The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Education

Chalk Talk 03-18-15

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Bill of Rights Essay Contest
Pasco County Property Appraiser Mike Wells is sponsoring an essay contest to commemorate the Bill of Rights adopted on March 1, 1792.

All Pasco County ninth-graders are eligible to participate, whether they attend public school, private school or are homeschoolers.

The deadline for submitting essays is March 31.

For details, visit Appraiser.PascoGov.com and click on “9th Grade Essay Contest.”

Or, you may contact Jim Hollingsworth by telephone at (727) 847-8013 or email at .

Tampa Christian accepting registrations
Open registration for Tampa Christian Community School, at First United Methodist Church of Lutz, 960 W. Lutz Lake Fern Road, runs until March 30.

There are limited spaces available.

For information, visit TampaCCS.org.

PHSC campus open houses
Pasco-Hernando State College will host open houses at each of its five campuses in April.

Guests can take campus tours and get information on admissions, financial aid, scholarships and more than 50 clubs and organizations.

Upcoming dates are:

  • April 1 from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at North Campus in Brooksville, 11415 Ponce de Leon Blvd.
  • April 2 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at East Campus in Dade City, 36727 Blanton Road
  • April 8 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Spring Hill Campus, 450 Beverly Court
  • April 28 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., at Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, 2727 Mansfield Blvd., in Wesley Chapel
  • April 28 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at West Campus in New Port Richey, 10230 Ridge Road

For information and to RSVP, visit PHSC.edu/rsvp.

Woman’s club scholarship opportunities
The GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club is accepting applications for its 2015 scholarships. In addition to the club scholarships, a limited number of the Lutz Volunteer Firemen’s scholarships are available and administered through the club.

Applicants for the club’s scholarships must live in Lutz or Land O’ Lakes.

Applicants for the firemen’s scholarships must be residents of Lutz.

The applications are available at Lutz and Land O’ Lakes high schools, Erwin Technical Center, Pasco-Hernando Community College and Hillsborough Community College.

For those students who do not attend these schools, but live in Lutz or Land O’ Lakes, applications can be requested by emailing Barbara Nicholson at .

Completed applications must be received by April 15.

Scholarship recipients will be notified by June, and funds will be sent to the college or school of choice in September.

Sean Bartell Memorial Scholarship
Applications are being accepted for the Sean Bartell Memorial Scholarship, awarded to a Wesley Chapel High School senior.

The student must complete an online or paper application by April 28.

The scholarship is in memory of Sean Bartell, a Wesley Chapel High School junior who passed away from a rare skin disease in December 2014.

Tax-deductible donations to the scholarship fund can be mailed to Atonement Lutheran Church, c/o Sean Bartell Scholarship, 29617 State Road 54, Wesley Chapel FL 33545.

For information, contact Paul Bartell at (813) 416-923 or .

Corbett Prep offers Little Free Library
The Fifth-Grade Leadership Council at Corbett Preparatory School of IDS installed its first Little Free Library box on the East side of the campus.

People are encouraged to recycle their old books by bringing books and leaving them on the shelves for someone else.

Anyone can stop by the Little Free Library to browse the collection and take a book.

All books are free.

The school is located at 12015 Orange Grove Drive in Tampa.

Host an international student
Education First Educational Homestay Programs is looking for families in the community to host high school students, ages 14 to 18, from France, Italy and Spain from July 9 to Aug. 3.

Host families can earn 60 community service hours.

For more details and information, contact Courtney Garth, Central Florida program leader for EF Educational Homestay Programs, at (813) 494-7992 or .

For information about the EF program, visit EF.com/ehp.

Charter school public hearing is finally here

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After months of delay, a public hearing on a proposed charter school at the southwest corner of Lutz Lake Fern and Sunlake Boulevard is slated for the evening of March 16.

The proposed Sunlake Academy has faced stiff opposition throughout the process from residents who live near the proposed school that would be built on a 7.4-acre site, as well as objections from area homeowner associations, the Lutz Citizens Coalition, the Lutz Civic Association and the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Clubs.

Pat and Joe Serio, who live next to the proposed Sunlake Academy, are adamantly opposed to the school, which they say would ruin the quiet enjoyment of their property. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Pat and Joe Serio, who live next to the proposed Sunlake Academy, are adamantly opposed to the school, which they say would ruin the quiet enjoyment of their property.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

Since its initial application, Charter Schools Inc., has reduced the number of students who would attend the school. The applicant also has substantially increased its proposed buffering and agreed to transportation improvements.

