Shorecrest Middle School Performing Arts will soon be holding auditions for a fall musical production of "The Wizard of Oz." Students in sixth, seventh and eighth grades are eligible to audition on August 20-22.

Shorecrest Alumni excel in collegiate sailing and we caught up with one of them, Nic Baird '15, to learn more about his recipe for success.

When Lisa Peck, Upper School science faculty at Shorecrest Preparatory School (FL), had abdominal surgery a few years ago, she didn’t know it would transform what and how she taught.

The Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association lists five area sailors on its list of honorees.

Registration for summer programs is now open! Summer at Shorecrest offers camps, programs, and classes for students age 4-years-old through high school; there are even offerings for parents this summer! Visit www.shorecrest.org/summer for full descriptions, schedules and registration.

You did it! A minimum of 350 trips from your home to school and back. Somewhere in excess of 100 books read, problems solved and lunches packed. Attendance at project shares, class plays, athletic events, performances and, of course, “Cinderella.”

Kindergarten Spring Orientation is for Parents of 2019-2020 Shorecrest Kindergarten Students - those rising from JK and for incoming new families. Enjoy a sneak peek of the Kindergarten program at Shorecrest to help you make a smooth transition next school year!

You did it! A minimum of 350 trips from your home to school and back. Somewhere in excess of 100 books read, problems solved and lunches packed. Attendance at project shares, class plays, athletic events, performances and, of course, “Cinderella.”

SCA knows you're busy... We'll get your back-to-school supply shopping done for you (binders, folders, dry erase markers, index cards, etc...) Purchase online before summer to clear it off your list and get the best prices! Prices will go up as the summer progresses, and sales close August 2. School supplies purchased through SCA will be ready and waiting in your child's classroom right before school starts next year, saving you time and money. Click through to buy online.

Summer events for ES families.

Important announcements, updates and reminders for Lower School Families

Announcements, updates and reminders for Middle School Families

Announcements and Reminders for Upper School families and students.

Seventy-two seniors, their families and friends gathered in the Janet Root Theatre for Baccalaureate on Saturday, May 18, 2019. Eight students spoke, reflecting on their Shorecrest experiences.

On Monday, May 20, the Middle School student body, faculty and many visiting friends gathered in the Janet Root Theatre for the 2019 Middle School Awards Assembly. Awards were given in a variety of categories including: Academic Honors, Arts, Thespians, Invention Convention, World Languages, History Fair, Geography Bee, and Duke TIP SAT/ACT scores.

On Sunday, May 19, 2019, Shorecrest Preparatory School held its Commencement Ceremony for the 72-member Class of 2019.

The Shorecrest Preparatory School Board of Trustees has appointed Nancy L. Spencer as its Head of School effective July 1, 2020. Spencer will serve as the school’s 7th Head since the school was founded in 1923.

Along with helping children and families at Ronald McDonald House, the kids have been able to tap into their cooking talents and provide lunches that have ranged from Greek, Chinese, French to homemade soups. The club members have collectively earned over 200 community service hours for their tasty efforts!

Congratulations to our incoming 2019-2020 SCA Board!

How to return rented books or sell books back online.

Last week, JK students and their visitors enjoyed a morning of under the sea fun! The day of activities culminated their studies of water, the habitats it creates and the plants/animals that live in those habitats.

As if a stupendous graduation were not enough, Will Hess '19 and Thomas McMullen '19 both were honored by the St. Petersburg Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution last weekend

Shorecrest Kindergarteners took audiences through "A Day in Kindergarten," a musical and educational production. They performed about what they do, how they learn, and they sang through the schedule of a whole school day! Come along with them to writing, Spanish, P.E., lunch, music and so much more.

On Sunday I will have the opportunity to fulfill one of the greatest responsibilities and honors a Headmaster enjoys. I will present the Class of 2019, and join our Board Chair, Dennis Leary, in the presentation of a Shorecrest diploma to each of our 72 seniors. While the focus of Baccalaureate and Commencement is on the students and their families, the achievements that we celebrate are a source of pride and joy for our full community. Being a part of the annual Baccalaureate and Commencement ceremonies is a reminder that we have a bright future ahead. Year after year, the senior class steps up - and as individuals and as a group they leave a legacy and raise the bar of achievement for future generations to meet and exceed.

Shorecrest students had the great opportunity to explore and experience the da Vinci mobile system, part of Intuitive Surgical’s Intelligent Surgery Platform with hands-on robotic sessions and instruction by surgeons on May 10 and 11 in Charger Commons. The program is a partnership between Shorecrest’s Center for Medical Sciences and Intuitive Surgical, makers of the da Vinci System and supports the school’s STEAM curricula and innovation-focused mission.

Throughout the second semester of the 2018-19 school year, sixth graders spent time reading and researching Hispanic, African, Indian and Chinese folktales and fairytales. They ended last year in fifth grade with a folktale and fairytale unit, acted on stage for families and friends, and now looped back to the topic to write a unique folktale in the manner of a certain culture, and present it for an audience using handmade rod puppets. The final Puppet Showcase combined art, English, Social Studies and Science classes.

Each year, eighth graders are challenged to find something they are passionate about, a talent they want to develop, or something to take on as an independent project. These are known as the Eighth Grade Capstone Projects. This year, students were tasked with making a community connection as part of their project. These semester-long projects were revealed on campus in a showcase on May 2.

Fifth graders rounded out the school year with their final project using MinecraftEdu to create a colony on Mars. For the fourth year, the teachers and students collaborated on this cross-curricular SMath-ographE (Science + Math + Geography + English) project. Students were broken into small groups to represent scientists in charge of air quality, water, food production, transportation, communication, energy resources, housing and medicine. Each group was tasked with designing a pod for their sector that could withstand Mars’ environment. The main event: building a 3D colony on Mars in MinecraftEdu!

Reagan Quilty ‘19 was accepted to the Naval Academy Preparatory School in advance of her appointment to the United States Naval Academy. U.S. Naval Academy representative and Shorecrest alumni parent Steve Coppins recognized Reagan during a recent Upper School assembly. The Naval Academy is a family affair - with Reagan’s parents, Christopher and Karen, and brother Zachary all having attended the prestigious service academy.

On Wednesday, May 8, a group of seventh grade students spent their afternoon interacting with the senior residents of the Sunshine Center in what was the culminating activity of a month-long study of disease and illness focused on prevention or awareness.

Students in Mr. Heller's Honors History class were asked to select an inventor and an invention from the 19^th or 20^th Centuries and recreate the invention utilizing a 3D printer. Each student answered the question: "In what way has the invention been improved upon today?" This was supplemented with a research paper in which they looked at the obstacles that each inventor faced and the successes that were ultimately achieved.

Junior Kindergarten were able to observe one of the sea animals they have been studying - a real octopus specimen! They were amazed to notice all the suction cups on the octopus and could find and identify all the body parts, including the beak and siphon.

Students in junior kindergarten started using paint pallets to mix and create their own colors. Some worked individually, while others created “friendship” paintings.

This summer a SCA volunteer calendar will be sent home to all families listing event dates and opportunities. Please contact Samantha Nevins at volunteer@shorecrest.org for help in finding the right volunteer position for your interests, talents and schedule.

Our Chargers excel in professional achievements, provide leadership and mentorship to others and develop exceptional qualities and talents. This alumni spotlight shines a light on one Shorecrest alumni who has two careers - a successful start-up he founded and a passion and talent that has sent him on an exciting journey.

The Shorecrest Community Association hosted an appreciation breakfast to thank all school volunteers for what they did to make the 2018-2019 school year so special. Grandparent Council Chair Donna Gaffney introduced the day’s guest speaker, International and New York Times Bestselling author and Shorecrest parent Ashley Rhodes-Courter and her topic "The importance of volunteerism and giving back." The incoming SCA Board for the 2019-2020 school year was voted on and announced. The volunteer breakfast is also when the annual recipient of the Janet Root Volunteer Service Award is announced each year. Last year’s winner, Corrie Stover ‘90, was there to present the 2018-19 award. Congratulations Anne Dowling and Heather O’Neill as this year’s Janet Root Volunteers of the Year! 

