INSIDER
First Coast High School lockdown lifted following report of possible firearm on campus
Read full article: First Coast High School lockdown lifted following report of possible firearm on campusA lockdown at First Coast High School has been lifted Monday afternoon following a report of a possible firearm on campus, according to Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and Duval County School Police.
Oceanway neighbors will get more opportunities to voice concerns after Chick-fil-A public hearing confusion
Read full article: Oceanway neighbors will get more opportunities to voice concerns after Chick-fil-A public hearing confusionNeighbors fighting to block a Chick-fil-A restaurant from being built across from First Coast High School will have four more chances to voice their concerns to city leaders.
Florida has handed out grades for every school and school district. Here’s how our 11 area districts fared
Read full article: Florida has handed out grades for every school and school district. Here’s how our 11 area districts faredThe Florida Department of Education (FDOE) on Monday released school grades for the 2022-23 school year.
Bodycam video shows chaotic scene near high school football game when JSO officers shot 15-year-old suspect
Read full article: Bodycam video shows chaotic scene near high school football game when JSO officers shot 15-year-old suspectThe Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday released body camera video that shows the moments when police shot a 15-year-old suspect who was accused of opening fire into a crowd of people leaving a football game at First Coast High School last month.
DCPS: ‘Nothing actually happened or was found’ following threat at First Coast High School
Read full article: DCPS: ‘Nothing actually happened or was found’ following threat at First Coast High SchoolFirst Coast High School was placed on lockdown late Thursday morning after someone phoned in a threat to 911, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
2 First Coast High School students face charges after loaded gun found in vehichle
Read full article: 2 First Coast High School students face charges after loaded gun found in vehichleTwo First Coast High School students are facing possible criminal charges after a loaded gun was found in a student’s vehicle this week.
Remember them? Checking in on how former area players are doing in the USFL
Read full article: Remember them? Checking in on how former area players are doing in the USFLThe second iteration of the USFL is at the midway point of its first season. Several players in the league have area ties, having played with the Jaguars or at a local high school. Check in on how those players are performing.
Recent acts of gun violence in Oceanway believed to be connected, JSO says
Read full article: Recent acts of gun violence in Oceanway believed to be connected, JSO saysMembers of the Jacksonville City Council met Thursday night, addressing recent cases of violent crime reported within the city’s seventh district.
Enhanced security ‘for the near future’ at First Coast High after 1 teen killed, 4 wounded in Oceanway shooting
Read full article: Enhanced security ‘for the near future’ at First Coast High after 1 teen killed, 4 wounded in Oceanway shootingStudents were met with increased security Wednesday morning when they arrived at First Coast High School a day after a shooting not far from the campus left one teenager dead and another four hospitalized.
First Coast High planning for enhanced security ‘for the near future’
Read full article: First Coast High planning for enhanced security ‘for the near future’In a message Tuesday to parents of students at First Coast High School, Principal Justin Fluent said the school will be taking enhanced security measures “in light of the acts of violence taking place in our area.”
DCPS: Loaded firearm found on campus of First Coast High School
Read full article: DCPS: Loaded firearm found on campus of First Coast High SchoolDuval County Public Schools is expected to release a statement after a spokesperson confirmed a student was found Tuesday with a loaded gun at First Coast High School.
Teenager injured after shots fired at car in parking lot along Duval Station Road
Read full article: Teenager injured after shots fired at car in parking lot along Duval Station RoadInvestigators with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office were sent to investigate a shooting reported Tuesday afternoon at an address on Duval Station Road near First Coast High School.
Record 359 student COVID-19 infections added in DCPS caseload update
Read full article: Record 359 student COVID-19 infections added in DCPS caseload updateDuval County Public Schools on Tuesday night added 359 newly reported COVID-19 infections among students in its evening caseload update, topping a previous single-update high of 305, which was reported Monday.
DCPS to hold day of COVID-19 vaccination events for children age 5 & older
Read full article: DCPS to hold day of COVID-19 vaccination events for children age 5 & olderDuval County Public Schools on Thursday announced it is partnering with the Florida Department of Health in Duval County to hold a day of vaccination events for children age 5 and older.
