The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Education

Charter school for 1,000 students proposed for Lutz

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A proposed charter school for up to 1,020 elementary school children in Lutz is drawing opposition from the Lutz Citizens Coalition and area residents.

Charter Schools Inc. of Boca Raton has filed a request with Hillsborough County for a special use permit to allow a school on 8.4 acres of agricultural land at the southwest quadrant of Lutz Lake Fern Road and Sunlake Boulevard.

Charter Schools Inc. of Boca Raton has filed a request with Hillsborough County to use an 8.4-acre parcel at the southwest quadrant of Lutz Lake Fern Road and Sunlake Boulevard for an elementary charter school that would accommodate up to 1,020 students. Opposition to that plan is mounting, said Michael White of the Lutz Citizens Coalition. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Charter Schools Inc. of Boca Raton has filed a request with Hillsborough County to use an 8.4-acre parcel at the southwest quadrant of Lutz Lake Fern Road and Sunlake Boulevard for an elementary charter school that would accommodate up to 1,020 students. Opposition to that plan is mounting, said Michael White of the Lutz Citizens Coalition. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

A public hearing on the request has been delayed from Dec. 15 to Jan. 20.

Plans show a two-phase project. The first phase includes a two-story building with 33 classrooms for 650 students. The second phase calls for a two-story building, with 20 classrooms for 370 children. The school would serve kindergarten through eighth grade.

The plans also show a storm water pond, a playground, and areas for parking for both vehicles and bicycles. Plans also call for basketball courts.

The application notes that any spillage of light from recreational areas will be kept to a minimum.

Public water and sewer lines are located within the Sunlake Boulevard right of way, according to the application.

Mike White, president and founder of the Lutz Citizens Coalition, said opposition to the proposal is mounting.

“It’s an inappropriate location,” White said. “It’s cramming 10 pounds into a five-pound bag.”

The coalition is a volunteer organization that works with neighborhood and community groups on zoning, environmental and other issues. It played a leading role in fighting Learning Gate’s proposed use of a site near U.S. 41 and Sunset Lane for a middle and high school.

Much like the site at Sunset, the proposed site at Sunlake and Lutz Lake Fern is not a good choice for a school, White said. Both roads are two lanes, which are not equipped to handle the kind of traffic that the project would produce.

Beyond traffic, there are concerns about flooding and the other impacts that a school would have on nearby residential development, White said.

“There’s going to be a huge fight on this,” he said.

Despite their opposition to the Learning Gate proposal and to the proposed location of the charter elementary school, the coalition is not against schools in general, White said. If the applicant chose an appropriate spot for a school, they would wholeheartedly support it.

Representatives for the applicant did not respond to a request to comment as of press time.

Published December 10, 2014

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Rushe Middle goes extra mile to encourage reading

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Students from Rushe Middle School traipsed through Barnes & Noble at The Shops at Wiregrass, on a scavenger hunt to solve a riddle.

They went from place to place picking up new clues in a search that finally led them to the discovery of the selection for the book the We Be Book’n club will read over the next few months.

Sgt. Robert Loring, a veteran who served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, unveils the book that the We Be Book’n book club is reading at Rushe Middle School. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Sgt. Robert Loring, a veteran who served in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, unveils the book that the We Be Book’n book club is reading at Rushe Middle School. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

The big unveil took place on Nov. 11, and the school-wide book club will read the young adult adaptation of “Unbroken” by Laura Hillenbrand. It tells the story of Olympian Louis Zamperini’s journey from airman to castaway to captive.

Students, accompanied by their parents, dropped by a table to get pointers on how the scavenger hunt worked, and picked up their first clue. As they solved one clue in one part of the bookstore, they received another clue that led them to a different part of the bookstore.

They concluded their search by meeting former Sgt. Robert Loring, a veteran who was a qualified parachute jumpmaster in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve.

Rushe faculty members Dawn Gilliland and Kelli Rapaport came up with the idea of creating a school-wide book club, according to school principal David Salerno. The principal was quickly onboard with the idea, and Rushe’s teachers, staff and parents have been great supporters, Gilliland said.

Gilliland — an information and communication technology literacy coach at Rushe — and Rapport, an intensive reading teacher, said the book club aims to motivate kids to read. So far, more than 100 students have joined the voluntary club.

“It’s just for fun,” Rapaport said. “We just want to get kids excited about literacy.”

Both women view themselves as avid readers and want to pass along their love of the written word to Rushe’s students. They selected an informational text because they want to help students develop the ability to read for information. They also wanted students to see that these kinds of books can be fascinating.

