ZHS Weekly Update
February 7, 2021
Zephyrhills High School is the home of the Bulldogs!
Our vision is that all of our students achieve success in college, career, and life.
Our theme for the 2020-2021 school year is Next Level!
February 7, 2021
Principal's Message
February is Black History Month
Each week, we will be highlighting and celebrating the amazing contributions of those whose collective efforts helped change the world and shape history through civil engagement, politics, sports, music, literature, and more as we continue to work to address racial inequality around us.
Spectators/Masks:
We continue to follow the guidelines regarding spectators on campus. All activities are restricted to two spectators for each participating student and staff. We will have rosters at the entrance for check in and ticket purchase. Please talk to your student and family members regarding which two spectators will attend, as we have had some friends and family vying for the same two seats. Masks must be work properly at ALL times on campus by spectators.
COVID-19 and Campus Impact:
We do continue to experience positive COVID cases at ZHS, even with all we are doing to socially distance, clean, and communicate with families during these unprecedented times. Through contact tracing, use of seating charts in classrooms and buses, and use of sign-in sheets, we work with our Bulldog staff and families to help maximize student learning opportunities while we work to minimize the impact of COVID-19, isolation, and quarantine.
Please talk with your student(s) about the importance of properly wearing their masks over their mouth and nose, washing their hands, and following the social distancing guidelines. Masks must be worn on campus at all times--even when outside on campus. Many students are not wearing their masks properly over their mouth and nose. Students are reminded repeatedly, and those who refuse to wear their mask properly may be changed to MSO. Please encourage your student to use hand sanitizer, wash hands often, and help minimize risk by properly wearing his/her mask at all times.
We will continue to navigate the challenges we face this year.
We are resilient. We are committed. We are determined. We are Bulldog STRONG!
--Dr. Christina Stanley
#BulldogPRIDE #BulldogSTRONG
@ZHS_DrStanley on Twitter
This Week at ZHS
Monday, 2/8:
• Valentine’s Spirit Week/Dress Up Day: Tie-gether Day (wear Tie-Dye)
• Teachers sign 21-22 Course Cards
• FSA ELA Writing (Group A/room 209, Group 1/Gym, makeups PM)
• ZHS Virtual Curriculum Fair (6:00 to 7:00 p.m. via Zoom)
• Varsity Baseball away @ Pre-Season Tourney (2/8-2-11)
Tuesday, 2/9:
• Valentine’s Spirit Week/Dress Up Day: Date Night (dress up in your fancy date attire)
• Teachers sign 21-22 Course Cards
• FSA ELA Writing (Group B/room 209, Group 2/Gym, makeups PM)
• Boys Varsity Basketball home for District Playoffs (7 p.m.)
• RBSMS Soccer @ ZHS (6:30 p.m.)
Wednesday, 2/10:
• Valentine’s Spirit Week/Dress Up Day: Show your LOVE for your Sports Team (wear gear from your favorite sports team)
• Teachers sign 21-22 Course Cards
• FSA ELA Writing (MSO Group B/room 209, Group 1 & 2, makeups Gym)
• HOSA club meeting (2:30 p.m., room 220)
• Boys Weightlifting home vs WRHS (no spectators allowed, 5 p.m.)
Thursday, 2/11:
• Valentine’s Spirit Week/Dress Up Day: Couple Up Day (Twin with your favorite person)
• Bus Evacuation Drills (AM)
• PLC meetings during teacher planning periods
• Teachers sign 21-22 Course Cards
• FSA ELA Reading (Group 1/Gym, ESE & Extended Time/209, Group 2 PM/Gym)
• Girls Varsity Basketball away @ Orlando Jones HS (Playoffs)
Friday, 2/12:
• Valentine’s Spirit Week/Dress Up Day: Valentine Spirit (Wear red, white, or pink)
• All Student 21-22 Course Cards DUE
• FSA ELA Reading (ESE/209, Group 1/Gym, Group 2 PM/Gym)
• ZHS Track Meet home vs CCHS/PHS (3-7 p.m.)
