Happy Friday!

Our new 9th grade Counselor, Mrs. Herron, will start on Monday! We are still working on clearing our Spanish teacher through HR. Thank you for your patience!

We still have 2 vacancies that need to be filled - 1:1 ESE Para positions. The person would be working directly with a student during class time and between classes. Both students like school and are easy to get along with. Our preference is to hire 2 full-time people; however, we can break each position into 2 part-time with one person working 2 days and the other person working 3 days. If you are interested, please email ma at Lisa.Kunze@stjohns.k12.fl.us

LAST DAY TO BID!

Nease High School NJROTC is sponsoring a parking spot fundraiser.

Nease High School NJROTC is auctioning two (2) student parking spots to the highest bidder. Bidding starts at 9am on August 22nd and ends at 9pm on August 25th. Bidding begins at $100 and increases in $50 increments. This auction is open to all. Winners will receive an email with information on how to pick-up their parking pass on the 26th. Please make checks payable to the Nease NJROTC Boosters. Click on the link below to access the Auction site. Thank you for your support of Nease High School NJROTC!

https://www.32auctions.com/NJROTCparkingspot2023-24

*************************OLD NEWS BUT DEADLINES ARE APPROACHING!********************************

SAT-NCR (Non-College Reportable) Exam – 12^th Grade ONLY

This test is for 12^th grade students who have not met the FSA Grade 10 ELA and/or the Algebra 1 EOC graduation requirement. Students who participate in this SAT-NCR experience will be granted accommodations (i.e., extended time) in hopes that the extra time will give the student a better chance to acquire the necessary SAT English and Reading (EBRW) score of 480 to meet the FSA Grade 10 ELA graduation requirement and/or SAT Math score of 420 to meet the Algebra 1 EOC graduation requirement. However, because these accommodations are not officially approved by College Board, results earned during a non-college reportable SAT administration cannot be used for admissions or scholarship purposes. 

The SAT-NCR will be offered at Nease on Wednesday, October 11, 2023 to 12^th Graders ONLY. The cost of the SAT-NCR exam is $60.00. Payment can be made via this link in School Pay. Payment is due by Friday, September 8th, 2023.

ACT Non-College Reportable Exam – 12^th Grade ONLY

This test is for 12^th grade students who have not met the FSA Grade 10 ELA and/or the Algebra 1 EOC graduation requirement. Students who participate in this ACT-NCR experience will be granted accommodations (i.e., extended time) in hopes that the extra time will give the student a better chance to acquire the necessary ACT English and Reading score of 17.5 to meet the FSA Grade 10 ELA graduation requirement and/or ACT Math score of 16 to meet the Algebra 1 EOC graduation requirement. However, because these accommodations are not officially approved by College Board, results earned during a non-college reportable ACT administration cannot be used for admissions or scholarship purposes. 

The ACT will be offered at Nease on Tuesday, October 17, 2023 to 12^th Graders ONLY. The cost of the ACT exam is $38.50. Payment can be made via this link in School Pay. Payment is due by Friday, September 8th, 2023.

CHANGES to the PSAT - Read important info below!!

Deadline for 9th & 11th to register is Thursday, Aug 31st. There are NO exceptions to this deadline as the exam is now computer-based and College Board has a hard deadline for schools to register.

College Board has decided to go digital. In order to test students on computers, we must make some changes from our traditional schedule. Please see below for specifics on 9th, 10th, and 11th grade test dates and specifics. 

Nease High School will administer the PSAT/NMSQT (Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test – National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) to all 10th grade students on Wednesday, October 11, 2023. The purpose of the test is to give all students an opportunity to experience taking a college readiness test and identify students who might benefit from advanced coursework. 

There is no need to register 10th grade students, as they will receive their test at no cost through state funding. However, if 10th grade students choose to opt-out please return PSAT-10th-Grade-opt-out-letter to Ms. Messenger in PH 225 or at the front office desk.

