Happy Friday!

Next Friday, March 8th is the last day of the 3rd quarter. Please encourage your child to use this upcoming Wednesday's EXCEL to make-up or retake any work or summative allowed by the teacher. The week of March 11th - 15th is Spring Break with a planning day on Monday, May 18th, so students will return for the final quarter on Tuesday, March 19th. The next Panther Press will be sent on Friday, March 15th. Enjoy the break!

It is time to complete our annual SAC survey - https://surveys.stjohns.k12.fl.us/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=llMJ6o2K Thank you in advance for taking a few minutes to complete as we value your feedback.

NHS ASVAB Test – Thursday, March 7, 2024

The ASVAB Career Exploration Program (CEP) will be administered on Thursday, March 7^th in the PAC at 9:15 AM.  There is no charge to take this test.

You must register to take the ASVAB Test through SignUpGenius, as there will be no other area to sign-up. Deadline to register for the test is TODAY - Friday, March 1^st. THIS EXAM IS FOR 10th, 11th and 12th GRADERS ONLY! To learn more about the ASVAB Test, go to http://www.asvabprogram.com

ASVAB Signup Page: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0F4EA5AB2BA3FF2-47861853-nhsasvab

The District IT department has enabled the 24-25 course request feature under the student's HAC account. To find 24-25 course requests, go to Classes - then Schedule. As we work through petition requests, we will update course requests, so students will see the change.

The necklace on the right was found in the student parking lot near C-pod Wednesday. It appears to be sentimental to someone with a special engraving on the back. The necklace is in the main office and if you claim, you will be asked about the engraving to ensure we return to the correct person.

Seniors, if you need initial or midyear transcripts sent, you will need to turn in your gold envelope to your school counselor. If you never stopped in to CPOD to pick up your gold envelope after you submitted your gold envelope to your counselor, you need to come by CPOD and pick it up. You will need to use this process to get your midyear transcripts sent. The only time you do not need your gold envelope, is when you need final transcripts sent to the college/university you will be attending after high school graduation.  

The presentation from our Financial Aid Night can be accessed using the following link: 

https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:7c92c3fc-4a80-31b5-8b4d-68289ea57010

Thank you to all who joined us virtually

Friday, May 10^th is the last day for seniors who have met all graduation requirements.

MANDATORY Graduation Rehearsal - Thursday, May 16th from 9am to 11am at UNF Arena.

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

Graduation Attire

Graduation is a special ceremony where we have an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the enormous amounts of hard work that our students and families have invested into the completion of the K-12 educational journey. To preserve the dignity and decorum that traditionally accompanies graduation ceremonies, we will be requiring that students adhere to the following expectations:

Dress Attire is required.

Girls

• Dress or dress pants
•  Shoes - sandals, flats, or heels

Boys

• Slacks (khakis are acceptable)
• Collared shirt (dress shirt or 3-button)
• Shoes - loafers such as Sperry's and Hey Dude's are acceptable

Items that are not permitted

• Shorts or Jeans
• Tennis Shoes, Combat Boots, or Flip-flops

Things To Consider

•  Belts should accompany dress pants
• Footwear should be comfortable for standing and walking in. Example: If a student is not accustomed to functional movement in heels, they should be avoided.
• Gown must be zipped the entire ceremony.

Graduation Caps

• Students are welcome to decorate their cap with the name of the college/university or military branch that they will be pursuing after graduation
• No other quotes, messages, symbols, or organizations may be represented on the cap. No exceptions will be made.
• All designs must be 2-Dimensional (no pompoms, beads, flowers, figurines, etc.)
• A blank cap will be provided for students who fail to follow the guidelines above

Local Scholarships for Seniors

The Ponte Vedra Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution will award a $500 scholarship at our meeting on May 7, 2024, to a deserving college-bound senior graduating from a St. Johns County high school in the spring of 2024. Students meeting the eligibility criteria are invited to apply.

Eligibility criteria consist of the following:

• Student is enrolled in one of the following high schools in St. Johns County, Florida: Bartram Trail High School, Creekside High School, Nease High School, or Ponte Vedra High School.
• Student exhibits good academic achievement and character.
• Student has maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or better (where A is equal to 4.0)      during the entire high school enrollment period.
• Student is a citizen of the United States.

