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The Eagle's Call!

Edgewater High School

Integrity. Pride. Tradition.

Edgewater High School Community Brief

Monday, October 19, 2026

Edgewater HS Community Member

I have had many bad days in my professional life. There were days that I questioned my teaching ability, days that I faltered in my mission, and days when my health failed me. There have even been days when self-doubt crept into my mind about my ability to lead. But no matter the bad days, I always think of a quote from Maxime Lagrace that says, “The sun always comes up, spring always comes after winter, and the river always reaches the ocean, always.” I say this because last week, we had a bad day and a half at Edgewater. Some of our students made poor decisions for which they must be held accountable. All schools may have a bad day or two during the quarter, semester, or school year. Our bad day turned into a broader discussion about who should attend Edgewater High School, prompted by social media posts I saw. The discussions I read made me reflect not only on my experiences as the school's leader but also as a former student and alum. 

I was raised in the 32808 zip code of Orlando and have attended all OCPS public schools growing up. In 1996, the EST program attracted me to Edgewater, but when I got on campus, it was the community and culture, and the diverse backgrounds of so many students that kept me here. To me, Edgewater is more than a zip code or the location where it sits. Edgewater is a community that has been the foundation for so many people who have graduated and led exemplary and amazing lives. Edgewater is special because of the students who attend the school, the teachers who educate, inspire, and believe in them, the administrators who motivate and guide them, and the families and community members who build partnerships for the success of all students. 

The bad days do not define who we are, nor does the area in which we live. What defines us is how we respond to those moments and come together as a community to make Edgewater the best learning environment, so that all students, no matter the zip code, have the opportunity to be the best versions of themselves. My commitment to excellence is not just for academics; it is to develop the whole student, to create a young adult ready to impact society positively, and to have them love their school and give back as much as I do. 

In Eagle Pride,

Dr. Jackson

Permanent Adjustment to the Bell Schedule

Please note that our daily bell schedule has been slightly adjusted to incorporate morning announcements into first period. Moving announcements to the start of the day ensures all students receive key updates together without interrupting later classes. Morning announcements will also be posted on Canvas daily to make sure that upperclassmen who have late arrival will also receive the same information.

Eagle Spotlight!

Our Marching Eagles and Colorguard showed up to help cheer on our football team at the Jones and Evans games last week. Catch them again at this Friday's game at Dr. Phillips, playing both in the stands and on the field at halftime!

October Testing Updates

Green Team Needs Green and Other Lids

A special plan is in the works and while we welcome all color lids, we especially need all shades, shapes, and types of green lids to be the focal point of our secret project. Please donate these lids in the box at the front office or in the top GREEN bin in the Green School area at the beginning of building 3, first floor.

Academics: Week #10

AP Literature students are working on a rhetorical analysis using Disney movie song lyrics and speeches. 

Students are working in teams to create a poster project using the pneumonic SPACE CAT (Speaker, Purpose, Audience, Context, Exigence—--Choices, Appeals, Tone). For each one, they have to explain the Song/Lyrics or Speech using the pneumonic. Then use a quote from the song/speech and explain it. 

Examples of the students' poster projects where they applied the SPACE CAT pneumonic:

Eagle Athletics

Basketball and Wrestling Try-Out Information:

Varsity Football - Edgewater-Evans postponed

Excerpt from the Orlando Sentinel (Oct. 17):

Week 9 high school football play began Monday, with Jones defeating Edgewater in a clash of downtown Orlando powers. In another big game on Thursday undefeated Sanford Seminole rolled to a 44-0 win over Spruce Creek in Port Orange.

That set the stage for an eventful Friday night that got spoiled in a number of stadiums due to lightning. A number of games were completed but others were halted. The Edgewater at Evans game was halted at the half and postponed.

College and Career

New Scholarships:

1. Orange County School Counseling Association 2027 Scholarship - The Orange County School Counselor Association is the professional organization for School Counselors throughout Orange County Public Schools. The Orange County School Counselor Association is the professional organization for School Counselors throughout Orange County Public Schools.

• Deadline: January 8, 2027
• Award: $500
• https://forms.gle/YCCntFSwX9WPz3DW9

2. Lions of District 35-0 Youth Exchange Scholarship - This Scholarship was created by the Lions Clubs of District 35-0 to establish a suitable Memorial to commemorate the untimely death of Paivi Harittu, from Paimio, Finland. Miss Harittu, a Youth Exchange student traveling under the auspices of Lions Clubs International Youth Exchange Program, lost her life in a tragic automobile accident in Orlando on the evening of July 4, 1983. Scholarships are $1,500. They will be presented to outstanding students and may be used for educational purposes or other educational travel.

1. Deadline: February 5, 2027
2. Award: $1,500
3. Application will be uploaded to Xello.

3. American Muslim Alliance Scholarship - The American Muslim Alliance of Florida Inc. will be awarding a total of $20,000 in scholarships to thirty students in support of Florida high school senior students (of all faiths and race) in pursuit of a college education. The top 10 students will each receive a scholarship in the amount of $1,000. In addition, 20 students will each receive a scholarship in the amount $500.

1. Deadline: May 5, 2027
2. Award: (10) $1,000 and (20) $500 scholarships will be awarded
3. Application will be uploaded to Xello.

Food for Thought

1) US high school students participating in dual enrollment passes a major milestone.

Source: CCRC (Sep. 28, 2026) Read full article

2) Read inspirational quotes for our Eagles about creating a powerful inspiration, celebrating difficulty and the power of positive thinking.

Douglas On Preparation

Hard days are the best because that's when champions are made.

~ Gabby Douglas, gymnast

Roosevelt On Impact

A good leader inspires people to have confidence in the leader; a great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves.

~ Eleanor Roosevelt, former first lady

Prichard On Optimism

Leaders start with the positive, always believing the best first.

~ Skip Prichard, business executive

Nooyi On Authenticity

An important attribute of success is to be yourself. Never hide what makes you you.

~ Indra Nooyi, business executive

Son On Action

Vision without execution is just a hallucination.

~ Masayoshi Son, investor

Integrity. Pride. Tradition.

Edgewater High School

Dr. Jackson, Principal

Sunday, October 18, 2026

Edgewater High School | Dr. Alex Jackson, Principal | 407.835.4900 | EHS Website