Welcome back to the 22-23 school year!
Please take some time to read and maybe save this edition of the Panther Press to refer back to throughout the year as it contains important information on policies & procedures.
SENIORS ONLY: modified period(s) might have been changed while classes were being balanced to meet class-size amendment requirements; therefore, requests to change a student’s modified period(s) will not be honored.
Attention students with modified schedules or virtual courses at home:
Students MUST leave campus during their modified or virtual periods. Students may NOT "hang out" anywhere on campus. If transportation is not available, the student needs to see their counselor ASAP, so course(s) can be added to their schedule.
There is an exception to this policy on Wednesdays since we go to classes in order of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Students will sit in the media center during their modified or virtual at home periods if they have a class before or afterwards. For instance, student has modified 2nd period. Student would not leave for 41mins and return. They would sit in the media center and complete homework or read.
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New Student Orientation
Students in grades 10 - 12 that are new to Nease can attend an orientation on Monday at 1pm in the gym.
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Pledge & Daily Silent Reflection
State law requires the pledge and one minute of silent reflection to take place at the beginning of each school day. Students are asked to stand during the pledge even if they don't want to say the pledge. During the minute of silent reflection, students may not interfere with other student's participation. Teachers may not make suggestions as to the nature of any student's reflection. Parents are encouraged to discuss this moment of silence with their children and to make suggestions as to the best use of this time.
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Bell Schedules
(This schedule is used when we miss a Green or Gold day in a week
with a holiday or special testing schedule.)
Students who are off campus any part of the day for any reason , need to plan ahead to accomodate adjustments to our bell schedule. It's imperative that students plan ahead as having to work will not be accepted as a valid excuse for an absence.
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School Counselors
9th grade - Mr. Tim Place (new hire from Missouri - who will start later.)
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Parent Drop-off and Pick-Up
Parent drop-off and pick-up is in front of the 2-story building (Panther Hall).
Students are allowed on campus at 8:45am. If students are dropped off earlier, they can stand or sit outside at the parent loop.
Students who remain on campus after 4:20pm MUST be with a coach, teacher, club sponsor, etc. Students are not allowed to "hang out" on campus unsupervised after 4:20pm.
Please pay attention while driving in the parent loop and do not use your cell phone.
Funny video discussing the most fundamental aspect of the parent drop-off & pick-up line.
Morning Drop-off
- Please pull ALL the the way forward to the end of the covered walkway or to the car in front of you.
- If the vehicle in front of you is taking longer to unload, please use your turn signal and go around them by moving to the left lane.
- Students are only to be dropped off in the right lane closest to the sidewalk.
- Where the 2 lanes merge to one, please be courteous and use a "you go, I go" approach to keep the traffic flowing.
- If you arrive before 8:45am and have your child wait in the car until the gate is opened, please park in the visitor lot instead of waiting in the drop-off area. This will allow parents who want to drop-off and go the ability to do so.
- Traffic starts to back up at 9am. If at all possible, please arrive early.
Afternoon Pick-up
- Parents that arrive before 3pm (2pm Wed) need to park in the visitor lot and not wait in the pick-up area. Parents can check-out students until 3pm (2pm Wed), so they need to be able to get through the loop.
- Parents can start parking in the loop to wait for dismissal after 3pm (2pm Wed).
- Please pull ALL the way forward to the end of the awning.
- Once you have everyone you are picking up, please use your turn signal to indicate that you are moving to the left lane.
- When the vehicle in front of you leaves, please move foward until you reach the car in front of you.
- Students are ONLY picked up in the right lane nearest the sidewalk.
- Where the 2 lanes merge to one, please be courteous and use a "you go, I go" approach to keep the traffic flowing.
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Student Crosswalk
Students are only allowed to cross Ray Road at the designated crosswalk near the bus loop. There are no flashing lights at the crosswalk, so students should not assume that all drivers are paying attention and see them crossing.
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Buses
Students who ride the bus MUST know their bus number. The bus loop holds 24 buses, so students must look at 1 of the 4 boards that we have with bus numbers written in the order of their arrival, so they can find their bus. The buses arrive at different times each day, so buses are not always in the same location. Students must pay attention. If students miss their bus, they will have to call a parent to come pick them up. Students must ride their assigned bus. Notes to ride home with a friend will not be approved.
The St. Johns County School District Transportation office released bus routing information this past week through Home Access Center (HAC).
- If your student is eligible for transportation, you may log on to HAC at the following web address,
- Once you have logged into your HAC account, click on the Registration icon located in the top banner. You will then see a header for Transportation. Your student’s bus information will be listed below the header.
District Transportation Contact Numbers
*Please understand that we will be unavailable during dispatch hours (6:00am-9:00am and 1:45pm-4:15pm [Wed: 12:45pm-3:15pm]) in order to place our best focus and attention on safely transporting our students.
*We will resume communication during non-dispatch times.
*Please call your child’s school if you have a non-emergency question during dispatch times.
Topic(s)Number & Extension• For general questions
- If your child missed bus pickup at the assigned bus stop
- If you child did not get off the bus at the assigned stop
- Field trips(904) 547-7810 Ext. 1
- Lost items(904) 547-7810 Ext. 2
- Bus routing and assigned stop(s)(904) 547-7810 Ext. 3
- Employment(904) 547-7810 Ext. 4
- ESE Transportation(904) 547-7810 Ext. 5
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Lunch
Lunch is determined by the student's 3rd period class on Green Days and 4th period class on Gold Days.
Students may bring their lunch or purchase food from the cafeteria. Outside deliveries are not accepted.
Students MUST scan their ID to purchase food from the cafeteria. No exceptions! This is to prevent a student from using someone else's ID number and using money in their account.