Please note that our scholarship committee must receive the student’s application packet no later than March 31, 2024.

St. Augustine Elks Lodge Educational Trust Fund 2024 Scholarships

The applications in both .pdf and a Fillable Word format. Last year five $1000 Scholarships were awarded to Caroline Hamby, John Klatzkow, Cael Thompson and Celine Taylor from NHS.

This year there will be ten $1,000.00 scholarships available to qualifying seniors in St. Johns County. Applicants must attend or have attended a high school within St. Johns County, be a resident of St. Johns County, and have at least one parent that is a St. Johns County resident. Applications are due back no later than April 1, 2024.

Applicants are selected based on the overall excellence of the student, and include community service, extracurricular activities and financial need, as well as academic achievement. 

INK! has opened the Class of 2024 Senior Scholarship Application. 

• The portal is available at https://apply.ink-stjohns.org
• We are pleased to announce that our number of available scholarships for Class of 2024 continues to grow. We have 20+ scholarships available, with a total value in excess of $50,000.
• Some are need based, some are merit based, and some have specific requirements for majors, high school attended, or university attending.
• On the website, there is a narrative description about each scholarship and its requirements.
•  Application deadline for all scholarships is March 23, 2024. 

Engineering Scholarship

SAME, Society of American Military Engineers Jacksonville Post, is awarding $2000 scholarships to high school students who will be enrolling in an engineering, construction, or architecture related program at a college or university this fall. Applications are due by March 29,2024.

Additional information can be found at our website: https://samejax.org/HS-scholarships

The Brian Bourke Memorial Scholarship Application 2024

The Brian Bourke Scholarship will be awarded to Nease High School Seniors who are graduating in May 2024, have demonstrated good moral character, achieved success in the classroom, and have helped in their community. Brian Bourke was a NYC Police Detective who served the public and helped keep his community safe. After working over 20 years in the NYPD he decided to serve the Nease community as a Parking Lot Attendant and helped keep the students and staff safe as well as greet them with a friendly smile every day and sent them on their way to class with words of encouragement and positivity.

• Essay- 400-500 word essay typed, include the following information:
• Member of school community paragraph- academic achievements (GPA, ACT/SAT score), awards or certifications, clubs, your Nease experiences.
• Member of local community paragraph- volunteer activities, jobs, service projects
• Writing prompt response paragraph- Kindness is contagious. How can you spread encouragement and positivity into the world?
• Application is due by April 12th - Application can be printed here.

Rotary Club of Palm Valley

Every year, we offer a $2,000 scholarship to a Nease student who best exemplifies Service Above Self. The scholarship is in memorial of Jeff Hart - a beloved member of the community who did an enormous amount for the community youth - especially in the area of Rotary Youth Exchange.  The application will close April 15th and we’ll notify the winner of the results no later than May 13th.

Jeff Hart Memorial Service Above Self Scholarship 2024 - docs.google.com

Griffin Moody Scholarship Award Application – 2024

One or more $2500 Griffin Moody Scholarships will be awarded to Nease High School Seniors who are graduating in May 2024, have demonstrated good moral character, achieved success in the classroom, participated in extra-curricular activities (either in school or outside of school), and have applied to attend either a traditional or technical college in the Summer or Fall of 2024. Applications are due by April 5th.

REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLICATION:

•  Resume – to include your academic achievements (GPA, ACT/SAT score, any awards or certificates achieved, etc.), and hardships you’ve had to overcome.
•  Have you decided what college you’re attending? What do you intend to major in?
•  Community Service – list all volunteer activities, and total number of service hours achieved.
•  Letter of Reference – at least one letter of reference/recommendation from someone who is familiar with your character and is not related to you.
• Essay – a 400-500 word essay, typed, using the prompt on the application.

