Education

Chalk Talk 01/13/2016

January 13, 2016 By Mary Rathman

Saint Leo Community Service Day
Saint Leo University’s “Spring Community Service Day” will be Jan. 18, in conjunction with the campus’ celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The university will host a guest speaker and a community children’s fair as part of the festivities.

The guest speaker will be Peggy A. Quince, justice of the Supreme Court of Florida, on the topic of the importance of Dr. King’s message of working to combat poverty among American youth. The noon presentation will be in the Student Community Center boardrooms.

Following Justice Quince’s presentation, there will be a children’s fair on campus from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., with face painting, sand art and several inflatables.

Admission is free, and the presentation is open to the public.

The campus is at 33701 State Road 52 in St. Leo.

STEM magnet school info meetings
Centennial Middle STEM Magnet School, scheduled to open in August, will host parent information sessions at 6 p.m., as follows:

Jan. 19 at Dr. John Long Middle School, 2025 Mansfield Blvd., Wesley Chapel
Jan. 20 at Centennial Middle School, 38505 Centennial Road in Dade City
Jan. 21 at Chester W. Taylor Elementary School, 3638 Morris Bridge Road in Zephyrhills

Parents of sixth- and seventh-graders at the host schools, as well as those of current fifth-graders in the elementary schools that feed into them, are encouraged to attend.

The superintendent, the magnet school principal, and district staff will discuss the STEM magnet theme and programs that will be offered at the school. Parents also will hear about magnet school application timelines and options for transportation.

Martin Luther King Jr. lecture
Pasco-Hernando State College’s 31st annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Lecture Series will host guest speaker Mark Anthony Neal on the topic of “Hip Hop, Civil Rights and Social Media.”

There will be five presentations over a two-day period.

Jan. 20 at 10 a.m., Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, 2727 Mansfield Blvd., Room B-303, in Wesley Chapel
Jan. 20 at 6 p.m., East Campus, 36727 Blanton Road, Room A-240, in Dade City
Jan. 21 at 9:45 a.m., via web telecast, North Campus, 11415 Ponce de Leon Blvd., B-104/105, in Brooksville
Jan. 21 at 9:45 a.m., West Campus, 10230 Ridge Road, Performing Arts Center, in New Port Richey
Jan. 21 at 7 p.m., Spring Hill Campus, 450 Beverly Court, Room B-105

Admission is free. For information, call (855) 669-7472.

Thursday Musicale offers scholarships
The Thursday Musicale, a women’s choral group formed to promote music in Pasco and Hernando counties, offers scholarships to graduating high school seniors in Pasco and Hernando counties who plan to study music in college and make it a career.

The deadline to apply for a scholarship is Jan. 22. Auditions will be Feb. 2 and Feb. 9 at Trinity Presbyterian Church of Seven Springs in New Port Richey.

For applications, contact your high school career counselor and/or music director.

For information, email .

Take Stock in Children applications
Take Stock in Children scholarship applications are now being accepted online through Jan. 24 for Pasco County Schools’ students on free/reduced lunch in grades eight to 10.

The organization, a program with the Pasco Education Foundation and partnered with Pasco County Schools, has provided scholarships, mentors and hope since 1995.

For information and an application, visit PascoEducationFoundation.org.

School photographer celebrates with fundraiser
Paul Gigante, a professional school photographer since 1991 in Tampa Bay, has seen the need to help less fortunate homeless high school seniors, as they transition after graduation to start college careers. His goal is to raise $50,000 at a benefit to help as many students from the Class of 2016 in Pasco and Hillsborough counties as possible.

Gigante will host a “H4 Benefit” (Helping Our Homeless High Schoolers Achieve Higher Education) at Skipper’s Smokehouse, 910 Skipper Road in Tampa, on Jan. 24 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Entertainment will include the USF “HOT” Pep Band, The Butch Ryan Band, local disc jockeys, and others.

There also will be silent auctions, sports memorabilia, gift baskets, a 50/50 raffle, corn hole tournament, photo booth and more.

The cover charge is a birthday card for Paul with a donation payable to “H4 Benefit.”

Corporate/local business partnerships/personal and family sponsorships are available.

For information, contact Paul Gigante at (813) 340-4080.

Saint Leo welcomes new partners
Saint Leo University now has professional working agreements with four new community partners in Florida.

