- December 4, 2025
Flagler Schools Superintendent LaShakia Moore walks a Belle Terre Elementary School student to the cafeteria line. Photo by Brent Woronoff
A sign in the Old Kings Elementary School media center on the first day of school. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Old Kings Elementary School second grade teacher Michelle Patton asks her students a question. Photo by Brent Woronoff
New Matanzas High School Principal Mike Rinaldi on lunch duty. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Flagler County School Board Chair Will Furry helps out a Belle Terre Elementary School student during lunch. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Superintendent LaShakia Moore greets Matanzas High senior Shanterria Horn. Moore has known Shanterria since she was a student at Rymfire Elementary School when Moore was the school's principal. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Superintendent LaShakia Moore hugs a kindergarten student who needed support in the Belle Terre Elementary School cafeteria. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Old Kings Elementary School Principal Jessica Fries dons school colors on the first day of school. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas High school students stream into the dining hall for lunch on the first day of school. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Old Kings Elementary School second graders pass the ball in a game of hot potato in Michelle Patton's class. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Flagler County Sheriff's Office Cpl. Andy Cangelosi is not a School Resource Deputy, but he was at Matanzas High School on the first day of school, Aug. 11, to provide security checks and an extra presence. He also was stopping by at Flagler Palm Coast High School. "We want the kids to know we're here for them," he said. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Superintendent LaShakia Moore helps a Belle Terre Elementary School kindergarten student with her lunch on the first day of school. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Old Kings Elementary School third-grade marine science teacher Casey Jones had her students tell something about themselves on the first day of school. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Matanzas High School Army JROTC instructors Command Sgt. Maj. Andrew Spano (left) and Maj. Charles Mallard. Mallard is in his second year with the Pirates, and Spano was learning the campus on his first day. But they had worked together in Duval County Schools since 2018. Photo by Brent Woronoff
From left, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Angela O'Brien, School Board member Lauren Ramirez, Superintendent LaShakia Moore, Matanzas Principal Mike Rinaldi, School Board Chair Will Furry and School Board Vice Chair Christy Chong at Matanzas High School. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Old Kings Elementary School second grade teacher Michelle Patton learns about her students on the first day of school. Photo by Brent Woronoff
U.S. Marine Corps recruiters Sgt. Patrick Kohles (left) and Staff Sgt. Luis Figueroa set up at Matanzas High on the first day of school. Kholes is responsible for Matanzas and Flagler Palm Coast high schools. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Old Kings Elementary School second grade teacher Michelle Patton has her students line up in a circle for a game of hot potato to get to know each other. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Old Kings Elementary School second grade teacher Michell Patton introduces a game of hot potato to her new students. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Superintendent LaShakia Moore lends a hand where needed including handing out plastic forks and spoons to students in the Belle Terre Elementary School cafeteria. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Teachers welcome back students at Buddy Taylor Middle School. Courtesy photo
Flagler Palm Coast IB coordinator Anabella Giuliano introduces herself to new students on Day 1 of school. Courtesy photo
Flagler Schools Superintendent LaShakia Moore visited every district campus on Monday, Aug. 11, the first day of school for students. Moore's tour with her district's team began at 4:50 a.m. in transportation and ended about 10 hours and 12 stops later.
Moore enjoys interacting with students and helping them get acclimated. She has known some of the students for several years since she was a teacher and principal at Rymfire Elementary School.
“Seeing students I’ve known a long time and giving them hugs is the highlight for me,” she said.
New principals Mike Rinaldi at Matanzas High School and Katie Hansen at Buddy Taylor Middle School were starting their first day, just like their ninth and sixth graders, respectively.
“The first day has been amazing," Rinaldi said. "We had a great kickoff. Attendance is good. Our freshmen are trying to find their way, but we have upperclassmen and all the adults on campus helping them."
There were some glitches on the first day, such as backed-up traffic, but for the most part things ran smoothly, district administrators said.
“Lunch, drop-off and pickup are routines that take a few days for the dust to settle,” Rinaldi said.
Buses were late, which is typical for the first week. Moore said her own children’s buses were late on Monday.
Marcus Sanfilippo, the district’s coordinator of special projects, said transportation was able to compensate with a few drivers out sick with routers and supervisors taking over those routes. Drivers had new routes to learn, and one child got sick on the bus which made that bus late for the driver's remaining routes for three schools.
Middle and elementary school students are no longer allowed to use their cellphones during the school day, according to state statute. But many middle school students had taken a screen shot of their schedules, Moore said. They simply have to transfer them to their school-issued iPads.
“We’ll have to keep reminding middle school students for a while to put away their cellphones, but as soon as they’re told, they’ve been putting them away,” Moore said.
The gym floor at Matanzas was being resurfaced, but the school was able to use its new multipurpose athletic building for PE classes, Rinaldi said.
Also new at Matanzas is the Allied Health medical program in partnership with AdventHealth. The program had already been in place at Flagler Palm Coast High School.
“It’s been something Matanzas students have been asking for,” Moore said.
In preparation, some students took prerequisites in anatomy and physiology so sophomores and juniors won't have to start in Year 1 of the three- to four-year program. Part of the program involves shadowing medical professionals. Upper-class students in the Matanzas program will get hands-on experience at AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway.
AdventHealth donated medical equipment to Matanzas for the school’s Allied Health classroom.
Students will be able to get certifications for patient care technician and ECG technician. Another option is moving into the phlebotomy program at Flagler Technical College, Assistant Superintendent Angela O’Brien said. At Matanzas, the Allied Health program will also include sports medicine curriculum, O’Brien added.
Five 2025 FPC graduates of the program have been hired by AdventHealth and will receive free tuition to Daytona State College and then finishing their studies at AdventHealth University, O’Brien said.
