PrincipalJ. Randy Johnson

Assistant PrincipalsMelinda Bogart

Kirstie GabaldonTroy Kasting

Executive SecretarySusan Wyatt

Guidance CounselorsKristin Auman

Jennifer ForneraAngela FuscoMelissa Scott

RegistrarTrevor Abbs

Career SpecialistAngela Hensley

Athletic DirectorGuy HarrisBookkeeperTracey Pitts

Issue 5November 2013

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

com/schools/creekside/creekside.php

100 Knights Lane • St. Johns, FL 32259 • (904) 547-7300

Dear Parents, Students, and Friends of Creekside, Itrustthechangeofseasonfindsyouingoodcheer.Therearemanyexcitingactivities and endeavors happening atCHS.Recently, ourAcademy for EnvironmentalandUrbanPlanning traveled toArizona to formally receiveNational Model recognition.TheNationalCareerAcademyBoard of Standards andPractices presented the award toMrs. Angie Hensley – Career Specialist, Mr. Kevin Davenport–CivilEngineeringTeacherandMrs. Alicia Pressel–EnvironmentalPlanningTeacher.Mr.DavenportandMrs.PresselwerealsoconferencepresentersattheNationalCareerAcademiesConference. Congratulations to Rick Fowler –BandTeacher of thePower of Creekside.TheBandearned straight SuperiorsintheirperformanceattheFBAMusicPerformanceAssessments! FacultyandStaffrecentlyhonoredMrs. Aletha Dresback(APHistory&APGovt.)asTeacheroftheYear!Mr. Drew Chiodo (Geometry),washonoredas“Rookie”TeacheroftheYear!Mrs.DresbackandMr.Chiodoareoutstandingteachers.Theyexpertlygetthebestoutofstudents!Indeed,weareveryblessedtohavebothteachersrepresentCreeksideH.S.forthe2013-2014schoolyear. OurVolunteersoftheYearare:Mr. Roy Harvey (Senior), Mrs. Susanna Vance(Adult)and Michael “Hank” Mengel(Student).Allthreevolunteershavecontributeduntoldhoursinservicetoourlearningorganizationandthecommunityatlarge.Wetrulyareindebtedtotheirgivingoftimeandtalent. Did You Know–OurTheatreDepartmenthaspresentedtwostageproductionswithinthefirstquarteroftheyear(Pride & Prejudice and Nightfall with Edgar Allen Poe).WethankMs.FixelandherfantasticTheatrestudents. Inclosing,IleaveyouwithaquotefromFirstLadyEleanorRoosevelt:“Greatmindsdiscussideas;averagemindsdiscussevents;smallmindsdiscusspeople.” Let’s be a blessing to others.Sincerely,J.RandyJohnsonPrincipal

The vision of Creekside High School is to inspire in all students a passion for lifelong learning, creating educated and caring contributors to the world.

The mission of Creekside High School is to provide

students an opportunity

to achieve academic,

athletic, fine arts, and extra

curricular excellence

within a safe and secure learning

environment. Creekside High

School staff and students will strive to

model and support the six pillars of

Character Counts.

“TheShield”November2013•Issue5

PublishedSixTimesPerYearCreekside High School

St.JohnsCountySchoolDistrict40 Orange St.

St.Augustine,FL32084-3633

Semester Exam ScheduleTuesday,December179:15-10:45 ExamPeriod2or1/210:45-10:55 Break10:55-12:25 ExamPeriod312:30-1:00 Lunch

Busesdepartat1:00Wednesday,December189:15-11:10 ExamPeriod5or4/511:10-12:45 Period4andlunchesasnormal12:50-2:45 ExamPeriod6Thursday,December199:15-10:45 ExamPeriod410:45-10:55 Break10:55-12:25 ExamPeriod712:30-1:00 Lunch

Busesdepartat1:00Friday,December209:15-10:45 ExamPeriod110:45-3:00 Exam--Make-up11:00-12:00 Lunch--BookReturn

Busesdepartat12:00

Highly Qualified Teachers

Thefollowingteachersarecurrentlycompleting coursework to becomehighlyqualifiedinthefollowingareas:

ThomasHornsby-PhysicalEducationandHealthAllisonSpurgeon-EnglishMeganMcMichael-ESOL

Thank You! A big THANKYOU to everyonewhocontributedtothecopypaperdriveduringtheweekofOctober14th,2013.TheCreeksideHighSchoolPTSOwillcontinue to collect reams and cases ofmulti-purpose copy paper ormonetarydonations throughout the school year. Donations may be dropped offanytime during regular school hoursat the front office. As always, thankyou for your continued support of ourfaculty,staff,andstudents!

