‘THE BUZZ’November 2015

Published Five Times Per YearSaint Johns County School District

40 Orange StreetSt. Augustine, FL 32084

Issue # 5Mission Statement

The St. Johns County School District will inspire in all students good character and a passion for lifelong learning, creating educated and caring contributors to the world.

To download a PDF version of this newsletter, go to http://academypublishing.com/schools/staugustine/staugustine.php Volume 27 Issue 5 NOVEMBER 2015

For the Parents, Staff, Students & Community of St. Augustine High School

St. Augustine High School

Principal: DeArmas Graham

Assistant Principals: Kristin Bozeman George Mastoridis

Executive Secretary: Jo Linskey

Athletic Director: Jeff Holland

Career Specialist: Katie Maltby

Deans: Alberto Crespo Wanda Ray

Registrar: Earl Brown

Guidance Counselors: Kay Olson ................................... A-G Kristine Novelly ...........................H-O Marjorie Bennett ..........................P-Z Dena Bechtle ............................ AICE

www-sahs.stjohns.k12.fl.us

Principal’s Notes

Yellow Jacket Family, we are off to a wonderful start of the 2015-2016 school year! I would like to encourage your child to participate in Jacket Prep on Wednesdays after school from 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. This is an excellent resource for students to receive extra tutoring in Math, Reading, Writing, Social Studies, and Science! At SAHS, we are focusing on Reading and Writing across all content areas. We believe that your children can learn to write well – writing is a craft. To get better at writing, it is important that they write a lot. The more children write, the more fluent they are. One thing you can do is be their cheerleader, helping them develop the stamina it takes to become a fast and fluent writer. We will teach your children to be writers of narratives, arguments, informational texts, and poetry. We believe in narrative because for your children’s whole lives it will matter that they can tell their own stories well. Every job interview, every scholarship application, every college essay will be an opportunity for your children to tell their own stories with grace and power. We believe in argument because we want your children to be able to advocate for themselves and others; to defend positions with logic and evidence; to become ever more persuasive, compelling, and ethical. We believe in informational writing because your children will learn a lot that they can teach others, now and in the future. We believe in poetry singing in your children’s souls, and you want to hear it. We believe that writers of all ages benefit from having a writing partner who will help them rehearse their writing and give them knowledgeable feedback along the way. Therefore, parents can make an immense difference by being a “first reader” for your child. Parents, I would like to remind you to check Home Access Center (HAC) weekly to view your child’s academic progress!

GO JACKETS!

DeArmas GrahamDeArmas Graham

2

SA/KHS Alumni Association NewsSt. Augustine/Ketterlinus High School Alumni Association

Yellow Jacket students welcomed the SA/KHS Hall of Fame 2015 Inductees to the School on October 2nd. After a brief presentation recognizing Dr. David Burchfield, ’73; Wayne Hogan, ’65; Deltra Long, ’68; and Dr. Susan Parker, 64; each inductee made a presentation to a class and met with students. Later that evening, the inductees were introduced prior to the homecoming football game. Congratulations to these outstanding SAHS graduates! The Jackets Forever Endowment Fund is growing. Beginning with a substantial contributions from the Classes of ’63 and ’64, the Endowment value is expected to grow to nearly $50,000 in 2016, with the help of a gift from the Class of ’65 and several private donations. The Endowment was created by the Alumni Association to provide financial support to SAHS and scholarships to deserving seniors in perpetuity. The Association’s goal is to grow the Endowment to $100,000. For more information about Jackets Forever and the Alumni Association, visit our web site at www.MySAHS.com. Go Jackets!

Academy NewsTeaching Academy: Teaching Academy students teamed up with the St. Johns County Public Library to help with the very “Spooktacular” Children’s Halloween Carnival held at the US1 Main branch. On Wednesday October 28th, students dressed in their most ghoulish costumes to run the games and activities at the festival. Over 20 students volunteered to help spread Halloween cheer to the community. On November 6th, participating students entered projects in the Florida Future Educators of America in-school competition. Essays, lesson plans, chapter displays, public service announcements, and speeches addressed this year’s theme “Teach...it’s a Choice and an Adventure!” The top winner from each category will go on to compete at the state level completion this January in Orlando.

Aerospace Academy: On September 26th, fifteen Aerospace Academy students traveled to University High School in Orlando to compete in the regional Florida Astronaut Challenge. One of our teams, comprised of five students, are now finalists and will move onto compete in the State competition in Cape Canaveral this February. Congratulations to finalists Deryl Long, Garrison Partridge, Forrest Meyers, Elsa Ingwersen, and Allen Rocha. (see photo) Last year, a small group of Aerospace Academy students joined the Technology Students Association (TSA), a state and national Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO). From November 4th-7th, the officer of our school chapter attended the TSA Leadership Conference in Orlando to better prepare for the state conference and competition to be held in February. Contact Mr. Warren McCrary if you are an Aerospace Academy student and are interested in becoming a member of this organization.