As the application stands now, the school would allow up to 870 kindergarten through eighth grade students, over two phases.

Changes made by the applicant don’t satisfy Pat and Joe Serio, whose property abuts the proposed school.

“We are absolutely opposed,” Pat Serio said.

Joe Serio said that he objects not only to the proposed charter school, but also to the entire process being used to consider the request.

“I look at it, at the special application, as an end-run around the zoning regulations,” Joe Serio said.

The Hillsborough County Commission adopted the Lutz Community Plan and the North Dale Mabry Corridor Plan, he said. “Now, they’re just abandoning them. They’re making a mockery of the whole process. The citizens worked hard on that,” he said.

With special use applications, a land-use hearing officer makes the final decision on a request, instead of the Hillsborough County Commission.

“We feel that we’re Ground Zero here. It is literally our backyard,” she said.

“The traffic plan doesn’t take into consideration what’s going to happen once people begin to realize the Sunlake (Boulevard) is open to Route (State Road) 54 and start using it,” Joe Serio said.

Traffic is already backing up on Lutz Lake Fern Road, as people wait to turn left to get onto Sunlake Boulevard to head over to State Road 54, he said.

The couple is also concerned about potential flooding, fumes from car emissions and noise from children playing outdoors.

“The whole process seems very tilted toward developers,” Pat Serio said.

Mike White, president and founder of the Lutz Citizens Coalition, said the coalition remains opposed to the proposed school.

“It is not an appropriate transitional use,” White said. “It’s not transitional, due to the density,” he said.

Too many cars will be coming and going at peak hours, White said, adding a more appropriate use would be one which spreads the traffic throughout the business day.

Michael Horner, a professional planner representing the applicant, said in an email that his client has “worked diligently to address any and all concerns expressed by staff and the HOA/neighbors, including over a half-million dollars of roadway and other improvements, turn lanes, signal modifications, etc.”

Additionally, as a condition of approval, the applicant has agreed to spend close to $50,000 to extend a 6-foot wall across the entire western property boundary, according to Horner.

Significant setbacks and landscaping buffer are proposed as well — 10 times the buffer required by the county’s land development code, Horner added.

“Bottom line, this school is a very appropriate land use for this property,” Horner said, noting it is supported by the county’s long-range plan and land development code.

Sunlake Academy public hearing
March 16, 6 p.m.

Second floor board chambers at the Fred B. Karl County Center, 601 E. Kennedy Blvd., in Tampa

Published March 11, 2015

Chalk Talk 03-04-15

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(Courtesy of The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce)
(Courtesy of The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce)

Student Citizens recognized for February
The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce honored the February Student Citizens during a special ceremony. Each month, one student from nine area schools is selected for exemplary effort, achievement and contribution to their school, family and community. Students recognized were, from left, Kara Burnap, Chester Taylor Elementary School; Matthew Barba, Woodland Elementary School; Sarah Juergens, West Zephyrhills Elementary School; Alexandra Wilder, Zephyrhills High School; Ayden Popour, Stewart Middle School; Joseph Atanasio, Hope Learning Academy; and Genesis Perez, Heritage Academy. Also recognized, but not pictured, were Aimah Isaac, East Pasco Adventist Academy; and Nathan Rozell, The Broach School.

New bilingual publication for children’s allergies
The National Alliance for Hispanic Health wants to raise awareness of children’s severe allergic reactions and anaphylaxis, and how schools are equipped to deal with it.

The organization has launched a campaign to inform parents, schools and the public on this health issue.

The Alliance has developed a bilingual publication on anaphylaxis available as a PDF and as an ebook, on iTunes and Amazon.

There also is an HD video, soundbite, audio clips, and related documents and links at DigitalNewsRelease.com/?q=NAHH_Anaphylaxis.

Saint Leo to host Florida Academy of Sciences meeting
Saint Leo University, 33701 State Road 52 in St. Leo, will host the Florida Academy of Sciences 2015 Annual Meeting March 20 and March 21.

Florida college faculty and other specialists from the social sciences, biological sciences, physical sciences, science education community, and the fields of engineering, computing and mathematics, meet to present research findings and to interact with peers.

Conference participants do no need to be a member of the academy to present a paper or poster. The conference also offers undergraduates and graduate students the opportunity to make academic presentations.

For information about the academy and submissions, visit FloridaAcademyOfSciences.org.

Middle school essay contest
Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano is accepting entries for the Constitutional Officers Essay Contest until 5 p.m. March 31.