Tim and Zach Z. competed in the Florida History Day Fair in Tallahassee earlier this week. Tim and Zach were recognized as this year’s recipients of the Florida Hispanic Heritage Award, sponsored annually by the National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, Fort San Luis Chapter. Tim and Zach’s junior group exhibit was titled “Baldomero Lopez: Bravery in Battle - The Ultimate Sacrifice.”

On Thursday, the seventh grade students performed choral versions of songs from an important time period in the evolution of rock and pop music. During this quarter, they have been learning about song structure and are currently working on writing their own song; lyrics and music! Through this experience, they are also learning that a good song is a good song, no matter when it was written.

Shorecrest is saying farewell to two long-standing faculty members at the end of the 2018-19 school year. Señora Teresa Andrés, Upper School Spanish Teacher, has been at Shorecrest since the fall of 1980. Emerson “Doc” Littlefield, Upper School English Teacher, began his Shorecrest tenure in 1984. Both educators are known for building a deep rapport with students, and having a knack for keeping lessons relevant. Their presence on campus will be deeply missed.

Congratulations to the "Cinderella" Cast & Creative Team for being named the 2019 Broadway Star of the Future Outstanding Musical. Broadway Star of the Future Awards are Regional awards affiliated with the National High School Musical Theater Awards (NHSMTA) or the Jimmy™ Awards. The Jimmy™ Award for Best Performance by an Actress and Best Performance by an Actor is awarded annually to two grand prize winners selected from a group of student performers representing participating professional theatres nationwide.

The gap between the end of May and mid-August causes many students to fall back in the skill development from the previous school year. Without regular practice and review of new skills, we cannot expect students to make the steady gains we desire for them. This is true in academics, athletics and the arts. Students who engage in both practice and enrichment have an advantage.

In May, three seniors celebrated their collegiate athletic commitments. Renice Dacres ‘19, State Champion in the Triple Jump, will be playing basketball for Barry University in Miami, FL. Karlie Kongsiri ‘19, the Class of 2019 Salutatorian, will sail for the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA, and RJ Ayers ‘19, Captain of the Shorecrest football team and State Runner-Up in the Shot Put, will play football at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH. These 3 students join the 5 previously announced in continuing their athletic careers at the next level.

After a long, successful season the Varsity Track and Field Chargers ended with some great performances at the State meet in Jacksonville, FL, including Renice Dacres ‘19: State Champion / first place in Triple Jump and State Runner-up /second place in Long Jump; RJ Ayers ‘19: State Runner-up / 2nd place in Shot Put.

The Elizabeth Samuelson Community Spirit Award was initiated in 2018 in honor of Elizabeth Samuelson, who during her time as a parent and Trustee at Shorecrest engaged in every possible volunteer activity, modeled inclusivity and was a magnet for attracting others to be involved in the Shorecrest Community. The award acknowledges the importance of community building and the positive energy and impact an individual can bring to a school. The recipient for 2019 is a unanimous choice by the four School Heads and Headmaster. She has supported students, teachers and families on every inch of our campus and beyond.

Fourth grade Chargers participated in a service project through their art when they painted the fence in the Lealman Garden. This garden is one of three WunderFarms run by Ray Wunderlich, a Shorecrest alumnus. The students learned about the work he does to support the food-insecure residents in Pinellas County. WunderFarms donated TWO TONS of organic veggies last season to St. Petersburg Free Clinic, Daystar Life Center, Wesley Presbyterian Church, Refugees of Tampa Bay, and Ronald McDonald House.

After a final performing arts showcase for the year, the casual and cozy annual Coffee House, Shorecrest thespians and their parents were treated to an awards banquet in the lobby of the Janet Root Theatre. 

After taking first place in the county History Fair back in March, the team of Jonathan C. Zach C. Greg G. Zach H. and Noah S. took their documentary, "From Munich to the World's Fair: Failure of Appeasement, Triumph of Technology," to Tallahassee where the competition was acute.

The Shorecrest Global Studies Initiative (GSI) announces its FIRST COMPLETE EXCHANGE PROGRAM for grades 6 and 8, next school year 2019-2020.

On Thursday, April 25, the Shorecrest Alumni Association and the Shorecrest Athletic Department co-hosted the Charger Hall of Fame awards. Alumni, current students, parents and friends mingled during a reception before heading into the Janet Root Theatre for the awards ceremony. Two alumni were inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame and the winners of the Fran Risser Outstanding Female Athlete and Coach Hayford Outstanding Male Athlete Award were announced.

Please consider donating blood on Wednesday, May 15.

At a special assembly in the Janet Root Theatre on March 25, five members of the Shorecrest Class of 2019 signed letters of intent to play at the college level in their respective sports. We are so proud of all that these impressive Chargers accomplished in both their studies and athletics.

If you have gently used* textbooks you won’t need anymore, please consider donating them to the Spanish Club in the Upper School. They can be on any subject, in any language or for any grade level. The club earns money selling used textbooks in an Amazon store to raise funds for the children at Los Mina, Dominican Republic.

There are a limited number of child care openings on upcoming School Closed dates.

During a recent visit with Shorecrest alumni in Washington, D.C., I met alumni who market for the federal government, work in the presidential archives in the White House, attend Georgetown and George Washington Universities, work in Department of Energy, coach teachers and administrators in charter schools for underserved students, promote partnerships for the National Football League Players Association, and research for Senator Rubio. Many are into their second career. Some are seeking new opportunities. Everyone seemed enthusiastic and optimistic.

Students in seventh grade expanded on their project based learning experience this year with a successful disease awareness showcase. Some students will be expanding their projects by visiting the retirees at the Sunshine Center on May 8 to bring health awareness to the folks there. This year’s projects were the result of a $3,000 innovation grant that the seventh grade team won last year to help expand health awareness in our community.

First graders took audiences on a journey of ocean discovery in the Janet Root Theatre on Thursday and Friday. Their poems, songs and dances taught lessons about ocean friends and reminded everyone to be respectful of the seas and its creatures so the beauty of the ocean will continue to amaze future generations.

The month of May started with a new event on the Shorecrest calendar – our first campus-wide International Day. Spearheaded by our Director of Diversity and Inclusion, Roderick Avery Fludd, and organised by parent volunteers from Shorecrest's International Connection Committee, the event brought together students, faculty/staff, parents/guardians, alumni and performers from around the world. Chargers of all ages were invited to attend, gaining an insight into customs, pastimes, sports, landmarks, language, calligraphy, traditional dress, food, beverages and more from 34 different countries represented by the Shorecrest community

May 1 is National College Decision Day, the day many colleges and universities request a commitment from incoming students. Members of Class of 2019, as well as younger Chargers, faculty and staff, wore their college T-shirts to campus to celebrate another great year of college placement success. View College Decision Day photos on the Shorecrest Facebook page.

During an Upper School assembly on Monday, Caleb Kravitz ‘20 discovered he is the Grand Prize Winner of Toyota’s TeenDrive365 Video Challenge! Along with the $15,000 in prize money, Caleb will have the chance to work with a Discovery Education film crew to reshoot his winning video as a TV-ready PSA.

Hoeffner and Ayers were the only throwers in Class 1A Track & Field Florida State Meet to pass the 15-meter mark.

The Alpha on-the-go-athon served two purposes this year. It was the culminating activity for Alpha's investigation of transportation and it was their end of the year family celebration. Our Alpha athletes marched out to "Eye of the Tiger" and then stood for the National Anthem. Then they rode out in heats and completed two laps around the track to cheers from an exuberant audience.

Felicia Mendenhall is the new Registrar at Shorecrest. She graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a B.B.A. in Finance, and later an M.B.A. from the University of Houston. Felicia taught Spanish for two years, middle school math for 10 years and technology for five years while in her role as Technology Integrator.

You are invited to join the Upper School Outdoor Club for a free viewing of the Oscar-winning National Geographic Documentary Film, “Free Solo,” about a rock climber who accomplished one of the most dangerous athletic endeavors. The film will be screened in the Janet Root Theatre on Tuesday, May 7, at 6:30pm. There will be free appetizers from EVOS and Outdoor Club T-shirts for sale.

