Education

Saint Anthony to dedicate renovated school

June 1, 2016 By B.C. Manion

Saint Anthony Catholic School is planning a dedication ceremony for its renovated school building at 12155 Joe Herrmann Drive in San Antonio.

The event is slated for June 3 at 10 a.m., and the ceremony will mark the completion of a project to rejuvenate a three-story brick building originally erected in 1922.

The building in the foreground is the recently completed renovated 1922 building on the Saint Anthony school campus in San Antonio. Portions that could be restored, were restored, and the rest was renovated in the $1.8 million project. (Photos courtesy of Saint Anthony Catholic School) — The building in the foreground is the recently completed renovated 1922 building on the Saint Anthony school campus in San Antonio. Portions that could be restored, were restored, and the rest was renovated in the $1.8 million project.
(Photos courtesy of Saint Anthony Catholic School)

“We are so excited,” said Sister Alice Ottapurackal, the school’s principal, noting that Abbott Isaac Camacho of Saint Leo Abbey will bless and dedicate the building.

After the blessing, those attending will be invited to tour the building and to stay for light refreshments.

The $1.8 million project involved restoration where possible, combined with renovation, to prepare the building for use by students today and for future generations.

The project is being paid for by the parish community, and $260,000 is still needed to cover the costs, the principal said.

The renovation involved converting the top floor of the building into a cafeteria and recreation space. The second floor has a media room, a computer lab, an art room and a Spanish classroom.

The ground floor has a music room, two extra classrooms and storage space.

Students began using the renovated building two weeks ago, Ottapurackal said, because she wanted the eighth-graders to have a chance to use it before leaving the school.

The cafeteria, on the building’s top floor, has gleaming wood floors. The floors, which are original to the building, were beneath carpeting that was torn out.

The dedication ceremony is being held on the last day of school because the community was eager to tour the building, she added.

Over the years, thousands of students have been educated in the building at a school whose history dates back to the 1880s.

Saint Anthony’s wants to share its celebration with anyone who would like to attend.

It issued this invitation through a news release: “You are invited to stroll through the halls of history, rekindle fond memories, and perhaps find the calling to make new memories for your children or grandchildren.

“Please join us as this grand hall of learning is dedicated and blessed as it prepares to enter into the next chapter of its story. You may find yourself among the pages.”

The renovation is the second major project completed at the school in recent years.

This computer lab reveals Saint Anthony Catholic School’s desire to give its students opportunities to use modern technology. At the same time, the crucifix on the wall and the message on the bulletin board demonstrate the school’s emphasis on a Catholic education.

Last February, the school celebrated the dedication of a new building that was funded through the St. Petersburg Diocese’s Forward in Faith Capital Campaign.

The school officially opened in 1884, two years after San Antonio was founded as a Catholic colony.

The year before the school opened, a widowed woman named Cecilia Morse moved into the community with her six children. When she inquired about the school, she was told it could wait until there were more settlers. Instead, she began teaching 14 children — including six of her own — in her kitchen.

Saint Anthony Catholic School is the oldest parochial school in the diocese and also is one of the oldest Catholic schools in Florida.

School Dedication
What: Saint Anthony Catholic School is having a blessing and dedication of its renovated 1922 school building. After the blessing, there will be school tours and refreshments.
Where: 12155 Joe Herrmann Drive, San Antonio
When: June 3 at 10 a.m.
Who: All are welcome, but please RSVP by calling (352) 588-3041. The school wants to be sure to have enough refreshments.

Published June 1, 2016

From ‘Wallflower,’ the perks of repetitive learning

June 1, 2016 By Tom Jackson

On the topic of what is suitable reading for students of impressionable ages, the recent action attempted by a handful of parents at Pasco Middle School is instructive mostly because it is terribly familiar.

Every couple of years, it seems, certain grownups will flex their preferences in an attempt to assert preemptory authority over what youngsters are either assigned or even allowed to read.

Tom Jackson rgb In 2014, it was a John Long Middle School parent who created a stir when John Green’s popular and well-reviewed “Paper Towns” landed on the mandatory summer reading list.

Now, the book in contention is Stephen Chbosky’s 1999 novel, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” which falls into the same genre: a coming-of-age tale. This one is told from the perspective of a bright, sensitive 15-year-old who, despite his willingness to simply observe from the sidelines, is summoned to experience virtually every cynical, malevolent or simply awkward social situation known to modern America.

Somehow, “Wallflower” became assigned reading for Pasco Middle School seventh-graders taking advanced language arts. That’s “somehow,” because the book got into students’ hands almost totally unvetted.

Pasco Middle’s copies came courtesy of a spend-it-or-lose-it philosophy rampant in taxpayer-supported enterprises. The school had dollars lingering in its materials fund at the end of the last fiscal year and, rather than return them to the cash-strapped district, they were hastily spent on the recommendation of an assistant principal and teacher who’d seen the 2012 movie and had read the publisher’s tout sheet, but not the book itself.

