The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Education

New volunteer teams expand Sheriff’s Office’s reach

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Representatives of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office are preparing to patrol area waters, respond to natural disasters and investigate crime scenes.

But they aren’t deputies or detectives.

They’re regular citizens taking part in one of the Sheriff’s Office’s three new volunteer programs.

Holly Taylor is one of the new volunteers on the Forensic Services Volunteer Team. The Pasco County Sheriff's Office has three new groups of volunteers, serving different departments. (Photos courtesy of Susan Miller)
Holly Taylor is one of the new volunteers on the Forensic Services Volunteer Team. The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office has three new groups of volunteers, serving different departments.
(Photos courtesy of Susan Miller)

The Volunteer Corps Marine Crime Unit, the Volunteer Agriculture Response Team and the Forensic Services Volunteer Team are accepting applications from students who are studying related courses in college and from anyone else who is interested in taking an active role in helping the county. Volunteers will undergo a background check and fingerprinting, and must be available for a minimum number of hours each month.

“I think this is going to be a great addition. It’s going to be a wonderful opportunity to get people involved and helping out in the community,” said Susan Miller, a forensic shift supervisor at the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office Forensic Services department. Volunteers for her department will need to be available for a minimum of 16 hours a month and will be dispatched to crime scenes to assist deputies.

It is a hands-on method of lending support to the Sheriff’s Office, but there are limitations. The marine unit isn’t authorized to pursue or board any vehicles. They use their own craft to patrol neighborhood waterways and report any suspicious activity to the Sheriff’s Office, much like a neighborhood watch program — but this one’s on the water.

The agriculture team will work on mending fences, and corralling and handling livestock and other animals in the event of a disaster situation.

The forensics team will work on property crimes such as auto burglaries. Their job will be to collect information, fingerprints and any related evidence at the scene.

Collecting fingerprints is one of the jobs volunteers like Steve Lovelace learn when they join the Forensic Services Volunteer Team.
Collecting fingerprints is one of the jobs volunteers like Steve Lovelace learn when they join the Forensic Services Volunteer Team.

Forensics team volunteers will receive specific training related to their duties, Miller said. She worked with other supervisors to create a 40-hour course that volunteers will complete. They’ll learn the science and processing procedures regarding fingerprinting, applicable photography information, and how to identify and collect relevant evidence.

Miller also expects them to learn that forensics work is interesting, but not the action-filled, drama seen on popular television shows.

It’s not glamorous work, either, Miller said. “You’re really out there working hard.”

Crimes aren’t neatly solved in an hour, and there’s a lot more paperwork than you’ll find on the television screen, but it still can be an enjoyable experience for those interested in the field, she said.

Volunteers will be dispatched to crime scenes and will help the county with the many auto burglaries that occur on a daily basis. Miller said there were around 1,500 such incidents in Pasco County during the past year.

While it’s a new program, there are some volunteers already taking the course, and a small number in the field for her department, Miller said. She’s pleased with the results so far, and hopes more people take advantage to learn new skills and volunteer for the Sheriff’s Office in a meaningful way.

“It’s going to be great to have the help and to have the added presence in the community,” she said.

For information about the new volunteer groups, call the Pasco Sheriff’s Office Human Resources Department at (727) 844-7791 or (800) 854-2862, ext. 7791.

To download an application, visit PascoSheriff.com/volunteer-opportunities/.

Published August 19, 2015

 

New Catholic school opens in Lutz

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Mother Teresa of Calcutta Catholic School had its first day of classes in its new home on Aug. 17.

The school is operating in a new structure on the campus of St. Timothy Catholic Church, at 17524 Lakeshore Road in Lutz.

Most Holy Redeemer, which was founded in 1954, took on its new name last year, but didn’t move to its new campus until this academic year.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta Catholic School had its first day of classes in its new home on the campus of Saint Timothy Catholic Church on Aug. 17. This photo was taken just days before classes began. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Mother Teresa of Calcutta Catholic School had its first day of classes in its new home on the campus of Saint Timothy Catholic Church on Aug. 17. This photo was taken just days before classes began.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

The school, for children in kindergarten through eighth grade, has an enrollment of 355 students, said Principal Johnnathan Combs.

That’s up from the enrollment at the Most Holy Redeemer campus last year, which finished out last school year with 239 students.

All but two of those students are attending classes on the new campus. The two that aren’t moved away to Orlando, Combs said.

The students are coming to the school from St. Timothy, St. Paul, Our Lady of the Rosary, St. Mary and Most Holy Redeemer parishes, he said.

Four classrooms at the school are still under construction, Combs said. But when they are finished, the school will have a capacity for 600 students.

Construction costs for the school are around $8 million, said Dr. Michael Tkacik, secretary for ministries for the Diocese of St. Petersburg.

The school will be celebrating a mass and a dedication ceremony on Sept. 10 at 2 p.m., he said.

Tkacik said enrollment in the Diocese’s Catholic schools has been holding steady for the past couple of years.

As he looks to the future, Tkacik said he is “guardedly optimistic.”

He points to projects such as Tampa Premium Outlets and other construction activity as a sign that the economy — stalled for several years — is showing new signs of life.

