By Dr. Brennan W. Asplen
St. Augustine High School: Rising achievement and state-level honors
St. Augustine High School continues to demonstrate excellence across academics, arts and athletics.
This year, the AICE program expanded from 1,600 to 2,000 exams administered, an impressive milestone following last year’s 20% growth. Several Yellow Jackets earned national distinctions, including Gracie Flaherty (Class of 2025), who achieved the highest AICE Psychology score in the nation, and Anna Kerllenevich (Class of 2027), who earned Top in USA recognition for her combined AICE scores.
The SAHS JROTC unit was named an Honor Unit of Distinction and is advancing to state championships. On the athletic front, Avery Miller captured state weightlifting titles in both Olympic and Traditional events, while Taylor Pelchat earned acceptance to West Point and finished second in state girls wrestling.
The arts also shone, with the SJCCA Wind Ensemble earning a state berth for the fourth consecutive year, SJCCA Theatre’s The Actor’s Nightmare receiving Mainstage Designation, and Visual Arts students capturing top regional Scholastic Awards, scholarships and national adjudication honors.
SAHS students also excelled in the SJEA MLK Poster and Essay Competition, earning multiple first-, second- and third-place awards.
Ponte Vedra High School: Academic excellence and statewide recognition
Ponte Vedra High School celebrated exceptional achievements across academic programs, extracurricular activities and student leadership.
The National Honor Society led major service initiatives this year — including supporting HUGS, providing holiday assistance to local families and organizing a Veterans Honor Wall — while the Aspire Talks speaker series reached new heights.
In major academic news, Anya Dorairaj was selected as a prestigious Jefferson Scholar at the University of Virginia, one of about 30 students nationwide to receive the full-ride award. PVHS students also dominated regional academic competitions, including the District Appellate Court Brief Writing and Moot Court Competition, the Middle District of Florida Essay Contest and the Environmental Science DUCKS certification exam with a 94% passing rate.
World language instruction saw innovation through “Spanish Mondays,” a full-immersion learning initiative in Spanish 2 that resulted in students achieving 85% comprehension and increased interest in advanced coursework.
The theater, arts and music programs also thrived. Multiple students were selected for the Florida State Thespian Festival, with several accepted into top-tier college theater programs. The band program earned straight superiors across all MPAs for the first time in school history, and the marching band finished as state runner-up, winning top honors in music and visual performance.
Career and technical education programs expanded hands-on learning through DECA, marketing academy experiences and extensive field-based career exploration. DECA students again achieved Gold Certification for the Shark Shack, maintaining a perfect record since its founding.
The annual Mr. Fintastic philanthropy event raised more than $10,000 for local charities.
Landrum Middle School: Celebrating student life and school improvements
Landrum Middle School is preparing for several major student events, including the return of the eighth grade dance and eighth grade graduation and awards ceremony — traditions being revived for the first time since 2014.
Athletically, Landrum celebrated district championships in both boys and girls basketball. The school is also slated for significant facility upgrades this summer, including new gym bleachers and a complete auditorium renovation featuring a new floor and seating.
PVPV/Rawlings Elementary: Academic leadership and a thriving school community
PVPV/Rawlings Elementary sustained its strong academic reputation — students in grades 3, 4 and 5 once again ranked at the top of the district in FAST Reading and Math proficiency.
The school’s STEM Night was a major success, featuring student-designed engineering challenges, interactive STEM stations, community presenters and contributions from Landrum Middle School and PVHS musicians.
The school will soon launch its annual Kindness Week, promoting empathy, inclusivity and character development through schoolwide activities. Families are also looking forward to the third annual Night of the Arts, showcasing student artwork, performances and interactive activities.
In collaboration with the Tristyn Bailey Foundation and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, PVPV/Rawlings, Ocean Palms Elementary, Landrum Middle and Ponte Vedra High will co-host “Empowering Families. Protecting Children,” a community forum on internet safety to be held April 1 at Landrum Middle School.
A district united in excellence
From elementary enrichment nights to high school national award winners, St. Johns County schools continue to deliver exceptional experiences and opportunities for all students. This recent collection of accomplishments highlights not only academic achievement, but also character, creativity and community — cornerstones of education across the district.
Dr. Brennan W. Asplen III is the Superintendent of St. Johns County School District.