With a box of books that benefited from Hollywood branding just lying around, it was inevitable “Wallflower” would become part of somebody’s curriculum, which it did a few weeks ago.

Luckily, the teacher assigning the book is a long-term member of the faculty who has a reputation for thoroughly reviewing materials assigned students. Oh, wait. The complete opposite of that. The deed was perpetrated by a long-term substitute who also had not read “Wallflower.”

I am confident Pasco’s public school staffers are fans of handing out homework. Is it possible they do none of their own? How do you buy for a middle school population, let alone assign to a passel of 13-year-olds, a book no one has read?

No, forget reading. That could devour an entire weekend. How do you buy or assign a book no one has so much as subjected to an internet search? Within an otherwise glowing description, Wikipedia notes “Wallflower” was banned by some school districts. Some? Further investigation reveals “Wallflower” is a perennial target of angry parents and appalled school board members across the nation.

This does not mean the critics of “Wallflower” are correct, necessarily, or even that Chbosky’s work doesn’t have an appropriate age-group audience. Still, when a cursory search triggers caution flags, it’s a sure sign other education professionals should proceed warily.

Alas, wariness did not prevail at Pasco Middle, which had money to burn and at least one class with late-year time to kill. Small wonder parents staggered by the book’s frank descriptions of suicide, masturbation, drug use and homosexuality were not salved by the methods employed by an administration and faculty they want and need to trust.

Listen, it’s easy enough to rebuke red-faced parents and committees that issue tut-tutting opinions over questionable material as collections of rubes and yahoos. Try to make an argument on behalf of pulling books out of the hands of students or off library shelves without conjuring images of ignorant villagers mobbed up with pitchforks and torches, ready to deliver swift and permanent retribution to some poor, misunderstood innocent. It’s almost impossible.

But what I wrote in June 2014, the last time something like this came up, applies now: Generally speaking, banning books is a bad idea. On the other hand, virtually every rule has an exception, and so it is with this.

When it comes to what goes into a youngster’s mind, parents are the ultimate source authority. You might not approve of what mom and dad choose to withhold or endorse, but you know what? Tough.

If parents oppose exposing the teens under their care to the rough-and-tumble of life you know is out there and, in your wisdom, you think those shielded kids are being ill-served, well, good for you. Also, it’s none of your business.

Meanwhile, it’s on each school at every level, from the classroom teacher to the principal to the superintendent, to be mindful about the individual pace of exposure to the world their parents are willing to endure.

Pasco Middle School failed that fundamental assignment at every turn. Its sadder-but-wiser lesson applies across the region.

Tom Jackson, a resident of New Tampa, is interested in your ideas. To reach him, email .

Published June 1, 2016

Chalk Talk 06/01/2016

June 1, 2016 By Mary Rathman

Students garner merit awards
The Lexington Oaks Women’s Club recognized three outstanding Lexington Oaks students with merit awards. With Cindy Cox (second from left), the club’s president, are recipients (from left) Cara Adipietro and Gabriela Santiago, who each received a $500 award in honor of Mary Lou Kruse, a former Lexington Oaks resident women’s club member, and Amanda Barry who received the $250 Christopher Helbing Memorial Award.

Pasco graduates garner more than $23 million in scholarships
Pasco County Schools will graduate more than 4,300 students in 2016, who have earned in excess of $23 million in scholarships.

Graduation ceremonies will take place June 2 through June 5, except Marchman Technical College, which was May 25 at the Center for the Arts at River Ridge.

The University of South Florida’s Sun Dome will host J.W. Mitchell, Sunlake, Land O’ Lakes, Wesley Chapel, Wiregrass Ranch, Zephyrhills, Hudson, Anclote and Fivay graduates.

Pasco eSchool students will have their ceremony at Crews Lake Middle School. Gulf High’s graduation will be at Calvary Chapel Worship Center. River Ridge and Ridgewood graduations will be in each of the school’s gymnasiums, and Pasco High’s ceremony will be in its football stadium.

Senior week at SunWest Park
SunWest Park, 17362 Old Dixie Highway in Hudson, will host Senior Week, May 31 to June 3, allowing graduating high school seniors to get in free, with a student ID. SunWest Park is the closest beach to Land O’ Lakes, Wesley Chapel and East Pasco. There is swimming, floating inflatables, volleyball, an aqua park and more. For information on the park, visit SunWestPark.com.

Saint Anthony school dedication
Saint Anthony Catholic School, 12155 Joe Herrmann Drive in San Antonio, will host a dedication of the newly renovated school building on June 3. There will be a blessing and dedication at 10 a.m., followed by an open house and refreshments.

For information, call Sister Alice Ottapurackal at (352) 588-3041.