Yearbook: Don’tforgettoreserveyourcopyofthe2013-2014Creeksideyearbook!Theyarecurrentlyonsalefor$90.Pleasevisitwww.yearbookordercenter.comtopurchaseonline,orbringacheckmadeouttoCHStoMs.Rowlandinroom570.Thelasttwoyears,wehavesoldout!Don’tmissthisopportunity!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month OctoberwasBreastCancerAwarenessmonth,TheCreeksideHighSchoolSwimandDiveteamhadseveraleventsplannedtoraisemoneytohelpfightthebattleofBreastCancer.TheteamsoldPinkLuminariesandheldacoindriveduringthemonthatschoolandhomefootballgamesthroughOctober.ThededicatedluminarieswerelitduringtheCHSPinkOutFootballGameOctober 25 versus St.Augustine. The swimmers of both Creekside and PonteVedrasold andwore dedicated pinkCaps for their dualmeet on 10/8 atWinstonYMCA.Duringthismeet the swimmers alsoparticipated in combined team“Breast”Stroke relay races.AllproceedscollectedweredonatedtotheLittle Pink Houses of Hope organization (based out of Burlington, NC).Thisorganization’smissionistopromotebreastcancerrecoverybyofferingopportunitiesforsurvivorstoreconnectandcelebratelife.TheyprovideFREEweeklongbeachvacationsforbreastcancerpatientsandtheirfamilies.Theybelieveacancerdiagnosisdoesnotjustaffectthepatient,buttheentirefamily.Everybeachretreatisdesignedtohelpfamiliesrelax,reconnect,andrejuvenateduringthecancerjourney.Yoursupportwouldgreatlybeappreciatedwhether itbe toourcoindrives,oursalesofdedicate luminaries,pinkdedicatedswimcaps,or bymaking an online donation directly to http://www.littlepink.org.Togetherwe can helpfamiliesthatarebattlingBreastCancer.

The Creekside Academy of Environmental and Urban Planning Earns the Highest National Rating

After 5 years of hardwork and dedication,TheAcademy ofEnvironmental andUrbanPlanning has earned the highest rating of “Model” status according to theCareerAcademyNationalStandardsofPractice. Theacademy teachers,programspecialist, anddistrict levelstafftraveledtoPhoenix,ArizonainOctobertotheNationalCareerAcademyCoalitionAnnualConferencetoaccepttheaward.Thereare10rigorousstandardsthatmustbemetorexceededinordertobeconsidereda“Model”Academy.Thecombinationofdynamicteachersandexcellentbusinesspartnerscreatesarigorouscurriculumincluding realworld application. ThisAcademy has excelled in the areas of ProjectBasedLearning and graduating studentswith IndustryCertifications.Thisisagreathonorandweareproudofourteachers,students,andbusinesspartners.WelookforwardtowhatthefutureholdsforthisAcademy.ThankyoutoallofourwonderfulbusinesspartnersandtotheAcademyteachers,AliPresselandKevinDavenportforalloftheirhardworkanddedication!FormoreinformationontheCareerAcademiesatCHS,checkoutourwebsiteandjoinusattheHighSchoolShowcaseonJan.21,2014attheWorldGolfVillagefrom3:00-8:00pm.AngieHensley:henslea@stjohns.k12.fl.us

EMT

SJRstate.edu

• Health Information Technology

• Nursing

• Phlebotomist

• Radiologic Technology

• Respiratory Care and More!

The Emergency Medical Technician program prepares stu-dents for employment at the basic pre-hospital level. Stu-dents will gain the knowledge to treat various medical/trauma conditions with hands-on training and SJR State’s state-of-the-art equipment.

