The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Education

Private school lays the groundwork for its future

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Academy at the Lakes, central Pasco County’s private school that hugs both sides of Collier Parkway off SR 54, is getting a lot larger, growing by more than 46 acres.

The school has purchased a large chunk of land near its existing campus that has belonged to the pioneer MacManus family for decades, with an eye toward a major campus expansion in the coming years.

Dr. Lou MacManus, right, shares stories about growing up on the land she recently sold to Academy at the Lakes, with former Academy board chair Cynthia Martin and current headmaster Mark Heller. MacManus’ childhood home looms in the background. (Photo by Michael Hinman)
Dr. Lou MacManus, right, shares stories about growing up on the land she recently sold to Academy at the Lakes, with former Academy board chair Cynthia Martin and current headmaster Mark Heller. MacManus’ childhood home looms in the background. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

The land grab is four times larger than the school’s existing campus, and allows Academy at the Lakes to extend its reach to 20 Mile Level Road with a total of nearly 60 acres of land.

“About six years ago, my sister and I, and our brother, started talking about what we wanted to do with this land,” said Dr. Lou MacManus. A retired surgeon who lived for decades in Ohio and Tennessee, MacManus grew up in a modest house built a year before she was born on the property now owned by Academy at the Lakes. She shares many memories of her childhood on the land with her sister, University of South Florida professor Susan MacManus, as well as her late brother, Dr. H. Cameron MacManus, who was killed in a plane crash last spring.

“There’s been a lot of changes here since we were kids, and many of them good changes,” MacManus said. “But we didn’t want to see a bunch of homes on this land.”

MAKING IT WORK
Academy at the Lakes had plans to expand for the last two years, but the deal to purchase this piece of MacManus land came together only recently, thanks to the work of the MacManus family, as well as the Academy’s head of school Mark Heller and then board of trustees chair Cynthia Miller.

“The MacManuses have been very interested in seeing the future of their parents’ and grandparents’ land used for something productive and positive for the community,” Heller said. “They could’ve easily sold this land to a developer for a lot more money. But instead, decided that they should take a philanthropic route, and dedicate this land to the same thing they have always dedicated their lives to: education.”

Academy at the Lakes is paying slightly more than $2 million for the land, equating to a little less than $44,000 per acre. MacManus set up a charitable remainder annuity trust, which holds the 16-year mortgage for the property. Excluding any interest or other fees, that will cost the growing school approximately $10,500 per month on average.

While it might seem high, Heller sees it as an investment in the future for a school that is key to the economic growth in central Pasco County.

“The north side of the county is growing so fast, certainly now that construction and homebuilding is picking back up again,” Heller said. “The north side is going to be burgeoning again, just like it did 10 years ago, and we’re going to be able to grow with that community, and provide resources to that growing community.”

There are no immediate plans to build on the land, but it is something the school expects to do at some point to accommodate student needs, Heller said. In the meantime, some of the older students will tend to the land and learn how to grow oranges and take part in other agricultural activities. Food raised will be donated to local charities.

Heller talked about expansion in August 2011 when he said Academy at the Lakes should explore ways that would set it up for the next 100 years.

“This is something that could absolutely transform the footprint and the presence of the school,” Heller said at the time.

What happens is up to the school’s board of trustees, but there are many possibilities. One could include integrating the entire campus into one site, instead of having the younger and older students divided physically by Collier Parkway. The land could also become a sports complex center, among other things.

“There’s just so much that we can do that we haven’t really even talked about yet,” Heller said.

NEVER FORGET HISTORY
The matriarch of the MacManus family had always pushed education on her children, explaining why Lou MacManus and her siblings all reached doctorate levels in their schooling. Knowing that the farm she worked so hard to build would now be used for educating hundreds of young people — not just three — would make her mother proud, MacManus said.

“Education was so big for us growing up, and we were always out learning everything,” MacManus said. “We spent a lot of times outdoors, and didn’t watch much TV. We were doing sports, riding bicycles, and I even had a horse.”

The 2,200-square-foot house that served as the MacManus home for more than half a century still stands on the property. There are trees in front where the young MacManus children would hang their wet clothes after swimming in the nearby lake.

“We were together and outside from dawn until dusk,” MacManus said. “We spent our days swimming in the lake and roaming around the orange groves.”

