Sunlake Weekly Update
Issue 6- 2025-2026
Connect with us!
Highest points of all traditional high schools in Pasco County!
Student Hours: 7:10 AM-1:44 PM
Email: kmerlin@pasco.k12.fl.us
Website: https://slhs.pasco.k12.fl.us/
Location: 3023 Sunlake Boulevard, Land O' Lakes, FL, USA
Phone: (813) 346-1000
Facebook: facebook.com/SLHSseahawk
Twitter: @SLHSseahawks
Monday, Sep. 8th-
1:50 PM-2:30 PM- Pre-Health Club: Room 3-169
1:50-2:30 PM- Spanish Tutoring: Room 3-113
2:00 PM-8:30 PM- Marching Band Rehearsal
2:00 PM-5:00 PM- Class of 2029 Skit Practice: 4 Left Commons
2:00 PM-4:30 PM- Class of 2026 Skit Practice: 3 Right Commons
2:00 PM- Class of 2028 Powder Puff Practice & Skit Practice: 3 Left Commons
2:00 PM-3:00 PM- ASL Honor SocietyMeeting: Room 3-109
2:00 PM-3:00 PM- Hawkeye Club Meeting: Student Center
3:45 PM-6:30 PM- HOME Boys Golf vs. Pasco High School: Heritage Harbor
3:45 PM-6:30 PM- HOME Girls Golf vs. Wesley Chapel High School: Heritage Harbor
5:00 PM-8:00 PM Class of 2026 Parent Skit Practice: 3 Right Commons
Tuesday, Sep. 9th-
2:00 PM-4:30 PM- Class of 2026 Skit Practice: 3 Right Commons
2:00 PM- 3:30 PM Class of 2028 Powder Puff Practice & Skit Practice: 3 Left Commons
5:00 PM-8:00 PM- Class of 2026 Boys Powderpuff Practice: 3 Right Commons
6:00 PM- HOME Volleyball vs. Wesley Chapel High School
Wednesday, Sep 10th-
12:00 PM-1:44 PM- Club Fair during Lunches: Cafe Patio (Students Only)
2:00 PM-8:30 PM- Marching Band Rehearsal
2:00 PM-4:30 PM- Class of 2026 Skit Practice: 3 Right Commons
2:00 PM- Class of 2028 Powder Puff Practice & Skit Practice: 3 Left Commons
5:30 PM-8:00 PM- AWAY Swim & Dive @ Zephyrhills HS
Thursday, Sep. 11th- Patriot Day
12:00 PM-1:44 PM- Club Fair during Lunches: Cafe Patio (Students Only)
1:50 PM-3:00 PM- Key Club- Create for Kids Event: Room 10-106
2:00 PM- 2:30 PM- NHS Meeting: Student Center
2:00 PM-4:30 PM- Class of 2026 Skit Practice: 3 Right Commons
2:00 PM-Class of 2028 Powder Puff Practice & Skit Practice: 3 Left
3:45 PM-6:30 PM- AWAY Boys Golf @ Hudson HS: Location TBD
3:45 PM-6:30 PM- HOME Girls Golf vs. Hudson HS: Heritage Harbor
6:00 PM-10:30 PM- HOME Volleyball vs. Cypress Creek High School: Sunlake Gym
6:00 PM-8:00 PM- Parent Senior Skit Practice: 3 Right Commons
Friday, Sep. 12th- One Blood Blood Drive
9:00 AM-5:00 PM- AWAY Volleyball @ FL Gem HS Tournament: Wiregrass RADD Sports Complex
2:00 PM-8:30 PM- Marching Band Rehearsal
2:00 PM-4:30 PM- Class of 2026 Skit Practice: 3 Right Commons
Saturday, Sep. 13th-
7:00 AM-11:00 AM- AWAY Cross Country @ HOKA Nights of Thunder Invitational: Tallahassee
8:00 AM-2:00 PM- Class of 2026 Skit Painting: Portable 7
9:00 AM-5:00 PM- AWAY Volleyball @ FL Gem HS Tournament: Wiregrass RADD Sports Complex
Sunday, Sep. 14th-
8:00 AM-3:00 PM- Class of 2026 Skit Painting: Portable 7
Our first blood drive is coming up this week on Friday, September 12th
We have a goal to collect 32 units of blood which could equal up to 96 lives saved!!
