Good afternoon & Happy New Year! It is hard to believe we are halfway through the 22-23 school year.

In my anticipation of winter break, I neglected to thank PTSO and all of the parents who made everyone at Nease feel so appreciated with a wonderful holiday breakfast, a gift card, and a dessert bar. THANK YOU to everyone! We know that we are very lucky to have such supportive parents and appreciate all that is done for us.

SWEET Welcome Back for NHS Teachers! Thank you to Nocatee Dunkin’ Donuts for providing Nease faculty & staff with donuts to kick off the third quarter! We appreciate you. 

With the new calendar year, I know many of you are scheduling family trips. PLEASE consider the dates below while planning.

2nd semester of 22-23 school year

• Last day of 3rd quarter - March 9th
• Students have off for spring break - Friday, March 10th through Friday, March 17th.
• 4-day weekend in April - April 7th through 10th
• Last day of school - Thursday, May 25th (There will be exams the last week, so it is very important that students are present.)

23-24 school year Dates

• 1st day - Thursday, August 10th
• Thanksgiving Break - Wed thru Fri, Nov 22nd - 24th
• Last day of 1st semester - Thursday, Dec 21st (Students will have exams, so it is very important that they are present this week.)
• 1st day of 2nd semester - Monday, January 8th

Help the Nease Panther Pride Marching Band Get to the Daytona 500!

The Nease Band Program has received and invitation to perform at the upcoming Daytona 500 race event. This was an unplanned invitation and has many additional costs for the performance. We need your help to get us there! The Nease Band Boosters have setup a GoFundMe to help raise funds for this trip. Every little bit helps and will go toward putting our band at a national level! You can go the GoFundMe page by clicking here!

Band also have a fundraiser through NASCAR for those of you who wish to attend the race! If you purchase tickets through our referral link here, $25 of each ticket sold goes to the marching band! These tickets are at a significantly reduced price to the Daytona 500 and are available until the event sells out. Get your tickets to hear the band perform and watch the biggest race of the year!

Vacancies we are actively trying to fill... (Jobs in red are still available)

English 2 & AP Lit - re-advertising over the winter break

School Counselor - currently being re-advertised

ESE Para - applicant submitted to HR to hire

Athletic Director - applicant submitted to HR to hire

If you know someone interested, please have them email Lisa.Kunze@stjohns.k12.fl.us

9^th Graders Are Eligible to Apply to Career Academies/Programs of Choice for 2023-24

If a 9^th grader is interested in joining a Career Academy/Program of Choice for 2023-24, they are eligible to apply when the application window opens on January 5^th. Students can choose to drop a current Academy for 2023-24 and join a new program, or they can apply to add a second Academy/Program of Choice to their schedule for 2023-24.  The application process and guidelines work in the same way as they did when the students were 8^th graders applying to Academies. Students can apply to programs at their current school, or at another St. Johns County High School, as long as their zoned school does not offer the same program (at Nease, ROTC and IB are the only programs that qualify for this rule). Students will apply to Career Academies/Programs of Choice via HAC. The applications will be available from January 5^th – January 31^st at 5 pm. Step by step directions will be posted on www.neaseacademies.com when the application window opens on January 5^th.

SENIOR INFORMATION

The first transmission of information to the State for FL Bright Futures is in February. Please ensure volunteer hours or work hours have been submitted to your counselor. Please do not procrastinate.

Elks Lodge Educational Trust Fund Scholarships

Each year the St. Augustine Elks Lodge offers $1,000 scholarships to seniors in St Johns County. Last year four $1,000 scholarships were awarded to Evan Graff, Abigail Hamby, Brianna Streeter and Katie Vaughn from NHS.

This year there will be ten $1,000.00 scholarships available to qualifying seniors in St. Johns County. Applicants must attend or have attended a high school within St. Johns County, be a resident of St. Johns County, and have at least one parent that is a St. Johns County resident. Applications are due back no later than April 10, 2023.

Applicants are selected based on the overall excellence of the student, and include community service, extracurricular activities and financial need, as well as academic achievement. 

Elks Scholarship application

If you paid dues by the deadline and haven't picked up your senior t-shirt yet, you can come to D7 to pick it up between 8:45 and 9:10am, between most classes, and directly after the senior bell. If you paid dues by deadline, but do not pick up your shirt by Monday January 9, 2023, you are no longer guaranteed a shirt. If you are a DE student who has not picked up a shirt, Ms. Jordan has your shirt in C-pod. After 1/9/23, we will start releasing unclaimed shirts to seniors on the waiting list.