The school on Saint Timothy’s campus is inspired by Mother Teresa of Calcutta and is rooted in the Catholic faith, according to its website. Its mission is “to develop young people who strive for academic excellence, recognize the dignity of each individual and foster service to others,” the website says.

Its fundamental reason for existence is to help children learn about Jesus and to develop their Catholic faith, Combs said. Of course, he added, academics are important.

The Pope John Paul II Youth Center, also on St. Timothy’s campus, has already opened.

The facility will be used by the school during the school day and also will be used for athletics.

Published August 19, 2015

Saint Leo welcomes its first Fulbright Scholar in Residence

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Students at Saint Leo University will be learning about different languages, culture and music this fall.

That type of education isn’t new for the university. But the type of educator delivering it is unprecedented in the university’s history.

Dr. Vasumathi Badrinathan is Saint Leo’s first Fulbright Scholar in Residence to teach at the university. Her curriculum will include language, culture and communication, and her music background also will be highlighted during her stay. (Courtesy of Saint Leo University)
Dr. Vasumathi Badrinathan is Saint Leo’s first Fulbright Scholar in Residence to teach at the university. Her curriculum will include language, culture and communication, and her music background also will be highlighted during her stay.
(Courtesy of Saint Leo University)

Dr. Vasumathi Badrinathan will be the university’s first Fulbright Scholar in Residence. She has left her native India, where she’s taught for nearly three decades, to spend a semester educating students in her areas of expertise.

And while she’s only recently made it to Florida, she’s already impressed with what she’s seen.

“I’m delighted to be a part of this really old university with this beautiful, green campus. I’m discovering something new every day,” Badrinathan said. “I’m very, very happy to be here.”

Saint Leo is very happy to have her, too.

The school made the formal request to bring her to campus under the Fulbright program, which offers cultural exchange opportunities for students, educators and institutions. Badrinathan teaches French at Ramnarain Ruia College, University of Mumbai, and is fluent in a half-dozen languages, including several spoken in India. She’s also a vocalist of southern Indian classical music and has performed in international music festivals.

Those qualifications made her an attractive educational and cultural asset for a university looking to enhance its students’ learning experiences. And the Fulbright program offered exactly that kind of opportunity.

The Fulbright program was founded in 1946 by J. William Fulbright, a United States Senator and the longest serving chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, with a tenure of nearly 16 years.

The program provides grants to send students and educators from the United States to foreign countries to learn and share cultural ideas, and it brings foreign students and educators to the United States.

The program provides 8,000 grants per year, with more than 160 countries participating. Since its inception, more than 360,000 participants have taken advantage of the opportunity to visit another country and culture.

Those statistics now include Badrinathan, who is looking forward to getting in the classroom and teaching a curriculum that includes language, culture and communication. But she isn’t bringing a rigid teaching method with her. Instead, she wants to learn about her students, and find the best ways to educate them based on how they react and interact with the curriculum.

“Flexibility is one of the cornerstones of an educator. You need to be flexible, you need to be adaptable, and you need to bear in mind that you’re dealing with human beings, after all,” she explained. “Absolutely, flexibility is the name of the game.”

For Badrinathan, that means not only sharing her personal experiences and knowledge with lessons, but also with music. She’s collaborating with the university’s music department to perform a special concert in October that will contain elements of both western and Indian music. Being entrenched in India’s culture and music as a performer enhances her ability to communicate those experiences as an educator, she said.

The teacher isn’t just here to teach. She’s also here to learn.

While Badrinathan has traveled around the world learning, teaching and performing (she earned her doctorate in French while studying in France), this is her first trip to the United States. And she expects to not only share her experiences and knowledge in the cultural exchange, but to also partake in the exchange.

“It’s going to be very enriching, because when you’re in a new scenario, you’re always open to new things,” Badrinathan said. “I think it’s going to be a great learning experience for me as well.”

Published August 19, 2015

Chalk Talk 08-19-15

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Meet the Teacher days
These elementary schools will host a Meet the Teacher Day on Aug. 20, in the cafeteria:

  • Connerton Elementary, 9300 Flourish Drive in Land O’ Lakes, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Guests can meet the teachers, visit the classrooms, get bus passes, pick up car line tags, pay student fees and join the Parent-Teacher Association. For information, call (813) 346-1800.
  • Double Branch Elementary, 31500 Chancey Road in Wesley Chapel, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Guests can purchase planners, pay school fees, get transportation information, drop off school supplies and meet the teachers. For information, call (813) 346-0400.

Liberty Middle Open House
Liberty Middle School, 17400 Commerce Park Blvd., in New Tampa, will host an Open House on Aug. 20. Sixth-graders can attend from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., and seventh- and eighth-graders from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Homeroom assignments and bus information will be mailed prior to Open House.

For information, call (813) 558-1100, or visit Liberty.mysdhc.org.

Sneak a peek at reopened schools
Both Sanders Memorial and Quail Hollow elementary schools have been closed for more than two years for rebuilding and remodeling, and will host open houses to showcase the new looks.

