From Your Principal, Don Nelson

The Pride of the

Beaches

A PTSA Publication for the Fletcher High School Community

MAY 2016Volume 16

Issue 4www.duvalschools.org/fhs

To download a PDF version of this newsletter, go to http://academypublishing.com/schools/fletcherhigh/fletcherhigh.php

continued on page 2...

continued on page 3...

As we quickly approach the end of another year at Fletcher High School, the PTSA would like to congratulate all of our graduating seniors. Members of the Class of 2016, you have worked hard to achieve your goals and we wish you all happiness and success in your future endeavors! I would also like to recognize senior Matthew Caldwell. This impressive young man not only served as the President of both Interact Club and the National Honor Society, but he is also a member of our PTSA Board of Directors. We appreciate all that you have done for Fletcher High School, the Beaches community, and our PTSA throughout this year. We are proud of you, Matthew! Ms. DeeDee Tamburrino, Director of Choral Studies, was selected as the PTSA Teacher of the Quarter for the third quarter. This is a very special

award as teachers are nominated by their students for this honor. Ms. Tamburrino graduated from Florida State University with a BA in Music History and a Masters in Music Education. She is also another successful Fletcher High Alumni (Class of 1979). Congratulations on this well deserved honor Ms. Tamburrino!

As I write this column for the newsletter we are working toward finishing our FSA and State examinations for Geometry. In addition, we are administering over 20 AP and AICE examinations along with content area end of the

year CGA examinations. As we have done in the past, the last report card will not be mailed home unless a student is eligible to attend summer school. Report cards for students eligible for summer will be mailed home as soon as they become available. All other report cards will be available for pick up in the schools counseling office. In both cases, phone calls will go home to families to keep them up to date on when report cards are available pickup. Summer school will not be held at Fletcher this year. For those students that may need to attend Summer school it will be held at Terry Parker High School. Students will receive more information from their counselors, as well as, phone calls home to families.

The school year has just flown by and it has been an outstanding year. At the time of this writing FHS currently has a 90.01% graduation rate for the Class of 2016. The Class of 2016’s efforts has exceeded last year’s graduation rate. Thank you to all of our members of the Class of 2016, their families and our teachers. Our clubs continue to act as good will ambassadors. The band and chorus continue to perform within the district and around the State. Our Interact Club continues to focus on their motto “Service Above Self”. The Interact Club continues their efforts to support our local charity K-9 for Warriors. Recently the Interact Club presented K9 for Warriors a check for $10,000 to provide a fifth dog for a deserving veteran. In addition, Interact attended a Leadership Conference, sponsored by Chick-Fil-A, as well as, the packing of tens of thousands of meals for the needy. Congratulations to our Dance Ensemble on winning the State Championship for a record breaking third year in a row. Our Mock Trial team once again won the

