Education

Chalk Talk 10-15-14

October 16, 2014 By Mary Rathman

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 at these locations:

• Oct. 27, Seven Oaks Community Center, 2910 Sports Core Circle, in Wesley Chapel

• Nov. 3, 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.

HCPS information sessions
Hillsborough County Public Schools will offer information sessions for its PATH program for teaching students with disabilities, and its SMART 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.

Bright Ideas STEM contest
Bright House Networks is looking for students in the Tampa Bay area who are at least 14 years old by Oct. 31, to enter its Bright Ideas STEM contest.

Using STEM — science, technology, engineering and math — students must dream up the coolest inventions to make life, the community, or even the world, a better place.

The contest ends at 9 p.m., Oct. 31. Online voting is Nov. 3-13, and judging will be Nov. 14-Dec. 5. Finalists will be announced Dec. 15.

The best ideas from each of six Bright House Networks service areas nationwide will compete head-to-head on TV in front of a studio audience in Orlando.

The winner will have a chance to work with a leading innovation firm to make his or her idea a reality.

Registration is free.

For details, visit BrightHouse.com/brightideas.

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.

Rigberg named Chef of the Year
Land O’ Lakes High School has announced that Chef Michael Rigberg was named Chapter Chef of the Year by the local ACF Tampa Bay Culinary Association.

The American Culinary Federation promotes the professional image of American chefs worldwide through education among culinarians at all levels, from apprentices to certified master chefs.

Rigberg has also been elected to chapter president with a two-year term beginning Oct. 15, 2014.

Rigberg’s local honor follows his July induction into the American Academy of Chefs. That ceremony took place at the American Culinary Federation National Convention in Kansas City, Missouri. It’s an honor bestowed to men and women who have distinguished themselves in the culinary arts.

September Citizens of the Month
The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce has congratulated the September Citizens of the Month.

The students selected were Gabriel Sabella, Academy at the Farm; Amiliah Isaac, East Pasco Adventist Academy; Catherine Beard, Saint Anthony School; Jesssenia Mahamud, Centennial Elementary; Stephanie Alejo, Lacoochee Elementary; Jayden Parsons, Pasco Elementary; Esmeralda Nunez, Cox Elementary; Michael Coats, San Antonio Elementary; Paige Miller, Centennial Middle; Rosa Cruz Madrid, Pasco Middle; Christopher Brand, James Irvin Education Center; Julian Lopez, Moore-Mickens Education Center; and Conner Harm, Pasco High.

ZHS class reunion
The Zephyrhills High School Class of 1974 will have its 40th reunion Oct. 17-18. For information, call Brenda Kendrick Downie at (863) 816-4798, or visit ZHSCLassof1974.weebly.com.

PHSC receives Special Contribution Award
Pasco-Hernando State College was honored with a Special Contribution Award at the Pasco Economic Development Council’s 28th Annual Industry of the Year Awards Banquet.

Pasco EDC recognizes local companies that exhibit exemplary growth in technology, innovation, job creation, capital investment and community service.

PHSC celebrated a record year in 2014 with the completion of construction of the Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch totaling $59.3 million in capital investment, and the announcement of offering four-year degrees.

National Manufacturing Day observed
As part of National Manufacturing Day, 3,000 students from 35 counties toured 95 high-tech manufacturing facilities across the state on Oct. 3.

Students in Pasco and Hernando counties toured 11 high-tech facilities in the region, including Accuform Signs, Aircraft Tooling and Design, Alumi-Guard, Cal-Maine Foods, Intrepid Machine, Mary Lame Wrought Iron, PharmaWorks, Seaway Plastics, Southeast Bottling Company, Topline Energy Systems and Huff Carbide Tools.

The tours offer students a chance to expand their knowledge about and learn about high-tech careers and opportunities associated with manufacturing.

Bikes serve as reading incentives
Gary Cucchi, owner of Horance Mann Insurance Agency, delivered bicycles to a number of schools, including Chester Taylor Elementary School in Zephyrhills, as part of a reading incentive program.

One boy and one girl from the school will be selected to receive a new bicycle in the second semester.

Taylor Elementary is just one of 15 Pasco County schools Cucchi delivered bikes to.

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/.

Estabrook’s knack for collaboration receives honor

October 9, 2014 By B.C. Manion

As an educator, Dave Estabrook was known for his ability to look at issues from various vantage points and collaborate with others to solve problems and help people thrive.

On Oct. 2, his contributions to education and to the Land O’ Lakes community were honored at a ceremony to dedicate the first phase of the David R. Estabrook Center for Collaboration at Charles S. Rushe Middle School on Mentmore Boulevard in Land O’ Lakes.

Dave Estabrook, an educator for 35 years, is honored for his many contributions to Pasco County Schools and the Land O’ Lakes community. (Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

Rushe principal David Salerno, who followed in Estabrook’s footsteps at two points in his career, described Estabrook’s leadership style.

“Immediately, I observed a leader who made it his mission to seek input from many stakeholders — as many stakeholders as possible — when making decisions,” he said. “Not only that, he specifically sought out people that he thought may have a different point of view. He believed in the importance of considering all aspects of problems before recommending a solution.”

Estabrook hired Salerno to be an assistant principal at Pine View Middle School after Estabrook moved up to become the school’s principal. Salerno would later follow Estabrook as principal of Rushe.

“I learned from him that the best way to effectively collaborate, to bring about a meaningful change, is to build strong relationships centered on both communications and trust,” Salerno said.

The ceremony to honor Estabrook was carried over the school’s closed-circuit television. Superintendent Kurt Browning, Assistant Superintendent Ray Gadd and Chief Financial Officer Olga Swinson were there. So was school board member Joanne Hurley.

Estabrook’s wife Lori, his daughter and son-in-law Mallory and Chris Mullis, and Lori’s daughter and son Amy Harris and Geoff Hartwig, were there, too.

The ceremony marked the dedication of the David R. Estabrook Center for Collaboration.

“This is quite an honor,” Estabrook said. “It was quite an honor to be the first principal of Rushe Middle School, too. It was truly significant serving in a school that was named after someone who was just an outstanding leader — Chuck Rushe — and a friend of mine, as well.”

Opening and managing a school presents many kinds of challenges, Estabrook noted.

“We worked through them and worked collaboratively, and made this a great school. And it continues to be a great school under Principal Salerno’s leadership,” he said. “Collaboration, to me, is not exclusive to just adults. It should be incorporated into the teaching and learning process.”

Salerno said it is fitting that Rushe’s media center be renamed in Estabrook’s honor because the retired educator was a master at collaboration.

In keeping with his desire to help others to grow and thrive, Estabrook and his family donated $19,000 to help create the center for collaboration that now bears his name. The Pasco Education Foundation matched that gift.

Helping students collaborate with each other is precisely what the new center aims to do, Salerno said.

“About a year ago, we decided we wanted to do something with collaboration and technology,” he said. “We received input from teachers, students and parents, and the overwhelming consensus is that we wanted to make sure that we increased technology and made sure that we have students collaborate.”

Many people remember the old school library, Salerno said.

“In those school libraries, it often was forbidden to utter a sound,” he said. “You were hushed and sent to the principal’s office. You found yourself sent back to class.

“Fast-forward to today, where our goal is to see places like this, and it’s alive with learning.”

The goal is for students to lead study groups, Salerno said, and use technology to help them research real-world issues. The center now has collaboration stations that are equipped for students to work together to tackle a variety of challenges.

They can go to websites and use different apps to develop various skills. For instance, there’s a Crime and Puzzle app that aims to help them learn to make inferences, to form a hypothesis, and to analyze evidence.

Other learning opportunities focus on improving vocabulary and grammar skills, and becoming skillful of supporting each other’s efforts. They also are given opportunities to develop their research skills through challenges that go beyond reading from a single source.

The center is just in its first phase, Salerno said. He expects to add more equipment later, as funding allows.

He envisions a place where students want to visit, not just during class, but before and after school.

He pictures it as being a place that welcomes students to gather — kind of like having a Starbucks or a Barnes & Noble on campus — but without the snacks and coffee.

Published October 8, 2014

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New bus stop at Porter campus adds transportation options

October 9, 2014 By B.C. Manion

A new bus stop at Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch has provided another transportation option for students attending the Pasco-Hernando State College, and staff members working there.

This sign lets potential passengers know there’s a bus stop nearby. Pasco County Public Transportation has added a stop at Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, giving students and faculty at Pasco-Hernando State College another transportation option. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

Pasco County Public Transportation added the stop, effective Sept. 29, in a loop near the college’s parking garage. The satellite campus opened in Wesley Chapel last January.

The bus route runs along the State Road 54 corridor. Buses stop at the campus every two hours, from 8:07 a.m. to 6:07 p.m. Students riding the bus are eligible for discount fares and passes when they produce a valid PCPT photo identification card.

The bus stop features a covered shelter where riders can wait.

“This is a wonderful addition to the Pasco County Public Transportation system,” PCPT director Mike Carroll said, in a release. “I encourage students who use the campus to consider using the bus service as their main way to commute to school.”

Students who catch the bus will save money on gas and transportation costs, he said.