  • Aug. 20, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Sanders Memorial STEAM Magnet School, 5126 School Road in Land O’ Lakes
  • Aug. 21, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Quail Hollow Elementary School, 7050 Quail Hollow Blvd., in Wesley Chapel

PHSC offers engineering technology program
Pasco-Hernando State College now offers degree and certificate programs in engineering technology. Courses will be available beginning Aug. 24.

The program is designed to prepare students for employment in high technology fields such as advance manufacturing.

The engineering technology associate in science degree will teach engineering principles that solve complex manufacturing problems using computer-aided design and evaluation, and simulation techniques.

For information, call (855) 669-7472, or visit PHSC.edu.

Home-school event at MOSI
The Museum of Science & Industry, 4801 E. Fowler Ave., in Tampa, will host a Home-school Educators Open House Aug. 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Guests can meet MOSI’s home-school educators, discuss upcoming programming, participate in STEAM activities and watch an educational film. Proof of home schooling is required. Admission is free. The film is $5.

For information, visit MOSI.org.

Spotlight on academic partnerships
Saint Leo University and TECO Energy will participate in the “Education Connection: Spotlight on Academic Partnerships” program Aug. 26 from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., at the University Club of Tampa, 201 N. Franklin St., in Tampa.

Panelists will discuss the impact of academic/business partnerships on the growth of the regional economy. Participants can learn about these collaborations and the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce’s Education Connection initiative.

Registration and breakfast are from 7:30 a.m. to 8 a.m., followed by the program. Individual admission is $20.

For information and to register, visit Web.TampaChamber.com/events.

Volunteer for Bee Bully-Free program
Bee Bully-Free, a Zephyrhills-based project, is looking for volunteers for its new initiative, W.A.S.P. — Woodland Academic Support Program. Volunteers will start working with students at Woodland Elementary School in September.

Trained volunteers will help students practice reading skills, approach math from a variety of angles, improve grammar, meet deadlines, polish organizational skills and more. Volunteers may also help in the classroom, cafeteria or media center, run errands, and assist with special events.

There will be a 30-minute Child Protection Training and BBF Orientation on Aug. 30 at 5 p.m., at Goin’ Postal, 4941 Fourth St., in Zephyr Park.

There will be a social hour with beverages and snacks after the program.

Interested volunteers must first be approved by the Pasco County School District.

For information, and instructions on registering online, call (813) 782-1500, ext. 104, or email .

PHSC expands internship program in Arts
Pasco-Hernando State College will offer Associate in Arts degree-seeking students an opportunity to participate in an internship course, beginning in fall term 2015.

For information about this and other internship programs, call (727) 816-3334, or email .

Oakstead leadership retreat
Oakstead Elementary School, 19925 Lake Patience Drive in Land O’ Lakes, recently hosted a Fifth Grade Leadership Retreat for students, administrators and teachers.

The day was designed to identify students’ leadership styles, explore student goals for the coming school year, and discuss school-wide issues and how the students can be involved.

Throughout the day, the retreat offered a meet and greet with music and chants, a team-building cups session, personality tests, a discussion on well-being and bully prevention, goal setting, and reflections at the closing of the session.

For more information, call C.J. Huffman at (813) 346-1503.

Open House at Denham Oaks
Denham Oaks Elementary School, 1422 Oak Grove Blvd., in Lutz, will host an Open House on Sept. 8 for students and parents as follows:

  • 6 p.m. to 6:45 p.m., for pre-kindergarten through Grade 2
  • 6:45 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., for Grade 3 through Grade 5

Pizza will be served in the cafeteria. PTA members and their children get a free slice of pizza and a drink. The cost for non-members is $3 per person.

For information, call (813) 794-1600.

Get school immunizations early
The Florida Department of Health in Pasco County reminds parents to have their children immunized early to avoid the back-to-school rush. Parents of kindergartners and seventh-graders are encouraged to review their children’s immunization record to ensure readiness for the upcoming school year.

If parents do not have a copy of the child’s immunization record, they should ask their provider about Florida Shots, the database that records immunizations. Students entering college also are encouraged to ensure their immunizations are up to date.

The following vaccines are required for children entering preschool and kindergarten through grade 12: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella, polio, chickenpox and hepatitis B. Students entering college should check with health services at their respective college regarding requirements.

For information on upcoming back-to-school immunization events, visit Pasco.FloridaHealth.gov/.

Volunteers help Sanders gear up for first day

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A group of volunteers showed up at Sanders Memorial STEAM Magnet School last week, eager to help the school gear up for its first day of classes as Pasco County’s first magnet school.

The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce sent out a call for volunteers, and people responded.

Lots of volunteers turned out to pitch in at a volunteer day organized by the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce. The crew included neighbors, parents, chamber members and a school board member, too. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)
Lots of volunteers turned out to pitch in at a volunteer day organized by the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce. The crew included neighbors, parents, chamber members and a school board member, too.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)

There were chamber members, parents of children who will be attending the school, community residents and other community volunteers.

Pasco County School Board member Cynthia Armstrong was among those ready to get to work.

“We’re so excited about this school opening. It’s a long time coming, to have a magnet school in Pasco County,” Armstrong said.

