Volume 19 Issue 4

P r i n c i p a l’ S M e s s a g e

For the Parents, Staff, Students & Community of Pinellas Park High School

M A Y 2 0 1 6www.pp-hs.pinellas.k12.fl.us

Dear Patriot Nation!

Thank you for supporting each of our students at Pinellas Park High School this past year. We continue to grow in many areas including, athletics, afterschool activities, performing arts, the number of students taking advanced courses, average daily attendance, and overall academic performance. It is the combined effort of the faculty, families, community and most importantly the students that makes Pinellas Park High School a highly regarded destination for students across the District.

Looking to the future and our continued growth we are focused on three Core Priorities: Literacy, Numeracy, and Freshman Success. Each of these Core Priorities represents areas that have a broad impact on student and school growth with a specific support network to ensure success.

Literacy is more than reading and writing. Literacy is improving knowledge and comprehension in content areas to prepare students for college, career and life.

Numeracy incorporates mathematical concepts with other subjects strengthening the success across all content areas. The application of concepts in multiple settings increases the mastery of those concepts.

Freshman Success is the foundation of a successful high school experience. There is a direct correlation between freshman success, graduation and preparedness for a post-secondary life. Setting the tone, expectation and support for all freshman to succeed provides opportunities for students to confidently select coursework and plan a career path for their future success.

I am excited about the growth we experienced this past year and I look forward to the opportunities of next year. Encouraging students to take advanced and rigorous courses as well as being involved in their school is the key to success; setting high expectations with a high level of support. We will continue to work as a collective team and provide a path to success for every student. At Pinellas Park High School, our reach exceeds our grasp!

Thank you for your part in this path.

Brett Patterson

Principal

Pinellas Park High School Mission StatementOur mission is to inspire the diverse students of Pinellas Park High School to become productive and contributing members of society by providing them with a variety of instructional approaches and opportunities to demonstrate their understanding of essential knowledge and skills.

PrincipalBrett Patterson, Ext. 2104

ADMINISTRATORS

James Adams, Ext. 2107Traditional A – M

(grades 9-11)

Cassandra Cummings, Ext. 2115Criminal Justice &

Traditional T – Z (grades 9-11)

Kim Leitold, Ext. 21124th Year Students & Pinellas Innovates

Paul Peppers, Ext. 2122First Responders & Traditional N – S

(grades 9-11)

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Awards Ceremony Students receiving academic awards and scholarships will be recognized during our annual evening awards ceremony on May 23 at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium. Recipients will receive invitations prior to the ceremony.

End of Year Report Cards Report Cards will be available upon request June 15, 2016 in the Guidance Office or can be printed out at home through Portal.

Counselor ’s Corner“Parents, Did You Know…?

• That the lowest GPA your student can have and still graduate is a 2.0, which is a C average. D’s are 1.0 and Fs are 0.0.

• That every student should have a 2.0, nothing lower than a C on each report card. The GPA is located on the top right of every report card.

• We have free, walk-in tutoring M-F after school.

• That universities accept students with a GPA of 3.0-4.5 which is the GPA overall for all 4 years. USF accepts a GPA of 3.7 on up.

• Students who have parents who check Focus/ Portal once a week have higher graduation rates.

• You can email teachers directly from Focus/Portal.

• Each zero for homework not done can lower your student’s grade a letter grade.

• Students who fail classes are retained. Lack of doing homework is the biggest reason why students are retained.

• Every student must graduate in 4 years.

• Attendance is directly related to failures in school.

• Attendance letters are sent out after 5 absences. Truancy court letters follow.

• There are grants that pay for college and expenses based on parent’s income, (the FAFSA).

• Even if your student had an F on the last report card, they can still pass all classes.

• There are many scholarships available for students, including the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship.

Save the Date5/5 Orchestra Concert

5/6 Improv Show

5/6 GSA Countywide Dance

5/9 Band Concert

5/10 Chorus Concert

5/12 Home going Activities Night

5/13 Blue & White Football Game

5/14 Prom

5/16 Senior Breakfast

5/18 First Responders Move Up Assembly

5/18 Criminal Justice Academy Senior Banquet

5/19 AVID Pinning Ceremony

5/19 First Responders Senior Banquet

5/20 Criminal Justice Academy Move Up Assembly

5/20 National Honor Society Awards Ceremony and Banquet

5/23 Awards Ceremony

5/26 First Responders Hurricane Showcase

5/30 Memorial Day

6/2 GRADUATION 10:15 AM TROPICANA FIELD

6/7 Last day of school

Correct Spell ing Needed For Diplomas Seniors, please be sure that your name is spelled correctly in Portal as diplomas are ordered using the names listed in Portal.

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To download a PDF version of this newsletter, go to

www.academypublishing.com.

Patriot PrideMay 2016

Published Four Times Per YearPinellas County School Board

525 Pennsylvania AvenuePalm Harbor, Florida 34683

Issue #4

Yearbooks Yearbooks are almost here! Distribution is expected the week of May 16. Pre-purchase is available in F7 or online for $65. Ybpay.lifetouch.com enter code 11429416.