And while the lake may no longer be a place where young people can just jump in, the land will be there to help educate many generations to come.

Much-needed supplies head to schools before Aug. 19 opening

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Pasco County Schools is set to approve a budget valued at more than $1 billion. Yet, the hundreds of teachers who lead classrooms in the district regularly find themselves without much-needed supplies as simple as notebooks and pencils.

And that’s where United Way of Pasco County steps in.

Cindy Greyard, right, a teacher at Fox Hollow Elementary School, helps unload boxes of school supplies at Pine View Middle School last week as part of the annual Stuff the Bus for Teachers event organized by Pasco County Schools and the United Way of Pasco County. (Photo by Michael Hinman)
Cindy Greyard, right, a teacher at Fox Hollow Elementary School, helps unload boxes of school supplies at Pine View Middle School last week as part of the annual Stuff the Bus for Teachers event organized by Pasco County Schools and the United Way of Pasco County. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

The charity and service group collected more than 10,000 school supply items recently as part of its annual Stuff the Bus for Teachers campaign. The effort is designed to bring the community together, stocking classrooms and giving a helping hand to the men and women responsible for ensuring the education of our young future leaders.

“Teachers spend between $400 and $1,000 out of their own pocket to supply their classrooms,” said Stefanie Pontlitz, director of development for the local United Way office. “After hearing that, we really wanted to try and assess their needs, because it not only helps the teachers, it helps the students, and it helps learning. And that helps keep the focus on the classroom.”

This year, United Way and Pasco County Schools will reach out to 770 teachers in 80 of its schools to help supply their classrooms with essential items. They’ll use supplies collected from 14 buses parked at Publix and Walmart locations throughout the county during Florida’s annual tax-free holiday.

With school ready to start on Aug. 19, the district is looking for everything they can to help. That includes $1,000 thanks to a small church congregation in Trinity that took a bit of a unique approach.

“If you see someone in need, and it’s within your power to help them, let’s do so,” said Pastor Clayton Bell, who leads Trinity New Life Church at Trinity Elementary School on Duck Slough Boulevard.

For the second year in a row, Bell interrupted his regular Sunday morning sermon at the young church to convince his flock to get in their cars and head straight to the nearby Walmart. There, the church shopped together, leaving with several carts full of supplies.

“Pasco is a very heavy-education county, and we have a lot of teachers and home-school moms in our church,” Bell said. “Teachers have to do so much out of their own pocket, and we wanted to do something that would help them.”

The effort also got support from local Rotary clubs, as well as teachers themselves, volunteering at drop-off points around the county. Moving company Two Men and a Truck will deliver supplies to west Pasco schools, while the United Way will take care of the eastern side of the county.

Among the volunteers was Pasco Schools superintendent Kurt Browning, who not only donated his own box of supplies, but also worked tirelessly to help organize everything as they were brought into the Pine View Middle School gymnasium.

“It’s a great partnership, and the United Way has been a catalyst to really lead the effort,” Browning said. “But my thanks goes out to all the people that contributed their hard-earned dollars to make sure our kids have what they need to start school here.”

This year slightly less than $40,000 in donations came in, topping last year’s total of around $35,000, and the increase was needed since 80 more names were added to the teacher list.

“This is our county’s future,” Pontlitz said. “We want to support the future, and we want to support our teachers.”

Honoring the 50th anniversary of The March on Washington

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If you were there when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous “I Have a Dream Speech,” Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Libraries would love to hear from you.

The library staff is looking for people like Bill McCloud, a resident of Odessa, who was there at the pivotal event on the mall in Washington, D.C.

“I was a private in the Army,” recalled McCloud, now 68. “I think there was all this concern that there was going to be a riot,” he said.

Instead, the Aug. 28, 1963 event was a nonviolent demonstration, which attracted about 250,000 people to demonstrate their support for economic and racial equality.

“It was overwhelming for me to see such a number of people,” McCloud said.

“It was just a great event that really helped change some of the dynamics of America,” said McCloud, who noted that he had no idea at the time how significant it would be.

The library system is creating a video history of local residents, like McCloud, who participated in the historic 1963 March on Washington.

From now through Aug. 16, library personnel will be available to digitally record the memories of local residents who attended the event that drew 250,000 people to Washington, D.C. The system decided to collect the stories and to have a special event to share them because, as staff member Stacey Jurewicz put it, “we didn’t want to lose this opportunity.”