Students in 11th grade wishing to take the test MUST register online. Please click here to register and pay: PSAT SchoolPay  The last day to pay & register will be Thursday, August 31, 2023. There is NO possibility of testing if payment is not received by this date. Your student’s Score Report for the PSAT/NMSQT® will be available in mid-to-late November from College Board. The PSAT is the ONLY exam that is used for 11^th graders to qualify for the National Merit Scholars Program. Additionally, a score of 430 on the PSAT Math qualifies as a concordant score for the Algebra I EOC.

Students in 9th grade – Exam date: Monday, October 16, 2023 (This is a teacher planning day. Students are agreeing to come test on a non-school day.)

9^th graders wishing to take the test:

• Must be in Geometry or HIGHER
• Must agree to come in on a non-school day (Teacher Planning Day)

If you qualify to test, you must register online. Please click here to register and pay: PSAT SchoolPay  The last day to pay & register will be Thursday, August 31, 2023. There is NO possibility of testing if payment is not received by this date. Your student’s Score Report for the PSAT/NMSQT® will be available in mid-to-late November from College Board. Reminders will be included in the weekly newsletter Panther Press, sent out by Mrs. Kunze.

Students will receive an Official Student Guide to the PSAT/ NMSQT® through their English classes. This guide contains valuable information as well as a full-length practice test with answer keys.

Please visit www.collegeboard.org/psat for more information

For scholarship information https://pages.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt/why-take-the-psat-nmsqt?SFMC_cid=EM371842-&rid=83347539

For access to free PSAT/NMSQT practice resources, including two full-length practice tests.

For more information regarding the National Merit Scholarship Program

Students with a IEP or 504 Plan:

Please be sure to complete the accommodation consent request and return to Ms. Messenger by August 17th, 2023, in PH 225. This must be processed by this time for CollegeBoard to approve your school-based accommodations. Requests after this date will not be processed and students will test without school-based accommodations. Consent Form

If you have already applied for accommodations with CollegeBoard, you do not need to apply again, you retain the accommodations until one year after graduation date. However, if your accommodations change, it is YOUR responsibility to complete a new form and resubmit in plenty of time..

SENIOR INFORMATION

Graduation - Tuesday, May 21st at 6pm at UNF - students will receive 7 graduation tickets.

SENIOR PORTRAITS -- If you have not had your senior portrait done at Leonard's, you are running out of time if you want it in the yearbook. The deadline for senior portraits is Friday, September 15. Only portraits done by Leonard's will be included in the yearbook. Call (800) 215-4852 - Toll Free or  (904) 209-3300 - Direct or visit https://new.leonards.com/ for more information.

DEADLINE TO ORDER CAP & GOWN - December 1, 2023

www.hjjax.com

What is happening at Nease this week?

Monday, August 28th - GREEN Day - 1, 3, 5 & 7

• 4pm – Girls’ Golf vs Beachside (SJGCC)

Tuesday, August 29th – GOLD Day – 2, 4, 6 & 7

•  9:45am – IB Booster meeting in MC 146
• 3pm – A Christmas Carol auditions in auditorium
• 4:30pm – Girls’ Golf vs Bolles (The Yards)
• 6pm/7pm – JV/V Volleyball vs Trinity

Wednesday, August 30^th – 1, 2, 3, 4, EXCEL, 5, 6 – 2:50pm dismissal

• EXCEL – Annual Club Fair
• 3pm – A Christmas Carol auditions in auditorium

Thursday, August 31^st – GREEN Day – 1, 3, 5 & 7

• 8am – Communications Academy Advisory Board Mtg
• 4pm – Boys’ Golf @ Fletcher (Atlantic Beach CC)
• 5:30pm – JV Green Football @ Creekside
• 6pm – JV/V Volleyball vs Oakleaf
• 7pm – JV Gold Football @ Creekside

Friday, September 1^st – GOLD Day – 2, 4, 6 & 7

• 7pm – V Football vs Creekside

Saturday, September 2nd

Student Life

SCHOOL PICTURE DAYS -- Students in grades 9-11 will take school photos with their English classes on Thursday and Friday, September 7-8. Students who do not have an English class can stop by the PAC at any time after 8:45 to have their photos taken.