Additional health care programs at SJR State:

ORANGE PARK • PALATKA • ST. AUGUSTINE

RECENT EVENTS To kick off the year we had our Senior ParentNight. Parents were able to ask questions and takepart in a presentation regarding graduation, BrightFutures,financialaid,andNaviance.Ifyouwouldliketoobtainacopyofthepowerpoint,pleasegototheGuidanceWebsiteandclickonParentPresentations. WealsocelebratedayearofsuccessatourFallASPRecognitionnight.StudentsintheASPprogramwererecognizedforcompletingayearofcourseworkin the program. They were honored with either anacademicletterorapin.

GUIDANCE WEBSITE – Check often for important information!• Click “announcements” to access important

information on tutoring, transcript requests,community service opportunities, and the DualEnrollmentapplicationprocess.

• Click “CollegeVisits” to explore opportunities.Juniors and Seniors are welcome to attendcollege visits. Students can sign up for visits in theGuidanceDepartment.

• Scholarships are a great opportunity to earnmoneyforschool.Scholarshipsareuploadedandorganizedbymonth.Clickonthescholarshiptabontheguidancewebsiteandscrolldown.

ACADEMIC CONCERNS Studentsarewelcometocomeandvisitguidanceto seek assistance in the college application process, scheduling,academics,andpersonal/socialconcerns.

How to Help a Student with an AcademicConcern or Need: Make sure you are monitoring your student’sprogressontheHomeAccessCenter.Ifyouneedyouruser name and password, information can be foundhere:http://www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/hac/• Besuretochecktheteacher’sspecificwebsite,

whichcanbelocatedundertheFacultyandStafftab,andthenonAcademicFacultyandchoosingthe department in which they teach. Manytutoring options are available. Please see the announcements page on the guidance websitefor information on before and after schooltutoring sessions.

• Setupaconferencewiththeteacheroftheclassto address questions. Spending time with theteachercanhelpclearupanyconcernsandaidinthe success of the student.

REMEMBER!Studentsarewelcometoseetheircounselor with a pass from their teacher or duringlunchestoexpressanyquestionsorconcerns.

RESERVED SEATINGEventhoughitisonlyNovember,theCreeksidePTSOwouldliketomakesure all Senior parents knowaboutReservedSeatingatGraduation.Theticketswillgoonsalethe3rdweekofMayfor$25eachandaresoldfirstcome-firstserved.Theseticketsarenot the school issued ticketsthateverystudentwillreceiveaftersettlingtheirdebtsandpayingtheir dues on Senior Debt Day.ReservedticketsaresoldbythePTSOas a fundraiser and are locatedintwosectionsof the UNF arena. Look formoreinformationon the Senior page on Creekside’swebsitethisSpring!IfyouhaveanyquestionsregardingReserved Seating at graduation, please emailKelleySuttlesatksuttles@comcast.net.

Do you know Naviance?• NavianceisacollegeandcareerreadinesssoftwareproviderthatpartnerswithCreekside

HighSchooltoprovidestudentswithcollegeplanningandcareerassessmenttools.• Naviance helps determine the personality and career interests suggesting possible

career paths. • StartYourResume;organizeyourdataandhighschoolactivitiesfor4years• BuildResumeDataforCollege.Itisnevertooearly!• GuidanceCounselorsworkdirectlywitheachstudent.• Websiteishttp://www.naviance.com/toseemoreinfoandtogetstarted. IfyouareinterestedingettingstartedNOW,contactyourschool’sGuidanceCounselorforyourUsernameandPasswordorCarlaRazuri,your2013’sPTSONavianceLiaison.

NAVIANCE – Succeed at CHSSophomores• BuildYourResume-whatdoCollegeswant

toknow?• PlanforyourGPS,SAT,ACTtestdatesand

beorganized.• ExplorePersonalityAssessmentsand

Career Clusters• HowmanyAPClassesdoyoutakeforwhat

youwanttodo?

Freshmen• “DoWhatYouAre”–freepersonalityassessment.• StartYourResume-organizeyourdataandhigh

schoolactivitiesfor4years.• Whatkindofextra-curricularactivitieshelp

yourresume?• ExploreCareerClusters.