“We see kids who just aren’t reading, especially informational texts,” Gilliland said. “They don’t have that passion.”

Hillenbrand’s book recounts a story about perseverance, Salerno said. It’s a character trait he hopes students will develop.

The message Salerno hopes students will get from the book is this: “No matter what barriers you have, you can overcome them.” Salerno thinks the book is a good choice because it introduces students to a genre they don’t normally read.

The big reveal at Barnes & Noble capped weeks of buildup. Rushe staff members helped create a sense of excitement through dramatizations during which they pretended to beg for the book title’s name, offered bribes for the name, and even broke down crying.

Yet, Gilliland and Rapaport refused to give out the title.

At one point, they wrapped copies of the book in brown paper and marked them with the words “confidential” and “top secret,” and placed them at various places around the school. Teachers also talked up the big reveal.

Rapaport and Gilliland worked with the managers at Barnes & Noble to plan the event. Gilliland’s husband Jeff joined the teachers to developer the clues.

“Every clue has to go with what’s in the book,” Rapaport said. “It’s really previewing the content for them ahead of time.”

Jennifer Kosowski, whose daughter Brooke is a seventh-grader at Rushe, appreciates the efforts the school is making to encourage reading.

“It’s fun,” she said. “It gets them in here and gets them interested in reading.”

Brooke said she had fun figuring out the clues, noting some of them weren’t very easy.

The Barnes & Noble event is just one of many activities the school has planned for the book club. Over the next few months, as they read the book, a number of special events will take place that center on the book’s themes.

For instance, the school will have a mock Olympics because the book’s main character was an Olympian. The final event will be a lock-in at the school’s David Estabrook Collaboration Center, where students and staff members will spend the night playing games, watching movies, and having a chance to win prizes.

Published December 3, 2014

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Weightman students hope to stamp out tobacco use

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The students come streaming into the media center at Weightman Middle School before school started, and went straight to work making posters.

They were creating messages for the middle school’s Red Ribbon Week, an effort to discourage drug use.

Fourth-grader Siena Bracciale enjoys helping Weightman’s Students Working Against Tobacco club on its projects. She is the daughter of Weightman principal Brandon Bracciale. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Fourth-grader Siena Bracciale enjoys helping Weightman’s Students Working Against Tobacco club on its projects. She is the daughter of Weightman principal Brandon Bracciale. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

Some kids arrived at the library at 8 a.m. sharp, others drifted in over the next 20 minutes or so. Whether they arrived early or late, though, it was clear they wanted to be there.

The students belong to a school club called Students Working Against Tobacco, or SWAT for short. Their primary goal is to discourage tobacco use, but they’ve also branched into other areas, said Cpl. Kevin Brantley, the school resource officer at the Wesley Chapel middle school.

“We meet in here every Wednesday,” said Brantley, who launched this chapter of the club three years ago when he was stationed at Weightman.

The club gets bigger each year. It started with a dozen kids, then doubled in size.

Now, it has up to 50 members, with about 30 kids turning out any given week.

Besides spreading the word on the dangers of smoking and other forms of tobacco use, Brantley said the kids also pitch in on community cleanups and other volunteer efforts.

On Oct. 29, they created posters with a couple of different themes. One set of posters proclaimed, “Reddy to say no to drugs.”

“We’re playing on the word ‘red,’” Brantley explained, in honor of the school’s Red Ribbon Week.

The other posters said, “These paws don’t touch drugs.”

To help raise awareness of dangers posed by tobacco use, the club had an event last year where 88 people lined up, then fell, as if to their death. The dramatization signified the 88 people who die each day in Florida from medical conditions stemming from tobacco use.

The club plans to stage a similar event this year, Brantley said. The school resource officer likens these kinds of dramatizations to the Truth commercials from the American Legacy Foundation that appear on television to give people a reality check about the dangers of tobacco use.

Club member Jasmine Thoey said she belongs to SWAT because she wants to be a part of positive change.

“I don’t want other people to get sick,” she said.

She thinks the club appeals to other kids because it helps them feel that they can make a difference.

“We can do it,” Thoey said. “We can change the world.”

Beyond participating at school, Thoey and members of other SWAT clubs also make public appearances, speaking against the use of tobacco. She makes appearances before state lawmakers, city councils and other groups in the effort to stamp out tobacco use.

A group of SWAT students made an appearance earlier this year before the Pasco County school board asking for smoking to be outlawed on school campuses. Kenny Blankenship, president of United School Employees of Pasco, said the current contract allows schools to conduct surveys to see if they want to become tobacco-free. Under that contract, however, if even just one school employee wants to retain smoking on campus, the right to do so is protected.