Former Jacksonville teacher pleads guilty to having sex with student
Read full article: Former Jacksonville teacher pleads guilty to having sex with studentA former Jacksonville high school teacher has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of unlawful sex with a minor, News4Jax learned Wednesday.
Hanna Heflin honored as All-Star Athlete
Read full article: Hanna Heflin honored as All-Star AthleteHanna Heflin is a sophomore at First Coast High School and ranked No. She is this year’s varsity co-captain of the cheerleading squad. Hanna is a member of the National Honor Society and National Hispanic Honor Society. She volunteers at the Sulzbacher Center, preparing and serving meals; at Hunger Fight, where she packs bags with nutritious meals for families in need, and another volunteer project making wigs for cancer patients. Hanna currently has a 4.8 GPA.
DCPS makes changes after students call for ‘You Matter Month’ to be renamed
Read full article: DCPS makes changes after students call for ‘You Matter Month’ to be renamedJACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After Sandalwood High School students took to the hallways on Wednesday in protest of the district’s “You Matter Month” campaign, more demonstrations were held Friday on campuses across the district. Students rallied again at Sandalwood, as well as at First Coast High School, Fletcher High School, Andrew Jackson High School and others. The main target of all the demonstrations is the district’s “You Matter Month” campaign which they say takes away from Black History Month and, at the same time, high-jacks the “Black Lives Matter” phrasing. “We want more Black history to be in the curriculum, we want it to be more important,” Sandalwood student Milka Fanord said. In fact, DCPS is listed as one of only nine “exemplary districts” by Florida for how it provides Black history education.
Jalen Evans honored as All-Star Athlete
Read full article: Jalen Evans honored as All-Star AthleteJalen Evans is a senior at First Coast High School and is on the football and track teams. He has been awarded honorable mention All-Conference football player and honorable mention MVP. Jalen is a member of the National Honor Society, AVID - a college preparatory program - and a former member of the 5,000 role models. Jalen has volunteered with the Jacksonville Summer Youth Camp at First Coast High School. He currently has 4.1 GPA.
School reverses decision on Duval County student wearing Trump campaign mask
Read full article: School reverses decision on Duval County student wearing Trump campaign maskDUVAL COUNTY, Fla. – A student at First Coast High School was asked to replace his face mask Wednesday morning, which displayed support for President Donald Trump’s unsuccessful 2020 re-election campaign. The student, who asked that his name remain private, said his teacher “kicked him out of class” and told him the mask was a violation of school policy. “I told her that it was my first amendment right, it wasn’t belligerent or anything, it wasn’t causing a disruption,” the student told News4Jax. A short time later, the district replied, saying the teacher misinterpreted its dress code and had since allowed the student to resume wearing the mask. “If there is defiance and continued non-conformance to the dress code, consequences could escalate, but this situation never approached that territory,” Pierce said.
America’s Navy looking for top Jacksonville students for $180,000 ROTC scholarships
Read full article: America’s Navy looking for top Jacksonville students for $180,000 ROTC scholarshipsJACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Navy recruiting leadership will be here in Jacksonville to meet with high school students and administrators about the Navy’s scholarship, which pays full tuition for students who show exceptional academic and leadership credentials, as well as the wide range of STEM-related careers available in the Navy. On Friday, Nov. 20th, Navy leaders will be gathering at Edward H. White High School to meet with students virtually from at least 15 schools to discuss the scholarship program including:Jacksonville High SchoolBaldwin High SchoolEnglewood High SchoolPaxon School for Advanced StudiesSamuel W. Wolfson High SchoolWilliam M. Raines High SchoolJean Ribault High SchoolFirst Coast High SchoolMandarin High SchoolRobert E. Lee High SchoolTerry Parker High SchoolAndrew Jackson High SchoolSandalwood High SchoolWestside High School
2 Duval County schools employees arrested in separate cases
Read full article: 2 Duval County schools employees arrested in separate casesJACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Two Duval County Public Schools employees have been reassigned following their arrests last week in separate incidents, the school district announced Tuesday. In a statement emailed to Jacksonville media, the school district said the arrests have nothing to do with the employees' work. She began working at First Coast High School in July 2018. Jean Louis, an adaptive physical education teacher, began working for the district in August 2017 at Garden City Elementary School. Starting in September 2020, his work involved assignments at Loretto Elementary, Mandarin Oaks Elementary and Greenland Pines Elementary.
