The area is well represented in Major League Baseball. Each week on Thursdays, News4JAX will chart how local players are doing in MLB. Stats are through July 4 games.

Beaches Go Green is a volunteer based organization looking to make the Earth more sustainable.  Students from all over Jacksonville volunteer their time for various cleanup activities.

The Duval County School Board is implementing enhanced security measures at local high school football games following two incidents at local that happened within the last two months.

Fletcher High School principal ended a Friday night football game against Sandalwood High School.

The City of Jacksonville Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services (PRCS) announced that 20 community pools across the city will open Saturday, May 27 — just in time for Memorial Day festivities.

Each Thursday, News4JAX will update players in Major League Baseball.

Two Sandalwood High School students were arrested Thursday after the school was placed on a code yellow lockdown to investigate an attack on a students, according to a message regarding the incident from Principal Saryn Hatcher to parents and guardians.

Two Sandalwood High School students were arrested Thursday after the school was placed on a code yellow lockdown to investigate an attack on a students, according to a message regarding the incident from Principal Saryn Hatcher to parents and guardians.

It’s Week 3 of Football Friday, and our game of the week is Raines High School at Sandalwood High School.

Families and friends are looking forward to getting together and celebrating the holiday weekend. Beat the heat by visiting one of the swimming locations the city of Jacksonville has opened to keep you cool while having fun in the sun.

With a heat advisory in effect from noon to 8 p.m. Thursday, the city of Jacksonville has multiple locations open to the public that offer air conditioning or other ways to cool off in extreme heat.

Duval County Public Schools is looking for teachers and support personnel. The district is hosting a job fair for candidates Saturday, April 2. The sessions break down like this:

Several students are planting a “daffodil memorial garden” to pay tribute to the children who were murdered during the Holocaust.

Enhanced security measures are planned Friday at Sandalwood High School after administrators received a report of a threatening statement made on social media.

Maggie Radloff is varsity cheer captain at Sandalwood and is on the tennis team. She is also Miss Sandalwood High School 2020-21 and was awarded Saint of the Year out of 700 students.

Duval students 12 and older rolled up their sleeves and got their first dose of the Pfizer shot on Saturday.

Days after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention authorizes the Pfizer vaccine for anyone age 12 and above, Duval County schools will host a vaccine clinic for students Saturday at Sandalwood High School.

JACKSONVILLE, 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.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – In an email to Sandalwood High School personnel Wednesday night, Principal Saryn Hatcher addressed the student-organized, mass walkout that occurred hours earlier. AdStudent organizers said Thursday they want the school and the district to place more emphasis on Black History Month and integrate more Black history into the curriculum. We want more Black history to be in the curriculum, we want it to be more important,” student Milka Fanord said. Some Sandalwood students say it’s not enough. Videos of the demonstration showed students chanting, “Black Lives Matter, Black Lives Matter...,” and impromptu speeches from organizers criticized the school’s lack of messaging about Black History Month.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Due to unspecified “potential threats” on social media, all Duval County high schools will be implementing “enhanced security measures” through the end of the school week, according to two robocalls News4Jax obtained Wednesday night. Sandalwood is the only school mentioned specifically by the district, although all high schools are taking similar precautions. One message was sent from Principal James Ledford to parents of Fletcher High School students. Tracy Pierce, spokesperson for Duval County Public Schools, said that parents and students may notice metal detectors. AdNews4Jax crime and safety Expert Ken Jefferson says it’s critical that anyone with knowledge of violent social media chatter speak up.

