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District 4 - Teacher of the Year finalist
We would like to congratulate Mr. Brown on becoming the District 4 Teacher of the Year finalist. He will be recognized on November 9th and is in the running for Polk Teacher of the Year.
Read more about him at PCPS website.
Youth Leadership Winter Haven
Calling 10th and 11th-grade students!
Applications are now OPEN for Youth Leadership Winter Haven – Class 2! Youth Leadership Winter Haven is an opportunity for 10th and 11th-grade students to explore Winter Haven one day a month from October through May. They will have the chance to learn about new and exciting industries, meet local decision-makers and young professionals, and see the collaboration that makes Winter Haven a great place to live, work, learn, and play.
Applications are due Wednesday, September 6, 2023, at 5 p.m.
Please contact Sara Beth with any questions.
Senior parent night
Senior parent meeting – all senior parents are encouraged to attend.
September 12th, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. at WHHS Auditorium
Scholarships and Service updates
Service Academy Day will be hosted by the Office of Congresswoman Laurel Lee – Saturday, August 19th from 9 am – 12 pm. The event will take place at USF Research Park Building- the application process, requirements, and Congressional Nominations will be discussed. Each service academy will have a representative in attendance. See Mrs. Bachman for more information.
PSAT computer-based, 10/18/23, WHHS – all 10th will be tested, 11th (National Merit recognition) must sign up and pay fee-$18- make check out to WHHS – give to Mrs. Bangley, Bldg 33 upstairs, by 9/8/21 No refunds
Senior Sunrise
Senior Sunrise is scheduled for Friday, August 18, from 6:45 am to 7:00 am on the practice field next to the gym. Bring your blankets and breakfast to start the year with your graduating Class! Memories will be made!
Notice of PCPS work with FDEP
Read the letter below to learn what Polk County Public Schools has been doing with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
Student Orientation
Tuesday, August 8th, 2023
Incoming 9th graders will meet in the Gym at 4:00 P.M.
Incoming 10th-12th graders will report to their first period starting at 5:00 P.M.
We’re looking forward to seeing everyone to start a great year!
Pride of Winter Haven announcement
Percussion Camp begins July 24th from 8:00 am – 12:00 pm in the Band Room at WHHS.
Full Band Camp beings July 31st, with Freshman arriving at 8:00 am and all else arriving at 1:00 pm. Camp ends at 6:00 pm
Have questions? Join the Pride of Winter Haven Remind by texting @pridewh23 to 81010 to contact Mr. Deases, the director. You can also email him directly at chase.deases@polk-fl.net.
District Advisory Council Application
Polk County Public Schools is seeking nominations for the District Advisory Council. The purpose of the council is to serve in an advisory role to the Superintendent and pay particular attention to the district’s strategic plan, especially with regard to goals for improving student performance and overall district improvement, and to serve as a link between the district, the schools, and the community. No duties or powers may be delegated to the DAC that are reserved by law to the School Board. Committee membership is limited and requires a yearly commitment of five meetings during the school year to participate. This is an opportunity to get involved and join Polk County Public Schools to support the life-changing work public education does for students. To find out more and to access the online application, please visit: https://forms.office.com/r/D7Mg7eezpc
Hazel Health Summer Hours
Through Polk County Public Schools’ partnership with Hazel Health, all students can access virtual physical and mental health care at no cost, even through the summer! Here is the link https://my.hazel.co/polkschoolsfl/info.
FREE Sports Physicals Clinic
Pre-registration is required and can be completed by scanning the below QR code.
Device Recovery Cost
Students are expected to return district-issued mobile devices and device peripherals in the same condition they were issued. While normal wear and tear will be considered, students who have mistreated the equipment will be responsible for repair or replacement costs and will be issued a financial obligation to cover the repair or replacement cost.
The Device Recovery Costs chart below lists the most common repair costs for the different mobile devices used in Polk County Public Schools as part of the Digital Learning Initiative. It is not a comprehensive list, and any other damage not Included in the list below will be assessed and assigned a fee according to the damage.
Device Repair and Recovery Costs
| Device | Device Replacement | Battery | Keyboard | Screen | Base Enclosure | Motherboard | Power Board | Power Supply (Charger) |
| PC Laptops | $674.50 | $65.65 | $101.41 | $130.76 | $70.99 | $197.74 | $46.09 | $35.17 |
Issue 4 of the WHHS Trident
You can view the fourth issue of the WHHS Trident online.
https://enewspaper.makemynewspaper.com/web-2ba44287444160/2023-04-25-trident-issue-4-2023
State Testing at WHHS
As May approaches, annual State testing does too. Listed below are the dates that we will be doing major State testing here at WHHS. Keep in mind, if you have Cambridge Testing, or Advanced Placement (AP) testing, you need to speak to your teacher about testing.
SENIORS and JUNIORS (11th & 12th) need to ensure they are here for their testing (U.S. History & U.S. Government) Also, Seniors who have not met their testing scores to graduate will need to be here to do a serious study-session to help them to get to graduation.
Devilette Auditions
Audition for the Devilette Dance Team will take place on May 16th and 18th from 4:00 – 7:00 pm in the WHHS Band Room. Auditionees should wear appropriate dance or athletic clothing and shoes and bring water. Training will occur with instructor Allyson Wood on the 16th and official auditions on the 18th. Any questions or concerns should be emailed to chase.deases@polk-fl.net.
Blue Devil Dash
Join WHHS on May 13th, starting at 8:00 a.m. in Downtown Winter Haven near the east side of the Chamber of Commerce for our inaugural Blue Devil Dash. The cost is $35 per person, and this will include a t-shirt. All proceeds will go towards the refurbishment project for Denison Stadium.
Orchestra Donation
The WHHS Orchestra had a surprised guest, Mr. Lawson, stop by and request they play two songs. The Orchestra played the Star Spangled Banner for him which inspired him to donate to the program. He is a former Orchestra teacher at WHHS.
Apply for the Dutch Exchange Program
If you are interested in hosting a Dutch student and possibly traveling to the Netherlands during Spring Break 2024 then you should fill out this application. Any current student or upcoming freshman can apply to host a Dutch Student this October. There will be a mandatory host meeting on September 7th, 2023 at 6 p.m. in Mr. Brown’s classroom, 35-212. Applications should be filled out by May 5th. If you have any questions about the application or the program please contact Mr. Brown, Robert.brown01@polk-fl.net.
WHHS Graduation
WHHS class of 2023 graduation will be held on May 23rd. Graduation will begin at 7:00 p.m. and will be located at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland, Florida. Seniors will receive their tickets via Mrs. Williams once she has them available.
WHHS class of 2023 graduation practice will be held on May 18th. The practice will begin at 7:45 a.m. and occur at the Advent Field House. Seniors must remember the following for graduation: no heels inside, you must stay for the entire practice, graduation tickets will be handed out, and no wearing your cap or gown. If you have further questions, download the Senior calendar below or email Nancy Bachman @ nancy.bachman@polk-fl.net.
ASVAB information
The ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Exam) will be given on March 21, 7 am, in the cafeteria. This is for juniors and seniors. Sign up with the JROTC instructors, with the guidance department, or on Remind @6kck6eb.
FAFSA Workshop
Seniors, there will be a FAFSA workshop on Thursday, February 16th. This will take place in the guidance lab during school. In order to attend you must reserve a spot with Mrs. Bachman by emailing her at nancy.bachman@polk-fl.net.
Help PCPS Name Our New Elementary School; Cast Your Vote by Feb. 20
Polk County Public Schools is asking the community to help name our newest elementary school.
The school, located at 9525 State Highway 653 in Winter Haven, is expected to open in August 2023. Measuring 126,834 square feet, the school will serve approximately 996 students.
The new school will increase available classroom space within a fast-growing area of Polk County, and reduce potential strain on existing schools like Chain of Lakes, Alturas, and Spook Hill elementaries.
After researching the surrounding area, a naming committee comprised of school, district and community leaders has selected four possible names for the school.
Members of the public are asked to cast their vote by visiting: polkschoolsfl.com/namesurvey
Voting will close on Monday, Feb. 20. The four possible names for the school include:
- Sensabaugh Elementary — Effie Reeve Sensabaugh was a beloved elementary teacher in Winter Haven. Her career ended in 1943 after more than five decades of service – with more than 40 years spent teaching students in Winter Haven.
- South Pointe Elementary — This option refers to the new school’s location, which is being constructed within the southernmost point of Winter Haven.
- Osprey Elementary — The osprey is a bird found commonly year-round in Florida, including the area where this new school is being built.
