SJCSD

High School Program of Choice Options

High School Showcase

Attention all 8th and 9th graders who are interested in learning about Program of Choice Options for High School next year!  The District Wide High School Showcase will be Thursday, January 19, 2017, from 3:30pm – 7:00pm at the World Golf Village Convention Center. This event is for first time applicants and their families who reside in St. Johns County. The fair will showcase all Career Academies, JROTC, AICE, IB and the St. Johns County Center for the Arts. Students and parents can drop-in and talk with teachers, students and business partners anytime during this timeframe to learn more about these programs.

How to Apply

To apply to a High School Programs of Choice or the Murray Middle School Center for the Arts Program for the 2017-2018 school year, please view our Home Access Center (HAC) Directions.

Those needing a sign language interpreter at the High School Showcase or any Academy Night, should contact Sonia Howley.

Academy Nights

To learn even more about the programs that interest you, plan to visit the high schools on their Academy Nights to visit the classrooms and talk more in-depth with teachers and students about their programs. Below is the schedule of each high school’s Academy Night.

January 24 Pedro Menendez 6:00 – 7:30pm
January 26 Allen D. Nease 6:00 – 7:30pm
January 30 St. Johns Technical 5:30 – 6:30pm
January 30 St. Augustine – ALL St. Johns County Center for the Arts and Murray Middle School requests must apply by February 10, 2017. (Auditions at St. Augustine High School and Murray Middle School will occur on February 17, 2017) 6:00 – 7:30pm
January 31 Bartram Trail 6:00 – 7:30pm
February 2 Ponte Vedra 6:00 – 7:30pm
February 7 Creekside 6:00 – 7:30pm

How to Apply

To apply for an academy, current 8th and 9th grade students attending a St. Johns County School District school (including St. Johns Virtual School) MUST apply online between January 19 – February 10, 2017 to be considered for any of these programs next year. View directions showing how to apply in Home Access Center (HAC).

Current St. Johns County 8th & 9th grade students who are homeschooled and do not know their Home Access Center student account numbers may call Kathy Jones at (904) 547-8087 to learn their student account numbers.

Current St. Johns County 8th and 9th graders who are attending private or charter schools MUST go to the current public school to which they are zoned to pre-register and complete a Program of Choice paper application. Then the zoned school will forward that to the Career Education Office. When pre-registering, be sure to bring the child’s birth certificate, parent’s driver’s license, current mortgage or lease, most current utility bill and one other current bill documenting your St. Johns county address.

Students not currently residing in St. Johns County are not eligible to apply to our Programs of Choice. Also, please note that school district transportation is only provided to students’ zoned schools. Families must provide transportation to other schools.

For all other information about the Programs of Choice and the Application process, visit the Career & Technical Education (CTE) of St. Johns County website or call (904) 547-4870.

High School Program of Choice Options Read More »

New Mass Notification System

Good Afternoon SJCSD Employees, Parents and Guardians:

The St. Johns County School District has begun using a new mass notification system called SchoolMessenger. While the migration to this new system will be a seamless process with regard to voicemails and emails from principals and district administration, it will be necessary for everyone to opt-in to receive text messaging.

There are only two requirements for a recipient to receive messages via SMS text: the recipient’s wireless number imported into SchoolMessenger from our Student System and “Opt-In Confirmation” from the recipient’s wireless device. These requirements address any concerns related to the accuracy of the database and potential costs associated with receiving text messages.

Recipients can easily opt-in by simply responding “Y” (or “Yes”), to the SchoolMessenger opt-in message from 67587. The invitation to opt-in will be sent to Parents/Guardians and District employees on Wednesday, January 4, 2017.

If Parents/Guardians do not receive an opt-in text message on their mobile device from SchoolMessenger by midnight on January 4, 2017 please contact your school in the next few days that follow to add your mobile device phone number to your contact information.

If Employees do not receive an opt-in text message on their mobile device from SchoolMessenger by midnight on January 4, 2017 please update your Employee Information by logging into Employee Online and editing or adding your cell phone number.

Thank you,

St. Johns County School District

New Mass Notification System Read More »

Early Literacy Skills

Students in kindergarten, first and second grades build foundational skills in early literacy development through the implementation of the “Being a Reader K-2” program which began this school year. “Being a Reader K-2” is a literacy resource developed by the Center for the Collaborative Classroom based on extensive research. The Center for the Collaborative Classroom also developed “Being a Writer,” which was implemented in SJCSD elementary schools last year. Both programs are based on best practices and support the development of the whole child while addressing social-emotional needs in tandem with reading and writing instruction. This is a proactive step in meeting the early literacy needs of every elementary student in St. Johns County.

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Creekside Knights of Distinction Help with Hurricane Recovery Effort

On Saturday, October 15, 2016, members of the Creekside High School club the Knights of Distinction went to the home of a teacher at arch-rival Bartram Trail High School which had been hit hard by Hurricane Matthew. The boys helped with the urgent task of removing all the hard wood flooring from the house, some walls, countless nails in the floors and literally tons of the teacher’s previous life that had to be carted to the curb. I have never seen such destruction. It looked like images from Hurricane Katrina in Davis Shores. Every single house’s contents were piled high on the street.

