The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

B.C. Manion

She wants to make sure girls’ voices are heard

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Lindsey Turnbull, a former resident of Land O’ Lakes, has been named one of the University of Central Florida’s 30 Under 30 alumni award winners.

Turnbull was recognized for her work as the founder and CEO of MissHeard Media, a platform that offers teen girls the opportunity to elevate their voices and to create community.

MissHeard Media connects girls across the globe by giving them a place to share their stories and experiences, as well as an opportunity to learn new skills that will help them to chart their own course in life.

Lindsey Turnbull, a former resident of Land O’ Lakes, has been honored for her work to give young girls a chance to express themselves.
(Courtesy of Kathy Cabble)

This year’s class of 30 Under 30 award winners includes marketing and communications professionals, entrepreneurs, engineers, software specialists, attorneys, education leaders, doctors, nurses and a football star. Amber Mariano, who represents District 36 of the Florida House of Representatives, which includes a portion of Pasco County, is also on the list, according to a UCF news release.

Turnbull studied history, anthropology and women’s studies at UCF. She also served as the program coordinator for the Young Women Leaders Program.

MissHeard, with its board of teen girls and youth-related professionals, focuses on girl-centered and girl-created content to foster empowered, girl-positive communities.

MissHeard Media seeks “to create a world where all teen girls feel understood, prepared, confident, and most of all, heard,” according to its website.

Turnbull said her parents moved to Land O’ Lakes when she was 7. She attended Sanders Memorial Elementary School, Pine View Middle School and Land O’ Lakes High School.

She received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Central Florida before moving to the Washington D.C. area to pursue a career in history and museum studies.

But, a government sequester, which placed a hard cap on government spending, closed off employment opportunities she had hoped to pursue, so she launched MissHeard Media.

MissHeardMedia is an outgrowth of Turnbull’s experience at the University of Central Florida, where she worked closely with teenage girls.

“What I really discovered was that all of these teen girls were really smart and funny, and had all of these really interesting things to say, but nobody was really asking them what they thought,” Turnbull said.

“I thought to myself: One day, I’m going to do something so everyone will know how awesome teen girls are,” she said.

That day came sooner than she expected.

She created MissHeardMedia.com to give girls a platform for girls to share their stories.

But, she also realized that she missed working directly with girls, so she began offering workshops. She also does speaking engagements.

“Most of what I do is in the D.C. area, right now,” she said.

Soon, she’ll be offering a summer workshop, which will focus on mixing creativity with technology, she said.

“We’re going to do an overview of all kinds of different ways to be creative,” she said.

“We still have the blog, which has stories from girls around the world. We have a teen advisory board, and they submit a lot of the writing,” she said.

Turnbull wants to create the opportunity for girls to be heard — both by their peers, but also by society, in general.

“I think what a lot of people may not realize is that teen girls are very aware of what’s going on in the world, and they want to make a difference and see change. I don’t think a lot of adults realize that.

“I know when the Parkland activists started speaking out after the shooting, all of these adults were like, ‘Teenagers don’t care about this. Why should they have a say? Why should we listen to them?

“And, as someone who has been working with girls for 10 years, I was like, ‘Of course they have things to say. You probably had things to say when you were 16,” Turnbull said.

To find out more about Turnbull’s work, visit MissHeardMedia.com.

If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Turnbull at (727) 491-3922 or email .

Published April 25, 2018

Charter school offers tech-rich, nontraditional approach

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A new charter public school is under construction in the Union Park subdivision, in Wesley Chapel, that will offer a nontraditional approach to education.

For one thing, it will be technology rich.

For another, it won’t have traditional classroom spaces or furniture.

Tracy Ware is principal of the new charter school that will open in the Union Park subdivision, in Wesley Chapel. (B.C. Manion)

And, even though it encourages the use of technology, students won’t be allowed to bring cellphones to school.

Union Park Charter Academy, being built at 32775 Oldwoods Ave., is set to open for kindergarten through sixth grade this fall. It will add seventh grade the following school year, and eighth grade the year after that, said Tracy Ware, principal.

Because it’s a charter school, it is open to applications from throughout the Pasco County school district, as well as students from adjacent districts.

“We went through the lottery process,” Ware said. Applications are still being accepted for all grades, but there is a wait list for kindergarten and fifth grade.

“We’ve been encouraging parents to get the information in as soon as possible,” she added, so the school can reserve a spot for their child or children.

“What sets us apart is really the design of the school,” she said. “Instead of having separate classrooms, there are learning communities.”

For example, all third-graders are in a single learning community. There also will be learning labs within those learning communities.

Some learning labs will accommodate groups of around 25 students, which allows a teacher to focus on a particular learning standard; others are designed for smaller groups, to encourage collaboration between students.

The furniture is different, too. Instead of traditional desks and chairs, children will have choices.

Union Park Charter Academy, being built at 32775 Oldwoods Ave., will use a technology-rich, nontraditional approach to schooling.