1701 Prudential DriveJacksonville, FL 32207

Fletcher FilesMay 2016

Published Four Times Per YearIssue # 4

From Your PTSA President, Wendy Manasco

2

continued from front page...From Your Principal

regional and state competition held in Orlando. The Mock Trial team now prepares to compete in the National Mock Trial Team Championship in Boise, Idaho in mid-May. Above are just a few highlights. As always, Fletcher is a highly competitive school in all our extracurricular activities. So far this year, we have had two students accepted as National Merit Scholars, one student received a scholarship from GCA Corporation, two students received scholarships from the Jacksonville Beach Exchange Club, and seventeen students received Scholarships from Take Stock In Children. These are just a few of the scholarships our seniors have earned. Our graduation class will earn well over three million dollars in scholarships by the time of graduation. The hard work of our students, families, faculty, staff, coaches and club sponsors keeps Fletcher #1 and The Pride of the Beaches. Thank you everyone for all your efforts. As many of you are aware dismissal time the last week of school in high school is earlier than our normal dismissal time. From June 6th-10th, school will start the normal time. However, dismissal will be at 11 a.m. each day. As always bus transportation will be available after school to take students home. Graduation for the Class of 2016 will be on Wednesday, June 8th at 5pm at the Jacksonville Veteran’s Arena. To the class of 2016, it has been my pleasure to be your principal. Not many high school principals can say they have known their students since middle school and for half of this year’s graduating class I have had the privilege of being your principal in two schools over the past seven years. I wish all of our graduating seniors all the best as you go on to write the next chapter in your lives. I am extremely proud of each of you. If you approach all your endeavors like you have your work here at Fletcher you will no doubt be successful. To the parents, congratulations and thank you for all the hard work and support. I need to inform each of you that this will be my last newsletter as principal of Duncan U. Fletcher High School. I will not be returning as principal next year. Starting this summer I will be assuming the duties of Assistant Superintendent for Operations for Duval County Public Schools. It has been an honor to be principal of Fletcher the last four years. In my time at Fletcher we have done many things together that have built upon the reputation of this great school. For the first time having back-to-back grades of A, graduation rate increases of over 5%, increases in our students achievement in both AP and AICE examinations, and many school improvement projects most notably the patio project that PTSA and the community took on to ensure our students have a comfortable place out of the sun to eat lunch. All of our school improvements will benefit students for years to come. I will continue to follow the activities and events at Fletcher and will always have PURPLE PRIDE! Thank you Fletcher Family for permitting me to be part of your family these last four years and trusting Fletcher with your children’s education. Take care.

3

continued from front page...

From Your PTSA President Fletcher High PTSA will be awarding up to ten $500 college scholarships at this year’s Senior Awards Night, which will be held Thursday, June 2nd from 6-9pm in the auditorium. Best of luck to all who entered! Fletcher High PTSA will be holding its 6th annual FREE Community Skin Cancer Screening at Dancin’ in the Streets, May 21st from 10am - 1pm. Come on by and get checked out! Continuing our commitment to the health of our students, we completed Vision Screening for all juniors. Thank you Committee Chair Danella Cogswell and all the volunteers who helped make this happen. Job well done!

Danella Cogswell, Vision Screening Committee Chairperson

We would also like to thank Committee Chair Brenda Wray for organizing another fantastic Teacher Appreciation Week. From apples and free car washes to chair massages, breakfast, and a delicious catered island-themed luncheon, you helped make sure our teachers know how much we truly appreciate all they do for our students. Thank you to our generous sponsors for helping make TAW a great success - Trader Joe’s, Gregory Paul’s Catering, Clean Getaway Car Wash, Starbucks, Maple Street Biscuits, Alley Cakes, and Integrative Healthcare Solutions! Finally, we wish you all a happy, safe, and fun Summer Break. Enjoy your vacation and we’ll see you in the fall!

Show off your

Call to schedule your complimentary consultation today!

with everyPRIDE $100 OFF

FOR FLETCHERSTUDENTS

Algebra 1/2, Calculus Geometry, Trigonometry

1:1 SAT/ACT PrepStudy Skills, Homework HelpEOC and FSA PrepPhysics, Chemistry, Biology

Jacksonville Beach

©2016 Huntington Learning Centers, Inc. Independently owned and operated. *SAT and PSAT are registered trademarks of the College Entrance Examination Board which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse this program. HLC-1072a

220-1212

Fully Certified Teachers and Accredited by MSA

4

GUIDANCESCHOOL COUNSELOR ASSIGNMENTSLast Names A-Dm . . . . . . . . . Ms. GreenertLast Names Dn-K . . . . . . . . . . Ms. BrownLast Names L-Rn . . . . . . . . . . Ms. SasanLast Names Ro-Z . . . . . . . . . . Ms. DunkleyAICE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ms. Powell

Scholarships Any Senior who receives any type of monetary award or grant should report them to their guidance counselor so that we can record them. The grand total of scholarship monies won by our senior class will be revealed during the graduation ceremony! All seniors who anticipate receiving Bright Futures money should have already applied. Seniors must register online by the end of the school year at www.FloridaStudentFinancialAid.org. Those students who are eligible will be contacted by the state.