But those who would ban tobacco use on school district grounds could see a major shift, if language in contract negotiations gains approval. USEP has agreed to the proposed elimination of tobacco use on district property effective July 1, 2016.

While contract negotiations continue at the district level, fourth-grader Siena Bracciale enjoys helping Weightman’s SWAT team on its projects. The daughter of principal Brandon Bracciale, she recently was at Weightman working on a poster.

Bracciale wants to discourage people from smoking or using drugs.

Besides spreading a message against tobacco and drugs, the club also gives kids a chance to meet other kids and to make friends, Brantley said. The Weightman club is part of a statewide youth organization that works to achieve a tobacco-free future.

Pasco County’s clubs have more than 250 active students. Besides Weightman, schools on the eastern and central portions of the county with SWAT clubs include Long Middle School, Pasco High School and Rushe Middle School.

Published December 3, 2014

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Community meeting set to discuss Quail Hollow boundaries

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A committee working on proposed boundaries for Quail Hollow Elementary School has recommended changes that also would affect the boundaries of Veterans and Wesley Chapel elementary schools.

Quail Hollow is set to reopen next fall following a massive overhaul that included adding walls and doors to its formerly “open” school design.

Children streamed toward Quail Hollow on the school’s last day in June 2013. The elementary school was closed for a massive remodeling which included added doors and walls to create traditional classroom spaces. (File photo)
Children streamed toward Quail Hollow on the school’s last day in June 2013. The elementary school was closed for a massive remodeling which included added doors and walls to create traditional classroom spaces. (File photo)

Besides having a more traditional setting for learning, the school will accommodate more students and feature the same technology found in other Pasco County schools.

The students who attended Quail Hollow before it closed will be assigned to the school, said district planning director Chris Williams. After that will depend on what’s decided on the new boundaries for Veterans and Wesley Chapel schools, slated to be discussed at a community meeting Dec. 8 at 6 p.m., in the Wesley Chapel Elementary cafeteria.

The Pasco County School Board is expected to consider boundaries for Quail Hollow at its Jan. 20 meeting, and make a final decision Feb. 3.

The area that would shift from Veterans to Quail Hollow is bordered by Old Pasco Road on the west, Interstate 75 on the east, and Wesley Chapel Boulevard on the south, Williams said. For Wesley Chapel Elementary, the affected area is bordered by I-75 on the east, State Road 54 on the south, and Boyette Road on the west.

There are 62 students living in the area that would be reassigned from Veterans to Quail Hollow, Williams said, and another 100 living in the area that would be reassigned from Wesley Chapel.

Veterans Elementary already is over-capacity with 828 students in a school that is supposed to hold 762. Wesley Chapel has a capacity of 613 students, Williams said, and will have far fewer when children who attended Quail Hollow return to their school.

However, Quail Hollow has space to accommodate a greater number of children, he said, so the decision was made to reassign students from Wesley Chapel to Quail Hollow to provide room for growth that is expected from the development of Epperson Ranch South.

When school begins next year, Quail Hollow is expected to have an enrollment ranging from 500 to 540, depending on school choice, Williams said. After its improvements are completed, Quail Hollow’s capacity is expected to be 682. That compares to a previous capacity of 554.

In addition to changes at Quail Hollow, the school district continues to search for property along U.S. 41 as well as the State Road 54 corridor, Williams said. Officials are hoping to sign a contract on some land in the northern part of Land O’ Lakes for a new elementary school site which would accommodate children living in the housing developments on the west side of U.S. 41.

Typically, the district seeks sites of approximately 22 acres for its new elementary schools, Williams said. But officials also are looking for high school sites, since Land O’ Lakes High School is full, and Sunlake High School is almost full, despite future development expected in larger communities like Connerton and Bexley Ranch.

The district wants one or two high school sites between 60 acres and 70 acres each.

“We’re working with a couple of other developers to secure at least one of those,” Williams said. He also keeps his eye out and occasionally talks to real estate agents on possible properties.

When Land O’ Lakes and Zephyrhills high schools are remodeled or reconstructed, the district will likely increase their capacity, Williams said. Work on those two schools likely won’t begin for another five to 10 years, however, and when it does, it’s likely to be complicated.

Whether they build from scratch or remodel the schools, the district will need to figure out how to house the students during construction.

“We’re definitely going to have to get creative,” Williams said. “We’re hoping to meet with those principals in the near future and start talking about a timeline.”