“They can work at high tables, for instance, or can sit with their legs crossed on the floor, with a little stand to use their iPad in front of them. The tables that we have are actually writeable surfaces on their top,” she said.

Teachers in each learning community will work together as a team, sharing the entire group of students. That arrangement fosters the opportunity to tailor instruction to each individual student, Ware said.

Teachers and students work together to create a Personalized Learning Plan (PLP). The plans are used at each grade-level and are designed to track an individual student’s strengths, weaknesses and progress in attaining a year’s worth of learning (or more), according to information provided by the school.

This process empowers students to establish and track learning goals, conduct student-led conferences, and make informed decisions as learners. Most importantly, students are challenged with the responsibility of understanding their data and learning needs in meeting or exceeding grade-level standards.

Ware, who spent the past five years in Abu Dhabi, is excited about opening the new school in Wesley Chapel.

Many parents have told her they’re pleased to have a new school within walking distance, she said.

Teachers will help children discover how they learn best, she said. The idea is to identify their learning styles and give them opportunities to embrace it, she said, “versus a more traditional way of doing school.

“There’s one-on-one technology for third grade and up,” she added.

The school will have certified teachers, and students must meet all of Florida’s standards. The school also will follow Pasco County’s school calendar and will use the school district’s meal service.

After school, there will be many options for children, she said, including a variety of clubs which could include theater, music, cooking, karate or other pursuits.

“We’ll send a survey to find out what the children’s interests are,” she said.

“Parents have asked for a little time for homework,” Ware said, so that will happen.

The school day lasts an hour longer than the district’s school day, so children attending Union Park will receive an extra hour of instruction, she said.

The before-care program starts at 6:45 a.m., in response to parent feedback, she said.

Dismissal starts at 2:45 p.m., for kindergarten through second-grade and their siblings. It begins at 3 p.m., for third grade through sixth grade.

“We’ll work with the local day care programs,” she added.

“The ultimate goal is innovation. I want our children to be given the opportunity to create. I also want teachers to be empowered to make decisions based on the children that are in front of them right now, what their needs are, how to best pull from all of this technology,” Ware said.

The school wants to set a tone that encourages parents to be involved in the Parent Teacher Cooperative, Ware said.

The aim is to create a culture that invites a close working relationship between the school and parents, said Ware, who noted that it’s already evident that parents want to be involved.

“Parents are ready. They want to participate,” the principal said.

For more information about the school, visit UnionParkAcademy.org.

Published April 25, 2018

Helping a community to lift itself up

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Drive up to Life Community Center and you’ll find a crowded parking lot.

That’s because there’s a lot going on in the modular building, at 6542 Applewood Drive in Wesley Chapel, which is affiliated with Life Community Church, formerly known as Victorious Life Church.

Carol Smith, left, enjoys coming to the weekly luncheons. Carmen Robles, a volunteer at the center, helps Smith get settled. (B.C. Manion)

For instance, there’s a weekly community luncheon on Tuesdays in the modular building, and anyone is welcome to drop in for a hot meal and some fellowship.

During one of those recent luncheons, Riley Brannon greeted people as they entered the building. Later, as they prepared to eat, he offered a blessing.

Carol Smith, a regular at these gatherings, said she enjoys the food.

Carmen Robles, a volunteer, helped Smith settle in for a pasta lunch, prepared by Nancy Frankulin, of Bosco’s Italian-To-Go. On alternate weeks, the meals are prepared by Taco Sun.

The center also has a food pantry that operates on Friday afternoons, routinely providing food for 300 to 375 families.

The groceries are donated to the church by Costco and Feeding Tampa Bay, said Terence Gaston, the food ministry coordinator. “Our motto is nobody goes hungry,” he said.

Brannon said Life Community Center is doing important work.

“People are getting food that wouldn’t otherwise,” Brannon said, plus it helps in other ways.

One program, called “Raptime,” is aimed at keeping kids in school.

Fourteen children have been with the program since elementary school, and now they’re in middle school, said Robin Granger, director of Life Community Center.

The goal is to help them to graduate from high school.

Riley Brannon offers a blessing during a Tuesday afternoon lunch at Life Community Center, in the Angus Valley community of Wesley Chapel. The gathering, held each week, offers fellowship and a free hot meal to those who choose to attend.
(Courtesy of Life Community Center)

Angus Valley, where Life Community Center is located, has a high dropout rate, Granger explained. “It’s generational. Their parents didn’t graduate from high school. Their grandparents didn’t graduate from high school,” she said.

Because of that, when a problem arises at school, parents often feel intimidated when they are trying to stand up for their children, Granger said.

That’s where Life Community Center comes in. It provides guidance for parents to help them take the needed steps to support their children, Granger said.

“We’re not going to do the work for you, but we’ll walk beside you,” she said.

“When you’re not sure what to say to the social worker, or your kid is suspended, or your kid has to be transferred — what can we do to advocate for you? We coach parents. We don’t do it for them,” Granger said.

Helping people find gainful work
The center also has a program aimed at helping people to enter or re-enter the workforce.

