Mary Rathman

 

Leaders program
Five Tampa Bay area students took part in the Bank of America Student Leaders program. The local students were building workforce and leadership skills through a paid summer internship at Boys and Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay, and participation in a national leadership summit in Washington D.C. Participants included Alice Hamilton, of Odessa (shown); Jenna Callison, Robert Schofner and Caroline Sharpless, all of Tampa; and, Allison Bloomer, of Dunedin.

Hearing screenings
The Sertoma Speech & Hearing Foundation of Florida screened more than 16,000 students at 74 schools last year, and is looking for volunteers to do the same this year.

No previous training is required, and the first screening will be Aug. 24.

Volunteers are free to choose which schools they would prefer. The average screening time is about two hours to three hours.

All volunteers must pass the School Board background check to help.

Prospective volunteers can access an application at Pasco.k12.fl.us and click on the Volunteer Application at the bottom of the page. Under Preferences, choose Sertoma Speech & Hearing.

For information, call (727) 312-3881.

English class
An English as a Second Language (ESL) class will meet on Wednesdays from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., at the Tampa Bay Presbyterian Church, 19911 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. The first class is Sept. 6.

Classes are taught using several ESL and Bible study resources.

There are classes for beginners through intermediate level speakers.

The cost is $40 per semester, which covers the workbook and class materials.

Child care also will be available.

For information or to register, call (813) 360-2077.

Middle school fundraiser
The ninth annual Taste of Trinity will be Sept. 9 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Seven Springs Middle School, 2441 Little Road, to benefit the school.

There will be stage music, a bounce house, a business expo, and food and desserts.

Proceeds will help the school purchase cutting-edge technology for its students.

Admission is $5 per person, or a family four-pack for $15.

For information, contact Maria Johnson at (727) 934-0940 or .

Registration is available online at WPBA.biz, by clicking on the event link.

More than $9,700 raised for school supplies
During the month of July, the Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office accepted donations from the public to purchase backpacks and school supplies for students in need.

Tax Collector Mike Fasano’s offices raised $9,739.50. The majority of the funds was used to purchase back-to-school supplies, and a smaller portion of the donations was used to assist in the purchasing of classroom supplies for teachers.

Each of the tax collector branches chose one school close to the office with a large percentage of children in need.

Staff members from each office delivered the backpacks and supplies to these schools on Aug. 3 and Aug. 4: Centennial Elementary School, Quail Hollow Elementary, Lake Myrtle Elementary, Fox Hollow Elementary and Marlowe Elementary.

Youth art contest
The Medical Center of Trinity announced its sixth annual “Expressions of Thanks” youth art contest, which started Aug. 14.

Students in kindergarten through 12th grade are asked to celebrate the service of all U.S. military veterans, those who currently serve our great nation and their families, by submitting artwork, poetry or an essay, by Sept. 15.

Each participant will receive a recognition certificate.

First-place winners in each grade level will receive a $25 gift card.

The grand-prize winner will have a choice of a bicycle or iPod nano.

Participants and their families can attend a reception Nov. 5 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., when prizes will be awarded and all artwork will be on display.

For complete details and rules, visit MedicalCenterTrinity.com.

For information, call (727) 834-4868.

Free VPK program
Primrose School at Collier Parkway, 23021 Weeks Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes, will offer Fall VPK (voluntary prekindergarten) programs for eligible families and their children.

The program is free for children who have not yet used a VPK voucher and turned 4 or 5 years old before Sept. 1, 2017.

There are three time options available: VPK Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.; VPK Monday through Friday from noon to 3 p.m.; and, VPK (K4) and VPK (K5) Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

For information or to enroll your child, call Angella Hart at (813) 242-7800.

First Day photos
We know that you took them, so why don’t you share them?
It’s an annual tradition for many families to take ‘First Day of School’ photos. We’d love to share some of your photos with our readers.

The number of photos we will be able to publish depends how many we receive, the quality of the photo and whether we have sufficient information.