The new organizations include Bay Area Youth Services Inc., The Gracepoint Foundation, Miami-Dade County, and Oglethorpe Inc.

BAYS is a nonprofit with the objective of improving the quality of life and increasing the potential of Florida’s youth.

Gracepoint is a nonprofit with a mission to educate, advocate for, and give hope to all people touched by behavioral health and developmental challenges.

Miami-Dade County government provides major metropolitan services countywide and city-type services for residents of unincorporated areas. It also provides employee discount services to all employees.

Oglethorpe’s mission is to breathe new life into failed or failing psychiatric health centers and to restore their place in their communities.

Rasmussen launches accelerated entrance options
Rasmussen College has launched two accelerated entrance options for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree at its Land O’ Lakes/East Pasco campus.

The college’s BSN degree program is available with the new, accelerated pre-licensure entrance options designed for students committed to the nursing profession and eager to launch their careers as quickly as possible. The options also help fill a significant need for registered nurses with bachelor’s degrees in the Tampa Bay area.

To learn more about the accelerated entrance options, visit Rasmussen.edu/degrees/nursing.

Pasco-Hernando State College issues first four-year degree

January 6, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

For one former football star, the opportunity to witness palm trees and visit family was simply too great to pass up.

Jamal Roberts recently became the first student to graduate from Pasco-Hernando State College with a bachelor of applied science in supervision and management, taking advantage of one of PHSC’s two four-year programs.

Jamal Roberts converses with other Pasco-Hernando State College graduates after the college’s winter commencement. (Photos courtesy of Jamal Roberts) — Jamal Roberts converses with other Pasco-Hernando State College graduates after the college’s winter commencement.
(Photos courtesy of Jamal Roberts)

“It was an accomplishment,” said Roberts, 21, who graduated in December. “It was a milestone for me, and it was a milestone for the college as well. It’s wonderful.”

While primarily a two-year college, PHSC began offering four-year programs in 2014, starting with the supervision and management program, as well as offering a bachelor of science in nursing. Formerly known as Pasco-Hernando Community College, the institution changed its name to reflect its broader program offerings.

Wasting no time after graduation, the Dade City native has already lined up a job as an administrative assistant at Irvin & Petty, a St. Petersburg-based law firm that primarily focuses on personal injury cases.

“I just want to be able to get dressed up nice for work every day,” Roberts quipped.

While still unsure what career path he wants to follow for the next 30-plus years, Roberts hopes to work for a company that features a positive work environment where fellow co-workers get along.

Former Zephyrhills’ football star Jamal Roberts in action at a Kent State football practice.

“I can have the best (job) or the easiest job duties, but if I’m in a terrible place, then I’m not going to like that job,” he elaborated. “But, if I have hard duties and everyone around me is friendly, and we’re all working together, then that’s going to be somewhere where I can stay.”

Prior to graduating from PHSC, Roberts was a standout athlete at Zephyrhills High School, where he shined as a dual-threat quarterback on the football team, was an All-Conference sprinter on the track team and also lettered in baseball.

Showcasing extraordinary athleticism, Division I football scholarships rolled in from several out-of-state programs, including Ball State, University of Massachusetts and Eastern Michigan. However, Roberts opted to attend Kent State in Ohio in 2012, where he suited up to play defensive back.

“Honestly, it was probably the best time of my life,” said Roberts, who spent three years on the Kent State Golden Flashes football team. “I had so much fun. I met a whole a bunch of people that I can call real friends.”

His most memorable experience at Kent State occurred in 2012, when he was redshirting as a freshman, the Golden Flashes finished 11-3 and earned a berth to the GoDaddy.com Bowl game.

“It was just unbelievable,” Roberts reminisced. “Just the way everybody played together, it was crazy.”

Jamal Roberts (right) is presented with his diploma from Pasco-Hernando State College from Dr. Timothy Beard, the college’s president.

While Roberts enjoyed his college experience, the bone-chilling Midwest winters in northeast Ohio started to become unbearable. “It was terrible,” he stated.

The opportunity to move back to the Sunshine State arose when his mother, Pamela, who works at PHSC as a student development assistant, told him the college offered four-year programs.

It became a seamless transition for Roberts, where most of his college credits at Kent State transferred and applied to the new bachelor’s degree program.