Its Work Ready program helps people to put together their resumes, brush up on interview skills and to even learn skills that can help them land a job.

For instance, it provided scholarships for students to be trained to become certified nursing assistants. Seven of those people now have full-time jobs, Granger said.

The idea is to provide a hand up, not a handout, she said.

The center aims to help equip people who haven’t had the opportunity to be employed, or haven’t had the chance to understand what it takes to get a job, Granger said.

A big crowd gathered this spring for the ribbon cutting at the new modular building for Life Community Center. The center has been serving the community for years, but previously was operating out of a doublewide trailer. (Courtesy of Life Community Center)

There’s another program, called “Celebrate Recovery,” which focuses on assisting people who are in recovery.

“People are more willing to walk in a community center than they are a church,” Granger said.

At the church, about 10 people showed up to a recovery meeting; at the life center, about 30 did, Granger said.

The center helps in other, practical ways, too.

“We have a Back to School, where we help do socks, shoes and underwear,” she said, noting that those items are provided for families who need the help. And, there’s a program that supplies food for children who would otherwise go hungry over the weekend.

On top of all that, every fourth Friday of the month, Florida Hospital and Pioneer Medical Services bring a mobile unit to the center to see people who do not have insurance, Granger said.

The center aims to provide the kinds of services that people want and need, Granger said.

It also wants to be a source of information regarding programs it doesn’t directly provide, but that can be useful for community residents.

Creating a paradigm shift for helping others
At Life Community Center, people get help — but it’s not just a one-way street, Granger said.

The center has a program called Time Exchange.

It works like this: “If they need an electricity bill paid, or a water bill paid, we’ll partner with them to do it, but in return, they have to give us Time Exchange,” Granger said, meaning a number of service hours in exchange for the help.

“If they have $100 electric bill, we’ll work with them, but then I expect to see them here, whether it’s at the community lunches or at food ministry,” she said.

Nancy Frankulin shows off a big pot of pasta sauce served during a recent Tuesday afternoon lunch at Life Community Center, 6542 Applewood Drive in Wesley Chapel. (B.C. Manion)

And, at Christmas, they’ll help a family give their children nice presents, but they expect some hours of service at the center.

Again, the goal is to give a hand up, not a handout.

Time Exchange helps people see how they can contribute, and it fosters a way to connect to others, she said.

“Poverty isn’t about the lack of material things. Poverty is about broken relationships,” Granger said.

The lack of resources can be demoralizing.

“When we think about people who are living paycheck to paycheck, or they get behind in bills, they feel like there’s no light at the end of their tunnel.

“They’re just depressed. They’re feeling hopeless,” she said.

What the center has discovered is that people who began helping as part of Time Exchange often continue helping.

That’s because they feel welcome and appreciated, Granger said.

Besides, she added, “there’s a lot of laughter, and there’s a lot of fun.”

Want to help?
These are some items on Life Community Center’s wish list:

  • 10 Chrome Books/Laptops: to help job seekers and Stay in School programs
  • 1 printer
  • Books for teens
  • Do-it-yourself ideas/projects for children and teenagers
  • Board games for kids

For more information, call (813) 994-0685.

Ways that Life Community Center helps:

  • Celebrate Recovery: A 12-step program celebrating God’s healing power for any hurts, hang-ups and habits
  • Raptime: A stay in school program servings youths who live in Angus Valley
  • Community lunches: A free hot lunch on Tuesday for anyone who wishes to come
  • Food ministry: Families are welcome to pick up a box of fresh produce, meat, bread and groceries on Fridays between 2:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.
  • Little meals: A partnership with Quail Hollow Elementary School to provide nutritious supplements on the weekend for chronically hungry children in the community
  • Community Service House: Those needing to earn volunteer hours can do so at the Life Community Center.
  • Work Ready Services: Help is provided with resumes, interview skills and classes to help members in the community to obtain jobs
  • Grants: Help can be provided when someone encounters an unexpected hardship, but that help must be repaid through volunteer hours at the center.
  • Thanksgiving in a box: Life Church provides 500 families with the ingredients for a Thanksgiving meal, including a turkey.
  • Imagine Christmas: Parents complete 10 hours to 18 hours of community service in exchange for quality Christmas gifts for their children.

For more information, call (813) 994-0685.

Published April 18, 2018

New retirement community arriving soon in Land O’ Lakes

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A new retirement community is coming to Land O’ Lakes, which will offer independent living, assistant living and memory care housing options.

Keystone Place at Terra Bella will be opening soon in Land O’ Lakes. The development will feature independent, assistant living and memory care apartments. It also will boast an array of amenities including a pub, a theater, a heated swimming pool, a beauty salon, a library and restaurant-style dining. (Courtesy of The Roche Associates)

Keystone Place at Terra Bella is expected to open within months at 2200 Livingston Road in Land O’ Lakes.

The development will have 140 total apartments, with 62 dedicated to independent living, 56 to assisted living and 22 to memory care, said Beth Barber, the development’s executive director.