Shorecrest Upper School hosted the 2019 Awards Ceremony on Thursday, April 25, in the Janet Root Theatre. This was a special time to honor many different achievements including the College Book Awards, Departmental Awards, Cum Laude Society Inductees, Citizenship Awards, Scholarship Awards, Service Awards, and Athletic Awards. In addition, the Valedictorian and Salutatorian were named.

To encourage positive driving habits for young drivers, Shorecrest Preparatory School junior, Caleb Kravitz developed a creative PSA to inspire his peers to practice safe driving skills. His video, titled Don’t Recline Behind the Wheel, is the winner of the Toyota TeenDrive365 Video Challenge, a national peer-to-peer driver safety public service announcement competition. More than a thousand videos were submitted in the TeenDrive365 Video Challenge by teens educating students on the risky behavior of distracted driving.

Latest scores and updates from the Varsity Baseball team.

Recently I showed up at the Ranger’s House at Fort De Soto, and before getting out of my car, I knew something special had happened. When more than 10 birders are gathered in the same place, they are either on a field trip with a group, or there has been the sighting of an unusual bird. In this instance, someone had seen a Dickcissel, a bird not commonly seen at Fort De Soto. Some migrate through Florida when heading from South America to the central states to breed. Despite all my years as a birder, I had never seen one, and I did not see one that day.

Chargers 13, Lakeside Christian 0

On Thursday, April 18, Shorecrest Lower and Middle Schools celebrated at a FERIA LATINA. Hosting this fun Fair for other grade levels has been part of the curricular project-based learning for the third and fourth grade Spanish classes for five years. This year the event was expanded to include Middle School. Now, it is a curricular project for the 3rd-8th grade Spanish classes.

Shorecrest Preparatory School would like to invite you to attend the first ever Families of African American Students event to celebrate our graduating African American/Black students and to officially welcome new families to the Shorecrest community. Join us on campus for a family picnic on May 11, 2019 from 10am - 2pm in front of Charger Commons.

The Chargers boys tennis team fell, 2-4,  to the Community School of Naples on Tuesday at the Regional Semi-Final match in Naples. The Chargers' wins came from boys Number 1 Matthew Danielson '20 and the Number 5 ranked player, Georgi R. '25.

There will be a volleyball meeting for all girls grades 5-11 interested in trying out for the MS, JV and Varsity teams for next year. The meeting will take place on Wednesday, May 1 in the Athletic Center.

The Spring Music Concert was held on April 17, 2019, at 1pm for students and 7pm for families and friends in the Janet Root Theatre at Shorecrest. Performers included Chargers from grades 4-12.

Art instruction is interwoven throughout the Shorecrest curriculum. To celebrate the lessons and skills taught all year, we open the campus to the community each spring during Celebrate the Arts Week.

From February 24 - March 9, 2019, nineteen International students visited from Escuela Ameyalli in Mexico and Colegio Maya, a bilingual school in El Salvador’s capital city, San Salvador. They were hosted in Lower School by fourth grade students. Three weeks later, another delegation from Escuela Ameyalli in Mexico City visited Middle School's seventh and eighth grades.

The Plains States have been pummeled by consecutive "snowmageddons" and this has particularly affected our Lakota-Ogala friends on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota, where one of our Upper School Service Week trips volunteers. As you start or continue your annual spring cleaning, please consider having your child bring any gently used clothing (particularly cold weather items) to ST4. This clothing drive will run until the school year is over.

The Head of School Search is moving along incredibly well, and we are excited by the diversity, caliber and enthusiasm of our candidates. We hope to invite the finalists for the Head of School onto campus for the community to meet in early to mid May. Thank you for your support and patience through this process. We are eager to have community input when our finalists visit.

April is often a month of reflection for our students and their families. As the school year draws to a close, we look back and remember where we started and revel in the realization of how far we’ve come. However, we also acknowledge the time that still remains as an opportunity for continued growth during these last few weeks. In the same way, one can look at the Shorecrest Annual Fund and celebrate just how far we’ve come. As a community, we have raised over $700,000 that will go towards the betterment of our campus, classrooms, extra-curricular programs, and teachers all in an effort to enhance the experience and opportunities of our students.

The Class of 2019 is being accepted into an impressive list of colleges and universities. The momentary high of being accepted is heightened by the knowledge that our students have learned how to write, how to study and how to complete heavy work loads with excellent results. One can accept or turn down a college acceptance. The habits of mind students learn over the years at Shorecrest can be applied anywhere. It is tempting to give the acceptance list more attention than the success rate of our students once they enter school. Obviously, many factors contribute to the future successes of our Shorecrest grads; but I know that the skills and habits of mind they learned while attending are important and a wonderful added value to our graduates and their families.

Shorecrest track and field Chargers went down to St. Stephens in Bradenton for the District meet last Thursday, April 11. The girls team won the 1A district 7 title with a strong showing! The boys team also placed well, finishing 3rd overall out of 11 teams.

Award winning Upper School student artwork on campus.

Over the past year the Shorecrest campus has undergone a transformation. The completion and opening of the first floor of Charger Commons, the new 60,000 square foot facility made possible by the Transform Campaign, marks a major milestone in that transformation. To connect this new chapter of Shorecrest history to the time-honored tradition of "Celebrate the Arts" week, Shorecrest Performing Arts is proud to present the spring musical "Cinderella."

Driving while distracted can make it difficult to react during a potential crash, especially for teen drivers. More than 1200 videos created by teens to inspire their peers to drive more safely and avoid risky behavior were submitted in the TeenDrive365 Video Challenge by Toyota and Discovery Education. Among the 10 finalists is Caleb Kravitz '20! Caleb’s video "Don't Recline Behind the Wheel" and the other ten finalist videos can be viewed at teendrive365inschool.com/vote. The public can vote for their favorite video once per day through April 23. The People’s Choice winner will receive $5,000 - so please vote for Caleb every day!

The Shorecrest Chargers Boys Tennis team was electric at the District championships as they gained a berth in the Regional competition, the final road to the State championships! The boys and girls teams have much to be proud of for their performance at Districts. While the girls fell short of getting a team berth, they advanced farther than the team has in recent memory, with both girls doubles teams and four out of five singles players advancing to the semi-final rounds. While the doubles teams lost in the semi finals, Shorecrest emerged with a win at the number 5 singles flight with Keira H. '24 beating her Saint Stephens opponent in a hard fought third set tie break.   

Both girls and boys teams are beginning to understand that in order to compete at a high level which is what Florida Tennis demands, one must train and play year round and compete in USTA tournaments. This year there are several players on the girls and boys teams that have done exactly that, trained year round and competed in USTA tournaments and that hard work is paying off.

On Saturday, April 6, the Shorecrest Upper School Outdoor Club ventured out to Coffee Pot Blvd to clean up Wanda, the watergoat debris boom. Wanda is responsible for capturing the debris from the fresh water and keeping it from entering the Bay. The Outdoor Club members - along with several Middle School students - worked alongside Keep Pinellas Beautiful and the Coffee Pot Watershed Alliance.

Dr. Hank Hine, the Director of the Salvador Dali Museum, addressed Upper School students this month in a Willis Leadership Lecture. The series this year was on the topic of water, and Hine connected art and water. 

One of the great benefits of being a PreK-12 school is learning from the broad spectrum of students we have. When seventh grader William B. asked if he could present a project he was working on about measles to first graders, Mrs. Oman's class gladly accepted the offer. 

The MS Softball team is finishing their season this week. While they have not won any games, they enjoyed a 9 run inning against Bradenton Christian School on Monday. Sonoma K. hit a home run in the outfield for a grand slam, the first home run and grand slam of her career! 

The girls team had a great season, placing 4th overall out of 16 teams in the Championship! The boys were Champions this year, placing 1st out of 18 teams! There were also 6 Middle School records set this season!

Now in its 14th year at Shorecrest, Relay For Life continues to make a lasting impact in the fight against cancer. This student-led initiative raises money for the American Cancer Society through a variety of activities including spirit night events at local restaurants, the Links Project in Lower School, team fundraisers and sponsorships.

For Paul Gallant ‘07, deciding what his future career would consist of was never difficult. Sports was everything to him growing up. Admittedly for Paul, his main goal was to play sports professionally and it was tough to realize that being a professional athlete wasn’t in the cards for him, so he quickly pivoted to other areas of sports that he loved. After graduating from Shorecrest, Paul entered Syracuse University and their highly regarded sports broadcasting program. For Paul “covering sports and talking about them seemed like a pretty fun” alternative to playing sports.