Another challenge, Williams said, is that while the schools have current needs, the question becomes how much money the district should spend if it is just going to tear out the improvements within a few years anyway.

WHAT: Quail Hollow Elementary School boundaries parent meeting
WHY: To discuss potential changes to boundaries of Wesley Chapel and Veterans elementary schools
WHEN: Dec. 8 at 6 p.m.
WHERE: Wesley Chapel Elementary School cafeteria, 30243 Wells Road

The Pasco County School Board is scheduled to vote for the first time on proposed boundary changes affecting Quail Hollow, Wesley Chapel and Veterans elementary schools Jan. 20 at 6 p.m. A final vote is scheduled for Feb. 3 at 9:30 a.m.

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Chalk Talk-11-26-14

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Pasco Schools honor veterans
Pasco County Schools hosted a district-wide Veterans Day presentation Nov. 11 at the Wesley Chapel Center for the Arts.

Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley joined Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning and district students and staff to honor and celebrate veterans.

The program was to encourage students to participate in the Vote in Honor of a Veteran program.

Supervisor of Elections outreach ambassadors also conducted voter registrations at all high schools the same day.

Statewide poetry contest
The Florida State Poets Association is looking for middle and high school students to enter its 25th annual Student Poetry Contest.

The contest offers cash awards in both the junior and senior divisions.

Winning poems will be published in FSPA’s annual anthology and entered in the national Manningham Trust Student Contest.

Poems must be postmarked by Dec. 1.

Requirement and details can be found at FloridaStatePoetsAssociation.org.

Library of Congress offers free interactive e-books
The Library of Congress is offering students a set of free interactive e-books for tablets.

The new Library of Congress Student Discovery Sets bring together historical artifacts and one-of-a-kind documents in a range of topics from history to science to literature.

Interactive tools let students zoom in for close examination, draw to highlight interesting details, and make notes about what they discover.

The first six Student Discovery Sets are available now for iPad, and can be downloaded for free on iBooks. These sets cover the U.S. Constitution, Symbols of the United States, Immigration, the Dust Bowl, the Harlem Renaissance, and Understanding the Cosmos.

For information, visit LOC.gov/teachers/student-discovery-sets/.

Wiregrass Ranch High lays groundwork for 10-period day

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It’s not official yet, but Wiregrass Ranch High School officials are moving ahead with planning for a 10-period school day.

The Pasco County School Board is expected to vote on the issue in December. But the school can’t wait to start planning until then, because if it did that, it wouldn’t have time to properly plan, school principal Robyn White said.

Wiregrass Ranch High School assistant principal Shauntte Butcher compares the swarm of students passing through the corridors to the traffic jam at State Road 56 and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard at 5 p.m. (Courtesy of Wiregrass Ranch High School)
Wiregrass Ranch High School assistant principal Shauntte Butcher compares the swarm of students passing through the corridors to the traffic jam at State Road 56 and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard at 5 p.m. (Courtesy of Wiregrass Ranch High School)

School officials have looked at other ideas, she added, but the 10-period day seems to be the best approach for dealing with the school’s burgeoning enrollment.

“While that seems to the most feasible and logical solution right now, we have stayed open to other possibilities,” White said. “We have looked at every suggestion that anybody has given. So far, we haven’t come up with anything better.”

By having a 10-period day, the school can provide a less crowded campus for most of the school day, said White, who has been the school’s principal since it opened in 2006.

When it opened, it had just freshman and sophomores, for a total enrollment of 752. As of last week, the enrollment was 2,333. That figure is expected to grow by least 175 students next school year, bringing the total to nearly 2,500.

Wiregrass Ranch High was built for an enrollment of 1,633. It already has 30 portable classrooms to address the overflow.

The 10-period day would work like this: Sophomores through seniors would begin and end the school day at the same time they do now, 7:25 a.m. and 1:56 p.m., respectively. Freshmen begin at 10:18 a.m., and end at 4:44 p.m.

All of the school’s students would be on campus for three periods each day, but that is manageable because roughly 500 kids are at lunch at any given time, White said. The school now has four lunch periods each day, but will need to add a fifth one next year because of the anticipated enrollment increase.

School officials are aware the new schedule will pose some challenges for parents and for students who are involved in after-school activities. Working parents have voiced concerns that they won’t be able to drop off their children at school because of the later bus runs for freshmen.

The school district is responding to that concern by providing all freshmen the opportunity to ride the bus to school. Normally, those who live too close to school do not qualify for free transportation.

School officials also want to work with parents whose children have special concerns about starting and dismissal times, White said.

