THE MENENDEZ MESSAGE Volume 1 Issue 20

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

904.547.8660

Office: 8:30am- 4:45pm

Good evening Falcon Families,

We hope you had a great weekend. We had a packed week last week with our Dance Recital, an in school performance, Basketball, wrestling and soccer events and tons of club meetings. It is great to see a growing number of students engaging in our student-based organizations and student-focused events. Being connected has a tremendous impact on how students view school and learning. We also want to congratulate our Drama students for a great showing at the last Thespian Competition, please see more below.

There is an intensified focus on academic learning during this time as we head towards the end of the first semester and FAST testing in December. Please remind your child that the FAST tests are important for progress monitoring and will be used for course placement for the 24-25 school year.

We hope to see continued improvement in the second quarter regarding attendance, especially as school starts and from 6th to 7th period. Attendance is critical for learning and we want every student to be successful. Please remind your child, if they drive to school, make sure to arrive on time.

We are 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.

So many of our students have risen to the occasion and we want to help ALL students. We are seeing grades improve as well as behavior and attendance. We want EVERY student at Pedro Menendez High School to achieve success. This will happen if all of us partner for the betterment of the community. We are incredibly thankful for the partnerships we have had thus far this year and look forward to growing an even stronger community.

PMHS administration charged the faculty, staff and student body with "Practicing Significance" this year; increasing the value and worth of each person .We are very proud of the service that our students are practicing towards our community as well. The FBLA is hosting a shoe drive right now, details are below. Furthermore, NHS is sponsoring this year's Toys for Tots. This information is below as well.

Senior parents, please make sure to look through the entire newsletter as there is important information for the coming weeks. As of now, Senior Dues are open for payment. Please see the flyer below.

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

• December 13th - High School Showcase
• December 15th - Senior Panoramic
• December 19th - Holiday Movie Night
• December 21st - Second Quarter/First Semester ends
• December 22nd- January 3rd - Winter Break
• January 8th - Classes resume for students
• January 15th - Martin Luther King Day - No School
• January 17th - Report card release

Report Card Release Date Changes



Quarter 2 report card release has been shifted to Jan 17. (from Jan 19)

Quarter 3 report card release has been shifted to March 22. (from March 26)

The PMHS Student Services office asks that families review the SJCSD Student Code of Conduct at https://www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/schoolservices/conduct/

We especially ask that students and parents review cell phone policies. Please remember that phone are only allowed out during class time under the direction of the teacher for instructional purposes only. This is a change from year's past, but now aligns to Florida State Law.

Please take the time below the start of school to review and complete the survey link below. Completion of this form indicates review of the SJCSD Student Code of Conduct and Acceptable Use Policies for the 2023- 2024 school year.

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=V9CzsxL8P0-S9HK-boRDUeKKGqBOENVEqvS-DZFzgwNURFRJTEZEWjZVSVoxRlVaUTk1MVQ3UEo3Uy4u

For more information regarding the Deans' office, please visit https://www-pmhs.stjohns.k12.fl.us/deans/

Yanetta (Arnold) Smith

Dean, Attendance and Tardies

Yanetta.Arnold@stjohns.k12.fl.us

Danielle Waldrop

Dean, Students A-L

Danielle.waldrop@stjohns.k12.fl.us

Kevin Leonard

Dean, Students M-Z

kevin.leonard@stjohns.k12.fl.us

Winners of the first annual Thanksgiving Doubles Pickleball Tournament, first place – Josh Mead & Braden Baily, second place Iizek Autry & Michael Rojicek. Total of 10 teams entered and everyone had a tremendous time. Holiday singles tournament is next!  

This weekend Pedro Drama took 27 young performers to compete at district level Thespians competition at Douglas Anderson. Out of 40 events submitted- They received 18 Excellent, 13 Superiors, and 2 Top Honors!

This means…PEDRO IS STATES BOUND! For the second year in a row!

Isabella Casillas

Mara Gonzalez

Alex Warring

Rose Roberts

Mariajose Perez

Katie Casella

Audrey Kosobucki

Amelia Britten

Jayna Giese

Syenna Fox

Ace Wolfe

Gabriella Lepore

Natalie O Toole

Ava Mastropaolo 

Jordyn Erb

Ava Marshall

Kahi Curlee

Scout Jenrow

Catherine Giese

Maya Wakeman

Ashton Couper

An Extra Congratulations to our Top Honors winners!

Ashton Couper- Student Direction

Erin Costello- Playwriting 

Check out our academy newsletter for a glimpse into the great things our students are doing in their academies. https://www-pmhs.stjohns.k12.fl.us/academies/newsletters/

Students Leading the Way Through Industry Certifications

Our Architectural and Building Sciences Academy would like to congratulation the following students on earning an industry certification on November 16^th 

Revit for Architectural Design: Oliver Rodriguez, Levi Minter, Luis Coello, and Lilly Fogarty

Inventor for Mechanical Design: Logan Cline 

AutoCAD for Design and Drafting: Ashton Jones and Henry Tam

This month, FBLA celebrated American Enterprise Day. Celebrated since 1980, American Enterprise Day offers us the chance to observe and celebrate the American entrepreneurial spirit.