“Seeing the outpouring of support for it — the number of students that applied to go to this school — just really lets us know that’s what the parents want, and we’re here to make sure that we offer the educational opportunities that they want for their students,” Armstrong added.

Sandy Graves, a member of the Central Pasco Chamber and a Land O’ Lakes resident, has a special place in her heart for Sanders.

That’s where she went to school for all but one year of elementary school, Graves said.

She said she’s excited about the opportunities awaiting children who will be attending the school, which will focus on science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics.

Some parent volunteers were at the workday, too.

Nicole Bradshaw said her 5-year-old daughter, Emily, is just starting kindergarten.

She said her daughter has attended a voluntary kindergarten program that had a STEAM approach to education, and she’s thrilled that she’ll able to continue that approach to education.

Krystin Leonard was helping to sort and pack student planners. She said her daughter, Brielle, is in voluntary prekindergarten, and she hopes she’ll be able to attend Sanders next year.
Krystin Leonard was helping to sort and pack student planners. She said her daughter, Brielle, is in voluntary prekindergarten, and she hopes she’ll be able to attend Sanders next year.

“I like the immersive learning,” she said, noting that children are learning about the same themes, through different subject areas.

“When I saw they (Pasco County Schools) were opening a STEAM school, I jumped on it,” said Bradshaw, who lives near State Road 52 and the Suncoast Parkway.

She also likes the hands-on approach to learning.

“They need to get their hands dirty. They need to touch stuff and not just be learning from a book, or being recited to. They need to be in there and doing it,” she said.

Debra Wheeler and her 10-year-old daughter, Madison, were also there to volunteer.

Madison will be a fifth-grader and is excited about going to a new school.

It was a difficult choice, Debra Wheeler said, noting her daughter has attended Connerton Elementary until now.

“It was a big decision for us, because so many years we’ve been going to the same elementary school,” she said. “So, that was the debate: Do you stay with something consistent, or do you try something new?

“When we saw what Sanders was offering — you can’t pass that up,” she said, noting all three of her children will be attending new schools this year. One will be Sanders, another at Pine View Middle School and another at Land O’ Lakes High School.

During the work session, volunteers were scattered about the school, helping to sort and deliver student planners; stapling maps of the school together to help parents find their way around; putting on laptop covers, to protect the laptops; and helping to assemble shelves and sort books.

There was a sense of camaraderie, as the volunteers pitched in.

Sanders Principal Jason Petry welcomed the help.

“When Sandy (Graves) called me, she was very adamant about getting out here,” Petry said. “I love it.

“We came up with a list of things that could be done that could take a lot of stress off of us,” he said.

“It’s good for the community to be involved in the school,” he added, noting that Sanders has been in Land O’ Lakes since 1948.

Dan Paasch, a district aide for U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, was pitching in during a volunteer work session at Sanders Memorial STEAM Elementary School. He was helping to sort and deliver student planners.
Dan Paasch, a district aide for U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, was pitching in during a volunteer work session at Sanders Memorial STEAM Elementary School. He was helping to sort and deliver student planners.

The school has been closed for five years. The school district had planned to renovate and reopen it sooner, but the economy tanked and those plans were put on hold.

As the school reopens this year, it looks like a brand new school and is equipped with the latest in technology, has bright furniture, and is designed with teachers and students in mind.

Assistant Principal Kelly Edwards is excited about being at Sanders.

The school has many special features, including collaboration areas which are designed to foster collaboration in learning.

“It looks like you stepped into MOSI (the Museum of Science and Industry),” Edwards said. “It looks like you stepped into 2030,” she said.

School board member Armstrong is delighted by the community’s enthusiasm for Sanders.

“STEAM, all the way!” Armstrong said.

Sanders Open House
What: Open House
Where: Sanders Memorial STEAM Magnet, 5126 School Road, Land O’ Lakes
When: 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., on Aug. 20
Why: To give people a chance to tour Pasco County Schools’ first magnet school, and to see the school’s new buildings and renovated existing buildings.

Published August 12, 2015

New PHSC president drafts game plan for success

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As a very young boy, Tim Beard would walk a mile each way to buy a newspaper at the store so he could devour stories about his beloved St. Louis Cardinals.

He admired such players as Lou Brock, Joe Torre and Bob Gibson — and delighted in reading about their pursuits.

Tim Beard is dressed casually during a summer day at his office at Pasco-Hernando State College. But the new president of PHSC is anything but casual in his ambitions for the college. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)
Tim Beard is dressed casually during a summer day at his office at Pasco-Hernando State College. But the new president of PHSC is anything but casual in his ambitions for the college.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

He recalled that he was only 5 or 6 years old when he was making those treks to the store.

Literacy and athletics were twin loves in his life, until Beard decided he would spend less energy on athletics and give his full attention to education.

He grew up in poverty in the Panhandle town of St. Joe — and now he leads Pasco-Hernando State College.

Before becoming president of the college on July 1, he served as a vice president at the college for eight years.

He claimed the role vacated by Katherine Johnson, who retired after a decade at the helm.

Beard is clearly excited about the possibilities.