The contest is for middle school students in sixth grade to eighth grade. Students of Pasco’s public/charter, private and home schools can participate.

The essay should be 500 words or less and answer the question, “Do you think taxes are important? If so, why? If not, why not?”

Each entry must include the student’s name, school, grade and contact information.

Students in public/charter schools should submit their essays to their principal, who will then forward them to the tax collector’s office.

Students in nonpublic schools can send their essays to Greg Giordano, director of customer relations, Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office, 8731 Citizens Drive, Room 120, New Port Richey FL 34654.

The winner will be announced on April 13 and will receive an iPad mini.

For information, call Greg Giordano at (727) 847-8179.

Browning expects technology problems during state testing

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Pasco Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning has notified the state education commissioner that most district schools are not ready to administer the state’s online tests.

Browning isn’t talking about the district’s students. He’s concerned about the readiness of the district’s technology to deliver the online test.

He voiced those concerns in a Feb. 18 letter to Florida Education Commissioner Pam Stewart.

“After performing a load test last week and assessing our overall readiness, the district is not comfortable in certifying that we can administer FSA (Florida Standards Assessment) without significant technological and logistical problems,” Browning wrote.

The district conducted a test on Feb. 2, between 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., of 8,622 student machines at the same time.

During the load test, only eight of the schools tested — representing 11 percent of those tested — reported no problems. Fifty-three schools, representing 73 percent of those tested, reported some issues and 12 schools, 16 percent, could not test because of significant issues. Ten schools that were tested did not report their findings.

Browning informed Stewart, “…if we were required to test today, a majority of our schools would experience a variety of delays and issues.”

Along with the letter, Browning attached a spreadsheet indicating a variety of technological issues encountered during the load test. Such problems included slow question load time, load timeout errors, launch failures, premature boots, error messages and a host of other technical problems.

Browning’s letter also notes that Pasco is the largest Apple device user in the state and because of that, technical difficulties become even more complicated because there are no other comparable districts to help the district with its setup, design and troubleshooting.

“I believe there are too many obstacles hindering our readiness to effectively administer the FSA, but I can assure you that our district will participate,” Browning wrote. “My signature does not certify that we are ready, but instead certifies that we will be participating in the examination.”

While Browning voices concerns about Pasco’s readiness to administer the state’s online test, all sorts of questions are being raised over Florida’s testing requirements and the amount of time teachers and students devote to them.

Gov. Rick Scott has already issued an executive order to eliminate the 11th grade standardized test in English.

Other proposals for change are expected during this year’s legislative session, scheduled to begin on March 3.

Published February 25, 2015

Chalk Talk 02-18-15

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(Courtesy of Woodland Elementary School)
(Courtesy of Woodland Elementary School)

Super Kids named for February
The Kiwanis Club of Zephyrhills has named its Super Kids for February. Given the recognition from Woodland Elementary School were, from left, Sheyla Del Toro Lopez, Marissa Mesuch, Eric Deyarmin, Ruperto Saucedo-Borja, Fabian Ramirez, Haley Keetch and Kevin O’Toole. The club chooses one student per grade level and one exceptional student education student for good citizenship and consistently following the rules.

Info sessions for Garden Montessori
Garden Montessori Charter School is a tuition-free, public kindergarten through sixth grade school slated to open in August, serving the Wesley Chapel area.

There will be a parent information session Feb. 18 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., at the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library, 2818 Collier Parkway.

General information and enrollment details can be found at GMCSWC.weebly.com.

SAT test and strategy session
The Princeton Review practice SAT test and strategy session will be offered Feb. 21 from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., in the Wiregrass Ranch High School cafeteria, 2909 Mansfield Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

Students should bring a scientific or graphing calculator and sharpened No. 2 pencils.

Students must stay until the test is over.

The fee for the day is $15 prepay by Feb. 20, and $20 at the door.

Registration forms are available at WiregrassPTSA.org, or can be picked up in the Student Services office.

For information, call Angela Palmer at (813) 388-1556, or email .

Open house at Land O’ Lakes Christian
Land O’ Lakes Christian School, 5105 School Road in Land O’ Lakes, will host an open house Feb. 22 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Teachers and staff will be available to answer questions, classrooms will be open for tours, and the curriculum will be displayed for review.

The school, preschool through high school, offers full accreditation, affordable tuition, character training, college prep classes, and a fine arts and athletics program.

For information, call the school at (813) 995-9040.

