FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT
We continue to recruit and hire the highest quality
instructional staff to support the great instruction and
learning taking place in our county. The growth and
development of the individual child remains at the core of
why we do what we do each and every day.
O
n behalf of the St. Johns County School District, it is
an honor to serve your children and families. With the
new school year on the horizon, St. Johns County School
District staff members have worked tirelessly to make our
schools a place where your child wants to come each day
to be inspired to have good character and a passion for
lifelong learning and be educated and caring contributors
to the world.
I am humbled by the dedicated and caring teachers,
administrators, and support staff within our school district.
Through their continued efforts, our students are able
to achieve high standards in academics, sports and
extracurricular activities. Having remarkable students and
parents has helped us continue to excel.
Statewide, our students score exceptionally well, earning
the top scores in several academic areas. Students in
grades 3-10 earned the top scores in the state in reading.
In math, students in grades 6-8 earned the highest scores.
Additionally, our students ranked first in the state on the
Algebra I, Civics, Geometry, Biology I and US History
End-of-Course exams. Students in grades 5 and 8 earned
the top scores in science. Moreover, in 2018, our district
graduation rate was 93.3 percent, which is above the state
average of 86.1 percent. School grades released by the
Florida Department of Education over the summer show that
we continue to be a top performing district in the state and
one of only two that has consistently remained an “A” rated
district.
Along with academics as a focus, we will continue to
expand our safety initiatives to ensure that we provide a
safe, secure, and dynamic learning environment for our
children. If you have not done so already, I encourage you
to download the FortifyFL App. This app allows the user to
notify school personnel and law enforcement of any threat,
share pictures and videos and optionally submit contact
information. We will have local law enforcement and/
or armed security personnel at each school site offering
increased security coverage. In addition, we will provide
ongoing mental health support for our students through
specialized training, programs and resources. This year, we
will be piloting an evidence-based program, Sources of
Strength (SOS), at our high schools. SOS is a best practice
youth suicide prevention program designed to harness the
power of peer social networks to change unhealthy norms
and culture, ultimately preventing suicide, bullying, and
substance abuse. As a district, we are committed to making
resources available to students and families who need
assistance.
I am so grateful to have the opportunity to serve as
superintendent of the St. Johns County School District.
I cannot thank you enough as parents and families in
our district who help us further exceptional learning and
provide support in classrooms and throughout our schools.
Your involvement and participation with our students is
valuable and I encourage you to remain present in your
child’s education as I am committed to do the same. I
hope you find this issue of St. Johns Parent full of relevant
resources. I look forward to a wonderful year with your
precious children and hope that you have an outstanding
2019/2020 school year.
Sincerely,
TIM FORSON, SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS,
ST. JOHNS COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT
VIS IT U S ONLI NE AT WWW.PARE NTM AGAZINE FLORIDA .COM
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