Saturday, 2/13: Girls Weightlifting State Final (@ Suwannee HS)
Celebrating Courageous Black Americans Who Changed History
James Armisted Lafayette: A Spy and Double Agent
James Armistead’s life would make a great movie. Under Lafayette, the French general who helped the American colonists fight for their freedom, he infiltrated the British army as a spy near the end of the Revolutionary War. He once reported to Benedict Arnold, the traitorous colonist who betrayed his troops to fight for the British. And he provided crucial intelligence that helped defeat the British and end the war.
Armistead was a slave in Virginia in 1781 when he got permission from his owner, who helped supply the Continental Army, to join the war effort. Lafayette dispatched him as a spy, posing as a runaway slave, and he joined British forces in Virginia who valued his knowledge of the local terrain. Once he’d gained their trust, Armistead moved back and forth between the two armies’ camps, feeding false information to the British while secretly documenting their strategies and relaying them to Lafayette.
His most crucial intel detailed British general Charles Cornwallis’ plans to move thousands of troops from Portsmouth to Yorktown. Armed with this knowledge, Lafayette alerted George Washington, and they set up a blockade around Yorktown which led to Cornwallis’ surrender.
Virginia lawmakers, after lobbying by Lafayette, granted Armistead his freedom in 1787. Armistead married, raised a family and spent the rest of his life as a free man on his own Virginia farm. He added Lafayette to his name as a token of gratitude to the French general.
*Some sources list his birth year as 1760 and his death year as 1832.
—Faith Karimi, CNN
Upcoming Important ZHS Dates
2/8 to 2/12: Teachers Sign Course Cards, FTE Survey Week
2/8 to 3/2: FSA testing (ELA/ALG), WIDA testing
2/8: ZHS Virtual Curriculum Fair (see Zoom link/info below)
2/9: ZHS Comprehensive Needs Assessment surveys
2/11: Bus Evacuation Drills (AM)
2/12: All Student Course Cards due, Track Meet @ ZHS
2/15: President’s Day: No school for students and most staff
2/25: ASVAB
3/2: ACT on campus
3/3: SAC meeting (via Zoom)
ZHS Virtual Curriculum Fair
Would you like to find out more about classes that are available at ZHS next year?
Come to the ZHS Curriculum Fair!
We will be sharing information about Honors & AP Courses, Career & Technical Academies, Athletics, and Clubs.
Date: Monday, February 8th, 2021
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Join our Zoom Meeting via this link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87955992379?pwd=U3ZTZG9lMUNCZVZ0emVITW1Hek51dz09
(This link can also be accessed from the ZHS website.)
Meeting ID: 879 5599 2379
Passcode: 677329
**You MUST login with your actual name and email address in order to be admitted to the meeting.**
Celebrating Courageous Black Americans Who Changed History
Gerald Wilson, a Jazz composer who redefined Big Band Music
Elegant, swinging, exuberant – it’s hard to find one word to describe the lush music of Gerald Wilson, one of the most important bandleaders in the history of jazz. Wilson never got the attention of big band arrangers like Duke Ellington, but he was also a major innovator in jazz music.
A slim, enthusiastic man known for his personal kindness, Wilson practically danced when he directed his orchestra. A lover of many musical styles, he incorporated everything from blues, Basie and Bartok in his arrangements.
While many big-band recordings sound dated today, Wilson’s music still sounds cutting-edge. One critic noted that Wilson’s influence was so wide that “even if you had never heard of him, you were often hearing him.”
Born in Shelby, Mississippi, Wilson learned piano from his mother. He started as a trumpet player, moved to Los Angeles and eventually became a composer-arranger, working with everyone from Ellington and Count Basie to Ray Charles and Ella Fitzgerald. At one point, when his career was thriving, Wilson stepped away from commercial success to study classical masters such as Stravinsky and Bartok.
Wilson is best known for his recordings on the Pacific Jazz label, which redefined big band music. One critic said Wilson’s Pacific Jazz music was full of “gorgeous nuances, and an elegance that hasn’t been equaled since that time.” His arrangements were archived by the Library of Congress and in 1990, the National Endowment for the Arts honored him with a Jazz Masters Award. When he died at 96, one musician said Wilson’s energy always made him seem like he was the youngest person in the room.
—John Blake, CNN
Photo: Tom Copi/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Course Cards and Registration for the 21-22
Teachers will sign off on course cards this week.
