Experiential School
The first day of school always brings a combination of excitement with a twinge of nervousness. This year a rainbow greeted our morning carline on Wednesday, an indicator of a great year to come.
As we begin our second century we are starting the school year with an opening day enrollment of 1056 students. We are delighted to welcome 167 new Chargers to our community. As a family school, we are also welcoming 33 new sibling students, along with 9 new children of alumni. In addition to our new students, we experienced a very high retention rate among last year’s student body: 94.4% (excluding graduates) are returning to continue their Shorecrest educational journey.
Our new students are entering into all grades and school divisions. And they are coming from all over the United States and the world! In addition, we have families who have moved from other parts of Florida, along with many who are from the local St. Petersburg and Tampa Bay Area.
Families have moved to this area from states including:
Families are also joining Shorecrest from a number of different countries including:
The continued interest in Shorecrest attests to the value that families place on being a part of our community. As an independent school, Shorecrest is a mission-driven institution and we cherish the autonomy to establish our own Core Values, to determine our curriculum, and to create our own policies. You will hear a good bit about our Mission which states:
Shorecrest is a college preparatory school that educates a diverse community of students to become lifelong learners in the pursuit of personal and academic excellence, physical well-being, creative achievement and the development of a commitment to social responsibility.
You have arrived at a very important time! This is our centennial year and we have a number of exciting events in store for this fall. We have also just completed our next Strategic Plan. The combination of celebrating 100 years since our founding and implementing our strategic plan means that we are both honoring our past and looking ahead.
In addition, we have exciting new facilities this year such as the School Store, open to adults and Upper Schoolers during the school day, new programs such as the Ross Roeder Institute and the Center for Academic Excellence (formerly The TLC), and new security protocols, which include an individualized campus-wide emergency system, enhanced key card access to buildings, and welcoming Shane Collins - known previously as GardaWorld's Officer Shane to many of our students - in his new role as Campus Security Coordinator.
And what is most important and exciting for this year is the chance for your family to be a part of Shorecrest today and as we step into our second century. I look forward to reconnecting with our returning families and getting to know our newest Chargers. To that point, if you are interested in setting up a time to meet with me, I would be delighted to do so. It would give us a chance to talk more and for me to learn about your hopes and dreams for your child.
Please feel free to send me an email and we can start that process right away.
Here is to an exciting and productive new school year!
All the best,
Nancy
A few photos from the first week of school:
