The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Education

Chalk Talk 08-06-14

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(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

Pasco-Hernando State College honored the Porter family of Wiregrass Ranch by erecting this permanent display on a wall at Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, a satellite of the college that opened in January. The Porter family donated 60 acres to the college to open the satellite in Wesley Chapel.

Back to school drive
The Children’s Home Society of Florida is having a back-to-school drive through Aug. 11 to help foster children.

There are separate needs for elementary, middle and high schools, including backpacks, index cards, pens, markers, transparent tape, calculators and wide-ruled paper.

The drop-off location is 4250 Oak Fair Blvd., in Tampa, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For information, call Rachelle Duroseau at (813) 949-8946, ext. 237, or email .

Meet the teacher at Oakstead
Oakstead Elementary School, 19925 Lake Patience Road in Land O’ Lakes, is hosting its Meet Your Child’s Teacher Day Aug. 13 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The event is for all students and parents to visit the classrooms, meet the teachers, join the PTA, pay supply fees, and sign up for transportation.

For information, call (813) 346-1500.

Liberty Middle open house
Liberty Middle School, 17400 Commerce Park Blvd., in Tampa, is hosting an open house Aug. 14. Guests can meet the principal and teachers, staff members, guidance counselors, and representatives of the PTA.

Sixth-graders are invited to attend at 2 p.m., and seventh- and eighth-graders at 4:30 p.m.

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

Medical scholarship fundraiser
The Medical Center of Trinity Volunteers, 9330 State Road 54, is hosting a fundraising event for scholarships for students studying in the medical field.

The fundraiser is Aug. 21-22 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., in the lobby of the hospital, and will showcase Masquerade Jewelry and accessories. All items are $5 and under.

There will also be a silent auction featuring gift baskets, gift cards and other items.

For information, call (727) 834-4017.

(Courtesy of Marcus Price)
(Courtesy of Marcus Price)

Bodhi Price, a student at Woodland Elementary School in Zephyrhills, recently performed in Sarasota’s Circus Arts Conservatory’s Summer Showcase on his birthday, July 11. Bodhi would like to become a stuntman, actor and performer, and circus training is part of his plan to achieve his goal.

Still time to enroll at PHSC
Students interested in enrolling for fall term classes at Pasco-Hernando State College should register immediately. Classes begin Aug. 25.

PHSC will introduce three new health programs this fall: pharmacy technician, surgical technology, and health information technology.

There also will be two bachelor degree programs in supervision and management, and in nursing.

Students can apply online at PHSC.edu/wise. The application fee is $25.

An additional $20 is assessed during the late registration period. Late registration is Aug. 25-29.

For information, visit PHSC.edu.

New schools, new programs on tap for 2014-15 school year

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The days of relatively easy rush-hour commutes are approaching an end as students, teachers and other employees gear up for a new school year.

Students in Pasco County Schools begin the 2014-15 school year on Aug. 18, and Hillsborough County public schools begin classes a day later.

These children arrive at school at Quail Hollow Elementary School on the last day the school had classes before closing down for renovation. Quail Hollow is slated to open in the 2015-16 school year. (File Photo)
These children arrive at school at Quail Hollow Elementary School on the last day the school had classes before closing down for renovation. Quail Hollow is slated to open in the 2015-16 school year.
(File Photo)

Wiregrass Ranch High School already is urging students and parents to give themselves ample time to arrive.

“Traffic in the morning is always busy,” Robyn White, the school’s principal, noted on the Wiregrass Ranch website. “With 40 buses arriving, 500 student drivers, 200 employees and hundreds of parents driving to school, you must arrive early to prevent being late to school.”

If that’s the scene at just one school, imagine how it will play out across two massive school districts.

In addition to traffic generated by Hillsborough and Pasco public schools, there also are thousands of students in both counties attending private schools and charter schools, including Academy at the Lakes, Land O’ Lakes Christian School, Countryside Montessori, The Reading Corner, Learning Gate Community School, Imagine School and Academy at the Farm, just to name a few.

The traffic jams will begin in earnest when students return to classes, but the volume will pick up a bit earlier as teachers and other school employees begin reporting back to work to get ready for another year.

Many parents are already hitting the malls, discount stores and local shops to buy their kids new school clothes and supplies for the coming year. Parents who want to be in the know should check their school’s website to make sure they are getting the supplies that their kids will need. Most websites offer a list of supplies that differentiates between grade levels.

