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Husky Highlights 2-16

Posted Date: 02/16/26 (04:52 PM)
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Husky Highlights

Celebrating Resiliency Day and African Heritage Month!

February 16, 2026
Three students present a science project on polymers, with colorful liquids in jars on their table.

Principal Mendez's Message

Dear Husky Families,

Happy Presidents' Day, Avalon Families!

We had a great STEAM Night on February 12! We are so thankful for the dedication of our staff and student leaders. Our community enjoyed engaging science, engineering, math and art hands-on experiences.

We once again want to share our appreciation for Deputy Smith for everything he does to support our students’ safety.

We hope to see you on February 19th for our African Heritage A Century of Black Excellence Celebration form 6-8 pm in our cafeteria for food, music, inspiration and celebration of African Heritage!

Thursday, February 19th, is the second of two Resiliency Days when we will be following an adjusted bell schedule with an extended 6th period. All OCPS students in grades 6-12 will complete a 30-minute self-paced Canvas lesson and a 30-minute college and career planning activity in Xello. Topics include overcoming challenges, mental wellness, and how to find support on campus. This lesson satisfies one hour of the Florida Department of Education’s five hours of mandatory resiliency instruction. 
You will be able to access all student materials through the Canvas app in the OCPS Parent Portal, and more information is available on the Mental Health Services Parent Resources website. For more information, contact the student services team: melissa.garcia@ocps.net and/or melinda.fontaine@ocps.net 

8th Grade Parents, this year, GRADVENTURE is on Friday, May 15th. The requirements to attend include:
1.      No level 3 or level 4 referrals.
2.      Students need to have at least a 2.0 grade point average or higher.
3.      No more than 10 unexcused absences.
4.      No Edgenuity.
Permission forms, pricing, volunteer sign up, and other pertinent information will be sent soon. 

Important Announcement regarding Edgenuity- For the 2026-2027 school year, only 8th graders will be allowed in Edgenuity.

Please review the information from our Registrar , Ms. Carolina Lopez. Thank you for your support!
Two young women smile at the camera behind a table with a container of instant snow.
A young person stacks colorful cups while others observe at a table with science materials.

Rising 9th graders Important Update

This year, Timber Creek High School will implement the Course Planner feature in Xello to collect student course requests for the 2026-27 school year. This process will be used with rising 9th through 12th grade students. The Course Planner empowers students to take ownership of their academic journey by allowing them to select courses while tracking their progress toward high school graduation and post-secondary goals.

Each student will also receive a Timber Creek Course Listing Form, which details the courses available for next school year for rising 9th graders. Course Selection resources are posted on the Timber Creek website under the “Student Services” tab. These resources include an introduction to Xello Course Planner video, Post-Secondary Plan Instructions to complete, Graduation Checklist, Course Applications Links, and 2026-27 Course Descriptions. 

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.
A presenter stands before a screen displaying "Size Matters: Length vs. Pitch" to two students holding green and yellow bat-like objects.
Three boys pose for a photo in front of a computer screen displaying a video game.

SAC & PTSO

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.

Thank you to our PTSO for the beautiful decorations and support during the elementary school visits, parent meeting and Husky Heroes! You are PAWSome!! Thank you to our SAC Committee who is leading the African Heritage Celebration. We are so excited to celebrate on February 19th!
Two smiling women pose with a drawing of a person with glasses and a mustache.
PTSo promo
A woman in a red shirt speaks to students in a classroom, with a projector screen displaying "NOW A WORD FROM OUR JUDGES."

Huskies Learning & Thriving!

We’re thrilled to shine a spotlight on the incredible, innovative learning happening in our classrooms! It’s inspiring to see so many engaging, hands-on, and differentiated lessons that meet students where they are and help them grow. From collaborative problem‑solving to multisensory, experiential activities, our teachers are creating learning experiences that truly bring concepts to life.
Our classrooms are buzzing with energy as students explore, create, think critically, and take ownership of their learning. Thank you to our teachers for intentionally designing instruction that is dynamic, student-centered, and responsive to the diverse needs of our learners. Your dedication, creativity, and commitment to excellence make our school a place where Huskies grow strong—academically and personally.
A huge thank you to Ms. Lucas, Ms. DelValle, Ms. Keyser, and all of our judges who were part of the 8th ELA Debate on Frankenstein for supporting our students through engaging, hands-on, and differentiated learning environments.
And a special shout-out to our amazing science and elective teachers for their creativity, teamwork, and support for our elementary school visits!
Poster announcing 'African Heritage Month: A Century of Black Excellence' event on February 19th, 6-8 PM in AMS Cafeteria.
Students listen attentively in a classroom setting with "OPENING STATEMENTS" displayed on a projector screen.

From Ms. Lopez, Registrar

Dear Parent/Guardian,
Congratulations on this educational milestone for your student. Transitioning to a new school is exciting and should be smooth and without any delays. In an effort to ensure all student’s records are accurate and up to date, we are requiring parents to provide updated current proof of residence to your child’s present school. This documentation should be provided to the school by close of business day on April 15, 2026. 
Failure to provide updated verification of residence will result in your child’s withdrawal from OCPS and you risk your student not having a schedule for the start of the 2026 school year. 
To verify your address, you must provide the following and email it to carolina.lopez@ocps.net
·      If you own a house: warranty deed, property taxes, closing contract, or homestead exemption card along with current utility bill, your ID with current address, and current mail.
·      If you rent a house or apartment: provide the signed lease, your ID with your current address, recent utility bill, proof of rent payments, current mail, and renters insurance.
·      If you live with someone who owns or rents the house: you must obtain a Verification of Residence from Student Enrollment Office. You will need to provide a minimum of the following documents:
1.      Your ID with current address
2.      Three items with your name and address dated within the last month, such as car registration, paystub, bank statement, insurance, phone bill, or current mail.
3.      In addition, you must provide the ID of the lessee or homeowner and a copy of the lease or proof of homeownership.

You can Email all the documents to the Registrar: Carolina.lopez@ocps.net
More documentation may be required depending on circumstances in a case-by-case situation.

Mark your Calendars!


02/16-Presidents’ Day/teacher/student holiday
02/19-African Heritage Celebration, 6:00 p.m.
02/19-Resilience Day
2/20-NAEP makeup testing (select students)
02/23-SAC 


Two students interact with rabbits on a blue quilted surface in a classroom setting.
A smiling man in a sheriff's uniform sits at a desk with a mug and a Florida State flag in the background.