The Middle School robotics teams recently competed in the FIRST LEGO League Regional Championships. Team 1448, The Force, won a Breakthrough Award, celebrating their progress in confidence and capability in both the Robot Game and Innovation Project while acting as shining examples of excellent Core Values. Team 1449, The R2D2s, won the top Core Values Award and also had the second highest scoring robot with 355 points.

National Geographic canceled this year’s national Geo Bee competition this year due to COVID-19. That didn’t stop the fifth graders from a fierce grade level geography competition. Walker was victorious, earning a first place medal and a party for his advisory.

The award-winning Shorecrest Middle School Thespians in grades 6-8 are back with theatre in the "park" and the play "Stone Soup." The show will be performed May 13 and 14, 2021, at 6:30pm in the MS Quad at Shorecrest Preparatory School.

The Middle School Awards Assembly will be two events this year, one for students in grades 7-8 to attend and one for students in grades 5-6 to attend. Both assemblies will be livestreamed for parents, family and friends to view, and photos will be shared in Ebytes.

The Shorecrest Track and Field Chargers recently went down to Naples for the Regional track meet. After a long day of competition, Shorecrest had a number of athletes advance to the State meet in Jacksonville, including two Regional Champions!

The Entrepreneurial Design Institute (EDI) is a new signature program for eighth graders at Shorecrest in which Chargers address community needs through entrepreneurial thinking. Students recently developed a business idea and explored a variety of tools to develop the venture while practicing the entrepreneurial mindset.

Please join fellow Chargers for the last SCA event of the school year. We look forward to seeing you on the Charger Commons Greenspace IN PERSON on Friday, May 28, from 6:30 - 8:30pm.

Any students in current grades 5-11 who are interested in trying out for the Varsity Golf team this summer, please join Coach Miller on Wednesday, May 19, at 4pm on the Landy Deck (Upper School).

TRP Insurance provides a 75% pro-rated refund upon a non-medical withdrawal, subject to conditions. July 31 is the deadline to purchase this plan for the 2021-2022 school year.

Please take a moment to complete the brief survey below to let us know about your/your child’s experience at Shorecrest this school year. The last day to complete the survey is Friday, May 14. 

Congratulations to the Varsity Softball Chargers who fought hard in the Regional Quarterfinals this week. In the end they lost to Academy at the Lakes 9 to 3.

Get all of your questions answered about Summer at Shorecrest before camp starts. Select a date/time to join us on Zoom.

If you have an interest in serving on the SCA Board for the next academic year, or know someone who would be a great fit, nominations and self-nominations are underway!

Shorecrest has partnered with FACTS Tuition Management for billing and payments of tuition and related fees. All families are required to set up and maintain a FACTS account in order to be invoiced for the upcoming school year. Please set up your FACTS account ASAP if you haven’t already done so as 2021-22 tuition payments will be invoiced and due in May.

Every year the American Association of Teachers of French (AATF) organizes a poster design contest for elementary and middle school students. Shorecrest seventh grader Gaston G. '26 won second place.

Art instruction is interwoven throughout the Shorecrest curriculum. To celebrate the lessons and skills taught all year, each spring we highlight Celebrate the Arts Week.

Listen in on a "SCA Zoom Call" to hear from the 2021 Big Event Committee.

To acknowledge Earth Day, the sixth graders built a piece of art with an Earth Day theme. Trader Joe's on Fourth Street will display some of the projects over the weekend.

One of Shorecrest's greatest assets is our Community, specifically our behind-the-scenes volunteers. We asked long time community member and SCA Board member, Mandy Rutledge, to share what it means to be a part of the Shorecrest Community.

Shorecrest is proud to announce that Mr. Marcus Holmes will join the Shorecrest Administrative team as Director of Facilities. Marcus has extensive experience in campus operations, safety and facilities management. He comes to Shorecrest from Christian Heritage School in Dalton, Georgia, where he serves as the Director of Facilities and Campus Safety. He begins his duties at Shorecrest in May. 

After an extensive national search, Shorecrest is pleased to welcome Ms. Alvanita Hope as the incoming Director of Enrollment Management and Financial Aid. Currently the Director of Enrollment at The Friends School of Atlanta in Decatur, Georgia, Ms. Hope and her family will join the Shorecrest community in June.

Fifth graders are busy ideating, designing and creating for their units on playwriting and puppetry in Ms. Nelson's Theatre class. They will make a variety of puppet types, including sock puppets, hand puppets, rod puppets and try their hands at shadow puppets.

Congratulations to the Chargers Varsity Girls Tennis Team for clinching the FHSAA 1A District 10 Championship yesterday! Congratulations to the Boys Tennis team who finished Runner-Up in the 1A, District 10 Championship, behind Calvary Christian. Both teams will advance to Regional competition on Tuesday, April 20.