Cross County Route 54 also includes stops in Zephyrhills, Shops at Wiregrass, The Grove, the Target Shopping Center and Medical Center of Trinity.

Porter Campus provost Stan Giannet said the college appreciates PCPT’s decision to include a bus stop there.

“We have received inquiries from students about the bus stop, and based on these inquiries, current enrollment and future enrollment projections, we believe that the location will be utilized by a good number of students,” Giannet said.

The campus began its fall semester with an enrollment topping 2,100 students, an increase of nearly 300 students over its initial enrollment in January.

Published October 8, 2014

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Free seminars about county services aim to educate, motivate

October 9, 2014 By Michael Murillo

With so many different agencies providing services throughout Pasco County, figuring out exactly what each one offers can be confusing.

But the Community Awareness Series at Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch aims to make things easier to understand with free lectures that focus on different service providers.

Sonia Rodriguez, associate dean at Pasco-Hernando State College, put together a series of free seminars providing information about community-based organizations and agencies. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

The six-part series began with a presentation by Pasco County Community Services on Sept. 5, and continued with the Florida Department of Health on Sept. 19.

The next seminar will take place Oct. 10, focusing on the Sunrise Domestic and Sexual Violence Center, followed by the American Cancer Society on Oct. 24. Veterans Services Pasco County and the Coalition for the Homeless of Pasco County will round out the series in November.

The series helps satisfy one of the college’s strategic goals of increasing awareness in the community, PHSC associate dean Sonia Rodriguez said.

“Most institutions are microcosms of their environment, and there are a lot of agencies and information out there that people don’t know about,” she said. “Or they have a situation going on where they don’t know where to seek help or find an avenue in which to help someone else.”

Rodriguez has been with the college for 20 years, and was involved with a similar program on their north campus in Brooksville. Attendees often are people who not only want to learn about the specific services each agency offers, she said, but also find out how they might be able to volunteer time or donate to their cause.

The room is set up to hold 60 people, and it was around half-full for the first presentation. Rodriguez considers that a good start. She believes that more people will attend later events as word gets out, and as certain topics generate more interest. The second presentation attracted around 35 people.

She picked the agencies with members of her staff, choosing the ones she thought would be of interest to the community. As the series progressed in Brooksville, different agencies would ask to be featured, providing more topics and covering a wider variety of services.

The popularity grew until it became a weekly series, and Rodriguez hopes to see the Wiregrass Ranch campus offerings to eventually grow to that level.

While she wants to see as many people take advantage of the Community Awareness Series as possible, Rodriguez said the people who might utilize the services directly might not be the ones actually attending the seminars. While unwanted pregnancy and domestic violence issues exist in the county, for example, those topics are unlikely to draw the individuals involved with them.

“The people who need it the most are the people that you probably can’t get to come to something,” Rodriguez said. Instead, individuals who know someone in need might be the ones in attendance.

The college also encourages its faculty and students to attend, since they might interact with people who need those services. The knowledge they gain from the presentations could help them in assisting others.

Each session lasts 90 minutes, with a 60-minute presentation and a 30-minute question-and-answer session. Each agency decides what kind of seminar to give, and could include a PowerPoint presentation, or different agency members speaking on specific topics.

Feedback has been positive so far, and Rodriguez hopes they’ll continue to be well received by the students and faculty, as well as the community in general.

“Pasco-Hernando State College’s mission is to be a part of this community,” she said. Before we were a state college we were a community college, so community never leaves our mission.”

Each seminar starts at 10 a.m., at the conference center in Building B. The Wiregrass Ranch campus is located at 2727 Mansfield Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

For more information about the Community Awareness Series, visit PHSC.edu.

Published October 8, 2014

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Survey meant to help identify educational priorities

October 9, 2014 By B.C. Manion

The survey form posted on the Pasco County Schools’ website was brief and easy to complete.

It had just three multiple-choice questions.

One asked parents to identify what learning opportunities they think would increase their child’s engagement in the learning process.

A second question asked parents to identify what technology they’d like to see more of in their child’s classroom. The third queried parents on what type of technology their child has access to in their home.

Each question was followed by a list of responses, which parents could check off. And, they also had the option of adding comments.

For instance, district officials wanted to know if students would be more likely to be engaged if they participate in goal-setting and making learning decisions.

Would collaborating with others to solve problems help? How about connecting with global resources to enhance learning?

Parents had the option for each question to check as many boxes as they wanted, and they could add whatever observations they wanted to make, as well.

The survey was offered as part of the school district’s effort to prepare for a digital classroom grant submission, said Vanessa Hilton, director of the office for teaching and learning for Pasco County Schools.