There may be a student, for instance, who is heavily involved in dancing or gymnastics after school, White said. It may be impossible for that student to attend practice because of the later dismissal.

There are ways to address that, such as online learning for a period or more, to create flexibility for students to continue pursuing those outside interests, while still meeting academic requirements, White said.

In some cases, the parent would have to provide transportation, in others, it may be possible for the student to ride into school late but leave early.

Every situation will be considered individually, White said, with the aim to be as flexible as possible.

By revising the schedule, the school will be able to take advantage of classroom space that frees up when older students are at lunch or have left the campus for the day, said the school’s assistant principal Shauntte Butcher, who oversees the school’s master schedule.

The overlapping schedule allows students from all four classes to be on campus at once, which White thinks is important. She doesn’t want the freshman class to feel isolated from the rest of the student body.

Relief is needed, though. Between classes, the corridors are so crowded that Butcher has likened them to State Road 56 and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard at rush hour.

Even such things as pep rallies get more complicated at a school the size of Wiregrass Ranch, White said.

“Our gym only holds 1,200 seating,” she said. “Right now, when we do a pep rally, like we did last Friday, we have to do two pep rallies. We barely fit in there this year with two. We know next year, we definitely have to go to three.”

The longer school day also will have impacts on athletic practices. For one thing, White is expecting to need to rent portable lights to use for football and soccer practices when it begins to get darker earlier in the day.

To help make sure they are taking a comprehensive approach, a committee meets twice a month to consider the various impacts of a 10-period day. People involved with the planning include teachers, parents and students who have experienced a 10-period school day and those who haven’t, White said.

The idea of using a 10-period day is not new. Land O’ Lakes and Wesley Chapel high schools successfully used the approach before Wiregrass Ranch opened, White said.

Those wanting to find out the latest news also are invited to visit the school’s website at WRHS.Pasco.k12.fl.us, and click on the “overcrowded information” tab.

Published November 19, 2014

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Chalk Talk 11-12-14

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WRHS hosts book fair, fundraiser
The Wiregrass Ranch High School Art Department will host a book fair and fundraiser at Barnes & Noble at The Shops at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel Nov. 20 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The event will include drama improvisations, music ensembles, a balloon artist, face painting, free gift-wrapping, story telling and raffles.

To support the school online, visit BN.com/bookfairs Nov. 20-23 and use the code 114653098 at checkout.

Fall fundraiser for academy
New LEAPS Academy in Wesley Chapel will host its first Fall Harvest Fundraiser Gala Nov. 21 at 7 p.m., at Quail Hollow Golf & Country Club, 6225 Old Pasco Road in Wesley Chapel.

There will be food, entertainment, door prizes, raffles and a cash bar. Tickets are $50.

For information and tickets, call Sam Natale at (813) 469-6936, email or .

School teams with mission group to send care packages
Throughout the month of October, families and staff of Land O’ Lakes Christian School and First Baptist Church of Land O’ Lakes donated supplies and grocery items to be sent to military men and women serving overseas for Christmas.

Coordinating with the Military Matthew 5 Missions organization and founder Leslie Futch, more than 130 care packages will be shipped out through GTE Financial Nov. 12 to troops serving in Afghanistan.

Statewide poetry contest
The Florida State Poets Association is looking for middle and high school students to enter its 25th annual Student Poetry Contest.

The contest offers cash awards in both the junior and senior divisions.

Winning poems will be published in FSPA’s annual anthology and entered in the national Manningham Trust Student Contest.

Poems must be postmarked by Dec. 1.

Requirement and details can be found at FloridaStatePoetsAssociation.org.

Concept College receives grant
The Pasco-Hernando State College Foundation recently received a $10,000 grant from the Wells Fargo Foundation to support its Concept College program.

Concept College is an outreach program for high school students who are economically disadvantaged, minorities, teen parents, disabled, migrant, retrieved dropouts, or otherwise non-traditional.

The program is coordinated with Pasco and Hernando County school districts to identify at-risk students.

For information on the PHSC Foundation or Concept College, call (727) 816-3410, or visit PHSC.edu/foundation.

Library of Congress offers free interactive e-books
The Library of Congress is offering students a set of free interactive e-books for tablets.

The new Library of Congress Student Discovery Sets bring together historical artifacts and one-of-a-kind documents in a range of topics from history to science to literature.

Interactive tools let students zoom in for close examination, draw to highlight interesting details, and make notes about what they discover.

The first six Student Discovery Sets are available now for iPad, and can be downloaded for free on iBooks. These sets cover the U.S. Constitution, Symbols of the United States, Immigration, the Dust Bowl, the Harlem Renaissance, and Understanding the Cosmos.

