Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Eileen Kanter

Q: What qualities should I look for in a tutor?

A: Many tutors are certified teachers who are supplementing their salary. They may also be college students earning their teaching degree. The key to finding the right person for your child is to look for an individual whose training, personality, energy level, educational philosophy and proven success record meet the needs and goals you have for your child.

Q: What do tutoring services cost?

A: Tutoring rates vary and are based on one or more of the following reasons:

— The number of times per week your child is tutored and the length of each session

— The subject area being tutored. A tutor working with your child on chemistry will usually charge more than someone teaching a child the concept of addition.

— If the tutor comes to your home instead of taking your child to their place of business

— If you hire a tutoring center or have your son/daughter taught by a private tutor

— If your child is tutored in a small group setting verses a one-on-one setting

— Some tutoring centers and private instructors charge an assessment fee. This payment is in addition to your regular tutoring fee and a one-time assessment in most cases.

Q: When hiring a tutor, can I ask for references?

A: Absolutely! It is one of the best ways to find out if the educator or tutoring center you are considering is the right fit for your child.

Q: When should I see results from my child’s tutoring?

A: Seeing tangible results can vary, but will probably not occur immediately. All children learn at different rates. Once their learning style is targeted, a qualified tutor will customize lessons to meet your child’s needs. They can also give parents helpful tips in working with their son/daughter each day to solidify a deeper level of learning. Tutoring more than once a week, can expedite results, but there is still no guarantee.

Q: If I hire a tutor to work with my child, will I still need to help my child with their homework?

A: Yes, tutors and parents need to work together to encourage success. A tutor can provide strategies to use when working with your child.

Q: Is it better to have my child tutored at our house or outside of our home?

A: The No. 1 reason parents hire tutors to come to their homes is convenience. However, convenience does not increase your child’s learning potential. A child that is easily distracted will have trouble focusing during a learning session in their home. Parents cannot always control the phone ringing, siblings arguing, family members and pets wandering, etc. The more distractions, the less likely your son/daughter will be able to focus and receive the maximum benefit of working with a tutor in a one-on-one setting. If you know your child is not easily distracted and/or you can control the atmosphere in the house, home tutoring might be an option.

Q: When do I know that my child is ready to discontinue tutoring?

A:  That decision should be made between the parent, tutor and classroom teacher. A student should be showing consistent progress in the classroom that can be measured by the tutor and the classroom teacher before ending teaching sessions.

Tweety Pie loves Emeril Live

Tweety Pie is a 5-year-old male longhaired, white cat. He likes watching his owner play games on the computer and getting into yarn. When Emeril Live comes on TV, he puts his paws in the air. Tweety Pie sits for his food and begs for treats. He is not a lap cat. He carries his toy mouse around, and at night he can slide closet doors open. Tweety Pie is the best watch cat because when anyone pulls into the driveway or knocks on the door, he runs to his favorite hiding place. Tweety Pie’s proud owner is Judith Gurganious, of Zephyrhills.

By Ashley Dunn

Staff Writer

LUTZ — On Sept. 11, 2001, Wilson Morse wasn’t even two years old, but he still knows what happened on that tragic day.

“I know that there were terrorists and they crashed into the two Twin Towers,” said Wilson, a fourth-grader at Lutz Elementary.

On Sept. 11 this year, Wilson and the rest of the school’s student body celebrated Patriot Day with a special outdoor program. Each grade wore either red, white or blue and sang a patriotic song. The school also recognized the Lutz Patriots, military personnel, veterans and first responders. Lutz Elementary has put on the annual presentation since 2002.

Some students knew how Patriot Day originated. Others didn’t. It’s not something many classes talk about, said Mary Fernandez, school principal.

“Depending on their age, we do what’s appropriate,” she said.

Instead of focusing on the terrorist attacks, teachers convey the importance of police officers, firefighters and those in the military.

It’s a lesson that wasn’t lost on third-grader Mackenzie Young, 8. When asked why the school had the patriotic celebration that morning, she said, “To thank America for all the freedom and to thank the troops and the military, who are giving us freedom.”

Fourth-grader Leigh Dittman, 9, said she remembers her parents explaining what happened in 2001.

“It was just so sad to hear,” she said, adding she understands the jobs that soldiers and first responders do each day are dangerous. “They risk their lives to make sure that we are free — that we are one country — so it’s just important to show that we appreciate what they do for us.”

Wilson, 9, agreed.

“If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t be here,” he said.

By Steve Lee

Staff Writer

LAND O’ LAKES — Sniffing out drugs is among the numerous duties for a dog in the Pasco Sheriff’s Office K-9 unit and Missy answered the call in the largest drug bust in county history.

Scott Grant, a detective in the vice and narcotics department, and Missy teamed up to help get $1.8 million worth of cocaine off the streets. The Aug. 26 bust unearthed more than 114 pounds of cocaine and $200,000 in cash from under a shed off Duck Lake Canal Road in Dade City.

“I’m a fan of them for drug work,” said Sgt. Brian Brosnan, who supervises the sheriff’s K-9 unit. “She indicated where (the alleged drug dealers) had drugs buried.”

For Missy and Grant, it actually marked the second million dollar drug bust. The also were part of 2008 apprehension of a truck hauling $1.5 million in cash and 71 grams of marijuana.

Brosnan helps train the sheriff office’s 10 dogs, along with four police dogs in Dade City, New Port Richey and Zephyrhills. He knows first-hand how valuable the K-9 unit can be in the war on crime.

“It shows you they work,” Brosnan said of a dog’s role in busts like the one in Dade City. “The good ol’ dog nose just keeps going on. It’s a team effort. The dogs will tell you stuff using their bodies and their tails.”

As for team efforts, Grant has been paired up with Missy, a Malinos (pronounced mel-in-wah) for the past year and a half. He could not be more proud of his partner’s efforts.

“She’s done amazing things,” Grant said. “She actually located the money that had a narcotic odor on it, as well as the 52 kilos in the barn.”

Missy is Grant’s four and final dog. At 49 and with nearly 25 years in law enforcement, retirement is on the horizon. Until then, Grant and Missy will remain inseperable.

“The dog’s your best friend, other than your wife,” said Grant, who has been married to Jackie for 10 years.

Although the sheriff’s office has its full compliment of dogs, the county is down one dog, having lost Zephyrhills Police dog Gunner to a tragic accident in August. The black German Shepherd was struck and killed by an SUV while returning to handler Josph Rinaldo after responding to a burglary.

Zephyrhills still has Jenko, who is partnered with police officer Billy Adams, but Brosnan is assisting the department as it searches for Gunner’s replacement. Brosnan, who has worked with the sheriff’s K-9 unit since 1987, will help train Gunner’s replacement like he has with most of the other law enforcement dogs in the county.

“We’re a very tight-knit group,” Brosnan said. “We generally get together (once a week) to train.”