Address Changes1. Go to the pcsb.org web site and click the Student Reservation

System button on the home page, then log in with your User ID and Password. (Please visit your closest school with photo ID, if you do not have a User name and Password)

2. Click on Change of Residence Address link and follow the steps.

3. Take two forms of residence* into your student’s school.

*Requires two of the following items: utility bill for power, water, sewer, cable or land based telephone (not cellular); rental agreement or lease; closing document, Pinellas County tax statement with homestead exemption. The items must be recent and include the name of parent/guardian and the service/home address. Please bring these required documents to the guidance office or they can be faxed to (727)507-6174 or emailed to kishg@pcsb.org.

If you do not have any of these items in the name of the parent or guardian, you must complete an Affidavit of Residency. This document is available at the school and on the district website. It must be completed, notarized on both sides and submitted with two of the items listed in the name of the person with whom you reside and who is listed on the Affidavit.

Looking Ahead to Final ExamsSeniors:4/31 – 6th & 7th period exams

5/26 – 2nd & 3rd period exams

5/27 – 4th & 5th period exams

6/1 – 1st period exam

9 - 11th Grade Students:6/1 – 1st & 2nd period exams

6/2 - No Exams6/3 – 3rd & 4th period exams

6/6 – 5th& 6th period exams

6/7 – 7th period exam

The ASL Club of PPHS and Happy Hands of CBE are working together to collect items for “Hannah’s Homeless” shelter and will be doing a performance of “Car Wash” and “Little Birds” in ASL for them for fun! The students are working hard to get the lyrics down and also with their collection efforts to share with those less fortunate. There are boxes all over the school for you to drop your items off or you can drop it off in H4. Every little bit helps. Requested items have been toiletries and men’s clothing and shoes.

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And the Speech II Winner is… Are you busy 7th period on May 10th? No? Then put on your helmets and strap on your seat belts because you’re going to be in for the ride of your life! Ms. Freed’s Speech II class, sponsored by a gracious donation from Achieva Bank, is putting on the show of the century. Headlined by Andrey Borodin as the CEO of his company, Rising Advertising Designs, the class is ready to put their advertising skills to test in a head to head brawl. With nine judges of the finest quality and the utmost prominence in the world of judging high school students, this experience is guaranteed to not disappoint. Witness the newest technology in engineering with Neziri Advertising’s high-tech, environmentally friendly, top of the line, vehicle. And Lace up the lightweight and stylish Apollo shoes for maximum performance! No doubt by now your excitement is through the roof, but there’s more! Stargazer advertising is bringing you not one, but TWO never before seen products. Bubble Punch Bubblegum will literally make jaws drop (and then close back up) with the tastiest chewing gum known to mankind. Whilst you’re enjoying those succulent flavors, you’ll able to see an exciting new video game!

So be there or be square because this experience only comes around once a year!

Your Emergency Matters

WHY WAIT?Quality Care from ER Experts

Text ER to 23000 forER Wait Time Averages

For 24/7 health information and physician referrals, please call Consult-A-Nurse at 1-855-422-2228.

Northside Hospital

Message and data rates may apply. For more info, visit TextERHelp.com.

A Comprehensive Stroke Center

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National AwardAshley Blend

Writing Gold Key

“On Being Deaf”

Personal Memoir

Region-at-Large students who won an Award for the Southeast Scholastic writing contest.Sara Davis Writing

Honorable Mention

Poetry “Poem”

Haley Burns Writing

Honorable Mention

Personal Essay/Memoir

“Dad”

Kloud Chanthalansy Writing

Silver Key Dramatic Script

“Please Talk to Me”

Sabrina Escalona Writing

Honorable Mention

Science Fiction/Fantasy

“The Fall”

Maria Esteban Writing

Honorable Mention

Flash Fiction “Winter”

Brianna Kelley Writing

Honorable Mention

Personal Essay/Memoir

“My Life”

Ranya Khalil

Writing Silver Key

Poetry

Your So Called “Liberation”

Vanessa Kobani Writing

Honorable Mention

Personal Essay/Memoir

“Welcome Home”

David McMullen Jr. Writing

Honorable Mention

Poetry “Sheepdogs”

Robert Oler Writing

Silver Key Poetry

“Writers Block”

Jose Paulino

Writing Silver Key

Poetry

“Life Cycle”

Ondreya Riley Writing

Silver Key Poetry

“I’ve Fallen”

Sarah Trussell Writing

Honorable Mention Poetry

“I’m Home”

Daxcena Welker Writing

Honorable Mention

Short Story

“Fantasia’s End”

Jaime Wright Writing

Honorable Mention

Poetry “The Atramentous”

Scholastic Art and Writ ing Winners The Scholastic Art and Writing contest is a yearly one which competes at the Regional and National levels. This year Pinellas Park High had 16 students win various levels of awards and one student who won a National Award! This contest is very prestigious as over half a million entries were judged. Congratulations to the following students:

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News from CJA Congratulations to the following CJA students for being finalists in the 32nd Annual Stanley Shalit Short Story Competition sponsored by the Friends of the Largo Library. With over 250 student submissions to the contest, Pinellas Park High school had four out of the eight high school finalists.