American Mathematics Competition
Saint Leo University, 33701 State Road 52 in St. Leo, will offer the AMC 10 or AMC 12 exam for secondary students in grades 12 and lower to take part in the American Mathematics Competition, on Feb. 25 at 4 p.m.

Both exams use multiple choice in which students use algebra and geometry concepts to solve problems.

Participation is free.

For information on the competition, visit MAA.org/math-competitions/amc-1012.

To register, contact Jacci White at (352) 588-8338 or , or contact Siamack Bondari at (352) 588-8279 or .

Relay For Life benefit dinner
The Lacoochee Elementary School Relay For Life team, Lacoochee Eagles, will host a benefit dinner Feb. 28 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the Dade City Moose Lodge, 17107 U.S. 301 in Dade City.

The cost of a chicken dinner is $7, and $8 for a pulled pork dinner. The dinner is dine-in or carryout. Desserts will be sold separately for $1.

There will be a raffle, a 50/50 drawing and music.

For information, call Hope Buchanan at (352) 524-5600.

Jeans for Teens drive a success
Students at Long Middle School in Wesley Chapel collected 145 pairs of jeans during the recent Jeans for Teens drive.

Jeans for Teens has collected more than 2.5 million pairs of jeans through Aeropostale and jean drives in more than 12,000 schools.

School choice has begun
The Pasco County Schools’ school choice application period is now in progress.

Parents can access applications on the district website at PascoSchools.org, and click on the school choice banner at the top.

If a student is currently attending a school on school choice, parents do not need to reapply unless their address has changed after initial approval, they reside outside Pasco County, or the student will be moving to the next school level (for instance, elementary to middle, or middle to high).

Families who live in another county and want to request assignment to Pasco County must submit a release from their home county within the open enrollment period.

Applications not fully completed will not be considered.

Requests for more than one child need to be submitted individually.

The application period runs through March 1.

Saint Leo wins diversity award
The HR Tampa Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management named Saint Leo University as the recipient of the 2014 HR Tampa Diversity Award.

The award is given to the HR Tampa member company that has best shown how it values diversity and inclusion in its workplace. Five Tampa Bay region businesses submitted applications.

The university is consistently ranked among the top 100 degree-granting institutions for minority students, and has created two departments focused on international success for its staff, faculty and students — Multicultural and International Student Services and International Programs.

New Wesley Chapel charter uses Montessori method

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When school begins in the fall, a new educational option will be available for parents of children in kindergarten through sixth grade.

Garden Montessori School has been approved as a charter school in Pasco County, meaning that there’s no tuition for children attending the school.

Ella Selover attends the private pre-school that has inspired the creation of Garden Montessori Charter School which will open this fall in Wesley Chapel. Deadline for applications is Feb. 27. (Courtesy of Garden Montessori School)
Lilly Selover attends the private pre-school that has inspired the creation of Garden Montessori Charter School which will open this fall in Wesley Chapel. Deadline for applications is Feb. 27.
(Courtesy of Garden Montessori School)

The new charter has its roots in a private pre-school and kindergarten that has been offering the Montessori approach to education since 2009.

Parents of some of those children were interested in continuing to pursue that type of education in elementary school, and the school sought permission from Pasco County to open a charter elementary school.

“It’s going to continue the Montessori that’s here,” said John Selover, a consultant to the school.

“The genesis of the (charter) school was that a lot of the parents here were very interested in continuing the Montessori method of instruction. Montessori is much more than a method. It’s kind of a culture of its own,” he said.

Darlene Pla-Tschantz, associate education director, said, Montessori focuses on teaching the whole child.

“It’s based on grace and courtesy,” she said.

The children do a lot of hands’ on work, and the work is designed to build on previous work that has been accomplished.

“In terms of the social piece, it is a community involvement,” she said. One of the values of a Montessori education is giving back to the community in which the sits.

“We have permission to open with up to 270 students,” Selover said. It will begin with kindergarten through second grade and will add a grade each year, until its fifth year of operation, when it will reach 540.

One key difference between this school and traditional public schools is that the children will be taught in multi-age classrooms and they have the same teacher for three years.

“We’re meeting the kid where they’re at,” Selover said.

“Everybody knows the child. They have some history with the child. They’re able to really, truly meet them where they’re at,” he said.

Pla-Tschantz explained: “It’s really not teacher-centered. It’s child-centered, with the guidance, of course, from teachers.

Teachers observe children closely and keep good records, to keep tuned into the child’s progress and where they should be, she said.

Teachers look at benchmarks to make sure that children are reaching them and when they’re not, they ask themselves why children aren’t reaching them and they make recommendations on what they can do to make progress.