Troy Kasting
Assistant Principal
Creekside High School

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Coaches of the Year 2016

coy16-2Eight St. Johns County coaches were recently honored with the Jeff Holt Coach of the Year Award for Pursuing Victory with Honor.

Pictured from left to right are Paul Abbatinozzi, Director for School Services; Tim Krause, Nease High School; Frank Holleman, St. Augustine High School; Megan Schooley, Pedro Menendez High School; Eric Frank, Creekside High School; Daniel Villarreal, Ponte Vedra High School; and Dr. Joseph Joyner, Superintendent and Keynote Speaker for the Pursuing Victory with Honor workshop.

Absent from the photo are Meghan Jackowiak from Bartram Trail High School, Susan Lucas from the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind, and Justin Taylor from St. Joseph Academy.

Coaches of the Year 2016 Read More »

First Coast Technical College Update

On July 1, 2016 First Coast Technical College will operate as a St. Johns County School. The Charter status of FCTC was terminated by mutual agreement between the Governing Board of First Coast Technical College (FCTC) and the St. Johns County School Board.

The St. Johns Count School District (SJCSD) will continue the operation of the school as a technical center with a focus on career education. The district intends to maintain all sustainable educational programs and over time to further develop and/or expand offerings that meet the needs of both adult and high school students in a tri-county area. The change in status of FCTC should have minimal immediate impact on existing students. FCTC is open and ready to serve!

Vendors and other parties associated with FCTC — please read the following important notice.

First Coast Technical College Update Read More »

Four Public School Boards and Superintendents Recognized as Master Boards

IMG_2442 Tampa, FL—Four Public School Boards were recognized by the Florida School Boards Association at the Annual Summer Conference this week in Tampa, FL for earning the Master Board distinction.  Hamilton, Okeechobee, and St. Johns received their award in front of over 200 peers and education leaders from across the state during the conference luncheon. Walton County will receive their award in district at a meeting in July.

To earn this distinction, a majority of the district’s board members and the superintendent must be present for 22 training hours including a Master Board Forum.  The leadership curriculum is designed to offer meaningful learning sessions concentrating on student achievement through the four pillars of the FSBA Governance Model: vision, structure, accountability, and advocacy.

IMG_2463“FSBA’s Master Board program is designed to ensure that a school board and superintendent can work effectively, efficiently, and collectively as a governance team while maintaining a focus on student learning and factors contributing to the success of schools.  These board-superintendent teams have shown their commitment to alignment of a shared vision to ensure the desired results for their district,” commented FSBA Executive Director, Andrea Messina.

Hamilton County was also recognized as a Gold Star Master Board for having perfect attendance at all training events.

The Master Board Distinction is one of several professional development programs offered by the Florida School Boards Association to ensure board members obtain well-rounded and thorough understanding of his or her policy-making job responsibilities.

More information about all FSBA professional development offerings and recipients can be found at http://fsba.org/professional-development.  

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Northeast Florida MathCounts Competition

Switzerland Point students are pictured with coaches Deborah Robbins and Jennifer Wilkie
Switzerland Point Middle School students are pictured with coaches Deborah Robbins and Jennifer Wilkie

The Northeast Florida MathCounts competition was held Friday, February 26, at University of North Florida. It is the largest competition in the country and St. Johns County had six middle schools participating including Fruit Cove Middle School, Alice B. Landrum Middle School, Liberty Pines Academy, Patriot Oaks Academy, Sebastian Middle School, and Switzerland Point Middle School.

All St. Johns County middle schools competing placed in the top 40% of teams. Switzerland Point Middle School placed fourth overall and is advancing to the state competition held in Orlando on Friday, April 1.

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History Fair Winners 2016

awardsRoughly 100 students participated in the 4th Annual St. Johns County History Fair in February. Award winners were recognized at a ceremony held at First Coast Technical College on Wednesday, February 24, 2016.


Junior Division Winners

Individual website
1st – Kason Ancelin, Switzerland Point Middle, “Louis Pasteur’s Fight Against Disease”
2nd- Jennifer Balestra, Alice B. Landrum Middle, “Nelly Bly and Her Exploration of Americas Insane Asylums”
3rd – Joshua Jacobs, Fruit Cove Middle, “Expensive Explorations”

Group website
1st – Nathaniel Duck, Colin Ngin and Daniel Goodrich, Switzerland Point, “Challenger”
2nd – Jordan Sabo and Lindsey Sabo, Switzerland Point, “Encounter of the Solanas: Influence on Florida”
3rd – Mohit Ballikar, Deven Ellis and Joshua Prohofsky, Fruit Cove, “What went wrong between Andrew Jackson and the Cherokee Nation”.