If you would like your photo to be considered, please email us a digital copy. Include the name or names of the student, the grade of the student or students, and what school they attend. Also include contact information, in case we need to get back to you.

Finally, feel free to send us your photos whether you took them at home before leaving for school, or whether you took them at the school itself.

Please submit the photos by Aug. 25 by emailing them to .

 

Correction:
The District School Board of Pasco County approved the 2017-2018 school calendar. High school graduations will take place May 18 through May 27. Incorrect dates were published in the Aug. 9 edition of The Laker.

Youth art contest
The Medical Center of Trinity announced its sixth annual “Expressions of Thanks” youth art contest, which started Aug. 14.

Students in kindergarten through 12th grade are asked to celebrate the service of all U.S. military veterans, those who currently serve our great nation and their families, by submitting artwork, poetry or an essay, by Sept. 15.

Each participant will receive a recognition certificate.

First-place winners in each grade level will receive a $25 gift card.

The grand-prize winner will have a choice of a bicycle or iPod nano.

Participants and their families can attend a reception Nov. 5 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., when prizes will be awarded and all artwork will be on display.

For complete details and rules, visit MedicalCenterTrinity.com.

For information, call (727) 834-4868.

Free VPK program
Primrose School at Collier Parkway, 23021 Weeks Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes, will offer Fall VPK (voluntary prekindergarten) programs for eligible families and their children.

The program is free for children who have not yet used a VPK voucher and turned 4 or 5 years old before Sept. 1, 2017.

There are three time options available: VPK Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.; VPK Monday through Friday from noon to 3 p.m.; and, VPK (K4) and VPK (K5) Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

For information or to enroll your child, call Angella Hart at (813) 242-7800.

School supply lists online
Parents from local schools can access their school’s supply lists online at TeacherLists.com, and find the exact supply list and click over to pre-filled shopping carts on Target, Walmart, Jet.com or Amazon to purchase their list, and have it shipped right to their home.

Target and Walmart also offer in-store pickup.

More than 50,000 schools now have lists posted on TeacherLists. Lists for more than 1 million classrooms are live on the site, and include required and requested items, as well as specific notes and clarifications from teachers and school staff.

For complete details and all the lists, visit TeacherLists.com/parents.

Local students make Dean’s List
Abigale Pfingsten, of Lutz, was named to the Dean’s List in her freshman year at Carnegie Mellon University, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Pfingsten carried a full load of seven classes. Emily Schwitzgebel, of Lutz, made the spring Dean’s List at The College of Wooster, in Ohio. Schwitzgebel is a junior music therapy major.

Summer abroad trips
Belmont University, in Nashville, Tennessee, sent its largest group of students across the world for study abroad experiences.

With more than 650 students participating in 34 programs, including “Maymester” trips, students have spent time in Greece, Brazil, England, France, Switzerland and Haiti, among other locations.

Katie Wynn, of Lutz, traveled to Ireland and Northern Ireland, and Kyle McCann, also of Lutz, traveled to Israel.

Studying abroad encourages students to expand worldviews and deepen their understanding of themselves and the world, according to Dr. Thandi Dinani, Belmont’s director of study abroad.

Be a Best Buddies sponsor
Students at Dr. John Long Middle School in Wesley Chapel have been volunteering as part of Best Buddies, a club that provides students with and without disabilities the opportunity to be part of a global volunteer movement, which positively impacts the school and the Wesley Chapel community.

Best Buddies is a nonprofit organization dedicated to create opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

During the 2016-2017 school year, John Long Middle student volunteers and leaders inaugurated the Best Buddies Chapter at the school. The chapter members formed friendships, hosted a Special Olympics Holiday Party, attended the Friendship Ball, attended legislative week to advocate for inclusion, and participated and raised funds for the Friendship Walk.

To support the school’s mission for the 2017-2018 school year, John Long Middle is looking for sponsors for its Best Buddies chapter.

To find out how to make a tax-deductible donation before Sept. 1, call Andi Walker at (813) 346-6200.