Besides paying close attention to a child’s progress, there’s also peer teaching.

The school also pays attention to how the children learn.

“Are they visual? Are they tactile? Are they auditory?” Pla-Tschantz said. Or, perhaps like most people, they learn using more than one style.

The school’s charter application was approved for five years.

Applications are being accepted through Feb. 27.

School officials expect more applications to come in than there are slots, so a lottery system will be used to select the students.

Applications are being accepted through Feb. 27.

A site has not yet been acquired, but officials expect that to be done soon.

Initially, the school will use portable classrooms.

Parents can attend a parent meeting on Feb. 18, from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library, 2818 Collier Parkway, to learn more about the school.

Questions parents have asked at previous meetings include such practical considerations as the start and end times of school, whether there is before and after care and what kind of lunch program is available, Selover said.

The school will follow the Pasco County code of student conduct. It also will serve Pasco County school lunches, providing free or reduced-price lunches to those qualify.

It will not provide transportation, but will help parents who want to arrange car pools.

Parent information session
Garden Montessori Charter School is a tuition-free, public kindergarten through sixth grade school slated to open in August, serving the Wesley Chapel area.

There will be a parent information session Feb. 18 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., at the Land O’ Lakes Branch Library, 2818 Collier Parkway.

General information and enrollment details can be found at GMCSWC.weebly.com.

Published February 18, 2015

Saint Anthony School celebrates historic milestone

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Saint Anthony School, in San Antonio, celebrated a milestone in its history on Feb.9, when the Rev. Robert N. Lynch, Bishop of Saint Petersburg presided over a Mass and dedicated the school’s new building.

“It was just so beautiful,” said Sister Alice Ottapurackal, the school’s principal.

Saint Anthony School held a dedication celebration on Feb. 9 to celebrate the opening of its new classroom building. (Courtesy of Saint Anthony School)
Saint Anthony School held a dedication celebration on Feb. 9 to celebrate the opening of its new classroom building.
(Courtesy of Saint Anthony School)

In addition to the bishop, there were 13 priests and four deacons taking part in the Mass.

“You should have seen the excitement in the faces of the children. I don’t think they ever saw so many priests,” Ottapurackal said.

In fact, there were so many that six-year-old student Kolbe Williams, said, “I couldn’t really count them.”

Eight-year-old Colton Courtade enjoyed the school’s celebration and the picnic afterward.

But he was especially pleased to be an altar boy.

“I was serving with them (the priests). It was an honor,” Courtade said.

Both children and adults alike said they are pleased with the new brick building, which was designed to architecturally match the existing brick building, constructed in 1922.

Some of the new building’s advantages are the larger classrooms, better lighting and improved technology, they said.

“It’s bright and cheerful,” said 8-year-old Catalina Espada. It has more space and is organized well, she added.

First-grade teacher Franchesca Blocher, is delighted with the new building.

“Oh my goodness, it’s awesome. This is my 17th year at Saint Anthony. It is a true blessing to have this new classroom, this new building.

“The children are so excited to be in the classroom. They love coming in every day. I love coming in every day,” said Blocher, who commutes from Land O’ Lakes to teach at Saint Anthony School.

“Having all of the classes together in the same building, it really is very nice. We can travel through the building and see the older children and they can be an example for my students,” Blocher said.

Katie Kenny, 6, said she’s new to the school this year and is really enjoying the experience.

She said she likes her new friends, her teacher, and the new building, too.

Like many of the younger children, 6-year-old Ryan Potthast is impressed by the lockers that sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders have in the new building.

Potthast also thinks it’s cool that the school has an elevator.

Parents are also impressed.

“It’s a dream come true,” said Mary Kay Connor, whose daughter, Meg, is in second grade.

Connor has been associated with Saint Anthony School for 16 years. Her daughters Katie, Anne Marie and Claire already went through their elementary school years there.

The new building allows the school to increase the size of its enrollment from a maximum of 225 to a maximum of 270, Ottapurackal said.

“We still have only one class per grade,” she said, but the larger classrooms can accommodate more students.

It also features a new science lab, Ottapurackal said.

The school serves kindergarten through eighth grade. It doesn’t have early childhood because another Diocesan school nearby offers that, the principal added.

She also noted that the St. Petersburg Diocese’s Forward in Faith Capital Campaign made it possible to build the new building.

Next on the agenda is remodeling of the old building, Ottapurackal said.

The library is now sharing space with the Spanish class, but it will be moved to the old building once that is remodeled.