Course cards are due Friday, February 12.
If your student does not submit a course card, we will choose their classes.
Please talk with your student about their plan for next year and get that course card turned in.
ZHS Testing schedule for February/March
2/9: ELA FSA Writing (Group B/Room 209, Group 2/Gym, makeups/PM)
2/10: ELA FSA Writing (MSO Group B/Room 209, MSO Group 1/Gym)
2/11: ELA FSA Reading (Group 1/Gym, Unique needs/Room 209, Group 2/Gym PM)
2/12: ELA FSA Reading (Group 1/Gym, Unique needs/Room 209, Group 2/Gym PM)
2/15: No School for Students
2/16: ELA FSA Reading (MSO Session 1: Gym/Room 209, MSO Session 2: Gym/Room 209 PM)
2/17: Algebra FSA (Unique needs/Room 209, Group 3/Gym, Group 4/Gym PM)
2/18: Algebra FSA (Unique needs/Room 209, Group 3/Gym, Group 3/Gym PM)
2/19: Algebra FSA Makeups (General/Gym, MSO/Room 209)
2/22: WIDA (Room 209), ELA FSA Writing makeups (Gym)
2/23: WIDA (Room 209), ELA FSA Reading makeups (Gym)
2/24: WIDA (Room 209), Algebra FSA makeups (Gym)
2/25: ASVAB, WIDA (Room 209), ELA FSA Writing makeups (Gym)
2/26: WIDA (MSO/Room 209), ELA FSA Reading makeups (Gym)
3/1: WIDA makeups, Algebra FSA makeups
3/2: ACT (Gym), WIDA makeups
3/3: WIDA makeups, ELA FSA Reading makeups
3/4: WIDA makeups, Algebra FSA makeups
3/5: WIDA makeups
Celebrating Courageous Black Americans Who Changed History
Garrett Morgan, Inventor
The son of two former slaves, Garrett Morgan had little more than a grade-school education. But that didn’t stop the Ohio man from becoming an inventor with a rare gift for designing machines that saved people’s lives – including an early version of the traffic light.
As a teenager Morgan got a job repairing sewing machines, which led him to his first invention – a revamped sewing machine – and his first entrepreneurial venture: his own repair business. Soon he was inventing other products, including a hair-straightener for African Americans. In 1916, he patented a “safety hood,” a personal breathing device that protected miners and firefighters from smoke and harmful gases. It became the precursor of the gas masks used by soldiers during WWI. To avoid racist resistance to his product, Morgan hired a white actor to pose as the inventor while he wore the hood during presentations to potential buyers.
Later, after witnessing a car and buggy crash, Morgan was inspired to create a traffic light that had three signals: “stop,” “go,” and “stop in all directions,” to allow pedestrians to safely cross the street. It also had a warning light – now today’s yellow light – to warn drivers they would soon have to stop. His traffic light was patented in 1923 and Morgan eventually sold its design for $40,000 to General Electric. His legacy can be seen today at intersections across the country and the world.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN
https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2021/02/us/little-known-black-history-figures/profile-garrett-morgan.html
Your ZHS Girls' Varsity Basketball Team is District Runners Up!
Congratulations to our Girls' Varsity Basketball team on their outstanding season. Their journey continues this Thursday at Orlando Jones HS! We are so proud of you!
Seniors (and Senior Class Parents)!
If so, you are IN LUCK!
Mr. Fernandez, Mrs. Simons, Mrs. Yonkof, Mrs. Moore, Mrs. Pardo, and Mr. McLay will be putting the presentation and all the information up on the ZHS website under the students tab (Seniors C/O 2121 dropdown).
If you need anything related to this night, please reach out to Mrs. Simons (asimons@pasco.k12.fl.us) or Mrs. Pardo (kpardo@pasco.k12.fl.us) and they will get you the information.
Welcome to our newest Bulldogs staff members!
We are pleased to welcome:
Ms. Lamberti, Spanish Teacher
Ms. Hall, Paraprofessional
Construction update
Do you want your student to get lunch time tutoring help?
Peer Tutors are available every day at Lunch!
Fill out your ticket today!
Peer Tutors are available every day at Lunch!