Parents also can benefit from attending “meet the teacher” day at elementary schools and orientation sessions for older students to get a better feel for their child’s campus and the school’s rules. Again, all that information is available on schools’ websites.

The coming school year is ushering in new educational options for students in both school districts. Pepin Academies has a new public charter school in New Port Richey that will serve students with special learning needs throughout Pasco County.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the county, Darby Christian Academy in Dade City will offer a community school model, based on a biblical worldview. That school, a ministry of Darby Community Church at 14745 Bellamy Brothers Road, offers instruction for kindergarten through 10th-graders.

Stewart Middle School and Zephyrhills High School are adding The Infinity Academy, a program that blends online instruction with classroom learning to give students the chance to quickly move through material they master, but spend more time on lessons that cause them to struggle.

Both schools also are offering a program called AVID, which stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination. At Zephyrhills High, AVID will be available for 60 incoming ninth-graders who will take it as an elective. The class will focus on organizational skills, text coding, reading and writing coaching, and math and science tutorials.

At Stewart, the AVID elective will be offered for students in grades six through eight.

In Hillsborough County, the public charter Lutz Preparatory School has added a middle school. This year, the school will serve sixth- and seventh-graders. Next year, it intends to add eighth grade.

Three elementary schools in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area have new principals.

Claudia Steinacker will lead Cox Elementary School, and Christina Twardosz is at the helm of Centennial Elementary School, both in Dade City. Gretchen Rudolph-Fladd is the new principal at Veterans Elementary School in Wesley Chapel.

This school year also signals the first full year of operation for Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, a new satellite of Pasco-Hernando State College.

The college campus is next door to Wiregrass Ranch High and not far from Wesley Chapel High School, which is expected to lead to enhanced educational opportunities for the high school students and to give the college a chance to recruit more future students.

Pasco County Schools Calendar 2014-15
Aug. 18 — Students’ first day
Sep. 1 — Labor Day
Oct. 20 — Teacher planning day
Oct. 27— Report card distribution
Nov. 24-28 — Thanksgiving break
Dec. 22-Jan. 2 — Winter break
Jan. 5 — Teacher planning day
Jan. 12 — Report card distribution
Jan. 19 — Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Feb. 16 — President’s Day
March 16-20 — Spring break
March 23 — Teacher planning day
March 30 — Report card distribution
April 3 — Non-student day
May 20 — Seniors’ last day
May 25 — Memorial Day
June 3 — Students’ last day
June 11 — Final report card distribution

Hillsborough County Schools Calendar 2014-15
Aug. 19 — Students’ first day
Sept. 1 — Labor Day
Oct. 20 — Teacher planning day
Nov. 3 — Elementary report card distribution
Nov. 7 — Secondary report card distribution
Nov. 11 — Veterans Day
Nov. 24-28 — Fall break
Dec. 22-Jan. 2 — Winter break
Jan. 19 — Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Jan. 20 — Non-student day
Feb. 2 — Elementary report card distribution
Feb. 10 — Secondary report card distribution
March 9–13 — Spring break
March 16 — Student’s return to school
April 3 — Non-student day
April 13 — Elementary report card distribution
April 17 — Secondary report card distribution
May 25 — Memorial Day
June 5 — Elementary report card distribution
June 5 — Last day of school
June 12 — Secondary report card distribution

– Compiled by Ashley Schrader

Published August 6, 2014

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Saint Leo University hosts free Beginning Teacher Boot Camp

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Beginning educators may feel a bit shell-shocked, as they navigate through their first year of teaching. But a July 25 seminar at Saint Leo University aimed to combat those feelings.

The free half-day session, led by instructor Beverly Ledbetter, was filled with practical advice — in essence, a road map — to help new teachers protect themselves against potential pitfalls as they launch their careers.

Hilary Berbach, left, and Samantha Crumpler are starting their teaching careers in Pasco County this year. They took advantage of the free table of goodies that instructor Beverly Ledbetter brought to use as props in her ‘boot camp’ for beginning teachers. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Hilary Berbach, left, and Samantha Crumpler are starting their teaching careers in Pasco County this year. They took advantage of the free table of goodies that instructor Beverly Ledbetter brought to use as props in her ‘boot camp’ for beginning teachers.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

The boot camp, now in its third year, is a public service offered through Saint Leo’s School of Education and Social Services. The university is at 33701 State Road 52, in East Pasco County.