Once that project is done, the cafeteria, library, computer lab, Spanish, music and art will be in the old building, the principal said.

The old building is being used for art and lunch now, but once the renovation begins, the parish center will be used for art and lunch.

The dedication festivities drew hundreds of people, including former graduates of a school that has served generations of families since its inception in 1883.

It’s a community that takes tremendous pride in the school and is always willing to help, Ottapurackal said.

In fact, on moving day which was held Jan. 6 over the Christmas break, volunteers — including students — stepped forward to help.

“It’s just amazing,” she said.

The school didn’t even have to hire a crew.

“That’s the beauty of this community,” Ottapurackal said. Besides providing free labor, they even brought equipment and boxes to use in the move.

“Even the children were carrying their books,” she said.

She smiled broadly, as she described the day of the school’s dedication.

“We had Mass, then a dedication ceremony outside the building, then right after that an open house and then a reception back in the parish center. Our children had a picnic in the park.

“It was just a beautiful day,” she said.

Even the weather cooperated, Ottapurackal said.

“We didn’t have rain until everything was over.”

Published February 18, 2015

Meet Saint Leo’s new president: William J. Lennox, Jr.

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When Saint Leo University began the search for its next president, it knew it was looking for a star.

Instead, the search committee found three stars.

William J. “Bill” Lennox, Jr. addresses the audience at the Feb. 6 announcement of his selection as the next president of Saint Leo University. He'll start work later this summer. (Courtesy of Saint Leo University)
William J. “Bill” Lennox, Jr. addresses the audience at the Feb. 6 announcement of his selection as the next president of Saint Leo University. He’ll start work later this summer.
(Courtesy of Saint Leo University)

William J. “Bill” Lennox, Jr., a retired United States Army three-star lieutenant general, has been named as the ninth president in the university’s history. He was introduced at a campus news conference on Feb. 6. He assumes his new post this summer.

“It feels great,” Lennox said about taking on his new job. “I think it’s an amazing institution.”

Lennox is familiar with Saint Leo University. He served on the school’s board of trustees for six years before deciding to take on the president’s role.

Lennox has been part of the selection process from its inception, but not always in the role of a candidate for the job.

As a member of the search committee, he had turned down consideration before they began exploring other options.

The search committee found very qualified candidates out of more than 100 applications, Lennox said, but when they couldn’t reach a consensus, he was asked to reconsider. This time he said yes.

While running a college is no easy task, Lennox comes to the job with plenty of experience. He previously served as Superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point for five years, an institution where he also received his bachelor’s degree in 1971. As superintendent, he performed similar duties to a president at a civilian college. Lennox believes that experience will help him in his new challenge.

In fact, Lennox sees similarities between the famous military academy and Saint Leo.

“Both of them are very interested in education, but education with an intent in mind, and a values system that backs that intent,” he said. A strong focus on students and a supportive faculty are also characteristics of both institutions, he said.

While Lennox comes to Saint Leo with plenty of accolades, he also has some pretty big shoes to fill.

Outgoing president Dr. Arthur F. Kirk, Jr. is retiring at the end of the academic year after serving in that role since 1997.

Under Kirk’s leadership, the university has more than doubled its student body, more than doubled its degree programs, renovated many facilities and added new land and buildings to its campus.

Lennox steps into the role with admiration for his predecessor’s success.

“I’ve been very impressed with the work Art Kirk has done,” he said. “Art’s a tough guy to follow.”

While he’ll be spending the next few months becoming more familiar with the institution’s financials and other details, Lennox has already identified potential challenges he’ll face when he steps into his new position.

Saint Leo, which has been at the forefront of higher education online programs, is facing stronger competition as more schools increase their presence on the Internet, Lennox said. And, as an institution with a strong military presence with learning centers at various military bases and community colleges, government budget cutbacks will provide new challenges as they serve that market.

Lennox also knows that the university has overcome obstacles in its history, so he won’t have to face them alone. Lennox plans to tap into his staff’s talents to help find solutions together.

“The strength of St. Leo is a culture that the faculty and the staff have come up with some great solutions to those problems in the past, and I want to encourage that and take advantage of that,” Lennox said. “There are some real experts out there and I want to capitalize on their knowledge and their strength in these different areas, and see what we can do.”

Lennox, 65, is at an age when many people consider slowing down, and with three children and five grandchildren he could spend his days in leisure. But it’s not in his nature to be idle. His spouse of 43 years, Anne, is used to him taking on engaging work and putting in considerable energy to ensure his endeavors are successful.

