The Flight Log: Issue 13

Issue 13: November 22, 2024

Dear First Flight High School Families,

As we approach Thanksgiving break, I wanted to take a moment to celebrate our scholars' hard work and dedication. I have had the privilege of being in and out of classrooms this week, and I have personally witnessed our students giving their best efforts, striving to raise their grades as high as possible before the end of the semester.

A quick reminder to all families: All assignments are due by the end of the school day on Friday, December 13th. Please make sure to check your scholar's Infinite Campus account to ensure they have submitted all of their assignments on time.

I would also like to congratulate Mrs. Penn and the StageKraft Productions team for their outstanding work on the fall play, "Radium Girls." Our theatre arts program continues to grow, and if your scholar is interested in joining the team, please encourage them to reach out to Mrs. Penn. We can’t wait to see what’s in store for the spring musical!

Additionally, I want to give a big shout-out to Coach Juan “The Goat” Ramirez and our incredible soccer team for their fantastic season. It has been an absolute joy watching our Nighthawks play, and we are so proud of their accomplishments both on and off the field.

I would also like to highlight some amazing achievements from our HOSA program. Congratulations to Mrs. Kovacs and the HOSA team! A special recognition goes to Catalina Lokie and Kiera Thomas for placing 1st in their CPR/First Aid event at the Regional Leadership Conference in Greenville. This is the second year in a row they’ve earned this distinction! Furthermore, Ava Daniels made First Flight HOSA history by being elected Northeast Regional President — an incredible achievement, as Dare County has never had a HOSA member serve on the Regional board. We are so proud of Ava and excited to see her leadership in action.

As we head into the Thanksgiving holiday, I want to share a quote that resonates this time of year: "Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others. It opens the heart, spreads love, and brings joy into the world." I hope all of our families enjoy some quality time together, making memories and sharing in good food and laughter. We are grateful for your continued support, and we wish you all a wonderful break.

Have a great weekend, and Go Nighthawks!

Warm regards

-Joseph Bell Tyson, Principal, First Flight High School

Friday, November 22 (TODAY)

• Swimming in league meet at Albemarle Family YMCA, 4:00 PM

• Varsity Boys Basketball at Wilson Hunt tournament, vs. Hunt, 8:30 PM

Saturday, November 23

• Varsity Boys Basketball at Wilson Hunt Tournament, vs. Wilson Prep, 6:00 PM

Monday, November 25

• No after-school events scheduled

  
  

Tuesday, November 26

• JV Girls Basketball at Pasquotank, 4:00 PM

• Wrestling (HOME) vs. Pasquotank, 5:00 PM

Wednesday, November 27

• No School, Optional Teacher Workday

Thursday, November 28

• No School, Thanksgiving Holiday

Friday, November 29

• No School, Thanksgiving Holiday

Monday, December 2

• JV Boys/ Varsity Girls Basketball (HOME) vs. Albemarle School, 4:00/5:30 PM

Tuesday, December 3

• Swimming at OBX Family YMCA vs. Manteo, Pasquotank, 5:00 PM

• JV Girls/Varsity Girls Basketball at Lawrence Academy, 4:30/6:00 PM

Wednesday, December 4

• Good Guys vs Cancer at FFHS
• FFHS Girls vs. Cape Hatteras, 4:00 PM
• Manteo vs. Cape Hatteras, 5:30 PM
• Hertford County vs. Hargrave, 7:00 PM
• Charlotte Performance vs. Word of God, 8:30 PM

Thursday, December 5

• Good Guys vs Cancer at FFHS

• Hargrave vs. Word of God, 4:00 PM

• Camden vs. Croatan, 5:30 PM

• Currituck vs. West Bladen, 7:00 PM

• Blue Ridge vs. Ambassador Christian, 8:30 PM

Friday, December 6

• Swimming at league meet at Albemarle Family YMCA, 4:00 PM
• Good Guys vs Cancer at FFHS
• Peninsula Catholic vs. Word of God, 2:00 PM
• Greenfield vs. Burlington School, 3:30 PM
• Miller School vs. New Hanover, 5:00 PM
• Davidson Day vs. St. Anne's Belfield, 6:30 PM
• JL Chambers vs. John Marshall, 8:00 PM
• FFHS vs. Millbrook, 9:30 PM