Senior Warning Letters Any Senior with potential credit deficits, due to failing grades, low GPA’s, no online course completed and those awaiting final FCAT and/or Algebra 1 End of Course Exam results were sent letters by their counselors outlining these factors

Scheduling for 2016-2017 School Year During the months of March and April, school counselors began course registration for our 9th through 11th graders and all of the Beaches middle school 8th graders for the 2016-2017 school year. A copy of the Course Request Form was given to students at the time of the course selection meeting. To see our Curriculum Guide, please visit www.duvalschools.org/fhs and click on ‘Programs.’

Dual Enrollment Transcripts Seniors receiving college credit from Dual Enrollment classes will need to contact FSCJ and have an official transcript sent to the college they are attending next year. These grades will not be finalized until the first weeks of June.

On-line Course Requirement All students must complete a full course online for graduation. Please take a look at the courses offered on flvs.net and have your student select the course he/she would like to complete. These courses are absolutely free and once your student completes the course, his/her counselor will receive the grade and have it placed on your student’s transcript. For this graduation class, successfully completing standard or honors government at Fletcher High School will satisfy the online graduation requirement.

Bright Futures Bright Futures will continue to accept SAT and ACT scores through the June administrations of these exams. Get your community service hours to your counselor by May 16st! Remember, a minimum of 75 hours of community service hours is required for the Florida Medallion Scholars and 100 hours of community service hours is required for the Florida Academic Scholars. Students can monitor their Bright Futures progress via www.FLVC.org

Diplomas Our Guidance Secretary, Ms. Gonzalez, has completed the verification of Seniors’ names for our diploma order.

Final Transcripts During cap and gown distribution, students MUST report a college or university to his/her counselor. Counselors will be in the auditorium during the distribution and will have forms for ALL seniors to fill out. These forms will also ask students how many scholarships he/she earned and the award amount. Seniors, please come prepared to give that information. The award amounts reported by our Seniors will be highlighted during the class of 2016 Commencement speech.

CONGRATULATIONS FLETCHER CLASS OF 2016! FROM YOUR SCHOOL COUNSELING DEPARTMENT

Seniors – It is ALL about you!Important Dates for Seniors• May 27th Last day for Seniors• June 8th 9:15am Graduation Rehearsal at Veterans Memorial Arena 5:00 pm Graduation at Veterans Memorial Arena Senior Week ActivitiesTuesday, May 31st 9:00 am Mandatory Meeting for Seniors in AuditoriumTuesday, May 31st 10:30 am Pool Party at Fletcher Pool catered by

Chick-Fil-AWednesday, June 1st 10 am – 12 pm Adventure Landing Thursday, June 2nd 9:00 am Yearbook Signing/Breakfast at Seahorse

Inn 6:00 pm Senior Awards in AuditoriumFriday, June 3rd 12:30 pm -2:30 pm Cap and Gown Distribution in

GymMonday, June 6th 10 am – 12 pm Bowling at Beach Bowl

Senior Service ProvidersHerff-Jones 904-363-1905• Cap & Gown & Announcements

www.herffjonesnorthflorida.com Cady & Cady Studios 904-880-7455

• Senior Pictures & Panoramic www.cadystudios.com

5

ATHLETES AND THE SUN Athletes spend many hours in the midday sun, which is a major risk factor for developing all types of skin cancer including the most serious, melanoma. Whether in the pool, on the field, on the beach or on the track, outdoor athletes receive more ultra-violet radiation (UV) exposure than the general public for many reasons including:• Intense practice and competition schedules spent outside in the

sun.• Sweating may contribute to more UV damage because it increases

the person’s photosensitivity of the skin leading to the risk of sunburns.

• Sunscreen comes off when a person sweats or gets in the water. It must be reapplied.

• UV radiation reflects off the training grounds of most athletes including, water, sand, concrete and light colored surfaces, (including snow). Even when wearing a hat the sun reflects up and creates skin damage.

• Winter and alpine athletes receive even more sun exposure not only due to the reflection, but because the harmful rays are less likely to be absorbed by the atmosphere due to the higher altitude.