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his stirring ‘I Have a Dream’ speech during the 1963 March on Washington. (Photo courtesy of WEDU PBS)
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his stirring ‘I Have a Dream’ speech during the 1963 March on Washington. (Photo courtesy of WEDU PBS)

The video histories will be featured along with an afternoon of freedom songs at the West Tampa Branch Library, 2312 Union St. in Tampa, on Aug. 24 at 2:30 p.m.

Those wishing to share their story are asked to call Jurewicz, so she can arrange a time and place for the recording. She can be reached at (813) 273-3652.

The library system isn’t the only local organization honoring the half-century anniversary of that historic day. West Central Florida’s primary PBS station, WEDU, is holding a film screening to honor the event.

The station is hosting a special preview event on Aug. 22 at 7:30 p.m. at Tampa Theatre, 711 N. Franklin St. in Tampa. Doors will open at 7 p.m.

Visitors will be able to view a gallery of photos from the 1963 march, meet local residents who took part and see a free preview screening of “The March.”

Seating is limited and reservations are requested. Reservations can be made online at www.wedu.org/themarch.

The program will also air on WEDU-TV on Aug. 27 at 9 p.m., with a block of related programming.

 

Porter campus a possible early voting site

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It won’t open until January, and the midterm elections are even farther off, but the Pasco County Supervisor of Elections is already eyeing Pasco-Hernando Community College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass as a possible early voting site.

Corley mentioned the idea during the monthly meeting of the Greater Wesley Chamber of Commerce’s monthly meeting of its economic development committee.

Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley
Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley

After the meeting, Corley said he hasn’t talked with PHCC officials about the potential early voting site, but he thinks it would be a convenient location.

The new satellite campus of PHCC is being built on Mansfield Boulevard, off SR 56, just east of The Shops at Wiregrass.

“It’s a great location, geographically,” Corley said.

New legislation passed during the last session of the Florida Legislature allows supervisors of election more flexibility than they had in the past on where to place early voting sites, Corley said. Before, those sites could only be located at election offices, city halls or libraries.

That meant that Wesley Chapel voters had to go seven miles east to New River Branch Library or almost as far in the other direction to the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library to vote, Corley said.

Corley wants to make it easier for people who live and work in Wesley Chapel to cast their early ballots.

Having an early polling site in Wesley Chapel would make it easier for people to vote before and after work, as well as during lunch, Corley said.

During his talk at the chamber, Corley also noted another change in state law that he thinks is beneficial.

In previous elections, anyone who voted by mail had to sign the outside of the envelope for the vote to be counted, Corley said. Some voters forgot to do so and the votes would not be counted. That affected 109 voters in Pasco during the last election.

Now, thanks to legislation championed by House Speaker Will Weatherford, “they can send an affidavit in affirming they only voted once,” Corley said. “Their vote will count.”

He’s glad the law changed because he thinks every vote is important.

Only 537 votes separated Al Gore and George Bush in 2000, Corley said.

He cited two much closer votes in Zephyrhills.

“We had two annexation elections in Zephyrhills. One where a one-vote difference for won and the other one, one-vote difference against won,” Corley said.

Corley said he thinks it’s interesting to compare voter turnout for presidential elections and midterms.

The midterm election has the governor on the ballot, the entire Cabinet, state representatives, state senate, two county commission seats and three school board seats.

“The county commission and the school board, to me, have more impact on our lives as citizens, than the president,” Corley said.

“Then, why is it when the president is on the ballot, it’s 75 percent and when it’s a midterm – we had 46 percent in 2010. It should almost be the opposite,” Corley said.

Local teens use robot to save the world

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Three local teens are among 10 finalists in an international robotics competition and expect to find out soon if they’ve captured the top prize.

The 14-year-olds — Sean Carr, Ross Edwards and R.J. Walters — just wrapped up the second phase of the X Prize After Earth competition.

The contest winner announcement is scheduled for around Aug. 9.

Sean Carr, R.J. Walters and Ross Edwards are finalists in an international competition that seeks to encourage competitors to think about ecology and robotic design. (Photo by B.C. Manion)
Sean Carr, R.J. Walters and Ross Edwards are finalists in an international competition that seeks to encourage competitors to think about ecology and robotic design. (Photo by B.C. Manion)

The competition is based on the movie, “After Earth,” starring Will Smith and Jaden Smith. The sponsor, X Prize Foundation, uses competitions to address “the world’s grand challenges,” according to its website.