Students earn regional science award
Colby Tomasello and Clay Kennedy, ninth-graders at Land O’ Lakes High School, won the Toshiba/National Science Teachers Association ExploraVision Regional Award for their “Recharge Roadways” proposed prototype.

Both students joined Joshua Burke, of Jesuit High School, to form a team that presented its prototype as a renewable energy resource for electric vehicles. The proposal repurposes roadways to function as a continuous recharging mechanism.

The team was coached by Land O’ Lakes High teacher Victoria Savosh and mentored by Heather Tomasello.

Each team member, teacher and mentor received a Toshiba 8GB Excite tablet and a framed certificate. Land O’ Lakes principal Ric Mellin received a plaque and a Toshiba laptop. Savosh will use the laptop as a student station in her classroom.

As regional award winners, the team advanced to the national competition in Washington D.C.

PHSC students advance to national SkillsUSA
Pasco-Hernando State College students Toshia Knous and Richard Yackel were awarded gold medals at the SkillsUSA state competition and will advance to the national competition at the 52nd annual National Leadership and Skills Conference June 19 to June 25 in Louisville, Kentucky.

SkillsUSA is a national organization serving teachers and high school and college students who are preparing for careers in technical, skilled and service occupations, including health occupations and for further education.

The NLSC is a showcase of career and technical education students representing 52 state and territorial associations. Knous will compete in Practical Nursing, and Yackel will compete in Related Technical Math.

PHSC student Margaret Liwski received a bronze medal, having placed third in the state competition in the Job Interview category.

For information about the career programs at PHSC, visit PHSC.edu/careers.

Chalk Talk 05/25/2016

May 25, 2016 By Mary Rathman

Chamber names Citizens of the Month
The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce has recognized these students as April Citizens of the Month: Aiden Kinney, Academy at the Farm; Odessa Benton, East Pasco Adventist Academy; Ryan Potthast, Saint Anthony Catholic School; Destiny Flummer, Centennial Elementary School; Salieagh Simonds, Lacoochee Elementary; Julie Estrada-Garcia, Pasco Elementary; Owen Grasty, San Antonio Elementary; Mackenzie Neal, Centennial Middle; Nathan Shelton, Pasco Middle; Ashley Baxley-Mote, James Irvin Education Center; and Zachary Balogh, Pasco High. Also recognized at a recent ceremony was March Citizen of the Month Rosalia Ippolito, Saint Anthony Catholic School.

Summer bus haul pass available for students
Pasco County Public Transportation is offering Pasco County students a chance to ride the fixed-route bus system for free all summer for $20. The special student rate goes into effect June 1 and will run until Aug. 31.

Summer Haul Passes will be sold at all Pasco County libraries, the Pasco-Hernando State College campus bookstores in New Port Richey and Wiregrass, and at the PCPT Administrative Offices, 8620 Galen Wilson Blvd., in Port Richey.

Students can use the pass to go to the beach, swimming pools, shopping areas and summer jobs.

The PCPT fixed-route, transit buses run throughout east and west Pasco County and along State Road 54.

For information about the passes, call (727) 834-3322, (352) 521-4587 or (813) 235-6073.

For information about bus routes, transportation news and schedules, visit RidePCPT.com.

Students qualify for national business leaders competition
Students from Pasco-Hernando State College participated in the Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda State Leadership Conference and competition.

Leslie Barnwell, PHSC West Campus, placed first in the Job Interview competition. Barnwell also placed third in the Administrative Technology competition and received the Christopher J. Heider Scholarship award.

The West Campus student team of Tayler Carlson, Jaime Zapote-Pach, Marcella Thurman and Norman Widamen Jr., took first place in the Parliamentary Procedure competition.

Alyssa Bohnsack, North Campus, placed second in Job Interview, and Joy Jordan, West Campus, placed second in Personal Finance.

These students all qualified for the annual Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda National competition that will take place in Atlanta, Georgia in June.

Other students placing in the competition include: David Adams, North Campus, fourth place in Management Concepts; Victor Miller, West Campus, fourth place in Network Concepts and fifth place in Public Speaking; and Manuel Cuzco, Spring Hill, third place in Human Resource Management.

Virtual school opens enrollment
Florida Virtual School Full Time, a statewide online public school, will open enrollment for grades six to 12 on June 1.

Combining Florida-certified teachers, a proven curriculum, technology tools and community experiences, FLVS Full Time delivers a high-quality, online education to students who benefit from an individualized approach to learning.

Parents can enroll students online at FLVSFT.com.

Summer VPK enrollment
Primrose School at Collier Parkway, 23021 Weeks Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes, will offer a summer PVK (Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten) program for eligible families and children. This is a free program for children who have not yet used a VPK voucher and turned 4 years old before Sept. 1, 2016.

Classes will begin on June 14 through Aug. 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with an hour rest at 12:30 p.m.

