Student Citizens honored
The East Pasco Chamber Foundation in partnership with The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce recognized 10 students as Student Citizens of the Month for March. Students are chosen by the teachers and administration of their individual schools for exemplary effort, achievement and contribution to their school, family and community. Students receiving recognition were: Blake Wable, Academy of Spectrum Diversity; Hayla Cowart, The Broach School; Amelia Baer, The Broach School Elementary Campus; Sofia Munoz, Taylor Elementary School; Sophia Moretta, East Pasco Adventist Academy; Isabella Payne, Heritage Academy; Ayden Morel, Stewart Middle; Jackson Gonzalez, West Zephyrhills Elementary; Luciana Cappello, Woodland Elementary; and Aiden Macumber, Zephyrhills High.
Campus celebration
Pasco-Hernando State College will host a free Spring Hill Campus Anniversary Celebration on April 1 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at 450 Beverly Court in Spring Hill, in recognition of PHSC’s 50th anniversary and Earth Day and Sustainability Month. Guests also can visit a student art exhibit that focuses on sustainability at the Rao Musunuru M.D. Conference Center. To RSVP, visit tinyurl.com/4yjzbef4.
Financial Literacy Month
April is Financial Literacy Month and Pasco County Schools again will offer a Financial Literacy Experience that will include:
- An in-person learning opportunity for staff, students and the community through the USF Stavros Center
- A comprehensive website with resources and webinars for students, staff and the community on financial literacy and financial planning
- Partnerships with local banks and Everfi to offer in-person and virtual lessons in schools
For information, visit Pasco.k12.fl.us/oll_documents/financial-literacy-month.
One-Act Plays
Saint Leo University’s theater program will present “Menagerie” on March 30 and April 1 at 7 p.m., and on April 1 and April 2 at 3 p.m. The performance consists of three one-act plays written, directed, staged and performed by the school’s seniors who will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in theater, along with other Saint Leo students.
The show will be in the Black Box Theatre in Benedictine Hall, on the west side of University Campus, 33701 County Road 52 in St. Leo.
Advance tickets are $5 online and $6 on the day of the performance if seats are available. To purchase tickets, visit OnTheStage.tickets/show/saint-leo-university, and click on “Our Season.”
Paws to Read
The Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center, 12118 Lake Blanche Drive in Odessa, will host “Paws to Read at the Ranch” on April 1 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., for kindergarten through fifth grade. Participants can practice their reading skills by reading aloud to one of the furry friends from Sharing Our World Therapy Dogs. Bring your own book, or stop by early and check out something from the library. Registration is online at PascoLibraries.org.
Easter breakfast
The East Pasco Education Academy, 35830 State Road 52 in Dade City, will host Breakfast with the Easter Bunny on April 1 from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. There will be a pancake breakfast from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., followed by an Easter Egg Hunt, games and a petting zoo area for children ages 12 and younger, who will receive an Easter bag. The pre-purchase ticket price is $10 per person. Free cinnamon rolls to the first 50 people who register. For information and to register, visit tinyurl.com/4ek3a4n3.
Woman’s club scholarships
The GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club will award $5,000 Lutz Volunteer Firefighter Endowment scholarships to two Lutz resident students and three additional $2,000 awards, for a total of $16,000 in scholarship grants. The club is accepting applications from high school seniors with a Lutz or Land O’ Lakes home address. Applications can be found online at GFWCLutzLandOLakesWomansClub.org. The deadline to submit is April 3. For questions, email Lucy Albury at .
‘Crack the Spine’
Join the staff of the Sandhill Review and the Department of Language Studies and the Arts as they “Crack the Spine” on the 2023 issue of Saint Leo University’s literary magazine on April 5, at University Campus, 33701 State Road 52, in St. Leo, in the Black Box Theatre in Benedictine Hall.
The event will include mingling and frivolity at 6 p.m., with readings from the new issue themed “The Unfamiliar” at 6:30 p.m.
Writers will read from their original works and artwork from the current online issue will be on display.
The event is free and open to the public. Donations will be accepted in support of the Sandhill Review.
For information, contact Editor-in-Chief Gianna Russo at or 352-588-8282.
