CELEBRATING 45 SCHOOLS WITH INCREASED LETTER GRADES – District leaders recently honored the principals of 45 schools that increased their letter grades. Thirty-five schools went up by one letter grade, and 10 went up by two letter grades. Each principal was honored with a superintendent's coin of excellence. Congratulations!
TEAM DUVAL HONORED FROM CAPITOL HILL – The office of US Representative Aaron Bean recently presented the School Board with a copy of an official congressional record honoring the district's A grade. The Representative's District Director, Bryan Campbell, made the presentation at the August 5 board meeting, and also played a video in which Rep. Bean commended the district for its success before the Speaker of the House.
FIVE TEAM DUVAL SCHOOLS RECOGNIZED AS ATTENDANCE CHAMPIONS – This Team Duval Shoutout celebrates five schools that have gone above and beyond in their efforts to improve attendance at their schools. These “Attendance Champions” are Anchor Academy Elementary, Cedar Hills Elementary, Northwestern Legends Elementary, Pickett Elementary, and Alfred I. duPont Middle schools. Each school received a large banner ahead of the new school year, allowing leaders to proudly display their achievements for all parents, students, and community members to see. Great work!
PRINCIPAL TEPER NAMED EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR – Congratulations to Englewood Elementary Principal Hope Teper for being named the Junior Achievement of North Florida 2025 Educator of the Year! According to JA North Florida President Shannon Italia, Principal Teper, "...exemplifies what it means to champion students beyond the classroom. Her commitment to her students is inspiring, and her partnership with JA has opened doors for hundreds of young learners."
PRAISE FOR KINDERGARTEN TEACHER ASHLEY WOODS – This Team Duval Shoutout comes from Chaffee Trail Elementary parent Kacy Kelly-Williams, who says Kindergarten Teacher Ashley Woods made a huge difference in her daughter Brooklyn’s school year! When Brooklyn transferred mid-year, Mrs. Woods went above and beyond to ensure a smooth transition. This included a phone call during Brooklyn’s first week to share school and classroom routines, and help make her transition as smooth as possible. Great work!
MAYPORT MIDDLE ROBOTICS TEAMS SCORE BIG AT COMPETITION – Congratulations to the Stingrays of Mayport Coastal Sciences Middle School for winning the top prize at the 2025 International SeaPerch Challenge! This marks the second consecutive year the Stingrays were named Overall Champions in the Open Class category, and the third consecutive year Mayport has earned an Overall Championship prize! This year’s competition took place at the University of Maryland in College Park with middle and high school competitors from around the world. The Stingrays – along with the school’s sixth-grade Flying Fish and seventh-grade Anglerfish teams – earned multiple awards in several categories, including Mission Course, Obstacle Course, Technical Report, Community Outreach, and the Real-World Innovation Poster Project. Great work!
SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS GATHER FOR SUMMER INSTITUTE – One of the reasons Team Duval has become a Florida A-Rated district is because of the great work our schools are doing to support students in their emotional and mental health. Empowering students to gain resilience to tackle life’s challenges helps them bring focus to their academic success. Recently, almost 200 of our amazing school counselors, school social workers, school psychologists, and mental health therapists gathered for the Duval County Public Schools/University of Florida Collaborative Care Summer Institute. They spent time learning, planning, and strategizing in preparation for the new school year. Our school-based mental health professionals do wonderful work and offer another great reason for choosing traditional public schools. Thank you for all you do!
ESOL STUDENTS ENJOY WATER TAXI TOUR – Students participating in this year’s ESOL Summer Maintenance Program are celebrating a unique learning experience on the St. Johns River. English Language Learners with Southside Middle School’s program recently took a water taxi tour and learned about the city's history, landmarks, and the importance of the river.
PRAISE FOR TEACHER JENNIFER SHEPARD – One Team Duval parent is grateful for the impact Seabreeze Elementary School’s Jennifer Shepard had on her son! Here’s what Seabreeze parent Janee Thomas shares about the first grade teacher: “We had a wonderful year filled with growth and support. Her sweet and encouraging spirit truly made a difference—she helped Ka’Marley build confidence, especially in reading. We’re so grateful for the love and dedication she poured into him.”
BACK TO BACH PERFORMANCE – Students participating in the district’s ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) Summer Maintenance Program received a special treat, thanks to a visit by a group of classical musicians! Members of the “Back to BACH Project” recently performed for English Language Learners at the Loretto Elementary site. Back to BACH sends young, classical musicians into schools to help inspire and encourage a love for the arts.
APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR "PARENTS WHO LEAD" - Calling all Duval County parents, guardians, and caregivers! Do you want to make a real impact in your child’s school and your community? Parents Who Lead is a free program designed to help you grow your leadership skills, understand how local systems work, and connect with others who are passionate about creating change for kids. Applications are open now — don’t miss your chance to be part of the next cohort!
Learn more and apply here: https://www.jaxpef.org/our-work/for-parents/
BOARD MEMBER RECEIVES AWARD – Congratulations to District 4 School Board Member Darryl Willie for receiving the Florida School Boards Association's FSBA President's Award! Immediate Past President Tim Bryant presented two President's awards – one to Darryl Willie of Duval and one to Caprice Edmonds of Pinellas – for their work as chair and vice chair of the Equity committee.
NEW "BLUE ZONES APPROVED" SCHOOLS – Congratulations to five Team Duval schools now designated as "Blue Zones Approved" in the city of Jacksonville. These schools have been equipped by the Blue Zones Project Jacksonville with little to no cost research-based policies and programs designed to improve the environment and make the “healthy choice” easier. They are: Mattie V. Rutherford Alternative Middle School, Jean Ribault Middle School, Jean Ribault High School, Northwestern Legends Elementary School, and Rutledge H. Pearson Elementary School.
PARENTS WHO LEAD COHORT RECOGNIZED – Seventeen parent leaders were honored at the July 1 School Board meeting for their participation in Parents Who Lead, a partnership of Duval County Public Schools, the Jacksonville Public Education Fund, and the Kids Hope Alliance. Parents Who Lead empowers parents and caregivers to become transformative agents of change in schools and in the community. They've spent weeks building their toolkit to become more effective leaders and advocates
EXTENDED DAY REGISTRATION - Looking for safe, fun, and affordable childcare services before and after school? Team Duval’s Extended Day program opens for registration on Monday, July 14 at 8 a.m. Space is limited, and spots fill up fast, so we encourage families to register early. All K-12 Team Duval students are eligible. Learn more and review the easy registration details at https://www.duvalschools.org/o/dcps/page/2025-2026-extended-day-registration
Surprise! This shoutout recognizes three school counselors honored by the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Department for the impact they’re making in their school communities. The following school counselors were named ESOL Contacts of the Year: Georgine Mondestin-Hillman of Kernan Trail Elementary School, Alexandria Fields of Lake Shore Middle School, and Amanda Zagrodny of Mandarin High School. Each was surprised with a special on-campus visit and a plaque in May.
TEAM DUVAL GRADUATE PRESENTED WITH SCHOLARSHIP CHECK – Congrats to Michael Dickson, a recent Samuel Wolfson School for Advanced Studies graduate, for earning a $2,000 scholarship from the Florida Debate Initiative! FDI President Abraham Lopez personally presented Dickson with the check, commending him for his excellence in speech and debate, academic achievement, leadership, and civic engagement.
CIVICS AND DEBATE STUDENTS WIN AT STATE COMPETITION – Congrats to Shan Vance and Anne Zacharia of Julia Landon College Preparatory School for winning the Public Forum Debate Middle School State Championship at the Florida Civics and Debate Initiative State Championship in April! Anne also earned second place at the state Civics Bee Competition.
5000 ROLE MODELS GRADUATES NAMED WILSON SCHOLARS – Congratulations to four program graduates who earned over $100,000 in scholarships to attend Florida A & M University, Florida State University, and St. Thomas University. They are: Kowen Webb of Darnell Cookman School of the Medical Arts (Florida A&M University), Markus Blakely of First Coast High School (Florida A&M University), Hayven Jones of Darnell Cookman (St. Thomas University, not pictured), and Emmanuel Abay of Darnell Cookman (Florida State University, not pictured).
ESOL AWARDS – This Team Duval Shoutout honors the many English Language Learners recognized at the district’s annual ESOL Awards Ceremony at Sandalwood High School. Elementary, middle, and high school students received awards for their achievements, as did several Instructional Support staff and retirees. ESOL Director Ingrid Carias shares, “As a former English Language Learner, I deeply appreciate the challenges, fears, and uncertainties they encounter, while also celebrating their remarkable resilience and passion for learning.”