Astronaut Challenge Finalists

3

College Visits College representative visits will be held in the Media Center throughout the semester. Please check online or in guidance to view the schedule of visits. Students may sign up in guidance to attend.

Scholarship Information Scholarship information and updates will be posted on the SAHS Guidance website as well as in the guidance office.

Bright Futures Scholarships Bright Futures is a scholarship program offered to graduating seniors who will attend a post-secondary institution in the state of Florida. Please see the requirement chart below for the three levels of awards. More information can be found at: www.FloridaStudentFinancialAid.org/SSFAD/bf.

Criteria Florida AcademicScholars (FAS) Florida MedallionScholars (FMS) Gold Seal VocationalScholar (GSV)GPA (Weighted) 3.5 Core GPA 3.0 Core GPA 3.0 weighted in core credits AND3.5 unw. in three CTE creditsin one vocational program (taken over two academic years)Test Scores 1290 SAT or 29 ACT 1170 SAT or 26 ACT SAT Reading: 440SAT Math: 440orACT English: 17ACT Reading: 19ACT Math: 19orP.E.R.T. Writing: 103P.E.R.T. Reading: 106Community Service Hours 100 hours 75 hours 30 hoursGPA is based on 16 core credits, including 4 English, 4 Math, 3 Science, 3 Social Studies, and 2 World Language.

The counselors are looking forward to helping you have a successful school year in 2015-16. We are here to help you with your academic, college and career, and personal-social questions or concerns. Please visit the guidance office before or after school or during lunch if you’d like to schedule an appointment with your counselor.

CounselorsKay Olson Last names A-GKristine Novelly Last names H-OMarjorie Bennett Last names P-ZDena Bechtle AICE Cambridge

Seniors In order to participate in the graduation ceremony you must have at least a 2.0 unweighted GPA and the 24 required credits. Please meet with your counselor to ensure you are on track to graduate in May.

Standard Diploma:• 24 Credits

4 credits of English4 credits of Math (including Algebra and Geometry)3 credits of Science (including Biology)3 credits of Social Studies (W. History, American History, Am. Govt. and Economics) 1 HOPE credit1 Performing/Fine Art credit8 Elective credits

• 2 years of a World Language are required for university admissions and Bright Futures qualification.

• 2.0 GPA• Students must pass the FCAT 2.0 or FSA ELA, and the Algebra 1 EOC.

AICE Diploma: Check with Mrs. Bechtle for your requirements.

Grade Point Average (GPA) Please keep in mind that GPA’s are cumulative, meaning that every grade from 9th through 12th grade factors into the GPA. Every year counts, so be sure to give your best effort every year in high school. To calculate GPA, A= 4, B= 3, C= 2, D= 1, F= 0. Honors and Pre-AICE courses are weighted .5 point extra; AICE/AP/DE courses are weighted 1 point extra

News from Guidance

... continued on next page

A 1965 graduate ofS.A.H.S., Wayne Hogan

proudly supports the Yellow Jackets.

4

... continued on next page

Spring Dual Enrollment Registration for Spring Dual Enrollment will take place in the beginning of October. An information session will be held on September 23rd during all lunches. The SJR State course schedule will post online on October 5th, and all forms are to be submitted by October 7th to Ms. Katie Maltby, the Dual Enrollment Coordinator.

Guidance Website Please visit the SAHS Guidance webpage for more information and resources on College & Career Planning, Graduation Requirements, Dual Enrollment, Scholarships, Community Service, and Tutoring. http://www-sahs.stjohns.k12.fl.us/guidance/

Testing Update: Midterms will be scheduled for December 15th-18th. All courses are required to have a midterm. Retakes for Algebra, Geometry, and Algebra II as well as Biology and US History will also be offered during the month of December. SAHS will test students on December 2nd-3rd and December 8th-9th. If your student needs to retake one of these exams, please contact Ms. Raimann at parker.raimann@stjohns.k12.fl.us. SAT

CEEB Code: 101-470 www.sat.collegeboard.org SAHS Testing Center Code: 10-615

$52.50 +$28 Late FeeTest Date Deadline to Register Late Registration Deadline LocationNovember 7 October 9 October 27 Bartram Trail 10-617

