Not for School, But for Life We Learn. -Seneca | |
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Good evening Falcon Families,
We hope you all have had a great spring break. We hope you all got much needed rest and relaxation. As you know, spring break marks the end of the third quarter and the start of the final quarter of the school year.
Please note that tomorrow is a teacher planning day, so students do not return until Tuesday.
SAC surveys for 2023-24 are available and close March 31st. Please complete the parent survey below. We need a minimum of 20% of our parents to respond. This will give us good information as we plan and make adjustments for the 20224- 2025 school year.
Parent Survey: https://surveys.stjohns.k12.fl.us/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=llMJ952K
We recently had a faculty and staff meeting where we discussed the four tenets that will serve as the foundation for PMHS moving forward.
- Communication
- Clarity of Standards/ Expectations
- Consistency
- Commitment
These foundational practices will help all of us as we move forward for the rest of this 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."
Seniors, please play close attention to this newsletter and the Seniors Schoology page for upcoming events and deadlines. We are now in that time of the year where things will move quite quickly as we prepare for Prom, GradBash and Graduation.
Please make sure to read through the entire newsletter and please pay particular attention to the assessment section as we are starting the annual testing season. For senior parents, please make sure to read about upcoming events. Graduation details are being finalized and we should have details for rehearsal next week.
We were also noticing an uptick in the appearance of cell phones during class time. Please remind your child, that there is to be NO cell phone usage during class times unless specifically directed by the teacher for instructional purposes. We are committed to protecting your child's instructional time.
Please see the flyer below regarding digital IDs. These will be utilized this year for students in the media center, cafeteria, checking in and out and other school events. If your child does not have a cell phone, we do have alternative options. In addition, all students must complete the form below to access the SJCSD network and acknowledge access to the SJCSD student code of conduct.
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=V9CzsxL8P0-S9HK-boRDUeKKGqBOENVEqvS-DZFzgwNURFRJTEZEWjZVSVoxRlVaUTk1MVQ3UEo3Uy4u
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.
As the year progresses, the message will fill with information for our students, parents and our community. Please make sure to subscribe to The Menendez Message at the link below.
We look forward to unlocking the potential of each student and Menendez High School this coming school year. RISE UP FALCONS!
Respectfully,
Ted Banton
Principal
Pedro Menendez High School
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- March 11th-15th - Spring Break
- March 18th - Teacher Planning Day - Student Holiday
- March 21st- World Down Syndrome Day
- March 29th - No School
- April 2nd - World Autism Awareness Day
- April 17th- Powderpuff Tournament
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The opening of the 19th annual All-County Art Show was held on Friday March 1, 2024, at the St. Augustine Art Association.
11 students represented the creative endeavors of Pedro Menendez High School with Kenzie Lusk taking third place in drawing for her piece, Anglerfish.
The exhibition will be on view until Sunday, March 31st, 2024.
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The Falcon Band performed at the District 21 on Saturday and earned a Superior Medal. This is the first Superior rating the band has earned in 15 years. Our amazing band members matched ratings with many bands in the district and tied with the St. Augustine HS performing arts school, even though we were the smallest group to compete. Thank you all for your support of these great students. This is your award as well. | |
Our IB seniors had a wonderful Pinning Ceremony last week where they each chose a mentor to recognize for their support. Thank you to our incredible faculty and families for attending this event and helping build up our students and program! Our next IB senior event will be the IB Diploma banquet on May 15th, invitations forthcoming. | |
The science department is currently in the process of textbook adoption. The process involves community input. We are currently looking for one parent and one community member to assist in the process. If you have interest in reviewing the resource materials for a particular science course, please contact Kristina Boss at Kristina.Boss@stjohns.k12.fl.us | |
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*March 4-6 ALG/ELA10 FSA (Seniors only)
*March 26 ACT college reportable in school paid for by state (Juniors/Eng 3 only)
*April 9 ACT NCR (Seniors by invite only)
ACT in school for Juniors/Eng 3
On March 26th, Juniors in Eng 3 for the first time (or Juniors in Eng Comp) will have the opportunity to take
the ACT College Reportable Exam, an important test that provides many benefits that can help the students along the path to college. If the student is a junior, the ACT offers them the opportunity to take the ACT during the regular school day at no cost (paid for by the FLDOE). No registration is required from 11th grade students. To see where one tests, students can see schoology or the test location list in the library.
Gr 9, 10, 12 Student Information regarding March 26, 2024
The ACT is only available for PMHS Juniors on March 26th and St. Johns County School District has elected to provide all other students with a flexible learning day. This will be conducted virtually through Schoology. Teachers will be in communication of expectations online that day. Students that report to school that day will be held in room 300 for a study hall, go to C lunch once all testing has concluded, then gym until dismissal..