To learn more about Primrose School at Collier Parkway and enrolling your child in the free VPK program, contact the school director, Angella Hart, at (813) 242-7800.

PHSC students on academic team
Eight Pasco-Hernando State College students were nominated to the 2016 Phi Theta Kappa All-Florida Academic Team: Sarah Del Monte of Land O’ Lakes; Christopher Hernandez of Dade City; Annie Hillin of Holiday; Vanessa Moore and Anthony Serieux of Brooksville; Samantha Rosario of Spring Hill; Allison Sharrer of Zephyrhills; and Allassandra Slate of Hudson.

The students were selected based on outstanding academic achievement, leadership and community service. Students are nominated by their respective colleges to the All-USA Academic Team competition sponsored by USA Today and Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society.

For information about the All-Florida Academic Team, visit FloridaCollegeSystem.com/all-florida.

Wiregrass Elementary is gearing up for first year

May 18, 2016 By B.C. Manion

Between 400 and 500 people turned out for a parent and community night to find out what lies ahead at Wiregrass Elementary, a new school opening in August.

Principal Steven Williams was delighted by the turnout.

“I love it. It’s wonderful to be part of a community that’s engaged,” Williams said.

During the first half hour of the meeting, Williams said he gave some general information about the school and talked about the vision for the school.

Hundreds of parents turned out to learn more about Wiregrass Elementary, a new school set to open in August. (Photos courtesy of Wiregrass Elementary School) — Hundreds of parents turned out to learn more about Wiregrass Elementary, a new school set to open in August.
(Photos courtesy of Wiregrass Elementary School)

After that, parents were invited to make their way around tables in the room, to seek additional information and to offer their thoughts.

Questions that came in during the meeting were answered within 24 hours on the school’s Q&A that’s posted on its website.

Besides parents, others on hand included representatives of the architect who designed the school, the builder who is constructing the school, and the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office.

The school is expected to open with 400 students, but is anticipating rapid growth, Williams said. There are residential developments nearby, and houses are sprouting up all around.

“We’re planning the school with change in mind and growth in mind,” he said, noting he’s buying furniture and textbooks for more than 400 kids. He knows he’s going to need more and wouldn’t be surprised to see enrollment topping 500 within 12 months of opening.

The principal is also planning for a school that’s going to grow in other directions.

“Do we have a fixed mindset or a growth mindset?” Williams asked.

Construction is ongoing at Wiregrass Elementary School. The new elementary school is slated to open with about 400 students.

The school wants to be a place that fosters growth — and that means for everyone, students, staff and leaders, too, Williams said. “None of us has arrived yet,” he said.

Besides inviting community partnerships, the school wants to create ties with John Long Middle School and Wiregrass Ranch High, Williams said.

For instance, a culinary student at Wiregrass Ranch High might be able to be involved in an elementary cooking club, Williams said.

Many of the questions raised by parents regarding specific issues are answered on the school’s website.

For instance, the school’s technology will include interactive whiteboards, Apple TVs, small group collaboration stations, iPads, MacBook laptops, 3-D computing stations and additional technological devices.

Each staff member will have a laptop, and students will have access to machines on a 4:1 ratio.

But, the school also is developing a “Bring-Your-Own-Device” program that will allow students to bring their own technology.

“It’s very important to me to have students ‘own’ their own technology,” Williams said, and that means going well beyond the typical uses for communication and entertainment. He wants them to be able to use the devices as resources, to help to elevate their education.

Students who are currently attending kindergarten through fourth grade and who live in the Wiregrass boundaries will be automatically registered. Those who are entering kindergarten or moving into the area must register. Individual appointments can be arranged.

The school will have before and after school care, and there will be clubs, though the types of clubs have not been determined.

Wiregrass will follow the school district’s dress code, so uniforms are not required. However, a line of spirit wear has been developed, and the optional items can be purchased through the school’s PTA.

Wiregrass will have gifted education through an inclusion model, which means the instruction will be embedded in all subjects, rather than delivered in a separate classroom.

“We want our students to be able to walk a learning path that is specific to them,” Williams said, noting the school will subscribe to the philosophy of “student-owned learning.”

There will be intentional outcomes, but different ways to achieve them, the principal explained. The teachers will serve as the guides, working with students as they work toward achieving those outcomes, albeit following different paths.

The school also is planning some special activities, such as the creation of a time capsule, to mark the school’s inaugural year.

For those wishing to reach the school’s staff before the new campus is completed, they can stop by the school’s temporary office at Sand Pine Elementary, 29040 County Line Road in Wesley Chapel, or call (813) 346-0700.

Wiregrass Elementary, 29732 Wiregrass School Road
School starts: Aug. 15
School hours: 9:40 a.m. to 3:50 p.m.
Childcare: (813) 794-2180
Transportation: (813) 794-0450
Additional information: WRES.pasco.k12.fl.us

Published May 18, 2016

Chalk Talk 05/18/2016

May 18, 2016 By Mary Rathman

(Courtesy of The Greater Zephryhills Chamber of Commerce)

Zephyrhills chamber honors students
The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce recognized Student Citizens for the month of April at a ceremony in their honor.

