Freshman Yaszmine Morales was chosen by Orange County Sheriff John Mina as the winner for her essay in the annual contest "A Day with the Sheriff." She will now spend a full workday behind-the-scenes shadowing Sheriff Mina. Pictured from the left are: Wekiva SRO Deputy Spearman, Yaszmine Morales, and Wekiva SRO Deputy Joseph. (Please see this Mustang success story below.) | | |
Wekiva High School Community Brief
Monday, October 26, 2026
| | A Message from Principal Russell | | |
Wekiva Community Member,
We are proud of the reputation Wekiva High School has built as one of the elite educational institutions in the State of Florida. That standing was earned through grit, sacrifice, and relentless focus.
But let me be clear: true leaders don’t coast on past success without putting in the work.
Reputation gets you noticed; daily effort is what keeps you at the top. We cannot, and will not, rely on yesterday’s achievements to carry us through tomorrow. Greatness demands that we show up every day ready to earn it all over again.
• In our classrooms: It means holding high expectations, pushing past comfortable limits, and bringing energy to instruction and learning.
• In our culture: It means standing united, supporting each other through every challenge, and operating with unwavering discipline.
• In our commitment: It means ensuring every student who walks our halls receives our absolute best effort, every single day.
Let’s keep our eyes fixed on progress, stay hungry, and put in the work required to set the standard across Florida.
We Are All In… No Excuses!
If no one told you they Love You, Mr. Russell Loves You, and there is nothing you can do about it.
Principal Anthony K. Russell, Jr.
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Mustang Spotlight!
Sophomore Student Council's GLOW NIGHT is this Wednesday
| | Sophomore Student Council hard at work during lunch advertising for their upcoming Glow Night event. | | Sophomore Student Council special event: Scavenger Hunt during lunch | | SAFETY & SECURITY REMINDER: Student IDs | | |
Students, please have your student ID ready when entering campus beginning Monday, October 19.
If your ID is lost or stolen, a $5 replacement charge will be added to your student account.
| | Credit: Ms. Tami Martin, Testing Coordinator | | |
Testing Information
Special events both Tuesday and Wednesday this week
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Assessment Night this Wednesday
You’re invited to learn about the types of assessments your student may experience at Wekiva High School with a little fun and games.
Be sure to RSVP with our PEL @ Lamarcus.Jackson@ocps.net
| | Interact Club, FFA, Black Student Union, SGA | | Junior Class Council, Lighthouse, SGA | | |
Student Government
Breast Cancer and Domestic Violence Awareness Month
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Sheriff for a Day
Yaszmine Morales, a ninth grader, has been handpicked among all Orange County high school students by Sheriff John Mina as the winner of the 800-1,000 word essay "A Day with the Sheriff" contest. As her reward, she will spend an exciting day shadowing the Orange County Sheriff to experience law enforcement firsthand.
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Diversity Award
JEA 2026 Diversity Award Winner - La Sana Groome
This award recognizes a journalism educator or program demonstrating a meaningful commitment to cultural awareness and inclusive student media. La Sana's work to ensure students feel seen, valued and represented in the yearbook is a powerful reminder of why scholastic journalism matters.
A yearbook isn't simply a collection of photographs, it's a historical record of our school community, and every student deserves an opportunity to see themselves reflected in that history.
Congratulations to La Sana and the Wekiva journalism community!
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Once a Mustang, Always a Mustang!
Travon Laster, United States Army
Big congratulations to Wekiva graduate Travon Laster, who officially graduated from basic training and earned the title of US Army Soldier! By stepping up to serve, he is truly becoming all that he could be. We are incredibly proud to watch him take this next honorable step. Once a Mustang, always a Mustang!
| | Ms. Chapman, AP Precalculus | | |
During our collaborative learning rotation in AP Precalculus, students demonstrated strong mastery of the Algebra techniques and skills needed to master learning objectives by teaching one another how different forms of polynomial and rational expressions reveal key features of a function. As they moved through the room, students explained how factored forms identify zeros, asymptotes, holes, and domain restrictions, while standard forms clarify end behavior.
They also modeled polynomial long division, showing how rewriting a rational function as a quotient plus remainder connects directly to identifying slant asymptotes. Their peer to peer instruction highlighted not only content understanding but also their ability to communicate mathematical reasoning clearly and support one another’s learning.
| | Another successful coaching day for Wekiva 3DE! Thanks to the Greater Orlando Sports Commission for the support! The coaching by our business partners helped students gain a clearer understanding of how to strengthen their final presentations, refine their recommendations, and think more critically about the client's needs and expectations. | | |
Electrifying Your Strings Practice
⚡ Wekiva is About to ROCK! 🎻🤘
Wekiva High School was proud to host Electrify Your Symphony with internationally renowned and Emmy award-winning electric violinist, Mark Wood!
| | For two incredible days, approximately 300 student musicians from 7 Orange County Public Schools came together at Wekiva to work with Mark Wood in an immersive experience that took orchestra far beyond the traditional concert stage. Students explored musicianship, creativity, improvisation, movement, stage presence, and the energy of rock and contemporary music—all culminating in one massive performance! | | |
College and Career Resource Corner
Updates from Mrs. Williams, College and Career Specialist
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1) Arthur “Pappy” Kennedy Scholarship. Scholarships are awarded on behalf of the YMCA of Central Florida and the Southwest Orlando Jaycees. Recipients must be available for award presentation on Monday, January 18, 2027. Together, we will grant six $5,000 scholarships to local high school seniors who are set to pursue accredited post-secondary education in the Fall of 2027.
