Creekside High School
The SHIELD
Weekly E-Newsletter

December 14, 2020
Together, we are Creekside Strong.
HOME STUDENT HEALTH SCREENER QUESTIONS
Parents,

We appreciate your continued assistance in supporting our health and safety protocols here on campus. As a reminder, below is the student health screener questions. If you can say yes to any of the symptoms below for your child, please keep your child at home until you can say no to all symptoms. If you can say yes to the questions, follow the instructions in red.
 
Student Health Screening Entry Form

Please assess your child daily for the following symptoms and answer the contact questions.

  • Fever of 100.4 or higher?
  • Uncontrolled cough?
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing?
  • Sore throat?
  • Loss of sense of smell or taste?
  • Muscle aches?
  • Vomiting or diarrhea?
  • Is your child currently awaiting COVID-19 test results? If yes, please keep your child home and notify the school nurse when test results received. Further instructions will be discussed at that time.

School Messenger dated 12/11/20

Attached you will find the updated CDC and Florida Department of Health guidelines for Quarantine. There are a couple of items we wanted to highlight:

  1. The testing method of reducing the quarantine does not allow for a rapid antigen test only a PCR test will qualify.
  2. A PCR test does take longer to get the results back therefore the testing method may not be the opportunity to return back to school quicker since the test has to be taken no earlier than on day 6.
  3. If a student is waiting on a COVID test result, the student should be at home until they receive the results.



Thank you.


  • December 15 - Ellie's Toy Donation Drive ends December 15th. All final donations should be given to Mrs. Hanson no later than the 15th, Portable P11. Donations will be delivered to Gainesville on the 16th.

  • December 18 - one-hour early release day and students will be dismissed at 2:50.


  • December 21, 2020 - January 1, 2021 - Winter Break
  • January 4 - Classes Resume
  • January 8 - February 5 - Academy of Choice Registration
  • January 11- January 28 - Final Exams for Semester Courses
  • January 12 - St. Johns County Virtual Academy Showcase
  • January 18 - Martin Luther King Day - Student/Teacher Holiday
  • June 5, 2021 - CLASS of 2021 Graduation at UNF Arena - 9am

Please note: CHS specific dates and times are subject to change.
DISTRICT EXAM NEWS
Midterm exams for the 2020-2021 school year have been canceled. However, final exams for semester courses will occur between January 11th & January 28th.

Final exams will be administered on campus for all students (Brick & Mortar as well as School Based Distance Learners). There will be no change to the daily bell schedule while we administer exams. Distance Learners will test separately from the Brick and Mortar students. An exam schedule will be posted on our schools website once it is developed. The following courses have a district created final exam:
  •           Economics with Financial Literacy
  •           Economics with Financial Literacy Honors
  •           American Government
  •           American Government Honors
  •           Weight Training
  •           Team Sports
PTSO NEWS
2020 Faculty & Staff Holiday Appreciation
Dear CHS PTSO Families, 
Happy Holidays! This holiday season we would like your help to show gratitude to our Creekside Faculty and Staff. 

  • Elf Dessert Bar. Our CHS staff will enjoy a holiday dessert bar. Please drop off STORE BOUGHT ONLY baked goods in the roundabout by the Auditorium no later than 10am on Friday, 12/18.

Thank you so much for supporting Creekside Faculty and Staff by partnering with the PTSO for this event.
CREEKSIDE SENIORS - CLASS of 2021


Seniors- We have some senior shirts available for sale in room 130 (across from the clinic) for $20. You can bring cash or a check made out to CHS starting Monday December 14th.


Please join the SENIOR CLASS Schoology page for updates.

Use access code: KXPW-WDP6-5DHM2
CLASS OF 2021 SENIORS - SENDING TRANSCIPTS 

It is time to start sending your transcripts out to colleges. Before yo do that request a copy of your transcript to review. Things to make sure are accurate on your transcript:

  • correct spelling of name
  • correct address
  • social security number
  • courses taken - including all virtual courses and SJRSC courses
  • correct number of service hours
  • SAT/ACT scores are accurate

To request transcripts, please visit www.parchment.com. Below are directions on how to create your Parchment account to request and send transcripts. Before requesting a transcript, make sure to update it. This way colleges will see the most up to date transcript available. 