Important GradBash Updates:

GradBash is a special ticketed event for seniors at Universal Studios. Seniors cannot use an annual pass for access to this event or drive themselves. Seniors will depart Nease at 1:30pm on 4/28/23 and return at approximately 5am on 4/29/23. All 300 GradBash spots are reserved. Spots were reserved with a non-refundable deposit of $100 on SchoolPay. A second, non-refundable payment, will be due in late February/early March of $105. It is possible (based on increased costs, especially fuel costs) that a 3^rd payment may be necessary. Our hope is to keep the total cost at $205, which includes the special event ticket (access to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure from 4pm to 2am), charter bus transportation, and a $20 voucher that can be used at park restaurants or shops.

GradBash is sold out, but we do offer a waiting list if spaces open up or a student who planned to go would like to sell their ticket. If we reach you on the waiting list, a senior sponsor will contact you with information on making a deposit, paying in full, or completing a transfer with another senior. You will have a limited amount of time to respond before we remove you from the waiting list and go to the next person on the list. You MUST have paid your senior dues to keep your spot in line on the waiting list.

To Join the Waiting List:  https://forms.office.com/r/iY61hj8VwS

Graduation date:

Saturday, May 20th at 9am at University of North Florida.  As of right now, graduates should plan on receiving 6 tickets.

Monday, January 9^th – Green Day – periods 1, 3, 5, & 7

• 1^st period: 9^th grade assembly
• 5^th period: 10^th grade assembly

Tuesday, January 10^th – Gold Day – periods 2, 4, 6, & 7

• 2^nd period: 12^th grade assembly
• 6^th period: 11^th grade assembly
• AWAY: 6pm/7:30pm – JV/V Boys BB at St Joe’s
• HOME: 6pm/7:30pm – JV/V Girls BB vs Gainesville

Wednesday, January 11^th – periods 1, 2, 3, 4, EXCEL, 5 & 6

• HOME: 5:30pm/7:20pm – JV/V Boys Soccer vs Bartram
• AWAY: 5:30pm – Girls Weightlifting at Pedro
• HOME: 6pm – Boys & Girls Varsity Wrestling vs Tocoi

Thursday, January 12^th – Green Day – periods 1, 3, 5, & 7

• AWAY: 6pm/7:30pm – JV/V Girls BB at Ponte Vedra
• AWAY: 5:30pm/7:20pm – JV/V Girls Soccer at Episcopal

Friday, January 13^th – Gold Day – periods 2, 4, 6, & 7

• HOME: 6pm/7:30pm – JV/V Boys BB vs St Augustine
• AWAY: 5:30pm – JV Girls Basketball at Providence
• AWAY: 7:20pm – V Boys Soccer at Episcopal
• AWAY: 5pm – Cheer Competition – FHSAA Regionals at Bishop Moore

Saturday, January 14^th

• NJROTC Sanctioned Drill Meet at Mandarin HS
• AWAY: 9:30am – Girls Wrestling at Matanzas
• AWAY: 10am – Boys Varsity Wrestling at Lincoln
• HOME: 12:30pm – JV Girls BB vs Bishop Kenny (Kunze)

Student Life

AFTER SCHOOL TUTORING UPDATE!

After school tutoring will resume on January 10^th, 2023. Please remind your student that this is an EXCELLENT opportunity and time to kick off the new semester with the help and support they need to maintain their grades, get help with difficult concepts they find themselves struggling with, and learn some great study skills. Don’t wait until interims to get the help you need! 

AP Testing Information:

Self-Study or FLVS students beginning an AP course for the SPRING SEMESTER ONLY needing a test can visit the NHS website to request an AP Join Code. The link is under "Testing Information" and then click on "AP Testing" to complete the form for Self-Study and FLVS students only. Any questions regarding AP testing can be emailed to the AP Testing Coordinator at hollyhsmith@stjohns.k12.fl.us. 

New Course Addition for 10-12: Great Books Honors (1 credit elective)

What is a “Great Books” course? The Great Books seminar courses have their roots at the University of Chicago in the 1940s where they began, eventually spreading throughout the country. At the heart of any Great Books course is the use of Socratic seminars, conversations, and student-led learning to explore classical and modern texts that have shaped western thought.