Football Home Game Themes

8/25 vs Andrew Jackson – Construction

9/1 vs Creekside – Party in the USA

9/22 vs Orange Park – Gold Rush

10/6 vs St. Augustine – Pink Out

10/13 vs Flagler Palm Coast – Let’s Glow (Homecoming)

10/27 vs PV – White Out

11/3 vs Tocoi – Aliens vs Cowboys (Senior Night)

The Nease Spirit Box has limited stock left of Nease Senior t-shirts. A few smalls and mediums remain. T-shirts are $10 each and all money goes to support our Nease DECA program. Get them before they’re all gone. These won’t be restocked till next year!

Nease Theatre News

On August 29^th and 30^th, we will be holding auditions for the Nease High School production of A Christmas Carol.

Students that are interested in auditioning or being a part of the tech crew should see Mr. Robinson in the PAC (I206) on Gold Days/Wednesdays to pick up both an audition packet and permission slip, and to sign up for an audition.

Students will also be able to get information about joining International Thespian Society (and pick up a permission slip) at the School Club Fair. 

NATIONAL POETRY CONTEST RECOGNITION!

This past April, The America Library of Poetry sponsored their “27^th Annual National Student Poetry Contest” and I promoted it to all our students through our media center. We had several entries, and one of our very own seniors, Enecia Smith, has been invited to PUBLISH her poem “Us Against Them” in their special book of student poetry titled Empowered. On September 30^th, the Library of Poetry review committees will select Division Winners and Runners-Up and Enecia has a great chance of winning some great prizes which includes the possibility of a $500 CASH prize!! Congratulations Enecia! We’re so proud of you!!  

The Girls Basketball team gathered up clothing, shoes, and school supplies to donate at the St. Augustine Homeless Coalition for those less fortunate and need items to start school.

At the end of last year, we were notified by Herff Jones (our publisher) that for the third year in a row, we were selected among the top 10 percent of their 1000+ yearbooks, and featured in their "best of" book for the 2021-22 book, "Falling Into Place." Today we received our banner and certificate!

This year we were also selected for an additional spotlight with a write-up for our opening pages , featuring the aerial shot of our campus. Other selections were our cover and the Wired page. Congratulations to our amazing yearbook sponsor, Ms. Cowart, & staff!

Follow Nease Athletics on Instagram #NeaseAthletics and Twitter @NeaseAthletics

You can support Nease Athletics by becoming a member of our Booster Club! Everyone is welcome to join. There are five membership levels. All funds will directly support Nease High School athletic programs. All athletes and coaches will benefit from the funding. Show your Panther Pride and sign up here https://neaseathletics.com/gpbc-membership/

Link Below for Apparel purchases:

https://sideline.bsnsports.com/schools/florida/pontevedra/nease-high-school

Athletic Clearance

Prior to participating with a Nease High School athletic team, all students are required to complete the athletic clearance process.

Please keep in mind that the FHSAA requires all student athletes to view free NFHS video courses on concussions, heat illness, and sudden cardiac arrest (see instructions below). Signatures on the EL3 form indicate that your athlete has completed these three video courses. The FHSAA also requires that all student athletes have at least a 2.0 unweighted GPA to be eligible for participation.

For step-by-step athletic clearance instructions please visit: https://neaseathletics.com/athletic_clearance/

Athletic Fee/Pay to Participate

The purpose of the Nease Athletic Fee is to help address the costs associated with operating a high school athletic department. Currently the St. Johns County School Board pays each coach’s coaching supplement, and all remaining costs are the responsibility of the athletic department and teams. The athletic fee helps cover the following expenses:

·        Game officials

·        Indoor and Outdoor Athletic Facility maintenance

·        Sports Medicine

·        Security

·        Athletic Leadership Council activities

·        Student-Athlete Letters and Awards

·        FHSAA membership dues and other fees

The 2023-24 fee will be as follows: $75 Per Sport Played

This fee must be paid prior to the student-athlete participating in his/her first contest. Nease Athletics appreciates your attention and compliance regarding payment of this fee. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Nease Athletic Department.