FBLA competition testing will take place Monday, December 4^th and Tuesday, December 5^th during A & B lunch in room 970.

December meeting will be on 12/12 at 4:00 in room 960.

ATTENTION CALLING EVERYONE TO DONATE SHOES!

December 19^th ends our show drive and we have not met our goal.  Easy way to donate is through Amazon. Our school address is 600 State Road 206 W, St Augustine FL 32084 Attention: FBLA

Click Here to be directed to Amazon shoes

Flagler Health+ Future Healthcare Professional Academy Students

Below is a picture of our health students participating in a discuss about “A Day in the Life of a Labor and Delivery Nurse”. Thank you to UF Health St Johns staff for taking the time to give our students this amazing learning opportunity.  

Matt Pena and Pedro Graduate Xan Newsome of Russell Rowland sharing with the Architecture Drafting Classes information about opportunities within the company as well as Structural Engineering. Just wanted again thank them as well as Jackie Rowland for allowing them to come and share with the students. The support you give us here at Pedro Menendez High School is very much appreciated as this is what allows us to have a special program. For those who don't know Russell Rowland have been supporting us for years and have given a few of our graduates employment opportunities as well as support in the classroom. I just want to say thank you to Jackie Rowland and crew for the support you have shown, in helping shape the next generation.

SAT & ACT

Reminder: Students who have signed up for the SAT or ACT at PMHS or any other testing location, you must have a physical, government or school issued, photo ID to be permitted entrance to the test. Digital ID is not accepted for SAT or ACT testing. See the SAT or ACT websites for other forms of acceptable ID

Nov 27-Dec 21 CSA in class

Nov 30 FCLE in American Gov Semester 1 classes

Dec 1 PERT in GPR at 920am (only if registered... the next sign up for Jan 26 by registering in Schoology-> Counselor Course->Updates->PERT Jan 26)

Dec 4-6 Winter FAST ELA and BEST ALG/GEO for Sr/Jr only

Dec 11-13 FAST PM2 for grade 9-10 in class

PSAT Results

As this was the very first time giving the digital PSAT, we could only estimate the times/schedule. We are thankful for the opportunity to give students a Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test experience during the school day. Students entered an email or contact before the test began, that is where they will receive an email when scores are ready. It will also be in their HAC account under grades->test scores->psat nmsqt no later than Dec 21.

DUAL ENROLLMENT INFO

Any student planning on taking a Dual Enrollment class at SJRSC or online, you will need to make an appointment with your counselor beginning next week. Please view the course offerings on the SJRSC website prior to your meeting. This includes all Early college students. 

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 1^st 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

Jacqueline Cruz

Students with the last name N-Z 

jacqueline.cruz@stjohns.k12.fl.us

Seniors - the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will be opening in December, anyone attending a post-secondary school after high school must fill this out each year! The application can be found here: www.studentaid.gov 

The FAFSA is separate from the application for Bright Futures. This application has already opened but the School Counselors will be meeting with our Senior English classes later this month to help our students apply.

The School Counselors are diligently posting information about scholarships, Dual Enrollment, and more on their Schoology page. Please make sure you're checking it daily!

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.”

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)

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.*

Link to Pay Dues

All Senior YBK Dedication / ADS:

Please go to:

www.Yearbookordercenter.com

        School Code: 15723

Complete directions for AD’s

          Full Page: $300; ½ Page: $200; ¼ page: $100

Book Club

Book Club will be meeting on Monday, December 11^th in the Media Center at 4pm. Please bring your signed Battle of the Books permission form if you wish to participate on a team this year. There will be cookies!

Chess Club & Model UN

Chess Club and Model UN Club will be on Mondays after school, room 660 or Library.

 https://forms.office.com/r/2PZf3F8nja

Cross Country

ACRR uses the proceeds from the Matanzas 5K to support St. Johns County high school and middle schools, St. Joseph Academy and Florida School for the Deaf and Blind. Since 1989, ACRR has donated more than $300,000 to youth running programs. Please support PMHS cross country by registering for this race! https://raceroster.com/events/2024/80126/matanzas-5000

Volleyball

Interested in playing boys volleyball in the Spring? Please contact Coach Crosby at alexis.crosby@stjohns.k12.fl.us.

Tennis

Anyone interested in playing tennis this spring should see Coach Seymour (Rm 655) or Coach Melgard in the gym. Conditioning will start once you have completed athletic Clearence.

Track & Field

The Pedro Menendez Track & Field Team will conduct strength training Wednesday mornings before school. If you have interest, please see Coach Ray in room 400 before school. 

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.

Fall Sports Start Date - 7/31/23

Bowling

Cross Country - Boys

Cross Country - Girls

Dance

Football

Golf- Boys

Golf - Girls

Swim

Girls VB

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/

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. The next session begins Friday, January 26^th. Please see Mr. Tisdale in Portable 2 for more information.

Registration link: https://runsignup.com/Race/FL/StAugustine/CHARACTERCOUNTSinStJohnsCountySixPillars6K3KRunWalk

600 State Road 206 West

St. Augustine, FL 32086

Main: (904) 547-8660