Alachua County Public Schools

🎉 Congratulations to our National Merit Semifinalists! 🎉

We are thrilled to announce that 21 outstanding Alachua County Public School seniors have earned the prestigious honor of being named semifinalists in the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program! 🌟

Out of 1.3 million students who took the PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, these remarkable students are among the top 1% of high school seniors nationwide. They now have the opportunity to advance to finalist status by showcasing their academic achievements, leadership, and talents.

We are so proud of the following students:

📚 Buchholz High School: Charles Austin, Andrew Caruso, Stuart Ding, Adrian Palamarev, and Emily Zhou

📚 Eastside High School: Aagneya Banerjee, Henry Bostock, Joyce Huang, Yihan Wang, Chloe Zheng, and Kyle Ziegler

📚 Gainesville High School: Elizabeth Chapman, Nathan Collier, Ava Fuller, Yoo-Min Koh, Kareem Meinel, Charlotte Shea, Aiden Swallow, William Thomas, Kallum Wang, and Mathilde Wuthrich

These students represent the excellence and dedication that define Alachua County Public Schools. Join us in celebrating their hard work and wishing them the best of luck as they continue in the competition! 👏🎓

The School Board officially approved the school property tax rate for 2024-25, which is going down again this year, by about 2.7%. Almost all of the property tax rate for schools across the state is set by the Florida Legislature.

📢 Parent Academy Webinar: Circle of Security Parenting 📢

Are you looking for ways to strengthen the bond between you and your child? Join us for a LIVE Webinar on Thursday, September 12th at 6:00 PM to learn about the Circle of Security Parenting model! 🌟

In this webinar, you'll learn how to: 🔸 Discover the critical importance of Secure Attachment 🔸 Understand your child's need for a Safe Haven and Secure Base 🔸 Identify the four Attachment Styles 🔸 Define eight core attachment needs that all children have

Our special guest speaker will be Connie Pierre-Antoine, CEO and Founder of Genesis Family Enrichment Center, Inc.

Don't miss this chance to explore essential parenting strategies and help your child grow in a secure and supportive environment! 💙

📅 When: Thursday, September 12th at 6:00 PM
💻 Where: Live on Zoom - Find the link at www.sbac.edu/parentacademy

Together, let's create safe, secure, and loving environments for our children! 🌱

Alachua County Public Schools is continuing its Beyond the Bell program this September 23, offering Virtual After-School Counseling and Academic Advising to help boost academic achievement and emotional wellness. 🎓💪

📝 Key Program Features:
- Virtual After-School Counseling: Get guidance on study skills, organization, and managing social or academic challenges.

- Academic Advising & Career Planning: Receive advice on courses, career readiness, and skill assessments to identify areas of strength.

- Emotional Wellness Support: Learn stress management techniques and build resilience for a healthier, more confident you!

Take advantage of this incredible support! For more information, visit:🌐 www.sbac.edu/BeyondTheBell

🎶✨ Celebrate National Arts in Education Week - Sept. 8-14! ✨🎶

We are incredibly proud to highlight the amazing talent from the Buchholz Band & Aviance Color Guard program, where four student musicians performed Quatuor pour Saxophones by Faustin and Maurice Jeanjean at the School Board meeting on Tuesday, September 3rd. Their passion for music truly shined as they performed Movement 1 and Movement 4: Concert sur la Place. 🎷🎶

Justin De Jesus - Soprano Saxophone (Senior)
Claire Yoon - Alto Saxophone (Senior)
Christian Arnold - Tenor Saxophone (Senior)
Brendon Gandy - Baritone Saxophone (10th Grade)

These talented musicians are a testament to the power of arts education. Let's continue to support our students as they share the beauty of music with the world! 🎨🎼

🌟 Thank You, Physical Therapists! 🌟

Yesterday was World Physical Therapy Day, and we want to take a moment to recognize and thank all of the incredible physical therapists who work in our schools. Your dedication to helping students move, grow, and reach their full potential is truly inspiring. Whether it's aiding in recovery, supporting mobility, or providing essential care, you play an integral role in the well-being and success of our students every day.

We appreciate you and the vital work you do for our school communities! 💙👏

🎉🏈 Huge Congratulations to ACPS Teacher of the Year, Dwynette Smith! 🏈🎉

We are so proud to celebrate Dwynette Smith for being selected as Madam Two Bits at the Florida Gators' football game! 🎶👏 Her incredible dedication to our students and her unwavering commitment to excellence in education have earned her this well-deserved honor.

Help congratulate her as she brought that signature Two Bits spirit to the Swamp! 🐊💙

In case you missed the halftime show at the Florida Gators game yesterday, they showcased high school bands from all over the Sate of Florida, including right here in Alachua County!