Each of the responses about preparing 21st century learners to compete globally is important, according to research, Hilton said.

“All of those things will lead to building a 21st century learner,” Hilton said. “But what does the community feel is really important now?”

When it comes to technology, the district must use it to prepare students for the work place and life, Hilton said. But, she added, “Do we think (computer) tablets will meet the needs for our kids?” Or, do parents think the district needs to equip students with more sophisticated equipment?

Finally, the district wants to gain a better understanding of the types of technology that students have access to at home.

Published October 8, 2014

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Chalk Talk 10-01-14

October 2, 2014 By Mary Rathman

Saint Leo Mud Endeavor V0
Saint Leo University Veteran Student Services are partnering with Mud Endeavor to sponsor Mud Endeavor V, an obstacle course race, Oct. 4 at 29251 Wildlife Lane in Brooksville.

All proceeds from those who preregister will benefit the school’s Veteran Student Services and Military Education Excellence.

Waves of participants will start with competitive runners at 9 a.m. Participants must be at least 13 years old.

Preregistration is $45, with promotional code STLEOVETS.

To register, visit MudEndeavor.webconnex.comme5.

For information, call Tedd Weiser at (352) 588-8234.

Monks create sand mandala for Peace Week
In celebration of Peace Week at Pasco-Hernando State College, Buddhist monks are constructing a sand mandala, which is a circle, in the third floor lobby at Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, 2727 Mansfield Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

Visitors can view the creation Oct. 6-9 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Upon completion, Drupon Thinley Ningpo Rinpoche will offer a sand mandala teaching Oct. 9 at 3:30 p.m., followed by a dissolution ceremony to signify spreading kindness and compassion at 6 p.m.

There will also be a Peace Festival Oct. 9 from noon to 3:30 p.m.

For information, visit PHSC.edu/peace.

Academy at the Lakes info sessions
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 at these locations:

• Oct. 6, Tampa Palms Swim Clubhouse, 16402 Tampa Palms Blvd., in New Tampa

• Oct. 27, Seven Oaks Community Center, 2910 Sports Core Circle, in Wesley Chapel

• Nov. 3, 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.

Nursing info session at PHSC
Pasco-Hernando State College will host an information session on its new Bachelor of Science in nursing degree Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. at the West Campus, 10320 Ridge Road in New Port Richey.

The new online program provides additional management, leadership, theory and research training to licensed registered nurses holding an Associate in Science in nursing degree.

Admission is free but seating is limited. To RSVP, visit PHSC.edu/rsvp.

For more information, call (727) 816-3274.

Book fair at Denham Oaks
Denham Oaks Elementary School, 1422 Oak Grove Blvd., in Lutz, is having a Family Book Fair Night Oct. 9 from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

For information, call (813) 794-1600.

Student video challenge
The Florida Coordinating Committee of the Informed Voters Project of the National Association of Women Judges is inviting all Florida residents, especially high school, college and law students, to participate in the 2014 Constitution Day Florida Video Challenge.

The challenge aims to allow participants to express their interest in the missions of the Informed Voters Project (IVP) through the creation of a short film.

Videos must be based on any or all of the following topics:

• The qualities that make a good judge

• What our legal system would be like if our judiciary was not fair and free

• The importance of an informed electorate in voting on judges

Participants can enter as individuals or in teams up to five people.

Submissions will be accepted through Oct. 17.

Viewing and voting will take place between Oct. 18-Nov. 17.

There is a $1,000 first place cash prize with recognition on the IVP website and lunch with Florida Supreme Court Justice Barbara Pariente.

Second place is a $500 cash prize.

Third place is a $100 cash prize.

For contest rules and to participate, visit Facebook.com/informedvotersproject.

For information on IVP, visit IVP.NAWJ.org.

Students recognized as National Merit scholars
Five Pasco County high school students in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area have been named as National Merit Scholarship semifinalists.

National Merit Scholarship Corporation officials recognized high school seniors with the highest scores on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test who met published program participation requirements.

The local students are:

• Brendan Foley, Pasco High School

• Lisa Goldsworthy, Sunlake High School

• Veronica Grady, Land O’ Lakes High School

• Emily Suvannasankha, Land O’ Lakes High School

• Olivia Sunna, Wiregrass Ranch High School

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.

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

Big turnout reveals heavy interest in Pasco’s first magnet school

October 2, 2014 By B.C. Manion

More than 200 parents and children turned out to a community meeting to find out more about Pasco County Schools’ plan to open the district’s first magnet school in Land O’ Lakes.

Sanders Memorial Elementary School, scheduled to open next school year, will be known as a STEAM school, which stands for science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics.

