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PVHS: Empowering Every Learner to Develop Good Character and to Achieve Success
UPCOMING DATES
February 4: Family Night
February 5: College Fair (period 2/3 – Juniors and Sophomores.)
February 10: Interims issued
February 13: Student Holiday/Teacher work day
February 16: Student and Teacher Holiday
UPCOMING FAMILY NIGHTS: APRIL 8
ARTIST OF THE MONTH
Ivey Dionne
12th Grade
3D AP Art with Ms. Reyes
TRENDING
message from sjcsd superintendent
PVHS PTO
RSVP for the PTO General Meeting on 2/2/26! See Links Below to regiser
UPDATED JANUARY 30, 3026
HIGHLIGHTS ON CAMPUS
sharks with character!
sharks DEBATE TEAM
Over 600 competitors from 15 states met this weekend in Orlando for the National Civics and Debate Champion -otherwise known as The Great Debate. Ponte Vedra High School was thrilled to have a dozen students qualify for this arduous and unique tournament. The Great Debate is a triathlon where each student competes in three different events: Impromptu Speaking, Extemporaneous Debate, and Legislative Debate. Freshman Aarit Moolchandani earned a top 20 placing in Extemporaneous Debate. It is an incredible achievement, especially since this is his first at this tournament. Congratulations Aarit!!
sharks in the community
Two of our Speech and Debate students spoke at the Ponte Vedra Beach Rotary Club meeting. Hannah Hosseini, sophomore, presented her Informative Speech covering the history of the war between Coke and Pepsi. Doga Tankut, also a sophomore, presented her speech about issues, past and present, in women’s healthcare. Both students highly impressed the 50 or so professionals in attendance, myself included. To thank us for our presentation, the Rotary Club has made a donation to Rotary International’s effort to eradicate polio in honor of the Ponte Vedra High School Speech and Debate Team.
OUR SHARKS ARE MATHLETES
Joshua Huang and Jonathan Cunningham participated in the American Mathematics Competition 12 Test. Based on their outstanding performance, they both qualified for the next level of the competition, the American Invitational Mathematics Exam. Way to go!
On Monday, 12/8/25, Congressman John H. Rutherford, presented an award to PVHS Student, Nicolas Vazquez, for winning the
Florida District 5 Congressional App Challenge (CAC).
The Congressional App Challenge invites middle and high school students to create and submit apps, with specific rules regarding eligibility, submission, and judging criteria. The first year of the challenge was 2016. Every year since, Congress has challenged students in their districts to create and submit an original app for a chance to win the Congressional App Challenge (CAC). Each challenge is district specific. Students are publicly recognized, and each winning app may be put on display in the U.S. Capitol Building for one year.
Nick is a student in the Academy of Information Technology at Ponte Vedra High School. He is pictured with Congressman Rutherford, his academy teacher, Michael Costello, and his parents, Osvaldo & Analia Vazquez.
Congratulations Nicolas!
SHARK 2.0
Sharks represent!
Ponte Vedra High School students demonstrated outstanding achievement in the recent U.S. District Court High School Essay Contest, capturing seven of the top ten awards among participants from across a dozen counties in Northeast Florida. The contest, sponsored by the lawyers and judges of the United States District Court, Middle District of Florida and the Jacksonville Federal Court Bar Association, invited high school students in grades 9–12 to submit essays analyzing how having an advocate is vital to creating a more just and equitable society. The theme challenged students to reflect on the importance of advocacy in various aspects of life.
Our Ponte Vedra High School award recipients include:
- Rachel Marino (Senior) – 1st Place
- Jonathan Milicevic (Senior) – 2nd Place
- Ananya Yegnamurthy (Junior) – 3rd Place
- Ashley Wright (Senior)
- Leila Dixon (Sophomore)
- Nancy James (Senior)
- Daniela Jimenez (Junior)
Congratulations to these students for their exceptional work and for representing Ponte Vedra High School with distinction. Their success reflects not only individual talent but also a commitment to civic engagement and thoughtful writing. Go Sharks!
CLUBS AT PVHS
VISIT THE CLUB PAGE FOR INFORMATION AND THE CLUB CALENDAR
CLASS OF 2026
The Universal Studios GRAD BASH senior trip will take place on April 17, 2026.
- Price: $220 per ticket
- Purchase Location: Tickets can ONLY be purchased through SchoolPay until 1/31.