Looking ahead:

Girls Basketball

• If anyone is interested in participating in the fall girls basketball workouts please contact Coach Anthony by email: Sherri.anthony@stjohns.k12.fl.us or phone (904)547-8405.
• Workouts are Monday – Thursday. A calendar will be available for anyone interested in joining. This pre-season time of conditioning and playing will help prepare you for team tryouts in the end of October. All participants must have a current physical.

 Hope to hear from you and see you on the court and in the weight room soon!

Coach Anthony

Nease Girls Varsity Basketball Head Coach

(904)547-8405

Fall Sport Schedules:

To view the fall sports schedules visit https://neaseathletics.com/calendar/

Academy Students Should Check Out the Club Fair

Academy students can get even more involved on Nease’s campus by joining clubs that speak to their interests. The Nease Club Fair will run during Excel Time on August 30^th, in the courtyard behind Panther Hall. Students will have the chance to learn about the different organizations and talk with club leadership. Some of the Career and Technical Education clubs that might be of interest to our Communications, Engineering, and/or Hospitality students include:

Transportation Technology Club -- encourages students to learn about and work on projects related to their interests in transportation including electric vehicle racing, automotive, rocketry, aviation and more   

VEX Robotics Competition Club -- gives students the opportunity to design, build, and program VEX Robots to compete with schools across Florida

Skills USA Chapter -- SkillsUSA competitions and conferences provide a national partnership of students, teachers and industry working together foster career-ready students

Computer Science Honor Society -- supports thriving environments for computer science students. CSHS encourages secondary students’ enthusiasm for computer science, honors academic excellence, and promotes service

CyberPatriot Competition Club -- offers students a series of online competition rounds where teams are given a set of virtual operating systems and are tasked with finding and fixing cybersecurity vulnerabilities while maintaining critical services. The top teams in the nation earn all-expenses-paid trips to Maryland for the National Finals Competition where they can earn national recognition and scholarship money

DECA -- a national organization that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management

Koding for Kids -- we teach all students basic coding skills to help younger students learn coding

*National Technical Honor Society – acknowledges Nease High School Academy students who show leadership and outstanding student achievement. The application is open to Academy Juniors and Seniors with an overall, unweighted GPA of 3.0 or higher and a GPA of 3.5 or higher in their Academy classes. *Will not have a table at the Club Fair, students will learn more about this Honor Society in their Academy classes in September.

Academy Ambassador Applications Available Now

If you’re a Junior or Senior in the Communications Academy, Academy of Hospitality & Tourism, or the Stellar Academy of Engineering, you’re invited to submit an application to become a Nease Academy Ambassador. Ambassadors represent Nease’s Academies at school and district events, help prospective students and parents, and earn service hours. Applications are due by the end of the day on Friday, September 8th. They can be turned in to the front desk (just ask that they be put in Mrs. Combs' mailbox), or emailed to Mrs. Combs at jaime.combs@stjohns.k12.fl.us

You can access the application here or pick one up from your academy teacher.

If you have any questions about the Communications Academy, Stellar Academy of Engineering, or the Academy of Hospitality & Tourism, reach out to Mrs. Combs at jaime.combs@stjohns.k12.fl.us

Mrs. Kennedy has visited all 11^th and 12^th grade TOK classrooms this week. Please ask your student for the information provided during their session. 

10^th grade visits are schedule for next week, August 24^th and 25^th. 9^th grade visits are scheduled for August 30^th. She will see students through their English classrooms.