Seniors• DecideandManageCollegeApplications.

ApplicationStatusOn-line.• ResearchCareerPaths&CollegesWho

WantYou!• FindScholarships&TrackDeadlines.• OrganizeandTractGPA,SAT/ACTTestScores.• RefineYourResume.• CoordinatewithYourGuidanceCounselor.

Juniors• BuildResumeData&GetOrganizedforCollege.• SetGoalstoGetIntotheSchoolsYouWant.• CompareYourSAT/ACTTestScores&GPAto

CollegeAdmissionCriteria.• ExplorePersonalityAssessmentsandCareer

InterestProfiles.

NHS News InNovember,themembershipcompleteditsannualcharitydriveforthePetCenterthatwesponsor.Wecollecteddogandcatfood,blankets,toys,andmanyotheritems.Thankstoallthosethatdonated.TheSt.JohnsCountyAnimalControlPetCenterhousesadoptablestrayandunwantedanimals.Theyalsohavea veterinarian who spays and neuters theadoptedcatsanddogs.Thepubliciswelcometo visit. The center is located at 130 N. Stratton Rd, north of St. Augustine off of Philips Highway. (phone #: 209-6190) Current sophomores and juniors canapply for NHS membership in the spring.The initial requirement formembership is aminimumcumulativeunweightedGPAof3.5orweightedGPAof3.9andstudentsalsomusthaveatleast45volunteerhoursdocumentedwith the school. Interested students shouldchecktheNHSwebsiteformoredetails.

Hispanic Honor Society TheHispanicHonorSocietyhasbeenofftoagreatstartthisyear!Weareproudtohaveinducted our new members:Abbey, Kelsey;Andreoni, Morgan; Baldwin, David; Baratelli,Paige; Beiswenger,William; Benzenberg, Brooke; Blalock-Bassett, Cameron; Burns, Erica;Buttz, David; Califano, Nicholas; Camacho, Cesar; Camacho, Sebastian; Camacho, Carlos;Clary, Hunter; Dempsey, Andrew; Diduryk, Casey; Encinas, Kirra; Faherty, Julia; Fanelli,Nicholas; Fernandez, Kristin; Foster, Thomas; Galizia, Fabio; Giambalvo, Hayley; Gómez,María;Gupton,Rachel;Hanson,Abby;Johnson,ElizabethPaige;Jones,Zachary;Laflamme,Alice;Lee,Jaimie;Malone,Madison;Marchegiani,Marco;McGehee,Alexis;Oliveira,Caitlin;Openshaw,Colleen; Page, Savanna; Prangley,Megan; Pustay, Lindsey;Resto,André;Riall,Molly;Richburg,Caroline;Rivera,Bryan;Ruble,Emily;Sarpi,Giovanna;Schweinsberg-Geffen,Kelly;Shelton,Sarah;Smith,Jonah;Smith,Michael;Solms,Kasandra;Strong,Alexandra;VanDyke, Sydney;Williams,Madeline; Zulfekar, Michael, Campbell, Hayley; Gilmore-Duffey,Maddie;Vance,Jack;Wind,Talia;Joliff,Casey;Rocha,Ale. OurConferenciaTeam(studentsmustcurrentlybeenrolledinaSpanishclass)hasbeenselectedtocompeteatthe2014FloridaStateSpanishConference.Teammembersare:HayleyTaylor (TeamCoordinator),HayleyCampbell,HailleAuscher,MeganPragley, JonahSmith,AliciaWillis,TaliaWind,CarlosCamacho,SebastianCamacho,CésarCamacho,AndréResto,LuciaSteel,JamieLee,JackVance. Duringthehomecomingcarnivalthisyear,HHS’ssignaturequesadillaswereahit!Weraisedlotsofmoneyforourclub.Ourmostrecentfundraiserwasselling“Boo-Grams”(candydeliveries)forHalloween.TheproceedsfromthisfundraiserwillgotosupportourConferenciaTeam. WerecentlyheldasugarskulldrawingcontesttocommemorateEl Día de los Muertos, a prominentMexicanholiday.Wereceivedmanybeautifulsubmissions.Thewinners,chosenbyCHS’sveryownartteachers,are:1stplace:LaceyFaust,2ndplace,AliceLaFlamme,3rdplace:CarolineRichburg.Thankstoeveryonewhoparticipated! HHSofficersarethrilledwithhowthingshavebeengoingsofarandwelookforwardtoagreatyear.

