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Dr. Phillips High School

The Panther Post

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DP Medical Academy and Theatre students participated in the county-wide Mass Casualty Exercise (Panther success story in this issue). 

Monday, April 21, 2025

Hello Mark,


Thank you to all of our Panther parents and guardians who completed this year's annual family survey which ended this past Tuesday. Once we recieve the combined survey results, the findings will help to shape our school improvement plans for the upcoming school year. 


Friday, April 25 will begin AICE testing followed by Senior Common Final Exams (CFEs) on Monday, April 28 through Wednesday, April 30. The full schedule of spring exams has been included again in this week's Panther Post as a reminder for students and also for our parents as these are critical attendance days. 


We are looking forward to Wednesday evening's Student Showcase as our dance students have choreographed and prepared the entire production. With only a few weeks left in the school year, our athletics and performing arts programs are nearing the end of their seasons. Wednesday is an excellent opportunity for an enjoyable evening out for any of our DP families before 2024-2025 comes to a close - TICKETS.


Here is the information and success stores we prepared for this week's Panther Post


1) Panther Spotlight

2) Key Dates

3) New Business Partner

4) Testing

5) Special Events

6) Seniors

7) Asst. Principals Week

8) VPA Partnership

9) World Language Scholars

10) AP Art History

11) Visual Art Students

12) TV Production

13) IXL Math App Recognitions

14) Panther Athletics

15) StuCo

16) College & cCareer

17) Superintendent's Message

18) Policies & Procedures


Thank you for reading.


DP Panthers—Never Less Than The Best


Principal, Jackie Ramsey

Dr. Phillips High School

Panther Spotlight

On April 10th, students of Mrs. Phillips, Mr. Broderick, Ms. Clark, Mr. Whitehead and Ms. Manoughian, participated in a disaster simulation training event for the Central Florida Disaster Medical Coalition (CFDMC). Our Medical Academy and Theatre students participated in the county-wide Mass Casualty Exercise to help local hospitals be prepared for any mass casualty events that may come. This was a great opportunity to test out acting skills and learn about medical injuries from such events.

Key Dates in this Issue

Apr. 21-25: Faculty & Staff Appreciation Week hosted by StuCo

Apr. 22: School Bus Driver Appreciation / Earth Day

Apr. 23: Dance - Student Showcase - TICKETS

Apr. 23: Administrative Professionals Day

Apr. 25: Start of AICE Testing

Apr. 25: Southwest Middle Festival of the Arts

Apr. 25: Grad Bash, 6PM-2AM

Apr. 26: Congressional Art Competition Reception- Secrete Office Studio, 10am-12pm

Apr. 28-30 Senior CFEs

May 01: Cap and Gown Order Deadline

May 01: FAST ELA / FCLE

May 01: Business Academy Awards

May 02: CIS Celebration Ceremony - Guest of Honor, 6-8PM in the PAC

May 05" 38th Annual DP Academic Awards - "Best of the Best" - 6-8pm, PAC

May 14-16: Underclass CFEs

May 15: Last Day for Seniors / Cap and Gown Distribution

May 22: Class of 2025 Graduation

Panthers' Newest Business Partner

Playa Bowls, 7512 Dr. Phillips Blvd, Orlando, FL 32819


On Wednesday, April 9th, DP’s newest Partner in Education, Playa Bowls, treated the DP staff to yummy samples of their acai bowls! 


Playa Bowls Opening First Orlando Location March 2nd

Acai, pitaya, and coconut bowls will soon be available as Playa Bowls makes its Orlando debut.

Source: www.businessdebut.com Read full article

On Wednesday April 9th, DP’s newest Partner in Education, Playa Bowls, treated the DP staff to yummy samples of their acai bowls!  