MSO student reminder
Remember that MSO students must follow the daily ZHS bell schedule with their teachers via Zoom and actively participate in classes in order to be marked present.
Your coursework is available on Canvas (MyLearning).
If you have any difficulty logging in, it is the expectation that you contact your teacher and/or your grade level team for assistance. If you do not, you will be marked absent.
If you attend a doctor or dentist appointment and miss class, please contact Ms. Kerr in Student Services (bkerr@pasco.k12.fl.us) to submit your note to have your absence excused.
Be active and involved in your education, Bulldogs! #BulldogStrong
Book Tasting in Mr. Santiago's class
Zora Neal Hurston
George Orwell
Chinua Achebe
Ray Bradbury
Mary Shelley
Mr. Santiago's Class
ZHS School Advisory Council (SAC)
What is a School Advisory Council?
- The school Advisory Council is the means for community and parent involvement in and support of the schools.
How can I become a SAC member?
- Elected members of the School Advisory Council include teachers, educational support personnel, parents, and secondary students.
Any parent, community business member, teacher, or student interested in serving on our SAC committee for the 2020-2021 school year should contact Mrs. McCafferty at (813) 794-6102.
This is a great way to get involved and stay connected to your Bulldog family.
To complete a yearly volunteer application, please visit: http://www.pasco.k12.fl.us/comm/volunteer/
SAC Meetings are held on the 1st Wednesday of each month at 7:45 a.m. via ZOOM.
Scheduled dates for the 2020 – 2021 SAC meetings:
- March 3
- April 7
- May 5
COVID-19 reminder
Please support our efforts to keep everyone healthy.
*The best way to prevent illness is by limiting exposure to the virus.
*Practice social distancing as much as possible when feasible.
*Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
*If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
*Routinely clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces.
*Properly wear a mask or face covering over your mouth AND nose when around others.
Bulldog families, we are really struggling with students not wearing their masks properly over their mouth AND nose. We remind students multiple times each day. If students continue to need multiple reminders, we will consider switching them to MSO.
Please reinforce the message with your student(s) and family about how we can all help limit the spread of this virus by consistently and properly wearing masks/face coverings, washing our hands, and practicing social distancing.
Front Bus Loop
The front bus loop is closed to through traffic in the morning from 6:50 a.m. to 7:25 a.m. and in the afternoon from 1:40 p.m. to 2:20 p.m.
The buses must be able to pull through and drop off/pick up their students.
Parents/guardians, please DO NOT use the front bus loop for any type of student drop off or pick up during these times.
Please use the student parking lot or the gym parking lot to drop off or pick up your student during these times.
DO NOT pass the buses and drive through the loop. It is unsafe for all when this occurs.
PERT information--
**We are offering the PERT test after school at certain times this semester.**
1. Seniors:
If you need the Algebra 1 EOC to get the concordant score to meet the graduation requirement, you can sign up for the PERT math test using the PERT Sign Up Form on the ZHS website under the Students tab.
2. Dual Enrollment Students:
You can sign up for one or more sessions using the PERT Sign Up Form on the ZHS website under the Students tab. Dual Enrollment students must pass the PERT test for admission into PHSC for Dual Enrollment classes for the Spring Semester.
Any questions?? Please contact Mrs. Yonkof at jingerso@pasco.k12.fl.us.
ZHS 20-21 Outstanding Senior
She is the ZHS Outstanding Senior for 20-21.
We are so PROUD of you!
#BulldogStrong #BulldogPRIDE
Yearbooks are $70
You can purchase one through the ZHS website (click Students, then click Yearbook) or visit yearbookforever.com to make your purchase.
We only have 200 left for purchase! Reserve yours today!
Seniors! Buy ANY size Yearbook dedication page and get a FREE Yearbook!
FULL PAGE Dedication/AD-- $250
· 1 FULL PAGE WITH COLOR
· INCLUDES FREE YEARBOOK WITH PURCHASE
· MAX NUMBER OF PHOTOS TO BE USED IS 24
HALF PAGE Dedication/AD-- $175
· HALF PAGE AD WITH COLOR
· INCLUDES FREE YEARBOOK WITH PURCHASE
· MAX NUMBER OF PHOTOS TO BE USED IS 12
QUARTER PAGE Dedication/AD--$125
· QUARTER PAGE AD WITH COLOR
· INCLUDES FREE YEARBOOK WITH PURCHASE
· MAX NUMBER OF PHOTOS TO BE USED IS 6
Check out the ZHS website, click Students, then click Seniors - C/0 2021 for more info.