Congratulations to Taylor Emerson '19 of Shorecrest Preparatory School for her winning submission to the Annual St. Petersburg Personal Injury Attorneys McQuaid & Douglas $1,000 Pinellas County High School Scholarship! Her essay answered the question: How Could Pinellas County Reduce the Number of Auto Accidents per Year?

Chargers 11, Indian Rocks Christian 10

Varsity Baseball Chargers Clinch Lead In Fifth Inning For Victory Over St. Pete Catholic: 14-7.

Beloved Upper School art teacher and Co-Chair of the Arts & Humanities Department, Charla Gaglio, is opening up her summer programs to Charger parents! Learn more about the two programs: Observational Drawing and Painting

It is one thing to meet a grumpy, complaining adult and then another to see the same traits in a child. The first is unfortunate; the other is unequivocally sad. It takes a great deal more energy to be angry than happy. One drains the energy out of us, the other charges us up. One repels while the other attracts. The anonymous quote, “Energy is contagious: either you affect people or you infect people,” rings true to me. Surrounding children with positive people in their school environments, homes and extra-curricular activities is vital for healthy development.

Shorecrest’s Advancement department is looking for a summer intern! Provide support creating social media posts, drafting alumni and annual fund appeals, writing and editing various content and working within a database.

It's time for some spring cleaning! Help SCA give loved and gently-used children’s books new homes. SCA will start collecting used books on Monday for the annual Oldie Goldie book sale. Collection boxes will be in the hallways of Lower School and in the Middle School breezeway. Used books will be sold to ES and LS students for rock-bottom prices so they can find new literary favorites on the cheap. Proceeds benefit the Shorecrest library.

You want your children to have the best nutrition possible—but let’s be real, when it comes to eating new or healthy foods, kids can be stubborn. Don’t despair! These tips from our Dietitians, coupled with some patience and perseverance, will help expand the palettes of even your most finicky eaters.

Shorecrest has partnered with New Oasis International Education to help recruit and house international students at Shorecrest. New Oasis homestay is not about renting a room in an American house, it's about joining an American family. By saying "yes" to the experience, we can foster a global understanding.

Before spring break, students fulfilled an important rite of passage and requirement in Shorecrest’s Upper School - Service Week. Now in its tenth year, Service Week began as a student-led initiative and continues its proud tradition of including student voice and choice. Over 300 students in the Upper School committed to serving at either the local or national level, providing over 4,000 hours of community service by the time the week was completed.

Two members of Shorecrest Preparatory School’s Class of 2019, Renice Dacres and Graham Heckert, were recipients of the Rotary Club of St. Petersburg’s 81st Outstanding Youth Awards. The students were selected by Upper School faculty/staff on the basis of scholarship, character, and service. They were celebrated along with 12 other students from seven St. Petersburg-area public and private high schools at a luncheon sponsored by the Club and received a cash prize.

As the second installment of Shorecrest Upper School’s Willis Leadership Lecture Series for the 2018-2019 school year, Don Paige, Head of Upper School, and the Willis family, sponsors of the Series, welcomed Pulitzer Prize-winning author and University of Florida Professor of History Dr. Jack Davis to campus. The theme of the series this year is water.

Shorecrest seventh grader Nicolas H. recently competed in the 2019 National Geographic GeoBee Florida State Competition and finished as third in the state!

On Saturday, March 30, nine Upper School students launched canoes from the Fort De Soto boat ramp and paddled all of their overnight gear to a chain of islands - part of the Shell Key Nature Preserve. The annual trip is always well-attended and loved by everyone who has gone. Hope to see you next year!

As Monday was April Fool's Day, MS Music Teacher Mrs. McCarthy gave the seventh grade Music students a written assessment that was actually a fun prank! Join them in the Janet Root Theatre on May 9 at 2:25pm for the seventh grade Music Performance.

Last week, second graders took a trolley tour of downtown St. Petersburg to view some of our city's historic landmarks. Starting at the The Vinoy® Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club, the trolley drove students through the streets passing and stopping at many of the sites recommended on the Historic St. Petersburg Downtown & Waterfront Walking Tour Guide Yellow Route. Other portions of the trip included snack and free play in Straub Park, time to explore the banyan trees, and a walking tour along the waterfront.

Thirty years ago the Shorecrest Chargers celebrated their 9-3 victory over Miami Westminster Christian to win the 1989 Florida State Championship. The 1989 Shorecrest team also finished the season with the most wins in Shorecrest history. On Friday, April 5, Shorecrest will honor the team’s members prior to the varsity baseball game at 4:30pm. Friday’s festivities include a presentation of commemorative baseball caps, ceremonial first pitch and a pre-game program honoring the Charger baseball team. We congratulate the 1989 State Champion Charger team for reaching the pinnacle of success in high school baseball!

Rob Grady ‘86 enjoys “being on the steepest part of the learning curve." His interest in being professionally challenged has led to a successful career in business, marketing and product development with some of the world’s most creative companies. Grady currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer of IMDb, a subsidiary of Amazon, and the world’s most popular and authoritative source for movie, TV and celebrity content. He oversees all aspects of the IMDb business including product development, design, editorial, engineering, and advertising across four offices in Seattle, Los Angeles, New York and Bristol, UK.

Chargers 3, Indian Rocks Christian 9
Chargers 0, St. Stephens 12

AgileThought—a national provider of enterprise custom software solutions and development consulting to Fortune 1000 clients—will be sponsoring Shorecrest Preparatory School’s robotics club as they compete in the FIRST® Lego League Florida state competition on Saturday, April 6, 2019, in Delray Beach, Florida.

The Big Event Chairs, as well as the SCA Board, would like to thank the following people for their assistance in making Charger Winnings so successful: all Shorecrest teachers / staff who donated their time and items, Sam Soth, Charlene Hosseini, BA Beatty, Annette Eichenbaum and Eve Cline. A special thanks to Catherine Nelke and Heather Delrahim for their time on the class books project.

In order to better understand Shorecrest’s international profile and the Shorecrest community’s interest in becoming more engaged in future activities, we would be most grateful if you would complete this brief questionnaire.

The 2019 Spring Music Concert will feature dedicated student musicians from the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools. Please join us on Wednesday, April 17, 7 - 9 pm.

On Wednesday, March 27, the Shorecrest Preparatory School Upper School Honor Society chapters inducted their newest members at a special assembly in the Janet Root Theatre in front of classmates, parents, special guests, faculty and administration. Mu Alpha Theta Society, International Thespian Society, French Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, National Art Society, Tri-M Honor Society, Rho Kappa Society, and the National Honor Society tapped a total of 190 inductees.

On behalf of the Thespian Sponsors and Directors, Bill Levengood '78, Cheryl L.ee and Stacie Steinke, here are the results for our fantastic and dedicated troupe.

A few lucky Junior Chefs and their parents/guardians signed up to have story time and cooking class with Dr. Danyali through the Big Event website. Together, students and their adult partners cooked recipes inspired by wonderful children's stories that were read aloud to the group. Getting to be the first chidlren to use the new Mike Murphy Experiential School kitchen was a big treat!

2019 marks the 14th year of Shorecrest hosting a Relay For Life on campus, a student-run event. Shorecrest has raised an outstanding total of nearly $1.2million since 2006 benefiting American Cancer Society! This year's returning Event Co-Chairs are Olivia Olson '19 and Jordan Tralins '19. They have done an incredible job balancing Relay planning along with all of their other responsibilities, and have created an amazing night for all Chargers to look forward to on March 29!!

Second grade teacher Mrs. Johnson collaborated with Assistant Head of Lower School Mrs. Craft on a “Children Around the World” unit for second grade that incorporated a questioning strategy called The Question Formulation Technique - working intentionally to promote curiosity, inquiry, and self-directed learning in our young students.

On Friday, March 29, at 9:10am all students, faculty and staff will participate in our traditional opening lap to begin our Relay day. Later that afternoon, as school dismisses, teams will be setting up their fundraising and entertainment activities. If you are reading this message on Friday afternoon, I hope you will either stay and let your family participate in some of the activities or come back and enjoy the team events and the community-wide opening ceremony at 6pm or the thoughtful Luminaria Ceremony after dark around 9:30pm.

