THE MENENDEZ MESSAGE

Volume 3 Issue 1

https://www-pmhs.stjohns.k12.fl.us/

904.547.8660

Office: 8:30am- 4:45pm

Good evening Falcon families!,

We are incredibly excited for the first day tomorrow and we hope you are as well. Our faculty and staff are committed to making the 2025- 2026 school year the best year ever for Pedro Menendez High School. This will take each of us, from principal to custodian, bus driver to teacher, cafeteria worker to school counselor committing the #RISEON3! (Attendance, Achievement and Attitude). As many of you know, PMHS earned a school grade of "B" for the 24- 25 school year and we have worked the entire summer to make adjustments to increase the opportunities for student success in the coming year.

We want to remind everyone that our school day has shifted by 15 minutes this school year. The school offices will be open from 8:30am- 4:45pm, Monday through Friday, starting on August 11th. Student entry to the school will start at 9:00am this school year and our classes will begin at 9:35am with the school day ending at 4:05pm (3:05pm on Wednesdays.)

Students should be sure to access their schedules in HAC tonight. We will not have printed schedules for students tomorrow morning. Students should take a screenshot or print their schedules before coming to school. Please print the version of the schedule that includes classroom and period information. First period begins at 9:35am. We recommend giving yourself plenty of time to arrive early and anticipate heavy traffic.

If your child has a hole in their schedule, he/she is to report to the media center at that time. We will continue to register students and level classes. Priority is being placed on making sure students have full schedules and are placed in their appropriate levels. We will not be able to honor teacher change requests or elective requests at this time as that window has closed.

There are a number of state and district adjustments over the past summer including out visitor check-in system, policies and procedures for athletics and opportunities to support and join St. Johns County School District. Please take the time to read through this in its entirety for all of the updates. We will continue to send out information as soon as it comes out as well through ParentSquare.

In the coming weeks, we will also be transitioning over to a new district-wide communication tool, ParentSquare. Please be patient during the transition, but we do anticipate full transition by the end of September.

We want to take a moment to thank you all for entrusting us with the education of your child for the coming year. This responsibility is not taken lightly, and although we are not perfect, we believe that each year, we are making strides to give your child the best education in St. Johns county.



#RISEON3 is our mantra at PMHS and it illustrates our focus for our students. We hope to elevate the mark in the follow areas for every student:

• Attendance (being present and on time)
• Achievement (in every part of life)
• Attitude (regardless of the situation, to exhibit an attitude of success and persistence)

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.

#RISEON3!

Respectfully,

Ted Banton

Principal

Pedro Menendez High School

• August 11th - 1st day of School
• August 12th- Freshmen and Sophomore Expectation Assemblies
• August 14th- Senior (2nd Period) and Junior (3rd period) Expectation Assemblies

Please open and view the documents below from Florida Department of Education



Reminder of Parental Rights

Letter to Parents

Please open and view the documents below from SJCSD



25-26 Required Instruction High School

Code of Conduct

Sheriff's Letter

High School Choice

Economic Security Report Summary

School Safety

Parent Square

SJCSD excited to announce that we are transitioning to a new, unified communication platform—ParentSquare—to enhance how we connect with families and support school-to-home engagement across our entire district. ParentSquare is a unified communication platform that offers a whole host of tools that allows district, school administrators and teachers to more effectively communicate and engage with families and students.

Food Delivery

Students are not allowed to receive any food deliveries (Door Dash, Grub Hub etc..). Please do not order food via door dash or any other food delivery services for students.

HAC

Please make sure all parent information in Home Access Center is updated. This ensures all teachers and staff can contact families with information and updates.

As you know, medication orders must be completed every school year. For your convenience, the clinic will be open beginning August 6, 2025 (one week prior to the first day of school for students) to accept your child’s medication and completed medication forms. Please call to make an appointment.

MEDICATION GIVEN IN SCHOOL

Per school board policy, students cannot carry medication to school. All medication must be brought to the clinic by a parent/guardian and requires the Medication Authorization Form to be completed (by the physician) which you can access below. Please include a Medical Management Plan if applicable. New bottles must be brought to the clinic by a parent/guardian for each refill. Medication cannot be given from an expired bottle. All medication must be in their original container, labeled with the student’s name, dosage, frequency of administration and physician’s name. Medication should not be transported between home and school daily. Separate containers should be kept at home and at school. Parents will be responsible for delivery and retrieval of medication to and from the school nurse.