Pedro Menendez 10-616St. Joseph Academy 10-754

December 5 November 5 November 23 Bartram Trail 10-617Pedro Menendez 10-616St. Joseph Academy 10-754

January 23 December 28 January 12 Bartram Trail 10-617Pedro Menendez 10-616St. Augustine High 10-615

March 5 February 5 February 23 Bartram Trail 10-617Pedro Menendez 10-616St. Joseph Academy 10-754

May 7 April 8 April 26 Bartram Trail 10-617Pedro Menendez 10-616St. Augustine High 10-615St. Joseph Academy

ACTCEEB Code: 101-470 www.actstudent.org SAHS Testing Center Code: 194-210

$38 No Writing $54.500 Plus Writing +$24 Late FeeTest Date Deadline to Register Late Registration Deadline LocationsDec. 12 November 6 November 7-20 Allen D. Nease 161-960

Bartram Trail 207-930Pedro Menendez 209-540St. Augustine High 194-210St. Joseph Academy 188-740

Feb. 6 January 8 January 9-15 Allen D. Nease 161-960Bartram Trail 207-930Pedro Menendez 209-540St. Joseph Academy 188-740

April 9 March 4 March 5-18 Allen D. Nease 161-960Bartram Trail 207-930Pedro Menendez 209-540St. Joseph Academy 188-740

June 11 May 6 May 7-20 Allen D. Nease 161-960Bartram Trail 207-930Pedro Menendez 209-540St. Joseph Academy 188-740

ACT/SAT InformationGo online and register now - Very important for Juniors and Seniors. SAT: www.collegeboard.com ACT: www.act.org (For city put in Saint Augustine)

News from Guidance ... continued from previous page

5

Scholarship Information Scholarship information will be posted outside the front office on the Scholarship Board. In the daily Buzz and in the guidance office. • Bright Futures Scholarship- requires Community Service for all levels. 100 for the FAS,75 for

the Medallion and 30 for the Gold Seal• Call if you have questions at 1-888-827-2004(Bright Futures does not cover all the tuition and fees even the FAS) check out the website www.FloridaStudentFinancialAid.org/SSFAD/bf.

State University System Admissions Matrix – Where do you Stand! The chart below shows the middle 50% of students who were admitted to State Universities in Florida for the 2014-2015 School year. Use this chart to see how your PA, SAT/ACT scores, etc. measure up to your peers and what areas you should improve to increase your chances of acceptance. University Website & Phone # # of

studentsGPAAverage

SATAverage

ACTAverage

ApplyBy

ApplicationFee

Recc. Letters Required?

Online or PaperApplication

SportsDivision

FAMUTallahassee

www.famu.edu850 599-3000

10,734 3.0-3.49 M: 400-500R: 400-500W: 400-500

17-20 Sept-Jan $30 No Online Div.1

FAUBoca Raton

www.fau.edu800 299-4fau

30,808 3.44-4.19 M: 500-590R: 500-590W: 490-580

22-26 Fall $30 No Online Div.1

FGCUFt. Myers

www.fgcu.edu888 889-1095

14,074 3.11-3.81 M: 480-560R: 480-560W: 470-550

21 Sept.-Nov.15 $30 No Online Div.1

FIUMiami

www.fiu.edu305 348-2363

52,980 3.7-4.30 M: 520-630R: 530-630W: 460-520

22 July 1-Nov.1 $30 No Online Div.1

FSU *Tallahassee

www.fsu.edu850 644-6200

41,477 3.8-4.4 M: 580-670R: 590-670W: 580-670

29 Prior to Oct. 15 $30 No Online Div.1

NCFSarasota

www.ncf.edu941 487-5000

793 3.93-4.56 M: 580-680R: 620-730W: 590-700

27-31 11/1 $30 Yes 1 Online N/A

UCFOrlando

www.ucf.edu407 8223-3000

60,000 3.7-4.3 M: 600R: 600W: 600

27 Fall $30 No Online Div.1

UF *Gainesville

www.ufl.edu352 392-1365

49,878 4.2-4.5 M: 610-710R: 600-690W: 600-700

28-32 Sept 1- Nov. 3 $30 No Online Div.1

UNFJacksonville

www.unf.edu904 620-2624

16,258 3.9 M: 560-640R: 570-640W: 500-590

26-27 Prior to Nov. 1st

$30 Not required, but encouraged

Online Div.1

USFTampa

www.usf.edu813 974 3350

41,344 3.71-4.33 M: 560-660R: 550-640W: 540-630

25-29 BeforeJan. 2

$30 No Online Div.1

UWFPensacola

www.uwf.edu800 263-1074

12,679 3.69 M 520R 530W 510

23 Fall $30 No Online Div 2

FLPOLYLakelandOpened fall 2014

www.floridapolytechnic.org863-583-9050

500 4.03 M 670R 640W 600

26 $30 No online NA

* UF and * FSU do not want transcript sent to apply. You must fill out your grades and courses online.