As part of their study on landmarks, second graders visited and toured one of St Petersburg's iconic gems, the Don CeSar Hotel. They learned about the history of the hotel, its architectural story, climbed the spiral staircase to what was formerly a window that is now the entrance, passed through the ice cream parlor to view what was the former main staircase entering the hotel, and studied the history wall of facts.

Over the last week, Lower School students gathered together during their art classes to help the Shorecrest Annual Fund team with a special project: coloring in the progress of our community’s fundraising efforts so far for Shorecrest! Each student carefully selected a colored marker then approached the massive 5’ x 3’ Color Their World board to make their mark.

Dodging for Dollar$ has been postponed.

If you have an interest in serving on the SCA Board for the 2019-20 academic year, or know someone who would be a great fit, nominations and self-nominations are underway! Contact Stacy Conroy at stacyes@gmail.com or 813-944-7951.

Did you know that more than 200 of the school communities SAGE serves have a type of garden — from simple herb boxes to full-fledged farms? Campus gardens provide endless opportunities for learning, and they have a positive impact on the food and vegetable consumption of the students. Spring means it's time to start planting your garden. If you’re eager to start but new to the gardening game, check out these basic tips and helpful hints. You're just a few steps away from enjoying fresh fruits and vegetables grown right at your own home!

Natalye Horne is joining the Chargers coaching staff as Head Coach for girls' varsity basketball. She brings basketball experience from a player’s and coach’s perspective.

The word “no” can make some people grit their teeth. Add the word “devices” and the phrase “No Devices” has the potential to appear to be a violation of human rights. How can anyone stay in touch with friends if they are not on a device? How can parents be assured their children are safe if the child does not have access to a device? These sentences are not written with an intent to be sarcastic. The “need” to be connected to others with the use of a device has become a way of life for many people. I am currently reading a new book “iGen” by San Diego State University Psychology Professor, Dr. Jean Twenge. Dr. Twenge researches long-term studies that help identify how various generations of people such as Boomers, Gen Xers, Millennials and now, iGen, differ from each other.

Congratulations to the Sailing team for securing a spot in Districts this year! The team competed in their final South Points Race of the year at Davis Island and the Varsity and JV squads both finished in 3^rd place.

The Varsity Baseball Chargers beat Northside and fell behind to Canterbury, ODA and Lakeside.

The morning of March 18 was an exciting one for Shorecrest’s Alpha and Junior Kindergarten students and their families as The Experiential School of Tampa Bay settled into its permanent home in the Mike Murphy Experiential School building. On the first day back from Spring Break, faculty, staff, Experiential School students and families gathered for a celebration to acknowledge this special moment and to highlight the value placed on community-building and family engagement.

The 5th Grade Music Performance celebrated 50 years since the release of the beloved musical film "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang." Students sang featured songs from the film including "You Two," "Hushabye Mountain," "Doll on a Music Box / Truly Scrumptious," and of course the title song, "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang."  For their finale, the fifth graders sang a song from "The Prince of Egypt."

Shorecrest seventh grader Zach Z. won Honors for his essay among thousands of national entries in the Karina Eide Young Writers Awards. He was featured on the cover of the March 2019 “Dyslexic Advantage Newsletter” for his accomplishment, and his poem was published on page 44.

Third grade and eleventh grade students met to discuss some of what they worked on in February. The result: a very enlightening exchange and a sense of comradery between third graders and juniors.

Zach Carmack '21, Jonathan Currie '21, Gregory Glasscock '21, Zachary Hahn '21 and Noah Saylor '21 won first place in the Documentary category with their submission entitled "Triumph and Tragedy: From the World's Fair to Munich." Leddon Zwack '21 won third place for his individual Documentary on Charles XII and Peter the Great during the Great Northern War of 1700-21.

Congratulations to Will Hess '19 for his submission to the Sons of American Revolution Essay Contest. He wrote about the terrible conditions Continental prisoners endured on prison ships. He won first place locally, and 2nd place at the state level and will receive a cash prize.

Ms. Ekblad's senior English students hosted a class tea party after reading Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice." Students wore original costumes, baked authentic Regency Era treats, and/or researched etiquette in preparation for the day.

Thank you to Book Fair Co-Chairs Tonya Farkas and Bernice Murphy and all of their helping hands for their extended Book Fair hours this year and helping everyone find just what they need to read!

After completing a webinar in December on the “Legacies of World War I” sponsored by National History Day and the World War I Commission, Upper School History Teacher Ron Heller, as required, gave a lecture at the St. Petersburg History Museum. 

Many wonderful people give their time, energy, and effort to Shorecrest each year! If you know of someone whose contributions have been outstanding, please nominate that person for the 2019 Janet Root Volunteer of the Year Award. Without your input, a worthy volunteer might not be considered.

Join your fellow Chargers and their families and friends at the following events supporting the Relay For Life of Shorecrest, benefiting American Cancer Society.

Shorecrest hosted two parent presentations focused on the Reggio Emilia Approach to teaching and learning (0-6 yrs.) They were led by the author of “We Are All Explorers,” Dr. Karen Haigh.

Registration for session 4 After School Clubs is currently open online at: https://shorecrest.campbrainregistration.com. Clubs are available for ES, LS and MS students, and run April 1 - May 10; with a make-up week May 17.

Your children have worked hard on creating masterpieces and sharing ideas that have been transformed into beautiful class books. These projects are unique mementos that also contain special class pictures. You can pre-order your child’s book for $25 from the Shorecrest in Wonderland website.

The attached map highlights the new construction zone, which has taken effect. The entrance of Pratt Blvd. is two-way to allow cars to exit the First Street parking lot, but otherwise campus traffic will be one-way at all times. Please see the Traffic Map shared here.

When the Shorecrest community returns from Spring Break, Extended Day for Alpha - 4th grade will be relocated. A new student check-out system will also be implemented. Anyone picking up a student should enter through the main door of the Mike Murphy Experiential School, located towards the right when facing Charger Commons, the new building (view map for location). At the desk the parent/guardian will show ID and sign out the student. They will receive a pass to give to the teacher and retrieve the child.

The second graders have been taking a trip around the world in their study of the different continents. This week they took audiences with them in their musical program, "A Small Part of the World." They dazzled audiences with their knowledge through poetry, dancing, and singing traditional songs from countries around the world. Most impressive was the fact that they sang in five different languages! 

On the morning of Thursday, February 28, 2019, the full Shorecrest community gathered to celebrate a major milestone in the Transform Campaign. Almost one year to the day of the campaign's public launch, the school community celebrated the opening of the first floor of the new 60,000 square foot facility and the building's new name - Charger Commons. 

A great deal will happen in the coming 10 days. I hope the change of pace that Spring Break provides allows all members of our community to recharge and prepare for the important and exciting weeks being planned by faculty and staff at Shorecrest.

“The families of Raymond James were proud to join together to make a substantial collective gift to Shorecrest’s Transform Campaign. Collective giving has the potential to substantially grow philanthropy and build stronger communities. Giving as a group has allowed us to achieve greater impact to something that we all value, the experience that Shorecrest provides our children,” said Jim Bunn, President of Global Equities & Investment Banking for Raymond James and Shorecrest parent.

The Chargers Athletics Department presented to parents of students in grades 5-8 about how to become involved in Chargers Athletics. A full video of the seminar may be found here.

In honor of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Experiential and Lower School students have been finding ways to be of service to one another. These acts, big and small, bring our community of learners together.

More than 150 people, including Shorecrest parents, board members, faculty and staff gathered on February 28 under a bubble-filled sky to celebrate the opening of the first floor of the new 60,000 square foot facility and the building's new name — Charger Commons. The Toast & Tour event provided an opportunity to toast to the tremendous progress of the reimagined lower campus and acknowledge the Shorecrest community for all of its efforts in making the first phase of the Transform Campaign a success.

Parents/guardians, older students, faculty and staff, please consider donating blood on Wednesday, March 20. The OneBlood bus will be parked behind the Athletic Center from 11am-4:30pm.