In this case, the teams explored ways to make earth more sustainable and how to use robotics to explore the potential for a new settlement for humans.

No matter the outcome, the three young men — who are members of the Trinity Dragons robotics team — said they’ve enjoyed the challenge.

They’ve designed and built a robot that can scoot across a surface, can lift small buckets and deliver them to where they need to go and then can return to its base.

While the robot seemingly acts on its own, it actually completes its work through computer programming and infrared sensors. It carries out its tasks in a fictitious place, called Nova Prime.

The robotics team spent countless hours building and programming the robot, and created Nova Prime from plywood, Spackle, sand, chili powder, paint and plants.

They also produced a video that tells the story of their imaginary world.

The video opens with images of what’s going wrong with earth — traffic jams, billowing smokestacks, parched earth, landfills and a dead bird. It then pans to a view of Carr’s backyard in Lutz, where fish thrive in water tanks, which provide water and nutrients to a flower and vegetable garden in a system, which in turn produces fish and organic vegetables, using very little water.

The video also features a lively musical soundtrack and an entertaining look at the steps the team followed to create and program the robot.

The video also pokes fun at Ray Carr, who is Sean’s dad and the team’s coach. He’s depicted as a lecturer who is boring the team to death.

Other portions of the video show the rover coming together and the construction of Nova Prime.

The team submitted that video recently meeting the contest’s phase two deadline. The video they submitted in June won them the right to compete in the finals.

The contest provides an excellent challenge for the kids, Ray Carr said.

“It’s not just a computer science thing; it’s not just mechanical engineering,” he said. “It’s electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, computer engineering and a lot of geometry, all at once. They’re not focused on the learning. They’re focused on the goal. They learn along the way. I think that kind of opens up their minds a bit.

“Seeing things run around like that (robot), after you wrote the software, it’s fun,” he added.

Sean Carr said it’s been fun for him, too.

“We work together really well. We have the same common interest in mechanical and software,” Sean Carr said. “We bonded a lot.”

“It makes it even more fun when you’re competing against other people,” said Walters, who was at Ray Carr’s office five hours a day for at least five days a week.

“The robot, I believe, took about 42 hours of work,” Sean Carr said.

Ross took the lead role in designing the robot.

“He’s a Lego genius,” Sean Carr said. “That robot would be nowhere near what it is now without him.”

Walters did the lion’s share of painting and spackling to create Nova Prime and worked on developing the software to make the rover robot work.

“They struggled through a lot of issues,” Ray Carr said. “They struggled through a lot of things to come to the end solution. It didn’t just show up by any means.”

“The compass sensor kept messing up,” Walters said. “The tires were too big and wobbly.”

But they worked through those problems and produced a robot that would follow computer commands.

They also used music to help move their video along, after discovering that none of them particularly excelled at talking directly into the camera.

For making it to the final round, the team received a Lego Mindstorms robotic kit and a Sony Handycam video camera.

If they win the competition, they’ll be highlighted in a special feature about the X Prize After Earth Challenge on the U.S. Blu-ray disc of “After Earth.” They’ll also receive a signed Blu-ray, an “After Earth” poster and other prizes.

Pasco conference proves education is worldwide concern

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Dominic Mukwaya arrived in Pasco County ready to learn. When he left his village in Uganda a month ago, more than 30 members of his extended family joined him at the airport — nearly all of them watching a plane take off for the very first time in their lives.

Not only was it his first plane ride and his first trip to America, but it was also the first time Mukwaya has ever left the Kyotera region of his country, where running water was just introduced last spring, and electricity is still a future goal.

Mark Xing, center, of the Nanshan School District in Shenzhen, China, works with Susan Sanger-Miller from Connerton Elementary, left, and Alissa Lamorand from Anclote Elementary, on some administrative exercises at the International Leadership Fellows Institute in Land O’ Lakes last week. (Photo by Michael Hinman)
Mark Xing, center, of the Nanshan School District in Shenzhen, China, works with Susan Sanger-Miller from Connerton Elementary, left, and Alissa Lamorand from Anclote Elementary, on some administrative exercises at the International Leadership Fellows Institute in Land O’ Lakes last week. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

Despite that, Mukwaya has schooled more than 650 orphans whose families were ravaged by the HIV epidemic there. He has pushed for more adult education as well — especially for women, who traditionally did not go to school when they were younger.