FBLA Raises Money for Autism Speaks CreeksideHighSchoolisnowhometoanewchapterofFBLA,FutureBusinessLeadersofAmerica.FBLAisthelargestbusinesscareerstudentorganizationintheworldandfocuseson preparing students for careers in business and business-related fields. Creekside FBLAmemberswillbecompetingontheDistrictlevellaterthisyeartestingtheirbusinessknowledgeand skills in 35 various categories, some individually while others will be participating ingroupcompetitions.ThetopDistrictwinnerswilladvancetotheStatecompetitionattheStateLeadership Conference in the spring. FBLA not only promotes education, but also service to the community. In September,members participated in the JacksonvilleAutismSpeaksWalkNowheld at the JacksonvilleLandingwherestudentsreceivedinformationaboutautismandtheAutismSpeaksorganization.DuringOctober,FBLAorganizedapuzzlepiececampaignonbehalfofAutismSpeakswherestudentswereencouragedtopurchaseapuzzlepiecetobedisplayedforaminimumdonationof$1.00.Theclubwillnowbe making a donationto Autism Speaks in theamount of $440. FBLAmembersgreatlyappreciateall the students and staff whocontributed. FBLA isalso a big supporter of the March of Dimes and willbe planning a fund drive for thisorganizationlaterintheschoolyear.

Volunteer at CHS! Volunteers arewelcomed and valued atCreekside–we couldnot do all thatwedowithoutyourhelpandsupport! If you have never volunteered in ourschool district before, you will need tocomplete the online volunteer applicationformthatcanbefoundontheschooldistrict’swebsite: http://www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/depts/cr/volunteer/Youcannotvolunteeruntilyourapplicationisclearedinthesystem.Approvedapplicationsaregoodfor3years. Ifyoualreadyhaveanapplicationinthesystem andwould like to check your statusor update any information, please contactMichelle Clark, CHS Volunteer Coordinator atCHSVOL@comcast.net (youdonotneedtosubmitanotherapplication.) To receive CHS volunteer requests viaemail, please log on to the CHS Website,http://www-cshs.stjohns.k12.fl.us/ and underQuickLinks,clickonEmailAlertsandNewsRegistrationtosubmityouremailaddress. ParentsofCHSAthletes:pleasebesureyouhaveanupdatedandapprovedvolunteerapplication. Yourhelpisneededwithticketsales and concessions throughout yourstudent’s athletic season(s), so please ensure thatyouareapprovedtovolunteerinadvanceof being scheduled to help.