Testing

Special Events

Student Showcase (April 23):

Dance is preparing for the Student Showcase on Wednesday, 4/23, 7 PM in the PAC.

https://teachtix.com/dphs/student-showcase-2025 

Southwest Middle School's Festival of the Arts (April 25):

*** The Dr. Phillips chorus and orchestra will be performing!

Congressional Art Competition Reception (April 26):

Business Academy Awards Ceremony (May 1): 

CIS Celebration Ceremony (May 2):

Academic Awards Celebration (May 5): 

Class of 2025 Graduation Ceremony (May 22):

2025 Student Surrealist Art Exhibit Open House (June 7 at the Dali Museum):

Seniors! Seniors! Seniors!

Grad Bash

2025 Dr. Phillips High School Grad Bash Information 

Saturday, April 25- 6PM-2AM 


TICKETS SOLD OUT


● If you have not completed the agreement form, you must come see me first thing Monday morning. (there are only 2 of you who have not)

ALL participants must meet in the bus loop by 5:45PM. Park in the DPHS Softball field lot. DO NOT park in the student parking lot or the front of the school.

Tickets & wristbands will be distributed upon arrival at school. Students must not lose their ticket or wristband; both are required for entry to the event. Take a picture of the back of your ticket upon receipt.

Tickets are NON-REFUNDABLE and NON-TRANSFERABLE

** You cannot sell/give your ticket to someone else! All tickets are “attached” to a DPHS student ID.

● You will be assigned a bus (based on alpha), but you may explore the parks with whomever you choose. You MUST ride the SAME bus to and from Universal.

● Students may not leave the parks early or drive themselves and are required to remain for the entire duration of the event. We will return to school at approximately 2:30 AM. 


When you purchased your ticket, you agreed to follow Universal Theme Park Rules & Regulations for this event including chaperone instructions. Any behavioral issues during the event will be dealt with by Universal Theme Park Security and/or Orange County Police. If students fail to follow these expectations, the Head Chaperone, school administration, and parents will be notified, AND you may jeopardize your opportunity to participate in prom, graduation, and/or other end of the year senior events.


* Universal’s Security team strictly enforces all dress code regulations for Grad Bash. If you arrive for the event out of dress code, you may be sent home to change your clothes. The following items are NOT permitted; Universal staff will deny entrance if worn.

o School name, logo or mascot (No school shirts or jackets, etc.)

o Clothing that exposes excessive portions of skin that may be viewed as inappropriate (bikini tops, bikini bottoms, crop tops, extreme low cut tops) 

o Clothing with obscene, offensive language, graphics, or area codes displayed 

o Clothing that is too tight or revealing or with excessive holes or shredding 

o Visible undergarments, pants falling below the waist, spandex body suits

o Tops that show midriff or cleavage or matching attire (twinning)

o Short shorts showing too much skin or shredded to high. (no shorter than mid-thigh)

o Nylon basketball shorts 

o Accessories like chains, spiked collars, studded/spiked belts, or including sharp objects 

o Jerseys of any kind (including college and professional) 

o Large backpacks or purses larger than 8.5” x 5.5” (small clutch bags only)


If problems arise during the event, please notify the nearest Universal Orlando employee who will get in touch with DP chaperones.

Questions? See Ms. Golub in room 2-210

-------------------

Graduation

Thursday, May 22

Ceremony begins at 8:30 sharp!

Students must report by 7:30 AM and will check in with their guidance counselors at the tables on the ground floor of the GEICO garage.

No tickets needed

Additional information will be shared with the students in the coming weeks.

Graduation rehearsal is still pending. We hope to have this information available soon.


Senior Checkout

Seniors will “check out” during the first two weeks of May through their English classes. Students will be escorted to the media center to return devices, chargers, and text books, to the college and career center, AND to guidance to finalize all end of the year paperwork.

Seniors’ last day of school is May 15.


Cap and gown distribution will also take place on 5/15.

Students need to order their cap and gown for graduation by May 1. If they miss this deadline, they will have to purchase on campus on May 15 (distribution day). They can purchase it on Herffjones.com If students have any questions, please see Ms. Golub in 2-210 before or after school or during passing time. 

