the month of April. Earlier in the month, students from OES participated in the Read and Feed. The goal of this program is to give children an appetite for reading by strengthening literacy skills and providing encouragement for them through the process. The Tropicana Speech Contest for grades 4 and 5 was held on April 7. OES will be honoring their volunteers with a breakfast on April 26 as a “thank you” for all of their hard work and time.  OES will be hosting its Character Kids Awards ceremony on May 8 at 2 p.m.

Upcoming Events

• May 22- Third-grade Awards Ceremony at 9:15 a.m.
• May 22- Fourth-grade Awards Ceremony at 1:30 p.m.
• May 23- Fifth-grade Awards Ceremony at 6 p.m.

Otis Mason

Otis Mason Elementary School (OMES) Spring Scholastic Book Fair is well underway. Reading with Grandparents was celebrated Wednesday, April 5. OMES PTO will host a Spring Carnival on Saturday, April 28 from 1-4 p.m. Admission is free to the event and there will be games, food, face painting, silent auctions, a cake walk and the book fair for families to enjoy.

Patriot Oaks Academy

Patriot Oaks Academy (POA) would like to congratulate their middle grades Botball team for placing third in competition March 18 at the University of North Florida. Third and fourth-grade students performed with recorders and sang to delight families on April 4.  On April 8 four POA Odyssey of the Mind teams competed at the state competition at the University of Central Florida. On April 6 the Middle Grades Sports Recognition breakfast was held. In honor of April being Month of the Military Child, POA hosted a ceremony and breakfast on April 7 to celebrate those students. On Saturday, April 22, POA will be having a Spring Carnival from 4-7 p.m. and welcomes students and families to attend.

South Woods

The St. Johns County School District is proud to announce that the Community Partnership School initiative is under way at South Woods Elementary School (SWES).  This process has been in the works for more than a year. SWES and the surrounding communities are fortunate to have core partners (St. Johns County School District, Flagler Hospital, St. Johns River State College & Children’s Home Society) that will provide services to students and families at SWES. The long-term vision for South Woods Community Partnership School is to offer essential services to students, families and community members such as medical, dental and mental health among others.  The facilities will be located on the SWES campus in order to help remove any barriers that may prevent access to these important services. The Community Partnership School initiative is also underway at The Webster School.

Valley Ridge Academy

In an effort to implement the Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) program, Dean of Students Brian Gifford hosted a parent communication night at the beginning of April to inform the community of the goals and process for recognizing and rewarding all VRA students who consistently model CHARACTER COUNTS!. To help support the PBIS initiative, VRA will be hosting a family bingo night on April 27 from 6-7:30 p.m.  Tickets at the door are $5 and all proceeds will go toward rewards for students.  More information can be found on the VRA website.

A perfect example of students who model the “VRA Way” are members of the Middle School National Junior Honor Society (pictured below) who led a pet food and supply drive April 4-5 to support local animal shelters.  VRA is proud to see such a sense of community involvement in their students.

VRA would like to also thank the families and community for coming together on April 8 to work on the Lowe’s Toolbox for Education Grant: Playground Beautification Project.  Thanks to the generous grant from Lowe’s, VRA is able to install a learning garden with citrus trees and picnic tables as well as several interactive pieces. Special thanks to Ms. Amy Zobel for her leadership on this project that will have a tremendous benefit for all of the students at VRA.

The month of May will be full of “The Arts”.  The students of the VRA Middle School Band have been preparing all semester for their Spring Concert to be held on the evening of Thursday, May 4 led by instructor Trevor Spaulding, this promises to be an incredible evening of music.  The musical trend will continue with a move to the lyrical when the Valley Ridge Chorus, under the direction of Ms. Megan Watkins, performs a concert on Tuesday, May 9. The VRA Drama Club, sponsored by Ms. Kathleen Zielinski, will perform “Alice in Wonderland” for both students and parents.  Times and locations can be found on the VRA website.

Wards Creek

On March 31, Wards Creek Elementary School (WCES) involved the entire community to celebrate fitness and raise funds for school enhancement projects with the Ready, Set, Glow 5K Run. On April 5, the WCES Warrior Team highlighted their track and field skills by competing in the district track meet at Creekside High School. On April 7, the PTO hosted the annual Spring Fling that consisted of fun games, bouncy houses, obstacle course, great food and famous class baskets drive! On April 21, students and faculty are encouraged to wear blue and green as well as work in grade level gardens to celebrate Earth Day. Cowboy Roundup Day will be April 28 and students are encouraged to wear western gear as they celebrate the traditions of the early American West. The fourth-grade presentation of “The Wizard of Oz” will be on May 11-12. Fifth-grade students are invited to participate in the recognition ceremony on May 16 and the Talent Show on May 22. Kindergarten “Aussie Day” will be on May 24 for the students to spend the day “down under”.

On April 21, students and faculty are encouraged to wear blue and green as well as work in grade level gardens to celebrate Earth Day. Cowboy Roundup Day will be April 28 and students are encouraged to wear western gear as they celebrate the traditions of the early American West. The fourth-grade presentation of “The Wizard of Oz” will be on May 11-12. Fifth-grade students are invited to participate in the recognition ceremony on May 16 and the Talent Show on May 22. Kindergarten “Aussie Day” will be on May 24 for the students to spend the day “down under”.