If you have questions about your transcript please email your school counselor for assistance. 
PSAT UPDATE
College Board will release PSAT scores on Tuesday, December 8th.

How to Get Your Scores:
When your PSAT/NMSQT scores are ready online, you'll get an email with instructions on creating your College Board account, going to your online score report, and using your access code to view your scores.

If you have questions regarding PSAT scores, please click on the link below.
CREEKSIDE DRAMA PRESENTATIONS
CREEKSIDE KUDOS
Senior Hope Sawyer has her Award Winning artwork published on the National Scholastic Art Website! Here is a photo of her in front of the website along with her work. Hope won a National Gold Key for her charcoal drawing and was invited to the celebration this past June but the event was canceled due to COVID. 
Click to view gallery. Hope's work is on page 2.
A special thanks to Dr. and Mrs. Chudgar for providing the Creekside Faculty and Staff lunch from Jimmy Johns last Tuesday.

A note from the Chudgars: Let us take a moment to say THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for all of your work and efforts to ensure that the children continue to get the best education in the state! Thank you to all of you that work nights and weekends trying to bridge the gap between the distance learners and the brick and mortar students.

We hope that you all have a very safe and happy holiday season and a wonderful new year. Here is to putting an end to 2020 and looking up at all the wonderful things that 2021 will bring for us!

Thank you!

The Chudgar Family

Thank you Chudgar family. As fantastic as the food was,
the thoughtful gesture and kind words were the best.
CLUB / TEAM NEWS


All boys interested in being on the Boys Weightlifting Team, there will be an interest meeting next Wednesday 12/16 in the Weight room from 9-9:15 am. Please see Coach Stalvey if you have any questions.
Choral Music Auditions
February 1 – 5, 2021
 
 
For the first time ever, all Creekside High School students will be able to audition for one of three choral ensembles at Creekside HS (Chorus, Vocal Ensemble and Chamber Choir). The Choral Department has been very successful in Concert Music Performance Assessments as well as participating at Disney’s Candlelight Processional and sang with rock band Foreigner.

See Mr. Hall in Room 490 before 9 am any day to schedule an audition time.

Creekside High School Athletics is excited to announce that Patrick Diegan has been hired as the Knights’ head boys tennis coach.

Coach Diegan is a British LTA and PTR Professional with over 34 years of teaching and international playing experience. He is the author of the bestselling four-book series, “Coaching and Learning Tennis Basics.” Coach Diegan has coached in the United Kingdom, Spain, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, and the United States and his extensive playing experience includes professional and amateur events in the UK, France, Croatia, UAE, Oman, and the USA. Coach Diegan has played and won events on all surfaces, including outdoor hard, grass, indoor hard and carpet, indoor and outdoor red clay, and “Hartru” green clay.
With his extensive coaching experience, Coach Diegan’s philosophy is to establish good fundamentals as quickly as possible, then allowing his students to express themselves with their own interpretation of stroke production and style of play.  

Welcome Coach!!










Hugs club members are donating current non-fiction books for K-3 for Crookshank Elementary. 
The National English Honors Society has posted the December meeting and service project, please check the Schoology member group for details.


Check-cetera will not be meeting on Tuesday afternoons until
we get back in January.

See you then!!
COUNSELOR CORNER - GUIDANCE
About Metrotown

The Metrotown Institute brings high school students together to explore living successfully in an increasingly diverse and interdependent world. Participants will share ideas and feelings; discover their own unique talents; and experience a variety of perspectives on diversity issues, multicultural communications, religious traditions, gender roles and self-esteem, while earning 23.5 community service hours for their involvement. There will be small group discussions and workshops, creative and artistic activities, outdoor experiences and personal reflection. `

The Metrotown Institute Application Form should be returned as soon as possible for review, but not later than December 15, 2020.