On March 5, Shorecrest hosted the Middle School Track and Field Championships. Despite competing against 22 teams in windy and cold weather, the day was a big success for the Chargers! The girls worked for every point they earned, placing 4th overall. It came down to the wire for the boys championship, with Shorecrest taking the title by 2 points in the end.

Shorecrest seventh grader Nicolas H. has been notified by the National Geographic Society that he is one of the semifinalists eligible to compete in the 2019 National Geographic GeoBee Florida State Competition. The contest will be held on March 29. School GeoBees were held with fourth- through eighth-grade students throughout the state to determine each school champion. Nicolas won the Shorecrest Bee for the fourth year in a row! School champions then took an online qualifying test, which they submitted to the National Geographic Society. The National Geographic Society has invited up to 100 of the top-scoring students to compete in the State GeoBees.

Even if you missed The Big Event, you still have opportunities to bid online to support the Shorecrest Community Association (SCA)! Charger Winnings are an online auction of events, sign-up parties, and special experiences - many hosted by Shorecrest faculty for students! Also read about fabulous parent sign-up parties hosted by community members. Charger Winnings are open online through March 29! All proceeds benefit the Shorecrest Community Association.

A SCA sign-up party just for moms who are MAD as Hatters!
Save the date! Friday September 27, 7-10pm.  

Landy Hall will be missing a lot of teenagers next week... All Upper School students and faculty are about to embark on week-long service projects around the globe. Starting on Monday, March 4, 16 different Service Week groups will be serving, led by the talented Upper School faculty and staff. Life-changing trips to the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, and the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee, will also provide service. Shorecrest Upper School will provide over 4,000 hours of service over 4 days.

If one can be humble for even a moment, it is simple to see that what we knew or believed just four years ago may be very different today. The rate of change in knowledge, technology and global events involving the estimated but growing 7.7 billion people living on Earth makes it impossible to know everything. Why, then, would any teacher, school or university evaluate students on information that will be obsolete in a decade, a year or even a month?

Shorecrest seniors RJ Ayers, Will Hess and Aidan Samuelson have been named National Merit Finalists by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. All three students were named National Merit Semifinalists and have advanced to the next round of competition. In addition to the 3 National Merit Finalists, the Shorecrest Class of 2019 includes four National Merit Commended Students: Benjamin Berner, Jake Freedman, William Newton and Jordan Tralins.

Bleary-eyed but excited, eighth grade students and Shorecrest faculty and staff gathered at the airport at 4:30am last Tuesday morning before heading off to Washington, D. C. Their first day in the city was spent in the Smithsonian museums along the National Mall, where they marveled at the Hope Diamond, measured themselves against a full tyrannosaurus rex skeleton, paid their respects to Emmett Till, sat at the Greensboro lunch counter, took selfies with the Batmobile, and viewed the original Star Spangled Banner. Whew!

"Over the course of our past fourteen years at Shorecrest, I have heard about the exchange student program, but had never given it much consideration. As a busy mother of three over-scheduled daughters, and a working mom trying to run a dental practice, this did not seem like a very practical idea. However, as the girls became older and more self sufficient, I began to think about the prospect of hosting a student and the experience it could provide us all. The month we spent with Macarena was an amzing experience for us all, and I am thrilled that we took advantage of this opportunity! I am a firm believer that our children learn more from experience rather than schoolwork alone, and this was one that I hope my children benefitted from in many different ways."

Sophomores completed their "This I Believe" speeches. Ms. Ekblad and Mr. Seymour's students, following the guidelines of the National Public Radio program of the same name, took positions on topics of their choosing and explained how they came to believe them to be true. Invitations were made for the entire school to attend, and many Upper School students spent their free periods watching and supporting their peers. Topics were wide-ranging, from lessons about the simple pleasures in life - like the power of hugs, to the struggles that many young people face - such as anxiety and social media use, to difficulties that impact us nationally and globally.

On February 23, 2019, two Boy Scout Den Chiefs who are  members of the Shorecrest Class of 2019 held their Eagle Court of Honor in Shorecrest’s Janet Root Theatre. William Hess ‘19 and Aidan Samuelson ‘19 stood in front of friends, family, and fellow scouts assembled to witness the honor. Both boys picked their concluding Eagle Scout projects based on experiences they had through Shorecrest. Will is a member of the Upper School SPARC Club, and while volunteering with them at PARC he could see the garden needed a makeover and new pergola. Aidan took a walking tour in fourth grade of downtown St. Petersburg, led by Shorecrest parent Emily Elwyn of Preserve the ‘Burg, and he has been intrigued with preservation ever since. For his Eagle Scout project, Aidan worked with Preserve the ‘Burg on an online walking tour.

Shorecrest alumni and their children who are current Chargers gathered in the Rec Gym on Friday, February 22, for the Alumni Association's annual Legacy Breakfast. It is always a special treat to have this group gather together. Legacies are an important component of community-building here at Shorecrest. Our Alumni and legacy children heard from Bob Willis ‘77.

Seniors Cole Savitsky and Logan Stenger will be representing Shorecrest in the Pinellas vs. Hillsborough County All Star Boys Soccer Game on Friday Night, March 1. Senior Renice Dacres was named 1^st Team All Pinellas County for Girls Basketball and will represent Shorecrest in the All-Star Game on Saturday, March 2.

Ashley and Erick, Shorecrest parents and Founders of the Sustainable Family Farm, came to talk to kindergarten as guest experts last week. Not only did they teach kindergarteners about the different things chickens need, they brought two very exciting guests as well - two hens from their farm! Kindergarteners were excited to meet and pet these two full-grown hens while observing the differences between them and the tiny, 3-week old chicks that have recently hatched in kindergarten. 

Mathletes from Shorecrest fourth, fifth and sixth grades competed in the 1st annual Packer Invitational Math Competition at Largo High school on Saturday, February 23. The Chargers came home with some impressive hardware, including third place overall elementary school!

Congratulations to the seventh and eighth grade students moving on to the Pinellas County National History Day competition!

Thank you to everyone in the Shorecrest community who supported the Upper School Interact Club's car wash in the fall. The funds were used to purchase supplies for making blankets for Project Linus, an organization that donates blankets to children in local hospitals. Members of the Interact Club got together last Saturday and made eight blankets to donate. 

Red Ribbon Week exists to raise awareness of the killing and destruction cause by drugs in America. The Upper School has been participating in Red Ribbon Week for several years. It is a very important week to spread awareness of drug and alcohol use and abuse. It is an incredibly crucial issue among teens, and it is only growing as new methods are making drug use easier and more dangerous than ever. It is also very important for us to remain understanding of students who may be struggling with drug and alcohol use because there are many factors and pressures that may contribute to this.

Te esperamos a la reunión de LATINOS en SHORECREST:
Queremos oir tus ideas para las actividades de nuestro próximo año escolar.

Black History Week was started in 1926 by historian Carter G. Woodson. In 1976, President Gerald Ford designated February as Black History Month. Ford noted the need to ensure that the contributions of African-Americans were recognized at a time when history books, schools, media and society did little to acknowledge their contributions. Many Shorecrest classrooms have highlighted the significant and important contributions of black people from around the world and throughout history.

The first week of matches for the varsity and junior varsity tennis Chargers began on February 11, with a home varsity match against Canterbury. The Chargers boys and girls swept Canterbury in all positions except for the number 1 girls varsity match.

Shorecrest Parents, Grandparents, Faculty and Staff volunteered together to build an art wall, eight garden boxes, and a mud kitchen last week for the playscape outside the new Experiential School.

On February 6, Shorecrest delegates flew to Boston to participate in the 18^th annual Boston Invitational Model United Nations (BosMUN) hosted by Boston University. Shorecrest delegates participated in a variety of committees during the three-day conference. These committees ranged from Security Council and ECOFIN, to historical committees, such as the 1960 Union Minière du Haut Katanga.

It was a very exciting morning in the Lower School building on Wednesday, as Kindergarten students met their tenth grade buddies for the first time face-to-face! The week before, buddies had exchanged letters, sharing their interests, favorite things, and stories about themselves. Needless to say, there was great enthusiasm in the Kindergarten classrooms when the tenth graders arrived with huge smiles on their faces and books to read to their new friends.