As an internal candidate for the post, Beard said he had the advantage of understanding the college and knowing its pulse.

“I know the institution. I know the flow. I know the community,” Beard said.

As PHSC’s new leader, he’s already starting to carry out his game plan.

He’s identified key focus areas. Those include increasing student retention and degree completion rates, expanding partnerships, and securing more funding to support programs.

To help retain students, Beard is launching an initiative called Retention Behavioral Inventory, or RBI, for short.

He plans to have weekly conference calls with PHSC administrators to keep the goal of improving student retention and degree completion rates at the forefront for the college’s leadership team.

Together, they’ll review the data to see how the college is doing. And, they’ll discuss the numbers, talk about why students withdraw and examine if there is anything they could have done to prevent the withdrawals.

“The big piece is going to be a referral piece,” the college president said. “If we find out that a student withdrew because of finances, can we find a financial source within scholarships or other sources that would have helped this student stay in school?”

Over the years, he said he has observed that most of the time when a student withdraws, there is some type of problem in a personal relationship or a difficulty in paying tuition. Sometimes, students are struggling academically.

“We want to have a referral source, or sources, to make sure these students are receiving the kind of support they need to stay in school,” Beard said.

The college has a fund established by a donor that is specifically intended to help students, who for whatever reason, are not performing well, Beard said.

He wants to find more sources of additional funding for the college.

That could be in the form of private contributions, or through other opportunities available at the state, regional, national or international level, he said.

For instance, he said he recently served as a panelist at a conference for the National Association for Equal Opportunities.

While there, he met some federal officials and learned about some money that might be available for colleges with rural campuses. He plans to pursue that possibility.

He’s also talked with John Hagen, president and CEO of the Pasco Economic Development Council.

Beard said Hagen told him that “the federal government is coming into an agreement with some major companies across the world that want to relocate in the United States. They are talking about community two- and four-year colleges really being around the table to develop curricula and design programs to help meet their work force needs.”

PHSC facts Pasco-Hernando State College has: • A fall enrollment of about 12,000 credit and 4,000 noncredit students • Approximately 550 faculty and staff, plus about 200 adjunct staff members • An operating budget of about $48 million • Campuses in New Port Richey, Wesley Chapel, Dade City, Spring Hill and Brooksville
PHSC facts
Pasco-Hernando State College has:
• A fall enrollment of about 12,000 credit and 4,000 noncredit students
• Approximately 550 faculty and staff, plus about 200 adjunct staff members
• An operating budget of about $48 million
• Campuses in New Port Richey, Wesley Chapel, Dade City, Spring Hill and Brooksville

That fits in nicely with the kind of work the college is accustomed to doing, Beard said.

During the Great Recession, there was national recognition that college’s like PHSC can play a vital role in helping people learn new skills that equip them for today’s job market, Beard said.

“Our certification programs, our social science degree programs, are designed just for that. To take workers, retrain them, and get them back in the work force within a year,” Beard said.

Besides helping to train people who are in the work force or returning to the work force, the college also wants to help prepare young people for future careers, Beard said.

PHSC wants to partner with the Pasco and Hernando county school systems to begin working with students at a younger age.

“We want to start establishing career pathways with students as early as middle school,” Beard said. And that means making connections with the families of those middle school students, he added.

The idea is to start early, so students graduating from those counties can achieve a degree or certification by the time they’re 21, he added.

Partnerships are essential — to supplement and maximize the college’s resources, Beard said.

“We used to be state-supported, now we’re more state-supplemented. We’ve got to have greater partnerships — with private corporations, with manufacturers,” Beard said.

He also wants to get faith-based groups involved, to provide additional support for students.

Since assuming his post, Beard has been meeting with bankers, manufacturers, faith-based groups and civic organizations.

And it won’t stop there.

“We’re not limiting our connections to just local people, but also regional, state and national,” he said.

He is hopeful that making these connections will bear fruit, and he’s optimistic, too.

“We have some major prospects. So, you stay tuned,” Beard said.

Tim Beard bio
Tim Beard:

  • Holds a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree and a PhD from Florida State University
  • Has been married to his wife, Wendy, for 29 years; they have two daughters, Briana, 20 and Sierra, 17
  • Joined what was then Pasco-Hernando Community College in 2007
  • Became Pasco-Hernando State College’s new president on July 1

Fun facts about Tim Beard
Some fun facts about the new president of Pasco-Hernando State College, Tim Beard:

  • Enjoys peach cobbler and banana pudding
  • Calls intense cardio workouts his “getaway,” and says washing his car and mowing the lawn are “therapeutic”
  • Says a “church mother” gave him the best piece of advice he’s received. She told him: “Regardless of what you do in life, don’t be a hypocrite. Be real.”

(Courtesy of Lucy Miller, executive director of marketing and communications for Pasco-Hernando State College)

Published August 5, 2015

Pine View aims to become IB middle school

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Pine View Middle School has begun a quest to become the first school in Pasco County to offer a Middle Years Programme, under the auspices of the International Baccalaureate Organization.

While the school is launching its candidacy for the MYP designation, it also has ended its stand-alone program for academically gifted students.