Who can register for the course? The course is open to all 10^th-12^th grade students. Students should be currently enrolled in an honors or higher level English course with a grade of B or higher. 

What kind of credit can I get? The Great Books course is a full year, one credit elective honors English course. It does NOT take the place of your regular English class.

What are the expectations for students? Students enrolled in the course will be expected to read texts (novels, plays, essays, lectures) from many different time periods and contribute to regular classroom seminars. This is not a lecture-based class but one in which students unpack and discuss the texts together to reach an understanding of various topics. Most of the reading will be done outside of class. Students must be respectful to one another and have an open mind as most of our classwork will be devoted to discussing big issues and ideas.

Why is this a good course to take? Colleges, universities, and even the Florida Department of Education recognizes the importance of a well-rounded, classical education. In fact, the new B.E.S.T. standards emphasize classical literature like Sophocles and Plato so students will understand the scope of human experience. UF requires a similar course for freshmen called “The Good Life,” and Mercer University even offers an entire path to a bachelors exclusively through Great Books courses.

What kinds of books are considered “Great Books”? While there is no “official” list, representative works could include essays, poetry by Homer, Plato, Thomas Aquinas, Shakespeare, Toni Morrison, and George Orwell, among many others. Texts are often chosen for their impact on the fields of science, math, art, government, ethics, and philosophy. Our course will include a wide variety of writers from different backgrounds and fields.

Whom do I contact with questions? Please contact Cheryl Goodman at Cheryl.goodman@stjohns.k12.fl.us

The Vertical

Nease’s student newspaper is currently taking applications for newspaper staff for next year. Newspaper is an honors level Journalism class for students interested in journalism, publishing, and media. If you are interested, the best first step is to join our Media Club Schoology Group and complete an application. The access code is: DWXPP-359QQ. If you have any questions, please see Ms. Bourquin in D7 or email her at holly.bourquin@stjohns.k12.fl.us

Auditions for Nease High School Theatre’s Presentation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Nease High School, Theatre will have open auditions for the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream on January 10 (4:00 PM to 6:00 PM) and January 11 (3:00 PM to 5:00 PM). If you are interested in auditioning, you should see Mr. Robinson in the PAC (Room 206) for an audition packet before the auditions. 

William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a farcical comedy and a lighthearted fantasy. It follows a group of human beings who are wandering the forest and who become the playthings of a band of mischievous fairies. Traditionally, the story is set in Ancient Greece, but we will be putting our own spin on the show. Instead, our humans will be lost on the streets of New York City in and around Central Park during the 1980s. We will keep Shakespeare’s language, but we will comment on the action with songs and dances from the 1980s. 

Performances of A Midsummer Night’s Dream are set for March 30, 31 and April 1. Mark your calendars!

NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY NEWS! 

Advisers/Sponsors: Carolyn Milian, School Librarian Media Specialist & Ms. Morrison, English teacher

RISING JUNIOR & SENIOR STUDENTS & PARENTS!

Is your student interested in being invited to join National Honor Society next school year? Well, here are some important details to keep in mind, so your child can start working on his/her “resume”.  These are the requirements for students to be considered as candidates for the Nease chapter of National Honor Society:

• Eligibility for National Honor Society:
• NHS is open only to Juniors and Seniors
• 3.80 SHARP WEIGHTED GPA (not rounded)
• Rising Juniors (Sophomores now) – minimum of 40 documented service hours IN eSCHOOL (HAC) documented by the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL at the start of your Junior year. 
• Rising Seniors (Juniors now) – minimum of 50 documented hours IN eSCHOOL (HAC) by the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL at the start of your senior year.
• Enrolled in at least 2 Honors, AP, or DE courses (or a combo of any of these) for the school year 2023-24.
• IMPORTANT!! STUDENTS! PLEASE be sure to get your service hours submitted to your counselors as soon as you complete them! REMEMBER! Your counselors ARE NOT on campus during the summer so DO NOT WAIT UNTIL AUGUST TO SUBMIT HOURS.

• Eligible Juniors and Seniors who have the required GPA and required service hours at the start of the school year, will receive an invitation for an “Informational Meeting” in September to discuss the requirements and expectations of all members in National Honor Society. At that point they will receive a “Selection/Resume” packet that must be completed and submitted by deadline date.