For information, visit LOC.gov/teachers/student-discovery-sets/.

 

 

Auto mechanics class for girls only proves popular

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When Wesley Chapel High School decided to launch an auto mechanics class just for girls, instructor Jeff Corliss thought that maybe 10 to 20 girls would sign up.

Instead, so many females expressed an interest that the school set up two sections of the class.

Students in the auto I at Wesley Chapel High School say that enjoy learning about the basic maintenance of cars because they want to be better equipped when they shop for cars or have one repaired. Some taking part in the class are, from left, Bridget Robinson, Rayah Reitnauer, Caitlyn Gaffney, Brittany Buchanan, Savannah Sweet and Clarissa Hagen. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Students in the auto I at Wesley Chapel High School say that enjoy learning about the basic maintenance of cars because they want to be better equipped when they shop for cars or have one repaired. Some taking part in the class are, from left, Bridget Robinson, Rayah Reitnauer, Caitlyn Gaffney, Brittany Buchanan, Savannah Sweet and Clarissa Hagen. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

“It kind of spread like wildfire through word of mouth,” said Corliss, who leads the school’s Academy of Automotive Technology. He and Brad Odell, the school’s other automotive instructor, teach the two all-female auto mechanics classes.

“I’m teaching the same things as I would teach the boys in auto I, but I put a different spin on it,” Corliss said.

The emphasis of the class, also known as the Lady Wildcat Pit Crew, is on how to handle roadside emergencies, how to maintain a car at home, and how to choose a new or used car, he said.

The girls recently learned how to do an oil change. On Nov. 5, they practiced what they had learned by doing an oil change on a car that belongs to Corliss’ wife.

As the students prepared to do the oil change, the girls did the routine checks that are done at a garage when a car comes in for an oil change. They checked the fluid levels, the belts, the tire pressure and tread.

As they went along, Corliss stopped them occasionally to share some tips. When filling a coolant reservoir, for instance, Corliss recommends turning the coolant bottle sideways, instead of tilting it forward, to prevent unwanted spills.

He also offered reminders about signs of wear on belts and tire tread.

The girls appeared to be taking everything in. They weren’t afraid to get their hands dirty, either.

Corliss hopes the class will give the girls information they can use for life. He wants them to know what to do if they wind up stranded by the side of the road.

He also wants to equip them with knowledge to help them when they’re having their car repaired, or they’re purchasing a new or used car.

“I was young the first time I went to a car dealership, and I probably got taken advantage of just as much as anybody else,” Corliss said.

To help counter that, he plans to invite a used car manager and a new car manager to come to the school to present lessons on the ins and outs of buying a car.

“What should you be looking at? What kind of repairs will this car need? Is it worth the asking price?” Corliss said. “When I go looking at a used car, I already know what it’s going to cost to fix it. I’ve got that as a bargaining chip. I want to give that to the kids, too.”

At a repair shop, he said, it’s easy to be intimidated by a lack of knowledge. He offers this advice: “I would ask to see the part and have them explain to you why you need to spend that money. Don’t just take their word for it.”

“Have them explain in detail,” Corliss added. Be wary of people who use vague terms and who can’t explain why a part no longer works.

In some cases, it’s worth getting a second opinion, even if that requires paying for another diagnostic test. “Have them explain in detail, what does that actually mean?” he said.

The girls usually are in class three days a week, and are in the shop two days a week. If something especially interesting is going on in the shop, Corliss said he has the flexibility to rearrange his class schedule so the girls can take a look.

For many of the girls, the class may be their only exposure to the world of auto mechanics. But for others, it could be the start of a new career path.

“If they want to use this as jumping-off point they can,” Corliss said. “They can move on through the rest of the academy.”

Rebecca Jarke, the assistant principal who oversees the academy, said she’s happy that the school has launched this class.

“On so many levels, it’s just empowering for girls,” Jarke said.

After taking the class, the girls will be better equipped to go to a repair garage or a car dealership and “talk the talk,” Jarke said, because they’ve had a chance to develop knowledge.

“It’s a safe learning environment,” she said. “It levels the playing field for them to be able to ask questions, and learn the skills necessary to be able to talk about cars and have those conversations without feeling intimidated.”

The class also may enable some students to discover a career path they may not have otherwise considered, Jarke said.

Students give the class good marks. Caitlyn Gaffney, 16, said she wanted to take the class to learn basic car knowledge skills.

“I figured I could come here and learn the skills I needed, in case I were to break down on the side of the road,” she said.

She feels confident she’ll learn that in her class.