Construction workers are busy getting the new Sanders Memorial Elementary School built in time for the 2015-16 school year. (Fred Bellett/Photo)

Unlike other district schools, this one won’t have an attendance boundary, Superintendent Kurt Browning said.

Applications for the school will be accepted for students throughout the county, but the district is considering whether to give preferential admission to students living within one mile of the school — students now attending Connerton or Oakstead elementary schools — and those who have siblings that have been accepted. Both Connerton and Oakstead are overcrowded and need relief, Browning explained, so the district may use Sanders to help address that issue.

While Sanders will open next year, the district has not yet decided how it will handle transportation to the school, Browning said. It may continue to send buses through neighborhoods to pick up students in the morning and drop them off in the afternoon. Or, it may establish a hub system, where parents take children to a location where district buses pick up and drop off children.

The district hopes to have the principal for Sanders named by November and to have the teaching staff selected by February or March, Browning said.

Sanders will be different from other schools in many respects. For one thing, the school’s design includes large spaces next to classrooms. They are intended to encourage collaboration between students, between teachers and students, and between classrooms.

Even the school’s furniture will accommodate a greater degree of teamwork. The chairs and desks will move easily to accommodate clusters of learners tackling various tasks.

Sanders also will feature the latest in technology. And, every student will be equipped with an electronic device.

The district hasn’t decided yet whether all of the students will have the same kind of device, or if kindergarten through second-graders will have iPads, and third- through fifth-graders will have laptops.

“We know that this generation of children already has advanced ability in the use of technology,” said Dave Scanga, executive director of the Central Region of Pasco County Schools.

Sanders will infuse technology into every aspect of learning. The school also will give students more opportunities to do environmental observations, as the school takes advantage of a wetlands area to help nurture a deeper understanding of nature.

It’s not clear yet whether Sanders will open with a fifth-grade program, Browning said. The district plans to survey parents of fourth-graders to see if there’s enough interest to open the school with fifth grade, or to wait a year for that grade.

The superintendent said he understands that parents may be reluctant to move their child to Sanders during their final year of elementary school, so the district wants to find out what parents think before making that decision.

Like other public schools, Sanders will have children from diverse economic, ethnic and racial backgrounds. It also will have students with varying degrees of ability.

Sanders will adhere to Florida’s educational standards, Browning said. It also will offer a fee-based childcare program, before and after school.

Sanders is Pasco’s first magnet school, Browning said, but it won’t be its last.

“Parents want choices about the way their kids are educated,” the superintendent said. Schools like Sanders give parents another option.

The district also understands that children who attend Sanders for elementary school will need to transition into a middle school program that meets their needs, and work is under way to address that issue, Browning said.

Sanders will have a capacity of 762 students, and the school district will accept applications throughout December.

The school district funded the redesign of Sanders in 2008, but the project was put on hold because the housing market crashed.

When completed, Sanders — located at 5126 School Road — will be almost entirely new. Just three of the former school’s buildings remain on site. The rest were demolished.

Besides being the district’s first magnet, Sanders also will benefit from an agreement between the school board and Pasco County government officials. The arrangement aims at providing more recreational opportunities for schoolchildren and the community at large, while also broadening learning opportunities and providing a venue to accommodate community gatherings.

The Pasco County Commission has approved spending $2.4 million to improve the Land O’ Lakes Community Center at 5401 U.S. 41. That center is adjacent to the Sanders property. The improvements include the construction of a restroom, concession area and meeting room, a picnic shelter, sports fields, a basketball court, parking, and a trail.

Sandy Graves, president of the Heritage Park Foundation, is pleased with the county’s funding, but said work continues to raise about $200,000 needed to build a stage on the park property, next to the community center, that could be used for large community events.

Graves hopes a major sponsor will step forward to make a sizable donation, which could be matched through community fundraising efforts.

Graves has pushed this project for years, and is confident that eventually the vision will become a reality.

“It will be built,” Graves said.

Published October 1, 2014

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Pasco union leader seeks to unite, engage district workers

October 2, 2014 By B.C. Manion

Kenny Blankenship’s earliest recollections of union activity go back to his childhood, when his dad — a member of the United Steel Workers — would take him to the Tampa Theatre for annual holiday parties.

Kids would leave the theater with bicycles, toys and other presents, Blankenship said.

But he also recalls seeing his dad on the picket line.

Those early images of union life aroused Blankenship’s desire to join a union when he got a chance, and that happened in 1997 when he became a teacher at Land O’ Lakes High School.

Over the years, Blankenship’s involvement in the union grew, and in March, he was elected president of the United School Employees of Pasco.