2025 Assistant Principals Week

During Assistant Principal Appreciation Week, the Guidance department showed support and love to Ms. McDonald on her first Assistant Principal’s Week! 

VPA Magnet:

Art and Dance Student Partnership 

Learning to draw from observation is one of the most fundamental and powerful skills an artist can develop. It trains the eye to see the world more clearly and the hand to interpret what’s seen with accuracy and expression. Observation drawing strengthens an artist’s understanding of proportion, light, form, and movement—skills that are essential across all artistic disciplines.


One highly effective way to develop this ability is through figure drawing. In a classroom setting, figure drawing is a practical and accessible exercise. It allows students to study the human form, capturing gesture, anatomy, and emotion. The process encourages artists to move beyond stylized or imagined representations and instead engage deeply with real-life references.


At Dr. Phillips High School, the Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) Magnet art program celebrates this tradition through a unique and collaborative approach. Art students at DPHS practice figure drawing with the help of our talented VPA Dance Magnet students, who pose as live models. This creative partnership not only enriches the Art students’ understanding of the human form and how it can be applied in motion but also fosters a sense of community and mutual appreciation between the arts disciplines. It’s a dynamic, inspiring experience that exemplifies the power of observation and the value of cross-disciplinary learning in the arts.

Left to right: Chloe Leon, Fabiana Ocque, Morgan Marotta posing for the art students

AJ Williams & Yelani Hill posing for the art class 

2025 OCPS World Language Scholar Celebration Night

This achievement represents academic excellence in the study of a World Language (Spanish) and a strong commitment to intercultural understanding. Thank you, for your dedication, effort, and passion for learning Spanish. Congratulations to Fiorella Murillo, Charles Plumb, Hailey Hao, Dr. Hernández Esquilín, Oliver Plumb, Sumeera Goolie, Abed Hafez, Maria Rodriguez, Isabely Scavarelli and Aroa Reyes.

AP Art History Project Day

Congratulations to our 15 DPHS Visual Art Students!

We are thrilled to celebrate the achievements of 15 incredibly talented Visual Art students from Dr. Phillips High School who have been recognized in the 2025 statewide Florida Art Education Association (FAEA) Student Art Assessment!


These students have demonstrated exceptional creativity, technique, and dedication, earning top honors among peers across the state. Awards were given based on a rigorous scoring system, and we are proud to share that our students received a variety of prestigious recognitions, including:


Award of Emerging Artist – for scores up to 3.0

Award of Merit – for scores of 3.0 to 3.4

Award of Excellence – for scores of 3.5 to 3.9

Award of Excellence with Distinction – for perfect scores of 4.0


We’re incredibly proud of those who received an Award of Excellence and Award of Excellence with Distinction, as their work is featured in the official 2025 FAEA Virtual Exhibitions, now live on the FAEA website. Artworks that earned a perfect score are also highlighted in a special "Excellence with Distinction" Exhibition showcasing the best in student artistry across Florida. Congratulations again to all of our visual art students for this well-deserved recognition. You make DPHS proud!

TV Production Celebration

On Friday, April 11th, our DP staff surprised the TV production students by dressing up as pirates to celebrate the 20th Anniversary Film Festival! 

Ms. Golub and Ms. McKenzie

Ms. Golub and Ms. Diaz

Dean Nasrallah and TV Production teacher Mr. Giguere

Mr. Giguere with Ms. McKenzie

IXL Math App Skill Proficiency Showdown

Congratulations to Mr. Bernadel who came in 2nd place for IXL out of all high school geometry teachers! DP came in 3rd place overall in IXL for Geometry and Algebra I.

Naleysha Pagan Rosario is #1 in geometry of all high schools in IXL. Congratulations to her and her teacher, Ms. Landreneau!  

Jordan Michel was 3rd in Algebra I IXL in the entire county. Congratulations Jordan!  

Please join us in also congratulating Miriame Gazonette for being #2 in the county for Algebra 1 IXL. 

Please join us in also congratulating Brianna Collins Moreno for being #3 in the county for Geometry IXL. 