Students at Sandalwood High School staged a walkout Wednesday after a series of online posts sparked outrage. It all started Tuesday with a post on Microsoft Teams from Sandalwood High School Principal Dr. Saryn Hatcher. AdThen students allegedly posted racially insensitive comments on that Microsoft Teams thread and the principal eventually shut down the entire thread. There was some banging on tables and standing on tables, but there was no damage to school property, Pierce said. Sandalwood High School Senior Vice President Kimberly Williams, 17, said even though the protest didn’t go exactly as it was planned, there are still issues at the school that need to be addressed.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Teachers and their families are concerned about the number of positive cases reported in schools but, they say, they’re more concerned about what’s not being reported. News4Jax spoke to a Duval County teacher who tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday who said she should’ve known about her exposure at least a day earlier. She later learned they had tested positive for COVID-19 and found out not from the health department or the school district, but from the students’ parents. Earlier this year, the Duval County Public Schools dashboard was updated to display positive cases as soon as they’re reported to the district. News4Jax asked the health department at the state and county level about the amount of “pending” cases it has yet to perform contact tracing on.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 14-year-old girl shot in the head Tuesday afternoon at a home in Arlington has died after spending more than 24 hours on life support. Ayva was shot at a home on Wedgefield Boulevard in Arlington Tuesday evening. Investigators told News4Jax they believe the teen was holding the gun and handed it to her mother when it went off, firing a single shot. Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office responded to the Arlington home shortly after 5 p.m. Tuesday after receiving a 911 call about a child shot. The State Attorney’s Office later told News4Jax that there was a miscommunication in court.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A math teacher at Sandalwood High School will be suspended for five days without pay after a unanimous vote by the Duval County School Board on Tuesday night. The five-day suspension for Caggiano’s “unprofessional conduct” did not specify what motivated the consequence. It was unanimously approved in the same vote as several other business items including a 10-day, unpaid suspension of Benjamin Wade, listed as a social studies teacher at Alfred DuPont Middle School. Neither Caggiano nor Wade has any previous professional discipline listed in the Florida Department of Education’s database. News4Jax reporter Corley Peel reached out to Caggiano on Wednesday, and he said: “All I have to say is I did nothing wrong.”

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Duval County School Board is set to vote Tuesday on whether to suspend a Sandalwood High School math teacher for a week without pay. Thomas Caggiano, who previously came under scrutiny last year over public posts he made on Facebook, faces a five-day suspension over unspecified “unprofessional conduct,” according to a copy of the school board’s Dec. 1 agenda. The school district would not specify what that language means. The school district’s Office of Equity and Inclusion/Professional Standards counseled Caggiano on LGBTQ inclusion after the incident with a transgender student, but no further disciplinary action was taken. A school district spokesperson said he was reassigned this summer to the district’s operations center in Northwest Jacksonville, a role away from students.

Kadence Thigpen plays multiple sports at Sandalwood High School. She excels at soccer but also was the kicker on the football team in her 8th-grade year. She says juggling sports keeping a 4.5 GPA requires time management.

Hakem Smith is on the baseball team at Sandalwood High School. He graduated from the Early College Program with an AA degree. Hakem volunteers with the Fort Caroline Athletic Association helping with little league and with Rip City, a training facility for both baseball and softball players. He currently has a 3.5 GPA.

Click the links below to watch graduation ceremonies live. Scheduled to begin at 9 a.m.Atlantic Coast High SchoolRibault High SchoolSandalwood High School

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. July graduations dates were released by Duval County Public Schools on Friday. According to DCPS, information regarding time, venue guest information and safety protocols was still being finalized as of Friday. That information was expected to be shared with families in the coming weeks. Here is a list of the upcoming graduation dates, provided by the district:Wednesday, July 15Alden Road Exceptional Student CenterMount Herman Exceptional Student CenterThursday, July 16Palm Avenue Exceptional Student CenterFriday, July 17Frank H. PetersonAndrew Jackson High SchoolMonday, July 20Baldwin Middle Senior High SchoolWilliam M. Raines High SchoolStanton College PreparatoryTuesday, July 21Sandalwood High SchoolJean Ribault Senior High SchoolAtlantic Coast High SchoolWednesday, July 22Terry Parker High SchoolSamuel W. Wolfson High SchoolEdward White High SchoolDuval Virtual Instruction AcademyThursday, July 23Westside High SchoolAsa Philip Randolph Academies of TechnologyMandarin High SchoolRobert E. Lee High SchoolThe Bridge to Success AcademyFriday, July 24Douglas Anderson School of the ArtsDarnell Cookman School of the Medical ArtsFirst Coast High SchoolMonday, July 27