Each month, one student from nine area schools is selected for exemplary effort, achievement and contribution to their school, family and community.

The students honored were Austin Patterson, The Broach School; Emilo Gutierrez, Chester W. Taylor Elementary; Aiden Sobers, East Pasco Adventist Academy; Trevin Teets, Heritage Academy; William Harbuck, Hope Ranch Learning Academy; Madison Driggers, Raymond B. Stewart Middle; Shane Diaz-Valenzuela, West Zephyrhills Elementary; Joshua Darden, Woodland Elementary; and Jasmine Potwin, Zephyrhills High.

(Courtesy of Pasco Tax Collector's Office) — (Courtesy of Pasco Tax Collector’s Office)

Gabriel Quinn wins essay contest
As part of Clerk & Comptroller Paula O’ Neill’s Constitutional Officers Essay Contest, Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano’s office received 290 essays from middle school students throughout Pasco County answering the question, “Do you think taxes are too high or too low? Why?”

A panel of judges, not knowing the age, gender, grade or school of each entrant, chose the essay written by Gabriel Quinn, a student at St. Anthony’s Catholic School in San Antonio, as the winning submission. Quinn’s essay best communicated his response to the topic question while meeting the contest criteria of overall essay structure, appearance and readability.

Quinn received a $300 Best Buy gift card at a ceremony in April. All entrants in the contest received a personal letter from Fasano thanking them for their participation.

Pilot Club recognizes students
The Pilot Club of Zephyrhills honored “Top Dog” students from Stewart Middle School for their academics and leadership roles in the school. The students recognized for the third quarter were Aaron Shaffer, Skyler Goodspeed, Jesse Fierro-Richards, Hannah Smith, Jorlyanys Suarez-Ayala, Sophia Martin, Alena Chavez, Ashley Ocasio and Isaak Voyles.

Saint Leo adult education
Saint Leo University’s Adult Education Center at University Campus will host an information session on May 19, from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Pasco County School Board office at 20425 Gator Lane, Portable A, in Land O’ Lakes.

Another session is scheduled for May 21, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Saint Leo University, 33701 State Road 52 in TECO Hall in the School of Business building at the university’s main campus in St. Leo.

A 10 percent discount is offered for all bachelor’s degree programs through the Pasco County School Board corporate partnership with Saint Leo University.

Honor Day in Wesley Chapel
Citizens Concerned for Students will recognize the public middle and high school African-American students who have earned the honor roll at least once during the current school year. The annual awards ceremony, known as Honor Day, will celebrate more than 1,000 students to earn the achievement this year.

The ceremony will take place May 21 at 6 p.m., at the Center for the Arts at Wesley Chapel, 30651 Wells Road in Wesley Chapel. For information, visit HonorDayPasco.org.

There also will be a College and Career Fair at 4 p.m., in the adjacent Wesley Chapel High School gymnasium.

Both the awards ceremony and fair are free.

Prom Promise at Wiregrass Ranch
Prom Promise brings together local first responders who visit high schools during prom season to inform students of the importance of making good decisions on prom night.

Using student actors from each high school who are dressed in prom attire and splattered with fake blood, the first responders illustrate the tragic events that can occur when a student gets drunk at the prom, and then drives away and crashes into another carload of prom-goers.

After the crash, the firefighters, paramedics and police officers converge on the scene, and students see the intense activity that follows, including a Bayflite helicopter ready to transport the trauma patients.

The presentations are coordinated with school SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) groups and the school resource officers.

Prom Promise will make an appearance at Wiregrass Ranch High School, 2909 Mansfield Blvd, in Wesley Chapel, on May 20 at 8:30 a.m., in the stadium.

Virtual school opens enrollment
Florida Virtual School Full Time, a statewide online public school, will open enrollment for grades six to 12 on June 1.

Parents can enroll students online at FLVSFT.com.

Summer VPK enrollment
Primrose School at Collier Parkway, in Land O’ Lakes, will offer a summer PVK (Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten) program for eligible families and children. This is a free program for children who have not yet used a VPK voucher and turned 4 years old before Sept. 1, 2015.

Classes will begin on June 14 through Aug. 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with an hour rest at 12:30 p.m.

50-year class reunion
The Chamberlain High School Class of 1966 is planning a 50-year class reunion on Oct. 14 and Oct. 15. The committee needs help locating the Class of 1966 graduates.

If you graduated in 1966 and would like to have your name included for future updates and information, send your name (including maiden name), email, current address, home and/or cellphone number, and spouse’s name to

If you know anyone else in the class who has not yet been contacted, email their name and contact information to the same email address.

