Not for School, But for Life We Learn. -Seneca

Good afternoon Menendez Community Falcon Nation!

I hope you all had a wonderful month of June and a great Independence Day yesterday. It is hard to believe that we are half way through the summer. Our staff has been working tirelessly to prepare for the coming year. From registering new students, to building schedules, to developing activities to promote a positive culture, and to updating and renovating parts of the campus. Each day has been filled start to finish. Next week, we begin some targeted summer programming in mathematics as well as our Camp Elevate for incoming freshmen. We have worked diligently and have almost all teaching positions filled and are still looking to fill two support positions. The Athletic department has been hiring as well and almost all head coaching positions are filled. Athletics and the arts have been working to prepare for their upcoming seasons and many groups will begin at the end of July.

All that we have planned and will be doing this coming school year is based upon two words:

RISE UP!

In the 24-25 school year, everything we do, every action we will take will be to help to elevate the experience of every student, parent, teacher and staff member. Our actions will focus on elevating both the climate and culture of PMHS. To RISE to EXCELLENCE!

This coming year these four tenets will serve as the foundation for Pedro Menendez High School.

Communication
Clarity of Standards/ Expectations
Consistency
Commitment

These foundational practices will help all of us as we start next school year. Furthermore, we have emphasized the importance of clear and consistent standards and expectations. As the wise Hall of Fame baseball coach, John Scolinos, once said, "don't widen the plate." For the 2024- 2025 school year, we will work to improve and excel in every area, attendance, academics, behavior, extracurricular and athletics. Our entire staff will be charged with doing ALL they can, in his/her role, to propel the education of every student at Pedro Menendez High School.

We will be sending out intermittent information this summer. There will be opportunities throughout the summer regarding academics, athletics, and student leadership. Please check your email weekly for messages from PMHS.

We are very excited about our recent partnership with SportClips of St. Augustine. For every ultimate VIP haircut, SportClips will donate $5.00 for the benefit of Pedro Menendez High School. Please see the flyer below.

Visitors to campus MUST complete a School Access Form which can be found on the SJCSD website at https://www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/volunteer/.

This clearance is for entry on campus during school hours such as a morning meeting with teachers or counselors, volunteering, or other events.

Please make sure to subscribe to The Menendez Message at the link below.

RISE UP FALCONS!

Respectfully,

Ted Banton

Principal

Pedro Menendez High School

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Around Campus

First off, we want to congratulate Trent Stasky and Casey Chhour for their shouwing at the National Skills USA Competition in Atlanta. This competition is for the state winners in their respective category and they compete against each other at a national Level. Both young men competed against all 50 states and Puerto Rico and represented the PMHS well. Trent did a tremendous job in Technical Drafting. Casey Chhour finished 3^rd in the Nation in Architectural Drafting which is a major accomplishment and the schools first ever to do so at Skills USA.

As mentioned, the maintenance staff and others have been hard at work readying the building for the return of students and the community. Improvements are ongoing but include resurfacing of the tennis courts, flooring in a number of classrooms, paint in multiple areas, new fixtures in the art rooms, additional storage for athletics, a new sound system and bleachers in the gymnasium, new flooring and seating in the auditorium, Information kiosks in the breezeways, courtyards and cafeteria, new signage and parking lot resurfacing, landscaping the courtyard and other areas, and a myriad of other projects. We charged ourselves with over 80 projects this summer to improve the climate of our school. We know that it takes more than a immaculate campus for students to learn, but making PMHS a campus that students want to be at will help us RISE UP!

Below are some pictures as the work progresses and we can not wait for you all to enjoy the final result.

Athletics

Boys Golf

Those interested in participating in Boys golf for the 2024 season, please see Coach Melgard before leaving for summer break. There will be a summer program for June and July.

The Menendez Athletic Department utilizes an online paperless registration system, AthleticClearance.com. The registration process is attached. Additional Menendez Athletics information, including coaches’ contact information, can be found at www-pmhs.stjohns.k12.fl.us/athletics/. Our expectation is that every athlete will be registered by their parent/guardian before their desired sport’s start date.

Athletic Clearance Instructions

Please ensure the following when completing the online process:

1. Student ID should be entered WITHOUT a preceding “S”. Numeric ID only!

2. Scan and upload physical as ONE document.

3. Ensure that student information is complete on page 4 of the physical (EL2).

4. Ensure that the MD has checked “Medically eligible for all sports without restriction” AND signed and dated page 4 of the physical.

5. Ensure that student and parent signature/date is completed on bottom of page 4 of the physical.

The only type of physical we accept is the FHSAA EL2 physical form. The updated physical form is 4 pages. Starting the 23-24 school year, the old EL2 form WILL NOT be accepted.

Please keep in mind that the FHSAA requires all student athletes to view free 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.

Falcon Pride Store

Baker’s Sports has an online store open again for Menendez Merchandise. Click the link below to see what’s available. Ships Directly to your house.

https://bakerssport-falconpride.itemorder.com/