Reusable Art Contest
Hillsborough County Public Schools’ (HCPS) district energy program, powerED, is hosting its “Choose to Reuse” 2023 Reusable Art Contest. All kindergarten through 12th grade HCPS students can submit artwork, which can be created by individual artists or by a team of no more than two artists.
The deadline for submissions is April 7 at 4 p.m. Artwork must be submitted to , with the subject “Reusable Art Filename: (Artist Name/Names_Grade_School).”
For questions, contact your school’s Green Team lead, or email .
For information, visit Hillsborough County Public Schools on Facebook.
Celebrating educators
Irish 31 Pub House and Eatery, its iCare Foundation, and community partners are celebrating the I.R.I.S.H. (influential, reliable, impassioned, selfless, humble) in those who have an undeniable impact on youth. The sixth annual iCare Foundation Cheers to Public Service Awards will reward 25 extraordinary local educators — teachers in kindergarten through 12th grade in Hillsborough, Pasco or Pinellas counties. Those chosen will receive $1,000 plus other gifts from friends of the program. For more information and to nominate someone, visit Irish31.com/cheers. The deadline is April 7.
Career & Tech Expo
Pasco County Schools will host a Beyond: Career & Tech Expo on April 18 at Fivay High School, 12115 Chicago Ave., Hudson; and on April 20 at Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation, 9100 Curley Road in Wesley Chapel. These expos provide graduating seniors with real-world connections to businesses, post-secondary institutions, on-the-job training, employment and more. Seniors from neighboring schools can attend the expo closest to them. Students must register with their school’s career specialist by April 11 to attend.
Student recognitions
The Rosen Plaza Hotel recently hosted the statewide annual Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association Educational Foundation Hospitality & Tourism Management Program (19th year) and ProStart Culinary Competition (22nd year). A total of 340 Florida high school students from 46 schools competed.
Florida is the only state to host a statewide competition for the hospitality and tourism program. Students in that program competed in categories including: Hotel Operations, Hospitality Project and the Knowledge Bowl. ProStart students competed in categories including: Culinary, Management, Edible Centerpiece and Waiter’s Relay.
Winners will advance to the national ProStart Invitational in Washington D.C., in May, which is hosted by the National Restaurant Association.
These area students were recognized:
- Payton Miller, Steinbrenner High School, Lutz: Edible Centerpiece Competition, third place
- Sophie Lopez, Amaya Pollack and Julissa Teran, Steinbrenner High: Waiter’s Relay Competition, fifth place
The Steinbrenner students were instructed by Cheryl White.
At the Salute to Excellence Award ceremony, students were awarded for their respective competition categories and received scholarships.
Parent Network
Pasco County Schools will host a virtual districtwide ESE/504 Parent Collaborative Network on April 18 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The meeting is to provide an opportunity to share new or important information and initiatives related to students with disabilities with an Individualized Education Plan or 504 plan, and to present topics in parent-identified areas of need. This is not an individual student meeting. To attend, visit https://tinyurl.com/y3ts7xh8 and click on RSVP to indicate your intent to participate. For information and questions, email Jennifer Hykes at .
Living History Event
The Pioneer Florida Museum & Village, 15602 Pioneer Museum Road in Dade City, will host a Special Field Trip Day for its World War II Living History Event on April 21 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. only. Public, private and home-school students are welcome to attend. The field trip is not open to the public. Pre-registration is required at PioneerFloridaMuseum.org. Admission is $5 for students and chaperones. For information, visit PioneerFloridaMuseum.org, or call 352-567-0262.
Awards of Excellence
Pasco-Hernando State College has selected its recipients of the 2023 National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) Excellence Awards.
Professor Rene Brioso, information technology; Jessica Hinds, associate director of curriculum support and education preparation institute; Assistant Professor Frank Mancuso, emergency medical programs; and Professor David Ratisher, information technology, will join the ranks of past distinguished award recipients and be recognized during NISOD’s annual International Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence, May 27 to May 30 in Austin, Texas.
NISOD’s Excellence Awards recognize men and women each year who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment and contribution to their students and colleagues.
Recipients receive a specially cast pewter medallion hung on a burnt-orange ribbon. The names, titles, and colleges of all award recipients are included in a special booklet that features congratulatory ads from many of the recipients’ colleges.
In addition, presentations at the conference involving Excellence Award recipients are indicated in the Conference Program with a special icon.