• Eligibility does not guarantee admission. Other factors that will determine candidacy are leadership, school involvement in clubs, events, and activities, outside leadership and club involvement (ie: Scouts, church, community groups, work, etc.). The Faculty Council (8 anonymous faculty members) review all the resumes and make the final decisions regarding invitation to become a member or does not meet needed requirements. Juniors that did not meet requirements have the opportunity to become eligible at the start of Senior year. All confirmed candidates will be inducted into the club in a ceremony that will take place sometime in October. Confirmation letters will be sent out during the last week of September.

NOTE – students and parents – please understand that commitment to our chapter of National Honor Society requires a substantial dedication of time and service to our school, our students, and our community. Members WILL BE REQUIRED to complete 25 National Honor Society sponsored community service hours each year of membership to remain in good standing with the club and receive their stole for graduation. The philosophy and commitment of this chapter is to maintain a high level of service and commitment to our students, faculty, and community and this involves volunteering outside of school at community events and supporting our feeder elementary/middle schools. These expectations directly align to our chapter mission statement & purpose:

“The purpose of this chapter shall be to create an enthusiasm for scholarship, to stimulate a desire to render service, to promote worthy leadership, and to encourage the development of character in students of Allen D. Nease High School.”

Parents can contact Mrs. Milian or Ms. Morrison for further information or check club webpage

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

First Coast Technical College will be at Nease on Wednesday, Feb 1st, during EXCEL in the PAC. This program is for students interested in pursuing a workforce skill such as Welding, Automotive, Cosmotolegy, Culinary, etc… Review website for more information about the program: https://fctc.edu/students/highschool/programs/

St Johns River State College for students who want to take Dual Enrollment college classes through SJRSC for next year, the initial registration for School Year 23-24 is open and closes January 16^th. Student’s must first get linked into the Dual Enrollment Prospective Schoology site: QQ65-FS9N-65GTM and read the instructions posted. The mandatory form that needs to be fill out is called the “The Initial Dual Enrollment Application”. The mandatory meetings will be January 18^th and 20^th during all periods. The students will be able to select the time to attend with a sign-up genius link that will be provided to students by email after they have filled out the “Initial Dual Enrollment Application” and Ms. Jordan has reviewed each student’s eligibility criteria. 

Girls’ Basketball

Lady Panthers are now 11-3 overall

Boys’ Basketball

Panthers are now 12-3 overall

Girls’ Soccer

Lady Panthers are now 7-3-2 overall

Boys’ Soccer

Panthers are now 5-1-3 overall

Girls Basketball

Nease Girls Basketball was remarkably busy over the winter break. They started the break giving shoeboxes of love in a community near the Boys and Girls Club, St. Augustine. Then they traveled to Tampa and competed over 5 days in the Tampa Bay Christmas Invitational 2022. The Lady Panthers won in overtime against #5 ranked Tampa Bay Tech 63-60 to bring home the trophy! Way to go Panthers!

Boys Soccer Holiday Cup Results

Our 2nd Annual Holiday Cup was a success! The Varsity double-header lived up to the billing with two exciting matches; more importantly--we did a great deal of good for our communities. 

Through your thoughtful donations toward Soaring High and Betty Griffin Center we were able to raise: 100 blankets, 150 pillows/sheets/towels, 75 books, 200 pairs of socks, and $1500 in cash/gift cards. Thank you to Coaches Cameron Crandall, Jason Cooley, and Matt Crowell for jumping on board and helping push this community outreach. A huge thanks to Julie Hudson and Carole Sullivan who work with and promote these organizations throughout the year. Thank you to the community leaders Chris Austin with First Coast Mortgage and Robert Talley with t5 Sportswear for their generous donations. Most important, thank you to the players, parents, and families from the four high schools for making our event a success.

The Allen D. Nease Speech & Debate Team had a successful first semester!

Congratulations to the following students for placing in local tournaments in semester 1:

Ryan Kruger – 1^st place in Extemporaneous Speaking

Daniel Gassert – 2^nd place in Extemporaneous Speaking

Katelyn Deardorff – Extemporaneous Speaking

Rich Nguyen – 3^rd place in Novice/Varsity Impromptu Speaking

Rachel Ball – 1^st place in Congressional Debate

Mina Dryden – Congressional Debate

Pranav Devanand – 2^nd place in Lincoln Douglas (two 2^nd place wins!)