Those decisions have sparked some pushback from parents who shared their concerns with the Pasco County School Board.

Administrators for Pine View Middle School are excited about leading the first school in Pasco County seeking to be designated as a Middle Years Programme by the International Baccalaureate Organization. Shown from left to right are Pio Rizzo, assistant principal; Jennifer Mathews-Crosby, principal; and Kyle Ritsema, assistant principal. (Courtesy of Pine View Middle School)
Administrators for Pine View Middle School are excited about leading the first school in Pasco County seeking to be designated as a Middle Years Programme by the International Baccalaureate Organization. Shown from left to right are Pio Rizzo, assistant principal; Jennifer Mathews-Crosby, principal; and Kyle Ritsema, assistant principal.
(Courtesy of Pine View Middle School)

Some said they didn’t want to lose the stand-alone gifted program.

Others complained about a lack of buy-in by stakeholders before going down the MYP path.

Principal Jennifer Mathews-Crosby acknowledged the pushback from parents, but said she’s excited about the opportunities the Middle Years Programme will offer.

Some people may have the wrong idea about what MYP is all about, she said.

“There is a misconception that when you have an International Baccalaureate program that it must be for those high-rigor type students,” Mathews-Crosby said. “We really needed to break through those perceptions. The whole premise behind the Middle Years Programme is about the whole child.”

The beauty of the MYP is that it celebrates the uniqueness of students, said Pio Rizzo, an assistant principal, whose children attended a Primary Years Programme in Manatee County.

“IB celebrates the fact that all students are different. They learn in different ways and different styles, and IB focuses on that,” added Rizzo, who also taught mathematics in an IB school. “We love the fact that it is for everybody, that everybody can benefit from this IB philosophy,” he added.

Parents of academically gifted students may be worried that their children will lose educational opportunities, but Mathews-Crosby believes those students will benefit from the MYP approach.

She also noted that obtaining the MYP designation doesn’t happen overnight.

“It is a multi-year journey. That journey for most schools is three years,” Mathews-Crosby said.

“There’s going to be some reflection and some learning for us, as we go through this,” she said.

“We’re going to be open-minded to people who maybe don’t necessarily agree with the direction that we may be going, and hear their thoughts,” Mathews-Crosby added.

Not every MYP operates in the same way, she noted. “We have visited other schools in the state, and they are very different in a lot of ways.”

To get things started, the entire staff at Pine View Middle will be trained in the MYP philosophy on Aug. 14.

Teachers will be building their unit plans with the global perspectives of the MYP.

Mathews-Crosby believes the program will expand learning opportunities for all students.

“It really takes it deeper and wider,” she said.

It takes what teachers are already teaching, but makes broader connections, she explained.

Kyle Ritsema, a new assistant principal at Pine View Middle, said he’s glad to be a part of the new program.

“It’s a challenge, and it’s an exciting opportunity that is not available anywhere else in the county right now,” Ritsema said.

To help parents gain a better understanding of the MYP, Pine View will be sending out an electronic newsletter monthly to showcase what the school is working on that month.

“Right now, the focus is on the task at hand,” Mathews-Crosby said.

But she’s optimistic.

“We are fired up. We’re excited. I think the sky’s the limit, honestly,” she said.

Published August 5, 2015

Garden Montessori Charter School won’t open in 2015

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A unexpected snag in securing a lease means the Garden Montessori Charter School will delay its opening date by at least a year.

The school for students in kindergarten through sixth grade was scheduled to open on Aug. 24 at the Sports and Field Complex, off State Road 56 in Wesley Chapel.

Ella Selover works on a botanical puzzle at Garden Montessori, a private, preschool. The school’s board had hoped to open a public charter school, with free tuition, for kindergarten through sixth grade in 2015. Those plans are now on hold after leasing negotiations fell through. (File Photo)
Ella Selover works on a botanical puzzle at Garden Montessori, a private, preschool. The school’s board had hoped to open a public charter school, with free tuition, for kindergarten through sixth grade in 2015. Those plans are now on hold after leasing negotiations fell through.
(File Photo)

“The difficult decision, made by its Board of Directors, was based on a breakdown in the final negotiations of the lease contract,” according to a statement released by Garden Montessori’s board. “The deciding factors to delay the opening of the school year were based on the need to ensure the future success of the school, faculty and most importantly the children.”

Garden Montessori is one of two Pasco County schools awarded charters for 2015-2016. The other is Plato Academy, which started in Pinellas County, and is in an expansion mode. Its eighth location would have been in Pasco, but district school officials said that also is being delayed.

Darlene Pla-Schantz, Garden Montessori’s associate education director, said the school had enrolled 196 students for 2015-2016.

She said school and district officials are working to answer parents’ questions and help with a smooth start for those students affected by the delay.

The school district had not received Garden Montessori’s enrollment list for the upcoming school term, said Linda Cobbe, Pasco school district’s spokeswoman. So she said the district routinely had assigned all but one of those students to schools in zones where they would have gone last year.

Any placement changes will have to wait until the 20-day enrollment count after the district’s Aug. 24 opening day. “We don’t know where we’ll have seats,” Cobbe said.

