Volume 112 - May 29, 2020
10550 Ray Road, Ponte Vedra, FL 32082                           904-547-8300 - Main Office
Summer Office Hours:  7:30am to 3:30pm
From Mrs. Kunze
We hope that you have a safe & fun-filled summer! We will continue to keep you updated throughout the summer with the latest news, so please continue to look for the Panther Press.

Each spring the district hosts an award ceremony to recognize juniors and seniors from each high school who have demonstrated outstanding character. Please take a few minutes to view the slideshow honoring Nease's 2020 award recipients. Congratulations to them all!

Locker Contents
We still have about 500 locker bags that were not picked up. Next week, the bags will be placed by last name into parking spaces in front of the stadium. (Example: All the last names starting with A will be in a parking space labeled with a sign for A.) The stadium lot will be unlocked from 8:30am to 3:30pm daily for you to look for your bag. If someone is out of their vehicle looking for a bag, we ask that you remain in your vehicle until they leave. On Friday morning all bags not picked up will be donated to a local charity. If it is raining, the bags will not be left outside.

Textbooks
Thank you to everyone who dropped off their textbooks this week! If you were unable to make the drop-off times, there will be flatbed cart placed in front of the main office every day next week for you to drop off textbooks or library books. The cart will be available Monday through Friday from 7:30am to 4pm.

Laptops & Hot spots
We are still missing 75 laptops and 28 hot spots. About 15 people completed the district's online form requesting to keep items until the end of July. If you need to keep the item for a summer online course, please email me at Lisa.Kunze@stjohns.k12.fl.us. Otherwise, we will be collecting again next week, Monday through Friday, June 1st - 5th, in the PARENT LOOP from 1-3pm. If laptops or hot spots are not returned, students will be placed on the debt list.

YEARBOOK DISTRIBUTION JUNE 4-5!
Thank you for purchasing almost 1200 yearbooks! We can't wait for you to see how Nease students "SHOW UP & SHOW OUT" this year! Check your email for a distribution confirmation.

Distribution Plan in the BUS LOOP:
Thursday, June 4th from 11am to 1pm - SENIORS ONLY!!
Thursday, June 4th from 5pm to 7pm - everyone else
Friday, June 5th from 11am to 1pm - anyone
Student ID or License will need to be presented and everyone will need to remain in vehicle.

We have a very limited number of additional yearbooks for sale. If you are interested in purchasing one, please email leisha.cowart@stjohns.k12.fl.us .

Attention all 2021 Seniors!
You need to have your senior portraits taken at Leonard's this summer! An email was sent to parents with a personalized access code and instructions on how to book. As soon as students have an access code, the online appointment book can be accessed at Leonards.com. Students can also contact the customer service department at 1 (888) 224-5045 or  customerservice@leonards.com  to get their access code. 

Summer Assignments
There are summer assignments posted for AP courses on the Nease website.
If you are an IB student, please look for summer assignments on the IB web page.
Senior Information!
Senior Banners
If your child's senior banner was used for the parade, please take it down by next Friday, June 5th. The stadium gates will be open from 7:30am to 4pm daily. Don't forget to bring scissors!

Senior Dues
This year, there were 2 options to pay for senior fees:
  • Option 1 - $50 - covered graduation only
  • Option 2 - $75 - covered graduation AND included senior t-shirt, hypnotist assembly & senior picnic

Since our graduation expenses were less, we are able to refund $20 of the graduation fee. For those who paid the additional $25, we are able to refund an additional $15 for the hypnotist assembly & senior picnic. Students received their senior t-shirt, which was $10.

So, those who selected...
  • Option 1 would receive a refund of $20
  • Option 2 would receive a refund of $35

Why are we keeping $30 of the graduation fee? There are still expenses with purchasing diplomas, diploma covers, cords, printing programs, etc. We also incurred expenses for the Senior Parade and will have expenses for the Aloha Walk and future Senior Celebration.

The Athletic Department is working with The Golden Panther Booster Club & Nease Spirit to make improvements to our stadium. They would like to purchase the bronze panther pictured below to honor The Class of 2020.

If you want the $20 or $35 refunded, please submit your student's name & student ID number using the link below by next Friday, June 5th. All funds not requested to be returned, will be used to purchase the bronze panther honoring The Class of 2020.

Aloha Walk - Friday, June 26th – starting at 8am

CHANGES TO THE ORIGINAL PLAN
  • We will use the amphitheater stage on the backside of the auditorium for students to walk across to receive their diploma while we announce their name.

Original Plan
Students will enter campus through the student gate next to the main office. We will have a backdrop area where I will hand student a diploma cover and a photographer will take our picture along with one family picture. Students can choose to wear their cap & gown or not. The senior along with parents/guardians will then follow a path marked through the campus. The path will be marked every 6ft, so participants maintain social distancing from the family in front of them and behind them. Parents/guardians only are allowed to walk with the senior (4 max not including senior) - no siblings, grandparents, etc. We will invite teachers/staff to return to sit along the path and cheer as families walk through campus. As families exit through a different gate, we will hand each senior an envelope with their diploma (if all textbooks have been returned and fines cleared), graduation program, school pictures from their cumulative record folder, and any honor cords, senior t-shirt, etc not picked up earlier. We will use a sign-up genius for families to sign up for an arrival time, so everyone is not arriving at once. Part of the approved plan is that we will maintain social distancing among families even while waiting to enter campus. With potentially 650 participants, we will have 8 families sign up every 5 minutes, so we will need everyone to arrive at their scheduled time to get everyone through.