Rishi Chandra – 3^rd place in Lincoln Douglas

Saicharan Ramineni – Lincoln Douglas

Shreyas Sindhaval – Lincoln Douglas

Roshan Chak – Lincoln Douglas

Manogna Chak – Lincoln Douglas

We are looking forward to a great second semester. Students interested in joining the team this year or for next year, contact Mrs. K. Brown in P42 or at kristy.brown@stjohns.k12.fl.us 

Nease’s NJROTC Cyber Patriot Team: After the most recent competition round, with over 2000 teams competing and 137 teams in the state of Florida, Nease’s Gold team has ranked #2 in the state! In the All-Service division, competing against 798 teams Nease’s Gold team has ranked in the top 25% of teams in the nation and passed onto the semi-finals!

Follow Nease Athletics on Instagram #NeaseAthletics and Twitter @NeaseAthletics

NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete 2022-2023

http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/eligibility_center/Student_Resources/CBSA.pdf?j=84970295&jb=12006&l=7822357_HTML&mid=10892399&sfmc_sub=1302201880&u=741606448

Purchase Nease Athletic Apparel:

https://sideline.bsnsports.com/schools/florida/pontevedra/nease-high-school

Athletic Clearance

Prior to participating with a Nease High School athletic team, all students are required to complete the athletic clearance process.

Please keep in mind that the FHSAA requires all student athletes to view free NFHS 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.

For step-by-step athletic clearance instructions please visit: https://neaseathletics.com/athletic_clearance/

Athletic Fee

The purpose of the Nease Athletic Fee is to help address the costs associated with operating a high school athletic department. Currently the St. Johns County School Board pays each coach’s coaching supplement, and all remaining costs are the responsibility of the athletic department and teams. The athletic fee helps cover the following expenses:

·        Game officials

·        Indoor and Outdoor Athletic Facility maintenance

·        Sports Medicine

·        Security

·        Ambulance service

·        Athletic Leadership Council activities

·        Student-Athlete Letters and Awards

·        FHSAA membership dues and other fees

The 2022-23 fee will be as follows: $75 Per Sport Played

The $75 Athletic Fee can be paid via School Pay by clicking

https://www.schoolpay.com/pay/for/Athletic-Fee-/SUeFDu

This fee must be paid prior to the student-athlete participating in his/her first contest. Nease Athletics appreciates your attention and compliance regarding payment of this fee. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Nease Athletic Department.

Spring Sports: Please begin working on your athletic clearance so you are ready for tryouts!

Click here to begin https://neaseathletics.com/athletic_clearance/

MANDATORY TRYOUT MEETING

Interested in trying out for Girls' Lacrosse? Come to a MANDATORY informational meeting:

When: Wednesday, January 11 - Excel B

Where: PH205 - Coach Fifield's room

Contact Coach Fifield, Coach Zellen, or Coach Booth if you have any questions.

See you there!!!

Softball

Player meeting - January 10 at 4:30pm - softball field

Arm care conditioning - January 12, 13, 16-20 at 4:30-6pm

Softball tryouts - January 23-27 at 4:30-6pm

Boys Lacrosse

Please follow the directions below to register for tryouts

Tryouts will begin Monday, January 23^rd

Be prepared and register today!

https://neaseathletics.com/athletic_clearance/

Tennis

Tennis tryouts January 17-19th from 4:00-5:15p

Players must have a completed physical and cleared in Athletic Clearance to participate!

Please go to the Nease Athletic Website to complete all paperwork.

Boys Volleyball

Please check the Nease Boys Volleyball website for all Preseason and Tryout updates

Hometown Fan APP

Nease High School has transitioned to Hometown Fan for athletic tickets to games.

Download the APP or click on https://neaseathletics.com/tickets/ to purchase tickets!

SWEET Welcome Back for NHS Teachers! Thank you to Nocatee Dunkin’ Donuts for providing our teachers with donuts to kick off the third quarter! We appreciate you. 

EXCEL Volunteers Wanted! We are looking for Volunteers during EXCEL time this month! EXCEL is each Wednesday for students to eat lunch, attend a club meeting, seek help from a teacher, or retake a summative exam. Volunteers are needed from 12:00 pm-1:30 pm. Volunteers will get training prior to their first shift and a volunteer T-shirt. Volunteers get a valuable peak into campus life at NHS! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d4aafab2ea0f9c70-excel2*All visitors on campus including PTSO meeting attendees, must be approved volunteers. To become an approved visitor, please visit https://www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/volunteer/. Visitors are required to check in at the front office and present identification.