New charter school won’t open until 2017

May 11, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

Several families in the Lutz and Land O’ Lakes area were anticipating Sunlake Academy of Math and Science to open in time for the 2016-2017 school year, but that isn’t going to happen.

Instead, the public charter school, which is being built at 18711 North Dale Mabry Highway in Lutz, is set to open in August 2017.

This is a prototype of what Sunlake Academy will look like once it’s complete. The 40,000-square-foot facility expects to accommodate 1,150 students, from kindergarten through eighth grade. (Photos courtesy of Charter School Associates) — This is a prototype of what Sunlake Academy will look like once it’s complete. The 40,000-square-foot facility expects to accommodate 1,150 students, from kindergarten through eighth grade.
(Photos courtesy of Charter School Associates)

The school, operated by Charter School Associates (CSA), scheduled a Parent Information Session on April 11, expecting to open for the 2016-2017 school year. But on April 27, Michael Strader, president of Charter School Associates, addressed a letter to parents and guardians, saying, “the opening of Sunlake Academy of Math and Science will be deferred to August 2017.”

He explained the delay this way: “Although the property developer and general contractor were originally confident that our new school would be ready for the Aug. 10 opening date, we recently learned that delays in the receipt of various building and site permits will push the completion of the school past that date.”

In an interview with the Laker/Lutz News, Strader indicated his group tried finding a temporary facility to hold classes until construction was complete, but to no avail.

“We couldn’t find an existing facility nearby that would be within a reasonable commute—like people who live close to where the school is planned—that would accommodate the number of students that made applications,” Strader said. “We really…examined a number of options, including area churches. We looked to see if there were any hotels with large conference facilities or meeting facilities in the immediate area, and there just seemed to be none available that we could schedule for several weeks.”

The highway entrance of Sunlake Academy, at 18711 North Dale Mabry Highway in Lutz. Up until April 27, the school advertised it would open in August 2016.

Several parents suggested the possibility of utilizing portable classroom buildings in the short-term. However, Strader noted portable classrooms weren’t really a feasible option, either.

“The only thing with portables is they require many of the same infrastructure that a permanent building would require with utility connections, hard roads for life safety vehicles — fire trucks, ambulances — so portable classrooms aren’t as simple as just bringing them in and setting them up,” Strader said.

Sunlake Academy was originally proposed to be located on an 8.4-acre piece of land at the southwest corner of Lutz Lake Fern Road and Sunlake Boulevard. However, those plans changed after objections from nearby residents and numerous conditions attached to the county’s approval for the site.

Changing locations and obtaining site permits for the North Dale Mabry location has been an ongoing process, Strader acknowledged.

“I understand that (the North Dale Mabry) area is going through a whole new floodplain recalculation by the Southwest Florida Water Management District, so that had some kind of impacts on it, and we were just later than anticipated in receiving all the site permits, and that’s what ultimately put the project behind,” the CSA president said.

Once open, the 40,000-square-foot, two-story charter will be large enough to accommodate about 1,150 students, from kindergarten through eighth grade. The charter, which will be tax-funded and tuition-free, is expected to pull students from within a 5-mile radius of the school’s location, which is about a half-mile north of Exciting Idlewild Boulevard.

It will have a focus on STEM curriculum, which stands for science, technology, engineering and math. It also will offer an interdisciplinary approach to learning, in which lessons will emphasize the interrelationships between various subjects.

The school’s features will include a library and media center, science laboratories, computer labs, art rooms and an area for outdoor activities.

Despite the school’s deferred opening, Strader said he’s had conversations the school’s developer, Charter School Properties, to ensure construction isn’t delayed even further, “so that prospective parents could certainly see a building there and have confidence that the school will indeed be ready for August 2017.”

According to Strader, the school was expected to be built in two phases, progressively adding more students during each phase. Now with the additional construction time, both phases should be complete for the 2017-2018 school year.

“There was a lot of interest in the school and we had done quite well with interested parents,” he said. “So, if the demand is still there next year, we’ll have the facilities to grow…beyond the initial 600 students that we’d anticipated for this year.”

Published May 11, 2016

Carrying a torch for peace

May 11, 2016 By Kathy Steele

‘Peace

Such a wonderful thing

It makes you think of a bell’s ring’

The message of peace in Jonathan Fields’ poem hung in the air.

It was written on paper, dangling on a string — reminiscent of a knitted square in a quilt of poetry made by students at Learning Gate Community School.

Natabara Rolloson of the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Peace Run leads Learning Gate students on a race across the campus. (ourtesy of Pierre Lantuas-Monfouga) — Natabara Rolloson of the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Peace Run leads Learning Gate students on a race across the campus.
(Courtesy of Pierre Lantuas-Monfouga)

About 600 students at the Lutz-based charter school shared artwork, poetry and songs of peace with the North American torch relay team from the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Peace Run.