“Mr. Corliss, he’s a pretty good teacher,” Gaffney said.

Brianna Proctor, 16, said she’s learned quite a bit in the class, and is gaining confidence in her knowledge.

“I didn’t know about cars before,” she said.

People always think boys know more about cars than girls, Proctor said. With what she is learning, however, she thinks she may be able to work on her own car one day.

Freshman Abigail Monticco said her grandfather used to work for Ford, so she had a natural interest in the class. The class was appealing, she said, because she wants to know the basics. She also likes the idea of being able to know whether someone is trying to rip her off.

Beyond all that, the 14-year-old said she enjoys the other students in the class and the feeling of family they share.

“It’s fun,” Monticco said. “We all love Corliss.”

Published November 12, 2014

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Chalk Talk 10-29-14

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Jeff Borden
Jeff Borden

Saint Leo University announces new vice president
Jeff D. Borden is the new associate vice president for Teaching and Learning Innovation at Saint Leo University.

His appointment is effective on Nov. 7.

“Jeff will be an incredible asset to Saint Leo,” Arthur F. Kirk Jr., president of Saint Leo University, said in a release announcing the appointment. “For two decades, he has focused on trying to transform higher education. He has proven himself to be a forward-thinking innovator, and his efforts will help shape our institution’s future initiatives.”

Before joining Saint Leo University, Border spent 12 years in management positions with Pearson Education, the world’s leading learning company. Most recently, he was vice president of Instruction and Academic Strategy.

HCPS information sessions
Hillsborough County Public Schools will offer information sessions for its program to attract and train high quality teachers for students with disabilities, and for the Science and Mathematics Accelerated Readiness program for teaching science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Both sessions are Oct. 30 at 6 p.m., at CareerSource Tampa Bay, 9215 N. Florida Ave., Suite 101, in Tampa.

For information, call (813) 840-7032, or visit Path.mysdhc.org or Smart.mysdhc.org.

Bishop McLaughlin open house
Bishop McLaughlin Catholic School, 13651 Hays Road in Spring Hill, will host an open house Nov. 2 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

There will be family tours, and individuals can sign up for shadow dates.

Step-Up scholarships are accepted.

For information, call (727) 857-2600, or visit BMCHS.org.

Rushe Middle chili cook-off
Rushe Middle School, 18654 Mentmore Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes, will host a chili cook-off Nov. 3 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Guests can sample mild to hot chili served by teachers and staff members, the PTSA and school resource officers.

There also will be live music.

Donations will be accepted at the door to support the Rushe Junior Justice Club.

For information, call Chris Snyder at (813) 346-1200.

Learn more about Academy at the Lakes
Academy at the Lakes, 2331 Collier Parkway in Land O’ Lakes, is hosting coffee and conversation groups for anyone interested in learning more about the school. All sessions are from 10:30 a.m. to noon.

  • Nov. 3 at 10:30 a.m., at The Lodge at Wilderness Lake Preserve, 21320 Wilderness Lake Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes
  • Nov. 10, Grand Hampton Clubhouse, 8301 Dunham Station Drive in Tampa

For information, call Luci Ward at (813) 909-7919.

WRHS hosts marching championships
Wiregrass Ranch High School, 2909 Mansfield Blvd., in Wesley Chapel, will host the Wiregrass Ranch Marching Music Regional Championship Nov. 8, at its stadium.

There will be vendors and food concessions. All proceeds will benefit the WRHS marching band.

Admission is $15. Children 5 and younger are free.

For information, email .

Rushe mystery book reveal
Rushe Middle School’s We Be Book’ n book club will reveal the mystery book that will be used for its schoolwide reading incentive Nov. 11 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Barnes & Noble at The Shops at Wiregrass, 28152 Paseo Drive, Suite 100, in Wesley Chapel.

Students will be led through a scavenger hunt at the store to find clues to the final reveal.

For information, call Linda Cobbe at (813) 794-2717 or (813) 361-8349.

October student citizens honored
The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce recognized October Student Citizens at a recent ceremony for their exemplary effort, achievement, and contribution to their school, family and community.

Students honored were Madison Tyner, Heritage Academy; Shaune Xavier Hamilton, West Zephyrhills Elementary School; Marlon Farr, Zephyrhills High School; Chandler Ross, The Broach School; Samantha Hines, Stewart Middle School; Jaedyn Seigler, Woodland Elementary School; Sommer Engh, East Pasco Adventist Academy; Patricia Hansen, Taylor Elementary School; and Caleb Salings, The Monarch School.