Chorus Update! Chorus is an academic class with extracurricular activities. One of the optional activities is All County Chorus, an opportunity to sing with other students in Pinellas County. This year, the following students participated in an audition process, five rehearsals, and a concert at Ruth Eckerd Hall: Mercedes Davis, John Della Monica, Jacob Greenblott, Tre’von Johnson, Celeste Sanchez, Aaron Snyder, Amelia Tenney, and Jaime Vanhaerents.

One requi rement of chorus students is to participate in Choral M u s i c P e r f o r m a n c e Assessment. Choirs are assessed on tone quality, technical preparation, musical i ty, and s ight r e a d i n g . B e g i n n i n g W o m e n ’ s C h o r u s , Advanced Women’s Chorus, Men’s Chorus, and A Cappel la a l l received Superiors in sight reading! Advanced Women received an overall Superior, qualifying them for State MPA!

Chorus took a field trip to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, where they performed for judges and received a Superior rating, then played in the parks all day.

The PPHS Patriot Singers will have their spring concert on Tuesday, May 10th at 7pm in the auditorium. Admission is free, but donations are highly encouraged. Any funds raised pays for the music (our version of a textbook), accompanist fees, banquet awards, and transportation for field trips.

Thank you for supporting Performing Arts!

• Jaspreet Kaur received First Place for her short story “Michael”.

• Madeline Dumas received Second Place for her short story “Reflections of Wendy”.

• Treyvon Monroe received Honorable Mention for his short story “Faces in the Mirror”.

• Darien Desir received Honorable Mention for his short story “Two Sides of Me”.

Congratulations to our four finalists for their creativity, dedication, and imagination in using their voices and being outstanding students!

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National Honor Society Holds Second Semester Induction In March’s NHS meeting the chapter welcomed three juniors that were inducted to the Patriot Chapter of the National Honor Society. These students have shown high standards of scholarship, leadership, service and character at Pinellas Park High School and in the community. The new members are:

Sean Griffin

Hannah Podoll

Matthew Vuu

Successful Spring of Community Service for the National Honor Society Members of the Patriot Chapter of the National Honor Society completed a new fundraiser campaign in March – The Shamrock Scavenger Hunt. Students donated $1 for a ballot and then had the task of locating the 10 “hidden” shamrocks around the school. Three winners were drawn from the ballots collected with the correct answers. First prize was a gift card to Chick-Fil-A, second prize was a gift card to Starbucks, and third prize was a gift card to Dunkin Donuts.

Thank you to the members and their families for the continued support of Pinellas Park High School and our community.

National Honor Society Plans Spring Banquet The Patriot Chapter of the National Honor Society invites members and their families to our Spring Awards Ceremony and Banquet on Friday, May 20, 2016. Tickets are $15 for members and guests. Tickets include dinner catered by Olive Garden, unlimited drinks, and dessert. Prior to dinner, end of the year awards will be presented as well as the swearing in of the 2016-2017 officers in a formal ceremony in the Pinellas Park High School auditorium. We hope that all members and their families will attend this night of celebration.

Information Regarding National Honor Society for 2016-2017

For current sophomores and juniors, National Honor Society Invitation letters will

be delivered during the first week of the upcoming school year. Requirements for NHS are a minimum of a 3.5 weighted

GPA and no disciplinary referrals for the current school year. The invitation is for

students to attend a meeting where they will receive their application for National Honor

Society. To be considered for National Honor Society, students will need to currently be in a leadership position or have held one during

high school. Students will also need to have completed at least 25 hours of community

service, while in high school. If parents, have any questions please feel free to email at

fraddosioa@pcsb.org.

Pinellas County Schools-Area IVPhone: 727-538-7410Fax: 727-507-4563Pinellas Park High School6305-118th Ave. No.Largo, FL 33773

Non Profit OrganizationUS Postage Paid

Orlando, FLPermit #2346

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Cross Country Interested in running Cross Country? Contact Coach Holler at hollerr@pcsb.org about summer conditioning!

Volleyball Summer Condit ioning Volleyball summer conditioning will begin Monday June 20, 2016 on every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 1:00-3:30 pm. for 6 weeks. TRY OUTS will be in early August. Any questions, please email HA33702@YAHOO.COM Joy Bounthisavath-PPHS Varsity Volleyball Coach.

News from Pinellas Park High School Art Department It has been a busy and successful year in the PPHS Art Department! We’re very proud of the following students who had artwork accepted into several countywide art exhibitions:

• Word and Image: Diamone Marthone

• Scholastic Art and Writing: Molly Dashney

• 3D+Dimensions: Stephon Feld, Dar louny Mahanourath, Kirsten Lehman, Kasey Shelp, Morgan Miller

• Mail sail: Kubiat Inyang

• Congressional: Darlouny Mahanourath, Alexandra Plotts, Angelina Phok, and Kirsten Lehman.

Congratulations from Mr. Hubbard and Mrs. McElroy, PPHS Art Instructors