The district’s talented young musicians in the spotlight again!

Tommy White and Lexi Burks both found their calling in law enforcement thanks to the Academy of Criminal Justice at Newberry High School. While Tommy always dreamed of becoming a police officer, Lexi joined the academy without any initial plans for law enforcement. Today, both serve as deputy sheriffs at the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office and credit their success to the foundational skills and experiences gained at the academy. Watch their inspiring journey and learn how this program helps shape future public servants.

Watch more One Mill Success Stories and learn about the impact of your support on our students at www.sbac.edu/onemillsuccessstories

One Mill Success Stories - Lexi Burks & Tommy White - Academy of Criminal Justice at Newberry High Tommy White and Lexi Burks both found their calling in law enforcement thanks to the Academy of Criminal Justice at Newberry High School. While Tommy always ...

Tonight our Executive Director Tatila Paul provided The School Board of Alachua County for Alachua County Public Schools an update on our Education Foundation and the work we have been able to accomplish this past year (including our Take Stock in Children Gold-Level Performance award) and exciting new initiatives planned for the year ahead! A special thank you to our Partner in Education and Volunteers Kelley Kostamo for the heartfelt and warm introduction!

Reminder that all ACPS schools and buildings will be closed on Monday, September 2nd in honor of Labor Day. School activities and operations will resume as normal on Tuesday, September 3rd.

Representing all of ACPS and teachers throughout Florida, our very own Teacher of the Year Dwynette Smith, music teacher at Metcalfe Elementary, will be serving as the honorary Mr. Two-Bits for the Samford game. Coach Spurrier called her today to let her know she'd been selected. Go Gators!

A big 'Thank You!' To the Gettel Group, including Gatorland Toyota and BMW of Gainesville, for their 2nd $25,000 donation to the Academy of Automotive Technology at the Professional Academies Magnet at Loften High School. This highly-successful career tech program prepares young people for careers in the automotive industry and is also supported by the One Mill for Schools.

🎉 Westwood Middle School Ribbon Cutting Ceremony! 🎉

We had an incredible day celebrating the official ribbon cutting at Westwood Middle School, marking a new chapter for our students, staff, and community. ✂️🎀

A special thank you goes out to the Alachua County voters for approving the Half Cent Sales Tax, which made this amazing transformation possible. Your support is helping us create state-of-the-art learning environments that will benefit our students for generations to come. 🏫✨

We’re so excited to see the positive impact these improvements will have on our school community. Thank you for being a part of this journey with us! 🙌

Check out the video and some moments from the ceremony below! 📸👇
https://youtu.be/sLx9M8eRPyA?feature=shared
www.sbac.edu/westwoodribboncutting

🌟 In Case You Missed It! 🌟

Our Middle & High School Student-Athlete Mental Health Summit at the UF Champions Club on August 10th was a tremendous event! 🏀⚽🏈🏐

Student-athletes, parents, and coaches came together for a day filled with inspiring keynote speakers, insightful breakout sessions, and engaging discussions focused on the importance of mental health. 🧠✨

Thank you to everyone who participated, shared their experiences, and helped make this event so impactful. We’re proud to support our student-athletes both on and off the field!

Check out some highlights from the day below and find the entire album at www.sbac.edu/studentathletephotos 📸👇

Tonight the School Board recognized outstanding career tech students who have won state and national awards in the spring and summer. Congratulations to students and teachers from programs including the veterinary assisting & agriscience programs at SFHS; culinary arts at EHS; gaming & mobile apps and fire & medical services at PAM@LHS; the finance and entrepreneurship programs at BHS; and health professions at GHS. Thousands of ACPS students are getting a great head start on college and careers thanks to our outstanding career tech programs, which are supported by the One Mill for Schools.

ACPS Elementary Parents - Reminder that today is the first Early Release Wednesday of the year! Check out www.sbac.edu/schoolhours for more information on release times.

📢 ACPS Families:

Great news! Your student can receive a free nasal spray vaccine for the flu right at school during the school day.

The Alachua County Health Department is offering FluMist to all eligible students in Pre-K through 12th grade this October and November. FluMist is a gentle mist sprayed into the nose—safe, effective, and a great way to protect your child and family from the flu.

💉 There is NO COST for the vaccine! If your child has health insurance, the insurance company will be billed, but there will be NO co-pay or deductible. And children without health insurance can also receive the vaccine for free.

For more information, visit www.sbac.edu/flumist or contact the Health Department at (352) 334-7916.

Stay healthy and flu-free this season! 🌟

Superintendent Shane Andrew enjoyed lunch with students and the terrific food service staff at Meadowbrook Elementary yesterday. It was a great first week of school!

Reminder, ACPS's clear bag policy for sporting events will continue this year and IS in effect for the exhibition football games this evening.