ZHS Weekly Update
February 14, 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 14, 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.
Outside Food/Food Deliveries:
Students are not allowed to have outside restaurant food on campus or to have food delivered to campus. We jeopardize losing our status as a Free/Reduced Breakfast and Lunch school if we have unauthorized competition with the cafeteria. We are a closed campus for lunch and during the school day. Students may not leave campus and get food. If you have any questions about these requirements, please contact me at cstanley@pasco.k12.fl.us.
Spectators/Masks:
We continue to follow the most recent guidelines (as of 2/12/21) regarding spectators on campus.
- All activities are now restricted to four spectators for each participating student (up to 50% capacity of the venue).
- We will have rosters at the entrance for check in and ticket purchase. Please talk to your student and family members regarding which four spectators will attend, as we have had some friends and family vying for the same seats.
At outdoor events, spectators and audience members are required to properly wear masks/face coverings (over the mouth AND nose) while entering and leaving the venue, as well as when leaving their seats to visit the concession stand or restroom. Masks are not required to be worn while spectators are seated outside at the event.
At outdoor events, spectators:
- should not enter an event if they are feeling ill, have been in close contact with someone with COVID-19, or cannot pass the self-screening questions.
- must be restricted from direct competition areas and from visiting with student athletes and performers and personnel before, during, and after events.
- should not congregate in walkways, hallways, common traffic areas, or gymnasiums.
- must practice physical distancing with those outside of their direct families and sit in family groups at events.
At indoor events, spectators and audience members are required to properly wear masks/face coverings properly at ALL times (over the mouth AND nose).
At indoor events, spectators:
- should not enter an event if they are feeling ill, have been in close contact with someone with COVID-19, or cannot pass the self-screening questions.
- must be restricted from direct competition areas and from visiting with student athletes and performers and personnel before, during, and after events.
- should not congregate in walkways, hallways, common traffic areas, or gymnasiums.
- must practice physical distancing with those outside of their direct families and sit in family groups at events.
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, 2/15:
• President’s Day Holiday: No School for students and teachers. Campus closed.
Tuesday, 2/16:
• FSA ELA MSO Reading (Group B/room 209, other Group/Gym, Session 2 for all/PM)
• Faculty Meeting (2:20 p.m. via Zoom)
• Boys Varsity Tennis away @ GHS, Girls Varsity Tennis home vs GHS (4 p.m.)
• Varsity Baseball home vs Kathleen HS (7 p.m.)
Wednesday, 2/17:
• FSA ALG 1 (Group C/Room 209 AM, Group 3/Gym AM, Group 4/Gym PM)
• PERT test after school in room 209
• HOSA club meeting (2:30 p.m., room 220)
• Boys Weightlifting home vs WCHS (no spectators allowed, 5 p.m.)
Thursday, 2/18:
• FSA ALG 1 (Group C/Room 209 AM, Group 3/Gym AM, Session 2 for all/PM)
• PLC meetings during teacher planning periods
• Boys Varsity Tennis home vs AHS (4 p.m.)
• Girls Varsity Tennis away @ AHS
• JV/Varsity Softball home vs PHS (7 p.m.)
• Varsity Baseball away @ Tenoroc (Lakeland)
Friday, 2/19:
• FSA ALG 1 makeups (Gym and 209/MSO, Session 2/PM)
• Varsity Softball home vs CCHS (7 p.m.)
• Varsity Baseball away @ All Saints (Winter Haven)
Saturday, 2/20: ZHS Track Meet away @ TBA
Celebrating Courageous Black Americans Who Changed History
Charles Richard Drew: The Father of the Blood Bank
Anyone who has ever had a blood transfusion owes a debt to Charles Richard Drew, whose immense contributions to the medical field made him one of the most important scientists of the 20th century.
Drew helped develop America’s first large-scale blood banking program in the 1940s, earning him accolades as “the father of the blood bank.”
Drew won a sports scholarship for football and track and field at Amherst College, where a biology professor piqued his interest in medicine. At the time, racial segregation limited the options for medical training for African Americans, leading Drew to attend med school at McGill University in Montréal.
He then became the first Black student to earn a medical doctorate from Columbia University, where his interest in the science of blood transfusions led to groundbreaking work separating plasma from blood. This made it possible to store blood for a week – a huge breakthrough for doctors treating wounded soldiers in World War II.
In 1940, Drew led an effort to transport desperately needed blood and plasma to Great Britain, then under attack by Germany. The program saved countless lives and became a model for a Red Cross pilot program to mass-produce dried plasma.
Ironically, the Red Cross at first excluded Black people from donating blood, making Drew ineligible to participate. That policy was later changed, but the Red Cross segregated blood donations by race, which Drew criticized as “unscientific and insulting.”
Drew also pioneered the bloodmobile — a refrigerated truck that collected, stored and transported blood donations to where they were needed.
After the war he taught medicine at Howard University and its hospital, where he fought to break down racial barriers for Black physicians.