“Some of the people in my district went to school and were not doing good, and others could not afford to pay for the school fees,” Mukwaya said. “We started a sustainability project where, in the long term, we can help those who might not be able to learn otherwise.”

Mukwaya returned home last weekend after his two-week trip to Land O’ Lakes, participating in the annual International Leadership Fellows Institute from the National Educator Program. That program, based in Denver, chose the Pasco County Schools out of more than a dozen national applicants to host this institute. It’s designed to empower teachers to become strong leaders, and give students equal access to success.

The seminar itself, which also included 20 hand-picked Pasco educators, lasted two weeks. It’s part of the overall institute program designed to operate for the next year, connecting participants not only with face-to-face visits, but also technologically through online communication services like Skype. It’s meant to be a give and take, where these administrators learn from each other, and take all of it back to incorporate into their own classrooms.

“What we have found so far that whether you’re teaching in a major metropolitan area or the jungle by the lake, it’s remarkable the similarities on how schools and classrooms operate,” said Mark Thompson, executive director of NEP. “We found much more in common than we thought.”

The recent conference in Land O’ Lakes was led by Diane Varano, principal of the Cultural Academy for the Arts and Sciences in Brooklyn. She makes the trip each year to help form new bonds among the education leaders, giving them tools to reinvigorate classrooms.

It’s a much-needed wakeup call for many teachers, who in recent years have complained about being forced to teach to state-mandated tests like the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. Instead, the learning process must be more experiential, said Mark Xing, who is the director of teaching affairs for a 2,000-student school system in Shenzhen, China. Located just north of Hong Kong, Shenzhen is a city of more than 10 million people that was an early adopter of capitalism in the traditionally communist country. Because of that, the school there has been working to include both Chinese and American curriculums.

“In China, a lot of parents would like to send their children to study in the United States,” Xing said. “They want their children to know more about American culture, and we actually started this program to meet the parents’ needs.”

There was some concern that requiring both Chinese and American studies for elementary school-aged students might be too much. Instead, Xing has found his students embracing both equally, and that will give them an edge as technology continues to shrink the world and China plays an ever-expanding role in world economics.

Mukwaya’s curriculum also is experience-based, but not quite the same way. In his region, English is being taught as a third language — behind the local Luganda and the regional Swahili. But while math and reading are essential in the learning process for both children and adults, so are vocational skills that will help not only make money for his students, but save money as well.

“We started with writing and reading, and now they are going up to do more functional things like how to weave mats from palm leaves and make bags from banana fibers,” Mukwaya said. “We’re also teaching many of our women how they can save money, and how they can be sustainable financially.”

Both Mukwaya and Xing will return to Land O’ Lakes next year to share progress on changes they’ve instituted because of the program and report back on how well they have worked, with the goal of helping the district’s program to grow and evolve.

“This isn’t just about someone coming here and learning things. We are learning a great deal from them,” Thompson said. “We can teach them some of our best practices when it comes to education, but they are not just learning ours, they are teaching us theirs, too, and that’s the kind of dialogue we want to have.”

New Zephyrhills library will offer more choices for patrons

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Edward Bent will soon bring his young stepdaughter, Calee Heinlein, to a place stocked with more children’s stories than it ever has had.

That’s because city officials in Zephyrhills plan to build a new public library to replace the one that’s just north of city hall on Eighth Street.

The new Zephyrhills library will have a separate room for a larger children’s section. This is the current children's section at the Zephyrhills Public Library. (Photo by Marie Abramov)
The new Zephyrhills library will have a separate room for a larger children’s section. This is the current children’s section at the Zephyrhills Public Library. (Photo by Marie Abramov)

Replicating an architectural style of the early 1900s, the new library will be twice as large as the one used now by residents. It will have more books in all genres, as well as movies, magazines, public-use computers and electronic upgrades.

Blueprints should be complete by October, and building is scheduled to begin in November. Construction could take up to a year.

Bent and his family come to the Zephyrhills library three or four times a week and generally stay about three to four hours each time. Heinlein and her brother play and read in the library’s children’s section.