STUDENT AUTHORIZATION TO SELF-CARRY MEDICATION

Per Florida Statue 1002.20, The Medication Authorization Form allows the student to carry their own emergency medication, (Epinephrine Pen, Auvi Q, Glucagon or Inhaler) if and only if the parent and physician sign the Florida Statute box on the Med Auth Form. This form must be returned to me before the student is allowed to carry prescribed self-administered medications. If you would like the nurse to administer a prescribed or over-the-counter medication, please use the same form.

Over-the-counter medications (Tylenol or Motrin) can be carried by your student while at school. They must be in the original container and be within the current expiration date. Please complete an Over-the Counter Form found below. The completed form must be returned to the clinic.

If you have any questions regarding medication to be administered or taken by your student at school, please contact: Mrs. Parrey, RN at 904-547-8672 or Rosemary.Parrey@stjohns.k12.fl.us.

MEDICATION AND MEDICAL MANAGEMENT FORMS

Allergy-Medical-Managment-Plan-MMP.pdf

Asthma-Medical-Management-Plan-MMP.pdf

Bleeding-Disorders-Medical-Management-Plan-MMP.pdf

Cardiac-Medical-Management-Plan-MMP.pdf

Cystic-Fibrosis-Medical-Management-Plan-MMP.pdf

Seizure-Medical-Management-Plan-MMP.pdf

Authorization to Assist in the Administration of Medication

Parent Permission for Self-Administration Non-Prescription

To students, I wish you a restful and rejuvenating summer break and encourage you to pursue your passions and return refreshed for the next school year. To parents, thank you for your continued support; your partnership is invaluable to our students’ success.

Mrs. Parrey, RN

As a reminder, the state of Florida has given every student free access to the Xello college and career planning website. We will be utilizing this tool to aid in applying to colleges (used alongside CommonApp) as well as researching careers, scholarships, etc. Parents and guardians were sent instructions on accessing their free accounts two weeks ago, let your student's School Counselor know if you did not receive yours or if you need help in accessing your account.

At the end of each quarter, the School Counselors mail letters home to seniors that are at risk of not graduating. If you receive one of these letters, please reach out to the office to schedule a meeting to discuss how your student can get back on track. Additionally, please reach out if you have any concerns regarding graduation ASAP!

Electronic Devices

We are continuing our tradition that all students will be required to place their cell phones in hanging pouches upon entry into each class. Our intent is for all students to be able to focus on instruction without distraction from electronic devices. We will continue to remind students of this policy the first four days of school. After the first four days of school, students that do not comply with this policy will have their phone confiscated until the end of the day and receive discipline consequences. We ask for parent support with this initiative so that students can focus on instruction and reaching their potential

Single Point of Entry

Safety is a priority at at Pedro Menendez High School and in order to comply with state statute, we will operate with a single point of entry and exit during the school day, the front office. All students must enter and exit the building through this entry/exit point. This policy is in place to keep everyone on campus safe and violation of this policy is a a safety breach and a level II discipline offense.

Dress Code

We will continue following the SJCSD dress code policies and procedures. Detailed information on the SJCSD dress code is available in the “Code of Conduct” starting on p. 13. Students out of dress code will be documented and provided with clothing that fits the parameters of the SJCSD dress code policies. Please help us to ensure students are abiding by SJCSD policy.

All students will start fresh at ZERO tardies at the beginning of term 4 for their tardies.

Click here to order

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.

The SJCTC Driver Education Program is pleased to announce two summer, Learner Permit Preparation classes. These will be held at Tocoi Creek High School, however all St. John’s County students aged 14 ½ or older are welcome to attend regardless of zoned school.

The cost is $30.00 and includes a handbook, study guide, and issuance of the Learner Permit Exam on the final day. For more information and to register please visit our website at:

SJCTC DRIVER EDUCATION PROGRAM – St. Johns County Tax Collector

Phase I: Learner Permit Preparation – $30.00

A classroom lecture designed to assist a student preparing to obtain a Learner Permit. The classes are conducted prior to school from 9am-11:30 am for a total of 4 consecutive school days. On the last day, students will be administered the Learner Permit Knowledge Exam that is required to obtain a Learner Permit. In addition to the Phase I course, students must also complete a state required 4-hour online drug and alcohol course prior to obtaining a Learner Permit. Participation by a minimum of five students is required, or the class will be canceled and a refund issued.

600 State Road 206 West

St. Augustine, FL 32086

Main: (904) 547-8660