The Flight Log: Issue 9 (10/16/26)

Issue 9: Friday, Oct. 16, 2026

FFHS Families,

We have officially wrapped up the first nine weeks of the school year! I want to take a moment to congratulate our students and families on making it through the first quarter. We have accomplished a lot already, but there is still plenty of time to finish the semester strong.

Believe it or not, we only have 35 instructional days left in the first semester – not counting exams, which will take place the week of December 14-18.

That gives us 2,977 instructional minutes in each block to make a difference.

We also have approximately 1,050 minutes of FLY Time between now and Winter Break. That is 1,050 minutes that can be used to ask questions, get extra help, complete missing work, prepare for assessments, and push those grades as high as they can go.

Every minute counts here at FFHS.

Students, don't look at the next 35 days as simply a countdown to Winter Break. Look at them as 35 opportunities to get better, improve a grade, learn something new, ask for help, or take another step toward your goals. Small choices made each day can add up to something BIG by the time we reach December.

I also want to give a MAJOR shout-out to our SGA Chair, Ms. Brittany Finch, for the tremendous job she did putting together Homecoming for our Nighthawks this year. Brittany put in countless hours behind the scenes to make sure our students had an incredible week. From the planning with SGA to all of the details that helped make Homecoming special, she worked extremely hard to create memories that our students will carry with them for a long time.

Brittany, thank you for your dedication, your energy, and for always finding ways to make FFHS a special place for our students. You did an amazing job!

Finally, I hope everyone has a great weekend. Take a break, slow down for a little while, and most importantly, spend some time with your family. Make some memories, laugh together, and enjoy the people who matter most.

Then, when we come back, let's make every minute count.

I love you all, and I am proud of our Nighthawks!

Sincerely,

Joseph Bell Tyson

Principal, First Flight High School

🦅 #TakeFlight #FlyNighthawksFly #StudentLearningFirst #NighthawkNation

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Saturday, Oct. 17

Volleyball in NCHSAA 4A Playoffs, 1st Round, home vs Morehead, 1

Monday, Oct. 19

School Improvement Team meeting in the Media Center, 3:40

Golf in NCHSAA 4A East Regional, at Washington Yacht & Country Club, all day

V Soccer at Northeastern, 5

JV Football at Hertford County, 6

Tuesday, Oct. 20

College Application Week Workshop in the Media Center, 9-11:30

NC School of Science and Math Interest Meeting in the Media Center, 3:45

Tennis in NCHSAA 4A Dual Team Playoffs, 3rd Round, at Southwestern Randolph, 4

Volleyball in NCHSAA 4A Playoffs, 2nd Round, at Washington, 6

Wednesday, Oct. 21

Chorus Fall Concert in the auditorium, 6
V Soccer home vs Pasquotank, 5
Cross Country at NCC Championships at Currituck, 4:30

Thursday, Oct. 22

Strings Fall Concert in the auditorium, 6

V Soccer at North Pitt, 6

NCHSAA 4A Volleyball Playoffs, 3rd Round, TBA

Friday, Oct. 23

Makeup Picture Day for students in Grades 9-11 in the auditorium
College Application Week Workshop in the Media Center, 1-3:30

On Wednesday, the Dare Education Foundation "Prize Patrol" paid a visit to First Flight High School. Executive Director Ben Sproul and DEF board members surprised four FFHS teachers who applied for grant funding earlier this fall with money for a variety of projects. Thank you to everyone at DEF as well as the individuals and businesses who support this great organization in our community!

There are two upcoming school picture dates to mark on your calendar:

• FRIDAY, OCT. 23 – Makeup picture day for students in Grades 9-11 (and staff) in the auditorium.
• TUESDAY, NOV. 17 – Makeup Senior Formals (tux/drape) in the auditorium.

EVERY SENIOR will receive info from yearbook adviser Steve Hanf about signing up for makeup photos once a Sign-Up is created by CADY Photography. Please stay tuned for that.

FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES 9-11: To view your child's photo from the September date, visit https://store.cady.com/underclass, enter FFHS and your student's name, and see if they pop up. You will be prompted to enter either your email address or a phone number to be able to access your child's image. But here's the tricky part...

Unless you already provided that info to CADY before Picture Day – like with the link to pre-order photos – you'll get an error message that says the detail you've offered doesn't match their records. If you DO receive this error message, that means you need to reach out to the CADY Customer Experience team.

Call 678-534-5384 (Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.) or use the online chat option at the CADY Help Center (also 9-6 – look for the little magenta chat bubble at the bottom of the website/phone screen). Tell them you need to see your school photos, share your school and child's name, and you'll receive a direct link to view the proof.

Once you see the proof, you can choose to create an account and order, or decide if you'd like your student to come Friday for a retake. If there is no image of your student, please make sure they come to Friday's makeup date: This will be the last chance for underclassmen to be photographed for the yearbook and student IDs this year!

Questions? Please reach out to yearbook adviser Steve Hanf at hanfst@daretolearn.org. We recognize that this process is more challenging than in past years, but is due to tightened privacy policies with your data!

We have two great performances for you this week!

Then on Thursday (Oct. 22), join us at 6 for our Fall Strings Concert – Mission: Orchestra. FFMS and FFHS Orchestra students will be performing music with a fun secret agent-themed twist! We can't wait to see you in the David E. Oaksmith Auditorium for these performances, which are free and open to the public!

We're less than a month away from StageKraft taking the stage with the great fall play "Before Oz." Can't wait to see you at one of the shows ... or maybe even all three!

Digital Footprint Reminder: Think before you post! If you wouldn't want a college admissions officer or future employer to see it, think twice about sharing it. – Kimberly Dickson, M.Ed., NBCT / FFHS Instructional Technology Facilitator