FAST BEST scores in HAC and https://flfast.org/families.html
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Standard setting took place in Summer 2023 to establish a new B.E.S.T. scale. Starting in Winter 2023, scores are being reported on the new scale approved by the State Board of Education. The scale score ranges differ by grade and subject. Achievement levels describe a student’s success with the content assessed. As required by state law, achievement levels range from 1 to 5, with Level 1 as the lowest and Level 5 as the highest. For all assessments, Level 3 indicates "on grade level" performance. Higher expectations were established with the adoption of the B.E.S.T. Standards, which are more rigorous than the previous standards, the Florida Standards. The adopted cut scores for the FAST assessments and B.E.S.T. EOC assessments set higher expectations that bring us a step closer to ensuring all our students are prepared for postsecondary success.
Because the two scales were established for two different assessment systems aligned to different standards and the B.E.S.T. Standards are more rigorous than the Florida Standards, performance comparisons should not be made.
Your student received a score for a test on the provisional scale during the 2022–2023 school year or for a fall 2023 assessment (PM2, B.E.S.T. EOC, or FAST Grade 10 ELA Reading Retake), this score will update in the Florida Reporting System and Family Portal to reflect how your student would have scored on the new B.E.S.T. scale. The previous provisional scores are being provided on the B.E.S.T. scale for informational purposes only, so that you can make “apples to apples” comparisons to see your student’s progress over time. The converted score will look different because the provisional and B.E.S.T. scales use different number ranges, and the number ranges for B.E.S.T. are lower. This does not mean that the test got easier or that the standard was lowered. The new score is simply placed on a new range of numbers (325–475) vs. the provisional range (425–575).
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Please join us in welcoming our new School Counselor, Ms. Pence, to Pedro Menendez! She is coming to us from Hartley Elementary and is transitioning between schools so she isn't here full-time just yet. She will work with students of all grade levels with the last names N-Z. To schedule an appointment with her, please contact Ms. Coll at 904-547-8667.
Students who want to leave campus 1 or more periods early next year need to have turned in the correct paperwork. If your student did not receive the paperwork needed for a modified schedule (seniors only), executive internship (juniors and seniors), or voluntary public service (seniors only), please print off the correct paperwork from the school website or send your student to ask their counselor. Thank you for your help with this!
Our counselors will be spending time at the middle schools over the next two weeks to register the 8th graders for next year's courses. If you need anything, please email and be patient while waiting for a response. For emergencies, please contact Ms. Coll.
Congratulations to all of our seniors that have been accepted into college! Make sure you are following all the required steps outlined in your admissions offers, like housing deposits and residency verification. Final decisions on which school you are attending are due to the colleges by May 1st. Final transcripts will need to be requested from Menendez in May.
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DUAL ENROLLMENT INFO
Registration for summer classes at SJR opened this week. Make sure your student has scheduled an appointment with their counselor if they intend to take classes this summer thru the college! This needs to be done by Spring Break.
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The college application season is in full swing and our School Counselors are here to help! The first step is for seniors to make a free account on www.commonapp.org where they can fill out one application that gets sent to multiple colleges which saves quite a bit of time and effort. Once they have done that, please have them make an appointment with their School Counselor to go over specifics with transcripts, letters of recommendation, and test scores, so we can make sure they have everything they need in a timely manner. We highly recommend all applications be submitted by November 1st as this is when most of the schools have set their priority deadlines. Check out www.naviance.com if your student doesn't know where they want to apply yet or is an underclassman looking for general information for the future - every student has a free account, they just need to log in with their S# and password - we can help get them logged in at school their first time if they need assistance.
The PMHS School Counselor Office looks forward to serving the academic and social needs of the students of PMHS. More information on services and supports can be found at https://www-pmhs.stjohns.k12.fl.us/guidance/
Stephanie Toffaletti
IB Coordinator
stephanie.toffaletti@stjohns.k12.fl.us
Meredith Masiak
Early College Students and Students with the last name A-E
meredith.masiak@stjohns.k12.fl.us
Kathy Hamill
Students with the last name F-M
kathryn.hamill@stjohns.k12.fl.us
Dalene Pence
Students with the last name N-Z
dalene.pence@stjohns.k12.fl.us
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The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) opened at the end of December - if your student is planning on attending any postsecondary institution after graduation, your family must complete this in order to be eligible for financial aid from the government! Mrs. Toffaletti is constantly posting scholarship opportunities on the Guidance Schoology page, so ask your senior to show you those if they haven't do so already. For additional information regarding Financial Aid for college, see the flyer below.
Financial Aid Info
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Registration
Please see the following information regarding registration dates for the upcoming school year.