• Weakening of the skin’s immune system is another factor that may affect athletes. Very intense training, like preparing for marathons, has been reported to temporarily impair the immune system. This impaired immune system may increase the risk of developing skin cancer including melanoma.

There are 3.5 million new cases of skin cancer in more than 2 million people that will be diagnosed in the US annually. One person dies from melanoma every hour in the United States. The risk of developing melanoma can be reduced by protecting the skin from the sun and its harmful rays. Even on a cloudy day, up to 80% of the sun’s ultra violet rays can pass through the clouds. Athletes need to protect their skin while training outdoors. With just a few simple steps, you can be active and protect your skin:• Seek shade when appropriate. Avoid training when the sun is at

its highest between 10 am and 2 pm. If your shadow appears shorter than you, seek shade. As a parent or a teacher, encourage coaches to hold early morning or late afternoon practices.

• Wear protective clothing like long sleeved shirts, wide-brimmed hats and sunglasses.

Jennifer Winkleman, PA-C is a Dermatology Physician Assistant at Beaches Dermatology in Ponte Vedra Beach. She graduated from Rutgers University and The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, and has been practicing medicine for more than 26 years.

Skin Cancer Screening The PTSA’s Sun Safety Committee, along with the Jacksonville Dermatology Society, will be sponsoring its 6th annual free community skin cancer screening. It will be held at Dancin’ in the Streets in Beaches Town Center, on Saturday, May 21, from 10 am-1 pm. Please plan on coming if you need to be screened! As always thank you to JDS and to the dermatologists who volunteer, for their incredible support of our Sun Safety program.

Sun Safety • Wear a Broad Spectrum sunscreen of 30 SPF or higher to ALL

exposed areas and reapply frequently. That means every two hours if you are just out in the sun and every hour if in the water or you are sweating!

• Use extra caution when working out near water, sand or snow as they reflect and intensify the sun’s rays and increase the risk of skin cancer.

• Avoid Tanning Beds. UV light from tanning beds causes wrinkling and skin cancer. If you want to look tan, use a self tanning product or a spray tan, but you must continue to use sunscreen with it.

• Know your spots and be aware of your skin and moles you have. If you see any mole or spot on your skin that is changing, itching or bleeding, see a dermatologist.

Coaches, parents, and administrators should all work together to keep our students safe and healthy in all ways, including our skin. Another point to remember is that the sun does decrease the body’s immune system and may appear to improve acne, however when the sun exposure stops and the immune system returns to normal, the acne will flare, most often worse than before. If acne is a problem, seek help from your dermatologist to get it under control before the start of the new school year. That means seeking treatment now because it can take several months to see the benefit of acne treatments. Have a good summer and don’t forget your sunscreen!!

ROMANO BROTHERS

ROOFING INC.

GET YOUR PERMIT

24 Hours ONLINE

get your license with usPrivate driving lessonsweekends and evenings

free pick up and drop off

North florida's only dmv approveddrivers license testing agent

WWW.ALLFLORIDASAFETYINSTITUTE.COM 904.838.0055

6

The Exchange Club of Jacksonville Beaches have selected Fletcher High School seniors Alexandra Heap and Alec Adamec as two of their four Students of the Year recipients. They will each receive a scholarship given by the club for use toward post-secondary educational expenses. The students and their parents were guests of the Exchange Club’s breakfast meeting at Jacksonville Beach Golf Club on Friday, April 15th where they each received scholarship checks. They also will be recognized at their respective school Senior Awards Program. Alexandra Heap will attend the University of Florida and plans to major in journalism with a special interest in literature. Her long-term career goal is as an editor in chief of a major news source. Her activities at Fletcher include memberships in the National Honor Society, and those for Thespians and Mu Alpha Theta. She has extensive experience in Fletcher’s theatrical productions as an actress with lead roles and as a sound operator for Fletcher’s Holiday Extravaganza and spring musical. Alexandra is editor of the Northeaster, a school online publication, and is vice-president of the Interact Club. She will be receiving an Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) Diploma from Fletcher which is backed by Cambridge University. Her numerous community service activities include being a Pre AP Camp counselor and tutoring geometry at Mayport Middle School, assisting with K9s for Warriors and USO No Dough Dinners. She has been a Red Cross certified lifeguard at Adventure Landing Water Park and is currently a shift leader at Whit’s Frozen Custard. She enjoys reading, writing prose and poetry, acting and technical theater, art critique, and visiting museums.