Students place at business leaders competition
Students of the Pasco-Hernando State College Phi Beta Lambda business organization competed in the Future Business Leaders of America National Leadership Competition in Anaheim, California. PHSC student John Vann placed third in the Future Business Executive category. Other students included: Leslie Barnwell and Sidney Onstad, fourth place in Hospital Management Team category; Casey Cox, sixth in Organizational Behavior & Leadership; Emily Brocks and Simona Rivero, ninth in Small Business Management Plan Team; and, Michael Bradley II, 10th in Public Speaking. From left: Emily Brock, John Vann, Sidney Onstad, Michael Bradley II, Giselle Perez, Leslie Barnwell, Shannon Phillips, Victor Miller and Casey Cox. Not pictured: Simona Rivero.

Mark Wickham is mentor of the year
Take Stock in Children, a program with the Pasco Education Foundation that provides scholarships, mentors and hope to at-risk Pasco County Schools’ high-schoolers, has named Mark Wickham as its 2017 Mentor of the Year.

The award is given with criteria of challenges faced during the school year, how the challenges were handled, mentor participation in TSIC events, meeting or exceeding the number of documented mandatory mentor sessions, and student feedback.

Wickham joined TSIC as a mentor in 2015. He is employed as president/CEO at Youth & Family Alternatives in Pasco County.

WCHS hosts kickoff dinner

Wesley Chapel High School will host a Kickoff Dinner for the school’s seniors, families and school staff Aug. 23 at 5 p.m., in the cafeteria at 30651 Wells Road. 

Seniors and their families can have a free pasta dinner, and meet with the school principal, assistant principals, school counselors and career counselors.

They can discuss graduation requirements, the college application process, graduation bash information and other topics.

For information, call Kelly McPherson at (813) 794-8802.

School calendar set

The District School Board of Pasco County approved the 2017-2018 school calendar.

The first day for teachers was Aug. 7, and the first day for students will be Aug. 14.

Its weeklong practice of Thanksgiving break will continue, with the Monday and Tuesday of the week set as possible hurricane makeup days.

Winter break will begin Dec. 23. Employees will return on Jan. 8, 2018 and students will return on Jan. 9, 2018.

Spring break for students will be March 16 through March 25, and spring break for employees will run March 17 through March 25.

The last day of school for students is scheduled for May 25, and the last day for teachers will be May 30.

Other non-school days include Labor Day on Sept. 4, Teacher Planning Day on Oct. 16, and Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 15, 2018.

High school graduations will take place May 18 through May 27.

For more details, visit Pasco.k12.fl.us.

New school bell times
The District School Board of Pasco County has approved new bell times for these local area schools, with explanations, as follows:

• Bexley Elementary School: 9:40 a.m. to 3:50 p.m. (new school)
• Charles S. Rushe Middle School: 7:25 a.m. to 1:50 p.m. Changed from 8:40 a.m. to 2:50 p.m., to balance routes associated with the opening of the district’s new transportation garage and compressed natural gas filling station in Odessa.
• Cypress Creek Middle High School: 7:25 a.m. to 1:50 p.m. (new school)
• Land O’ Lakes High School: 7:25 a.m. to 1:55 p.m. Changed from 7:30 a.m., to give additional time for passing between classes needed due to construction.
• Wiregrass Ranch High School: 7:25 a.m. to 1:56 p.m. Changed from dual bell times associated with 10-period day, which ends with the opening of Cypress Creek Middle High School.

For information, visit PascoSchools.org, or call (813) 794-2000.

Local residents win President’s award
Carmen and Roman Mesa, owners of Discovery Point Terra Bella in Land O’ Lakes, were honored with the President’s Award, which is given to franchise owners who demonstrate excellence in developing and supporting the Discovery Point brand and values.

The Mesas also received the High 5 Center of Excellence Award, which recognizes franchisees that demonstrate excellence in operations, compliance and community service.

In addition to operating the Land O’ Lakes center, the Mesa family also owns and operates a center in New Port Richey.