The idea is to provide a continuum of care on one campus, so residents won’t have to move away when they need a greater degree of care, she said. Current residents will have priority for access to the assisted living and memory care accommodations.

Those moving in won’t need to pay a large entrance fee or buy-in cost, Barber added.

The development will have:

  • One-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments in independent living
  • Studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom in assisted living
  • Studio and one-bedroom in memory care

Square footages vary, based on floor plans.

The retirement community also will provide an array of services with an increased level of assistance for residents in the assisted living and memory care apartments.

Residents also will be able to enjoy a host of amenities, including a pub, a theater, a heated swimming pool, a beauty salon and a library, Barber said. It also has a chapel.

A wide assortment of activities also will be offered — to provide opportunities for learning, socializing and having fun, she added.

Costs vary based on the type of apartment and the level of services provided.

The apartment designs are different, too.

Keystone Place at Terra Bella is coming to the area because “definitely there was a need for senior housing in Land O’ Lakes,” Barber said. “It is such a growing area.”

Barber noted that people she has chatted with have confirmed the need for senior housing in the area, and they want a place that will allow them to continue to live in Land O’ Lakes.

Keystone Place at Terra Bella is now taking reservations.

For more information, call (813) 388-2121, or visit KeystonePlaceAtTerraBella.com.

Published April 18, 2018

Political Agenda 4/18/2018

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Zephyrhills City Council election results
The results are in from the April 10 election for seats on the Zephyrhills City Council.

Jodi Wilkeson has been elected to the District 3 seat, and Charles E. Proctor has been re-elected to the District 5 seat.

Wilson received 553 votes, which represented 45.89 percent of the vote in the District 3 election. Cory Paul Sommers came in second, with 376 votes or 31.20 percent of the vote, and Devin J. Alexander placed third, with 276 votes, representing 22.90 percent of the vote.

Proctor was re-elected with 751 votes, representing 63.54 percent of the vote. His opponent, William David Seville received 431 votes, representing 36.46 percent of the vote.

Meetings

  • The Democratic Hispanic Caucus of Pasco County will meet on April 24 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at the Brick City Eatery, 16540 Pointe Village Drive in Lutz.
  • The Republican Club of Central Pasco will meet April 23 at the Copperstone Executive Suites, 3632 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., Land O’ Lakes. Pasco County Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley will be the speaker. The social starts at 6:30 p.m., followed by the meeting at 7 p.m.

Endorsements

  • Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco has endorsed Mike Moore for re-election to the District 2 seat of the Pasco County Commission, according to Moore’s campaign.

Political Agenda is a column that runs only during election years.

It gives candidates a place to announce they are seeking political office. It lets voters know of upcoming Meet the Candidate nights or political forums.

It is a place where political clubs can announce upcoming meetings, and it will include news that is pertinent to voters for upcoming elections. It will not include political fundraising events.

There is never a guarantee of publication, but we do consider each item we receive. Please submit items for consideration at least two weeks prior to the desired publication date. Send submissions to .

Is your memory problem a normal part of aging, or a form of dementia?

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Those attending Dr. Andrew E. Budson’s talks at the Plantation Palms Golf Club in Land O’ Lakes last week had two key takeaways.

Dr. Andrew Budson (Courtesy of The Roche Associates)

First, if you’re having problems with your memory, go to a doctor who specializes in memory issues. In some cases, the problem may be the result of something that’s completely reversible, and even when it’s not, the sooner treatment begins, the better, said Budson, co-author of the book “Seven Steps to Managing Your Memory.”

The second takeaway was this: If you’re looking for something that’s very likely to help your memory, exercise is the key.

“People often ask me, ‘Dr. Budson, is there a magic pill out there to help improve my memory?’ My answer is, ‘Yes, there is. It’s called exercise.’”

Budson gave two talks on April 6 as part of a program presented by Keystone Place at Terra Bella, a new retirement community that will be opening in Land O’ Lakes, which will offer independent living, assisted living and memory care accommodations.

To get things rolling, Budson asked the audience during the 12:30 p.m. talk to consider whether these common memory issues were a result of normal aging, or something else:

  • You walk into a room to get something and you forget why.
  • You’re having trouble remembering the name of a friend of yours from church, even though you’ve met her a half-a-dozen times.
  • You’re having trouble remembering some of the details of your life, such as your wedding.
  • When you are driving and not paying attention, you take one or more wrong turns, and you end up somewhere you did not intend to be.
  • You spend too much time looking for your keys, glasses, wallet or purse.
  • Your family said you’ve asked that question before.

One of the key things to watch for is a change in behavior, Budson said.

“If you are someone who every morning as you’re getting ready to leave the house you spend 5, 10 or 15 minutes hunting around for keys, glasses, wallet, purse, and now you’re getting a little bit older and you’re still spending 5, 10, 15 minutes hunting around the house for these things, well, that’s probably normal for you.

