View as Webpage here if having trouble seeing all images.

Sept. 9: Varsity Football (2-0) vs. Windermere (1-1) at 7:00 p.m. at HOME 

Our Bears will compete against Windermere's Wolverines at 7:00 p.m. Friday evening on our field and we hope to see you at the game. Bear Pride!

Sept. 11: Orlando National College Fair - Live event at the Convention Center

Sept. 11: Patriot Day

Cypress Creek High School remembers the events of Sept. 11, 2001:

9/11 FIREFIGHTER

While most able-bodied occupants of the north tower fled down stairwells to safety, firefighters such as Mike Kehoe (pictured) headed up to help the wounded. (National Geographic)

GROUND ZERO

The smoldering remains of the World Trade Center lie at the center of what would soon be dubbed ground zero.

Sept. 13: Student Progress Reports posted to Skyward (2-minute parent video)

Sept. 13: Drama Club Meeting about New York Trip – PAC

Sept. 14: Boys Basketball Interest Meeting at 4:00 p.m. in the Gym 3-108

Sept. 15: Girls Basketball Interest Meeting in the Gym 3-108 

Sept. 15: National Hispanic Honor Society at 5:30 p.m. in the Media Center 

Sept. 15: Girls Volleyball vs. Ocoee HS at 5:30 p.m. 

Sept. 15: Gate Scholarship Deadline

Sept. 15: Start of Hispanic Heritage Month * 

Sept. 16: Varsity Football vs. Lake Nona at 7:00 p.m. 

Sept. 16: Registration Deadline for the Oct. 22 ACT

Sept. 17: OCPS Parent Academy - “A Guide to a Successful School Year” 

Sept. 17: Band and Choir All State Auditions 

Sept. 17: Nemours Health Clinic Free Well Checks & Vaccines (see flyer below)

Sept. 19: Homecoming Dance ticket price rises from $35 to $45

Sept. 19: ESOL Parents Meeting at 5:30 p.m. in the Media Center

Sept. 20: Auditions for CCHS Mainstage Play – Blackbox after school

Sept. 20: Late Registration Deadline with Fee for the Oct. 1 SAT

Sept. 22: Girls Weightlifting Meeting at 2:30 p.m. in 3-108

Sept. 22: Nemours Health Clinic Free Well Checks & Vaccines (see flyer below)

Sept. 27: QuestBridge Scholarship Deadline

Oct. 6: Homecoming Pep Rally 

Oct. 7: Homecoming Dance 

* First Lady Casey DeSantis’ Student & Educator Contests for Hispanic Heritage Month will be opening soon. Each winner will receive a 2-year Florida College Plan scholarship provided by the Florida Prepaid College Foundation and a $100 gift card for school supplies.

Dress for Football Fridays:

Stay Connected:

● School starts at 7:20 a.m. Please ensure your student is dropped off with enough time to be in the classroom by 7:20 a.m. 

● Cell phones, wireless headphones or other electronic devices are not permitted during the school day, with the exception of the student’s assigned lunches. Devices that are not completely concealed may be confiscated. Parent pick-up of devices is available only on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 3-4 p.m. 

● Please ensure that your child is following the Dress Code expectations: 

• Pullovers and sweatshirts are not allowed to be worn over the head 
• No crop tops/tank tops 
• Skirts and shorts must be at a minimum length mid-thigh 
• Large rips in pants or rips above mid-thigh are not permitted 
• No head gear is allowed (including bonnet, head scarfs, beanies, etc.) 

● Parents must register to receive their pick-up and drop-off decals. 

Congratulations to our well-deserved Cypress Creek High School Teacher of the Year, Regan Stapleton, and our Cypress Creek High School Support Person of the Year, Eva Hendy! We are so proud to have you both represent the Bear Nation! 

Teacher of the Year: Regan Stapleton

Support Person of the Year: Eva Hendy

2022 Theme: "The Fairies Are Calling, the Forest Awaits...."

Out-of-School Guests:

Student IDs:

Yearbooks on sale!

Senior Portraits:

Senior Ads:

OCPS families,

This year families MUST complete the Parent Opt-In Consent Form for your child to receive clinic services, such as temperature checks.

The Parent Opt-In Consent Form includes fields for:

• Clinic services

• Individual health screenings

Based on the new Florida law, parents/guardians must choose to opt-in or out of each individual clinic service and health screening by law. In the case of an emergency, the parent/guardian and appropriate emergency personnel will be contacted.

The online Parental Opt-in Form is available through the OCPS Parent Portal in the Skyward Family Access app. For help completing the online forms, please view.

• Online Parent Forms Video Instructions

OCPS families that have NEVER logged into the OCPS Parent Portal before, please view this video to register. If an error message is received, please complete the OCPS Parent Portal Help Form.

www.beahealthhero.com

CollegeBoard National Recognition Program Award

Several of our Bear-mazing leaders at Cypress Creek High School have been selected as a College Board National Recognition Program Awardee. These students earned this recognition because of their academic achievements in school and outstanding performance on the PSAT/NMSQT®, PSAT™ 10, and/or AP® Exams. They've accomplished these milestones during an immensely demanding period of their high school career. 