—Sydney Walton, CNN
Upcoming Important ZHS Dates
2/16 to 3/5: FSA testing (ELA/ALG), WIDA testing
2/16: ZHS Comprehensive Needs Assessment surveys
2/25: ASVAB, Virtual all-District College and Career Fair
3/2: ACT and PERT given on campus
3/3: SAC meeting (via Zoom), Early Release Day
3/15 to 3/19: Spring Break
3/22: Teacher Planning Day
Virtual all-District College and Career Fair
College & Career Fair
Thursday, Feb. 25th
5:00-8:00pm
On February 25, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Pasco County Schools will host a virtual College and Career Fair. The purpose of this event is to ensure helpful information is shared with families across the district as they plan for college entrance and/or careers after high school.
Representatives from state and local colleges and universities, members of the U.S. Armed Forces, and community workforce partners will be in attendance at this virtual event. For more information visit https://tinyurl.com/PCS-CCF-2021.
Registered attendees can sign up for presentations on the following topics:
· College Application Process
· Financial Aid & Scholarship Information
· Florida Bright Futures Program
· Collegiate Athletics
· Career Exploration Resources
· Options After High School
· Resources for Students with Disabilities
· ACT/SAT Test Information
Registration is now open!
https://www.pasco.k12.fl.us/oll/page/college-and-career-fair
Countdown to Graduation!
There are only 65 school days left in the 20-21 school year.
Please ensure you are checking your student's grades, attendance, and progress on graduation requirements.
Please reach out to your student's grade level team for assistance. We are here for you!
Celebrating Courageous Black Americans Who Changed History
Constance Baker Motley: the first Black woman to argue before the Supreme Court
Constance Baker Motley graduated from her Connecticut high school with honors, but her parents, immigrants from the Caribbean, couldn’t afford to pay for college. So Motley, a youth activist who spoke at community events, made her own good fortune.
A philanthropist heard one of her speeches and was so impressed he paid for her to attend NYU and Columbia Law School. And a brilliant legal career was born.
Motley became the lead trial attorney for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and began arguing desegregation and fair housing cases across the country. The person at the NAACP who hired her? Future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall.
Motley wrote the legal brief for the landmark Brown vs. Board of Education case, which struck down racial segregation in American public schools. Soon she herself was arguing before the Supreme Court – the first Black woman to do so.
Over the years she successfully represented Martin Luther King Jr., Freedom Riders, lunch-counter protesters and the Birmingham Children Marchers. She won nine of the 10 cases that she argued before the high court.
Motley maintained her composure even as some judges turned their backs when she spoke.
“I rejected any notion that my race or sex would bar my success in life,” Motley wrote in her memoir, “Equal Justice Under Law.”
After leaving the NAACP, Motley continued her trailblazing path, becoming the first Black woman to serve in the New York state Senate and later the first Black woman federal judge. Vice President Kamala Harris, a former prosecutor, has cited her as an inspiration.
—Nicole Chavez, CNN
Course Cards for the 21-22 School Year are now due!
Teachers signed on course cards.
Course cards were due Friday, February 12.
If your student did not submit a course card, please talk with your student about their plan for next year and get that course card turned in as soon as possible.
We will select classes for students who do not submit a course card.
ZHS Testing schedule for February/March
2/15: No School/Campus closed.
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
Max Robinson: the first Black anchor of a network newscast
A trailblazer in broadcasting and journalism, Max Robinson in 1978 became the first Black person to anchor the nightly network news. But his road to the anchor’s chair wasn’t easy.
Robinson got his start in 1959 when he was hired to read the news at a station in Portsmouth, Virginia. His face was hidden behind a graphic that read, “NEWS.” One day he told the cameraman to remove the slide. “I thought it would be good for all my folks and friends to see me rather than this dumb news sign up there,” Robinson once told an interviewer. He was fired the next day.
Robinson’s profile began to rise after he moved to Washington, where he worked as a TV reporter and later co-anchored the evening news at the city’s most popular station – the first Black anchor in a major US city.
He drew raves for his smooth delivery and rapport with the camera. ABC News noticed, moved him to Chicago and named him one of three co-anchors on “World News Tonight,” which also featured Frank Reynolds in Washington and Peter Jennings in London.
Later in his career, Robinson became increasingly outspoken about racism and the portrayal of African Americans in the media. He also sought to mentor young Black broadcasters and was one of the 44 founders of the National Association of Black Journalists.
—Amir Vera, CNN
Welcome to our newest Bulldogs staff members!
We are pleased to welcome:
Ms. Frazer, PE/HOPE Teacher
Mr. Mitchell, Science Teacher
ZHS JROTC 2/11/21
ZHS JROTC 2 /11/21
ZHS JROTC 2/11/21
Thank you!
Thank you to Publix for donating a cake, chocolates, and flowers to our Celebration Committee so they could be shared with staff!
Thank you to Mr. William Poe and the Zephyrhills City Leadership for supporting our JROTC cadets and Project Patriotism!
Yearbooks are $70---until Spring Break!
You can purchase one through the ZHS website (click Students, then click Yearbook) or visit yearbookforever.com to make your purchase.
We only have 150 left for purchase! Reserve yours today!
Your ZHS Girls' Varsity Basketball Team is District Runners Up!
Congratulations to our Girls' Varsity Basketball team on their outstanding season. Their journey ended this past week at Orlando Jones HS! We are so proud of you for a great season!
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.
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
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/Face Coverings 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 upon request 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