“But if you are someone who is always very organized, never spend any time hunting around for these things — and now you’re spending 5, 10, 15, maybe 20 minutes, maybe an hour, maybe you never find that wallet, you have to replace the credit cards or you have to replace the cellphone because you couldn’t find it, you know, that would be concerning,” Budson said.

He gave another example.

“Anyone can forget that they’ve already told their best friend that story and start to tell it again, or cannot remember the answer to a question and ask it again. Sure, that can happen once or twice, no big deal.

“But, for somebody that’s telling the same story, again and again and again … every time you meet this individual they tell it, maybe even twice during the same visit, that sounds like rapid forgetting. Rapid forgetting is never normal,” he said.

To help explain how memory works, the doctor used the analogy of a filing system.

“The file clerk is our frontal lobes. It is our frontal lobes’ file clerk’s job to take the information in from the outside world and to put it inside the file cabinet.

“So, when we want to retrieve a memory, you can picture the frontal lobe file clerk pulling open the file drawer, leafing through the files until he finds the memory that he’s looking for,” he said.

As we get older, our file clerk doesn’t hear quite as well as he used to, so information may need to be repeated a couple of times in order for it to be stored in the file cabinet.

It also can take longer to retrieve a memory, and we may need a hint or cue about what a memory was about, he added.

But, the main thing is, if a memory goes into the cabinet — it can be retrieved.

Using the same filing system analogy, he then focused on the file cabinet itself.

“The file cabinet is another part of the brain. It’s actually our hippocampus. The hippocampus is the part of the brain that stores new memories. It’s located in the temporal lobes.

“The problem with diseases like Alzheimer’s is that it damages the hippocampus, and ultimately, in fact, destroys the hippocampus.

“Imagine if you pull open the drawer of the file cabinet and you look down inside, and you find out there’s a big hole in the bottom of the file drawer.

“You can have the most efficient file clerk in the world, taking information in from the outside world, putting it into the file cabinet. If there’s a big hole there, the memories are going to disappear, never to be retrieved again,” he said.

Diet and exercise can strengthen memory
The doctor also explained the distinction between the terms dementia, Alzheimer’s and mild cognitive impairment.

Dementia is a general term that means that someone’s thinking and memory have declined to the point that it interferes with day-to-day function, he said.

It can be caused by things that are easily treatable and actually completely reversible, but also can be caused by serious diseases, including Alzheimer’s.

Mild cognitive impairment means that a person has a confirmed memory loss, but that the individual’s day-to-day function is normal, Budson said.

Over time, about half of the people with mild cognitive impairment go on to develop Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, but the other half don’t, he said.

Once a memory problem has been determined, the next step is treatment, Budson said. There are standard medications that have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, he said. Plus, there’s more research underway now than there ever has been during the 110-year history of Alzheimer’s.

Early treatment is crucial, he said.

“They (medications) can turn the clock back by six to 12 months,” he said. “I am much more likely to be able to turn the clock back all of the way to 12 months, all the way to make their memory like it was a year ago, if they come to see me early.”

Research also shows that lifestyle changes can help, he said.

“The Mediterranean diet, and a few variations of it, is really the only diet that study after study after study has been proven to be healthy for the brain and good for the memory,” he said. That diet includes fish, olive oil, avocados, fruits and vegetables, nuts and beans, and whole grains.

Exercise also is good for you, but before increasing your activity, be sure to check with your doctor, he said.

The recommended amount of exercise is at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise five days a week, plus two hours a week of things that help with strength and balance, and flexibility.

Besides reducing the risk for stroke and improving your mood, exercise can help you sleep better — which is critically important for the memory, he said.

“Remember we talked about how the new memories are stored in the hippocampus, in our new memory file cabinet? Well, it turns out there’s another memory file cabinet that is storing the older memories. It is during sleep that the memories go from the short-term, temporary store (file) to the long-term permanent store (file),” he said.

Besides exercise and diet, other ways to strengthen the memory including social engagement and learning new things, Budson said.

There is no evidence, however, that doing brain-training games and crossword puzzles will improve the memory, he said.

“What the studies show is that if you spend time doing crossword puzzles, or Suduko or computerized brain training programs, you get better at crossword puzzles, Suduko and computerized brain training programs. It simply does not translate to overall brain function,” he said.

Know the 10 signs

  • Memory loss that disrupts daily life
  • Challenges in planning or solving problems
  • Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work, or at leisure
  • Confusion with time or place
  • Trouble with understanding visual images or spatial relationships
  • New problems with words in speaking or writing
  • Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps
  • Decreased or poor judgment
  • Withdrawal from work or social activities
  • Changes in mood or personality

For more details on this list and for more information about Alzheimer’s, visit ALZ.org.

Published April 11, 2018

Pine View Middle School continues journey toward IB designation

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An International Baccalaureate team recently visited Pine View Middle School, to determine if the Land O’ Lakes school has met the requirements to become an authorized IB Middle Years Programme World School.

