Letter from Mr. Hoyle

Dear Upper School Families,

I am excited to welcome all of you to the 2026-2027 school year! My first day at Shorecrest was Wednesday, July 1, and I have spent the last six and a half weeks looking forward to this coming Wednesday when I will have the chance to see all of our amazing Upper School students together at Convocation. A school just isn’t the same without the students, so I am thrilled to see our incredible Chargers this week.

This is my first weekly letter of the school year. Please be sure to be on the lookout for these letters every Monday so you can stay up-to-date on all the updates and upcoming events in the Upper School. You’ll want to scroll through the whole page each week to make sure you don’t miss any important details.

Some important reminders for our first week of school.

Orientation

Tuesday morning we are excited to welcome our new Upper School families for Ninth Grade and New Student Orientation. Please see my email from August 4 for more details.

Convocation

Wednesday will start in the Janet Root Theatre with our Convocation ceremony that will launch the school year. Students should be in formal dress code for the day, which is detailed in our Upper School Family Handbook on page 65.

• Students in grades 9-11 should arrive at school by 8:30am and proceed directly to their Advisor’s classroom for attendance. Please remind them of this. "Where do I go?" is the most frequently asked question on the first minute of the first day. Adults will also be on hand to guide them to the right spot.

• Seniors must report to the Raymund Center by 8:15am to get lined up for the Convocation processional.

Check your schedule

All students should make sure to download or screenshot their most up-to-date academic schedule Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning. It’s possible that there may have been changes over the course of the summer.

First Day Schedule: Our first day schedule will have students going through all seven blocks so that they have the opportunity to meet all of their teachers. You can view the schedule for the first day as well as the rest of the week here: First Week Schedule

There will be no “Late Start Thursday” this week. Thursday will follow a normal Day 1 schedule, with school starting at 8:30. 

Arrival & Dismissal

Please review the Carline procedures detailed in Friday’s email and watch this video: Upper School Arrival & Dismissal

Thank you so much for your time and for dedicating so much of your energy to supporting the Upper School Chargers community. Have a great start to your week and see you soon!

Brendan Hoyle

Head of Upper School

bhoyle@shorecrest.org

Mark Your Calendars - 

Tuesday, August 18:
9th Grade Orientation
New 10th-12th Graders Orientation
Senior Recharge

Wednesday, August 19: First Day of School, formal dress day

Thursday, August 20: No late start Thursday

Sunday, August 23: Fall Sports Media Day for Chargers Student-Athletes

Wednesday, August 26: US New Family Coffee

Thursday, September 3:
Yearbook Picture Day (MS/US)
College Counseling: Senior Launch
US Back to School Night

Monday, September 7: Labor Day - School Closed

Wednesday, September 9: College Counseling Meet & Greet

Upcoming Events

Senior Launch - September 3, 6pm, Janet Root Theatre
Join the College Counseling Team for an important college meeting prior to the start of Back to School Night. This event is for the Class of 2027 parents only. 

First Year Foundation - September 15, 6pm, Janet Root Theatre
For students and families of the Class of 2030.

SAT/ACT/Test Prep

Revolution Prep offers several different test preparation options. Below are two free live practice exam options. Be sure to check the Revolution Prep landing page for Shorecrest for all upcoming test prep events. 

PSAT/NMSQT Practice Exam: Saturday, September 19, 9am-12pm live online

Digital ACT Practice Exam: Saturday, September 26, 9am-12pm live online

Register: www.revolutionprep.com/partners/shorecrestprep 

Colleges Visiting Shorecrest 

Juniors and seniors are welcome to attend in-person college visits during the school day. In order to attend college visits, you must sign-up in Cialfo (Visit tab) at least 24 hours in advance. Meeting with the visiting college reps is a great way to learn more about each institution and show your demonstrated interest. Many colleges track attendance at programs such as school visits. 

View College Visits List

Virtual College Information Sessions

Launch (Cornell University, Emory University, Pomona College, Rice University, Washington University in St. Louis)

• August 19 & September 16 at 8pm | REGISTER 

Peach State Tour (University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, Georgia State University, Augusta University)

• September 16 - 8-9pm | REGISTER

Note on Grounds Project Along Pratt Blvd. 

Work on the pipes outside of the Middle School Sher / Razook Center is currently paused, and the site will remain disrupted until it resumes. The delay stems from a permitting matter between the contractor and the City of St. Petersburg. It is outside the School's control, and we are actively pushing for a resolution. Thank you for your patience. 

All-School Calendar

Upper School Contacts