August 2009

Dear PHS students and parents,                                                          

We are so very excited about the upcoming school year and wanted to take this opportunity to welcome you back to school and to familiarize you with some of the changes that will be taking place for 2009-2010 year.

PHS has undergone many changes this summer and to start off I would like to introduce you to my new administrative team of Assistant Principals Mechele Higginbotham and Jerome Wilkerson.  Mr. Wilkerson will also be taking on the responsibilities of Athletic Director.  We have other new faces that have joined our faculty over the summer and everyone has been working very hard to get things set up for a wonderful “New Beginning” for Palatka High School! 

The major focus for PHS this year is Rigor.  Last year our school grade was not acceptable so we are implementing new curriculum changes from the Success for All Foundation that are research proven in Reading and Math.  We are happy to say that our students will be working and thinking at a higher level than before which will help motivate all students. All of our teachers are being trained in the latest strategies and cooperative learning so that our students will be successful and PHS will become the best high school in the district.   

Other important changes that are happening include a new start time of 7:50.  Breakfast will be available starting at 7:15.  Students will have a 55 minute lunch period which will allow them to seek tutoring help and begin to work on homework.  Also, we will be using a program that helps with our attendance and tardy reporting.  Students will be required to have in their possession at all times a school ID card that will be scanned when signing in late and upon entering all extracurricular activities.  The school will provide two cards for each student.  More information concerning this program is forthcoming.

In addition, PHS has been under construction this summer.  The Administrative offices have been relocated to the end of the hallway that previously faced the parent pick up area and this will be the main entrance for the school.  At 7:50, the student entrances leading into the Commons area will be locked and all persons will need to enter the facility through the Main office.

Our district is working with the University of South Florida to incorporate a Positive Behavior System which includes rewriting our Code of Conduct and developing strategies to minimize the number of disciplinary issues that can impede the educational process.

As you can see, we are experiencing a “New Beginning” for Palatka High School and would like to encourage all the students and parents to have an active role in this experience.   It is our philosophy that we are all part of the same TEAM and it takes all of us (parents, school, and community) working together to improve the educational experience for our students.  We have an open door policy and welcome you to come in and get involved by volunteering or asking questions when needed. 

We hope that you are as excited about all of the changes and improvements that are happening and look forward to working with you!

Messages from the Principal

January 2010                                                      

Panthers!

Congratulations to all our students who are participating in our numerous clubs and sporting events.  You all are doing a great job and we appreciate all your hard work and dedication to PHS!

Just a Reminder - cell phones, Ipods and other devices are only permitted at lunch. The rest of the day they should be turned off and put away.