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General New Student Enrollment for Early Childhood, VPK, Kindergarten and all other grades will open on March 1st
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Hardship Waiver / Employee Transfer Form will also open on March 1st
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Re-Enrollment option only (no change of address or transfer) will open on March 1st
- The following forms will be open simultaneously beginning March 1st:
- •New Student 23/24 and 24/25
- •Early Childhood 23/24 and 24/25
- •Hardship Waiver / Employee Transfer 23/24 and 24/25
- •Re-Enrollment/Transfer/Change of Address 23/24
- •Re-Enrollment ONLY 24/25
- Returning Student Verification will open mid-April.
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Come to the Media Center and vote for the top book on this year’s Florida Teen Reads list! 15 books are competing to be top dog in the state, which one will the Falcons choose? Voting will be open until April 4th. | |
Parents, you may have received a letter recently regarding overdue books. Please return any library or textbooks owed. | |
Parents/guardians may limit what their own students can check out from the school library by filling out the Parental Choice Library Book Restriction Form. Restrictions from middle school are no longer valid. A new form must be filled out and returned to the high school to meet new state requirements.” | |
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Medication Given in School
Per school board policy, all medications must be brought into the clinic by a parent/guardian, not the student and requires the Medication Authorization Form to be completed (see below). Please include a Medical Management Plan if applicable (see below).
New bottles must be brought in by parents for each refill. Medication cannot be given from an old bottle.
All medication must be in their original containers, 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 in the Florida Statute box on the Med Auth Form. This form must be returned to the school nurse before the student is allowed to carry prescribed self-administered medications.
Over the counter medications may be taken/given 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.
If you have any questions regarding medication to be taken/given at school, please contact Mrs. Parrey, RN, at 904-547-8672 or Rosemary.Parrey@stjohns.k12.fl.us. Additional medical forms can be found on our website under Clinic.
Medication-Authorization-form-
Allergy MMP2023-2024
Asthma-Medical-Management-Plan-MMP (2)
Over-the-Counter-Non-Medical-Form (1)
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The FFAA (Bright Futures) Application is now open. The FAFSA is scheduled to open at some point in December. Click here for more information on changes to the FAFSA and the reason for the delay in release. Please be mindful, that you must complete these applications in order to be evaluated for postsecondary financial aid eligibility.* | |
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All Senior YBK Dedication / ADS:
Please go to:
www.Yearbookordercenter.com
School Code: 15723
Complete directions for ADs
Full Page: $300; ½ Page: $200; ¼ page: $100
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All yearbooks: Price goes to $85 on 2/1/24
A Coupon code to save $10 starting 2/1/24 is: FALCONS
Please order at: www.yearbookordercenter.com
School Code: 15723
Supplies are limited.
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The Spanish Club is collecting gently used eyeglasses as part of the Lions Clubs International eyeglasses recycling program.
Please help us contribute to this wonderful, worldwide program by bringing gently used eyeglasses that you don´t need any longer. Nonprescription sunglasses and over the counter reading glasses are very appreciated as well.
Look for the yellow collection boxes in the Media Center and the Guidance office.
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Chess Club & Model UN
Chess Club and Model UN Club will be on Mondays after school, room 660 or Library.
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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.
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Fall Sports Start Date - 7/31/23
Bowling
Cross Country - Boys
Cross Country - Girls
Dance
Football
Golf- Boys
Golf - Girls
Swim
Girls VB
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Falcon Pride Store
Baker’s Sports has an online store open again for Menendez Merch. Click the link below to see what’s available. Ships Directly to your house.
https://bakerssport-falconpride.itemorder.com/
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Looking to get your Learner’s Permit? Sign up for the Driver Education Program at Pedro Menendez High School. The program consists of classroom lecture designed to assist a student preparing to obtain a Learner Permit. The classes will be conducted prior to school from 8am-9am for a total of 10 consecutive school days. On the last day, students will be administered the Learner Permit Knowledge Exam that is required to obtain a Learner Permit. Parents may sign up by visiting the Tax Collector website and clicking on resources, or there is a link to driver ed on your school’s home page. Students may take this course if they are at least 14 ½, to prepare for a learner license that may be obtained at 15 years old. The cost is only 30.00, and that includes the DMV Test on the last day. Please see Mr. Tisdale in Portable 2 for more information. | |
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Each year St. Johns County School District updates and revises the Student Code of Conduct. We would like your thoughts and suggestions during this process. Please take a few minutes to complete the Student Code of Conduct Survey to help us prepare the 2024 Student Code of Conduct. The survey will remain open until April 1, 2024.
It would be helpful to you if you have a copy of the current Code of Conduct with you as you respond to these questions. View the current Student Code of Conduct.
Thank you for your feedback,
St. Johns County School District
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600 State Road 206 West
St. Augustine, FL 32086
Main: (904) 547-8660
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