Students rising into grades 7-12 can join the beloved, talented Shorecrest Visual Arts Chair Charla Gaglio on campus this summer! Much of the impressive Upper School student artwork you may have seen around campus over the years was created by Charla’s students. She has a knack for developing a safe space and giving the right instruction to bring out the talent in her students. View some recent painting samples from Celebrate the Arts here, and drawing samples here. 

We are very fortunate to have this summer program run by Shorecrest Head Varsity Volleyball Coach Courtney Draper, who has over 20 years of NCAA College Coaching experience. Players will be divided by age and ability with everything from a beginners court to an advanced court. The varsity level players will have positional breakouts and the middle school courts will have an all skills development approach.

Please see the attached calendar for the 2021-2022 school year. This calendar is also posted at www.shorecrest.org/calendar. We strive to publish this information as early as possible to help faculty, staff, students and families plan ahead.

Find out more about some of the specialty, week-long camps for Middle School students this summer in this informational video.

This summer we have a fun Ukulele Camp for students rising into grades 4-6 with Marilyn Johnson, our LS Music Teacher! Experienced players AND brand new beginners can get a week of ukulele basics, two times during the summer. A personal ukulele is not required, there are more than enough on campus.

Join the fun and competition of Nike Volleyball Camps during Summer at Shorecrest!

In sixth grade art class, students are learning about pop artist and philanthropist Keith Haring.

Based on the recent announcement from the CDC regarding a shortened quarantine period for those exposed to COVID-19, and with consideration of local circumstances and resources, the Health & Safety Task Force will implement a 10-day quarantine period specifically for asymptomatic close contacts.

The Chargers Track and Field team had some impressive performances on Senior Night, March 25.  Across the board, countless athletes performed well and represented Shorecrest phenomenally.

Varsity Track and Field Chargers competed at Berkeley Prep on March 19. There were 3 team PRs set that day!

All staff, faculty and students who are fully vaccinated will NOT need to be quarantined after exposure to COVID-19 if they meet the criteria of being a close contact - unless they are exhibiting symptoms. Please send Nurse Conroy a copy of your documentation reflecting your dates of vaccination. This will be required to be deemed not a "close contact" during our contact tracing efforts.

The 2021 Florida State Thespian Festival was held virtually this year. Eighteen of Shorecrest's 23 Jr. Thespian Troupe 88197 members attended. Twelve Jr. Thespian acts received adjudication at the state level with the following results:

Congratulations to the Shorecrest Chargers who participated in this year's Pinellas History Day competition. 1st and 2nd place winners go on to compete at the state and national level. This year’s theme was Communication in History. 

One special tradition that has brought delight to students and their families over the past decade has been the Glow Eurovision flash mob dance—taught by Middle School’s Music & Chorus Teacher, Stephanie McCarthy.

This week’s Contributing Charger is Dr. Dan Prasatthong '84, an alumnus, a parent of alumna Senna Prasatthong-osoth ‘19, and a long-time supporter of the visual and performing arts at Shorecrest. His dental practice, Levitt and Prasatthong, DDS, PA, is once again our annual Premiere Visual and Performing Arts Sponsor and this week’s Giving Day Sponsor.

In addition to the exciting variety of specialized camps Shorecrest hosts all summer, campers rising into JK (age 4 years) through sixth grade can also enjoy Day Camp! Day Camp features activities with weekly themes, field trips, sports, games, arts and water fun.

Seventh graders Gia B., Sally K. and Brecken P. worked hard on a Saturday with volunteers of the Junior League of St. Petersburg packing 2000 bags full of fun supplies for local children in need.

The Middle School Track Chargers ended their season on Tuesday with a home meet. Even though it was a short track season for Middle School this year, the athletes put out some great performances. It was a lot of fun and everyone did their very best resulting in great improvements throughout the season across the board.

Mrs. Montoya's class cheered on a fellow Charger this week during a special moment. Seventh grader Lottie B. sang the national anthem with her father at the Opening Day of the Florida Senate in Tallahassee.

Summer programs are a tradition at Shorecrest. A variety of programs are planned for students of all ages running June 7 - August 6.

This week’s Contributing Chargers are Dr. Allen Root, husband to former chair of the Arts and Humanities Department Janet Root H'16, and their family - Jennifer '81, Michael '85, and Jonathan. The Roots continue to support the foundation of success that Janet created during her 40 year span of volunteerism at Shorecrest.

Please join Kristine Marquez Grant, Head of Middle School, and other members of the Sixth Grade team for a preview of sixth grade. The program is designed for parents/guardians of current fifth graders.