New mother fighting cancer honored at Atlantic Coast football game
Read full article: New mother fighting cancer honored at Atlantic Coast football gameJust before the game between First Coast High School and Atlantic Coast High School, a woman battling stomach cancer was honored on the 50-year line by players and coaches on both teams. She’s the 31-year old sister of the Atlantic Coast High School Football coach Mike Montemayor. And tonight was the first time little Tyler got to attend a football game coached by his uncle. So right before the start of the game, Milani was escorted out onto the field where she was honored by both teams and people in the stands. The coach of the First Coast High School Football team says he was using that moment to teach his players about life off the football field and what it truly means to be strong in the face of adversity.
Coralee Stemerick honored as All-Star Athlete
Read full article: Coralee Stemerick honored as All-Star AthleteCoralee Stemerick is on the tennis and volleyball teams at First Coast High School. She is also a member of the National Honor Society and the Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society. Coralee coaches young swimmers on the Oceanway Tsunamis Swim Team and also volunteers with both the Oceanway Middle School volleyball and swim teams. Coralee currently has a 4.6 GPA.
Coralee Stemerick honored as All-Star Athlete
Read full article: Coralee Stemerick honored as All-Star AthleteCoralee Stemerick honored as All-Star AthletePublished: February 1, 2020, 8:00 amCoralee Stemerick is on the tennis and volleyball teams at First Coast High School. Coralee is a member of the National Honor Society and the Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society. She coaches young swimmers on the Oceanway Tsunamis Swim Team and also volunteers with both the Oceanway Middle School volleyball and swim teams. Coralee currently has a 4.6 GPA.
Teacher removed over message scolding students who didn't stand for Pledge
Read full article: Teacher removed over message scolding students who didn't stand for PledgeJACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A First Coast High School teacher has been removed pending the outcome of a review into a message on his classroom board scolding students who did not stand for the Pledge of Allegiance or the national anthem, according to a Duval County school district spokesperson. "It was implied in the statement that students who fail to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance lack maturity," the spokesperson said in a statement. The Code of Student Conduct also states:"Pursuant to Florida Statutes, students have the right not to participate in reciting the pledge. A First Coast High School Teacher is removed over a message scolding students who didn't stand for the Pledge, according to DCPS. If you refuse to stand during the Pledge of Allegiance or our National Anthem, are you revealing maturity and wisdom?
Teacher removed over message scolding students who didn't stand for Pledge
Read full article: Teacher removed over message scolding students who didn't stand for PledgeA First Coast High School teacher has been removed pending the outcome of a review into a message on his classroom board scolding students who did not stand for the Pledge of Allegiance or the... Copyright 2019 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.
Teacher's pledge message controversy
Read full article: Teacher's pledge message controversyA First Coast High School teacher is out of the classroom and under investigation after writing a strongly worded message on a whiteboard about students not standing during the Pledge of Allegiance. Copyright 2019 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.
Police: School district warehouse employee sold stolen scrap metal, kept cash
Read full article: Police: School district warehouse employee sold stolen scrap metal, kept cashJACKSONVILLE, Fla. - A Duval County school district warehouse employee is accused of taking scrap metal from a district warehouse, selling it and pocketing the cash, according to a Jacksonville Sheriff's Office arrest report. Belger, 47, was booked into the Duval County jail at 11:16 a.m. Thursday, online jail records show. According to Duval County Public Schools, school police first became aware of the allegations from tips provided by Belgers co-workers. Belger was both an employee with the school district and the president of the Booster Club at First Coast High School, which has been notified of his arrest. In October, a Duval County school safety assistant was arrested after authorities said he admitted to pawning his service weapon twice.