“Honestly, I did miss my family,” he said about moving back to Florida. “So, after some thinking and some consideration, and given the opportunity, I thought it’d be best if I was back at home and I finished up (at PHSC).”

While his football-playing career is over, Roberts hasn’t forgotten about the lessons he learned from the sport, which he uses in his everyday life.

“One of the first things I learned about football in high school, one of my coaches said, ‘you wake up and you get better, or you wake up and you get worse,’ and that’s what I stick by with absolutely everything,” he explained. “If you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse and there’s no in between.

“That’s my mentality going towards things in life.”

With the burden of attending classes and studying on the weekends no longer tying up his time, Roberts plans to stay involved with the game he loves by getting into coaching youth football.

“I definitely see coaching as an opportunity for me to get out and teach young kids the game,” he said.

Published January 6, 2016

Chalk Talk 01/06/2016

January 6, 2016 By Mary Rathman

Student musicians raise money for Joshua House
Crossing the Tangent, a band that just started up this past October, rented the clubhouse at Seven Oaks for a fundraiser for Joshua House on Dec. 20. The youth band put on two shows, charged a $5 entry fee, and played a variety of songs, including holiday music. The $543 raised was given directly to Joshua House, a safe haven for children in need.

Members of the band are Cody Somoano, Alyssa Somoano, Alexa Jewel and Genesis Castro-Garcia, Wiregrass Ranch High School; Ben Sajen, Freedom High; Josh Brett, Land O’ Lakes High; Kelly Mason, Benito Middle School; Arianna Toro, Steinbrenner High; and Sage Pope, New Port Richey Montessori.

Magnet school offers tour
Sanders Memorial Elementary STEAM Magnet School, 5126 School Road in Land O’ Lakes, will offer a school tour on Jan. 8, to show parents and prospective students the programs and facilities.

Principal Jason Petry and staff will lead parents through each grade level area, the collaboration center, outdoor classroom areas, boardwalk, and athletic facilities. Sanders is Pasco County’s first magnet school and was designed to focus on science, technology, engineering, arts and math.

For information, call Kristie Newsome at (813) 794-1500.

STEM magnet school info meetings
Centennial Middle STEM Magnet School, scheduled to open in August, will host parent information sessions at 6 p.m., as follows:

Jan. 11 at Raymond B. Stewart Middle School, 38505 10th Ave., Zephyrhills
Jan. 12 at Pasco Middle School, 13925 14th St., Dade City
Jan. 13 at Thomas E. Weightman Middle School, 30649 Wells Road in Wesley Chapel
Jan. 19 at Dr. John Long Middle School, 2025 Mansfield Blvd., Wesley Chapel
Jan. 20 at Centennial Middle School, 38505 Centennial Road in Dade City
Jan. 21 at Chester W. Taylor Elementary School, 3638 Morris Bridge Road in Zephyrhills

Parents of sixth- and seventh-graders at the host schools, as well as those of current fifth-graders in the elementary schools that feed into them, are encouraged to attend.

The deadline to apply for a scholarship is Jan. 22. Auditions will be Feb. 2 and Feb. 9 at Trinity Presbyterian Church of Seven Springs in New Port Richey.

For applications, contact your high school career counselor and/or music director.

For information, email .

The organization, a program with the Pasco Education Foundation and partnered with Pasco County Schools, has provided scholarships, mentors and hope since 1995.

For information and an application, visit PascoEducationFoundation.org.

There also will be silent auctions, sports memorabilia, gift baskets, a 50/50 raffle, corn hole tournament, photo booth and more.

The cover charge is a birthday card for Paul with a donation payable to “H4 Benefit.”

Corporate/local business partnerships/personal and family sponsorships are available.

For information, contact Paul Gigante at (813) 340-4080.

Virtual tours available for Saint Leo
The Office of Admissions at Saint Leo University has begun using the latest trend in social media to reach prospective students from around the world. Student tour guides conduct a live video tour of university campus every Wednesday afternoon.

The office uses the Periscope program, which allows for real-time video sharing with student followers. It is interactive, as participants may submit questions, and the video hosts or tour guides can respond immediately. The tour’s content can be customized based on the users’ interaction and requests. The video tours are available for replay for 24 hours following the live broadcast.

To date, more than 1,000 prospective students have participated in the live Periscope broadcasts.

