100 Ways to Say Shorecrest!

This week is #Shorecrest100 Week, which marks the official start of the celebration of our School’s centennial year. There is so much to celebrate as we look back at the earlier days of Shorecrest and look ahead to our future. It is amazing to consider the century that has passed between the School’s founding in 1923 to today. 

This past Tuesday, the Lower School celebrated completing the first 100 days of school. Each Kindergartener created their own project and brought in 100 items of their choosing. There were 100 pieces of LEGOs, 100 puppy stickers and a monster with 100 eyeballs, to name a few. The Kindergarten joined with the second grade to read 100 books. One class counted out 100 snacks while another group did 100 different exercises: 10 jumping jacks, 10 sit ups, 10 push-ups, etc. And of course, all the Kindergarten students made and wore their 100 day crowns!

Today, Friday, February 10, the Seniors, our Centennial Class - the Class of 2023, looked ahead and counted down 100 days to their graduation! There was a special celebration on Landy Deck for twelfth graders, while 100th birthday treats and decor were in Charger Commons during lunch for all students to join in the fun. The highlight of the week was the all-school photo of the student body, faculty and staff standing together in the form of the number 100, taken this morning on Haskell Field. It was a hectic time to gather that many people together, but we had a successful drone photoshoot and we look forward to sharing the results!

The 1920s are having a bit of a renaissance right now. “1923” is the title of a new TV series which is the prequel to the popular TV show, Yellowstone. The Roaring Twenties was chosen by Shorecrest students to be the theme for this year’s Prom. And we are in good company to celebrate a 100th birthday along with The St. Petersburg Museum of History, which was also founded in 1923. The mission of this museum is to collect, preserve, and communicate the history and heritage of Florida with an emphasis on St. Petersburg and the Pinellas peninsula. It makes sense that the history of Shorecrest and St. Petersburg are intertwined, as we have grown and flourished together.  

To put 1923 in historical context, it was the year when King Tut’s burial chamber was opened for the first time in Egypt. Time Magazine and the Walt Disney Company were both founded in 1923. It was the year that the Rosewood massacre, a racially motivated massacre of black people and the destruction of a black town, took place in nearby Rosewood, Florida. The first home game played at Yankee Stadium was in 1923, and of course, it initiated the rivalry between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox. Bob Barker, beloved longtime host of the game show The Price is Right, was born in 1923 and is still a vigorous promoter of animal rights.

Similarly, 2023 will surely be full of historical events we’ll reflect on years from now. The devastating earthquake in Turkey just this week is being heralded as the worst natural disaster in a century. As we look for ways to help the people affected by this horrible tragedy, we hope for brighter milestones in the year ahead.  

Certainly much has changed in the past century at Shorecrest. From a small, outdoor school for elementary-aged children, our school has grown to encompass a beautiful 28-acre campus where over a thousand students learn in gorgeous facilities with 21st century technology. Shorecrest Chargers become lifelong learners and critical thinkers who attend top colleges and universities and who are ready for the future beyond college.  

What hasn’t changed about Shorecrest through the years is the deep sense of community spirit. Shorecrest remains a school where the focus is on the whole child, where students are provided with opportunities to explore their passions and where a caring, dedicated faculty ignite students’ curiosity and imagination. 

All the best, 

Nancy