“I know bringing her here from an early age has really helped her and her developmental skills,” Bent said. “If I had to choose between the money being spent here as opposed to a recreational facility, it’ll definitely be here because this is long-term, sustained knowledge and things that’s gonna help them in the future.”

The estimated cost for the project is up to $1.7 million, financed through Penny for Pasco and private donations, said librarian Vicki Elkins. That will allow the project to start without additional debt, taxes and fees, city officials said.

The new library will be built on the parking lot just north of the current library. It will have an arched entrance, atrium and a white stone foundation. It will have separate rooms for children and certain organizations that might want to have community meetings. The new library will also be equipped with charging stations for electronic devices.

Once it’s completed, the old library building will be razed, and a new parking lot will be built in its place.

Joe DelVecchio, a regular library patron for about four years, thinks an expansion is long overdue.

“We need a bigger one,” DelVecchio. “We need more books. I’m running out of Westerns. I read a lot. It’s gonna help the city.”

–Marie Abramov

Chalk Talk

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Double Branch roundup
Double Branch Elementary will host its Kindergarten Rancher Roundup from 9 a.m. to noon on Aug. 1. Children must be registered at Double Branch for the 2013-14 school year to attend the roundup. Registration is $40 and a student T-shirt is provided. Double Branch is at 31500 Chancey Road in Wesley Chapel. For information, call assistant principal Scott Atkins at (813) 346-0400.

Stuff the Bus event
Walmart and Publix are hosting “Stuff the Bus for Teachers” from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 2-4 at area stores in Lutz, New Port Richey, Hudson and Zephyrhills. Shoppers can stop by and pick up a shopping list at any of the 13 locations, buy what they can and stuff it in the bus. You can also volunteer for bus duty to help with supplies and hand out shopping lists. To sign up as a volunteer, visit www.tinyurl.com/StufftheBus2013 or call (727) 845-3030. For locations and information on the event, visit www.unitedwaypasco.org.

Back to School Fair
The Glazer Children’s Museum is hosting a Back to School Fair from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 10. The first 150 kids will receive a bag filled with back-to-school goodies. There will be live entertainment, informative speaker sessions, games, arts and crafts, face painting, balloon artist, kid and mom workshops, and more. Fair guests can also enjoy the museum for $5 per person. The museum is at 110 W. Gasparilla Plaza in Tampa. For information, call (813) 949-4400.

Plant City High reunion
Plant City High Class of 1978 is hosting a reunion from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Aug. 9 at Keel & Curley Winery, 5210 Thonotosassa Road in Plant City. There also will be a social hour, dinner and sharing old memories from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Aug. 10 at Embassy Suites Brandon, 10220 Palm River Road in Tampa. There is still time to register by emailing or go to the class Facebook page at Plant City Class of 1978.

Elementary orientation at Oakstead
Oakstead Elementary will host Elementary Orientation Day, also known as Meet the Teacher Day, on Aug. 14. Parents can bring their children to school between 8:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. to meet the teachers, pay supply fees, get bus and car loop information, pay for lunch, join the PTA, and purchase school spirit shirts. Paperwork needed includes original birth certificate and social security card, proof of residency, current immunization records, physical record, and custody papers, if applicable. Oakstead is at 19925 Lake Patience Road in Land O’ Lakes. For information, call (813) 346-1500.

Thomas Rhoades makes Dean’s List
Thomas D. Rhoades, of Lutz, was among 332 students named to the Dean’s Recognized List at Benedictine University for the Spring 2013 semester.

The list recognizes part-time students who achieve a 3.5 grade point average or higher.

Benedictine University is an independent Roman Catholic institution in Lisle, Ill.

American Board programs
According to the 2012 Florida Vital Signs report, only 22 percent of Florida eighth graders have a math teacher who majored in the subject they teach. Only 43 percent of eighth graders have a science teacher who majored in the subject they teach. This summer, the American Board, a teacher certification nonprofit, is aiming to alleviate this issue by helping career-changing professionals bring their experience and expertise to local classrooms. The board assists career-changers, subject area experts, recent college graduates and others with a bachelor’s degree to earn full teacher certification by offering programs online so candidates can work at their own pace. The board is hosting informational sessions in August for those interested. To learn more, visit http://www.abcte.org/drupal/teach/events.

Social work program gets accreditation
Saint Leo University announced its Master of Social Work program has received accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of the Council on Social Work Education, just four years after the technologically innovative program was launched.