The team spent two days at the school, interviewing staff, students and parents, and observing classrooms to ensure that the IB framework has been embedded in Pine View’s learning environment, according to Jennifer Warren, the school’s principal.

Elsie Morales and her peers are learning how to properly care for cattle during the Livestock Production and Care Unit at Pine View Middle School. (Courtesy of Pine View Middle School)

The team’s report will be forwarded to IB officials for their review, she said, noting she expects to receive an answer on the school’s authorization within 60 days to 90 days.

Pine View, at 5334 Parkway Blvd., has been a IB Middle Years Candidate School since May of 2015 and has been implementing the program since the beginning of the 2015-2016 school year.

As it awaits word on its designation, Pine View also is preparing for next school year, when it will join the list of magnet schools in the Pasco County school district, Warren said.

And, it will be shifting to a seven-period school day to better accommodate its curriculum, according to Becky Cardinale, the middle years programme coordinator.

The seventh period allows students greater opportunity to explore courses, Cardinale said.

“A seven-period day allows for more teacher planning time and for more professional development time,” Warren said. “A lot of planning work is required of teachers.”

Students at Pine View have four traditional core classes: Individuals and societies (social studies), science, math, and language and literature. They also have an arts class, language acquisition (which is foreign language), and a combination physical education and design.

As the school converts to a magnet school beginning next school year, it will be accepting students from throughout the district.

It received 89 applications for its inaugural magnet year, with applications coming from charter school students, out-of-county students and 15 of the district’s middle schools. Ultimately, 49 of those students chose to attend Pine View.

“Those living within Pine View’s attendance boundary, have first choice,” Warren said. Then, slots are opened up to students from outside of the school’s boundaries.

Although the school’s curriculum meets the Florida standards, the delivery of instruction is different.

For instance, “one of the standards with the middle years programme is that students have both a visual and a performing art component, sometime in their time at Pine View,” Cardinale said.

“For incoming students, we’re going to be combining students who are interested in band or chorus as a performing art, we’re going to be combining a visual art in with that class.

“So, they’re going to be learning about visual art through the lens of a performing art,” she said.

The school also has a new barn, and students associated with the agricultural program have garnered numerous awards, Warren said.

Overall, parents have been responding positively to the school’s IB curriculum, both the principal and Cardinale said.

“We’re preparing kids for jobs that don’t necessarily even exist yet,” Cardinale said.

“You can tell a parent: Your child is learning skills they can apply in whatever job they choose…

“We want our students to be collaborators. We want them to love learning. We want them to be problem-solvers.

“Show me a career that doesn’t require students to do all of those things,” Cardinale added.

At the middle school level, the program is for every student, Warren said.

“You hear IB, and it has a very elite connotation to it, that it’s only certain students, of a certain caliber,” she said. “Well, really every student, no matter what their IQ is, can be an acquirer, or a thinker, or a problem-solver, or caring.

“I think it is just teaching them all of the things that make for a well-rounded adult,” she said.

Students attending Pine View, “have the broadest liberal arts opportunity of any (public middle school) student in the county,” Warren said.

Published April 11, 2018

Local educator named a PBS ‘Digital Innovator All-Star’

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It’s no secret that educator Bobbi Starling knows her way around technology.

When she was a classroom teacher at Woodland Elementary School in Zephyrhills and at Centennial Middle School in Dade City, she was constantly introducing students to technical tools which could enhance their education and broaden their view of the world.

Bobbi Starling has recently been selected to the PBS Digital Innovator All-Star Program. It’s a new program, and only 30 educators nationwide were selected, including just Starling from Florida. (B.C. Manion)

Now, as the magnet schools program coordinator for the Pasco County school district, she has the potential to have a positive impact on a greater number of students — albeit indirectly, she said.

Starling’s classroom teaching work was recognized by PBS in 2015, when she was selected as one of 100 educators across the nation to be named a PBS Digital Innovator. She went on to become one of 30 nationwide to be named a lead Digital Innovator.

More recently, Starling was chosen to take part in a new program called the PBS Digital Innovator All-Star Program.

Thirty educators across the country were chosen for the program, including just Starling from Florida.

Gail Taylor, director of educational services for WEDU, nominated the Pasco County educator.

“She’s just perfect for this award. She’s just so innovative,” said Taylor, noting she wasn’t surprised Starling was selected.

“We thought she was a shoo-in. She’s amazing,” Taylor added.

“We’ve done a lot of work with her over the past few years.

“We did a great STEM fair when she was teaching at a middle school, before she became the magnet school coordinator.

“The kids were actually programming their own iPads to make robotic balls move around a paint tray, and they painted coasters and T-shirts, using those little robotic balls.

“They were playing games, using Gummy Worms as conductors and game pieces,” Taylor said.

As part of the All-Star program, Starling will have access to virtual and in-person events, including the PBS Digital Innovator All-Star Summit, and the International Society for Technology and Education Conference in Chicago, Illinois, in June.

She can’t wait.