Viewers must follow Saint Leo’s Twitter account to access the video tour, and will receive additional enrollment messages after the tour has concluded for as long as they continue to follow the feed.

The live video tours are marketed to prospective students through email invitation, a Facebook campaign, Twitter advertising, and a website presence.

Potential future uses will include live interviews with faculty, live visits to classrooms, and other on-campus events.

Superintendent calls social media appeals ‘problematic’

December 30, 2015 By B.C. Manion

Concerns raised about a Go Fund Me site during a recent Pasco County School Board meeting prompted Superintendent Kurt Browning to voice concerns over how appeals for help are posted by teachers on social media sites.

The issue came up when Amy Bracewell, a parent who lives in Northwood, told school board members that a posting on a Go Fund Me site was seeking funds to purchase materials for students at Denham Oaks Elementary.

Superintendent Kurt Browning said social media appeals can create a false impression about district’s efforts.

The posting said that 42 percent of the students in the school’s first-grade have reading deficiencies and need additional materials.

Bracewell lives in Northwood, a community in Wesley Chapel, which has been reassigned to attend Denham Oaks Elementary, in Lutz, next school year.

She and other parents objected to their children being moved from their Wesley Chapel community to attend a school in Lutz, with a lower academic rating.

“Considering that I have a kindergartner starting in the fall, I find it extremely disturbing to find a Go Fund Me page set up for the first-graders of Denham Oaks Elementary School,” she told board members.

Browning said he became aware of the Go Fund Me site the evening before the Dec. 15 school board meeting.

The superintendent said the post “was somewhat troubling to me, because it made it sound that we, as a district, were not providing the level of materials to those schools. That is just not the case.

“We provide the materials at every one of our schools that support our students in learning to read and learning to read on grade level,” Browning said.

“They wanted additional materials and were asking for contributions to pay for those additional materials,” he said.

He also asked teachers and other staff members to be careful when they are making social media appeals to be sure they accurately convey the nature of the request.

“The whole Go Fund Me pages and the Donor Choose pages, in my opinion, are incredibly problematic for this district,” he said. “They’re problematic as a whole.”

Sometimes requests are made for materials that are not compatible with district needs, he said. For instance, “iPad minis will not support many of the things that we do in classrooms,” he said.

Browning also noted, it’s impossible for the district to monitor all of the requests that are posted on social media.

With 87 schools in the district, he said, “We just don’t have the resources to do that.”

So, he urged caution in the postings, noting the message they send doesn’t just affect one school, but reflects on the entire district.

Published December 30, 2015

Pasco expands magnet options

December 30, 2015 By B.C. Manion

Pasco County Schools is expanding its magnet school options beginning next school year, and is holding a series of community meetings to explain the additional options.

Sanders Memorial Elementary School is Pasco County’s first magnet school. It offers a curriculum that focuses on science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics. The district is converting Centennial Middle School in Dade City into a science, technology, engineering and mathematics magnet school. (File Photo) — Sanders Memorial Elementary School is Pasco County’s first magnet school. It offers a curriculum that focuses on science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics.
The district is converting Centennial Middle School in Dade City into a science, technology, engineering and mathematics magnet school.
(File Photo)

The district is converting Centennial Middle School, in Dade City, into a STEM Magnet School. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

A series of community meetings, with each beginning at 6 p.m., will give parents a chance to learn more about the new middle school magnet program.

Jan. 11 in the cafeteria at Raymond B. Stewart Middle School, 38505 10th Ave., in Zephyrhills
Jan. 12 in the auditorium at Pasco Middle School at 13925 14th St., in Dade City
Jan. 13 in the cafeteria at Thomas E. Weightman Middle School, at 30649 Wells Road in Wesley Chapel
Jan. 19 in the cafeteria at Dr. John Long Middle School cafeteria, 2025 Mansfield Blvd., Wesley Chapel
Jan. 20 in the cafeteria at Centennial Middle School, at 38505 Centennial Road in Dade City
Jan. 21 in the cafeteria at Chester W. Taylor Elementary School, at 3638 Morris Bridge Road in Zephyrhills

Parents of sixth- and seventh-graders at the host schools, as well as parents of current fifth-graders that feed into those schools, are encouraged to attend.