For questions, please email: [email protected]
Paladino Business Scholarship
The Paladino Business Scholarship, available to students in The Academy of International Business and Marketing, will be open for applications beginning January 5, 2026. Mr. & Mrs. Paladino will award two $3000.00 scholarships.
New for this year, Mr. & Mrs. Paladino are introducing The Paladino STEM Scholarship, in honor of Mr. Paladino’s parents, Dr. Albert Paladino, Scientist and Entrepreneur, and Dorothy Paladino, RN, and mother of four. These scholarships are open to any PVHS senior planning to major in a STEM focused degree including a focus in the health care fields. They will award two $3000.00 scholarships.
Both scholarships are merit based.
Application, deadline, and submission requirements are in the attached documents. Students may also access them through the senior Schoology page, their academy teacher or on the PVHS academy webpage.
SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY FOR ACADEMY SENIORS
TESTING
BULLETIN BOARD
VOLUNTEER HOURS AVAILABLE
The Character Counts! 6K/3K Run/Walk is coming in early February, and we need high school volunteers to cheer for our runners.
Event: Character Counts! 6K/3K Run/Walk
Date: Saturday, Feb 7, 2026
Location: Palencia Elementary School (PES), 355 Palencia Village Drive, St. Augustine, 32095
Arrival Time: 7:30 a.m.
Race Time: 9 a.m.
Completion Time: 10:30 a.m.
Prior to Race – Each student is to make a poster that supports and encourages the participants when they run/walk past. There are lots of fun ideas on the internet. Be creative, and be sure that the posters are in good taste – remember character counts! Do not worry about how “artsy” or perfect they are. Just have fun!
Day of Race – Students come to the volunteer table upon arrival at PES. At that time, they will be given further instructions regarding being transported to the area in which they will be volunteering. When the race begins, they will cheer on the walkers and runners like crazy! Having supporters along the race is a VERY important part of this event, and we are so proud of everyone on the course.
Completion of Race – Students will return to the school, go to the volunteer table, and receive their volunteer hours service sheet.
PARENT VOLUNTEERS
Support our Career Academy Internship Program
A key component of this program is providing students with meaningful summer internship experiences aligned to their academy focus. To participate in the internship program students must complete career readiness training, prepare a resume, and be interviewed and selected by the participating business partners. We are seeking the support of local businesses to help make these opportunities possible. Internship schedules are flexible and can be tailored to meet your business needs, with a typical commitment of 20 hours per week for six weeks, as well as shorter options such as job shadowing. Internships may be unpaid or paid, and our team is happy to collaborate with you to design an experience that works for your organization while providing valuable real-world learning for students. Please see the attached flyer to learn more about the program, and feel free to reach out to Marisa Leonard, PVHS Career Specialist, or Ashley Wimpelberg, SJCSD Work-Based Learning Coordinator, with any questions.
REVOLUTION PREP
Our practice exams with Revolution Prep are quickly approaching! If your student hasn’t registered yet, this is a great opportunity to get real test-day practice and an instant, detailed score report. Every family also receives a complimentary 30-minute score review to help map out the best testing strategy.
Exam Details
Register Here: www.revolutionprep.com/partners/pvhs
Questions?
Christina Brownell | Call/Text: (904) 862-2663| [email protected]
SCHOOL COUNSELORS
PVHS INFORMATION
2025-2026 DRESS CODE POLICY
Parents requesting a refund from your students cafe account please use the following link.
https://www.stjohns.k12.fl.us/food/cafeteria-refunds/
For students remaining in the SJSD, all balances will carry over to the following year.
If you would like to move a balance between siblings, please email [email protected]
Per district policy, NO A La Carte purchases are allowed without funds in the account to cover them. A school lunch will be offered if the account does not have sufficient funds.
*You can use PayPams to pre load payments & set up low balance reminders on your students café account.
Payments can take up to 1-2 school days to upload. We do not accept PayPams phone receipts as proof of payment.
*If sending cash/checks please have your student bring to the café during breakfast, when we are not as busy.
THE PVHS TIBURON
The PVHS Tiburon
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By: Evan Long On Dec. 18, The Ponte Vedra High School (PVHS) Sharks faced the Central Florida Christian Academy Eagles for their first game of the Windermere Prep Tournament in ...
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