Teachers at the session came from numerous schools, including Wesley Chapel and Wharton high schools, Rushe Middle and Woodland, Seven Oaks, Pasco, Double Branch, R.B. Cox, San Antonio and Wesley Chapel elementary schools.

Nancy Cerezo, associate professor of education at Saint Leo, offered a bit of advice, too. She urged the teachers to seek assistance if they are encountering difficulties.

“If you don’t ask for help, they don’t know you’re drowning,” she said. “Do not be afraid to seek help from people on your faculty, on your campus. Ask seasoned teachers, ask the principal, ask the librarian — ask someone.”

Ledbetter talked to the teachers about what they should and shouldn’t do on campus. It’s a good idea to circulate with other teachers and school staff, to get to know them and to become known, she said.

“Know people’s names,” she advised. “That helps you.”

It’s especially smart to know the school’s bookkeeper, its guidance staff, custodians, lunchroom workers and union representative, Ledbetter said. All of them can help teachers succeed in different ways.

Teachers also should know they will get a supply budget, she said, so they don’t need to empty their wallets for classroom items. However, they must account for how they spend that money, so they should be sure to keep their receipts.

“Anything you buy for your classroom is tax-deductible,” Ledbetter added.

Another piece of advice is how to interact with students.

“Never put yourself in the position to be alone with a student, because you never know what they are going to say,” she said.

If a teacher wants to help a student after school, that’s fine – just be sure another teacher or other students are present, Ledbetter said.

Play it safe when it comes to school attire, too, Ledbetter said. Female teachers must avoid revealing clothing.

Male teachers must be aware of how they position themselves near students. They should avoid bending over a female student, to avoid accusations of impropriety, she said. Teachers need to read their contracts to make sure they know what is appropriate and inappropriate in the classroom.

Some things are just common sense, Ledbetter said. “If you have any doubts about something, don’t do it.”

Technology can be a useful aid to instruction, but also must be used with care, she said. Check with the school’s media staffer to be sure the material is appropriate for use in the classroom.

Also, avoid talking on your cellphone during class, Ledbetter said.

“Be careful of jokes in the classroom,” she added. “You never know how a student is going to take a joke.”

Another concern is how to deal with money, especially since misappropriating school funds is an infraction that can result in losing retirement benefits, Ledbetter said.

“Before you handle student money, know the procedures at your school,” she said. “If you’re on a field trip and a student asks you to hold their lunch money, think twice.”

Hilary Berbach, who will teach kindergarten at Woodland Elementary School in Zephyrhills, and Samantha Crumpler, who will teach kindergarten at San Antonio Elementary School, were among those attending the seminar. Crumpler said she’d already heard warnings about not being alone with children and being careful with money, but she liked Ledbetter’s advice about getting to know the school’s bookkeeper and saving receipts for school supplies for tax deductions.

Berbach liked Ledbetter’s suggested survival kit for teachers. She said she’d never considered how useful it would be to have safety pins around in case a need arises.

Both teachers are eager for school to start.

“I’m very nervous and very excited,” Berbach said. “I want to get in my classroom and set things up and meet my students. I’m so excited to know who my students are.”

A Beginning Teacher’s Survival Kit
Veteran educator Beverly Ledbetter suggests beginning teachers assemble a supply kit to prepare them for that first day of school.
Her suggested kit is not filled with tradition school supplies, such as markers, scissors, glue and paper. Instead, she recommends:

• Sanitizer wipes
• Facial tissue
• Eyeglass cleaning cloths
• Small set of screwdrivers
• Safety pins
• Sewing kit
• Hand lotion
• Clip of keys
• Umbrella
• Peanut butter crackers
• Cough drops
• Bandages for paper cuts or blisters

Published August 6, 2014

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County’s vo-tech program needs some TLC, Luikart says

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After spending decades as a teacher and administrator in Pasco County Schools, Steve Luikart was ready to enjoy retirement. That is, until a letter to the editor in an area newspaper caught the attention of his wife, Nancy, and his life would never be the same.