Elementary schools feeding into Centennial Middle School are Centennial, Cox, Double Branch, Lacoochee, New River, Pasco, Quail Hollow, San Antonio, Seven Oaks, Veterans, Watergrass, Wesley Chapel, West Zephyrhills and Woodland.

At each meeting, Superintendent Kurt Browning, the magnet school principal and district staff will discuss the STEM magnet theme and programs that will be offered.

Parents also will hear about magnet school application timelines and options for transportation.

Fifth- through seventh-grade students may apply for acceptance to the magnet school during the magnet school application period, Jan. 18 through Jan. 31, 2016. Students and parents not listed are welcome to attend the meetings, but will need to apply for acceptance through the regular school choice period, which begins Feb. 1.

In addition to the new middle school magnet, the district also has an elementary STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics) program at Sanders Memorial Elementary in Land O’ Lakes.

Parents of prospective students to Sanders are invited to tour the school, at 5126 School Road in Land O’ Lakes, on Jan. 8 at 10 a.m., and 1:30 p.m.

Parents will have a chance to learn more about the school’s programs, facilities and unique features.

Sanders has unmanned aerial systems, solar panels, and other high tech devices, as well as computers and iPads for each student.

Published December 30, 2015

Chalk Talk 12/30/2105

December 30, 2015 By Mary Rathman

Pasco School Board elects chairwoman
The District School Board of Pasco County elected Joanne Hurley (District 2) board chairwoman and Allen Altman (District 1) board vice chairman at its annual reorganization.

Hurley will serve a one-year term as chairwoman before her retirement from the school board next November. She was first elected in 2008, and was re-elected in 2012. Hurley served as chairwoman of the board once, and vice chairwoman twice.

Altman will serve a one-year term as vice chairman. He was elected to the school board in 2006, and was re-elected without opposition in 2010 and 2014. Altman has served as vice chairman and chairman of the board.

Bright Ideas contest
Belle of the Ball Project is supporting Bright House Networks’ program, “Bright Ideas STEM from Today’s Youth,” to help youth develop into innovative entrepreneurs. In the program, students are encouraged to submit a new idea, powered by STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) that can help make the world a better place.

By entering, high school students will vie for the opportunity to compete head-to-head on TV, in front of a studio audience in Orlando. The winner will have the chance to work with a leading innovation firm.

The program is currently open and available for students ages 14 to 19. The deadline to enter is Jan. 4.

To enter, visit BrightIdeas.BrightHouse.com/.

School board meeting cancelled
The District School Board of Pasco County has cancelled the regularly scheduled Jan. 5 board meeting due to winter break.

The district is closed from Dec. 21 through Jan.4.

For information, call Kristie Newsome at (813) 794-1500.

STEM magnet school info meetings
Centennial Middle STEM Magnet School, scheduled to open in August, will host parent information sessions at 6 p.m., as follows:

Jan. 11 at Raymond B. Stewart Middle School, 38505 10th Ave., Zephyrhills
Jan. 12 at Pasco Middle School, 13925 14th St., Dade City
Jan. 13 at Thomas E. Weightman Middle School, 30649 Wells Road in Wesley Chapel
Jan. 19 at Dr. John Long Middle School, 2025 Mansfield Blvd., Wesley Chapel
Jan. 20 at Centennial Middle School, 38505 Centennial Road in Dade City
Jan. 21 at Chester W. Taylor Elementary School, 3638 Morris Bridge Road in Zephyrhills

Parents of sixth- and seventh-graders at the host schools, as well as those of current fifth-graders in the elementary schools that feed into them, are encouraged to attend.

Still time to enroll for spring classes at PHSC

Currently enrolled and returning Pasco-Hernando State College students are encouraged to register for spring classes as soon as possible. Spring classes begin on Jan. 11.

New students interested in taking classes this spring should visit PHSC.edu/wise, for admissions information. The application fee is $25, with an additional $20 assessed during the late registration period, which is Jan. 11 through Jan. 15.

For more information, visit PHSC.edu, or contact the Student Development Office at a nearby PHSC location.

Lutz native performs at Belmont concert
Sarah Fechtel, a native of Lutz and commercial music major at Belmont University, performed in the “Christmas at Belmont” concert at Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center. The concert was taped live and aired nationally on PBS this holiday season.