Be a Best Buddies sponsor
Students at Dr. John Long Middle School in Wesley Chapel have been volunteering as part of Best Buddies, a club that provides students with and without disabilities the opportunity to be part of a global volunteer movement, which positively impacts the school and the Wesley Chapel community.

Best Buddies is a nonprofit organization dedicated to create opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

During the 2016-2017 school year, John Long Middle student volunteers and leaders inaugurated the Best Buddies Chapter at the school. The chapter members formed friendships, hosted a Special Olympics Holiday Party, attended the Friendship Ball, attended legislative week to advocate for inclusion, and participated and raised funds for the Friendship Walk.

To support the school’s mission for the 2017-2018 school year, John Long Middle is looking for sponsors for its Best Buddies chapter.

To find out how to make a tax-deductible donation before Sept. 1, call Andi Walker at (813) 346-6200.

Marchman Technical ranked as top college
AdvisoryHQ has ranked Marchman Technical College as one of the Top Six Best Colleges in Florida for 2017.

AdvisoryHQ is a global news website that researches, reviews and ranks organizations and products from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. It bases its college rankings on a mixture of criteria, including cost, real-world application and program offerings.

This is the second time this year Marchman Technical College has been recognized as one of the top colleges in Florida. In March, BestColleges.com ranked the school No. 2 on the list of Best Community Colleges in Florida.

 

Caps of Love presents 72nd wheelchair
Michael Ledford, a rising fourth-grader at Woodland Elementary School in Zephyrhills, received a new wheelchair from Saint Leo University. The wheelchair was purchased using funds raised by Saint Leo and its community partners through the Caps of Love program. Saint Leo students, faculty and staff, along with community and business partners in five counties, collected 12,000 pounds of plastic bottle caps, which were shipped to Commercial Plastics Recycling in Tampa. This is the 72nd wheelchair Caps of Love has presented.

Community Service Day
Rasmussen College, an accredited private college, hosted its ninth annual Community Service Day July 21. Approximately 900 employees and students from the college’s 22 campuses and three central offices participated in the national service day event in communities across the United States.

The Land O’ Lakes/East Pasco and New Port Richey/West Pasco campuses chose Metropolitan Ministries Pasco, Meals on Wheels East Pasco (Dade City), and the the PACE Center for Girls as beneficiaries of its service work.

Students, faculty and staff from both campuses prepared lunch, stocked the food pantry and helped in the resource center at Metropolitan Ministries.

Employees volunteered at Meals on Wheels East Pasco, and painted a large mural and worked in the food pantry.

Employees also volunteered at the PACE Center, and organized the center and provided resources for young women in the New Port Richey area.

Art competition winner visits capital
Clare Hernandez, of Dade City, was the 2017 winner of the Congressional Art Competition for Florida’s 12th District. U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis (FL-12) welcomed Hernandez to the nation’s capital, where her winning artwork, ‘Portrait of an Unknown Soldier,’ will remain on display for a year in the Capitol Building.

 

 

 

Sales tax holiday
The 2017 Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday will begin at 12:01 a.m., Aug. 4 and end at 11:59 p.m., Aug. 6. Qualifying items will be exempt from tax, including certain school supplies selling for $15 or less per item; clothing, footwear and certain accessories selling for $60 or less per item; and, personal computers and certain computer-related accessories purchased for noncommercial home or personal use selling for $750 or less per item. For information and a list of qualifying items, visit FloridaRevenue.com.

School calendar set
The District School Board of Pasco County approved the 2017-2018 school calendar.

The calendar sets the first day for teachers as Aug. 7 and the first day for students as Aug. 14.

Its weeklong practice of Thanksgiving break will continue, with the Monday and Tuesday of the week set as possible hurricane makeup days.

Winter break will begin Dec. 23. Employees will return on Jan. 8, 2018 and students will return on Jan. 9, 2018.

Spring break for students will be March 16 through March 25, and spring break for employees will run March 17 through March 25.

The last day of school for students is scheduled for May 25, and the last day for teachers will be May 30.

Other non-school days include Labor Day on Sept. 4, Teacher Planning Day on Oct. 16, and Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 15, 2018.