Seniors were given their gold envelopes to begin their college application process with Nease. Please see the contents of the envelope so you are aware of how to request transcripts, secure letters of recommendations and get secondary school reports completed by Mrs. Kennedy. More information is located in the guidance section of this Panther Press.

College visits will begin September. Juniors and Seniors can sign up to attend through Naviance. There is a limit of 5 per year.

The College Fair will be held on September 7^th in our gym, hosted by our own IB Booster Club from 6-8pm. This is a VERY large event. All grade levels are welcome!

Thank you to those that have joined our IB Booster Club.  They are a non-profit charitable organization run by a volunteer board of parents. All parents with students in the IB program are encouraged to join and participate in the IB Booster events. Parent participation, whether occasionally or on a routine basis, contributes to the success of our students in the IB program. Please visit the website at www.neaseibboosters.org for more information. We are looking forward to meeting you and hope to see you get involved! The first Booster Club meeting will be held at 9:45 on August 29^th in the Nease Media Center. We look forward to seeing everyone there. All visitors are required to sign in, so please make sure you are an approved volunteer with the St. Johns County School District.

For any questions related to testing please email our testing coordinator, Ms. Cynthia Messenger (Cynthia.Messenger@stjohns.k12.fl.us)

547-8281

For all upcoming test dates, please visit the NHS Testing Information  website.

Carolyn Milian – School Librarian Media Specialist

Lorna Patterson – Media Clerk

Media Center phone number – 904-547-8367

Email – carolyn.milian@stjohns.k12.fl.us

LIBRARY ACCESS FORM

Parents, this form is available to ALL families if you would like to restrict access to library materials for your child in our school library media center. If you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to Mrs. Milian for additional information.  

COFFEE STATION DONATIONS!

In our media center we have a coffee station set up with a Keurig for our students to help themselves to a cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate in the mornings, during lunch, and after school. With the start of the year, we have no supplies as of yet. If you are willing and able to help donate so we can keep this going for our students, these are some of the items we need:

·        K -cups (assorted)

·        10 oz. or smaller coffee cups (lots)

·        Creamer (individual packs or powdered. No refrigerated creamers please)

·        Individual sugar packets (no large containers)

Thank you so much for anything you can help out with so we can continue this little “perk” for our students.

STUDENT PLANNERS ON SALE NOW!! 

Would you like to see your student stay organized this year? Have your student purchase a “Nease Student Planner” for $7. Every freshman has received one for FREE through their English teachers, but we have a limited amount for sale for all 10^th through 12^th graders. The planner is filled with lots of great Nease information right at our Panthers’ fingertips. We will be selling them in the media center until we run out. Cash or check made payable to Nease High School will be accepted. Pick up your planner today! This is a fundraiser for our Nease Link Crew program so please help support this wonderful program that benefits many of our students! 

SUMMER READING BINGO!!

All “Summer Reading Bingo” cards and logs are due by next Thursday, August 31^st to the Media Center.  Please click on this link to find all you need to know to earn some great prizes while reading great books this summer and keeping those brain cells stimulated! 

SUMMER READING CHALLENGE 2023

PANTHERS!! Get your “Panther Café Senior Tile”! This is your chance to IMMORTALIZE yourself in our library!

ALL students have the opportunity to take home one of our café area ceiling tiles, paint and personalize it, then have it placed back into our ceiling for a donation of $20. The money raised from this fundraiser will be used to purchase new computers for our media center and other technology enhancements and at the same time have our seniors immortalized in our café as these will never be repainted! Please contact me in the media center for more information.

Dear FTSDC Members and Friends,

We hope you're doing well! We wanted to send a friendly reminder that applications for the Florida Teen Safe Driving Coalition (FTSDC) Ambassador Board are now open! As valued members and friends of the FTSDC, we would greatly appreciate your support in spreading the word about this incredible opportunity for high school students across Florida.