We are so excited to recognize:

Andy Rock: National African American Recognition Award

Casey Perez: National African American Recognition Award, National Hispanic Recognition Award

Chrisley Achille: National African American Recognition Award

Ciara Moodie: National African American Recognition Award

Giovana Rodriguez: National Hispanic Recognition Award

Haile Joelle Miller: National African American Recognition Award

Isabelle Lacrete: National African American Recognition Award

Jerrelle Clark: National African American Recognition Award, National Hispanic Recognition Award

Jonathan Paul: National African American Recognition Award

Julissa Paul: National African American Recognition Award

Karina Lopez: National Hispanic Recognition Award, National Indigenous Award

Katherine Bedoya: National Hispanic Recognition Award

Kemanique Gumbs: National African American Recognition Award

Mars David: National African American Recognition Award

Marvens Dor: National African American Recognition Award

SAT & ACT Deadlines:

SAT registration

ACT registration

Scholarships with approaching deadlines:

The Gates Scholarship

Deadline: September 15, 2022

https://www.thegatesscholarship.org/

Description: The Gates Scholarship is a highly selective scholarship for outstanding, minority, high school seniors from low-income households. Each year, the scholarship is awarded to exceptional student leaders, with the intent of helping them realize their maximum potential.

Award: Scholars will receive funding for the full cost of attendance* that is not already covered by other financial aid and the expected family contribution, as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), or the methodology used by a Scholar’s college or university.

*Cost of attendance includes tuition, fees, room, board, books, and transportation, and may include other personal costs.

To apply, students must be:

• A high school senior
• From at least one of the following ethnicities: African-American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian & Pacific Islander American, and/or Hispanic American
• Pell-eligible
• A US citizen, national, or permanent resident
• In good academic standing with a minimum cumulative weighted GPA of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent)

Questbridge National College Match

Deadline: September 27, 2022

https://www.questbridge.org/high-school-students/national-college-match

Are you a low-income high school senior who has excelled academically, but feels that the nation’s best colleges are financially out of reach?

The QuestBridge National College Match can be your pathway to a top college. Through this college and scholarship application process, you can apply for free to the nation’s best colleges and be considered for early admission and a full four-year scholarship from the college.

Award: The Match Scholarship is offered as part of a generous financial aid package provided by the college that covers the cost of attendance, including:

1. Tuition and fees
2. Room and board
3. Books and supplies
4. Travel expenses

QuestBridge is looking for high school seniors who have shown outstanding academic ability despite financial challenges. They take a holistic approach to reviewing applications, and they do not have absolute criteria or cut-offs for GPA, standardized test scores, income, or other factors.

The QuestBridge National College Match is open to any high school senior regardless of citizenship who is currently attending high school in the United States.

Students attending high school in the U.S. as undocumented or international students are eligible to apply, but should review the Additional Citizenship Requirements to see which QuestBridge college partners will consider them for the Match Scholarship.

Who Should Apply:

1. Academic Achievement: Earn primarily A’s in the most challenging courses available and display intellectual curiosity and strong writing ability.
2. Financial Need: Come from households earning less than $65,000 annually (for a typical family of four), with minimal assets.
3. Strength in Character: Have resilience, integrity, and motivation to succeed.

Most Finalists:

1. Rank in the top 5-10% of their class.
2. Score >1260 on the SAT or >27 on the ACT (if reported).
3. Qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.
4. Demonstrate leadership in extracurricular activities and/or engage in community service.
5. Are among the first generation in their family to attend a four-year college.

Paying for college - Use caution with student loans:

Source: Statista Read full article

When the time comes to start planning for college financial aid, we encourage all of our Bears to take advantage of our College & Career Center. Ms. Talani Nelson, College & Career Specialist, is always very happy to discuss options with any student or CCHS family. She is available by appointment here. 

ESOL and GED classes:

A huge shoutout to Elevation Church for donating dinner for our faculty and staff before Open House!

A representative from Princeton University met with students to talk about their opportunities for the future.  

Above and just below: Spotlight on our CCHS Medical Academy

This week was the first time that the students were able to represent the Medical Academy in their scrubs this year! 

Congratulations to our many clubs on a Bear-tastic Club Showcase!  

POC Alliance

Eco Club

K Pop Club

Poetry Club

Interest Meetings/Tryout Dates (Late Fall/Winter Sports):

In order to participate in all sports, you must have all athletics paperwork submitted to Athletic Clearance profile and be “cleared” for participation.  