Like many of our beloved faculty members, Coach Cameron’s impact and ability to engage, inspire and lead is a testament to his care for his students and dedication to his profession. Richie Cameron joined the Shorecrest faculty in 2011, and has had the unique opportunity to work in the Lower School, Middle School and Upper School. For the last 5 years, Coach Cameron has been the Health and Fitness teacher in the Upper School, while also serving as Coach for our Track & Field team and the Strength and Performance Coach for all of our Athletic teams.

On Saturday, February 20, the Shorecrest Varsity Sailing Chargers traveled to Miami for the first event in the limited SAISA South-points Series hosted by Ransom Everglades High School. The Chargers finished 1st overall out of 18 schools from Florida and the US Virgin Islands!

2-3 Loss to Canterbury Fort Myers. Finished the 2020-2021 season with a 7-6-1 record.

Seven runs in the second inning led the Chargers past Indian Rocks Christian 8-1 on February 16. 

School Counselors Kate Fierce (grades K-8) and Courtney Ellis (grades 9-12) hosted a meaningful presentation and Q&A regarding the manifestation and effects of stress and anxiety in ourselves and children. 

Sixth graders in Ms. Williams’ class read “Midnight Without a Moon” by Linda Williams Jackson and created a history tour in their classroom on civil rights issues related to the book.

Shorecrest Chargers Varsity Girls Soccer beat St. Stephens 5-0 in the 2A Regional Quarterfinals. The Chargers move on to play on Friday, February 19 vs Indian Rocks Christian in the 2A Girls Soccer Regional Semi-Finals on Haskell Field at 7pm. More details here.

Eighth grade families are invited to schedule a private tour of the Upper School.

Fifth grader Lola B. '28 crafted 100 ornaments during quarantine. She raised over $700, and dedicated the money she raised to "adopt" 16 Salvation Army Christmas Angels.

The Shorecrest Chargers Middle School boys soccer team earned the title of Tampa Bay Interscholastic Soccer League Champion on Friday, January 29.

Start dates and Coaches for Spring Chargers teams.

How to watch livestreamed Haskell Field and Crisp Gym Chargers Athletics home games.

Sixth graders finished up a unit on Chemistry in Mr. Cruise's science class by creating a short stop motion video on ionic bonding. The students used manipulatives and crafts to creatively film a video illustrating and narrating the concepts behind elements forming compounds.

When conducting technology-related professional learning experiences, I often start my sessions with the video “Know Your Why” by comedian Michael Jr. The lesson shared is that “when you know your ‘why’ then your ‘what’ has more impact, because you’re working towards your purpose.”

Chargers vs Calvary: 3-0 Win.
Chargers vs Largo: 1-3 Loss.

Seventh grade English students created movie posters based on the independent reading books they read last month. Their posters had to "advertise" the books as if they were becoming major motion pictures. One movie poster - created by Luc H. ‘26 - was a hit with the author of the book, and she shared his work online.

Heather Vidal is a Literacy Specialist in The Learning Center at Shorecrest Preparatory School. She shared some of her tested techniques with other educators in a new book, “Teach Reading with Orton-Gillingham: 72 Classroom-Ready Lessons to Help Struggling Readers and Students with Dyslexia Learn to Love Reading.” The book offers research-based suggestions and lesson plans to make reading multisensory and engaging.

While gathering in-person for Grandparents and Special Friends Day has been a wonderful, long-standing tradition at Shorecrest, we have had to reimagine the event this year in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Our top priority is the health and well-being of our Shorecrest community members.

Shorecrest fifth grader Lucille P. won a full 4-Year Florida College Plan scholarship provided by the Florida Prepaid College Foundation from a statewide Hispanic Heritage Month student essay contest. Lucille detailed what an inspirational influence her tennis coach, Jorge, has been in her life.

Global Explorers Chair and Lower School Spanish Teacher Emili Jaime-Allwood, along with her colleague Laura García Trinidad in Madrid, did not want their students to entirely miss out on the cultural experiences normally garnered from hosting students and traveling abroad. They ideated a secure, online environment called Global Links on which students can connect with schools from different parts of the world, with the objective of bringing global culture studies to curriculum.

Shorecrest sixth, seventh and eighth graders are invited to audition for the Middle School play "Stone Soup." 

On January 6, Señora Miller's sixth and eighth grade Spanish students received Monedas de oro de chocolate (chocolate, gold coins) and learned about Spanish folklore for Día de los Reyes Magos (Three Kings Day or Three Wise Men Day), traditionally marked by spectacular parades throughout Spain and Latin-America. 

Chargers vs Berkeley Prep: 0-3 Loss

Chargers vs. Academy of Holy Names: 1-2 Loss

Shorecrest eighth grade families and prospective incoming Upper School families are invited to watch a virtual Upper School Curriculum Sampler.