Middle and High Schools

Gamble Rogers

Gamble Rogers Middle School (GRMS) has been named for their professional collaboration as a “Solution Tree Professional Learning Community Model School “for a third time. There are fewer than 200 model schools in the country and the faculty and staff could not be more proud of all the hard work that has earned them this distinction.

GRMS is proud to present their spring musical, “Getting to Know the Sound of Music” which took place at the beginning of April.  The theater department worked tirelessly to bring the community this wonderful musical experience.

Pacetti Bay

The Pacetti Bay Middle School (PBMS) Wind Ensemble performed at the Florida Bandmasters Association’s District Music Performance Assessment on March 9.  At the event, area bands are rated against a pre-set standard of musical excellence on their ability to perform three prepared selections and two selections they have never seen/heard before. The PBMS Wind Ensemble was awarded the rating of “Superior” from all judges.  The rating of superior can be compared to the grade of “A.”  Congratulations!

The PBMS Wildcats are looking forward to the grand opening of the 300-student cafeteria expansion at the end of April.  The new room will include an additional service line to allow the cafeteria staff to serve students more efficiently.  PBMS also expanded the bus loop area, which allows all of the buses to be staged at once to expedite the afternoon pickup line.

Eighth-grade students are actively participating in service learning through the “Be the Change” project.  Students select a local cause or identify an area of need, and then research and share their learning with peers. Students, with the help of their parents, then raise awareness and/or funds in their community to support their cause.

The WEB Leader program is wrapping up its second year.  The eighth-grade mentors meet bi-weekly with their mentees during PAWS time. The eighth and sixth graders have participated in many events this year including creating posters for the CHARACTER COUNTS! Six Pillars 6K/3K Run/ Walk and providing school tours for new students to the school.

PBMS musical theater classes presented “Legally Blonde Jr.” at the end of March.  The 49 cast members and six crew members outdid themselves on stage and behind the scenes in this student-run musical.  They performed in three sold out shows!  The arts program at PBMS encourages students to unleash their creativity and discover new understandings.

Creekside

Creekside High School (CHS) was recently a featured site for the Thelonious Monk Jazz Institute! The Jazz Institute teaches American History through a Jazz construct. This presentation is a gift for our eleventh-grade students and was shared with local district high schools.

CHS Battle of the Books team, led by media specialist Laura Strickland, won the 2017 High School Battle of the Books Competition. At least one team represented every high school in the county. CHS is very proud of these students for their participation in this literacy event. The students were well prepared, well behaved, and “well read.”

CHS Ms. Creekside Pageant was held April 13 at 6:30 p.m.

 

On the Horizon

 

American Youth Character Awards Banquet

The annual American Youth Character Awards Banquet will be held Thursday, April 27 at 6 p.m. at Anastasia Baptist Church. This event recognizes high school juniors and seniors throughout the county who have been nominated by their schools for displaying the Six Pillars of Character — Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, Citizenship — in their daily lives. In addition, two students will be awarded special scholarships, the David Macaulay Mathis Memorial Pursuing Victory with Honor Award for displaying character on the athletic field and the Tucker McCarty Memorial Scholarship for exuding good character in an effort to make the world a better place.

The St. Johns County Elementary Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics Fair

The St. Johns County Elementary Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Fair will be held at Palencia Elementary School Saturday, May 13.  The purpose of this event is to encourage and celebrate student interest in STEM, with the primary goal to promote student use of these subjects to solve real-world problems.  Student representation will be decided at the school level.  Teachers, parents, administrators, and community members are welcome to attend.

Did You Know…?

• Flagler College is now accepting applications for students to start in August in the Public Administrative Degree program.  If you have a friend or co-worker who is interested, please encourage them to apply now.  The deadline for all application materials to be received for a student to start in August is Friday, July 14. Due to the Florida Resident Access Grant, which you will qualify for by being a Florida resident, total out-of-pocket tuition is only $600 for the entire 2017-2018 academic year. Flagler College offers this opportunity as a community service. Students can complete their bachelor’s degrees in just five semesters. The College accepts working professionals from the public, private, and non-profit sectors who have their A.A. or A.S. degrees or who have 60 transferable college credit hours from a regionally accredited college or university.The Public Administration Program teaches the subjects and skills needed for success.  For information on our curriculum and faculty, please refer to the Program’s web page:  http://www.flagler.edu/PAD.  The Public Administration Degree program is widely recognized for its value to the region by elected officials and agency administrators.To apply, please:
• Complete the online application at https://my.flagler.edu/ICS/Admissions/Home.jnz?portlet=Pubic_Administration_Online_Application
• Pay your $30 application fee online by following the instructions that will be emailed to you when your application is submitted.
• Order official transcripts from ALL colleges where you have completed coursework and request that they are sent to the address below.
  Office of the Chancellor
  Flagler College
  74 King Street
  St. Augustine, FL 32084

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