This bus has been converted into a Mobile Aviation Lab, to provide more students a chance to get exposure to aviation and aeronautics lessons. (Courtesy of Bobbi Starling)

“At that summit, we’re going to be put on teams with people from other states, and we’re going to be developing some new curriculum — a three-part virtual learning series.

“There will be different focus areas for STEAM, social studies, language arts, digital arts, all sorts of different things. We’ll be developing some new content that will be offered.

“It will be housed on the PBS Learning Media.org website and that’s free for everybody in the state of Florida, including the premium resources,” Starling said.

The educator believes that technology is the great equalizer, when it comes to learning opportunities.

Technology helps children who come from impoverished families to have the same kind of experiences as those who come from affluent households, Starling said, noting that virtual reality and other technological tools can level the playing field.

Starling said she was delighted when she learned of her nomination, and “ecstatic and thrilled” when she found out she’d been selected.

“Reading the biographies of my peers that were also nominated, I was actually blown away by the people that are there,” Starling said. “I cannot wait to make some neat connections and share some interesting ideas, and I’m sure that I will be learning a lot, hearing a lot, and hopefully, I’ll be able to contribute, too.”

In her current district position, she works will all of Pasco schools, but more heavily with the Sanders Memorial Elementary STEAM Magnet School in Land O’ Lakes; the Centennial Middle School STEM Magnet School in Dade City; and, the Bayonet Point Middle STEM Magnet School in New Port Richey.

This student is getting a virtual reality experience on a school bus that the Pasco County school district has converted into a mobile aviation lab. (Courtesy of Bobbi Starling)

Starling also noted that the district has nine elementary schools that have aviation equipment. They are the elementary schools in the feeder patterns for Zephyrhills, Sunlake and Hudson high schools, which each have aviation and aeronautics academies.

But Terry Anchman, the director of career and technical education, came up with the idea of converting a school bus into a mobile Aviation STEM Lab, Starling said.

That way, fifth-graders from other district schools can get their hands on equipment such as flight simulators, 3D printing, virtual reality and drones, the educator said.

“I developed a curriculum for that. So, all of those students get a little bit of a taste for aviation and aeronautics,” Starling said.

She hopes that exposure will spark an interest in students, who can then consider attending one of the district’s magnet middle schools, which offers the curriculum.

She also hopes that parents will become more aware of the district’s educational options.

Taylor, herself a former classroom teacher, is confident that Starling will make a difference in the PBS program, just as she has as a classroom teacher.

“She’s just one of the best teachers I’ve ever been associated with,” Taylor said.

“She’s just what education ought to be,” Taylor added. “If all of our teachers could be Bobbi Starling, it would be a whole new world.”

Published April 11, 2018

Services offer a way to remember those no longer with us

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People who work or volunteer for Gulfside Hospice & Pasco Palliative Care are familiar with the sense of loss and sadness that survivors often face when a loved one passes on.

To help people who are struggling, Gulfside offers bereavement support groups.

And, it also organizes community memorial services that are open to anyone who has lost a loved one during the past year, as a way to honor the lives of those who have passed away.

This year, two community memorial services are planned, according Charlie Lowry, bereavement manager at Gulfside.

The first service is scheduled for April 24 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Trinity Church of Wesley Chapel, at 33425 State Road 54.

The second service will be May 2 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church at 8320 Old County Road 54 in New Port Richey.

“We invite people from the community to come and be a part of that service of remembering,” Lowry said.

The idea is to “make sure that everyone knows that those who have passed on have not been forgotten,” he said. “We try to give some significance to their lives, and to the survivors, as well.”

The service will feature various readings, will have music and will have time for reflection, he said.

There will be a time during the service, when people who have lost a loved one will be asked to stand to silently honor them.

After the service, there will be refreshments, and people will be able to mingle, Lowry said. Some may choose to bring photographs of loved one, to show to others, or may want to share a story or two, he said.

The idea is to remind people that there are others who are experiencing a similar loss, he said.

“A lot of times people feel alone, left alone,” Lowry said.

The communal service, he said, “kind of helps us come to grips with it.”

The services are open to anyone who would like to attend.

Refreshments will be served and seating is limited, so RSVPs are requested by April 20.

To RSVP, contact Jan Double at (727) 845-5707 or .

To learn more about Gulfside Hospice, call (800) 561-4883, or visit GHPPC.org.

Services of Remembrance
These two services are open to all, to give people who have lost a loved one during the past year a place where they can honor the memory of that loved one.

First service
Where: Trinity Church of Wesley Chapel, at 33425 State Road 54
When: April 24, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Cost: Free

Second service
Where: St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church at 8320 Old County Road 54 in New Port Richey
When: May 2, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Details: Each service will have music, readings and a time for reflection. Refreshments will be served afterwards.
Please RSVP by April 20 by calling Jan Double at (727) 845-5707 or by emailing .

Published April 11, 2018

Crocheting kindness

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When nurse Doris Michel put the bunny ears cap on 1 ½-day-old Maksim Damjanovich’s head, the baby looked adorable, and the nurse beamed with joy.