Griffin Moody Scholarship Award Application

Week of March 4th 

Monday, March 4^th – Green Day – 1, 3, 5, 7

• No activities

Tuesday, March 5^th - Gold Day – 2, 4, 6, 7

• 7:30am – PTSO mtg in PH104
• HOME: 4pm – Tennis vs Bolles
• HOME: 5pm/7pm – JV/V Softball vs Mandarin
• HOME: 5:30pm/7:30pm – JV/V Boys’ Lacrosse vs Bolles/Providence
• AWAY: 5:30pm/7:30pm – JV/V Girls’ Lacrosse vs Bartram Trail
• AWAY: 6:00pm – JV Baseball @ Mandarin
• HOME: 6:30pm – V Boys’ Volleyball vs Pedro
• HOME: 6:30pm – V Baseball vs Fleming Island

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

• EXCEL: Beaches Go Green mtg in the auditorium
• HOME: 4pm – Tennis vs Stanton
• AWAY: 5pm – Boys’ Weightlifting at County Championship
• AWAY: 5pm – JV Track Meet at St Augustine

Thursday, March 7^th – Green Day - 1, 3, 5, 7

• Battle of the Books in Media Center (Media Center is CLOSED)
• 8:30am – ASVAB exam in auditorium
• HOME: 5:30pm/7:30pm – JV/V Girls’ Lacrosse vs Episcopal/Pedro
• HOME: 5:30pm/7:30pm – JV/V Boys’ Volleyball vs Creekside
• HOME: 6:30pm – JV Baseball vs Fleming Island
• AWAY: 6:30pm – V Softball at Fleming Island
• AWAY: 6:30pm – V Baseball at Atlantic Coast

Friday, March 8^th – Gold Day – 2, 4, 6, 7 – LAST Day of 3^rd Quarter!

• AWAY: V Track at Episcopal
• AWAY: 5:30pm – V Boys’ Lacrosse at Oxbridge Academy
• HOME: 6pm – V Softball vs Christs Church Academy
• HOME: 6:30pm – V Baseball vs Mandarin

Saturday, March 9^th

• NJROTC FT – Area 10 Brain Brawl Championship at Terry Parker HS
• AWAY: 11am – V Boys’ Lacrosse at Cardinal Newman

Week of SPRING BREAK!

The office will be open Monday through Thursday from 8:30am to 4pm.

We will be closed on Friday. 

Monday, March 11^th

• AWAY: 6:30pm – V Baseball at Union County

Tuesday, March 12^th

• AWAY: 1pm – V Baseball at Ridgeview

Wednesday, March 13^th

• AWAY: 5pm/7pm – JV/V Boys’ Lacrosse vs Matanzas

Saturday, March 16^th

• V Track Meet at Bob Hayes
• NJROTC FT – Orienteering Nationals in Raleigh, NC

Sunday, March 17^th

• NJROTC FT – Orienteering Nationals in Raleigh, NC

National English Honor Society

Next meeting is March 4^th in B102, Excel B.

If you missed our meeting on Feb. 28^th, please stop by B102 before school for your NEHS certificate.

Due March 4^th –

Please decided on your spring writing submission by our next meeting. All options are in Schoology Group.

Make sure you decide which Prose and Cons you are going to submit to via Schoology Group.

March “Prose and Cons” – female authors

April “Prose and Cons” – poetry

Girls Weightlifting

State Championships Results

Isabella Knight – 6^th in Olympic, 7^th in Traditional

She has earned the first State Championship Medal for Nease in 4 years!

Isabella was also selected to represent Nease in the Florida State AAU All-Star Showcase meet on March 2^nd at Leesburg High School!

Boys Weightlifting

Meet Results - 2/28 @ Menendez/Tocoi/Matanzas

Sam Lewis broke his own 129lb School Record in the Clean & Jerk (245lbs)

Logan Martin broke his own 183lb School Record in the Bench Press (335lbs)

Vinny Larizza broke his own 219lb School Record in the Olympic Total (400lbs)

Clayton Arnold broke his own Unlimited School Records in the Snatch (195lbs) and Olympic Total (460lbs)

Olympic

Matanzas – 71

Nease – 53

Menendez – 20

Tocoi – 4

Traditional

Matanzas – 60

Nease – 41

Tocoi – 31

Menendez - 21

Soccer Update!