As its new leader, Blankenship is encouraging Pasco County Schools employees to become more involved in union activities. He also wants to build stronger relationships between the district’s instructional staff and non-instructional employees.

“We want to work to strengthen our organization and the unity between the two units, because we’re not just a teachers’ union,” Blankenship said. “We’re wall-to-wall. We’re bus drivers, instructional assistants, secretaries, food service workers, the maintenance crews, custodians.”

Many people view unions as organizations that protect the weakest link, but that isn’t true, Blankenship said. However, the union does make sure the employees it represents are given due process.

“A lot of people don’t get that,” he said. “The union is there to protect your contractual rights, and to ensure that you get a fair shake.”

And while that’s important, it’s far from everything that a union has to offer for employees, Blankenship added.

The union lobbies to represent employees on important education issues. It negotiates wages and working conditions. It provides support for members needing help with classroom management, curriculum issues and working conditions, Blankenship said.

The union advocates “for the best working conditions possible, because our working conditions are our students’ learning conditions,” Blankenship said.

Along those lines, the union lodged a complaint in March with the Florida Public Employee Relations Commission over teacher planning time. The complaint alleges that teachers are spending so much time in meetings with their professional learning communities that it is usurping time intended for individual planning.

That issue remains unresolved. But in recent negotiations, the district has agreed to increase the protected planning time for teacher’s individual planning activities. That increased time, Blankenship said, “should provide some relief for our teachers.”

Planning time is crucial for teachers to prepare for lessons, Blankenship said. It allows them to secure materials to support lessons that bring learning to life and help students gain understanding.

Blankenship uses the analogy of a football game to help explain the importance of planning.

“How much practice goes into preparing for a Friday night football game?” Blankenship asked. In the same way that coaches prepare for games, teachers must prepare to deliver quality instruction.

While planning their lessons, teachers must consider the unique needs of every student in their classroom, Blankenship said.

“You’ve got to think about, Johnny over here has dyslexia. MaryAnn has auditory processing issues. Somebody else has cognitive issues,” he said. “And then, Jose just moved in from Mexico and can’t speak a lick of English.”

Teachers have to figure out how to reach those kids, while not overlooking students who are lagging behind, or making average progress or even excelling, Blankenship said.

“That’s what goes into planning,” he said.

Blankenship blames policy decisions by the Florida Legislature and budget cuts by Gov. Rick Scott for leaving public schools in a financial lurch.

“Right now, funding is less per student than it was in 2007,” Blankenship said.

Blankenship points to a move to “privatize public education” through charter schools and vouchers, which he said dilutes financial support for public education.

“The fact is that the political climate in Tallahassee is pretty much anti-public schools and anti-union,” Blankenship said.

Funding is so tight that teachers lack adequate supplies, Blankenship said.

“They don’t have the books for kids,” he said. “Last year, my daughter was a senior. I told the governor this: ‘My daughter is a senior at Land O’ Lakes High School and she can’t take a book home to study for her American government class or her economics class because all they’ve got is enough for a class set.’

“That’s frustrating for teachers. I know that’s frustrating for students,” Blankenship said. “And, it’s frustrating for parents because they want their kids to succeed in the classroom.”

The union leader also thinks there’s too much standardized testing in the schools.

“I think the amount of standardized testing that we’re forced to do is nothing short of emotional and psychological abuse of our students and teachers,” Blankenship said.

On the other hand, there is not enough opportunity for students who are not college-bound, Blankenship added.

“We’re not meeting the needs of those students,” Blankenship said. “Where’s pipe-fitting? Where’s welding?

“When I was in high school. Every school had a shop class, a building trades class, a drafting class – which would be CAD (computer-aided design) now,” he said.

It’s true that employees don’t have to be members for the union to bargain for their wages and working conditions, Blankenship said. To be represented individually by the union, however, an employee must be a member.

Despite difficulties that teachers face, being an educator remains a rewarding career, Blankenship said. That’s because teachers can make a real difference in the lives of their students.

“People like John Benedetto, Al Claggett, Max Ramos and Nancy Browning — those are teachers who inspired thousands, upon thousands of students,” Blankenship said.

In much the same way, the union wants to do what it can to help employees build on their professional strengths, Blankenship said. It also wants to help employees see the value of becoming a member.

“We invest in our clothes. We invest in our vehicles. We invest in our homes,” Blankenship said. “Why wouldn’t we invest in our profession?”

Published October 1, 2014

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Internship takes local student to Amazon jungle

September 25, 2014 By Michael Hinman

Those first nights in the Amazon rainforest were tough ones for Kenny Quayle. Especially when he was trying to get a few hours of sleep.