Thankyou!Michelle ClarkCHS Volunteer Coordinator

Lost Boy of Sudan Visits Creekside! Abraham Kuany is a college graduate and hospitalworkerinJacksonville,Floridabuthislifewasn’talwaysthesuccessstorythatitistoday.Mr.KuanygrewupinSouthSudan, Africa and experienced civil war and bloodshedduringhisyouth.Attheageof7,heandthousandsofotheryoungAfricanboysfledtheirwartorncountrytoseeksafetyinEthiopia.Theywerebarefootandusedantelopeskinforshoesastheyendured45daysinbadweather,encounteredwildanimalsandsufferedfromalackofwater throughouttheirjourney.ThousandsofboysdiedonthejourneyfromSouthSudantoEthiopia.TheboyswerelaterreferredtoasthelostboysofSudan,bytheU.S.government,becauseoftheirmassivenumbersandlackofapermanenthome. In1991,civilwareruptedinEthiopiaandtheboyswereforcedtoreturntoSouthSudanduringtherainyseason.OntheirtrektoSouthSudanthousandsdrownedattemptingtocrosstheGiloRiver.Mr.Kuanycouldnotswimandalmostlosthislifecrossingtheriver.OtherboyswerelostduringbombingsincludingoneofMr.Kuany’sbestfriends.AsPrincipalJ.RandyJohnsonnoted,“ItisamiraclethatMr.Kuanylivedtotellhisstory.”Eventuallytheboysfled toKenyaand,unfortunatelyby then, thousandshaddied reducing theirnumbersfrom26,000to10,000. In 2000, President Bill Clinton signed an agreement with the United Nations allowingsomeoftheLostBoysofSudantomigratetotheUnitedStates.Asaresult,in2001,theU.S.governmentallowed3800LostBoys to resettle in theUnitedStates.Mr.KuanywasamongthoseselectedandwassenttoJacksonville,Floridawithapproximately84otherLostBoys.HewasexcitedtocometoAmericabecauseheknewthathecouldreceiveaneducation.Hewas19yearsoldatthetime.Mr.KuanywasthefirstLostBoyinJacksonvilletopasstheGEDandenroll in college. OnFriday,September20th,Mr.Kuanysharedhis storywith theCreekside family. Mr.KuanynotedthathisfavoritethingaboutAmericaisthemassiveamountofopportunitiesthatexist. Hesaidthat“manypeoplearestandinginariverfilledwithopportunitybutrefusetodrink.”HeadmonishedCreeksidestudentstotakefulladvantageoftheopportunitiesaffordedthem.Mr.KuanyalsosharedthathiseducationbeganatarefugeecampinEthiopiawherehelearnedthealphabetashisTeacherwrotelettersinthesand.Duetolimitedresources,hesharedonenotebookwithfiveotherstudentsandhisportionofthenotebookwasusedforallofhissubjects.Mr.Kuanystatedthat“whenthereisroom,youareabletodreambutwhenhewasfightingforsurvivalinEthiopia,therewasnoroomtodream.”Sincethattime,Mr.Kuanyhasdreamedbigandworkedhardtoaccomplishthevastmajorityofhisdreams. Mr.KuanywasaguestofMs.DeborahSibleyandAvaandAudreyDuboseofCreeksideHigh.Mr.Kuany’sstoryisrelevanttothenovel,ALongWayGone.Thenovelisapartofthe9thgradecurriculumandtellsthetruestoryofIshmaelBeahwhosecountryandfamilywerealsoaffectedbywarinAfrica.SpecialthankstoCreekside’sPrincipal,Mr.RandyJohnsonandMrs.SheilaVeatchfortheirsupportthroughoutMr.Kuany’svisit. MostofMr.Kuany’scollegeeducationwaspaidforbytheAllianceoftheLostBoysofSudan.Tovolunteerordonatetothealliance,pleasecontactMrs.JoanHechtat(904)363-9821.

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Non-Profit OrganizationUS Postage PAID

Permit #2346Orlando, FL

To Addressee or Current Resident

ST. JOHNS COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTCreekside High School100 Knights LaneSt. Johns, FL, 32259

From the SuperintendentDear Parents, As we begin the 2013-2014 school year, Sheriff David B. Shoar and Doctor Joseph Joyner will continue to address the increasingly complex issues of bullying, cyber bullying, and violence in schools. In an effort to honor the commitment to provide students with a safe school environment in which to learn, and a safe community in which to grow, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office and St. Johns County School District are seeking to enlist the help of the families and the community to support our students. This year, initiatives to prevent and stop bullying are the focus of law enforcement officers; as well as the faculty and staff at local schools. It is imperative that these officials work in a coordinated effort with families to combat bullying at every angle. In order for the school system to carry out its duty of providing all students with a safe environment in which to learn, grow, and develop-the schools seek to enlist the support and cooperation of all parents. These issues have been identified and it has been well established that they are not confined to school grounds. Bullying at school can have a lasting impact on a child’s home life, relationships within neighborhoods, and online interactions. We must work together to take immediate action, whether a child bullies, is a victim of bullying, or is a witness to bullying. More information about bullying prevention can be found at the district website http://www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/. Once at the website, search “bullying prevention,” then follow the links. There are several resources included in this documentation; including Florida State Statue pertaining to harassment and a section regarding harassment and bullying outlined in the Student Code of Conduct Book. We encourage you to take some time to review the information with your family; as it is required by Florida State Statute that this communication is provided to students and parents. Thank you and we look forward to a great school year in St. Johns County.