Amazon Teacher Wish Lists Have Been Updated! Good news! We have made it easier than ever to support the amazing teachers at NHS! The PTSO asked teachers to create Amazon Wish Lists for items that they would love to have to enhance learning in their classroom. Check out the Amazon Wish Lists that are posted to our website. We will be updating the page with additional teacher wish lists as they are submitted. Amazon Teacher Wish Lists

PTSO Membership Is Open! There are two options for your 2022-23 PTSO Membership:

1) Regular Membership: includes a NEASE car magnet! - $35

2) Premium Membership: includes a Panther Pride Banner and a NEASE car magnet! - $120. Let’s FILL THE FRONT FENCE with Panther Pride banners! 

Click here to become a member

PTSO Gold Business Partner Spotlight:

Dr. Esra, DVM and owner of Nease Animal Hospital has been a long-time Gold supporter of Nease PTSO. Embracing the highest standards of modern veterinary medicine, Nease Animal Hospital offers a wide range of services including canine rehabilitation, physical therapy and underwater treadmill hydrotherapy. Dr. Esra is passionate about helping your pet live a healthier and happier life. For more information https://www.neaseanimalhospital.com/   Thank you Dr. Esra for your continued support!

Seniors: Time to Order Your Academy Graduation Cord

Academy graduation cord orders are available online, now through February 3^rd, via Sign Up Genius. Sign up to order your cord here: Academy Seniors: Academy Graduation Cords (signupgenius.com)

Then head here to pay $8 for your cord (link is also available in the Sign Up Genius: https://www.schoolpay.com/pay/for/20222023-Nease-Academy-Graduation-Cords/Se1Auer

Please sign up with the student’s name under the Academy they have been enrolled in for at least 3 years, so that an Academy cord can be ordered for you. Cords cost 8 ollars. If you do not order your cord and pay before February 3^rd, you will not be able to get an Academy cord for graduation. Please make sure you only sign up for the Academy you have been enrolled in for at least 3 years. If you sign up under the wrong Academy, the wrong color cord could be ordered for you. Communications Academy students get blue cords, Engineering Academy students get red cords, and Hospitality Academy students get aqua cords.

9^th Graders Are Eligible to Apply to Career Academies/Programs of Choice for 2023-24

If a 9^th grader is interested in joining a Career Academy/Program of Choice for 2023-24, they are eligible to apply when the application window opens on January 5^th. Students can choose to drop a current Academy for 2023-24 and join a new program at their current school or another school or they can apply to add a second Academy/Program of Choice to their schedule for 2023-24.  The application process and guidelines work in the same way as they did when the students were 8^th graders applying to Academies. 

Students can apply to programs at their current school, or at another St. Johns County High School, as long as their zoned school does not offer the same program (at Nease, ROTC and IB are the only programs that qualify for this rule). Students will apply to Career Academies/Programs of Choice via HAC. The applications will be available from January 5^th – January 31^st at 5 pm. Step by step directions are posted on www.neaseacademies.com. The application window is open in HAC from January 5^th through 5pm on January 31^st.

Academy Intent to Return Process

Before winter break, all Communications, Hospitality, and Engineering Academy students will be asked to indicate if they want to remain in their current Academy for the 2023-24 school year by signing an Intent to Return roster. If the student checked “Yes,” than that student will be automatically re-enrolled in the Academy for 2023-24. The student will also receive a recommendation to move on to the next level Academy course, as long as he/she is meeting Academy requirements. 

If an Academy student checks “No” on the roster to indicate that he/she does not want to continue in the Academy next year, a Program of Choice Drop Form will be sent home with those students in January. The drop form must be completed by the student and parent and returned to Mrs. Combs. If you have any questions about the Intent to Return process, please reach out to Jaime Combs at Jaime.combs@stjohns.k12.fl.us

If you have any questions about the Communications Academy, Stellar Academy of Engineering, or Academy of Hospitality & Tourism, reach out to Academy Coordinator Jaime Combs, at Jaime.combs@stjohns.k12.fl.us

Thank you to all who have joined the IB Booster club! If you haven’t joined, there is still time. You can go to our website, www.neaseibboosters.org. For our senior families, your membership comes with a senior stole your student will wear at graduation this May. 