During lunches, students may eat in the cafeteria, outside in PAC courtyard, or in the Media Center. To eat in the Media Center, students must pick-up a pass every morning. Fifty passes are available every day for each lunch.
Students eating in the Media Center who are also purchasing food from cafeteria, MUST go to the cafeteria first. Once students enter in the Media Center, they will not be allowed to leave.
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Visitor or Volunteer on Campus
Every adult entering campus during school hours must be cleared through Keep 'n Track.
If you plan on attending any guidance/teacher/IEP/504 meetings, ROTC promotion ceremonies, athletic day signings, or volunteering, please complete the Keep 'n Track registration. Registrations are good for 3 years.
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Attendance Procedures
Attendance Clerk: Mary Wilson (Still going through the District's HR process.)
Until she is on staff, please contact Assistant Principal Holly Rapp with questions.
Checkouts stop at 3pm on Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri and 2pm on Wed.
The only way a child can be picked up after 3pm (2pm on Wed) is if an early dismissal request is submitted.
Excused Absences
- Hard-copy excuse notes from parents are not necessary.
- Parents are encouraged to fill out an online absentee form instead of submitting a paper note.
- A doctor's note can be uploaded to the absentee form.
- Hard-copy notes and/or doctor notes can still be given to the attendance clerk by dropping them off in the main office, if this is preferred.
- 22-23 Form to Excuse an Absence
Early Dismissal Requests
- Online process is available and preferred; however paper forms are still accepted.
- Guardian submits online early dismissal request using form by 10am to have dismissal approved OR student submits early dismissal request form by 10am to the guidance secretary in C-pod.
- Once early dismissal request is approved, student will be issued an early dismissal pass, so they can leave class at the appropriate time.
- Students who drive themselves to school would still need to submit an early dismissal form to leave school early. (We call home to verify request before child is allowed to leave.)
- Emails, phone calls, and faxes will not be accepted to check-out early.
- If the early dismissal is for a medical appointment and you would like the absence excused, the physican's note must be uploaded to the absentee form within 48 hours.
- Early Dismissal Form - MUST be submitted by 10am
- If early dismissal request is submitted after 10am, the pass will not be written. The parent will have to enter the main office and check-out their child waiting while the student intern goes to the classroom to get student as we do not interrupt classes with the intercom.
Pre-Approved Absences
- Parents may request pre-approval for an absence by submitting the pre-approved absence form to the main office 5 days prior to the absence.
- Use this for college visits, non-FHSAA sporting events, etc.
- Pre-Approved Absence Form
Driver’s License
Florida law requires that minors who fail to satisfy attendance requirements will be ineligible for driving privileges. The School District is required to notify the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles of the following:
- Students ages 14-18 who accumulate fifteen (15) unexcused absences, not including out of school suspensions, in a ninety (90) calendar-day period.
- Students between the ages of 16-18 who have signed a declaration of intent to terminate school enrollment.
- Students ages 14-18 who are expelled.
- Students ages 14-18 who did not enter school and for whom the school has received no indication of transfer to another educational setting.
These students may not be issued a driver’s license or learner driver’s license. Also, the Department of Motor Vehicles shall suspend any previously issued driver’s license or learner driver’s license of any such minor pursuant to Florida Statute 322.091. In order to have a driver’s license reinstated, the student must attend school regularly for thirty (30) days with no unexcused absences and pay the appropriate reinstatement fee.
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Parent Schoology Access Codes
Schools are not permitted to provide Parent Access Codes verbally or through email. Parents can find their access code in THEIR STUDENT HAC account.
Once logged into child's HAC account, parent access codes can be found on the Registration Page.
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Dress Code
The District's Dress Code IS enforced at Nease High School. Students will be sent to the ISS room to change clothes when out of dress code.
The most frequent violations are...
- shorts, skirts or dresses that are too short
- the district policy states mid-thigh. Right below the rear end is not mid-thigh. Half way between rear end and top of knee is mid-thigh.
- Shorts MUST have at least a 3-4 inch inseam and that is being generous as that will still not be mid-thigh for most students.
- midriff showing
- shirt MUST touch top of shorts, pants, leggings, or skirt.
- wearing a button up shirt or jacket and holding the shirt or jacket closed when an administrator is seen but then showing midriff after they walk by is not acceptable. If shirt or jacket is worn over a shirt that is too short, then shirt must be buttoned or jacket zipped so the midriff is never seen.
- inappropriate sayings or pictures on clothing
- the playboy bunny is inappropriate to wear to school
- symbols that represent drugs and alcohol are not allowed
- cleavage showing
- hoodies covering head and ears
- two earbuds
- ONE earbud is allowed between classes and during lunch
- earbuds are NOT allowed in the classroom
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Phone Policy
The biggest distraction in the classroom is a cell phone. Students need to focus on learning during class not be distracted by text messages and social media.
Nease's leadership team discussed cell phones at much length last year and decided to implement a school-wide policy requiring students to place their cell phone in a pocket holder upon entering a classroom. We had 20 teachers who instituted this cell phone policy last year and there were no issues. Students realized they could live without their phone for 92 mins and that is was easier to stay focused without their phone.
Changes for this year...
- Phone must be placed in pocket holder upon enter every classroom.
- Students are NOT allowed to wear earbuds during class time.
- During a summative, a teacher can require students to remove smart watches.
- If a student is accessing their phone through their watch, the student will be required to place watch in pocket holder with phone.
If your child is a diabetic and needs to monitor their blood sugar with their cell phone, the phone will be allowed to sit on the corner of their desk. If child is seen accessing the phone other than for medical purpose, the phone will have to sit on teacher's desk where it can still be monitored.
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