• Evan Miriello named to FACA Soccer All-Star Team. Match to be played March 16-17
•  Evan Miriello nominated for FACA Mr. Soccer representing District 6 / Class 6A
• Coach Fred Hallett nominated for FACA Coach of the Year representing District 6 / Class 6A
• NHS Boys Soccer Coaching Staff will be coaching in the Jacksonville High School Senior All-Star Game on March 10
• Seniors Ryan Chacon, Evan Miriello, Austin Mills and Luca Coveney selected to play in the Jacksonville High School Senior All-Star Game.

Way to go Panthers!!

Boys Wrestling

Congratulations to Lucian Slaydon and Alan Rivera for winning the District Championship in their weight classes!

Congratulations to Alan Rivera becoming a 2x Regional Champion! Go get ‘em at State!!

🌟 Gold Business Partner Spotlight 🌟

Cantina Louie is a Locally owned Mexican restaurant with 10 locations throughout Northeast Florida and 2 Franchise locations in North Carolina. www.cantinalouie.com.

We are a proud sponsor of Nease High. Cantina Louie values our partnership and, most of all, our children's education. We also value our teachers and coaches who help develop our children's future. We are forever thankful to our Nease Panther Family. Go Panthers!!!

The Nease PTSO is forever thankful for you!

🌟 Gold Level Plus Business Partner Spotlight 🌟

Superior Construction is a family-owned and -operated American infrastructure contractor dedicated to providing innovative solutions with industry experts and leaders.

Throughout its history, the company's foundation has always been building the infrastructure of America. The company has successfully delivered projects using numerous delivery methods, specializing in design-build.

Superior provides unique design solutions, forward-thinking technology, and a safe work environment to create the most value for clients, employees, and the communities we serve.

https://www.superiorconstruction.com/

Thank you for your support of the Nease PTSO.

🌟 Gold Level Plus Business Partner Spotlight 🌟

At the Y, we're here to help you find your "why" – your greater sense of purpose – by connecting you with opportunities to improve your health, support young people, make new friends, and contribute to a stronger, more cohesive community for all.

Thank you,YMCA at Nocatee for your support of Nease Highschool

https://www.ymca.org/locations/ymca-nocatee

*** Join us for the PTSO Meeting on Tuesday, March 5th! The meeting will start at 7:30 am in PH104.*** 

St. Johns River State College would like to invite your students to attend the St. Johns River State College Open House on the St. Augustine Campus – Tuesday, March 5 from 3:00 – 6:30 pm. No appointments needed. It’s free and open to the public!

Please consider sharing this information with your students and let them know SJR State is ready to discuss their futures! Would you also please consider sending this to your juniors and seniors through messenger (email/text)?

Open House is a self-guided tour where guests can explore the campus at their own pace and talk with faculty regarding the A.A. degree and 35+ other programs – including programs that may be of special interest to your students:

Business programs: Accounting, Risk Management & Insurance, Business Administration, and our bachelor’s degree in Organizational Management

Computer programs: Computer Programming & Analysis, Network Systems Technology and a bachelor’s degree in Information Systems Technology

Engineering programs: Engineering Technology, Mechatronics, Robotics and Simulation

Students can also learn more about our five new degree programs scheduled to begin this fall:

Paralegal Studies, Associate in Science Degree

Criminal Justice, Applied Intelligence Studies, Bachelor of Science Degree

Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Associate in Science Degree

Computer Programming & Analysis, Associate in Science Degree

Information Systems Technology, Bachelor of Applied Science Degree

       Software Application Development track, Cybersecurity track

Other highlights include:

Apply for the summer or fall semester while on campus and we’ll waive the $30 application fee

Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). We’re here to help!

COMPLETE the “Program Passport” activity and get a FREE T-shirt and hot dog voucher (while supplies last)

Engineering Scholarship Available

The Society of American Military Engineers Jacksonville Post is awarding $2000 scholarships to high school students who will be enrolling in an engineering, construction, or architecture related program at a college or university this fall. Applications are due by March 29,2024. Additional information can be found at their website: https://samejax.org/HS-scholarships

We have had Stellar Academy of Engineering Students win this scholarship in the past, so we encourage you to apply!