For any questions related to testing please email our testing coordinator, Ms. Cynthia Messenger (Cynthia.Messenger@stjohns.k12.fl.us)

547-8281

For all upcoming test dates, please visit the NHS Testing Information  website.

Carolyn Milian – School Librarian Media Specialist

Lorna Patterson – Media Clerk

Media Center phone number – 904-547-8367

Email – carolyn.milian@stjohns.k12.fl.us

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Welcome back to the 2^nd half of our school year and the BUSIEST semester for our media center and all the activities/events we have planned! Please be sure to stay tuned to the Panther Press and have your students check our media center Schoology group page in the upcoming weeks with contests and events planned in our media center. We have much information to share this week, so please read through and email me with questions!

AFTER SCHOOL TUTORING UPDATE!

After school tutoring will resume on January 10^th, 2023. Please remind your student that this is an EXCELLENT opportunity and time to kick off the new semester with the help and support they need to maintain their grades, get help with difficult concepts they find themselves struggling with, and learn some great study skills. Don’t wait until interims to get the help you need!

HOLIDAY READING BINGO!

Bingo boards and reading logs will be due on Friday, Jan. 13^th, 2023. For more information, please click here to take you to our “Holiday Reading Bingo” page on our media center webpage. You can also contact me directly in the media center for additional questions. 

COFFEE STATION DONATIONS!

THANK YOU SO MUCH to all our families that have donated so many supplies to keep our student coffee station running! The students absolutely love this little FREE perk we offer in our media center, ESPECIALLY with more chilly days heading our way! We could still use some of the following items if you are willing and able to help donate so we can keep this going for our students.

·      10 oz. coffee cups

·      Hot chocolate packets

·      Tea bags (for our tea drinkers 😊 )

·      Creamer (individual packs or powdered. No refrigerated creamers please)

·      Sugar (individual small packets)

Thank you so much for anything you can help out with so we can continue this little “perk” for our students.

CELEBRATE LITERACY WEEK FLORIDA! – JAN. 23^rd – 27^th

This is a statewide event where schools across the state are invited to host and participate in events and activities focusing on literacy. Below is a small sample of some of the events we will be hosting during the last week of January throughout our school so start marking your calendars! More fun events will be added as the days go by. If you have any questions about them, please email me for more information! 

• Scholastic BOOK FAIR!! Mark your calendars! Yes, we are bringing back our Scholastic book fair! It will run from Jan. 23^rd through the 31^st  More info to come as the date draws near!
• Door Decorating contest – teachers will be invited to participate with their students to decorate their classroom door in the jacket or theme of their favorite book, author, or favorite reading quote/phrase. 1^st place prize is their choice of a Chick-Fil-A breakfast, class pizza party or ice-cream sundae party, 2^nd place will choose from the remaining 1^st period prizes, and 3^rd place will receive the remaining prize from 1^st and 2^nd place!  
• Reading in Unusual Places – students will be asked to create innovative and dynamic images of themselves reading in unusual places. Submission details will be provided in next week’s Panther Press and on my Media Center Schoology group page. Students and faculty members will vote for their favorites and the top 5 votes will receive gift cards to spend!
• Reading Bingo! -Students will have another opportunity to win some great prizes by reading books of their choice on our very own Bingo Board! The board and details will be posted in Schoology next week! 
• Creative Short Story contest open to ALL students!
• Mystery Reader of the Day on Wired during the week of Jan. 23^rd. Students who guess who the mystery faculty reader is will win a prize!

TEXTBOOKS AND MEDIA FINES –

I will be sending out overdue notices AND fines notices for outstanding balances sometime next week. If your student has any textbook or library fines on his/her media account. PLEASE take care of these as soon as possible, ESPECIALLY JUNIORS & SENIORS! Juniors and Seniors with any fines on their account will NOT be allowed to purchase prom tickets and Seniors will not receive graduation tickets until these fines are satisfied. If your student still has a book that has been charged to his/her account, as soon as they return it to the media center, these fines will be deleted from their account. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

JUNIORS & SENIORS!! Get your “Panther Café Senior Tile”! This is your chance to IMMORTALIZE yourself in our library!

ALL juniors & seniors have the opportunity to take home one of our café area ceiling tiles, paint and personalize it, then have it placed back into our ceiling for a donation of $25. The money raised from this fundraiser will be used to purchase new computers for our media center and at the same time have our seniors immortalized in our café as these will never be repainted! Please contact me in the media center for more information.