The Exchange Club of Jacksonville Beaches — 2016

$59Child Exam &

CleaningChildren ages 14 & underNew patients only. Not valid with any other offer or dental insurance. Valid

only with offer. Exp. 6/30/16

$29Exam & X-rays

New patients only. Not valid with any other offer or dental insurance. Valid

only with offer. Exp.6/30/16

New patients only. Not valid with any other offer or dental insurance. Valid

only with offer. Exp. 6/30/16

Teeth Whitening

ASK US ABOUT OUR DENTAL PRACTICE MEMBERSHIP DISCOUNT PROGRAM!

General & Cosmetic DentistryALL Services In-House & Same Day Emergency Appointments

Care Credit®

• CompassionateTeethCleaning• DentalExamUsingtheLatest

Technology• No-ChargeOralCancerScreening• ProfessionalTeeth-Whitening• Crowns(sameday)• Veneers

• Implants-AllAspectsCompleted“In-House”

• OralSurgeryIncludingWisdomTeethExtractionCompleted

On-Site• OralSedationtoalleviateDental

ProcedureAnxiety

For a No-Charge Smile

Makeover Consultation

NO INTEREST FINANCING

7GUIDANCE

Alec Adamec will attend the University of Florida to major in business and marketing, with a goal of managing and owning his own company. Alec’s high school activities include being an active member of the National Honor Society and tutoring underclassmen in math. He was Captain and four-year letterman in football; is Fletcher’s second all-time passing leader, and received All Gateway Conference honors. He was also Fletcher’s soccer goalkeeper as a sophomore and junior and is the recipient of both Fletcher’s MVP and Academic Awards for soccer and football. He was inducted in to the Duncan U. Fletcher Hall of Fame for Boys Soccer and was honored as an All Gateway Conference soccer player in his sophomore and junior years. Alec earned the AP Scholar Award from the College Board for exemplary achievement on college-level AP Program Examinations. Community service activities include multiple motorcycle rides in support of local non-profits as Facing Futures, Angelwood, North Florida Motorcycle Inc for COPS (Concerns of Police Survivors), and PAL (Police Athletic League). He has taught surfing and ocean safety for Surf Camps for Wounded Warriors and youth under age 12. Alec is a lead vocalist and weekly leader for youth worship at Beaches Chapel Church. His work experience includes being a Brand Representative wearing new fall and spring line of clothing at various public events for Adamec Harley-Davidson. His favorite hobbies are snowboarding, surfing, and fishing.

The Pride of the

Beaches

Duval County Public SchoolsDuncan Fletcher High School700 Seagate AvenueNeptune Beach, FL 32266

Non-Profit OrganizationU.S. Postage PaidOrlando, FloridaPermit #2346

8

Aca

dem

y Pu

blis

hing

Sch

ool N

ewsl

ette

r Pr

ogra

m ™

800

-644

-354

1

Several beach businesses generously donated items for this year’s Teacher Appreciation Week, sponsored by FHS PTSA and held May 2-6. This week was a time to recognize the hard work and dedication of the teachers at Fletcher High. Plenty of goodies were distributed to our very deserving faculty and staff, and a catered lunch from Gregory Paul’s was served on Wednesday of this recognition week. Thanks to all of the generous businesses who made this week a fun success:

Monday— apples from TRADER JOE’S and free car wash tickets from CLEAN GETAWAY CAR WASH

Tuesday—coffee from STARBUCKS and cinnamon/pecan biscuits from MAPLE STREET BISCUIT COMPANY

Wednesday— catered lunch from GREGORY PAUL’S; beverages from PUBLIX

Thursday— “dessert shots” after lunch from ALLEY CAKES

Friday—chair massages from INTEGRATIVE HEALTHCARE SOLUTIONS