- Osprey Landing Elementary
After voting closes, the winning name will go to the Polk County School Board for consideration at an upcoming meeting.
WHHS Boys Basketball game on Friday
The WHHS Boys Basketball team will play The Rock out of Gainesville on Friday, 2/4, at Polk State Gym. The JV team will start at 5:30 p.m., and the Varsity team will start at 7 p.m. Come out to support your Blue Devils’ last home game of the regular season. Winter Haven student tickets are $2 with ID, and all other spectator tickets will be $5. Tickets can be purchased in advance through Home Town ticketing.
Girls Basketball Semi-Final 2/1/23 QR code
To purchase a ticket tonight, please scan the QR code attached.
Academy Day hosted by the Office of Congressman Scott Franklin
The Office of Congressman Scott Franklin will host an Academy Day on Saturday, February 18, from 9 am – 12 pm at Polk State College Center for Public Safety Auditorium, 1251 Jim Keene Blvd, Winter Haven. Liaison officials from Annapolis, West Point, Merchant Marine, and Air Force Academies will be available. 9th, 10th, and 11th-grade students interested in attending a service academy are encouraged to attend.
PEF Scholarships
The Polk Education Foundation scholarship application goes down on February 7 at noon.
All scholarship materials are due to Mrs. Bachman on or before February 10, 1:00 pm.
Cambridge Parent Information Meetings
Current 8th graders interested in applying for the Cambridge Program at WHHS are required to attend one information session. Sessions occur on January 9th and 24th at 5:30 pm in the WHHS cafeteria. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact WHHS.
Issue 2 of WHHS Trident
You can view the second issue of the WHHS Trident online with the following link.
https://enewspaper.makemynewspaper.com/web-2ba44287444160/2022-12-07-issue-2-2022
Schedule 12/12 - 12/16
The class schedule will look different next week due to Progress Monitoring.
If you are a student who has OJT or No Credit Study Hall in the middle of the day, you will report to the Media Center for the middle block and return to class afterward.
Grad Bash 2023
Seniors – Tickets for Universal GradBash 2023 will be $97 – ticket sales will be Jan 17,18; January 30, 31, February 14, 15, and March 6, 7, during all lunches in the cafeteria.
No bills larger than a $20. Make checks payable to Winter Haven High School (with student name and ID # on check).
WHHS Grad Perla Latorre-Suarez Named Among Best Aerospace Graduate Students in the World
Perla Latorre-Saurez attended Winter Haven High School prior to her attending the University of Central Florida. She credits Dr. Sarah Roberts with helping her get motivated when she was initially learning English helping her to keep moving forward. It is fantastic to see such great success, and Winter Haven is exceptionally proud to have a Blue Devil named to Aviation Week Network’s
20 Twenties Award Class of 2022. Congratulations Perla!
Tony’s Italian Ice will be at Orientation
Stop by and grab a cool treat while you are walking WHHS at Orientation! Tony’s Italian Ice will serves up a great selection of ices, and is the sweetest way to start a new school year 😊
School Lunch Information
From PCPS School Nutrition Department:
July 1, 2022
Dear Parent or Guardian:
We are pleased to inform you that Winter Haven Senior will be implementing the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for School Year 2022-2023.
Schools that participate in the CEP are able to provide healthy breakfasts and lunches each day at no charge for ALL students enrolled in that CEP school during the 2022-2023 School Year.
If we can be of any further assistance, please contact us at 863-647-4804 ext. 5.
Sincerely,
School Nutrition Department
Click here for the entirety of the letter: CEP Winter Haven Senior
Parking Permit Information
Juniors and Seniors can purchase their parking decal in Mrs. Cea’s office, in the main office. Decals will be sold before and after school ONLY, 6:30 am – 7:00 am and 1:45 pm – 2:15 pm. You will need to provide the following:
- Current Schedule
- Driver’s License
- Current Car Registration
- Current Insurance Card
Parents and Students - Important Policy Notification
Parents and students, please be aware that there will be no checkouts after 1:00 p.m.
Students, please be aware that if you are caught leaving campus without permission it will result in an automatic 3 day OSS. (Out of school suspension).
Career Program
Attention Students: Career Connections is a partnership between WHHS and the Chamber of Commerce.
Are you interested in meeting with a community business leader to learn about a specific career field? If so, sign up for the Career Connections Program. See Dr. Jaime in room 35-222 for more information. Application forms are available in the Main Office.