“There are strange sounds that come from the jungle, and some of them were from animals I never wanted to come face-to-face with,” he said. “There were thousands of bugs everywhere at night, and you could hear each and every one of them.”

Kenny Quayle, a junior at Academy at the Lakes, spent part of his summer as an intern in Peru, working in the Amazon. The trip included adventures, like this fishing trip on the Tahuayo River. (Courtesy of Kenny Quayle)

Quayle spent a month in Peru living on the edge of the Amazon. He was there working on a conservation team that was part of Amazonia Expeditions, an adventure company led by local biologist Paul Beaver, and his wife Dolly.

But Quayle is no scientist. He wasn’t even an adventure tourist. He’s a 16-year-old who just started his junior year at Academy at the Lakes.

The Beavers offer the internship to one student each year, creating an opportunity of a lifetime. Quayle had such a desire to make the trip that he applied his freshman year, but lost out to an older student. That changed his sophomore year when he made it in, and found himself on a plane to South America that summer.

“You write a small essay on what you want to do with the knowledge you gain from going there, and what you expect to draw from the experiences,” Quayle said. And that part was easy for him, since his goal is to eventually become a journalist, working for publications like those owned by National Geographic.

And while he was among tourists and researchers, this wasn’t a trip to Disney World. There was no air-conditioning, no hot showers, and bugs were the size of softballs. The average temperature is 81 degrees, but the humidity is so high, it puts Florida to shame.

“The locals there, they don’t sweat,” Quayle said. “If you sweat, you just get hotter, because of all the humidity. You learn to sit in places with a good breeze, and you learn to survive on cold showers.”

Quayle woke up at 6 a.m. daily and hiked for a few hours. He primarily cleaned out camera traps that are used to capture wildlife on film in its native habitat for researchers. He brought protein bars with him to keep his energy up, because breakfast wasn’t served until he returned to camp.

“I actually dropped 15 pounds while I was there,” Quayle said. “We would eat well, but it was a lot of plantains and a lot of rice, as well as some fresh vegetables.”

Usually, afternoons were spent working with tourists who would visit the Tahuayo Lodge and the Tahuayo River Amazon Research Center, located about 30 miles south of Iquitos, Peru’s fifth-largest city, in the Loreto Region.

The forests, as nearly anyone would imagine, were dangerous. Quayle almost had a fatal run-in with a fer-de-lance, a highly poisonous snake that can disguise itself well to look like a rock.

“It does swim, and it likes to hunt near the water,” Quayle said. “We were on the shore, and lucky the person I was with noticed it, because I almost walked into it.”

But not all of Quayle’s encounters with the wildlife had happy endings. He was stung by a tarantula hawk — a spider wasp that is so aggressive that it hunts tarantulas. Its sting is considered to be the second most painful in the world, second only to the bullet ant.

“You would have these flying roaches all over the place, and so you’re constantly swatting them away,” Quayle said. “We were out spear fishing, and a bug landed on my back. I swatted it, and didn’t realize it was a tarantula hawk.”

Back home, Quayle is on the Academy at the Lakes football team, and spends time playing the cello. His parents are Kevin and Kathy Quayle, who own All Season Air Conditioning & Heating in Tampa.

Before going to Peru, Quayle was only out of the country three other times, and two of those were cruises. But that might change now that he’s had a taste of the world outside of North America, and has made new friends around the globe.

“I am very interested in traveling, and I’ve always loved traveling,” he said. “My parents, not so much.”

With two more years left to his high school career, Quayle’s not even looking to wait until he’s in college to try to head out again. He’s already applying for a chance to take care of a baby orangutan in Borneo for two months next summer. And he’s getting ready for a trip to England and France with his European studies class.

“There is so much worldly knowledge out there that I want to collect, before I have to sit down and really take in all that scholarly knowledge from college,” Quayle said. “There is just so much to see, and so little time to do it in.”

Want to read more about Kenny Quayle’s adventures in the Amazon rainforest? Check out his blog, which is still under development, at TheAdventuresOfKenny.com.

Published September 24, 2014

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Chalk Talk 09-17-14

September 18, 2014 By Mary Rathman

A back-to-school helping hand
The Rotary Club of Lutz recently donated back-to-school supplies to Lutz Elementary School as one of its service projects. Showing off some of the donations are, from left, Leo Leonard of Tech Guys, Eugene Stutzman of Watoto, Lutz Guv’na Dr. Cindy Perkins, Rotary Club president Valerie Andrews, Lutz Elementary principal Mary Fernandez, Doug Andrews, and Ryan Southerland of Tampa Bay Insurance Center.