Travis Drummond holds his 2-day-old baby, Aurora. She’s wearing a cap that was crocheted for her by Kelley Berens, night charge nurse in the Mom/Baby Unit at St. Joseph’s Hospital-North. (B.C. Manion)

This is the third time that a member of the Damjanovich family has received a crocheted cap after being born at St. Joseph’s Hospital-North, at 4211 Van Dyke Road in Lutz.

“We think it’s really special,” said Alison Damjanovich, of Tampa Palms.

Her other two daughters, Genevieve, who is nearly 3, and Rosalie, who is about 20 months, also received the crocheted caps when they were born at the hospital.

“It’s nice to have a little keepsake to bring home and keep forever. It’s very special,” Damjanovich said.

Cherish and Travis Drummond were delighted, too, when night charge nurse Kelley Berens bestowed a yellow cap to their 2-day-old daughter, Aurora.

“I think it’s awesome,” Cherish Drummond said. “It’s very sweet.”

Night nurse Fritzie Plaras-Rooney went the extra, extra mile. She crocheted a cap and a cotton-tail diaper cover for a baby in the Mom/Baby Unit at St. Joseph’s Hospital-North, where she works.

Travis, agreed: “I think it’s great. I have a disabled aunt. This is part of what she does to be able to active — makes hats for babies in her community.”

The tiny caps are just two of the thousands that nurses Michel, Berens and Fritzie Plaras-Rooney have made for babies under their care in the Mom/Baby Unit at the hospital.

Berens and Plaras-Rooney have been at the hospital since it opened in February 2010. Michel joined the staff a year later.

The nurses do this project on their own, selecting and paying for the yarn, and making the caps on their own time. Occasionally, though, they do receive donations of yarn or of caps others have made.

The idea for crocheting caps for the new arrivals likely came up in a conversation during a break, but it was so long ago she isn’t sure, Berens said.

From left, Kelley Berens, Fritzie Plaras-Rooney and Doris Michel enjoy crocheting caps as a welcome to the world gift for the babies under their care at St. Joseph’s Hospital-North. Nurse manager Nathalie Fetgatter, in the back row, is delighted by the nurses’ personal touch.

She does remember that at another place where she worked, people sent in caps of compassion for premature babies who did not survive.

“I guess that’s what sparked the idea,” Berens said. But, she had a variation on that theme: “Why not do it for every baby?”

Before she could start making caps, though, Berens had to watch some YouTube videos to refresh her crocheting skills.

The women said they make the caps all over the place.

Plaras-Rooney, of Wesley Chapel, likes to make them while watching HGTV programs.

Michel, of Spring Hill, gets a lot of crocheting done while waiting at her doctor’s office.

Berens, of Land O’ Lakes, makes good use of her time as she sits in the car line at her son’s school.

They also make them during their breaks at work.

It typically takes about a half-hour to crochet a cap.

They make them in various styles.

They’ll do holiday themes. Or, the colors of a favorite football team. Or, in a shade to match the baby’s nursery.

Three nurses at St. Joseph’s Hospital-North crochet caps of varied designs for babies arriving at the hospital. They say soft yarn is best for making the caps.

“The cool thing is that a lot of us (nurses) do three nights in a row, so we’ll have the same mom and baby,” Berens said.

That gives them a significant advantage: They know, precisely, how big the baby’s head is.

“So, we can really customize it (the cap) to the individual baby,” Berens said,

While it’s satisfying to create the caps, the nurses don’t always take credit for their work.

Plaras-Rooney said she likes to surprise families, by slipping the cap into a drawer where they will be sure to find it.

Berens can be stealth, as well. “Sometimes, I send it (the baby’s cap) in with someone else,” she said.

But, Michel said she enjoys presenting the baby — wearing the cap — to his or her mom, just before they’re leaving the hospital.

“Seeing the reactions is the best thing,” Michel said.

Doris Michel holds 1 ½-day-old Maksim Damjanovich, who is wearing a bunny ears cap that she crocheted for him. Three nurses at St. Joseph’s Hospital-North make the caps as a gesture of kindness.

All three women said it feels great to provide a personal touch with the families they serve.

“We make relationships with people,” Berens said, noting some of the moms have already given birth to three or four babies at St. Joseph’s Hospital-North, even though it’s a relatively new hospital.

For Plaras-Rooney, the joy comes from treating the moms and babies like they were members of her own family. “I love my patients,” she said.

Michel gets a kick out of making the caps.

“It’s fun,” she said.

Nurse manager Nathalie Fetgatter, of Land O’ Lakes, is pleased that the nurses give of themselves to create stronger connections with families.

“I love that they do this,” she said.

Travis Drummond, baby Aurora’s dad, is impressed, too.

“I understand the time and effort that goes into that sort of thing — having gone and gotten the yarn for my aunt,” he said.

“At a time when everybody is looking to make a buck — to make something by hand, give it away — it’s very special. It does mean a lot, you know,” he said.

Published April 4, 2018