The Flight Log: Issue 11 (10/30/26)

Issue 11: Friday, Oct. 30, 2026

FFHS Families,

I want to take a minute to tell you how proud I am of First Flight High School and, more importantly, how proud I am of our scholars.

FFHS is a school of academic excellence, and our students continue to show us every day what they are capable of. They work hard, they challenge themselves, they compete, they perform, they lead, and they continue to grow into amazing young people.

But none of that happens without you.

To all of our FFHS parents and families, thank you.

Thank you for getting them out of bed in the morning. Thank you for making sure they get to school. Thank you for asking about their day, checking on their grades, coming to games and performances, encouraging them when they are struggling, and celebrating with them when things go well.

You may not always realize it, but what you do every day matters. It matters to your child, it matters to our school, and it matters to our community.

When I see our students helping someone in the hallway, cheering on a teammate, performing on stage, working hard in the classroom, volunteering, or simply doing something kind for another person, I know there is a family behind that young person helping shape who they are.

You should be proud of your kids. Really proud.

And I hope you take some time this weekend to slow down and enjoy them.

We live in a pretty special place. Get outside. Go to the beach. Take a walk. Go fishing. Ride bikes. Surf. Watch the sunrise or sunset. Take the boat out. Grab some ice cream or dinner. Explore somewhere you've never been. Throw a football or baseball in the yard. Or just sit around the house and talk.

It doesn't have to be anything big.

Sometimes the best memories are made doing absolutely nothing special with the people we love.

Our kids grow up way too fast. The grades, assignments, practices, games, and busy schedules will always be there. But these moments with our families don't last forever.

So this weekend, put the phones down for a little while, get outside, laugh together, and make some memories.

Thank you for trusting us with your children. Thank you for supporting First Flight High School. And thank you for everything you do each day to help make our scholars the young people they are becoming.

We are proud to be their school.

I hope you are proud to be their parents.

Have a great weekend, and as always, thank you for being part of the First Flight family.

Sincerely,

Joseph Bell Tyson

Principal, First Flight High School

🦅 #TakeFlight #FlyNighthawksFly #StudentLearningFirst #NighthawkNation

Follow us on Facebook for the latest schedule updates!

Monday, Nov. 2

V Soccer in NCHSAA 4A Playoffs, 1st Round, home vs Reidsville, 5

Tuesday, Nov. 3

Pre-ACT Makeup Testing (select students have been notified)

Election Day

Wednesday, Nov. 4

No after-school events scheduled

Thursday, Nov. 5

V Soccer in NCHSAA 4A Playoffs, 2nd Round, TBA

Friday, Nov. 6

Cross Country at NCHSAA Championships at the Ivey M. Redmon Sports Complex in Kernersville, 4A men's race at 9:40 a.m., 4A women's race at 11

Saturday, Nov. 7

SAT at FFHS, 7:30 check-in, testing begins at 8

Seniors and parents of seniors, CADY Photography will be at FFHS on MONDAY, NOV. 30, all day to take the senior formal tux/drape poses. Please visit the link below to sign up. This a free "Yearbook Only" pose (no sitting fee) for the tux and drape shots that go in the yearbook, graduation program and our other celebrations of the Class of 2027, so it is vital that EVERY graduating senior – regular grads, December grads, juniors graduating early, whoever! – schedules a time and shows up that day!

Anyone who took senior photos with CADY in August or September who needs a retake of their tux/drape photo also should sign up for this date. A few weeks after our photo shoot, seniors and parents will be able to view these proofs and order photos if they'd like.

Any seniors who miss this date will need to visit the CADY studio in Chesapeake before Jan. 1 to have a photo session there in order to have their senior formal included in the yearbook and elsewhere. Questions? Reach out to yearbook adviser Steve Hanf at hanfst@daretolearn.org.

CADY SENIOR PHOTO SIGN-UP LINK

• The women's and men’s wrestling seasons start practice Monday after school and there will be a meeting for parents on Thursday (Nov. 5) in the wrestling room at 7 p.m. All Nighthawks are welcome!
• Women's basketball tryouts will be held Nov. 2-4, times to be determined. Interested players should sign up on the sheet outside Mr. Richards' room (C-201).
• Men's varsity basketball tryouts will be Nov. 2-4 from 7-9 p.m.
• Men's JV basketball tryouts will be Nov. 3-5 from 5:45-7:15 p.m.
• Indoor Track for sprinters, throwers and jumpers will be Nov. 2-4 from 3:55 to 5:30 at the track. If you are willing to show up every day with a positive attitude and a commitment to improve, you will make the team and make friends!

Students enjoyed decorating pumpkins to display at our annual college fair, and then seeing them soar through the sky courtesy of the Carpentry class' annual launch party!

The fall semester ASVAB has been rescheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 1, at FFHS. The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery can help students figure out future academic and occupational career paths in the military. Students can sign up by visiting this ASVAB Registration Link.

Also, students who pre-registered for the Nov. 7 SAT administration at FFHS need to remember to arrive at FFHS for check-in between 7:30 and 7:50 with admission ticket, ID, and charged DCS-issued Chromebook. Testing begins promptly at 8.

The next testing date at FFHS is Dec. 5. Students can log into their CollegeBoard accounts or visit this website directly to sign up.

We're just two weeks away from StageKraft sharing the great fall play, "Before Oz." Can't wait to see you at one of the shows ... or maybe even all three!

NEW THIS YEAR! Skip the line at the box office and order your tickets securely online through Infinite Campus at this link! Everyone who pre-orders online will have tickets waiting to be picked up at the Will Call window in the rotunda!

The NC Driving School will be hosting a 12-day session of their virtual Zoom class for driver's education from Nov. 30 to Dec 15 from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Students with birthdays on or before May 30, 2012, are eligible to sign up for this class.

Students MUST be present on camera for each day of the entire session. There are 38 spots available. Registration for the class will be held at FFHS in the Front Office with Mrs. Ewers from Nov. 2-16, or until the class is full.

Full details and registration form can be found here at the FFHS website.

The award-winning Shorelines Yearbook is a 236-page hardcover keepsake that students and families will enjoy for decades to come! Online pre-sales are open now at our secure online ordering site YearbookForever.com.

PARENTS OF SENIORS: We will be accepting orders for Senior Ads through the first week of November. These fun tributes fill the back of the yearbook and include memorable moments through the years for our graduates! Ads are available in full-page, half-page and quarter-page sizes. Ads can be ordered at the YearbookForever website listed above or by filling out and returning this form to a member of the yearbook staff or adviser Steve Hanf.

Digital Footprint Reminder: When in Doubt, Report It!

Received a suspicious email, clicked an unfamiliar link, or noticed a possible security issue? Don’t ignore it or be embarrassed – report it! Quick reporting helps protect your personal information, your school community, and sensitive data. Remember: You don’t have to be certain something is a threat to speak up. See something suspicious? Say something! – Kimberly Dickson, M.Ed., NBCT / FFHS Instructional Technology Facilitator

The FFHS administration treated faculty and staff to a cookout celebration on our workday to recognize everyone's contributions to the Grade A status First Flight earned in the most recent NCDPI School Report Card rankings. Working together with our students, parents and community stakeholders, we look forward to many more "Grade A School" celebrations to come!