The accreditation assures workplaces, prospective students and the general public that the Saint Leo program meets the teaching and curricular standards established by the profession. Through the accredited program, Master of Social Work graduates are eligible to take the examination to become Licensed Clinical Social Workers.

Burdzinski appointed to national council
Ken Burdzinski, vice president of administration and finance at Pasco-Hernando Community College, was appointed to the National Association of College and University Business Officers Community Colleges Council. His term runs from Aug. 1 through July 31, 2014, and is renewable up to three years. The council serves as an advisory body to the council’s president and staff by providing suggestions, feedback and support for the association’s goals and activities as they pertain to the constituency.

Burdzinski has worked at PHCC for 16 years in the administration and finance division. He has a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Michigan University and a master’s degree from Baldwin-Wallace College.

Teacher appreciation contest
Ice Cold Air Discount Auto Repair, with locations in Zephyrhills and New Port Richey, is having its second annual Facebook “Cool For School” Teacher Appreciation Essay Contest. The grand prize teacher receives a $200 office supply gift card, $100 Visa gift card and an Ice Cold Air club card worth $762. The person who nominates the winner receives a $50 Visa gift card and $30 in Ice Cold Air bucks.

Facebook users can submit a short essay, poem or thank you letter sharing how a public school teacher has influenced their lives and the lives of others. Deadline for submissions is Aug. 9. The winner will be announce Aug. 15. Visit www.facebook.com/icecoldairdiscountautorepair and click on the contests tab to enter or vote.

Steinbrenner High fundraiser
The fifth annual Steinbrenner High Volleyball Golf Tournament and Silent Auction Fundraiser will start at 8 a.m. Aug. 17 at Heritage Harbor in Lutz. All proceeds will go toward the volleyball program’s expenses, to purchase equipment and to bring attention to local businesses and individuals that participate. For information, contact Deb McLean at or (813) 294-3322.

PHCC trustees elect new leadership
The Pasco-Hernando Community College District Board of Trustees elected a new chair and vice chair for the 2013-14 academic year. Trustee John L. DiRienzo was elected to serve as chair, succeeding Rao Musunuru, and Trustee Leonard H. Johnson was elected as vice chair.

DiRienzo, of Spring Hill, is an adjunct faculty member at Saint Leo University. He is a retired school principal with a master’s degree in special education and additional certification in educational leadership. DiRienzo is past president of the Board of Directors for Arc of Florida and Arc Nature Coast in Hernando County and currently is an active volunteer for the organizations. DiRienzo has served on the college’s board since July 2009.

Johnson, a Dade City attorney, is a shareholder at Johnson, Auvil & Pratico, P.A., where he practices real estate law, business and banking law, construction law and estate planning.

Johnson received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida, and his law degree from the University Of Florida College Of Law. He also sits on the Board of Directors of Gator Boosters Inc., and has served on the college’s board since November 2011.

Lunch and breakfast program
Hillsborough County Department of Family and Aging Services will sponsor the National School Lunch Program for the upcoming school year. Eligible children will receive meals at no cost. As part of the free and reduced meal policy, an official with Family and Aging Services will review applications and determine eligibility. For an application or information, call the Administration Office at Dorothy Thomas School at (813) 975-7355.

Shoppers can benefit during state’s sales tax holiday

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Officials at The Shops at Wiregrass expect the mall to attract more traffic as shoppers take advantage of the state’s sales tax holiday, Aug. 2-4. (Photo courtesy of The Shops at Wiregrass.
Officials at The Shops at Wiregrass expect the mall to attract more traffic as shoppers take advantage of the state’s sales tax holiday, Aug. 2-4. (Photo courtesy of The Shops at Wiregrass.

It’s that time of year again, when families start gearing up for a new academic year by shopping for new school clothes, shoes, supplies and backpacks.

Just in time for those back-to-school purchases, Florida is having its sales tax holiday.

This time – for the first time – personal computers and accessories, valued up to $750, are also exempt from sales taxes during the sales tax holiday, which begins at 12:01 a.m. on Aug. 2 and goes through 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 4.

Retailers are staffing up as families take advantage of tax savings and markdowns, Rick McAllister, president and CEO of the Florida Retail Federation, said in a news release.

