Principal's Message |
Dear Parents and/or Guardians; Being Florida born and bred I notice the very subtle seasonal changes that occur here. Fall is my favorite time of year because the temperature is a bit cooler and the frantic pace of the beginning of the school year has slowed somewhat. Change is in the air and it is exciting! We have great people at MHS and I want to thank everyone who contributed to a positive beginning of the year. Students, parents, teachers, counselors, coaches, custodians and support staff all put forth their efforts to ensure that we could hit the ground running on August 20th. The biggest change this year was our alternating day schedule and with everyone’s help we collectively overcame some of the glitches that always seem to accompany a new initiative. With the jitters and uncertainties of the first days of the year now far behind us, we are settling into the routine of school. Our very first Homecoming was a great success! We had a great week of activities; student dress-up and spirit days, the bonfire, the crowning of our first Homecoming King Jeff Ocampo and Queen Kylie Wright, and a wonderful dance with over 750 students here in our gym on Saturday night. All of our sports teams are having successful seasons. Check the calendar for specific dates, and come to support our girls’ and boys’ sports teams. They are doing a great job representing our high school and our community. Come and give them a cheer! October brought local, state, and national testing to MHS. We have given our students the Kaplan K – 12 tests in reading and math and science. This series of tests are designed to test the same standards that are tested on the FCAT and will give us a base-line from which to prepare our students for the FCAT reading, math and science in the spring. Teachers will be able to work with the test results to craft lessons to help our students improve achievement. The Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test (FCAT) retakes for 11th and 12th grades were given to those students who either have not passed or have not yet taken this exam. All Florida students must take and pass the exam for graduation. The Florida Department of Education provided the funding to allow all 10th graders to take the PSAT, and those freshmen and juniors who chose to and paid for the test were also able to take this test. REPORT CARDS ARE COMING!!! REPORT CARDS ARE COMING!!! The end of the first 9 weeks is October 25th with a teacher workday on the 26th to enter grades. Report cards will be sent home with students on November 7th. FALL MUSICAL Our musical, "Suessical" will be featured the last week of November. Show times are 7:00 p.m. on November 28th through December 1st. Come and support our students as they team with students from Indian Trails Middle School in this great musical. The holidays are rapidly approaching and the following dates will be school holidays: November 21st – 25th is Thanksgiving break, December 21st is the last day for students prior to winter break, students will return to school on January 7th. Our main goal is to make sure that all of our students know that they are valued members of the MHS family. We believe that positive and supportive relationships are critical to success in high school. Our students, staff, faculty and administration all work together to create a school community that is safe, respectful, and inviting. Our administrative leadership team includes six individuals who are here to serve you and your families. We all have an “open door” leadership style, and we invite all current and future Matanzas parents and students to call and/or stop in to see us at any time. We can be reached by phone at (386)447-1575, email (below), or in person! Chris Pryor, Principal pryorc@flaglerschools.com Kim Pandich, Assistant Principal pandichk@flaglerschools.com Bob Nocella, Assistant Principal nocellar@flaglerschools.com Ken Seybold, Assistant Principal and Athletic Director seyboldk@flaglerschools.com Vernon Orndorff, Assistant Principal orndorffv@flaglerschools.com Chenita Johnson, Dean of Students johnsonc@flaglerschools.com “Helping your eldest to pick a college is one of the greatest educational experiences of life - for the parents. Next to trying to pick his bride, it's the best way to learn that your authority, if not entirely gone, is slipping fast.” Sally and James Reston The changes that happen between parents and our children as they grow are tremendous. Being a father of three children and an educator I understand that as parents we invest so much of ourselves in our children and our culture places a strong emphasis on education. I recently had a discussion with a good friend who was agonizing over his daughter’s college choice. He was afraid that her choice would not be in her (and his, I think) best interest. Would she be ready? Would she be too far away? Would the college she wanted give her the best education for the field she wanted to make her career? What if she got there and changed her mind about her major? (I changed my mind so many times I can’t remember what my first major was!) How much is this going to cost? Can I afford it? AAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!! I think that we have developed certain beliefs about our success as a parent and these beliefs are intrinsically tied to whether our children go to college and more importantly, which college. Being an educator I certainly value and promote learning, setting goals and the positive effect of a college education on one as an individual as well as on future earning potential. However, having personally experienced the gamut of higher education from community college (DBCC), to a small, private university (Stetson), to large public universities (The University of South Florida and The University of Florida), I‘ve found it is the student and the teacher, not the name of the school that establishes the value of the learning experience. Having gone through the college ordeal with my own two daughters (all three of us have survived…so far), the most important point to be made is to not let the process or product impact our relationships with our children. This is a tough time for our children and also for us. I remember the battles I had with my eldest. I had visions of either wearing stripes or a straight jacket the rest of my days! As I sit here writing this today she turns 25 years old and is a teacher at Orange Park Junior High School. I am amazed at how much she calls me now for my advice …collect (just kidding). “When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years.” - Mark Twain Remember Mom and Dad, things will get better. Just hang on. Chris Pryor, PhDPrincipalMatanzas High School |