Email Mr. Fernandez at tfernand@pasco.k12.fl.us if you have any questions.
Congratulations to Mrs. Katie Dorkowski!
Free Meals for All Students!
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently released a waiver and new guidance, and we can now feed ALL students and children in the community 18 years and under for free. This USDA waiver is through December 31, or as long as funding lasts.
- ALL students and children in the community 18 years and under (Including Pasco e-School students) will be provided the opportunity to receive free meals:
- Students who are attending brick and mortar will receive free meals from the cafeteria regardless of their current status. Students will still need to provide their student ID number at the point of sale. Each student is eligible for one free breakfast and lunch daily. Any items selected outside of the offered meal(s) will be charged a la carte pricing.
- We encourage families to continue to fill out Free and Reduced Meal Applications if their financial situation changes because when this waiver ends the status (free, reduced, paid ) will resume. In addition, there are other benefits that students receive from their status.
- We will serve a week’s worth of meals (breakfast and lunch) curbside to mySchool online students, quarantined students, and children in the community 18 years and under (includes Pasco e-School students). This will be at all school sites per state guidance and we will keep the same times already established for curbside feeding. After this point, curbside meal distribution will be once a week on Fridays.
- Any child 18 years and under in the community can be provided a meal. Children do not have to be present, but a student Name / ID or Name /Home Address will be required to be provided curbside meals. Curbside feeding is not intended for students attending brick and mortar (since they have access to free meals in the cafeteria) unless they are quarantined.
- We encourage families intending to participate curbside to complete the Meal Reservation Form so we can be best prepared for curbside participation. They can pick up meals for all of their children from the site most convenient for them. They no longer have to go to their child’s enrolled site.
- The Free and Reduced Meal Application for the 2020-2021 school year is available online at https://www.myschoolapps.com/Application.
PACE
This is a unique program that provides FREE weekly counseling that is strengths-based and gender responsive to girls under the age of 18 who attend Zephyrhills High School (ZHS) and for girls who have opted for MySchoolOnline (MSO). The Pace Reach therapist meets with girls once a week for face to face sessions at ZHS typically during a girl's elective class period and/or virtually.
For questions regarding enrollment or to schedule an assessment, please call or email our ZHS PACE Reach therapist Brittany Fecht at 813.285.2793 or Brittany.Fecht@pacecenter.org.
Opt-In to Text Messages
Dress for Success and Show your School Spirit!
On Fridays at ZHS, all students and staff are encouraged to wear Bulldog gear or Bulldog colors (Orange and Black). Show your school spirit!
Need help with your Senior? Contact a member of the 12th grade team!
School Counselor: Julie Moore (jscarcli@pasco.k12.fl.us)
Graduation Coach: Kim Pardo (kpardo@pasco.k12.fl.us)
Instructional Assistant/Student Discipline: Jennifer Capriglione (jcaprigl@pasco.k12.fl.us)
Student Services/Attendance Support: Brittany Kerr (bkerr@pasco.k12.fl.us)
College and Career Specialist: April Simons (asimons@pasco.k12.fl.us)
Dropout Prevention Specialist: Lizette Ramos (lsabater@pasco.k12.fl.us)
Need to talk to a member of the 11th grade team? Contact info below.
School Counselor: Shay Jackson (ldjackso@pasco.k12.fl.us)
Graduation Coach: Bryan Thomas (bthomas@pasco.k12.fl.us)
Instructional Assistant/Student Discipline: Jennifer Capriglione (jcaprigl@pasco.k12.fl.us)
Student Services/Attendance Support: Brittany Kerr (bkerr@pasco.k12.fl.us)
College and Career Specialist: April Simons (asimons@pasco.k12.fl.us)
Dropout Prevention Specialist: Lizette Ramos (lsabater@pasco.k12.fl.us)
Reach out to your 10th grade team! We are here for you!