And, he’s ready to continue Saint Leo’s successful path and meet its future challenges head-on.

“I’m going to quote Art,” Lennox said of the university’s retiring president. “He says ‘Our best years are in front of us.'”

Published February 18, 2015

Navigating through today’s ‘Teen World’ isn’t easy

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Being a teenager has never been an easy time, but with today’s technology, poor decisions and impulsive actions can go viral in an instant.

And, with Snapchat, Instagram and Twitter it’s so much easier for kids to get themselves into trouble these days — sometimes with deadly consequences.

Stacie Gavin, Terri Vanderhook and Laura LoPresti organized an event aimed at providing resources and advice to parents and teenagers as they confront the challenges of being a teenager in today’s technology-driven world. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Stacie Gavin, Terri Vanderhook and Laura LoPresti organized an event aimed at providing resources and advice to parents and teenagers as they confront the challenges of being a teenager in today’s technology-driven world.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

Teenagers aren’t the only ones facing new challenges in this cyber age.

Parents also have trouble helping their children navigate through their teen years.

To help both groups, Steinbrenner High School’s Parent Teacher Student Association recently held a “The World of a Teen,” forum to discuss challenges confronting today’s teenagers.

A panel of experts covered issues ranging from dating, drugs, alcohol, stress, social media.

They also talked frankly about such topics as sexting and sexploitation, human trafficking, date rape, drug and alcohol abuse, depression, self-mutilation, eating disorders and various kinds of anxiety.

More than 160 people turned out for the event, prompting Laura LoPresti, one of the organizers to remark as she addressed the crowd: “This is obviously a topic of interest.”

The forum offered a safe space for both parents and their children to ask questions.

They jotted them on index cards and LoPresti read them to panelists.

Parents wanted advice about how to keep track of their child’s online behaviors.

It’s a serious issue, said Michelle Gonzalez, a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Parents must monitor what their children are doing online — on whatever kind of electronic device they are using, said Gonzalez, who investigates the exploitation of children on the Internet, including such issues as sextortion and sexting.

Deputy Tony Bennett, who is the school resource officer at Steinbrenner, told parents there are computer apps that can track their children’s computer behavior. He advised parents to contact him and he’d give them a list to check out.

Dating is another dangerous arena for teenagers, said Erica Ruiz, of The Spring of Tampa Bay, Inc.who works with dating abuse prevention and intervention programs.

“One in three or four teens will experience some form of teen dating violence,” she said, noting the violence can be either physical or verbal.

It’s an issue that’s often not on parents’ radar, Ruiz said.

“Take it seriously,” she urged parents.

Cindy Floyd, a licensed clinical psychologist with a practice in Wesley Chapel, said many of clients she sees have eating disorders, body image concerns, depression and anxiety.

Separation anxiety is another issue that teenagers sometimes have as they prepare to leave home for college.

“Are they socially and emotionally prepared for that transition?” she asked.

Parents often are reluctant to talk about drugs and alcohol with their children, said Sonya Bufe, of The Phoenix House, a substance abuse treatment center.

But it’s a necessary discussion.

In fact, parents, in general, need to talk to their children routinely to know what’s happening in their lives, said Ray Hewitt, who also works for The Phoenix House.

Kids often have an entirely different view of their future than their parents have for them, Hewitt said.

It’s important to know what they’re thinking and feeling and the only way to do that is keep the lines of communication open, he said.

While clients struggle with various anxieties, it’s important for parents to know that help is available, said Karan Lamb, a licensed psychologist with a practice in Carrollwood.

“Treatments are very effective,” she said, but if anxieties are left unchecked, they can develop into deeper problems.

The panelists offered a wide range of advice to parents. They talked about signs that can indicate that a child is being bullied. They gave advice on what to do if your child begins to hang out with a kid you think is trouble. They also offered practical suggestions to help parents prepare their children for independence.

Floyd, who has never been part of this type of panel, praised the Steinbrenner PTSA for arranging the program.

“I think it is so crucial for parents and families to be involved in the ins and outs of their teens’ lives,” Floyd said. “When parents are present, it’s just such a different experience for the teenager.”

She was impressed by the turnout.

“There’s some vulnerability that comes with these questions, especially for the parents to be sitting alongside their teen. I think it’s really neat that they were open and reflecting to their teenager — ‘We’re open and we’re capable of hearing about this stuff, so come talk to us.’ ”

She said the theme that emerged from the panelists’ remarks was this: “Get to know your teenager. Be in their life. Know what they’re looking at. Know what stresses them out. Know who their friends are.