We will still have a senior celebration for students later when we are allowed to have a large group gathering to sign yearbooks, do cap toss, and say goodbye to peers and teachers. This will be more of a party atmosphere out at the stadium with food and music.
 
Again, we are very excited about the Aloha Walk and hope you will join us in recognizing your senior!
IB News
Summer assignments are posted on the IB website. Be sure to check!
Academy News
Academies Across District Awaiting Decision on Summer Internships

At this time the Career and Technical Education office has not yet made a decision regarding whether summer internships for Academy Juniors will proceed this year. If your Junior has been taking part in the Academy Internship Application Process, we are currently on hold.  If your student submitted his/her resume and cover letter by the March 6 th , I have emailed each student directly with information from the district office, as well as links and information regarding interview skills. Students need to read that email, and respond.

If you have any questions, please email me at Jaime.combs@stjohns.k12.fl.us

Jaime Combs
Academy Coordinator | Nease High School
Testing Information
Jacqui Ashcroft, Testing Coordinator
904-547-8281

ACT – June 13, 2020
Due to the current health & safety guidelines, students are not allowed on campus prior to June 15, 2020. Nease WILL NOT be a testing site on this date for ACT, as per District guidance. I am in communication with ACT and the new date is tentatively June 20, 2020. I am awaiting their instruction, to see if Nease will be testing. Please check the school website frequently, visiting my main TESTING page, where I will post updates for ACT / SAT as I receive them.
Questions can be sent:
text to Google Voice (904) 321- 9598
I will answer any questions for you with the information on hand at the time. All ACT health & Safety guidelines will also be posted.

SAT June 6, 2020 – we have been informed by CollegeBoard that this exam has been canceled. Students who will graduate in 2021 and have not previously taken an SAT will be given early access to the August, September and October test dates.

SAT going forward – due to the cancellations of exams due to COVID-19, providing it is safe from a public health standpoint, SAT will be held each month until the end of the year:
August 29, 2020
September 26 - new administration
October 3, 2020
November 7, 2020
December 5, 2020

Dates for the administration of ACT and SAT for the academic year 2020 – 2021 are all available on the testing website.
Guidance News
Here are the School Counselor caseloads and appointment links:

Km Hollis: Students with the last names A-Cl: https://calendly.com/kimhollis
Yasmin Cuevas: Students with the last names Co-Go: https://calendly.com/yasmincuevas
D’Erica Gibbs: Students with the last names Gr-Le: https://calendly.com/derica-gibbs-1
Athena Kifah: Students with the last names Li-O: https://calendly.com/athenakifah
Linda Smith: Students with the last names P-Si: https://calendly.com/lindamsmith
Daphne Harden: Students with the last names Sk-Z: https://calendly.com/daphneharden  
Missy Kennedy: ALL IB Students: https://calendly.com/neaseib
 
Summer Information
 
Please be mindful that School Counselors do not work during the summer. After Thursday May 28 th , the information below can be used to guide you until our return on Monday, August 3 rd .

  1. Review your student’s final report card in HAC. They will be available for viewing mid to late June. If your student received a grade of D or F and needs to retake a class over the summer, they can sign up for Virtual School at www.flvs.net. Approval for courses can be requested through Vanessa Power at Vanessa.Power@stjohns.k12.fl.us.

  1. If you are requesting a schedule change for a CORE course for the 20-21 school year, you will need to request the change through our schedule change link: https://tinyurl.com/NHSrequestchange2021. The deadline to request elective schedule changes was March 13, 2020. Academic course changes can be requested until July 12, 2020.

  1. Students new to Nease High School should complete the registration paperwork available here: https://www-nhs.stjohns.k12.fl.us/registration/. Once the paperwork is complete, they can request an appointment with a counselor by contacting Maria Perricone at Maria.Perricone@stjohns.k12.fl.us

  1. The Dual Enrollment schedule is expected to be released by SJR after June 1st. Updates will be sent through the NeaseDE@stjohns.k12.fl.us e-mail address. All questions should be submitted through the NeaseDE@stjohns.k12.fl.us e-mail address as well.


For any additional assistance needed, you can contact the School Counseling Office at (904) 547-8321 or reach out via e-mail with general questions to Daryl Cullipher here: Daryl.Cullipher@stjohns.k12.fl.us
Media Center News
Carolyn Milian – School Librarian Media Specialist
Lorna Patterson – Media Clerk
SUMMER READING BINGO!
Now is a great time for students to read books of their choice and/or participate in literacy opportunities throughout the summer, earn some cool prizes, and avoid the “summer slide”. Statistics and extensive studies have been compiled over the years about the decline of learning gains due to summer break. Below are 2 graphics that show the best way to avoid the “Summer slide” and how reading just 20 minutes a day increases students scores on standardized tests! 

Visit the Media Center web page for details.