School BoardLinda S. Lerner

ChairpersonPeggy L. OSheaVice Chairperson

Carol J. Cook Janet R. Clark Rene Flowers Terry Krassner

Ken PelusoSuperintendent

Dr. Michael A. GregoPrincipal

Kyle JohnsonAssistant Principals

Larry Balduff Valencia Gore

Tanya KingMatthew Warner

From the PrincipalThe Mission of Dunedin High School

is to Prepare Students

for Postsecondary

Opportunities While

Assisting Students

to Develop Integrity,

Respect, and Social

Responsibility.

DUNEDIN HIGH SCHOOLMARCH 2016

VoluMe 2 Issue 5

Falcon ForumMarch 2016

Published Four Times A YearPinellas County School Board

525 Pennsylvania Ave.Palm Harbor, FL 34683

Issue #5

Dear Falcon Families, Itisdifficulttobelievethatthe2015-2016schoolyearwillbeending

shortly. We still have a great deal to accomplish. We are entering the

testingseason.Pleasehelpyouchildpaycloseattentiontotestingdates.

Attendance is crucial! Pleasemake sure your child is present andwell-

rested. Students will take the FSA test over the nextmonth.We highly

encourageyoutohaveyourstudentreviewthematerials,paper-basedand/

orcomputer-basedpracticetestsandanswerkeysareavailableat:

http://www.fsassessments.org/students-and-families/practice-tests/

We continue to have higher expectations for our students: Wecontinuetoseegrowthinour

reading,writing,mathandsciencetestdata.Ourtestingisgoingwell,andweareanticipatingmore

studentsthanevertotakeandpasstheirAdvancedPlacementteststhisspring.

Campus climate: DHS has a great campus. It is a fantastic learning environment, but even

outstandingschoolshaveroomforimprovement.Ihavebeenhavingregularmeetingswithstudent

representativesinordertofindmorewaystoimproveschoolspiritandtheoverallcampusclimate.

Wehavesomeactivitiesplannedfor thespringandthen fornextyear to takeFalconPridetoa

wholenewlevel.

Graduation and the end of the year: Springisanexcitingtimeofyearforhighschoolstudent,

especiallyseniors,withProm,Grad-Bash,SeniorBreakfastand,finally,Graduation.Allofthese

activitieswillbedonebeforetheseniorsknowit,andthenitisofftothescaryrealworld.No

matterifitisofftocollegeorrightoutintothebusinessworld,Iamconfidentourstudentswill

besuccessful.

GraduationwillbeJune8at9:00a.m.atRuthEckerdHall.

Sincerely,

KyleR.Johnson

Principal

News Briefs

Academy Career Panel Ms. Angela Wright-Nash, Ms. Amy Canavan and Ms. Rebekah

KershaworganizedtheinauguralAcademyCareerPanel. Thepanel

offourpeoplefromthecommunitycameinforaquestionandanswer

sessionwithstudentsintheAcademyofBusinessArtsandTechnology.

Thesepanelistsgavecareerideastostudentsandsharedtheirpersonal

experiences.Mr.StevenPlummer,aformerDHSassistantprincipaland

currentcounty-levelemployee,wasoneofthepanelists.

All-County Boys Basketball ChedonioMartin, senior,was the only DHS

playernamedtothefirstall-countyboysbasketball

team.The65pointguard/comboguardholds

DHSs record for the most points scored in a

game:49againstLakewoodthisseason.Healso

holds the record for thefifthhighestpointsper

gameinthestate.Intheall-stargame,heplayed

shootingguardandmadethesecondround.He

hopestoplayincollegenextyear.

Take Stock in Children Scholarship! CongratulationstothefollowingstudentsforbeingawardedtheTakeStock

inChildrenScholarship!9th Grade:RichBun,SuzetteDeLaCruz,Matthew

Gastineau,VirdianaLopez10 Grade:ShontaeAnderson,DeHanteTownsend

Senior Wins Black History Essay Contest Michaela Polmann, senior, won the Rick and Ann

ScottessaycontestcelebratingBlackHistoryMonth.She

is an SPC Early College student and plans to attend the

Universityof Florida. For this accomplishment,Polmann

will receive a four-year Florida College Plan scholarship

providedbytheFloridaPrepaidCollegeFoundation.

Dedicated Ladies The Dedicated Ladies

of Dunedin High wrote a

love letter toDHS to let the

administrators, secretaries, clerks and others know

they are appreciated. The

messages were from the

girls, and they each had to

bringquotesbackfromtheir

friends as well. It was a

HappyDaygesture.

Old Yearbooks for Sale Yearbooks from 2013 (the freshmen year of current seniors) are

available for$10 in room6-1. Olderyearbooksmayalsobeavailable for

sale.ContactMs.Schuckatschuckga@pcsb.orgforinformationaboutother

oldyearbooksforsale.

Senior News

Senior T-Shirts Thereareafewsizesmallandmediumseniorshirtsstillavailable.The

costis$15.SeeMs.Schuckin6-1topurchasetheshirts.

Senior Grad Bash Reminders SeniorswhohavepaidtoattendGradBashatUniversalStudiosonApril

8areremindedtocheckthedresscodeandprescriptionmedicationrules.