More than 700 student musicians joined the Belmont School of Music faculty and the Nashville Children’s Choir for the concert. This year’s edition featured the University Symphony Orchestra, Belmont Strings, University Singers, Belmont Chorale, Percussion Ensemble, Musical theatre, Jazz Band, Jazzmin, Southbound and Company, and mass choirs.

The deadline to apply for a scholarship is Jan. 22. Auditions will be Feb. 2 and Feb. 9 at Trinity Presbyterian Church of Seven Springs in New Port Richey.

For applications, contact your high school career counselor and/or music director.

For information, email .

The organization, a program with the Pasco Education Foundation and partnered with Pasco County Schools, has provided scholarships, mentors and hope since 1995.

For information and an application, visit PascoEducationFoundation.org.

New school boundaries approved

December 23, 2015 By B.C. Manion

Pasco County School Board members adopted boundaries for Elementary School W in Wesley Chapel, despite objections by parents living in Northwood and Arbor Woods.

In approving the boundaries, the board members also approved a plan by school district staff to add gifted services to Denham Oaks Elementary School in Lutz.

Parents had objected to their children losing gifted services, and the district responded – at the recommendation of board member Allen Altman and other board members – by adding the services at Denham Oaks.

Some parents also voiced concerns about a waiting list for the child care program at Denham Oaks, but Superintendent Kurt Browning said additional staff is expected to be hired for the program.

The board’s unanimous vote on the school boundaries came despite concerns voiced repeatedly by parents who wanted to keep their children at schools within their Wesley Chapel community.

They said shifting their children to the Lutz school would disrupt their established day care arrangements. They also said it would be harder for commuting parents to make it to after-school events.

Some said they had moved into their neighborhoods specifically because of the schools serving them. And, they also voiced concerns about the impacts that the boundary change would have on their child’s assigned middle school and high school.

Parents also asked if children entering fifth-grade could be grandfathered in, which some board members said the district should try to do, if possible.

Ray Bonti, assistant superintendent for support services, said the district has a past practice of allowing parents of children going into fifth-graders to apply for school choice to attend that school.

Board member Cynthia Armstrong, who made the motion to approve the boundary change, said she realized the boundary change “is painful for the parents.”

But, she added, “We do have to sometimes make very difficult decisions.”

Board member Altman, who seconded the motion, said offering the gifted services at Denham Oaks is important. The district may not be able to alleviate geographic impacts of boundary shifts, but should do what it can to ensure that students have the same academic opportunities, he said, during the first public hearing on the boundary change.

Board member Alison Crumbley noted that, “Those of you who came out tonight, you’re the kind of parents that make schools really good. You could be the core of leaders, and your children, I’m sure, too, in the school. And that’s a really valuable asset.”

Steve Luikart, another board member, who is a former educator said, “When the parents get on board and say, ‘Whatever it is, we’re going to make the best of it.’ Their students will make the best of it. It’s going to start in the home.

“We’re having to make decisions that we don’t like making. But, the mending is going to start at home. It will be up to you as parents to make that transition as easy and as simple as possible,” Luikart said.

But, he also noted that the school district will do what it can to help.

Published December 23, 2015

Chalk Talk 12/23/2015

December 23, 2015 By Mary Rathman

Chamber honors Citizens of the Month
The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce recognized these students as Citizens of the Month for October: Bryce Hewell, Academy at the Farm; Elizabeth Franklin, East Pasco Adventist Academy; Faith Quinn, Saint Anthony Catholic School; Hannah Ditomasso, Centennial Elementary; Hailey Hitts, Lacoochee Elementary; Adrian Sandoval, Pasco Elementary; Jair Pantoja, Rodney B. Cox Elementary; Logan Dyal, San Antonio Elementary; Anissa Wilson, Centennial Elementary; Juan Pablo Benavides, Pasco Middle; Diamond Diaz-Cherry, James Irvin Education Center; and Yocia Abney, Pasco High.

Chamber honors students
The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce recognized these students as Citizens of the Month for November: Brock McKendree, Academy at the Farm; Daniel Rivera, East Pasco Adventist Academy; Hannah Fox, Saint Anthony Catholic School; Gabriella Philipsen, Centennial Elementary; Sophia Alvarez Martinez, Lacoochee Elementary; Jazlyn Torres Rodriguez, Pasco Elementary; Juan Serrato, Rodney B. Cox Elementary; Sadie Williams, San Antonio Elementary; William Harrison Barker, Centennial Middle; Kelly Rose, Pasco Middle; Andres Limas, James Irvin Education Center; and Diana Ryan, Pasco High.