Saturday, December 7

• SAT at FFHS, 7:45 AM
• Marching Band at Manteo Christmas Parade, 10:00 AM
• Wrestling at North Pitt tournament, all day
• Good Guys vs Cancer at FFHS
• Croatan vs. West Bladen, 8:00 AM
• Greenfield vs. Peninsula Catholic, 9:30 AM
• Burlington School vs. Blue Ridge, 11:00 AM
• Washington vs. Northern Nash, 12:30 PM
• Green Level vs. Miller School, 2:00 PM
• Millbrook vs. Farmville Central, 3:30 PM
• New Hanover vs. Lake Norman, 5:00 PM
• Davidson Day vs. Berean Baptist, 6:30 PM
• St. Anne's Belfield vs. JL Chambers, 8:00 PM
• FFHS vs. Kinston, 9:30 PM

Please consider filling out this form to provide your feedback about your family's experience at First Flight High School so far this year. We greatly appreciate hearing from you and would love to hear any and all feedback you might have!

On Monday, Nov. 25, the CTE department will celebrate the grand opening of the Take Flight Café with administrators, staff and special guests. The ceremony Monday morning will celebrate the hard work and collaboration between the Child & Nutrition Department and Career & Technical Education as we open the Take Flight Café in the FFHS cafeteria, a renovated space now outfitted as a coffee shop that provides hands-on learning for students. Students and staff will be able to order at the café starting on Tuesday from a limited menu through December 13th.

In the past, FFHS teachers have generously provided our students in need with Christmas gifts. We would love to continue the tradition this year. If you need financial support in any way and would like for your student(s) to receive a gift from FFHS this year, please complete the information on this Google Form. All information will be kept confidential. By completing the form, you are giving permission for your child to receive a gift from the FFHS Angel Tree. Names must be submitted by Friday, Dec. 6. If you have any questions, please contact your student's counselor at:

• A-G – Lisa Wheless; whelessli@daretolearn.org
• H-N – Amy White; whiteam@daretolearn.org
• O-P – Beth Garrett; garrettbe@daretolearn.org

The FAFSA form to get college financial aid for the 2024-25 school year has been released by the US Department of Education and can be filled out now by seniors and their parents. Mr. Hunting and Ms. Santana will host a drop-in FAFSA workshop in the cafeteria on Wednesday, Dec. 4, from 5:30-7:30 PM

Monday, Nov. 25: Recruiters from the Air Force, Army and Coast Guard will be in the rotunda during lunches to provide post-secondary information to students.

Career Café, Tuesday, Nov. 26: Two special guests will be on campus during Fly Time from 1:30-2:00. Former student and graduate Zach Sedlaeck and his friend "Stryker" from the K-9 ambassador unit of the Virginia Tech ROTC program will share information about the unique program this institution has to offer.

Tuesday, Dec. 3: Office Hours for Claudia Furges Vasquez of NCWorks in the Career Cafe from 1:00-2:00 PM. Claudia can help students with resumes, cover letters, and finding seasonal employment.

Friday, Dec. 6: Students may sign up to attend a field trip to Coastal Studies Institute to learn about careers on and off the water. From Fish and Wildlife to the NCDOT, there are many jobs in which graduates can earn great wages right here on the Outer Banks.

This special program will be offered second semester! If you are a junior or senior interested in this internship opportunity, please contact Ms. Romano at romanoca@daretolearn.org for more information.

Save the dates for some great upcoming opportunities for our students in the band, strings and chorus programs! The annual winter concerts will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 11, for middle school and high school strings and chorus, and on Thursday, Dec. 12, for middle and high school bands. Both shows start at 6:00 PM in the David E. Oaksmith Auditorium and are free and open to the public. Other events for our music students include:

• Saturday, Dec. 7, Manteo Christmas Parade at 10 AM (marching band)
• Saturday, Dec. 7, Duck Yuletide Caroling from 3:00-5:00 PM (chorus)
• Tuesday, Dec. 10, KDH Holiday Market Aviation Park from 4:00-5:00 PM (chorus)
• Sunday, Dec. 15, Outer Banks Chorus Concert in the FFHS Auditorium, 4:00 PM.
• Tuesday, Dec. 17, Wright Brothers Memorial First Flight Anniversary at 8:30 AM (honors jazz band)
• Friday, Dec. 20, Spring Arbor Caroling at 11:00 AM (chorus)

• PSAT scores are back and are being distributed to 11th-graders who took the test.