News from Guidance ... continued from previous page

6

SJCCA News

... continued on next page

St. Johns County Center for the Arts has a busy concert season during the month of December. All performances held in the SAHS auditorium begin at 7:00pm and have a $5.00 admission charge.• December 3 Chorus Concert• December 7 Piano Concert• December 8 Guitar Concert• December 10 Band Concert• December 11 Drama Showcase• Community Performances by the SJCCA Chamber Singers• December 2 Lighthouse Luminary• December 5 Palencia Clubhouse• December 12 Turning Point• December 14 Rotary Club – Casa Monica• Disney Candlelight: November 30 / December 1 125 selected St. Johns County Center for the Arts chorus members will travel to Orlando to perform with the Walt Disney World Orchestra and the Candlelight Ceremony. The chorus program has consistently been accepted into this program for over 22 years!

Veteran’s Day event at Anastasia Baptist Church: The SJCCA Classical Guitar and SJCCA Chamber Singers performed at the Veteran’s Day event held at Anastasia Baptist Church on Sunday, November 8, 2015. Attached is a picture of the Chamber Singers at the event.

Madrigal Dinner: The SJCCA Musical Theatre and Chorus programs will be hosting a Madrigal Dinner on January 23, 2016 at the Ag Center. Be looking for ticket information for this festive / interactive dinner. All performers and servers will be dressed in full Renaissance clothing. This is a period style dinner theatre and makes for a very fun evening for all! Contact Jeff Dodd for information at jeff.dodd@stjohns.k12.fl.us

Chorus News: The SJCCA chorus will be sponsoring a Madrigal Dinner in January, 2016. This is an interactive dinner full of performers, servers and a full course meal all decked out in Renaissance period costumes. It is a fun (and hilarious) experience. More information will be in the next edition of the Buzz.

Guitar News: • Fair share is past due. Please get the money in asap! Guitar 1-4 $30 Classical Guitar $50 • Allstate Auditions are the last week of September.• Classical Guitar Ensemble will play for Emma on Nov. 17 at 7pm• Classcial Guitar Lighthouse performance Wednesday Dec. 2nd• Winter Guitar concert Monday Dec. 7th Mainstage• Classical Guitar Ensemble concert Tuesday Dec. 8 blackboxPlease check out the guitar website for more information http://teachers.stjohns.k12.fl.us/brewer-t/.

Where do you go to jump-start your future? Go State – SJR State!

A.S. Degrees in: Business Information Technology Criminal Justice Health Care and more!

A.A. Degree (transfer degree)

Bachelor’s Degrees

2 yearscan transform your life!

7

SJCCA ... continued from previous page

SJCCA Piano News The Piano Department is off to a terrific start this semester! The advanced students are learning Major Scales, and spending a lot of time on fundamentals. Starting in October, students will begin selecting the pieces of music that they would like to perform on the Piano Winter Concert. Our Winter Concert will be held on December 1, 2015 at 7:00 PM – come support our hard working piano students! For anyone that may have questions about the Piano Program, feel free to contact Jennifer Wisdom at: Jennifer.wisdom@stjohns.k12.fl.us or Trey Brewer at: Trey.brewer@stjohns.k12.fl.us.The fall schedule of events for SJCCA is:October 8-10 Musical production of “How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying”November 12 Dance Showcase 7:00pmNovember 17 All County Chorus Performance 6:30pmNovember 18-22 Drama performance of “Agnes of God” and One ActsDecember 1 Piano Concert 7:00pmDecember 3 Chorus Concert 7:00pmDecember 7-8 Guitar Concert 7:00pmDecember 10 Band ConcertDecember 18-19 Chorus performs in the Disney Candlelight Ceremony