Sen. John Legg recognized by Children’s Home
The Children’s Home Society of Florida recognized Senator John Legg as Legislator of the Year during a luncheon on Dec. 9 at Joshua House in Lutz.

Legg was honored for his leadership as an advocate for community schools. As chair of the Education Pre-K-12 Committee, Legg was instrumental in the appropriation of additional funding to expand the model throughout Florida, including future placement at Mort Elementary School in Tampa.

For information on the Children’s Home Society of Florida’s legislation priorities, visit CHSFL.org/issues.

The program is currently open and available for students ages 14 to 19. The deadline to enter is Jan. 4.

To enter, visit BrightIdeas.BrightHouse.com/.

School board meeting cancelled
The District School Board of Pasco County has cancelled the regularly scheduled Jan. 5 board meeting due to winter break.

The district is closed from Dec. 21 through Jan.4.

For information, call Kristie Newsome at (813) 794-1500.

Still time to enroll for spring classes at PHSC
Currently enrolled and returning Pasco-Hernando State College students are encouraged to register for spring classes as soon as possible. Spring classes begin on Jan. 11.

For more information, visit PHSC.edu., or contact the Student Development Office at a nearby PHSC location.

The deadline to apply for a scholarship is Jan. 22. Auditions will be Feb. 2 and Feb. 9 at Trinity Presbyterian Church of Seven Springs in New Port Richey.

For applications, contact your high school career counselor and/or music director.

For information, email .

PHSC receives disability support gift
Pasco-Hernando State College Foundation received a $10,000 gift from the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation to help pay for the cost of assessment testing for students with a disability and need assistance to be successful in the classroom.

The PHSC Access to Success program is designed to help provide financial support to pay for psycho-educational testing for enrolling recent high school graduates with a learning disability, psychiatric or neurological condition, and who show a financial need.

The program also provides support to students for academic success to obtain an education, and develop work force skills that lead to employment.

For information about the Access to Success program, call (727) 816-3737.

Land O’ Lakes senior gets free ride to college
Bethashley Cajuste, a Land O’ Lakes High School International Baccalaureate Programme senior, was awarded the Questbridge National College Match Scholarship. The scholarship covers the entire cost of her college tuition, books, housing, expenses and incidentals for all four years of study.

Cajuste was chosen as one of the 657 honorees, out of 13,264 applicants.

She will attend Colby College in Augusta, Maine.

Pasco schools planning more construction projects

December 16, 2015 By B.C. Manion

As Pasco County Schools gears up to open an elementary school in Wesley Chapel next school year, it’s also planning to open a school for students in grades six through 12 in Wesley Chapel and an elementary school in Land O’ Lakes in the fall of 2017.

It’s also planning to open a kindergarten through eighth-grade school in Starkey Ranch, though no opening date has been yet specified, said Chris Williams, director of planning for Pasco County Schools.

District officials also are seeking bond money against revenues from Penny for Pasco proceeds so the district can get to work sooner on projects at Land O’ Lakes High School, and Woodland Elementary in Zephyrhills, he said.

Chris Williams, director of planning for Pasco County Schools, said the district is seeking additional school sites to accommodate increasing enrollments. (File Photo) — Chris Williams, director of planning for Pasco County Schools, said the district is seeking additional school sites to accommodate increasing enrollments.
(File Photo)

And, those are just a few efforts under way, as the district experiences the most growth it has seen since the housing market flattened during the recession, Williams said.

The Land O’ Lakes High project hasn’t been designed yet, but it will be significant and will involve adding capacity, Williams said.

“We have Connerton and those developments around there, so we definitely want to look to add capacity to Land O’ Lakes (High School),” Williams said. “The biggest issue is going to be: ‘What do we do with all of the kids?’ ”

When Quail Hollow Elementary School was redeveloped, the district could reassign its students to other elementary schools.

“But, that’s a different ballgame when we start talking about Land O’ Lakes High School,” Williams said.

While it’s possible to do construction with students on campus, it’s more complicated and time consuming, Williams said.