Panther Athletics

This week in Panther sports:

StuCo

College and Career Center

This past week, several of our school counselors had the opportunity to attend the FSU Counselor Breakfast, where we gained valuable insight into Florida State University’s admissions process and academic offerings.


The FSU admissions team shared detailed information on what they’re looking for in incoming freshmen—from academic readiness to extracurricular involvement—and highlighted some of the incredible programs and opportunities available to students.


It was a great morning of connection, learning, and collaboration. We’re excited to share what we learned with our students as they explore their college options!

Ms. Henry, Ms. Castell, Ms. Bynum, Ms. Smith and Mr. Petrusic

Scholarship deadline reminders - OCPS Scholarship Bulletin:

Please report your College Acceptances and Scholarships: tinyurl.com/DPHSAcceptances

OCPS News

Superintendent's Weekly Message: 

April 14, 2025


This week, on Mondays with Maria presented by Addition Financial, we're handing the mic to our middle schoolers! Hear their real, honest advice for incoming students!


Want more middle school tips? Listen to this week's Mondays with Maria Podcast, wherever you get your podcasts.

Policies & Procedures

* The 2025-2026 School Bus Rider Registration form is now accessible to parents, schools, and Student Enrollment staff via the Skyward portal. Completing this form is mandatory, as it will facilitate the issuance of student bus ID cards. Please refer to the attached document for detailed instructions on how to access and complete the form.

* Please remember that due to being a fire and trip hazard, blankets are not allowed on school campus. A staff member will first give a warning to put away and not to bring back. If the student refuses, the blanket will be stored in building 700 (Discipline Office) for students to pick up after school.   


* Per OCPS: Delivery of food or beverages from off campus to students is not allowed during the school day. This includes food delivery from services such as Uber Eats or DoorDash. All students are able to eat free lunch and breakfast in our cafeteria every single day. After-school meals are also available for students who attend after-school programs. Parents/Guardians are not to bring food or drop off to students, unless documented as a dietary restriction or medical condition. Please reach out to drphillips_hs@ocps.net with any questions or concerns. https://drphillipshs.ocps.net/school_information/food_services 

* Students who arrive after 7:20am will come through the front office (not the gate) and receive a green late pass to 1st period.


* Students, please remember that you are not allowed to leave your classroom in the first or last 10 minutes of every class period.


* Students, your job here at school is to attend class and succeed in your studies and extracurriculars. Please make sure you are arriving to ALL of your classes on time and are attending each of your classes throughout the day, every day. Poor attendance, skipping, and tardiness can and will have a negative impact on your grade. If you are absent for a doctor's visit or anything else that warrants an excused absence, please make sure to submit a signed note to the front attendance office as soon as possible once you return to school. 

If you have 5 unexcused absences in a calendar month or 10 in 90 days you are considered truant and can lead to school and legal consequences (driver license revoked for example).


* Panther Parents and student drivers, please remember that there is only ONE (1) lane to turn right into the student parking lot and student drop off lanes. Please do not cut off other cars or attempt to turn right from the center lane. This not only can cause an accident but endangers yourself, the other drivers around you and anyone walking in the immediate area. As a reminder, you should also NEVER be dropping your students off ON Turkey Lake Road. This is extremely dangerous, especially in the dark mornings and could cause you or your student to be harmed if other cars do not anticipate your stop or see your student. The only place your student can be dropped off is in the drop off lane on DPHS campus. Remember, arriving early means your student can be dropped off quicker and safer. Please plan accordingly!  

Head gear:

DPHS Never Less Than The Best!

Ms. Ramsey, Principal

Dr. Phillips High School 

Sunday, April 20, 2025

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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 - Dr. Phillips High School is forbidden without written consent. Thank you for your support of the Orange County Public Schools and especially Dr. Phillips High School. Please contact amanda.stavdal@ocps.net with any questions or for further information.
Dr. Phillips High School
6500 Turkey Lake Road,
Orlando, FL 32819
Phone 407-355-3200
Fax 407-355-3288