Lutz student immersed in Russian culture
Russell Duncan, a 10th grader at Middleton Magnet High School, participated in the Concordia Language Villages program for a four-week session at Lesnoe Ozero, the Russian Language Village located near Bemidji, Minnesota.

Duncan was immersed in the Russian language and culture through learning groups, authentic foods, holiday celebrations, re-enactments of historic events, conversations and more.

Concordia Language Villages is a recognized leader in global education offering 15 world language programs.

Duncan is the son of Teresa and Yves Hamard of Lutz.

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.

Knights help Bishop McLaughlin
Local Knights of Columbus Council 8104 of Land O’ Lakes recently presented Bishop McLaughlin High School with a check for $4,000 to be used for scholarship money for students with financial needs.

The proceeds came from the Knights’ annual Lenten Fish Fry at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church.

Reflection program at Long Middle
The theme for this year’s PTA Reflections Program at Long Middle School is “The world would be a better place if…”

The six categories for submissions are dance choreography, film/video production, literature, music composition, photography and visual arts. The deadline is Oct. 1

Students can pick up entry forms and contest rules in the school’s media center, or download them at FloridaPTA.org.

For information, email the Reflections Committee at .

All sessions are from 10:30 a.m. to noon at these locations:

• Sept. 23, Town Hall at Longleaf, 3141 Deland St., New Port Richey

• Sept. 29, Lexington Oaks Clubhouse, 26304 Lexington Oaks Blvd., Wesley Chapel

• Oct. 6, Tampa Palms Swim Clubhouse, 16402 Tampa Palms Blvd., New Tampa

• Oct. 27, Seven Oaks Community Center, 2910 Sports Core Circle, Wesley Chapel

• Nov. 3, The Lodge at Wilderness Lake Preserve, 21320 Wilderness Lake Blvd., Land O’ Lakes

• Nov. 10, Grand Hampton Clubhouse, 8301 Dunham Station Drive in Tampa

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

Student youth art contest
The Medical Center of Trinity, 9330 State Road 54, is having its annual Expressions of Thanks Youth Art Contest until Sept. 30.

Students in kindergarten through 12th grade are asked to celebrate the service of all U.S. military veterans, those who currently serve our great nation and their families, by submitting artwork, poetry or an essay.

Artwork must be submitted by Sept. 30 to the information desk at the hospital, or by mail to Medical Center of Trinity, Attn: Youth Art Contest, 9330 State Road 54, Trinity FL 34655.

First-place winners at each grade level will receive a $25 gift card.

The grand prize award is a choice of a bicycle or an iPod nano.

Participants and their families will be invited to a reception Nov. 9 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., for awards and to see the artwork on display.

For more information and complete rules, call (727) 834-4868, or email .

(Courtesy of Pasco-Hernando State College)

Cadets achieve success in law enforcement program
Cadets in the three most recent graduating classes of the Pasco-Hernando State College law enforcement and correctional officer programs achieved an overall 97 percent passing rate on state certification examinations administered by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. PHSC Cadet and class captain Randy Groves accepts congratulations from Charlie May, executive director of Public Service Programs, at the graduation ceremony in July. Groves passed the state exam and achieved the highest academic average after taking final exams.

Free breakfasts for students
The District School Board of Pasco County has amended its policy for serving meals to students under the National School Breakfast Programs for the 2014-15 school year.

All students will be served a free breakfast at the following sites:

• Centennial Elementary School

• San Antonio Elementary School

• Taylor Elementary School

• West Zephyrhills Elementary School

• Woodland Elementary School

• Centennial Middle School

• Pasco Middle School

• Stewart Middle School

• Pasco High School

• Zephyrhills High School

• Moore Mickens Education Center

These sites were selected because of their large percentage of students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals.

For information, call Julie Hedine, manager of Food and Nutrition Services, at (813) 794-2439, or email .

Basic computer skills
The Basic Computer Skills Course, designed for novice computer users and seniors, will start Sept. 16, at CARES Crescent Enrichment Center, 13906 Fifth St., in Dade City. Classes are Tuesday and Thursday for five weeks, from 9 a.m. to noon.

Course content includes the use of Windows 7 and 8, as well as instruction on an Android and Apple iPad tablets.

For information, call (352) 518-9300.

Rays-Helios scholars honored
The Rays Baseball Foundation and Helios Education Foundation honored 100 Rays-Helios Scholars at Tropicana Field on Aug. 29.

The foundations made a million-dollar pledge to “Take Stock in Children” in Pasco, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pinellas and Sarasota counties.

“Doubling Up for Education” is a unique program that gives students the financial resources and mentor support they need to achieve a postsecondary education at a publicly funded university in the state of Florida.