A portion of the bond money also would be used for a remodeling at Woodland Elementary, Williams said.

“Woodland is just an older school. It has a really small cafeteria, plus they’re well over capacity,” he said.

The district has to be careful about how much capacity it adds, because it also owns property for an elementary school on the north end of Zephyrhills, Williams said.

In Land O’ Lakes, the district has acquired an elementary school site near the entrance of Tierra del Sol. There’s no timetable yet for building that school, Williams said.

The district also is working to secure another high school site in the State Road 54 corridor, between U.S. 41 and Trinity, he said.

A high school is planned in Bexley Ranch, but an additional high school site is needed in the State Road 54 corridor to accommodate anticipated growth, Williams said.

The high school in Bexley Ranch won’t be accessible for three to five years, because of its location within the development, Williams said.

In addition to the elementary school site planned in Bexley Ranch, the district is looking for an additional elementary school site in the State Road 54 corridor, Williams said.

As the district grows and adds more schools, it will need to draw new boundaries for the schools, a process that tends to arouse controversy.

Superintendent Kurt Browning addressed the issue regarding school boundary shifts in a column he posted on the Pasco County Schools’ website.

“The biggest complaint we get when we have to change school boundaries is from parents who moved into a neighborhood specifically to send their children to the neighborhood school.

“That is why we strongly urge realtors not to use nearby schools as a selling point when they list homes for sale,” Browning writes.

“While we can’t promise parents that the school their home is zoned for when they buy it will continue to be their children’s assigned school, we can promise that it is our mission to provide a world-class education at every Pasco County school,” the superintendent’s column says.

Published December 16, 2015

Chalk Talk 12/16/2015

December 16, 2015 By Mary Rathman

(Courtesy of Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller's Office) — (Courtesy of Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller’s Office)

Patriotic fifth-graders give their thoughts on Constitution
The Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller’s Office’s annual Constitution Essay Contest drew in 82 entries from eight schools in Pasco County. Reporter Tom Jackson, author Gail Diederich and former Chief Deputy Clerk Barbara Rulison served as judges. Students had to answer the question, ‘Why is the U.S. Constitution Important?’ From left, Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning; Pasco Clerk & Comptroller Paula O’ Neil; first-place winner Eric Ly, Wesley Chapel Elementary; second-place winner Dakota Lambert, Deer Park Elementary; third-place winner Jenny Delcastillo, West Zephyrhills Elementary; author Gail Diederich and School Board Chairman Joanne Hurley.

Lacoochee students get civics lesson
Sen. Wilton Simpson visited Lacoochee Elementary School fifth-graders and staff on Dec. 7 to teach a civics lesson.

Lisa Mazza’s fifth-grade class had been studying the three branches of government and recently went on a tour of the state capitol. Simpson discussed government, the Constitution and his experience in Tallahassee as a state legislator. He also shared his perspective and explained to students how to become more involved in state government.

PHSC receives support for health programs
The Pasco-Hernando State College Foundation received a $71,500 gift from Hernando Healthcare Foundation to support its health programs. The gift will be used to purchase equipment for the EMS and nursing programs, and provide annual and endowed scholarship support for Hernando County residents enrolled in a PHSC health program.

HHF is a Florida Blue matching funds partner for annual scholarship support provided through the Florida College System Foundation.

To date, HHF has provided 150 scholarship awards to 96 PHSC students.

The program is currently open and available for students ages 14 to 19. The deadline to enter is Jan. 4.

To enter, visit BrightIdeas.BrightHouse.com/.

For information, call Kristie Newsome at (813) 794-1500.

The deadline to apply for a scholarship is Jan. 22. Auditions will be Feb. 2 and Feb. 9 at Trinity Presbyterian Church of Seven Springs in New Port Richey.

For applications, contact your high school career counselor and/or music director.

For information, email .

Toy drive for Mort Elementary
The Children’s Home Society of Florida is hosting a “Holiday Toy Drive” for students at Mort Elementary, on Bearss Avenue in Tampa. The drive’s goal is to collect 1,500 toys for more than 1,000 students in kindergarten through fifth grade.

Donations can be dropped off at Joshua House, 1515 Michelin Court in Lutz on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Those donating should ask for Rachelle Duroseau.

For information, visit CHSFL.org/HolidayDrive, or email Duroseau at .