“These are kids, so continue participate in their lives, deeply, so that you know if they’re depressed, if they’re anxious, if they’re engaging in something inappropriate,” Floyd said.

Terri Vanderhook and Stacie Gavin, worked with LoPresti to organize the event.

They said their goal was to inform parents about resources that may be helpful and to provide some practical advice as they deal with the daily challenges of raising a teenager.

Lisa Kiev-Chen, who attended the forum with two of her three children, said the panelists provided plenty of food for thought.

Two big things she took away from the event were this: “Talk less. Listen more,” she said.

She said listening to the experts also reinforced her belief in the importance of sharing family meals together, even when the kids would prefer to do something else.

She also was reminded of the importance of bringing the kids into discussions and listening to their point of view.

Published February 18, 2015

Applicants reduce size of proposed Lutz school

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Applicants for a charter school in Lutz have reduced the proposed enrollment for the kindergarten through eighth-grade school, but opponents say it’s still too big.

Charter Schools Inc. of Boca Raton has amended its request for a private charter school at the southwest quadrant of Lutz Lake Fern Road and Sunlake Boulevard.

The public hearing on a request by Charter Schools Inc. of Boca Raton to allow a charter elementary and middle school on 7.4 acres at the southwest quadrant of Lutz Lake Fern Road and Sunlake Boulevard has been scheduled for March 16, marking the fourth time a public hearing date has been set on the request. (File Photo)
The public hearing on a request by Charter Schools Inc. of Boca Raton to allow a charter elementary and middle school on 7.4 acres at the southwest quadrant of Lutz Lake Fern Road and Sunlake Boulevard has been scheduled for March 16, marking the fourth time a public hearing date has been set on the request.
(File Photo)

The proposed charter school, Sunlake Academy, would be developed in two phases.

Initially, the applicant asked for permission for up to 1,020 kindergarten through eighth-grade students.

After significant public opposition, the request has been scaled back to a maximum of 870 students, with 670 students in phase one and 200 in phase two.

The request would be subject to the applicant’s ability to secure the necessary water and sewer permits, and would require an updated traffic analysis before the second phase would be allowed, according to revised conditions of approval provided by Michael Horner, a professional planner representing the applicant.

A public hearing on the application originally was scheduled in December, was scheduled again in January and then again in February.

Now, the hearing date is scheduled for March 16 at 6 p.m., at the Fred B. Karl County Center, 601 E. Kennedy Blvd.

In addition to reducing the potential enrollment, the applicant would use staggered start and dismissal times to avoid off-site traffic impacts, would provide substantially greater buffering than required by county regulations, would agree to a number of improvements to facilitate access into and out of the school site, and would meet various other conditions.

The charter school request is facing considerable opposition from area residents.

When a community meeting was held on the issue at a hall across the street from the proposed school site, more than 90 people showed up.

The meeting was primarily an opportunity for those gathered to learn how the hearing process worked and to decide whether they wanted to create a legal fund to fight the project.

After the meeting, the legal fund was created and people took to the streets to circulate petitions in neighborhoods near the proposed school.

Mike White, president and founder of the Lutz Citizens Coalition, who has played a primary role in organizing the opposition, said that the scaled-back plans are still too intense for the location.

Horner said the delay was sought to ensure that the applicant has all of the information needed for the land use hearing master, who decides whether to approve or deny the request.

A number of area residents, community organizations and homeowner associations have gone on record against the request, sending emails to county staff, outlining their objections.

In a Dec. 23 email to the county, Todd Caroline, who lives in Lake Fern Villa, notes that the project would back up to his property line.

“It is already a struggle to get out of our community morning, afternoon and evening due to a poorly built intersection at Lutz Lake Fern Road and Sunlake (Boulevard). Ever since Steinbrenner (High School), Martinez (Middle School) and McKitrick (Elementary School) have opened, it has only gotten worse,” Caroline wrote.

James Lather, another opponent, said the Lutz Citizens Coalition vehemently opposes the application because of the inappropriate size, scope and density of the project for the proposed location.

Area resident Joanne Plazza noted that she’s lived in the area since 1987 and has never objected to any previous project. But, she said, this school would add traffic to an already congested area.

Opponent Sharon Bard, of 22232 Yachtclub Terrace, put it like this: “I am very much against this. I travel Lutz Lake Fern often and the added traffic would be horrific.”

White said opponents don’t object to schools, just schools that are proposed for unsuitable locations.

Published February 11, 2015