THE MENENDEZ MESSAGE

Volume 3 Issue 82

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

904.547.8660

Office: 8:30am- 4:45pm

Good evening Menendez Nation!

We had an incredible first week at PMHS. We had a great first day and delays were minimal. Tuesday and Thursday, we held Expectation Assemblies where we discussed our expectations and standards for the 2025- 2026 school year. The students were incredibly attentive and set a very high bar for behavior. We also spent time discussing #RISEON3!- our commitment to attendance, achievement and attitutde. Our faculty and staff are committed to making the 2025- 2026 school year the best year ever for Pedro Menendez High School.

Once again, 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. 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.)

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.

This week we have assemblies scheduled for Seniors and Juniors with Jostens, who is our vendor for graduation gowns and accessories and for our class rings (juniors will be learning about this. Our academy students will be meeting as well to discuss specific standards and expectations for students who are members of academies.

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 19th - Jostens Presentations Juniors (10:30) Seniors (12:30)
• August 20th: Academy Expectation Assembly for ALL academy members (1st period)
• August 21st - SAC Meeting
• August 22nd- Battle of the Classes
• August 28th - Underclass Pictures (9th-11th)
• September 1st - Labor Day - No School
• September 10th - Interims Issued
• September 19th - Teacher Inservice Day - No School for students

25-26 SAC Meeting Dates

August 21

September 18

October 16

November 20

December 18

January 15

February 19

April 16

The Pedro Menendez School Advisory Council will meet every third Thursday of the month at 8:00 AM in the Media Center and all are welcome to attend. Please join us for our first meeting on August 21st if interested. If you would like to apply to become a voting member of our council, please complete the form below by Monday, August 18th. If you have any questions regarding our School Advisory Council, please reach out to Ms. Emily Reid, SAC Chair, at Emily.reid@stjohns.k12.fl.us or visit the SAC page on our website at https://www-pmhs.stjohns.k12.fl.us/sac/.

Link for SAC Application: https://forms.office.com/r/R4zhsr5pxb

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

The School Counseling office is moving all of our communications to Parent Square. Now students and their families will not have to look in multiple places for the vital information we publish regarding graduation requirements, dual enrollment, scholarships, deadlines, and much more. Please regularly check the new Parent Square app to ensure you're receiving all of this information, as we look forward to partnering with you in support of your future!

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!

Did you know? Your family may qualify for no-cost or reduced-price meals based on household income or family size. We encourage all families to explore this option: SJCSD Free/Reduced App page

What’s on the Menu? Curious about our daily offerings? Explore our diverse and nutritious menu options at Meal Viewer: Visit MealViewer.com now

St. Johns County Meal Viewer

Meal Prices

PLEASE BE SURE TO CHECK YOUR CHILD'S ACCOUNT FOR ANY DEBTS OWED

Pay for Cafeteria Meals Online

PayPAMS Brochure

PayPAMS Brochure (en español)

Student Expectations 2025 on Website

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.

Parental Choice Library Book Restriction Form

Parents may utilize this form to restrict titles their child may check out in the school library. Please complete the form and return it to your child's librarian. This form is only required when a parent is seeking to restrict access to materials in the media center.  

Save the Date!

Graduation

Saturday, May 23, 2026 3:00PM at the University of North Florida

Click Here to Pay

Click here to order

Senior Portrait Information:

Seniors need to schedule their senior portraits through Cady Studios. Various packages can be purchased.

https://home.cady.com/for-seniors/

If students cannot make it to a Cady Studio for a photoshoot, they can sign up on the Cady Website for a timeslot to take various posed pictures and their Cap and Gown photo at PMHS on 9/18. Must sign up in advance! Various picture packages can be ordered through this option.

For seniors interested in a “Yearbook Only” Cap and Gown photo, they will need to sign up for a timeslot at PMHS 10/23 through the Cady website. These are free of charge, but students will not be able to order packages through this option. 

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.

Yearbook information

Order a yearbook at yearbookordercenter.com!

Search code 15723 or search by our school name!

Yearbook starts at $75 and price will go up throughout the year so purchase early!

Pedro Menendez High School is pleased to offer 9th, 10th, and 11th-grade students the opportunity to take the PSAT/NMSQT® (Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) in October 2025 (exact date to be determined).

9^th and 11^th graders interested in taking this exam will need to pay for it on school pay by clicking this link: https://schoolpay.com/pay/for/PSAT--October-22nd-/Sd1w33

For the full letter please click below:

PSAT Parent Notification Letter

If your student currently has an IEP or 504 Plan, please click below:

PSAT Accommodation Information

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