December 18 – 20, 2020
Friday, December 18: 5:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 19: 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Sunday, December 20: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
4892 1st Coast Technology Parkway
Jacksonville, FL 32224

The OneJax Institute at the University of North Florida is now accepting applications from teens grades 9 through 12 to participate in its Metrotown Institute, a three-day program that promotes respect and understanding across the differences of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status and ability.
Students must be referred to the program or endorsed by a sponsor such as a parent, teacher, counselor, clergy or community leader. Students will be required to complete an application to be considered.
The program is designed for 25 students, who will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis. The registration fee is $30, which includes lunch and snacks as well as dinner on Saturday night, December 19th.
Registration Fee: $30.00
Students may EMAIL their school counselor for questions that do not require an appointment.
Reasons you would need an appointment with your counselor:

• Academic concerns • College applications • Accommodation requests
• Graduation requirements • Bright Futures eligibility • Stress Management


Students, Click here to schedule an appointment with your counselor or use the QR Code to book an appointment with your counselor. Students will receive a confirmation email with their appointment date and time. This email will serve as your pass to leave class and must be shown to your teacher before leaving.

Parents, please note, all parent meetings with school counselors are held virtually via Microsoft Teams. Please email your student's school counselor to schedule an appointment.

Remember to turn your hours in to Ms. Hemmer in the Guidance Dept. There is also a basket in the front office. The sooner, the better to avoid a data entry bottleneck.
** A MUST READ **

We wanted to remind you that the Bright Futures Scholarship application (FFAA) and Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) opened on October 1st.

If you are considering applying to college, you should complete both of these applications.

Please see the district financial aid website (https://www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/guidance/scholarships/) for links to these applications and other resources. 




TUTORING SCHEDULE 2020

Please join the guidance Schoology page for updates. Use access code 4PTG-F88V-9MK6Q

This school year Creekside students will have the opportunity to reach out to colleges and universities virtually. This means Creekside will not host face-to-face visits on campus. Instead, the link below provides student with admission contact information and virtual tour links to view after the school day.


Virtual information will be updated frequently. However, if you are interested in a college/university, please checkout their websites. More than ever, it is easy to find virtual presentations, tours, and admissions contact information.
Mini Camp College
Given the inability to host programs in person during spring/summer 2020, but holding to our unwavering commitment to demystify the complexities of college admissions and promote access to higher education to first-generation/underrepresented students, the Inclusion, Access, and Success Committee devised a way to deliver this content in a virtual format through a series of five Mini Camp College webinars. These webinars have now concluded. We invite you to share the links below with your students and their families as they navigate their college search and application process.

·        How to Navigate your College Search During Covid-19 (view the session here)
·        Standardized Testing (view the session here)
·        Resumes & Activities Lists (view the session here)
·        How to Apply to College and Write an Effective Essay (view the session here)
·        Financial Aid (view the session here)
A big thanks to all who organized and presented these sessions allowing SACAC to deliver important information during this time.
*The sessions links are also available on the Mini Camp College page on the SACAC website if you simply want to share the page.
LOST AND FOUND


Lost and Found is located in the main building in the copier/mailroom. If your student lost something that may be found, please let them know they can check the lost and found bin any time.
ATHLETICS
Want other Creekside Athletics News? Check out the various Twitter accounts online or the Athletics website: https://www-chs.stjohns.k12.fl.us/athletics/
ATTENDANCE POLICIES
This year, the Absentee Form will be submitted online. Please use the Online Absentee Form link or QR code provided to submit a note when your student in absent. Online absence notes are required to be submitted within 2 days of the student returning back to Creekside in order to be excused.

Please use this LINK for the Online Absence Note:  Online Absentee Form or the QR code for the Online Absence Note utilizing your phone: 
SJCSD INFORMATION