Shorecrest will play for its first boys soccer state championship after a convincing 3-1 win over Maitland Orangewood Christian on Saturday night. The Chargers, who have not lost a home game in two years, scored in the first five minutes, built a three-goal, second-half lead and held on for the win.

We are fortunate. Recently I reflected on the challenges faced by families and schools that are not as fortunate as we are today, and it caused me to think back. There was a time when Shorecrest did not have the resources to offer faculty and staff a retirement program. There was a time when Shorecrest did not have the resources to build a new Innovation Center and Community Commons. During those days the administrators, faculty, staff and families who led our school were committed to academic excellence. Academic excellence was where they put their energy and resources. We were fortunate that those Board members, teachers and administrators had vision.

Shorecrest faculty continually strive to find new ways to prepare their students for their futures, to engage them in their own learning, and to explore new approaches to help them learn more effectively. Recently, a Shorecrest Innovation Grant enabled the purchase of a mobile cart with 20 Virtual Reality (VR) headsets, which can augment student learning across the curriculum. In a recent example of these tools in practice, Sra. Andrés’ Spanish 4 and 5 classes navigated through a virtual reality tour of Buenos Aires, Argentina, so as to become familiar with this majestic capital city as a preparation for upcoming lessons. Upper School students were immersed in a virtual tour that enabled them to visit locations of historical and cultural significance.

Night to Shine is an unforgettable prom night experience for people with special needs ages 14 and older. On February 8, 2019, the fifth annual Night to Shine was hosted by 655 churches from around the world for approximately 100,000 honored guests through the support of 200,000 volunteers! Night to Shine is sponsored by The Tim Tebow Foundation. A few members of Shorecrest's Upper School SPARC Club volunteered at the event and two share their thoughts here.

The entire eighth grade class broke into teams of 8-10 students. Each team built a complete underwater ROV - the frame, the motors, everything! Once the ROVs were built and the remote controls were tested, each team had a series of underwater challenges for their vehicle to complete. The challenges included picking up diving rings from the bottom of a pool, dropping off artificial coral polyps on an artificial reef, and completing a mock trash clean-up.

The Pre-Relay for Life Fundraising Lunch was a great success. Team Gold Together Admin and Friends thanks all ES/LS students and parents for supporting the team and the American Cancer Society Relay For Life. Grillmaster/Headmaster Mike Murphy with the help of administrative staff grilled and prepared over 450 hot dog lunches in the rainy weather! Many Middle School teams sold out of sandwiches, pizza, drinks and more!

The Chargers dominated play and scored a goal in each half to defeat the Warriors 2-0 Saturday night. They move on to compete in BOYS SOCCER REGIONAL FINALS on Wednesday, February 13 at 7pm vs Canterbury Fort Myers at Canterbury Fort Myers.

PLEASE SEND IN BOX TOPS BY FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22 for the second submission deadline. The Box Tops for Education program gives 10 cents to Shorecrest for every Box Top collected. We submitted $250 worth of Box Tops for the first submission date!

Do you remember your first day at Shorecrest? Help a new family by providing a friendly face - become a Parent Ambassador!

We can learn a lot from watching people play. The children on the playground are my favorite. It is well known that children learn a great deal about themselves and others when they play. The common expression, “Learn to play nicely in the sandbox,” wisely implies the value of childhood play in building relationships and working with others.

Ten sixth graders represented Shorecrest in the Regional Science Fair. All ten students earned an award at the competition. Congratulations to the students for their hard work and success at the competition!

A total of 16 qualifying students from Shorecrest Middle School attended the Florida State Junior Thespian Festival. Final results found Troupe 88197 with 1 State level Critics Choice, 5 Superior medals, and 15 Excellent medals!

Five Upper School students submitted plays they wrote to the regional Scholastic Writing Awards. Three were recognized by Scholastic for their impressive work.

The Bay Area Forensics League Meet took place on Wednesday, February 6. Twenty-five Shorecrest Middle School students, under the direction and coaching of Ms. Nelson, attended to compete in their speech and dramatic skills against other schools in the Bay area. Shorecrest students earned eleven trophies, including two first place trophies to fifth graders Simone H and Lauren K.

As part of Shorecrest's 100th Day of School celebration, Mrs. Johnson's and Ms. Tucker's second grade classes met to make and launch 100 paper airplanes.

Please join the Shorecrest College Counseling Team on Wednesday, February 20 at 7pm in the JRT.

Mrs. Caitlin McLemore is the new Middle School / Upper School Librarian and Technology Specialist at Shorecrest. She is the co-author of the book "Stretch Yourself: A Personalized Journey to Deepen Your Teaching Practice," geared toward educators interested in engaging with technology in meaningful ways within the classroom learning environment.

The art department is very proud of our Chargers and what they accomplish. For the 2018-19 Scholastic Awards, Shorecrest artists were awarded 7 gold awards and 7 silver awards. Some were also selected by Temple Beth-El for its student exhibit during Arts Festival Beth-El.

With Grandparents & Special Friends Day and St. Pete STEAMfest in our rearview mirrors, we can reflect on the success both of these programs have in bringing our ever-growing community together. Our Grandparents and Special Friends, along with families outside of the Shorecrest community had the unique opportunity to experience the inclusive, innovative and transformational education available to our students firsthand. Project- and inquiry-based learning, hands-on activities centered on technology, and a commitment to social responsibility are all hallmarks of a Shorecrest education. These each share something vital in common: they are all supported by The Shorecrest Annual Fund.

Third graders dazzled audiences with their knowledge of United States history as they performed the musical "America's Kids." Thank you to teachers and parents for making this experience so memorable for the students!

Lifelong habits begin at home. Attitudes and habits established at an early age are critical in maintaining good oral health throughout life. Make dental health a part of your daily routine and share these reminders with your whole family...

Student and parent feedback, re-enrollment, and faculty/staff retention are three of many ways we learn how our families and the community feel about the quality of the overall educational experience at Shorecrest. Niche.com, a school and community ranking platform, has also become a source for consistent information about our school's performance and reputation in the community.

Dr. Lisa Bianco, Shorecrest Head of Lower School, and Headmaster Mike Murphy are pleased to announce that Dr. Sherri Danyali will assume the role of Head of The Experiential School of Tampa Bay.

Grandparents & Special Friends Day is a beloved Shorecrest tradition, 35-years strong and counting. This year's event, held on January 25, brought together nearly 600 guests for food, music, drama, classroom tours and more. The next Grandparent Council event is a meeting of the Grandparent Book Club on Tuesday, April 16, at 10am in the Middle School Conference Room. The group will be discussing "The Girl with Seven Names: A North Korean Defector's Story."

The Middle School Robotics teams, The R2D2's and The Force, returned victorious from their First LEGO League Tournament with the prizes for Robot Mechanical Design and Project Presentation. More importantly, both teams earned a ticket to the Regional competition that will be held at Hillsborough Community College in Plant City on February 26.

French high school students from Lycée Bayen in the champagne region of France arrived on campus Friday morning for a two-week stay. The visit is part of an international exchange that is now in its 24th year.

Congratulations to the seventh and eighth grade students moving on to the Pinellas County National History Day competition on March 1-2 at Largo High School.

For the second year in a row, Mr. Heller's Honors US History class culminated their exposure to "Uncle Tom's Cabin" with a project recreating scenes from the novel.

This week, fourth grade Spanish class enjoyed a visit from Michael Cibran '95, alumnus and Spanish-speaking parent. He read a book in Spanish to the class and interacted with the children during their Spanish class. Thanks so much for your visit and for taking the time to read in Spanish to our students! 

In seventh grade Life Science, it is essential that students spend time physically interacting with life and nature around them. Since Florida is a treasure trove of living things, the class heads to the Native Classroom behind Shorecrest every few weeks.

The Shorecrest Alumni Association is pleased to announce the election of Kara Earle ‘05, as its new President and David Huber ‘07, as its Vice President. The Shorecrest Alumni Association’s newly elected officers will start their 2-year terms on June 1, 2019. Earle and Huber, join fellow board members, Alexandria Crawford ‘12, Cory Gaffney ‘95, Pamela Greacen ‘84, Laurie Harris ‘82, Juliet Kyes ‘01, Chelsea Smith Scott ‘08, Brian Sotolongo ‘16, Laurie Slomka Reiskind ‘83, Beth Reynolds ‘84 and Jeff Ritch ‘01.