About a dozen relay runners dropped by both Learning Gate campuses on May 3.

The kindergarten through sixth grade school is on Hanna Road. The school for seventh- and eighth-graders is on Lutz Lake Fern Road.

The torch runners also made visits to a school and neighborhood center in Pinellas County before heading to Alabama.

The team is on a 10,000-mile North American relay that began in New York City in mid-April and will finish in New York in mid-August. Members represented several countries including the United States, France and Hungary.

The “Peace Run” is the inspiration of Sri Chinmoy, an athlete, philosopher, artist, musician and poet who organized the inaugural run in 1987 to promote international friendship. Since then more than 5 million people have participated and runners have visited more than 140 countries, according to the website for the Peace Run foundation.

Cathy Oerter, left, gave certificates of excellence from the Al Oerter Foundation to Learning Gate students, Simon Noguerol and Kaitlyn Detuccio. Al Oerter was a four-time Olympic gold medalist. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photos) — Cathy Oerter gave certificates of excellence from the Al Oerter Foundation to Learning Gate students Simon Noguerol and Kaitlyn Detuccio. Al Oerter was a four-time Olympic gold medalist.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photos)

To prepare for the visit, Learning Gate students wrote poems. First-graders created paper chains with messages for peace. Students also practiced songs to perform for their guests.

“Each student wrote a way they show peace to each other,” said first-grader Margo Armstrong who read from a statement from classmates on why they made the peace chain.

“You children are definitely the voices of the world,” said Cathy Oerter. “It’s all about the journey of self-discovery.”

Oerter’s husband, Al Oerter, was a four-time Olympic gold medalist in the discus throw. He was the first athlete to win gold at four consecutive Olympic games, setting records each time.

He died in 2007 but his nonprofit Al Oerter Foundation continues to promote character and integrity through support for sports and the arts.

His wife said the foundation often partners with the Sri Chinmoy relay runs.

She presented certificates of excellence to two Learning Gate fifth-graders Simon Noguerol and Kaitlyn Detuccio.

Several students read their poems.

Learning Gate fifth-grader J. B. Montague, holds the relay torch with Andran DeAngelo, captain of the relay team for the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Peach Run.

Fourth-grader J.B. Montague shared his mathematical prowess, detailing his classmates’ accomplishments in March, the national month for reading awareness.

He added up more than 12 million seconds spent in reading.

The motto for the bi-annual torch relay is ‘Peace begins with me.” The run promotes the universal connections among people around the world, said Arpan DeAngelo, the United States team captain.

Besides the North American relay, a second team began a 16,000-mile run in Portugal in February and that will conclude in Rome in October. A third relay in the South Pacific begins this month.

Relay runner Natabara Rolloson led students on a brief race as a “peace train” across campus, leading the way and carrying the flaming torch. At the end, students were invited to walk up, touch the torch and make a wish for peace.

“It helps children and adults to realize that peace is very natural to anyone of any age,” said DeAngelo.

For information, visit PeaceRun.org.

Published May 11, 2016

Dim those lights — and sleep better at night

May 11, 2016 By B.C. Manion

Imagine creating a device that would help people sleep better at night.

A trio of local girls came up with a prototype for an invention that would do just that.

Their idea – and the entry it generated — garnered a second place prize in the the Bright Schools Competition, a national contest co-sponsored by the National Sleep Foundation and the National Science Teachers Association.

Sarah Szymanski, a teacher at Pine View Middle School, left, coached Grace Nobles, Catie Tomasello and Sophia Nobles in the Bright Schools Competition. The team finished second in a competition that included students from across the U.S. and Canada. (Courtesy of Heather Tomasello) — Sarah Szymanski, a teacher at Pine View Middle School, left, coached Grace Nobles, Catie Tomasello and Sophia Nobles in the Bright Schools Competition. The team finished second in a competition that included students from across the U.S. and Canada.
(Courtesy of Heather Tomasello)

The team of middle schoolers, made up of Catie Tomasello, of Land O’ Lakes and Grace and Sophia Nobles, of New Tampa, called themselves Team iLUMENate and submitted a project called “The iLUMENate Prototype.”

In essence, the prototype uses a light tracker, a cell phone app and a Smart Home system to monitor the amount of light a user receives throughout the day. The device adjusts the user’s environment to provide the proper amount of blue light exposure, for optimum light and sleep.

Besides creating the prototype, the team wrote a brief research paper and created a video for their prototype.

“Blue light is essential for regulating your circadian rhythm. You get too much of it at night, it prevents the body’s producing of melatonin. It makes it hard to sleep,” 14-year-old Grace Nobles explained.

“They say an hour or two before bed to stop using your devices. Teenagers, especially, have an issue with getting enough sleep,” she added.

Twelve-year-old Sophia Nobles designed the virtual floor plan that was used to demonstrate the concept in the project.