Steve Luikart feels he’s earned another term on the school board, especially since there’s still much work to do on the district’s vocational technical program. (Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)
Steve Luikart feels he’s earned another term on the school board, especially since there’s still much work to do on the district’s vocational technical program.
(Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

“The letter writer wanted to know when someone with the background and experience in the school system would run for the school board,” Luikart said. “My wife got me up at 5:30 that morning and made me read it. ‘Do you know what I’m saying?’ she asked me. I said, ‘Yes, I do.’”

Later that week, Luikart was in the supervisor of elections office, filing paperwork to run for school board, a seat he won in 2010 with 45 percent of the vote in a three-person race. Since then, Luikart has called himself a representative of the men and women who work in the school system, providing a voice he says they may not have otherwise.

“I know how the teachers feel, and how the custodians feel, and how the cafeteria and support staff feel,” he said. “I have worked with all those folks for so long, I can bring a different perspective when some of these things come up” on the board.

Luikart championed the opening of health clinics across the county that he said not only helps keep employees healthy, but saves the school district money in medical costs. Luikart also pushed for a program led by England’s University of Cambridge that provides accelerated methods of academic study, as well as an aeronautics program at Sunlake High School.

“One of my main goals, if I’m re-elected, is to look at our vocational technical programs and get more involved,” Luikart said. “I want to find out more what the students and the community need, because we need to be able to train our students who are not going on to college, and who are not getting higher paid jobs coming out of high school.”

The vo-tech programs have been something close to Luikart’s heart in his more than three decades as an educator. He was a second-generation graduate of Gulf High School in New Port Richey, and returned to the high school after college to become an educator.

Luikart’s first job was as a work experience coordinator and he focused on freshmen who were at high risk of eventually dropping out of school. He would work with them to make sure they had the necessary life skills to succeed on their own, including how to fill out job applications and to balance a checkbook.

“The expectation was that just about 8 (percent) to 10 percent would actually stay in school and graduate,” Luikart said. “I didn’t take what I did lightly, and my graduation rate was actually closer to 60 (percent) to 70 percent, and the state came in and adopted my curriculum elsewhere.”

Whenever Luikart travels around the country, he visits various vo-tech programs, looking for ideas. He realized in observing those programs, Pasco’s vocational technical programs are falling short.

“They are nowhere close to the levels they should be at,” he said. “We have to make sure that when these students graduate, they will get two steps in front of the average guy. We need to expand some of the programs that we’re offering.”

Luikart also wants to break out various career academies so that they are more centralized and accessible to students across the country, and not just specifically with a high school, like the culinary academy at Land O’ Lakes High School.

“If I’m at Sunlake, I have to drive over to Land O’ Lakes High School and try to enroll in it,” Luikart said. “If these academies were part of the Marchman Technical Education Center, it would become more economically viable from the district’s standpoint.”

Luikart says he wants his next four years to be like the last four on the board, and that starts with listening to everyone affected by the board’s decisions.

“I don’t rule with a heavy hand,” he said. “I rule with the people.”

STEVE LUIKART
Non-partisan candidate for Pasco County School Board, District 5

OCCUPATION
Retired administrator, Pasco County Schools

ELECTED OFFICE
Pasco County School Board, 2010

FAMILY
Nancy Luikart, wife
Steve Luikart, son
Jamie Golubeff, daughter
Shawna Luikart, daughter

RESIDENCE
New Port Richey, lifelong

FUNDRAISING
through July 25
$9,786

Published August 6, 2014

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Yacht says school district needs protection from itself

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It’s not uncommon to find education leaders with the “doctor” title before their name. But Marc Yacht is not one of those kinds of doctors. He’s actually a medical doctor, the retired director of the Pasco County Health Department.

Health in education is important to Marc Yacht, but so is protecting public education from those who want to privatize all of it. (Courtesy of Marc Yacht)
Health in education is important to Marc Yacht, but so is protecting public education from those who want to privatize all of it.
(Courtesy of Marc Yacht)

And he now wants to lend his medical knowledge and experience to Pasco County Schools as a member of the school board.

“I’m advocating for more nursing services in the schools, since many children now have chronic medical problems that require more attention,” Yacht said. “I also would like to offer my expertise when it comes to health policy issues that come before the school board. That’s a big one for me, and something we haven’t really had since Marge Whaley left a number of years ago.”