• December 7 SAT – Students who registered for the digital SAT being offered at FFHS the first Saturday of December will be asked to bring their charged Chromebook, photo ID, and a snack/water for the break. Students should enter the rotunda starting at 7:30 a.m. No late arrivals after 8:00 AM;

Please see the following information about our fall exams!

Families of students who are graduating in June, please be sure you are ordering your child's cap and gown ASAP! Graduation cap and gown packets went home with your senior after our Senior Meeting last month, and orders must be placed before Dec. 6. This can be done online at the Herff Jones website, mailed in, or over the phone. Please reference the cap and gown packet. If you need another, please have your child see Mrs. Daniels.

Families of seniors/2025 grads, please make sure your child is signing up for the required CPR training or has provided proof of CPR certification to Mrs. Daniels. The CPR training is held during Fly Time and your senior can sign up on Infinite Campus. They only need to sign up for one day!

For anyone who missed the online meeting with info about helping juniors prepare for their future, you can find the link to the recorded meeting here. The FFHS School Counselors will begin meeting with juniors on Tuesday (Nov. 19) to discuss graduation requirements and post-secondary planning. Please schedule a meeting with your school counselor using the links below. We look forward to helping you plan your future!

• Lisa Wheless (A to G) – https://calendly.com/whelessli/juniormeeting
• Amy White (H to N) – https://calendly.com/whiteam/junior-meetings
• Beth Garrett (O to Z) – https://calendly.com/garrettbe/junior-meetings

Members of the Leo Club will be collecting food items during the holidays and plastic materials all year. Check out the flyers to learn more about these opportunities to help the community!

Your FFHS PTO is looking for a Volunteer Coordinator. We are doing so many great things this year and we would greatly benefit from having someone who can put together sign-ups and coordinate volunteers for our initiatives. If this is for you or if you have questions, please email ffhspto@gmail.com . Interested in other ways you can help the FFHS PTO Please reach out to us the email address above. There are so many added bonuses to joining our group of parent leaders. Here are just a few!

• Know what's going on at our school and get to know our wonderful administrators
• Connect with our community to create opportunities that support the students who are our future leaders
• Make teachers' development and teaching resource wishes come true with our grant program
• Build on the Nighthawk spirit within the student body to create memorable experiences
• Give of your talents, strengths and ideas to an inclusive group that brings meaningful ideas to fruition

FFHS will be holding our Festival of Trees decorating contest again this year. We are in need of gently used artificial trees. If you've recently upgraded your tree and don't know what to do with the old one, please consider bringing it to us! Donations can be dropped off by the front office between now and Dec. 4.

First Flight's annual basketball tournament will be here before we know it! For the second straight year, the popularity of this tournament means four days crammed full of exciting action featuring a mix of local squads and national powerhouses with D-I talents up and down the roster. Best of all, Good Guys vs Cancer is for a great cause, with all tournament proceeds going to the fight against cancer. Here is a look at the schedule:

• Wednesday, Dec. 4: FFHS girls vs Cape Hatteras at 4 – Cape Hatteras boys vs Manteo at 5:30 – Hertford County vs Hargrave at 7 – Charlotte Performance Institute vs Word of God at 8:30
• Thursday, Dec. 5: Hargrave vs Word of God at 4 – Camden vs Croatan at 5:30 – Currituck vs West Bladen at 7 – Blue Ridge vs Ambassador Christian at 8:30
• Friday, Dec. 6: Peninsula Catholic vs Ambassador Christian at 2 – Greenfield vs Burlington School at 3:30 – Miller School vs New Hanover at 5 – Davidson Day vs St. Anne's Belfield at 6:30 – JL Chambers vs John Marshall at 8 – FFHS vs Millbrook at 9:30
• Saturday, Dec. 7: Croatan vs West Bladen at 8 a.m. – Greenfield vs Peninsula Catholic at 9:30 – Burlington School vs Blue Ridge at 11 – Washington vs Northern Nash at 12:30 – Green Level vs Miller School at 2 – Millbrook vs Farmville Central at 3:30 – New Hanover vs Lake Norman at 5 – Davidson Day vs Berean Baptist at 6:30 – St. Anne's Belfield vs JL Chambers at 8 – FFHS vs Kinston at 9:30

Day passes, tournament passes and VIP passes can be purchased now online at the Good Guys GoFan site.

*Photograph courtesy of Rich Images Photography