Students aged 16 years and older can sign up during lunches next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (Sep. 9th-Sep. 11th) or below using the appointment link.
All donors will receive a cancer awareness shirt as well as food and drinks.
To make an appointment through OneBlood.org - https://donor.oneblood.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/1649470
Sunlake is extremely fortunate to have Mrs. Black as a Seahawk. She is our passionate College & Career Specialist that has years of expertise in ensuring our students are ready for the next level. She loves to partner with families and has created the College & Career Specialist Newsletter to provide resources and help parents know what to do at each stage of high school so that their student is ready for the next level upon graduation.
Simply click on the title above and begin your planning!!
We are thrilled to announce that Mrs. Jennifer Franklin will be joining the Seahawk Staff on September 17th as a PCT/Medical Academy teacher!
Jennifer Franklin, BSN, RN, joins Sunlake High School’s Patient Care Tech/Medical Academy with a strong background in both clinical nursing and health education. A licensed RN in Florida and Tennessee, Jennifer brings over a decade of experience in diverse healthcare settings, including surgical care, pediatrics, and school nursing. Her previous roles have equipped her with expertise in patient assessment, triage, medication administration, and health screenings. Passionate about mentoring future healthcare professionals, Jennifer is excited to transition into Career and Technical Education, where she will share her real-world knowledge and dedication to patient care with Sunlake’s aspiring medical students.
Hello Sunlake Families!
Your PTSA needs your support so that they best serve our school and students! The easiest way to support the PTSA is to purchase your PTSA membership for the 2025 - 2026 school year! Each parent, guardian, student, and faculty/staff member should have their own membership. You may purchase your membership at https://sunlakeptsa-01675837.givebacks.com/shop. Purchasing a membership does not obligate you to volunteer in any way, it simply helps support our organization!
We will be holding a meeting via Zoom on Monday, September 22nd at 7pm. This meeting will be run by the Pasco County Council President as we did not have elections in the spring for new officers. A zoom link and agenda will be sent out to our members prior to the meeting.
The goal of the meeting will be to elect officers for the 2025 - 2026 school year. A President, Treasurer, and Recording Secretary MUST be elected in order for the PTSA to remain in good standing. Nominations will be taken from the floor, however, if you are interested in running for any of these positions, please notify County Council in advance by emailing pasco.cc@floridapta.org. No experience is necessary as the Pasco County Council will work with the officers to train them and ensure that you are prepared to help your PTSA succeed!
We look forward to welcoming back returning members and welcoming new members!
The United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) is a unique educational experience for outstanding high school students and an opportunity for motivated student leaders to have direct contact with the highest-level elected and appointed officials in the nation. The USSYP mission is to encourage the best and brightest students in America’s high schools to pursue careers in public service. Florida students have the opportunity to participate in this program. The program was created and authorized in 1962 by Senate Resolution 234 and has been reauthorized ever since. The Hearst Foundations assumed financial support of the program and continues its sponsorship today. A portion of this support provides a $10,000 undergraduate college scholarship given to each student selected to attend. The online application for the USSYP program is available and must be completed by September 29, 2025. The application can be found here: https://www.fldoe.org/civicliteracy/ussyp.stml. All required components of the application must be included in the application when it is submitted. The teacher and sponsor recommendations must also be submitted by September 29, 2025.
Youth Leadership Pasco was founded by the Leadership Pasco Class of 1998 and graduated its first class of youth in 2000. Their successful record for offering an issues-oriented team learning environment for high school students and a commitment to offer a program that encourages a free exchange of ideas has built student enthusiasm for participating in our program. Learn more at the link below!
Youth Leadership Pasco applications are open on the website: leadershippasco.com.
Deadline for application is 9/8/25 and is open to current sophomores and juniors.
Board Game Donations
Sunlake High School has it's very own Table Top Games student group that meets to, of course, play games! Students in this group value non-screentime games and good old-fashioned competition and laughter.