Russell Rowland Engineering Firm Job Opportunities

Seniors in the Engineering Academy, if you’re interested in putting your AutoCAD, Revit, and Inventor drafting skills to work after high school, Russell Rowland is seeking to hire graduates this summer. This structural engineering firm wants to hire full-time employees who are interested in jumping straight into the workforce. If you’re interested, let Mrs. Combs know and she will connect you with their hiring agent.

Digital Design Scholarship

Digital Design students, time to get some free cash for college! Apply for the Leonard’s Studios Leonard R. Tucker Scholarship. This is a $1000 Scholarship for St. Johns County seniors enrolled in Yearbook or an Academy program. Applications for this scholarship are now open and you can apply at www.leonards.com/scholarship. They choose 2-3 students from around the county. The deadline for this scholarship application is April 15th. See the graphic below for more details.

If Your Student Wants to Drop an Academy for 2024-25

If your student indicated that they do NOT want to continue on in their Academy program via the Intent to Return Process that took place before winter break, an Academy Drop Form has been delivered to the student. If your student originally indicated that they wanted to continue on in an Academy when we did the Intent to Returns, but has now determined they would like to drop their Academy for 2024-25, please email Jaime.combs@stjohns.k12.fl.us to request a drop form. The drop form must be completed by the student and parent and returned to Mrs. Combs in order to remove the next-level Academy course from the student’s schedule for 2024-25 and to release the student from their Academy for next year.  



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

IB Booster Club meeting on Tuesday, March 26th at 9:45am in the media center classroom.

Next IB Social is on March 28^th during EXCEL.

Registration for next year is complete. Please have your student check HAC to make sure their requests are correct. Please have the student send Mrs. Kennedy an email, if they need for a request to be updated.

IB Pinning is schedule for March 21^st at 5:30 at the Nease stadium. All IB juniors and seniors are required to attend. Arrival for students is 5:00pm. Please your calendars!

IB Seniors

Senior Banquet is May 20^th in the afternoon. Please save the date!

Carolyn Milian – School Librarian Media Specialist

Lorna Patterson – Media Clerk

Media Center phone number – 904-547-8367

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

COFFEE/HOT CHOCOLATE STATION DONATIONS!

THANK YOU SO MUCH to all our families that have donated so many supplies to keep our student coffee station running! The students absolutely love this little FREE perk we offer in our media center, ESPECIALLY with more chilly days heading our way! We could still use some of the following items if you are willing and able to help donate so we can keep this going for our students.

·        Hot chocolate packets (these are so popular!)

·        Disposable coffee cups

·        Tea bags (for our tea drinkers 😊 )

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

·        Sugar (individual small packets)

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

TEXTBOOKS AND MEDIA FINES – PROM SEASON!! 

Prom season is around the corner and we have MANY students with media fines on their accounts. This week we sent out overdue media notices to all students with fines on their accounts. If your student has any textbook or library fines on his/her media account. PLEASE take care of these as soon as possible, ESPECIALLY JUNIORS & SENIORS! Juniors and Seniors with any fines on their account will NOT be allowed to purchase prom tickets and Seniors will not receive graduation tickets until these fines are satisfied. FRESHMEN! – many of you still have missing library books and/or fines from your middle school. These WILL remain on your account through the years until you take care of them. If your student still has a book that has been charged to his/her account, as soon as they return it to the media center, these fines will be deleted from their account.  If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Get your “Panther Café Ceiling 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 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. 

PLEASE SUPPORT GIRLS' GOLF!

THE PLAYERS Championship – Chip in for Charity

Chip in for Charity is a ticket fundraising program that gives local nonprofit organizations the opportunity to sell PLAYERS Championship Stadium Passes and earn $40 for every pass sold.

https://shops.ticketmasterpartners.com/the-players-chip-in-for-charity

Password – 490YAF

Follow Nease Athletics on Instagram #NeaseAthletics and X @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.

Nease Athletic Ticket Sales will be GoFan this school year.