Husky Highlights 1-11

Posted Date: 01/11/26 (06:46 PM)

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Husky Highlights

Happy New Year and Important Updates

January 11, 2026

A young person in a blue shirt sits with a white sheep in front of a "Rock Your Stock" banner.

Principal Mendez's Message

We are excited for 2026!

Dear Husky Families,

Welcome back and Happy New Year! We’re excited to continue this journey together and keep promoting our PAWS values:

Positivity – share kindness and encouragement.
Accountability – take responsibility for actions and choices.
Willingness – always be ready to do your best.
Success – strive for excellence in everything you do.

Elective Presentations for Current 6th & 7th Graders

Tomorrow, Monday, January 12, our 6th and 7th grade students will view a presentation about elective choices for next year. Parents can access this presentation through their student’s Canvas account.

The elective selection form will open on Friday, January 16, at 4:00 PM. This gives you time to discuss options with your child before submitting. Please note: students may only submit the form once.

Timber Creek High School Parent Night

Timber Creek HS will host a Parent Night for incoming 9th graders on Tuesday, February 11, from 6:00–8:00 PM at the Performing Arts Center (PAC). School counselors will review graduation requirements and discuss course options.

Basketball Tryouts

Basketball tryouts will take place January 12–16 after school:

Jan 12–15: 4:00–5:30 PM
Jan 16: 3:00–4:30 PM

To participate, athletes must have an updated sport physical uploaded and approved in the Aktivate system (Aktivate.com) by Sunday, January 11. Physicals will not be accepted after this deadline.

The National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) recognizes middle school students who demonstrate excellence in Scholarship, Service, Leadership, Character, and Citizenship. NJHS members are students who work hard academically, give back to their community, and lead by example.

Interested in joining NJHS for the 2026–2027 school year? We invite current 6th and 7th grade students and their parents to attend our NJHS Application & Information Session. During this session, we will explain the application process, review the timeline and important dates, discuss membership expectations, and answer questions so families know what to expect before applying.

Date: Wednesday, January 28th

Time: 5:00–6:00 PM

Location: AMS Cafeteria

Questions? Email Derrick.lombardi@ocps.net

We encourage all interested students and families to attend!

Thank you for your continued support and partnership in your child’s education! We look forward to an exciting semester ahead.

Safety Reminders for Families

To help keep our students safe, please review these important guidelines:

Helmets are strongly encouraged (and required by law for riders under 16).
Riders should obey all traffic signals and posted signs.
Riders should dismount their E-Scooter or E-Bike before crossing a crosswalk.
E-Scooters and E-Bikes must follow the same rules as bicycles on the road.
Devices should not be operated on school campuses unless specifically permitted.
Students should never ride with multiple passengers unless the device is designed for it.
Night riding requires lights and reflective gear for

A young woman in a light blue shirt leads a white goat with a rope in an indoor arena.

People lead white sheep in a sandy arena, with spectators watching from behind a fence.

Evening of Excellence Information

Evening of Excellence is dedicated to celebrating the outstanding academic accomplishments of our students. This special evening will highlight their hard work, commitment, and dedication to success. We are proud to announce updated information for our Evening of Excellence ceremony held on May 19, 2026. To better honor our students’ achievements, the following criteria has been updated. Students will be awarded this year as follows:

Evening of Excellence – Eligibility

Academic Excellence

Awarded to students who have earned all A’s during the first three marking periods on their Report Cards for the current school year.

Academic Achievement

Awarded to students who have earned a combination of A’s and B’s during the first three marking periods on their Report Cards for the current school year.

Pride of the Pack- 8th grade only

A prestigious award reserved for 8th grade students who have demonstrated consistent excellence through academics.

For 8th grade 4.0 GPA for 3 years, a student must earn:

A for the FINAL GRADE in EACH 6th and 7th grade class (since we often get only final grades for student who transfer in, we do not penalize students who have been at Avalon MS all 3 years for getting, for example, a B for Q3 in 6th grade math as long as the final grade in that class is an A). A B as a final grade in a high school honors class will be calculated as an A.

AND

A’s for EVERY (counting weights for honors classes) quarter during their 8th grade year

Quarter 4 is not used in the current year as the ceremony is BEFORE final grades are in.

Notes:

-Any core/required academic class (including reading, if it was required) taken through any virtual school will be taken into account for Evening of Excellence purposes.

-Classes taken at any high school will not be taken into account unless it is a core academic class. (Example: Algebra II does count; Italian does not)

-Any additional elective classes (Example: student takes 7 classes at Avalon but chooses to take computers through FLVS) will not be counted.

Students MUST have grades for all quarters to be considered; i.e. student moves here in December but we never received Q1 grades – student is ineligible since we cannot verify GPA for Q1.

Two women smile as they stand near a table with flowers, a cake, and balloons.

A teacher leads a class discussion in a classroom with students seated at tables.

SAC & PTSO

Five people in festive holiday sweaters and hats pose for a photo in front of a projector screen.

SAC and PTSO dates

-Mark your calendars for our SAC meetings for this school year: 9/22, 10/27, 11/17, 2/23, 3/23, and 4/27.

-No meeting in January

Thank you to everyone who supported with the recognition funds process. You are PAWSome!!

A diverse group of young students in light blue t-shirts sit in chairs, holding musical instruments, ready to play in a band.

A young person grooms a goat on a metal stand outdoors, with a white truck and power lines in the background.

Huskies Learning & Thriving!

We’re thrilled to spotlight the amazing work happening in our classrooms! It’s inspiring to see so much engaged learning, collaboration, multisensory approach to learning and hands-on activities that help our students thrive.

Our teachers are creating dynamic learning environments where students can collaborate, think critically, and enjoy the process of learning. Thank you for your dedication, creativity, and commitment to excellence. You make our school a place where Huskies grow strong—academically and personally.

Thank you, Ms. Long & Ag students! On Saturday, several of our students showed their sheep and goats at the Rock Your Stock livestock show at the Central Florida Fairgrounds. Team members include Talyn Bauer, Reagan Croft, Charlotte Nieves, Kylie Tubbs, Natalie Van Noordt, and Macie Woll.

Let’s keep growing in excellence!

Four girls huddle around a table, examining papers and objects under a bright light.

Four children huddle around a whiteboard, working on a math problem together.

Wishlist for ELA/Reading and PE Departments

Please help our ELA/Reading Department:

6th ELA classes: pencils, colored copy paper, and note cards

7th ELA classes: pencils, sticky notes

8th ELA classes: large sticky note posters, sticky notes, and pencils

Reading: large sticky notes and pencils

PE Department:

Paper Towels, Lysol Wipes, Band Aides, Laundry Detergent, Fabric Softener, Hand Sanitizer, Feminine Products (Pads and Liners), Travel Size Deodorants, Tissues, Ziplock bags (multi sizes). If you are able to donate please drop them off at your convenience at the front office. Thank you! -PE Team