High school graduations will take place May 18 through May 27.

For more details, visit Pasco.k12.fl.us.

River Ridge celebrates new year
River Ridge High School will kick off the new school year with a Welcome Back Event Aug. 7 at 8:45 a.m. The high school’s band will play as community members, and the football, cheerleading and weightlifting teams assemble along the cafeteria and theater’s adjoining walkway, to clap and cheer to welcome teachers back for the year’s first faculty meeting.

For information, call (727) 774-7200.

Operation Backpack
Friends of the Children Inc., will host a free backpack giveaway Aug. 5 from 10 a.m., until supplies last, at the Jerome Brown Community Center, 99 Jerome Brown Place in Brooksville.

The backpacks will be filled with basic school supplies for children in kindergarten through eighth grade. One backpack per child; children must be present with an adult.

Several vendors and supporters also will be present to distribute additional school supplies.

For information, call (352) 540-3835, or visit CityOfBrooksville.us.

Meal applications open online
The Pasco County Schools free and reduced-price meal online application is now available for the 2017-2018 school year at PascoSchoolMeals.com.

Under the National School Lunch Act, families who are below the federal income eligibility guidelines may qualify for free or reduced-price meal benefits. A new application must be submitted at the start of each school year, and only one application can be completed per household.

Families that have received a letter indicating the student is directly certified, do not need to apply.

For information and questions, call Megan Sexton, Food and Nutrition Services finance specialist, at (813) 794-2480.

Nominations open for service academies
U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis (FL-12) is accepting applications for nomination to the U.S. service academies.

Each year, Bilirakis has the opportunity to nominate high school students from Florida’s 12th District to be accepted to the U.S. Military Academy, the Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy or the Merchant Marine Academy.

The office will accept submissions through Sept. 29, and applicants will be interviewed starting in late October.

For information or to download an application, visit Bilirakis.house.gov and click on Services.

Zephyrhills teacher attends STEM training
Jennifer Griffone, second from left, a STEM coach at Woodland Elementary School in Zephyrhills, attended STEM training at Keystone Science School in Colorado, through a Duke Energy Foundation grant. Duke Energy sponsored 14 Florida teachers to attend the education-focused training, along with 19 other teachers from across the country. Griffone participated in a water quality testing activity during Keystone’s Key Issues Institute.

Student barbecue
Wesley Chapel High School will host a cookout to celebrate the new school year, welcome back returning students, and introduce new students, July 31 at 11 a.m., at the school’s event field, 30651 Wells Road in Wesley Chapel.

The Team Chapel Student Barbecue will give the students and staff a chance to interact and get acquainted, with games and food.

Participants will receive a free school T-shirt.

For information, call Dee Dee Johnson, principal, at (813) 794-8700.

Sunlake student receives distinction award
Rebecca D. Urbonas, a senior at Sunlake High School in Land O’ Lakes, received the AP Scholar with Distinction Award from the AP College Board “for achieving an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP exams taken, and a score of 3 or higher on five or more exams.”

As a sophomore, Urbonas took AP World History and received a score of 4.

This past year, as a junior, Urbonas took four AP courses (AP Statistics, AP Psychology, AP U.S. History and AP Biology) and received three 5 out of 5 and one 4 out of 5.

Spring Dean’s List
These Odessa students were named to the spring semester Dean’s List at their respective schools:

• Elisabeth Dichiara, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, Georgia
• Elizabeth Gwilt, Rochester Institute of Technology, New York
• Ashley Kubel, Georgia Southern University

Meal applications open online
The Pasco County Schools free and reduced-price meal online application is now available for the 2017-2018 school year at PascoSchoolMeals.com.

Under the National School Lunch Act, families who are below the federal income eligibility guidelines may qualify for free or reduced-price meal benefits. A new application must be submitted at the start of each school year, and only one application can be completed per household.

Families that have received a letter indicating the student is directly certified, do not need to apply.

For information and questions, call Megan Sexton, Food and Nutrition Services finance specialist, at (813) 794-2480.