Universalstrictlyenforcesboth,andstudentsnotcomplyingwiththeirdress

codewillnotbeallowedonthebus.Allattendeesshouldmeetinthebus

loopnolaterthan3:15onApril8.Parentsshouldplanonpickingstudents

upat4a.m.onApril9.Pleasemakesuretheearlymorningtransportation

arrangementsareinplacebeforethetrip

AttendeeswhohavenotyetsignedupforabusmustseeMs.Schuck

immediatelyin6-1.

Class of 2017 Senior Picture Information Current juniors must have their senior yearbook pictures taken this

summer. All pictures for yearbook and IDs must be taken by Leonards

Studios.Therewillbethreedaysforstudentstotakepicturesoncampus,

June9andAugust8and9. Studentswhodonothavepicturestakenon

campusononeofthosethreedayswillhavetogotothestudioinTampafor

pictures.LookformoreinformationinthemailinMay.Thecostis$10for

theatschoolyearbookonlypicture.Thefinaldeadlineforseniorpictures

isSept.10.Studentswhodonotsitforpicturesbythatdaywillnothavea

pictureintheirsenioryearbook.

Volunteers! Thankyouforyourcontinuedsupport.Currently,

our volunteers have logged over 6,000 volunteer

hours.AwesomeJobFalconFamilies!!!!

DHSwouldliketosendaspecialTHANKYOUto

volunteers JennaGrayandEricHoughton forbeing

nominated as Dunedin High Schools 2015/2016

OutstandingSchoolVolunteers.

As a THANKYOU to the volunteerofDunedin

HighSchool,Iwillbesendingoutspecialinvitations

via email for our volunteers to attend the April

28,2016,openingperformanceof IntotheWoods

performedbytheDHSDramastudents.Volunteers

will receive (1) free ticket to the show. All other

attendeeswillbesubjecttotheentrancefee.More

detailstocomeinApril.

Please remember to continue to log your

volunteerhours.Ifyouneedassistancewithlogging

yourvolunteerhours,pleasecontactmyoffice.The

lastdaytoentervolunteerhoursfortheschoolyear

isMay20,2016.

SACandPTSAmeetingsalsocountasvolunteer

hours. If you regularly attend thesemeetings and

arecurrentlynotaregisteredvolunteer,pleasevisit

thevolunteersectionoftheDHSwebsitetoobtaina

volunteerregistrationformoremailmeatcerdak@

pcsb.organdIwillsendyoutheform.

Important Reminder: DHS appreciates all that

our wonderful volunteers do for our students and

staff on a daily basis. However, it is important to

rememberthatinordertobeavolunteeryouMUST

be registered prior to doing ANY volunteer work.

This is a Pinellas County School Board Policy. NO

Exceptionscanorwillbemade.

If you wish to contact me, please feel free to

doso. Icanbereachedat727-469-4100Ext.2006

or by email cerdak@pcsb.org. Myofficehours are

Monday-Friday,8:30am-12:30pm.

Thespian Troupe 2177 and the Dunedin Historical Society Dunedin High Schools DramaDepartment has been so fortunate as to have

caughttheattentionoftheDunedinHistoricalSociety.VinnieLuisi,thedirectorof

theSociety,contactedMs.CindyScullion-FullerinNovemberandaskedifsomeof

hertheatrestudentswouldbeinterestedinassistingwithsomeoftheeventsthat

hewassponsoring.So,naturally,allofherstudentswereeagertotakepartinthese

opportunities.OnDec.2,ahandfuloftheTroupe2177Thespiansheadedoverto

the FrancisWilsonPlayhousedressed inVictoriangarb [provided to themby the

DunedinHistoricalSociety]forabenefitperformanceofthebelovedmusicalclassic, The Secret Gardenwhere theygreeted theatregoersandpatronsat thedooras

Britisharistocrats.

Thetroupehasalsoparticipated inaVictorianTour, inwhichtheydressed in

similargarb,andassistedintoursthroughoutDowntownDunedin.Theywereinthe

sameBritisharistocratcharacter.Thesetwoeventswereincredibleopportunitiesfor

someofthethespianstoputtheiractingskillstothetestinanewsetting.Itenabled

themtopracticespeakingwithaBritishaccent,usingaristocraticmannerismsand

bodylanguage,etc.

Morerecently,onFer.26,fourthespians(NicoleLaw,BriannaFallahee,TaiLyttle,

andZachBowman)werefittedforcostumesandweregivenbooksofinformation

about the lives of real people that lived in our community, and they then gave

speechesandansweredquestionsincharacterDowntown.Onestudentportrayed

JeffersonDavisPoston, Jr.;oneof thefirstsuperintendentsof thePinellasCounty

School System; and another a teacher--and even encountered one of her old

students.Indoingthis,theywereabletofullyimmersethemselvesintothelifeofan

actualhumanbeingofthepast,andeventesttheirimprovisationskillsinanswering

questionswiththebackgroundtheyweregiven.

OurTheatreDepartmentcontinuestogrow,andwithopportunitieslikethese,

DunedinHighSchool continues tocontribute toourcommunityandcontinues to

showothersthekindoftalentedandhard-workingstudentswehaveatourschool.

-ByAnissaPerona,senior