Deadline: November 6, 2026
Award: $5,000
https://ymcacf.org/community/y-events/prayerbreakfast/scholarship/
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2) Central Florida Criminal Justice Association (CFCJA) Scholarship. The Central Florida Criminal Justice Association, Inc. (CFCJA) established a scholarship program in 2025. Two $1,000.00 scholarships will be awarded to students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, or professional degrees. Preference will be given to students enrolled in programs focused on criminal justice and public service administration.
Deadline: November 6, 2026
Award: $1,000 (2)
Application attached and in Xello
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3) Florida Debate Initiative + AT&T Scholarship. Florida Debate Initiative, in partnership with AT&T, is proud to offer 10 need-based scholarships of $3,000 each to high school seniors who plan to attend college. Speech and debate builds confident communicators, critical thinkers, and civic leaders. The Florida Debate Initiative Scholarship presented by AT&T celebrates students who have developed those skills and are ready to take them into their next chapter.
a. Deadline: November 20, 2026
b. Award: $3,000
c. https://www.floridadebate.org/att-scholarship?rc=test-site
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4) Burger King Foundation Scholarship. Scholarships range from $1,000 to $60,000 and are intended to offset the cost of attending college or post-secondary vocational/technical school. Recipients are selected through an application process that takes into consideration their grade point average (GPA), work experience, extracurricular activities, community service, and financial need.
Deadline: December 15, 2026
Award: $1,000-$60,000
https://burgerking.scholarsapply.org/?utm_source=commercial&utm_medium=commercial&utm_campaign=commercial1
5) Z.E.T.A. Foundation Scholarship.
a. Deadline: January 16, 2027
b. Award: varies
c. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeZJ3wr5T7RIPgWZo2fX994wppOlfPEHoP95yFbiq9yTNiLsg/viewform
| | October College and Career Visits | | |
College Visits: Week of October 19-23
Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University (FAMU)
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Valencia Application Workshop
Representatives from Valencia College guided students through completing and submitting their college applications. Students also asked questions, explored available programs and learned about financial aid, scholarships and enrollment requirements.
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Insights
1) Here are America’s best-value public universities. Four are in Florida including UCF.
| | 2) Median US weekly earnings by level of education - latest results: | | | Level of education | 2026:Qtr 3 | 2025:Qtr 3 | 2024:Qtr 3 | | Less than a high school diploma | $819/week | $777/week | $734/week | | High school graduate, no college | $993/week | $980/week | $946/week | | Some college or associate degree | $1,140/week | $1,099/week | $1,089/week | | Bachelor's degree or higher | $1,752/week | $1,787/week | $1,697/week | | | Mustang footnote: Weekly earnings are median figures for the United States for the 3rd quarter of each year which ends on Sept. 30th. Please keep in mind that individual earnings depends upon other factors such as the industry you work in, local demand, years of experience, level of responsibility, the organization you work for, other credentials/certifications you may have acquired such as through Orange Technical College dual enrollment, etc. However, the basic pattern you see in the table regarding weekly paychecks and the differences between levels of educational attainment holds year after year, even through economic recessions. | | |
Career Options
Corrections Officer
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Wekiva has an all sport pass that our students, parent(s) and families can purchase that allows them to enter all home athletic contest (except playoffs). Given today's price inflation, this is a great entertainment deal if our community and students take advantage of it.
The three types of passes are student booster pass for $50, Single Adult pass for $100 and Family of 4 pass for $250. Football games are $10 to enter and all other athletic contest are $9 to enter per game.
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Teach-In 2026 (Nov. 19)
Would you like to volunteer for this year’s Teach In? Join us and share your career path with our students as we help open their minds to a world of possibility.
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Volunteer at Wekiva this year. Join the OCPS ADDitions Program! 🏫
Looking for a meaningful way to make a difference in our schools? The OCPS ADDitions Program offers an opportunity to get involved, support students, and help create a positive learning environment. By joining, you can give back to your community, build connections, and play a valuable role in helping our students succeed. Every helping hand makes a difference!
Be a part of something bigger—support our schools and inspire our future!
| | Wekiva High School Contacts | | |
Have a great week Mustangs, and remember our guiding principle—
ALL IN... NO EXCUSES
Mr. Russell, Principal
Wekiva High School
Sunday, October 25, 2026
| | This communication may contain information that is legally privileged, confidential or exempt from disclosure, and intended only for the use of the addressee(s) named above. If you are not the intended recipient, please note that any dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. Anyone who receives this message in error should notify the sender immediately by telephone or by return e-mail, and delete the message from their computer and any printout thereof. Please note that Orange County Public Schools utilizes spam and junk e-mail filtration applications in its e-mail systems. That filtering process may prevent or delay delivery of certain e-mail communications. If you do not receive a timely response to an e-mail communication, please contact the intended recipient by phone. | | |
Wekiva High School | Mr. Russell, Principal | 407.297.4900 | WHS Website | | | | |