They have come up with a great idea to benefit their group and our community at large...donations of new and/or gently used board games. These games will be used by the group, for our hurricane shelter (hopefully not any time soon!!!) and for family game nights that will be upcoming.
Please drop off new or gently used (with all required game pieces) board games at the Sunlake Administration building between 8:00 AM-1:00 PM any week day that school is opened.
Blanket & Wheelchair Donations
Pasco County Schools are excited to launch a meaningful community initiative from September 3 to 17, and we’re reaching out to request your support in making it a success. The donation drive will collect new, in-package blankets and functional, non-broken wheelchairs to benefit individuals in need across our community. As we enter storm season, it’s important to be prepared to meet urgent needs that may arise across our county.
Here are the key details:
- WHO: Community members and families
- WHAT: Collecting new blankets and functional wheelchairs
- WHERE: Sunlake (Also Mitchell, Wiregrass Ranch HS, Starkey K-8)
- WHEN: September 3–17 8:00 AM- 1:00 PM Sunlake Admin Building
This effort is especially timely, as it will help support community members who may be impacted by storm-related devastation during this season.
Excellence is expected, achieved and repeated at Sunlake!
Please use the link below to let us know about someone at Sunlake
who made your day or your child's day EXCELLENT!
Football Wins BIG!
Check out that scoreboard vs. Seminole High School!
Your Seahawks were projected to lose this game by 1 point and took the field with a chip on their shoulders. The team is now 2-1 and has outscored opponents 104-20.
CONGRATULATIONS, BOYS!
Also, th JV Team got their first win of the season Thursday against Cypress Creek and are now 1-2 on the season.
X-Country
The Girls & Boys Cross Country Team competed in their first Invitational last weekend at the Whispering Pines Invitational. The teams did well especially for being a very young team with a ton of Freshmen and Sophomores on the team. They competed this week in Tallahassee at the HOKA Nights of Thunder and we are anxiously awaiting results!
Girls & Boys Golf Update
Our Girls Golf team recorded two wins last week including a 204-270 win vs. Zephyrhills! This team is soaring high and they are full of that winning spirit!
CONGRATULATIONS, GIRLS!!
The Boys Golf Team is currently 1-1. They have matches this week against Pasco, and Hudson.
Soaring Sound
Our incredible band wowed the crowd on Friday night during half time with the debut of their show, Crystal! It looks and sounds AMAZING!! If you haven't made it out to Friday Night Lights yet, I strongly encourage you to attend ASAP to see this show and better yet...attend one of the band competitions coming up in October!
Boys & Girls Swimming
The Girls & Boys Swim Team has competed against Land O’Lakes, Cypress Creek, River Ridge, Berkley Prep and has won all their meets so far! They are competing against ZHills this Wednesday.
Volleyball
Our Volleyball Team is currently 8-2 on the year after playing 6 games at the Tournament of Champions in Gainesville last weekend where the Seahawks finished Runner-Up! They beat East Lake Thursday night and they’ll play again this week on Tuesday (vs. WChapel) and on Thursday (vs. Cypress Creek) and then they finish the week off with another weekend tournament.
The JV Team won last night as well and are 2-1 on the season.
Sunlake Fall sports include:
Football
Girls Volleyball
Swim & Dive
Golf
Cross Country
We love when our community comes out to support our student athletes! Please remember the important policies below!
All tickets to all sporting events are available via GoFan only and we do not have cash tickets available at the gate. Yes! You can purchase prior to arriving at the game using the link below or, better yet, add the app to your phone.
Bag Policy
Prohibited Items
Patron Code of Conduct
9/10 & 9/11- Club Fair "Club Rush"
9/15/25-9/20/25-Homecoming Week
9/15- Powder Puff Game
9/17- Skit Night
9/19- Homecoming Football Game
9/20/25- Homecoming Dance
9/24/25- Underclassmen Picture Day
11/5/25- Underclassment Make-Up Picture Day
4/17/26- GradBash
5/9/26- Prom
6/5/26- Graduation (6:30 PM)
The link above will take you to Sunlake's very own virtual newspaper with articles written by our talented student journalists! This link will stay active all year and be posted at the bottom of each newsletter so be sure to check it out each week. Who knows? Your child may end up in a feature article!!