EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was published in Sand Castles, July 25, 2024.
It is the “back to school” time of year, and we are all looking forward to meeting new faces and welcoming our returning students back! Our school principals and maintenance staff have been working through the summer painting, replacing equipment and preparing our buildings for school to open on Aug. 12.
If you have a child that will be joining us as a new student, please be sure to register them as soon as possible; go to stjohns.k12.fl.us/student/enrollment. We work hard to ensure that our staffing levels are complete and that our faculty is ready to welcome students on the first day of school. With the opening of Lakeside Academy, both Ocean Palms Elementary and Alice B. Landrum will have a smaller student body and the relocatables will be removed.
Contractors, staff and faculty at Lakeside Academy and Trout Creek Academy, our newest K-8 academy, are working nonstop to ensure each school is ready to provide a warm and welcoming learning environment for our students. It is always fun to see the enthusiasm and energy on the first day at each of our schools!
At the end of the previous school year, we announced that Principal Gina Fonseca would be the new principal at Allen D. Nease High School. Principal Fonseca replaced retiring Principal Lisa Kunze. The Nease administrative team has been together over the summer, evaluating student data, scheduling new students and preparing for a great start to the school year!
Principal Jill Hillier finished a terrific year at PVPV Rawlings Elementary, succeeding Dr. Jesse Gates, who was selected to lead Lakeside Academy. PVPV Rawlings continues to thrive under her leadership.
We are also excited to welcome Principal Troy Kestings to Alice B. Landrum Middle School. He follows Principal Guy Harris, who has been selected as director of student services.
Principal Kasting is an experienced educator with multiple leadership roles in our school district. He has served as an administrator at Pedro Menedez and Creekside high schools and as a school services coordinator at our school district office. Before his administration experience, he was a gifted education teacher, an Advanced Placement teacher and exam reader. Principal Kestings was also a Fulbright Scholar in China.
Over the summer, we received the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking, B.E.S.T. Science, state End of Course Exams and STAR statewide results. Once again, we were first in 16 of the 21 testing categories. While each year additional items go into overall grading and ranking, these results are a testament to the hard work of our students, teachers, staff, families and volunteers.
While we are always encouraged by these results, we never want to rest on our laurels. Our teachers and leaders will dig into this data, as we work to individualize and elevate each student’s education. Our goal is to help all students achieve their full potential.
