Putnam County School District - Shaping the Future

Evening Meeting‼️ School Board Meeting 02/11/2025 at 6:00PM. Join us in person or tune in LIVE via Youtube here: https://youtube.com/live/mhfeHTbCohI #ProudtobePCSD

Our first round of PCSD Acceleration Applications are due THIS WEEK, February 14, 2025, for the 2025-26 school year. Apply Here: https://www.putnamschools.org/o/pcsd/page/acceleration-and-cambridge Questions? Please reach out to Shelly Raburn at 386-329-0543. #ProudtobePCSD

Please join us at our February Superintendent’s Community Engagement Session! Session will be held in the Multipurpose Room (previously Price Middle School) Tuesday, February 25th at 6:00PM. Meeting is also offered via Zoom for those unable to attend in person. Meeting ID: 227 750 3147 Passcode: 3fT8qW Can't make it? Plan to attend one of our future sessions! Please reach out to Michelle Mikell (mmikell@my.putnamschools.org) for more information. #ProudtobePCSD

Our EMR and Firefighting 1 students at Palatka Jr-Sr High School recently had a visit from Firefighter/Paramedic Jennifer Burres and Firefighter Apprentice Jordan Campbell. The EMR students were doing patient assessment practice with real life scenarios. The Fire 1 Class were doing search and rescue training in the mobile burn trailer.

The Pulse: PCSD Podcast Superintendent Rick Surrency discusses the importance of Career Technical Education on this weeks episode of The Pulse. Be sure to tune in weekly as we engage employees, students, and community members in topics surrounding education in Putnam County. Listen here: www.putnamschools.org/page/the-pulse Watch here: https://youtu.be/I3OnruniXDM #ProudtobePCSD

You are invited to a special dedication ceremony as we honor Coach Jim McCool with the official renaming of the baseball field at the Historic Azalea Bowl in recognition of his lasting contributions to Palatka athletics. 📅 Date: Tuesday, February 11, 2025 ⏰ Time: 3:00 PM 📍 Location: Historic Azalea Bowl (1301 Moseley Ave, Palatka, FL 32177) Coach McCool, who led Palatka South to the 1975 FHSAA 3A state baseball championship and later became the winningest football coach in school history, has shaped generations of student-athletes. This event will honor his dedication and unveil the Jim McCool Field at the Azalea Bowl. The program will include remarks from special guests including the 1975 State Champion, Bill Swaggerty, and Ms. Sandra Gilyard, PCSD School Board Member and one of Palatka athletics' most loyal supporters! We would love for you to join us for this historic moment. Please feel free to share this invitation with any friends, family, or colleagues who may wish to attend. We hope to see you all there!

This week, Feb. 3-7, 2025, we celebrate National School Counseling Week and recognize the incredible work of our school counselors in helping students thrive! 💙 With this year’s theme, "School Counseling: Helping Students Thrive," we honor the dedication and impact of school counselors who guide students toward success—academically, socially, and beyond. Their support helps shape bright futures and empowers students to achieve their dreams. Join us in thanking our amazing PCSD school counselors for their commitment to student success! #ProudtobePCSD

It’s CTE Month!!! This morning we were so lucky to spend time and celebrate with our amazing CTE Teachers and administration team at Interlachen Jr Sr High School! We had quite a spread for breakfast! Each teacher was gifted with a CTE shirt, keychain, and tote bag and another small goody bag from Jax USA! We appreciate our teachers and all the hard work they do for our students and programs! Congratulations to Aaron Walker for winning the drawing for a $50 GC to Amazon from Jax USA! Special thank you to Seminole Electric and Beck Automotive Group for sponsoring our teachers!

🌟 February is Career and Technical Education Month! 🛠️ Join us as we celebrate the value, achievements, and accomplishments of CTE programs in PCSD and across Florida. We are proud to be part of this nationwide celebration! #ProudtobePCSD

📢 Celebrating Black History Month! 🎉 February is a time to honor the rich history, achievements, and contributions of African Americans—past and present. This year, we recognize the impact of African Americans in labor and industry, highlighting their dedication, resilience, and innovation. Throughout the month, our schools will be engaging in meaningful activities, lessons, and tributes. Stay tuned as we come together to celebrate and reflect on this important history. 💡 Plus, PCSD will be hosting a special event later this month to commemorate Black History Month! More details to come. #ProudtobePCSD #HonoringThePast #ShapingTheFuture

Our Aerospace program has had another first this week! Advanced drone students, Caleb Hobbs and Tilden Gill, took and passed their second drone certification exam. Officially called the "Advanced Unmanned Safety Certification: Level 1" this exam focuses "on complex knowledge and rigor associated with medium to high risk (drone) operations". This certification is recognized nation-wide. We've had about 30 QIR students become FAA certified as commercial drone pilots, officially called "Part 107" certification. Caleb and Tilden are the first-ever PCSD students to earn the USI Safety Level 1 certification. This course/certification was completed through dual enrollment with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Congratulations on this amazing accomplishment!