Retailers expect the introduction of the computer sales exemption to give the popular tax holiday a significant boost, McAllister said.

Clothing items and shoes priced at up to $75 are exempt, and so are school supply items, sold at no more than $15.

McAllister thinks the new computer exemption will drive purchases.

“Most families in Florida own a computer of one type or another, and we expect that many will take advantage of the tax savings to purchase computers for their kids or upgrade their own,” McAllister said. “And you’ll see great deals on clothes, shoes and school supplies. It’s a winning proposition for Florida’s families and for our retailers, because we’ll see a good boost in commerce over the weekend.

“Stores are actively competing with each other for customers, and that usually means plenty of markdowns to attract shoppers,” he added.

Retailers in Florida are expected to boost staffing by about 20 percent during the tax holiday weekend to accommodate shoppers. In general, retailers expect an average increase of between 30 and 40 percent in store traffic over the weekend because of the sales tax holiday, McAllister said.

A National Retail Federation survey predicts that families with school-aged children will spend an average of $634.78 on apparel, shoes, supplies and electronics in 2013, down from $688.62 last year.

McAllister noted, however, that “because of the tax holiday, retail stores generally perform a little better in Florida than in states without a sales tax holiday.”

The Shops at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel historically sees more shoppers at its stores during August because of back-to-school sales and an uptick in activity during the sales tax holiday, said Debbie Detweiler, director of marketing.

It’s also a fun time, Detweiler said. “We enjoy seeing parents shopping with their kids for back-to-school.”

For more details on items that are exempt under the tax-free holiday, go to the Florida Department of Revenue’s website at http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/ and click on “Sales Tax Holiday, Aug. 2-4, 2013.”

Plan to cut media specialists on hold

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The Pasco County School Board wants more information before they decide on superintendent Kurt Browning’s proposal to eliminate school media specialists and literacy coaches.

Browning’s package of proposed budget cuts calls for eliminating 56.5 media specialist positions and 33 literacy coaches in district elementary, middle and high schools to save more than $4.8 million.

But at an April 16 budget workshop, school board members made it clear that they want to discuss the issue in greater detail.

During its board meeting that night, members voted to discuss the issue on May 7 when Browning is expected to provide more detailed information about positions that would be assigned to serve more than one school.

The media specialists and literacy coaches are included in the 260.5 positions Browning has proposed to eliminate to help plug a $19 million budget hole.

School board member Joanne Hurley told Browning she’s not comfortable with his proposal regarding the media specialists and literacy coaches.

As the district faces tougher academic standards, it’s important to provide school-based support, Hurley said, in an interview after the workshop.

“They’re taking away two very valuable resources,” Hurley said. “Those people do have direct contact with students.”

Board member Alison Crumbley wants to hear more details of Browning’s planned approach.

“I want to know what the specific plan is and how it relates to the students and student success,” she said, after the workshop. She wants to know “what the exact impact will be on our students.”

Board chairwoman Cynthia Armstrong also wants more details.

“I’m looking forward to hearing the proposal that the superintendent’s office is going to bring to us,” she said in an interview after the workshop.

Board member Steve Luikart has a plan of his own. In an interview after the workshop, he said he’d like to see a slower transition than the one Browning has proposed.

At the workshop, Browning reminded board members that any reduction in his proposed cuts would require finding equivalent cuts elsewhere.

Browning also asked for direction in the approach he should use in balancing the district’s budget.

“Does the board want me to use nonrecurring revenue to balance the budget, or do you want me to find an additional $5 million in cuts?” Browning said.

Browning said he’d like to get away from using nonrecurring funds, which was a common practice in years past.

Board members concurred.

“I think the time has come where we really can’t do that again,” Hurley said.

Armstrong added, “At some point it’s just irresponsible to keep raiding the funds.”

Browning also informed the board that his proposed budget does not meet the state’s class size requirements. His proposal would save $4.033 million, but it would cost the district $213,000 in penalties for failing to meet the mandate.

Browning also said his team is “going to go back in and assess the number of APs (assistant principals) at our schools.”

Acknowledging that reducing the number of APs may not be popular, Browning said, “This is going to be shared pain-making.”

Luikart, a former AP, said he doesn’t see how the district can afford to make cuts in that area.

Browning said he hopes people whose positions are cut will be able to find new roles within the district as vacancies arise because of retirements or resignations.