The district office has fielded a few calls from parents.

“This is pretty last minute, especially for parents of kindergartners,” Cobbe said. “This is all new to them.”

Garden Montessori’s board has sent a letter to the Pasco school district requesting approval for a “planning year” in 2015-2016. The school board will vote on the request at an upcoming board meeting on a date to be determined.

The school’s charter is in effect for five years, including the requested planning year.

Garden Montessori began in 2009 as a private preschool and kindergarten academy, teaching with the Montessori method. The charter delay doesn’t affect that school’s operations.

One of the Montessori features is a multi-age classroom where students have the same teacher for three years.

Parents had urged the board to pursue a charter so their children could extend their Montessori experience.

The approved charter is for a tuition-free, public kindergarten through sixth grade school. The opening year allowed for up to 270 students. The board planned to begin with kindergarten through second grade, adding a grade each year until the fifth year when enrollment would increase to 540 students.

“This time will be used to define, develop and execute a strategic plan for the immediate and future needs of the community,” according to the statement from Garden Montessori’s board.

Published August 5, 2015

Chalk Talk 08-05-15

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(Courtesy of Pasco-Hernando State College)
(Courtesy of Pasco-Hernando State College)

PHSC students place as future business leaders
Five members of the Pasco-Hernando State College Phi Beta Lambda business club competed in the Future Business Leaders of America PBL National Leadership Competition in Chicago. David Adams, of the North Campus, placed ninth in the Business Communication category. The PHSC Small Business Management category team of the Spring Hill Campus placed fourth. Students attending the competition were, back row from left, David Adams, Joseph Conte and Michael Finucane. Front row, from left, Martha Gonzalez, Cassie Love and Sandre Lyons, coordinator of student activities North Campus.

Pine View student travels to Japan for leadership academy
Colby Tomasello, a student at Pine View Middle School in Land O’ Lakes, was one of eight students and four teachers selected to travel to Tokyo, Aug. 4 to Aug. 11, to participate in the TOMODACHI Toshiba Science & Technology Leadership Academy.

The academy is a weeklong, cross-cultural exchange program where students and teachers, from Japan and the United States, work in teams to develop a disaster-resilient smart community of the future and develop proposed solutions to global issues using learning experiences central to the Next Generation Science Standards.

For information, visit Tomodachi-Japan.com/index.html.

Kurt Browning appointed to board
Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning has been appointed to the Florida Association of District School Superintendents Board of Directors as an at-large director.

Browning’s term began July 1 and will end June 30, 2016.

Browning was elected in August 2012 and took office as superintendent of Pasco County Schools in November 2012. Prior to that, he served as Florida secretary of state under the administrations of Gov. Rick Scott and Gov. Charlie Crist. Before Crist appointed him secretary of state in 2006, Browning served 26 years as Pasco County’s elected supervisor of elections.

New school location
Metropolitan Technical Career Institute will host a grand opening for its new campus site on Aug. 13 at 12:30 p.m., at 14138 Sixth St., in Dade City.

The institute offers careers in a variety of health-related areas including CNA, phlebotomy, EKG, X-ray and medical assistant. Day, evening and weekend classes, as well as online certification programs, are available. A career counselor will be at the opening to answer questions.

For information, call a student advisor at (352) 293-2474, or visit MetropolitanTechnicalCareerInstitute.com.

Wiregrass Ranch registrations
Wiregrass Ranch High School, 2909 Mansfield Blvd., in Wesley Chapel, will host three orientations for the new school year.

  • Aug. 17, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., for senior class only
  • Aug. 18, from 8 a.m. to noon, for 10th- and 11th-graders, and any 12th-graders who were unable to attend senior registration
  • Aug. 18, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., for ninth-graders

Guided tours will be available during registrations on Aug. 18. Students will be able to pick up schedules, select lockers, verify transportation, and learn about the academic and athletic programs, as well as the clubs.

Wiregrass Ranch will operate on a 10-period day. Students in 10th, 11th and 12th grades will attend from 7:45 a.m. to 1:56 p.m., and ninth graders will attend from 10:25 a.m. to 4:50 p.m.

For information, call (813) 346-6000.

Seventh-grader selected for dragon boat championships
Kaitlyn Robinson, a seventh-grader at John Long Middle School, was selected to join the U16 Youth Dragon Boat team to represent the United States at the World National Dragon Boat Championships Aug. 19 to Aug. 23 in Welland Ontario, Canada.

Robinson has been a member of the Blade Runners Youth Dragon Boat Team of Tampa for two years. Her first dragon boat practice was in 2013 with her Girl Scout troop, and her first race was in March 2014.

To donate and help Robinson pay for expenses to the championships, visit GoFundMe.com/vgqr4c4c.

Get school immunizations early
The Florida Department of Health in Pasco County reminds parents to have their children immunized early to avoid the back-to-school rush. Parents of kindergartners and seventh-graders are encouraged to review their children’s immunization record to ensure readiness for the upcoming school year.

If parents do not have a copy of the child’s immunization record, they should ask their provider about Florida Shots, the database that records immunizations. Students entering college also are encouraged to ensure their immunizations are up to date.