🚨 Due to overwhelming participation at PJSHS a second screening date has been added next week to accommodate all students registered! 🚨 More than 200 students at Palatka Jr.-Sr. High School registered for free electrocardiogram (EKG) screenings, an initiative made possible by the nonprofit organization Who We Play For. Today, 131 students were screened, with additional screenings scheduled for next week. The results will be available within 10 days, and parents will be notified if any concerns are detected. Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM), a condition that can lead to Sudden Cardiac Death in young individuals, is the leading cause of such fatalities in people under 30. EKG screenings like these play a crucial role in early detection and prevention. These life-saving screenings are expanding across the district, with upcoming events scheduled at: 🗓️Interlachen Jr.-Sr. High School – January 31 🗓️Q.I. Roberts Jr.-Sr. High School – February 6 🗓️Crescent City Jr.-Sr. High School – February 7 The effort was coordinated by PCSD Health Services Coordinator Kena Foster, RN, who worked closely with Who We Play For to bring this opportunity to students. Volunteers from the local Health Department, Fire Department, and PCSD staff also assisted in conducting the screenings. This initiative is especially timely as February 1 marks National Youth Heart Screening Day. The hope is that every child is found to be in good health, but even detecting one hidden condition could make a life-saving difference. Questions? Please reach out to Kena Foster RN at 386-329-0538. #ProudtobePCSD

Upper level welding students at Crescent City Jr. Sr. High School have been working on a project to make their classroom lab look nicer and function more efficiently. They have built and entrance gate to the shop with a huge board. Instructor Terry-Metych Bell said that this new addition will help him keep track of students entering and leaving the shop. He plans to use the board to post project specs, notices, announcements, and such. He also plans to move the completed project to the new shop once construction is finished. He said, "I'm so proud of these guys, I drew them a picture and they did all the work to bring it to life. They did a great job." #welding #crescentcityjrsrhigh #futureofworkfl #careerandtechnicaleducation #GetThereFL #ProudtobePCSD

The Pulse: PCSD Podcast Superintendent Rick Surrency discusses Bus Safety on this weeks episode of The Pulse. Be sure to tune in weekly as we engage employees, students, and community members in topics surrounding education in Putnam County. Listen here: www.putnamschools.org/page/the-pulse Watch here: https://youtu.be/ESN16bS-Itg #ProudtobePCSD

🎉 And the winners are...🏆 We are thrilled to announce PCSD’s 2025 Employees of the Year! ✨Principal of the Year: Leah Lundy, Melrose Elementary School ✨ Assistant Principal of the Year: Stephanie Reed, Middleton-Burney Elementary School ✨ Teacher of the Year: Arielle Driggers, Palatka Jr.-Sr. High School ✨ School Based Support-Related Employee of the Year: Michelle Stradling, William D. Moseley Elementary School ✨ Department Based Support-Related Employee of the Year: Erika Clemons, Department of Transportation, South These outstanding individuals exemplify excellence, dedication, and the heart of education in Putnam County. 🌟 Please join us in celebrating their incredible achievements! 👏💙 #ProudtobePCSD

PCSD is celebrating the power of reading and its role in shaping bright futures. Schools across the district are diving into activities that inspire a love of literacy! Here’s how you can build literacy skills at home: 📖 Read together daily. 🌎 Explore new genres. 💪 Strengthen skills through practice. 🚀 Challenge yourself with complex texts. Let’s shape a brighter future through reading! 📚💙 #LiteracyWeek2025 #ProudtobePCSD

School Board Meeting 01/28/2025 at 3:30PM. Join us in person or tune in LIVE via Youtube here: https://youtube.com/live/sSI-BZKB0eA #ProudtobePCSD

Nancy Russo, Regional Vice President for Putnam-St. Johns SMA Healthcare, has been visiting our Health Science and AVID classrooms to talk about jobs in the behavioral health industry. She shared a very informative look at a wide range of careers including information about salary and education required. Students also became familiar with terms like "Baker Act" and substance detox that they may not have previously known. She did a great job giving us all the ins and outs of the behavioral health career field, a field many students had not previously thought about. #healthscience #SMAHealthcare #careerandtechnicaleducation #GetThereFL #futureofworkfl #ProudtobePCSD

PCSD schools will release 2 hours early tomorrow! View the early release schedule here: https://www.putnamschools.org/page/school-times #ProudtobePCSD

🚨 Community Alert: Scam Targeting Local Businesses 🚨 We want to alert our community to a scam involving fraudulent calls claiming to sell sponsorship spots on T-shirts to support PCSD Athletic Teams. What You Need to Know: -The caller falsely claims to be working with our schools to sell T-shirt sponsorships. -These claims are not authorized by PCSD or its athletic programs. What to Watch For: -The caller may claim to represent a marketing or sports advertising company with connections to our schools. -They often request immediate payment for sponsorship packages, sometimes offering to display your logo on banners or apparel. -They often do not know specific information about our schools or teams. -Calls are originating from out-of-state numbers. How to Protect Yourself: -Verify any sponsorship requests by directly contacting your local school. -Be cautious of unsolicited calls or emails requesting payments. Our school district values the support of local businesses, and we would never engage with companies soliciting funds without proper communication. If you receive a suspicious call or email regarding sponsorships, please report it! Let’s work together to keep our community safe from scams! Thank you for your continued support of PCSD!