Interest Meetings:

• Fall Baseball – Fall Season Tryout Sept 6th; Remind Code: @bsb2223; Reg Season tryout: Jan 23
• Fall Softball – Remind code @bearsb23; Reg Season Tryout Jan 23
• Fall/Girls Basketball – Sept 15th Gym 3-108; Remind Code: @gbaskeball; Reg Season Tryout: Oct24
• Boys Basketball – Meeting Sept 14, 3-108 4pm; Remind Code @ccboysbb; Reg Season tryout Oct 31
• Competition Cheer – @cchs-cheer; Reg Season tryout Oct 17
• Girls Weights – Meeting Sept 22, 3-108 2:30; Remind @weights23; Reg Season start Oct 10
• Boys Soccer – Meeting Aug 31, gym 1:30pm; Reg Season Oct 17
• Girls Soccer – @beargoals; Reg Season tryout Oct 17
• Wrestling – @coachhenni 4-101; Reg Season Girls Oct 31/Boys Nov 7th
• Track – Mon, November 7th, 2:45 Stadium; Remind Code: @cchstf23; Reg Season Tryout Jan 30-Feb 1

* Also look for flyers on campus, Twitter/Instagram/Facebook #cypresscreekhs, other announcements

** CCHS Athletics Website: www.bit.ly/bearpaperwork. All forms and instructions for completion are available from this link. 

Wrestling Information

Congratulations to Mr. Patel for winning a Sustainability Award from OCPS.

Congratulations to our Varsity Football Bears for a 12-9 win against University's Cougars!

Ms. LaSanta and Mrs. Metz teach students about Blood Flow with a great demonstration!

OCPS Chess

The OCPS Chess Team is kicking off the year with a ChessKid's Back to School Blitz Contest. Students that play 100 Fast Chess games on their OCPS ChessKid account during the month of September have a chance to win prizes from the OCPS Chess Team. The contest began on September 1, 2022 and ends at midnight on September 30, 2022.

Students can access their OCPS ChessKid account via Launch. The app is in the OCPS Apps folder. All OCPS students are welcome to participate!

OCPS Parent Academy

This is the back-to-school event of the season!

Join us for a FREE day of learning and fun at Parent Academy. You will leave with all of the information and resources you need to make your student's school year a success!

There will be sessions from all district departments and a vendor hall with community partners just waiting to answer your burning questions.

Worried you won't be able to concentrate with kids in toe? Need childcare? We've got you covered! The Youth Academy is FREE for students grade Pre-k through 8th and features activities and games from Kidz Art, The Orange County Library, YMCA and more!

Date: September 17. 2022 | 9a.m. - 1p.m.

Location: Colonial High School

More information: 407-317-3300 | Email: ParentAcademy@ocps.net

Don't delay! Please register today.

Happy Birthday, Principal Mendez!

Nemours Mobile Clinic:

As we are now at the mid point of this first nine-week quarter and that we have a big football game vs. Windermere this evening, we chose to run this insightful poem as a reminder about goal setting for all of our Bears.

GOALS IN LIFE

When I think of what it is that sets some of us apart,

I think that goals in life must be the place to start.

Imagine playing football on an unmarked field of green, 

Not a goal line to be sought, not a goal post to be seen.

It would be an aimless battle were there nothing to be gained,

Not a thing to strive for, not a score to be obtained.

We must have purpose in our lives for the flame that warms the soul 

is an ever lasting vision; so every person must have their goals.

By Anonymous

Have a great weekend!

Ms. Mendez, Principal

Cypress Creek High School

Friday, September 9, 2022

• Principal: Marisol Mendez - 32281@ocps.net
• Assistant Principal: Gale Beasley - 11319@ocps.net
• Assistant Principal: Bethany Chappetta - 54459@ocps.net
• Assistant Principal: James Hoffman - 46236@ocps.net
• Assistant Principal: Karl Wagner - 36896@ocps.net
• Assistant Principal: Angela Zambrano - 32095@ocps.net

This communication may contain information that is legally privileged, confidential or exempt from disclosure, and intended only for the use of the addressee(s) named above. If you are not the intended recipient, please note that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. Anyone who receives this message in error should notify the sender immediately by telephone or by return e-mail, and delete the message from their computer and any printout thereof. Please note that OCPS utilizes spam and junk e-mail filtration applications in its e-mail systems. That filtering process may prevent or delay delivery of certain e-mail communications. If you do not receive a timely response to an e-mail communication, please contact the intended recipient by phone.

OCPS EEO Non-Discrimination Statement

The School Board of Orange County, Florida, does not discriminate in admission or access to, or treatment or employment in its programs and activities, on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, marital status, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other reason prohibited by law. The following individuals at the Ronald Blocker Educational Leadership Center, 445 West Amelia Street, Orlando, Florida 32801, attend to compliance matters: Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Officer & Title IX Coordinator: Keshara Cowans; ADA Coordinator; ADA Coordinator: Jay Cardinali; Section 504 Coordinator: Tajuana Lee-Wenze. (407.317.3200)

Copyright Notice

Reproduction of this material, either written or electronically, including the general layout, graphics, analyses, and content topics without the express approval of Target Performance Systems, Inc., a Florida corporation, and OCPS - Cypress Creek High School is forbidden without written consent. Thank you for your support of Cypress Creek High School and the Orange County Public Schools. Please contact Mr. Caleb Root at caleb.root@ocps.net with any questions or for further information.