However, Yacht is not looking to just address medical needs in the school district. He also wants to rein in what he says is the district’s out-of-control dependence on charter schools and voucher credits, which eats money that could’ve otherwise been spent on improving public schools.

“We are No. 43 nationally when it comes to public schools,” Yacht said. “We are so low on the list for funding, it really concerns me when money is being drained from public schools for charter schools.”

More than 87 percent of voucher credits, he said, are going to religious schools.

“That is a Constitutional issue for me,” Yacht said. “I am a 100 percent advocate for public education, and I feel no Florida tax dollar should go to religious or private schools. Yet, I’m hearing no voices about this. I’m not hearing anything from school boards or superintendents addressing concerns about how significant tax dollars are being drained.”

Teachers also are getting unfairly blamed for a school’s poor performance, Yacht said.

“We do not understand the problem that children have when they are coming into a school,” he said. “Much of it is poverty, and they don’t have the resources others do. And our teachers are being demoralized by all this, plus they haven’t received a raise for five years, so that’s not helping much either.”

One thing that Yacht hopes to share with fellow board members, if elected, is to be more open-minded to the concerns brought to them by the community. Far too often, it seems the board has made up its mind in advance, and what parents and students feel is usually left on the table.

The worst example, he says, was when the school board decided last year to allow a cell tower to be built at Seven Oaks Elementary School in Wesley Chapel.

“Parents came before the school board and really addressed concerns,” Yacht said. “They didn’t just come mad, they came with information. More than 50 of them spoke in front of the school board. But still, in the end, there were four votes for the cell tower, and only one against.”

Yacht isn’t sure a cell tower would actually have long-term health effects on students learning near it, but it just didn’t need to happen.

“There are lots of places to put a cell tower, so why do you need to put it on school grounds?” he said.

The school board also needs to refocus some of its attention on the larger issues affecting the county, Yacht said. Far too often, time is wasted in areas it shouldn’t be.

“The school board deals with a lot of minutiae, like when a teacher needs to get disciplined or a child apologizes for bad behavior,” Yacht said. “They are getting involved, and it’s kind of like Nero fiddling while Rome is burning. They are looking at smaller issues when the house is falling down.”

Yacht’s focus is to protect the very education system he says is being threatened by the push of privatization. And he’s ready to do that from a spot on the school board.

“We have to start looking at the larger issues, because if we don’t, public schools are going to be gone,” Yacht said. “That is the agenda of this (state) government, and we can’t let it happen.”

MARC YACHT
Non-partisan candidate for Pasco County School Board, District 5 

OCCUPATION
Retired director, Pasco County Health Department

FAMILY
Helen Yacht, wife
Philip Yacht, son
Becky Yhap, daughter
Susan Michelle Hinkle, daughter

RESIDENCE
Hudson, since 1987

FUNDRAISING
through Aug. 1
$3,953

Published August 6, 2014

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Wesley Chapel school offers individualized instruction

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A small private school, tucked in an office park off Ancient Oaks Boulevard in Wesley Chapel, offers a style of education tailored to the individual needs of children.

Hailey Ferrara works on a lesson at the white board during last school year at the New LEAPS Academy in Wesley Chapel. It is a school that aims to prepare its students to live independent lives. (Courtesy of New LEAPS Academy)
Hailey Ferrara works on a lesson at the white board during last school year at the New LEAPS Academy in Wesley Chapel. It is a school that aims to prepare its students to live independent lives.
(Courtesy of New LEAPS Academy)

The school, which calls itself New LEAPS Academy, is licensed for kindergarten through 12th grade. But so far, it has students ranging from kindergarten through fifth grade.

The school specializes in serving students with special needs. Its acronym, LEAPS, stands for:

• Listening to needs
• Educating to abilities
• Achieving goals
• Partnering with families
• Succeeding

As the school enters its second year of operation, it has an enrollment of 16 students. The hope is to increase that enrollment to 20 by the time classes begin on Aug. 18, said Deb Natale, the president and co-founder of the school, at 27724 Cashford Circle, Suite 101, in Wesley Chapel.

“There are no other schools that do what we do,” Natale said, noting what makes her school unique is that it serves children with a wide range of disabilities, instead of serving only children with a particular disability such as autism or hearing loss.

Natale said the Wesley Chapel and New Tampa area needs this kind of school. And she knows this firsthand. She and her husband Tony, who is on the school’s board and is chairman of fundraising, have a granddaughter who has special needs.