SJCCA Band News The Ancient City Regiment Marching Band just wrapped up an incredibly successful season, finishing in 8th place at the First Coast Marching Invitational and earning an overall rating of “Excellent” at the Marching Band Music Performance Assessment. Go Jackets! In addition to performing at halftime for football games and competing, the marching band performed in the Veteran’s Day Parade (combine with the Ponte Vedra Marching Band), and will be performing again in the Christmas Parade. The SJCCA Band concert will be held on Thursday evening December 10, 2015 in the SAHS Auditorium. The concert will feature the Jazz Ambassadors, the Concert Band, and the Percussion Ensemble. Admission will be $5 at the door. Another exciting performance opportunity coming up for our Jacket Band members is a performance by the Jazz Ambassadors at the Night of Lights downtown on Sunday December 13! We would also like to recognize one of our band members Amanda Dupoux for being selected for the FSU Tri-State Festival. There is a very selective process for being chosen to participate in Tri-State, and we are very proud of her!Dates:• Nov. 11 – Veteran’s Day Parade• Dec. 2 – Students attending FSU Prism Concert• Dec. 5 – Christmas Parade• Dec. 10 – Band Winter Concert• Dec. 13 – Jazz Ambassadors at Night of Lights

SJCCA Dance News Our Dance department is in full swing! We are just weeks away from our fall showcase, “A Canvas of Color”. We will be featuring color-themed dances of many genres from all of our dance classes, including our new Choreography and Performance class! The show is on Thursday, November 12th at 7:00pm. We hope to see some fans cheering on our very talented dance students!

Criminal • DivorcePERSONAL INJURY

2801 N. 3rd Street • St. Augustine, FL 32084Phone: (904) 824-5711

www.ancientcitylaw.com

Non-Profit OrganizationU.S. Postage Paid

Orlando, FLPermit # 2346

St. Augustine High School3205 Varella AvenueSt. Augustine, FL 32084

8

St. Johns County School District prohibits discrimination against students, employees and applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, age, ethnicity, national or ethnic origin, marital status, disability and political beliefs. The St.Johns County School District Board Policy 2.16 contains the grievance procedure related to harassment and discrimination for employees, students and applicants. If you believe you have been harassed or discriminated against, contact the School Administration or a member of the Equity Committee: Rhoda Ferrell – Coordinator/Chairperson(547-7602), Scott Sherman (547-7684), Lisa Bell (547-7537), Joann Johnson (547-7682), George Leidigh (547-3869).

Aca

dem

y Pu

blish

ing

Scho

ol N

ewsle

tter P

rogr

am ™

800

-644

-354

1

AICE is off and running to a great start in our 19th year of the program! We welcomed many new AICE Freshmen this year!! The fall exam session is all set and ready to go. Students have the opportunity to re-take any AICE level exam they did not pass during the Spring 2015 exam session (individual exam schedules and re-take order forms were sent home in Sept.). AICE Seniors will take the General Paper & Thinking Skills exams (unless they are currently in those courses, or have taken them before). Results from the Fall 2015 exams will be available in January 2016. Website access information will be distributed in December so students can check their scores online.

The Fall 2015 AICE Exam Schedule is on the AICE Website & Edmodo

REMEMBER, there are NO make-up exam dates! Watch for the PRELIMINARY SPRING 2016 EXAM SCHEDULE soon…it will be posted to the AICE Website and Edmodo by the end of September at the latest.

Please make sure you consult the 2016 exam schedule before making any summer travel plans –

exams typically extend beyond the end of our school year!!! Official AICE Certificates from the June 2015 Exam Session will be presented to seniors & juniors at the AICE Induction and Awards Program on October 29th at 6pm in the SAHS Auditorium. Juniors will be presented with an AICE Induction Certificate as they are officially inducted into the AICE

Program. Several outstanding achievements will be recognized across all grade levels. Please plan to attend and help celebrate all of the students’ accomplishments, and congratulate the Class of 2017 on this milestone in the AICE Program! The AICE Advisory Board (AAB) meetings are Thursday mornings at 8:20 am in Ms. Mars’ classroom (C302). The AAB meetings are open to ALL AICE students – every grade level, as well as parents! We are planning two College Tours this year: one to UCF/Florida Polytechnic and one to Florida Atlantic University (Boca Raton), so keep watching for information on those as it becomes available. Many events are being discussed – including fund raisers, so stay tuned for information on ways to get community service hours by helping with these events.

Remember to check out our Spring Break 2016 trip to ITALY!! This is not a school district sanctioned trip – if you’re interested, information is available on the AICE website, Edmodo, or go to www.eftours.com/1760497VJ. Please email Mr. Richardson at worldtravelersfl@gmail.com with any questions. Parents, siblings, friends, relatives, and YES - Non-AICE students/Adults are welcome to register and come along too – so check it out, and REGISTER SOON for this GREAT opportunity! To stay up to date on everything happening with AICE, please check the AICE Website http://www-sahs.stjohns.k12.fl.us/aice/ and make sure you have a parent account on the AICE Edmodo website to stay up to date! (Students must provide the Parent Code, available when they login to their Edmodo account).

AICE News