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Duval County Public Schools is investigating derogatory social media posts that are reportedly connected to a teacher at Sandalwood High School. “I will NOT refer to you with female pronouns,” Caggiano wrote to a transgender student in a 2019 email obtained by the Times-Union. On Friday, a Duval Schools spokesman confirmed to News4Jax that the district is looking into Caggiano’s social media posts. Duval County Public Schools should complete its investigation thoroughly and swiftly - and it should be the end of Mr. Caggiano’s public teaching career. Following his time in the Navy, Caggiano was a teacher at Ribault Middle School and Twin Lakes Academy Middle for seven years.

1 arrested, 1 sought in armed robbery on Sandalwood campusPublished: December 23, 2019, 6:06 pmStudents and parents are still shaken four days after an armed robbery unfolded on campus at Sandalwood High School.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Students and parents are still shaken four days after an armed robbery unfolded on campus at Sandalwood High School. The campus was temporarily locked down after a gun was found in the area. The unnamed victim gave a good description of the suspects to authorities, which helped lead to the arrest of Markeem Wilcher. Wilcher, 20, is charged with armed robbery, trespassing and resisting an officer without violence. School officials said neither of the suspects is a current student, so they weren’t supposed to be on campus in the first place.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Jacksonville police are looking for a shooting suspect after a violent dispute Tuesday morning led authorities to lock down two public schools nearby. Police have identified the shooter, who took a shot at someone on White Horse Road about 9 a.m., according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. As a precautionary measure, Duval County Public Schools placed Sandalwood High School and Alden Road Exceptional Student Center on lockdown for several hours while the search was active. At one point, Hartley said, investigators located the man, who hid out in the woods of a neighborhood near Whispering Woods Boulevard and Whispering Woods Place. John Rogge recently purchased a home in the area, but he didn't appear to be fazed by the incident.

Pyper Vaughn is on the soccer, lacrosse and cross country teams at Sandalwood High School. Pyper is a member of the National Honor Society, the Superintendent's Leadership Academy, Youth Leadership Jacksonville and the ROTC. She was selected as the Exchange Club of Jacksonville's Student of the Year and is an active member of her church's youth group. Pyper currently has a 4.5 GPA. Copyright 2019 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.

Pyper Vaughn is on the soccer, lacrosse and cross country teams at Sandalwood High School. Pyper is a member of the National Honor Society, the Superintendent's Leadership Academy, Youth Leadership Jacksonville and the ROTC. She was selected as the Exchange Club of Jacksonville's Student of the Year and is an active member of her church's youth group. Pyper currently has a 4.5 GPA.

Harlon Brown Jr., our student reporter, began his senior year at Sandalwood High School on Monday. "I'm really excited to get back into the groove of things," Brown said. He took us inside the school to show new security measures, including walk-through metal detectors. WATCH: New security measures at Sandalwood High SchoolThey've also cut the number of entrances to the school from eight to three and installed more security camera. "Just feel like the security has become better over the years."

News4Jax's Melanie Lawson was at Sandalwood High School Monday morning for the first day of school, and gives us a look at what's been put into place.

ST. MARYS, Ga. – A Jacksonville man died Sunday from a single gunshot wound to the chest, according to police. Jacari Graham, 21, was found lying in the road outside a friend's home on Pinehurst Drive. He was pronounced dead at the scene after police received a call of an individual who had been shot in the chest. Graham was found next to the open driver side door of a car. Graham was an alumnus of Sandalwood High School where he played football.

Georgia's haul was impressive with 21 four- or five-star recruits signing for the Bulldogs. Jim McElwain further bolstered the defense, landing linebacker Lacedrick Brunson from Jackson High School in Miami. Florida and Florida State both lost out on Levi Jones, who put a different spin on the pick-a-hat ceremony. He then pulled off the Florida shirt to reveal a Florida State shirt underneath. Florida State is considered to be a top five class, with Florida ranked somewhere in the teens.