The team has two South Points regattas left on the schedule. After they are completed, the Top 7 teams will determine who advances to Districts. Currently Shorecrest is in 3rd. The Chargers also held a bake sale last weekend at their home regatta. It was a huge success! Over $400 was raised and donated to the local US Coast Guard Base.

The Experiential School of Tampa Bay, which houses our 3-5 year old Chargers, often focuses on social learning and the opportunity to participate in experiences between grade levels and divisions - balanced with the time to establish strong roots in a student's home classroom.

The girls finished the regular season with a record of (5-3-2), going undefeated in district play and earning a first round bye in the tournament. On Tuesday night, the girls' season sadly came to an end as they fell short in the district semi final, 2-4. While it is disappointing to see the season end, they made some nice strides this year.

Kate Fierce, LS/MS School Counselor, gave a talk focusing on stages of child development geared towards K-5 Families. Find a video of the full presentation here.

Ms. Daley and Miss Brandimore’s alpha class has been studying rainbows. Last week they conducted a science experiment with Skittles candies.

This April, Shorecrest Performing Arts will present the musical Rodgers + Hammerstein's "Cinderella." There are four roles available for Lower School students in grades 2-4 to portray Cinderella’s woodland creature friends. There are four roles available for Middle School students in grades 5-8 to portray Cinderella’s carriage horses and Prince Topher’s Heralds.

Shorecrest Upper School AP Psychology class visited Junior Kindergarten students to see their Developmental Psychology unit in action. Members of the class of 2019 came prepared with activities and questions relating to Piaget’s stages of cognitive development and Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development.

Relay For Life is around the corner, and as a community we are trying to reach the goal of raising $100,000 to support cancer research. To raise money in Lower School, students can participate in the Links Project. For every dollar your child brings in, they will receive one colored paper link. The links are then connected to form a paper chain in each classroom.

The varsity girls basketball Chargers took care of business against Indian Rocks Christian on Tuesday night with a final score of 38-27! The effort was spearheaded by a two-pronged attack from Renice Dacres ‘19 and Nikki Ayers ‘22. Dacres returned to the lineup after a six game absence due to injury and finished with 21 points, 15 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 4 steals. Ayers filled up the stat sheet with 9 points, 4 rebounds, 5 steals, and 5 steals.

*Deadline extended* Florida’s iconic pink yard flamingos will be placed in a flock in front of the Janet Root Theatre to represent that our families are unique but we flock together. The flamingos will be on sale until February 1 and are $25 each. All proceeds from the sales of the flamingos go directly to the Shorecrest Community Association.

When we return to school after Spring Break 2019, our community will enjoy the benefits of our new Community-Inclusive Dining Program in the Dining Rooms in our new facility. Starting on March 18, 2019, SAGE Dining Services will offer our community their full-service, community-inclusive program, a major shift from the retail cafe-style program we use currently.

The Upper School Spanish Club is collecting used textbooks to sell online. Profits will be donated to a children’s village in Los Mina, Dominican Republic, through SOS Children’s Villages.

SEED, The Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity Project on Inclusive Curriculum, will meet on April 18, 2019, 7-8:30pm in the Media Center/Library Classroom. A light dinner will be served. If you are interested in participating in any of this year’s Parent/Guardian SEED group introductory sessions, please complete this form to indicate your interest. *The meeting scheduled for February 7 has been canceled. 

Starting with spring practices, Anthony McCall, Shorecrest’s Athletic Director, will lead the Chargers on the gridiron as their new Varsity Head Coach. McCall will replace Coach Steve Dudley, who has served as the Varsity Head Coach since the Fall 2014 season.

The Boys Varsity Soccer team's recent win vs. Jesuit advanced the Chargers to the Champions League finals, where they will be playing another undefeated team in East Lake HS. This will be a rematch of a pre-season 2-2 tie at the end of their game earlier this season. Come out to support your Chargers on Saturday, January 19 at 7pm.

Last week I noted the importance of focusing on a priority. Mine is the completion of the second floor of our new facility. While there are other goals that are important for the advancement of the school, few others will affect every child like the second floor of our new Innovation Center and Community Commons.

The National Geographic GeoBee was held in the Janet Root Theatre on January 17. The top two geographers from grades 4-8 competed on stage, plus last year's winner. The Shorecrest Champion was seventh grader Nicolas H. For the last three years he won at Shorecrest and also qualified to compete at the state level.

Stacy Alexander, Shorecrest’s Director of Alumni and Community Engagement, was awarded the Distinguished Service Scholar scholarship for 2019 from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District III. The scholarship will provide funding for her attendance at the organization’s annual conference and a mentoring opportunity with a CASE professional. Alexander also received the Emerging Leaders Scholarship.

This week fourth graders had their project share in Spanish class: Escuelas Urbanas y Rurales en Latinoamerica (Urban and Rural Schools in Latin America.) 

For our living and nonliving study, kindergarteners in Mrs. Hawley's class welcomed guest expert Heather Vidal, a Shorecrest tutor. Mrs. Vidal came to talk about some living things she has as pets. She has some typical pets like dogs and cats, but she also shared with us another type of pet she has -- chickens!

The Middle School girls soccer team ended their season this week with a 4-0 win over Out of Door Academy. 

Congratulations to the Varsity Volleyball team - 4A State Champions! A banner in the Crisp Gym was recently unfurled celebrating their victory. A swimming State Championship Banner was also hung. The Chargers celebrated their Championship season with an End of Season party.

On Friday, January 11, a historic philanthropic evening for Shorecrest Preparatory School took place at Sea Salt in downtown St. Petersburg, FL. In one night, an event hosted by several Shorecrest families called “30 for 30” raised $1.2 million for the school’s Transform Campaign. Transform is the final puzzle piece to the Shorecrest campus: creating more than 60,000 square feet of new facilities and reimagining the lower campus to align with Shorecrest’s 2020 Vision & Strategic Plan.

Since the tragic loss of the Weiss family - Mitchell, Leslie, Hannah '16 and Ari '20 - last year, several families, with the support of Headmaster Mike Murphy, have worked to determine how best to honor the Weiss Family on the Shorecrest campus. After a year of careful thought and reflection, the group is proud to share with the community plans for the Weiss Family Stage.

The Shorecrest community is saddened to share the passing of one of our dear and long-tenured community members, Ms. Judy Roberge. A parent of alumnus T.C. Roberge '92, and past President of the Shorecrest Community Association (formerly known as SPA), and a Shorecrest employee since 1996. Judy has served as the school Registrar for the past 18 years.

Shorecrest Upper School Performing Arts presents the play "Radium Girls"
Saturday, January 19, 7pm evening performance
Sunday, January 20, 2pm matinee performance
in the Janet Root Theatre at Shorecrest Preparatory School

Northeast Little League invites you to PLAY BALL! Registration is open at: www.NortheastLL.com.
Standard Registration ends: January 28. Late Registration ends: February 17.
All players who register will be placed on a team. Tryouts are held so players are assigned to the correct division.

The boys varsity basketball Chargers would like to invite any interested Lower School families to join them for some Saturday morning Breakfast Hoops. Coffee and donuts will be provided in the Athletic Center lobby, and the varsity players will assist children from grades K-4 with some shooting, passing, and dribbling drills.

Shorecrest Preparatory School is pleased to announce it has received an anonymous $2 million gift to the Transform Campaign. The gift is the single largest in the school's 95+ year history and brings the total raised for Transform to more than $9 million.

La galette des rois (King Cake) is a French tradition that is centered around a special pastry that is eaten in France on and around January 6. A prize (such as a bean, coin, trinket or figurine) is hidden inside it. Whoever finds it becomes the king for the day! Middle School Chargers shared King Cakes in French class with two prizes per class for two bossy kings! They also made some fun paper crowns to wear. The prizes were travel-related charms to motivate students to explore and use French abroad.

The Big Event ~ Shorecrest in Wonderland will be held on Friday, March 1 at 7pm at Station House St. Pete, 260 1st Ave S, St. Petersburg, FL 33701. Limited tickets remain - order yours now! www.shorecrestbigevent.com.