A doctor, a dean, and a determination to help others

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Some people take years into their adult life to figure out what career they want to have. But Dr. O. John Maduko, academic dean at Rasmussen College in Land O’ Lakes, always knew what he wanted to be when he grew up.

It wasn’t a job at a college. He wanted to be a doctor.

Dr. O. John Maduko enjoys his position as academic dean at Rasmussen College in Land O’ Lakes, but family is never far from his mind. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
Dr. O. John Maduko enjoys his position as academic dean at Rasmussen College in Land O’ Lakes, but family is never far from his mind. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

“At an early age I just knew what I wanted to be, to go into medicine,” he said.

And that’s exactly what Maduko — now O. John Maduko, M.D. — became. And if not for some life-changing events, he might still be practicing to this day.

But when his fiancée Amanda was pregnant with their son, she developed a condition that prevented the use of her right arm and required surgery. Knowing she needed help caring for their child, and realizing that a 90-hour workweek wouldn’t be conducive to an ideal family life, Maduko left the rigors of the medical field for a career in academics where he helps others find and improve their career paths.

It might sound difficult to leave a position you love and had worked so hard to achieve. But for Maduko, it wasn’t a tough decision at all.

“It was easy because it was my wife and it was my son,” he said. “So it was a no-brainer.”

Family always has been a big part of Maduko’s life. A first-generation American hailing from California, his Nigerian-born parents set down rules from their hard-working culture that he and his younger siblings would follow growing up. That was to live life to the fullest, but always aspire to be educated and informed.

Expectations are high, and there’s no time for making excuses or becoming complacent. And when challenges occur, you face them and continue moving forward.

But while he’s moving forward with a career outside the medical field, Maduko hasn’t exactly hung up his stethoscope for good. You never stop being a physician, he said.

Maduko is involved in programs like Doctors Without Borders, a humanitarian organization that provides care and assistance in parts of the world that need it the most. He pursues efforts to improve medical conditions in Latin America and West Africa, and has future plans with his brother — also a medical doctor — to be involved in health care in the Tampa area.

Now, five years after leaving the medical field, he’s found a home with Rasmussen as academic dean at the East Pasco campus. But if that sounds like a radical departure from his chosen career, it actually has many similarities, Maduko said. He’s able to use his knowledge and expertise to help people find solutions to problems, provide valuable advice, identify paths to success, and search for ways to improve their quality of life.

But instead of possibly seeing a patient once, Maduko can now foster longer-lasting relationships with students.

Sometimes that means having difficult conversations. Like a medical professional dealing with patients, an academic dean needs to be able to provide honest assessments of a situation and outline realistic options and consequences. But, also like a medical professional, it needs to be done in a way that’s respectful and empowering.

“The key is to give them hope, to maintain their dignity, to give them respect, to be transparent,” Maduko said. “You never want to sugarcoat it, but at the same time, you want to inform in the way that at least they can take hold of what’s going on.”

While he helps students face and overcome challenges, Maduko’s had a few of his own. His wife regained function in her arm and they now have a 2-year-old daughter, Giuliana. But his son, Giovanni, now 4, was diagnosed with autism.

Like his father, Giovanni is growing up in a focused home where everyone is expected to accomplish as much as they can, with plenty of hard work and without excuses. And he’s rising to the challenge. Giovanni is on the high-functioning side of the spectrum, has a growing vocabulary, is adapting well to school, and is learning to express himself.

Maduko is motivated by his son’s drive and what he’s been able to accomplish.

“I look at him and he is an inspiration to me every day, because he doesn’t know anything else but to learn something, do his best, try and master it, and try to learn something else,” he said.

Maduko also is motivated to see what students and the college can accomplish together. He served as health science chair at Rasmussen’s Ocala campus before transferring to Land O’ Lakes to become academic dean about a year ago. Maduko was impressed with Rasmussen’s philosophy to empower its staff, allowing faculty to seek opportunities to improve the current way of doing things instead of simply adhering to whatever procedures are in place.

“They’re very innovative in terms of what can we do to improve our processes, improve the experience for students,” he said.

Part of improving that experience is interacting with those students and helping them find a successful path that works for their life situation and career goals. And when he speaks to them, Maduko uses the same philosophy he learned growing up, and the same mindset that has been successful with his own family: Don’t give up, and don’t stop moving forward.

“I tell students and I tell loved ones that I can’t promise you the win, I can’t promise you how much and I can’t tell you how tough the road is going to be,” Maduko said. “But I can promise you that if you put your hard work and your will and your dedication into something, you will reap the benefits.”

Published October 15, 2014

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