The following vaccines are required for children entering preschool and grades K through 12: diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella, polio, chickenpox and hepatitis B. Students entering college should check with health services at their respective college regarding requirements.

For information on upcoming back-to-school immunization events, visit Pasco.FloridaHealth.gov/.

Meet the Teacher days
These elementary schools will have Meet the Teacher Day on Aug. 20, in the cafeteria:

  • Connerton Elementary, 9300 Flourish Drive in Land O’ Lakes, from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Guests can meet the teachers, visit the classrooms, get bus passes, pick up car line tags, pay student fees and join the Parent-Teacher Association. For information, call (813) 346-1800.
  • Double Branch Elementary, 31500 Chancey Road in Wesley Chapel, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Guests can purchase planners, pay school fees, get transportation information, drop off school supplies and meet the teachers. For information, call (813) 346-0400.

School supply drives aim to help kids, teachers

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Chambers of commerce, businesses, civic organizations, churches and community groups are busy collecting items that students will need once school begins.

Some efforts are broad outreach programs, and others involve individual churches.

Efforts are underway to help students who need supplies for the coming school year. (File Art)
Efforts are underway to help students who need supplies for the coming school year.
(File Art)

Some seek to help teachers fill their supply cupboards so they won’t have to dig into their own wallets to pay for supplies their students need.

Others give the items directly to children and families in need.

There is an ever-growing list of efforts, but here are some of the ongoing or planned efforts to date:

  • The First National Bank of Pasco is collecting school supply and monetary donations for its Stuff the Backpack Drive, through Aug. 7, at any of its three branches in Zephyrhills and Dade City. Monetary donations will be used to purchase additional school supplies. Items needed include liquid soap, Ziploc bags, crayons, highlighters, backpacks, rulers, folders, index cards and more. For locations, visit FNBPasco.com.
  • Gulfside Hospice & Pasco Palliative Care is collecting school supplies, through Aug. 8, at all five of its thrift shops. Anyone who donates will receive a voucher for 25 percent off a single item (sale items and furniture excluded) that is valid for one week after the donation, at any thrift shop location. Supplies needed include backpacks, colored pencils, crayons, erasers, folders, glue sticks, markers, notebooks, paper, pencil cases, pens, scissors and yellow pencils. All supplies will be distributed to needy children in Pasco County through the Kiwanis Club of Greater West Pasco. For a list of shop locations, visit GHPPC.org.
  • Children’s Home Society of Florida, 1515 Michelin Court in Lutz, is collecting backpacks and school supplies, through Aug. 11. To arrange a drop-off or pickup, or for information, call Rachelle Duroseau at (813) 428-3832, or email .
  • Sharpline Investigations is hosting a school supply drive, through Aug. 21, with local drop-off locations in Wesley Chapel and Lutz. Supplies needed include backpacks, pencils, pens, spiral notebooks, composition books, binders and notebook paper. The supplies will be distributed to students in Hillsborough and Pasco counties that are at risk in attendance, academics and behavior. For information and locations, visit SharplineInvestigations.com/giving-back-to-the-community/.
  • The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce is collecting school supplies, from July 31 to Aug. 2, for the Stuff the Bus for Teachers program. Some of the school items needed include mechanical pencils, pens, scissors, pink erasers, dry erasers, dry erase markers, hand sanitizer, rulers, copy paper (white and colors), spiral notebooks, folders (3-prong and no prong), and colored pencils. For information and donation sites, email .
  • Cobb Theatres Grove 16, 6333 Wesley Grove Blvd., in Wesley Chapel is hosting its seventh annual Back to School Bash on Aug. 15. The event, themed “Fantastic Four,” will take place from10:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Festivities will include activities such as face painting, games, haircuts, health screenings and school supply giveaways.

The theater is still seeking sponsors. Anyone interested in becoming a sponsor or partner, call Demene Benjamin at (813) 948-5445, or email ">.

  • The United Way of Pasco County will host the 5th Annual Stuff the Bus for Teachers, July 31 to Aug. 2, at various Walmart and Publix locations, and is looking for volunteers.

There are three-hour shifts available: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

To sign up, visit tinyurl.com/stuffthebus2015 or UnitedWayPasco.org.

For information, call (727) 835-2028.

  • C1 Bank and Goin’ Postal are collecting school supplies, and donations will be given to local schools for on-campus personnel to distribute to students in need. Goin’ Postal locations are:
  • 14247 Seventh St., Dade City
  • 27221 State Road 56, Wesley Chapel
  • 28500 State Road 54, Wesley Chapel (inside Walmart)
  • 38439 Fifth Ave., Zephyrhills
  • 7631 Gall Blvd., Zephyrhills (inside Walmart)

C1 Bank, 7435 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills, also is collecting supplies and will host the Back-To-School Community Party Aug. 21 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be a limited number of drawstring bags with school supplies, and drawings for gift cards, as well as games and puzzles, chalk art, coloring contests, a dance contest and more.

For information, call Shelly Brantman at C1 Bank at (813) 715-4700.

Published July 29, 2015