The FTSDC Ambassador Board is a powerful leadership program that empowers student advocates to promote safe teen driving practices. As representatives of the FTSDC, these young leaders will be at the forefront of our coalition, engaging, educating, and mobilizing the community to develop and enhance teen safe driving programs and activities.

We kindly request your assistance in sharing this opportunity with your contacts, colleagues, and anyone who may know high school students passionate about promoting safe driving habits. 

To learn more about the FTSDC Ambassador Board, its responsibilities, benefits, and to apply, interested students can now visit our newly launched website at: https://flteensafedriver.org/teen-traffic-safety-ambassador-program/. The landing page is live and provides all the necessary information for potential applicants to take the next step.

Applications will be accepted until September 13, so please encourage eligible students to apply before the deadline. This is a fantastic opportunity for young advocates to make a real impact in their communities and become the driving force behind positive change on our roads.

We greatly appreciate your continuous support in promoting safe teen driving, and we look forward to receiving applications from bright, passionate students eager to join the FTSDC Ambassador Board.

If you have any questions or need further information, please don't hesitate to reach out to Shaina at shaina@flteensafedriver.org. 

Thank you for your dedication to our mission, and together, let's drive towards a safer future for all teens in Florida!

Best regards,

Shaina Finkel 

Program Assistant

Florida Teen Safe Driving Coalition 

http://www.flteensafedriver.org/

shaina@flteensafedriver.org

(813) 395-4429

Visit our website for FREE Teen Traffic Safety Printed Materials and Posters!

Saturday, September 16

2023 Health Care Career Conference

Interested in a career in the fast-paced field of health care? Spend a day with the health care heroes from Baptist Health!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2023-health-care-career-conference-tickets-542822395397?aff=erelexpmlt&mibextid=Zxz2cZ

About this event

• 
  
• 5 hours
• Mobile eTicket

This free event is open to all local 9th -12th graders. Students can earn up to 8 hours of volunteer service by attending. Spots are limited. Sign up today!

What to expect

• Speak with health care heroes in a range of roles
• Explore the various pathways in health care
• Learn more about the academic and licensure requirements
• Network with local college representatives

Doors open at 9 am. Parking is free. Breakfast and lunch will be provided.

If you register by August 30th, your name will be entered into a drawing for a FREE iPad.

What pathways in health care will be covered?

You can select two pathways to explore at the conference. There are five options:

Diagnostic Services - The diagnostic services pathway is made up of careers that use tests to detect, diagnose, and treat diseases, injuries, or other physical conditions.

Some common careers that fall under diagnostic services include:

• EKG Technician
• Phlebotomist
• Radiology Technologist
• Ultrasound Technologist
• Medical Laboratory Technologist

Therapeutic Services - The therapeutic services pathway is the most popular pathway in health science. It’s focused on working with patients to provide care, treatment, or counseling to improve the patient’s status over time.

Common careers in therapeutic services include:

• Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA)
• Pharmacist
• Occupational Therapist
• Physical Therapist
• Respiratory Therapist
• Registered Nurse (RN)

Health Informatics - The health informatics pathway involves a wide variety of occupations made up of people responsible for managing patient information, financial information, and computer applications related to health care.

This pathway includes careers such as:

• Medical Administrative Assistant
• Health Information Technician
• Nurse Manager
• Medical Transcriptionist
• Hospital Administrator
• Information Services Technician (IT)

Support Services - The support services pathway is often unnoticed by patients, but it’s what keeps healthcare facilities running. Support services employees work behind the scenes to ensure other health care professionals can accomplish their duties.

Some common careers in support services include:

• Dietary Technician
• Biomedical Equipment Technician
• Medical Librarian
• Hospital Maintenance Engineer
• Supply Chain Coordinator
• Plant Facilities Engineer

Biotechnology Research & Development - The biotechnology research & development pathway is a great fit for students who excel in science classes. It includes a range of careers that use advancements in science and technology to improve healthcare.

These careers include:

• Biomedical engineer
• Forensic science technician
• Cytotechnologist
• Epidemiologist