School Counselor: John Metzger (jmetzger@pasco.k12.fl.us)
Graduation Coach: Chris Barrick (cbarrick@pasco.k12.fl.us)
Instructional Assistant/Student Discipline: Ashley Thompson (aathomps@pasco.k12.fl.us)
Student Services/Attendance Support: Myrtle Blevins (mblevins@pasco.k12.fl.us)
College and Career Specialist: April Simons (asimons@pasco.k12.fl.us)
Dropout Prevention Specialist: Lizette Ramos (lsabater@pasco.k12.fl.us)
Get to know your 9th grade team!
School Counselor: Kristen Gillies (kgillies@pasco.k12.fl.us)
Graduation Coach: Troy Hochstetler (thochste@pasco.k12.fl.us)
Instructional Assistant/Student Discipline: Ashley Thompson (aathomps@pasco.k12.fl.us)
Student Services/Attendance Support: Myrtle Blevins (mblevins@pasco.k12.fl.us)
College and Career Specialist: April Simons (asimons@pasco.k12.fl.us)
Dropout Prevention Specialist: Lizette Ramos (lsabater@pasco.k12.fl.us)
Directional and One-Way Hallways
Go With the Flow and Follow the Signs!
- The flow of traffic in the hallways is going to be directional/one way. Please follow the signs at all times.
- It is important that you plan your route before you walk.
- We know that construction impacts moving around campus and will work with teachers to ensure students have enough time.
- Check out the directional map below to determine how you be able to access your classes.
- The stairwells in Bldg. 26 and B Bldg. (Bldg. 25) are directional/one way as well.
Social distancing will be expected at all times.
Students and staff are expected to follow the signage on all doors and in all hallways.
Masks Required
*Accommodations will be made for students or staff who have a medical condition that would prevent them from wearing a mask/face covering. Please contact your student's grade level administrator for more information.
Arrival to School in the Morning
- Buses will drop off in the front bus loop off of 12th Street. This loop is CLOSED to all car traffic from 6:45 to 7:25 a.m.
- Student drop off is in the Gym parking lot off of Henry Street. Please pull all the way forward to drop off your student in front of the doors leading to the gym lobby.
- Upon arrival from a car or bus, students must head directly to get their breakfast from the nearest mobile cart or cafeteria line and then to their 1st period class to eat.
- Students who do not eat breakfast at school will be expected to go directly to their 1st period class as soon as they arrive on campus.
- There will be no gathering in the commons, hallways, courtyard, or inside and outside of the cafeteria.
Seating Charts and Sign in Sheets
When in another classroom not on their schedule, students will need to sign in and take a seat as directed by the teacher.
If you have any questions about this, please reach out to your grade level administrator.
Classroom Expectations
- Each student and staff member will help keep ZHS as clean as possible. Inside the classrooms, teachers will have a procedure for the beginning and end of class, as well as a cleaning station with materials.
- Students will have assigned seats in each classroom and are expected to sit in their assigned seat every day.
- Students and teachers will utilize a sign in sheet when inside a classroom or area that is not covered by a seating chart.
- Mask breaks will be permitted by teachers and will be reviewed in class during the first week of school.
Cafeteria and Lunch Expectations
Serving lines:
- Multiple carts and lines will be available for student use.
- Q-tips will be provided so students do not need to touch the keypad to input their number.
- Social distancing guidelines will be followed.
- Students will be eat inside the cafeteria and in the commons. Some teachers will allow students to eat in their classrooms (utilizing the sign in sheet) and will assign seating.
- Seats will be marked in the cafeteria to encourage proper distance. Students should only sit in seats not marked with an 'X'. If students choose to eat in the commons, it is expected that they are seated while eating and maintain 6ft of social distancing.
- All students will be required to be seated if eating. No one is permitted to be standing up or walking when eating their food or snacks. When students are moving, walking, or standing anywhere, students must have their masks on.
Want more information on the reopening Pasco County Schools?
Click here for the Pasco County Schools NOW Website:
Contact info
Email: cstanley@pasco.k12.fl.us
Website: zhs.pasco.k12.fl.us
Location: 6335 12th Street, Zephyrhills, FL, USA
Phone: 8137946100
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pascoschools
Twitter: @ZHSBulldogs