Catie Tomasello created a video to show how their prototype would work. It shows a Smart House, where lights are dimmed to reduce light exposure.

The girls began working on their entry at the beginning of the school year and invested between 40 and 50 hours on the project, said Heather Tomasello, Catie’s mom.

They bounced their ideas off of Sarah Szymanski, a teacher at Pine View Middle School, who was their coach. She also reviewed their research and their video, Heather Tomasello said, noting Szymanski was Catie’s former teacher.

The girls, who are homeschooled, decided to enter the contest after Heather Tomasello saw it on a list of contests sponsored by the National Science Teachers Association.

The Bright Schools Competition was open to students in sixth- through eighth-grade in the United States and Canada.

For their second-place finish, the girls each earned a prize of $2,500.

Their coach will receive an all-expense paid trip to the NSTA conference and membership to the NSTA.

The moms were delighted with the contest results.

“I was very excited,” said Shawn Nobles, who is Grace and Sophia’s mom.

“I was blown away,” Heather Tomasello said.

These girls are no strangers to achievement in academic circles.

Sophia took part in the White House Science Fair last year.

And all three girls have been on successful teams in the Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision competition.

Both Sophia and Grace have competed in ExploraVision three times and their teams have won honors twice. Catie competed on five teams and won honors four times. Last year, her team took the top national prize.

Published May 11, 2016

Saint Leo offers new creative writing program

May 11, 2016 By Kathy Steele

Poet and soon-to-be-published novelist Steve Kistulentz is a man enjoying a year of firsts.

He is the director of Saint Leo University’s first low-residency graduate program in creative writing.

The launch begins with an eight-day residency from July 16 to July 23. Enrolled students will attend seminars and writing workshops. And, they will hear readings from awarding winning writers, Jesse Goolsby and Tom Piazza.

The program will offer a special track toward a graduate degree for students interested in war literature written for or by veterans.

Poet and novelist Steve Kistulentz is director of the graduate program in creative writing and associate professor of English at Saint Leo University. (Courtesy of Saint Leo University) — Poet and novelist Steve Kistulentz is director of the graduate program in creative writing and associate professor of English at Saint Leo University.
(Courtesy of Saint Leo University)

In 2017, the publishing house of Little & Brown will release the 50-year-old Kistulentz’s first novel, “Panorama,” which tells the story of a New Year’s Eve plane crash and what happens to its survivors.

Before that, he will launch the new writing program at Saint Leo.

“I want to show the non-traditional student that no matter who you are or where you are or what you are doing, there is a path to success and a way to be mentored there through this program,” said Kistulentz, who also is an associate professor of English at the university.

The program confers the Master of Arts degree and is intended for completion in two years. It includes 36 hours of graduate study in fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction.

Those who want to write about war can choose among those genres and take specific courses that tackle wartime or post-war experiences.

Following the initial residency, semester work will be done largely online, with mentoring from writers with national reputations. In total, students will complete four semesters of course work, three summer residencies, and submit a book-length thesis.

Tuition is $595 per credit hour for the 2016-17 academic year. Unsubsidized loans may be available. Accreditation for the program is pending with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

The special track aimed at veterans who may want to write about their war experiences is unique to Saint Leo.

“We wanted to capitalize on Saint Leo’s long-time commitment with the men and women of our armed services,” Kistulentz said.

Saint Leo also continues its tradition of reaching out to nontraditional students.

Kistulentz took his own nontraditional path toward poetry and fiction writing.

He had a nearly 17-year career as a political consultant for national campaigns and wrote speeches, television commercials, promotional materials and magazine articles.

“I have written in just about every genre,” Kistulentz said.

He was director of a similar creative writing program at the University of Tampa.

But at Saint Leo he is building the program from scratch.

“I have always known that this is always what I wanted to do, a Saint Leo-type program,” he said.

Kistulentz is taking the best of what he learned from other creative writing programs including the Creative Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa. He was at the university from 2003 to 2005 and earned a Masters in Fine Arts.

His first book of poetry, “The Luckless Age,” won the 2010 Ben Saltman Award. His second poetry book, “Little Black Daydream,” came out in 2013.

The fact that he is a college professor is to him something of a miracle. He grew up in a family of sharecroppers and coal miners.

It was the GI bill that put his father through college, and set him on a path toward higher education.

“I was the first generation in my family expected to go to college, and then continue on with my education,” he said.

But he didn’t follow a traditional path toward a writing career.

That’s what is so satisfying to him about Saint Leo’s commitment to nontraditional ways to help its students.

“I think it’s important to note that Saint Leo is one of the real innovators in providing alternative learning solutions for people with careers and family commitments who wouldn’t otherwise be able to attend a graduate program,” Kistulentz said.

For information, on the program and the application procedure, visit www.saintleo.edu/admissions/graduate/creative-writing.aspx.

Published May 11, 2016