Individual performance
1st – Nima Goodman, Landrum, “Exploration of the Life of Pocahontas”

Group performance
1st – Ethan Grunow-Drew and Alan Michael, Switzerland Point, “Fibonacci”
2nd – Ainsley Wiechens and Kayla Wiechens, Switzerland Point, “Ruth Wakefield”
3rd – Philip Baratelli, Lucas Comparato, Brady Teichman and Jude Howell, Fruit Cove, “Sparta’s Encounter with Romans”

Individual documentary
1st – Elliot Kantor, Landrum, “The Silk Road”
2nd – Jenna Forcier, Fruit Cove, “Juan Ponce De Leon and the Myth of the Fountain of Youth”
3rd – Wade Miller, Switzerland Point, “Space Race”

Group documentary
1st – Lauren Donalson and Kaitlyn Rouzie, Switzerland Point, “The Cubo Line and City Gate Protection and Security to the Nation’s Oldest City”
2nd – Alia Farooque and Camille Aguilar, Switzerland Point, “Small Pox”
3rd – Marina Mechetti, Carolina Mechetti and Lily Quick, Landrum, “The Exploration of Flight”

Individual exhibit
1st – Veronica Czajkowski, Patriot Oaks Academy, “Black Death”
2nd – Taylor Hampson, Fruit Cove, “King Henry VIII, his Influence of the Protestant Reformation, and the Motives of Pligrimages and Exploration to the New World”
3rd – Remington Chenore, Landrum, “The Radioactive Lady: Marie Curie”

Group exhibit
1st – Julia Martin and Caroline Rice, Fruit Cove, “Exploration of How Greek Mythology Affects Society”
2nd – Ava Nelms and Sophia Peake, Sebastian Middle, “Lewis and Clark”;
3rd – Lauren Alexis Edmonds and Addison Bullen, Switzerland Point, “Lost Ships of St. Augustine”

Research paper
1st – Angela Ramsey, Switzerland Point, “Genghis Khan”
2nd – Hanna Do, Patriot Oaks, “Triangle Factory Fire”
3rd – Ashton Monk, Landrum, “Little Boy and Fat Man”


Senior Division Winners

Individual website
1st – Danielle Haddock, Creekside High, “Can you Tell Me How to Get to Sesame Street?”
2nd – Adawe Bosworth, St. Augustine High, “Japanese Internment Camp”
3rd – Amanda Donahue, Ponte Vedra High, “Irish Immigration: A Cultural Exchange”
Honorable Mention – Adam Snowden, Ponte Vedra, “Fighting Yellow Jack: How the U.S. Army Yellow Fever Commission Identified the Culprit Behind the Spread of Yellow Fever”

Group website:
1st – Ben Honiker and Noah Kathe, Creekside, “The Viking Invasions of the British Isles 793-900 AD”
2nd – Elizabeth Fox, Frank Lukens and Harrison Snowden, Ponte Vedra, “Marie Tharp: Mapping the Ocean Floor”
3rd – Elliott Steele and Brighton Ancelin, Creekside, “The Space Race: US vs. USSR”

Individual documentary
1st – Shelby Brackett, Creekside, “Mabury vs. Madison”

Group documentary
1st – Ciara Boulos and Mia Andrews, St. Augustine, “Dr. Seuss: Perfectly Political”

Individual exhibit
1st – Nicholas Famularo, Ponte Vedra, “Zheng He: Admiral of the Western Seas”
2nd – Andrew Brownett, “The Young Apprentice of WWI”

Group exhibit
1st – Katherine Slava and Maia Medley, St. Augustine, “One Small Step for a Man, One Giant Leap for Mankind”
2nd – Matt Adams and Nicholas Rodgers, St. Augustine, “Midway”
3rd – Mairead “Maggie” Boylan, Taylor Noon and Aleyna Turker, Ponte Vedra, “Feminist Art and its Movement”

Research paper
1st – Charles Sherwood, Creekside, “Playing Revolution: Soviet Encounters in China from 1917-1928” (overall winner)
2nd – Rachel Barden, Creekside, “Horace Mann and the Public School Reform”
3rd – John Middleton, Ponte Vedra, “Exchanges and Encounters: Early New Spain in the North American Southwest”

History Fair Winners 2016 Read More »

Sparky and Rhonda Rucker Performance at Liberty Pines Academy

February 25th, 2016 at Liberty Pines Academy – Sparky and Rhonda Rucker take their audience on an educational and emotional journey that ranges from poignant stories of slavery and war to an amusing rendition of a Brer Rabbit tale or their witty commentaries on current events.

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Pedro Menendez High School Senior Selected as Asofsky Foundation’s Leaders 4 Life Fellow

hannah-slide

Hannah Kilbride has been selected as one of six Asofsky Family Foundation’s Leaders 4 Life Fellows.  This scholarship is awarded to Florida high school seniors who are in the Take Stock in Children Scholarship Program and have achieved academic excellence in coursework and exhibited strong leadership skills.  As a Fellow, Hannah receives a Apple Laptop and financial assistance with all college expenses.  Each summer she will also be given the opportunity to participate in the Fellow Institute which is designed to enhance job skills, explore internships and network with other scholars and business leaders.  Hannah will be pursuing here college degree at Florida State University in the fall.

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