Each student is evaluated individually to gain an understanding of his or her needs, said Jessie Wamsley, the lead teacher and school manager. Goals are set for each student, and educational plans are revised as a child progresses.

“We fit our curriculum to fit the students’ needs,” Wamsley said, versus trying to use a one-size-fits-all approach. “Our classroom is purposely small, so the kids do get that one-on-one attention.”

Children who attend the school have a variety of challenges, Wamsley said. Some do not speak, for example, and the school uses various strategies to help those children communicate, including using American Sign Language.

Some children have anxiety issues and others have learning disabilities, the women said.

Tuition is $8,700 and the school accepts McKay scholarships, which are available through the state for children with special needs. Special services, such as speech therapy and occupational therapy, also are available from specialists for additional fees.

The school’s aim is to prepare its students to lead independent lives, Natale said. Its goal is to help each child reach his or her potential, Wamsley said.

While the school serves children of diverse needs, it is not equipped to help every child, Wamsley said. Some children have severe medical or behavioral problems that are beyond the reach of the school’s capabilities.

Parents who are interested in learning more about New LEAPS Academy are invited to come in for a visit to see if the school can meet their child’s needs, Natale said.

To arrange a meeting time, call (813) 973-7938.

For more information about the school, visit NewLEAPS.org.

Published August 6, 2014

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MOSI gives health screenings new meaning with theater upgrades

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When the Imax theater first opened at Tampa’s Museum of Science & Industry in Tampa in 1995, the technology behind the larger-than-life films was still quite revolutionary.

Lines to see Imax movies at the Museum of Science & Industry could be a lot longer in the near future once planned upgrades to the theater are complete, thanks in part to a $2 million donation from Florida Hospital. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Lines to see Imax movies at the Museum of Science & Industry could be a lot longer in the near future once planned upgrades to the theater are complete, thanks in part to a $2 million donation from Florida Hospital.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

Today, however, it’s hard to find a movie complex without an Imax screen, and nearly all of them are digital — leaps and bounds beyond MOSI’s now almost antiquated film-based system.

But that’s changing after a $2 million donation from Florida Hospital that will not only rename the dome theater after the hospital chain, it will bring science to the masses in ways that were never imagined 20 years ago. Called “Florida Hospital Presents Live SX,” surgeons at local hospitals will perform routine surgeries, which will be broadcast live to MOSI’s Coleman Science Works Theater for middle school, high school and college students.

“Live SX” will be a lot like the more traditional surgery amphitheaters, except without the need to travel to a hospital. Surgeons will answer questions from the audience, and provide a glimpse into surgery many may not have had otherwise.

“We believe that investing in MOSI is important for the community,” said Mike Schultz, president and chief executive of Florida Hospital West Florida Region, during a check presentation at the Fowler Avenue museum last week. We believe our investment will help support MOSI as it moves forward, to create long-term sustainability of the museum, and further (develop) future scientists and health care professionals while helping develop the work force in the greater Tampa Bay area.

“We want to make a difference.”

Access to medical professionals in this way is something many don’t get to experience otherwise, especially in suburban areas like northern Hillsborough and southern Pasco counties, said Molly Demeulenaere, MOSI’s vice president of growth.

“A lot of hospitals don’t open their operating rooms, and we’ll be working with families in Pasco County to help make that possible,” she said. “Younger kids especially are going to have access to this information before they start to figure out what they want to do for a living, and (it) allows them to spark that interest at a much earlier age.”

Where the surgeries will take place depends on Florida Hospital itself, Demeulenaere said. They could be hosted from Tampa, Wesley Chapel, even Zephyrhills.

The Imax dome image is 10 times larger than a conventional 35mm frame, and three times larger than a standard 70mm frame, museum officials said. The dome theater offers a six-channel, high-fidelity motion picture sound system manufactured by Sonics Associates Inc., as well as a projector, which when it was installed, was one of the most advanced, using technology to keep the picture steady and prevent film hiccups.

MOSI always has prided itself as a hands-on museum, bringing science directly to people who visit.

“When people think of a museum, they normally think of these big open spaces where you don’t touch anything,” Demeulenaere said. “But museums are a true lab of creativity and education, and play a vital role in the community as a whole.”
MOSI did not say when work would begin on the theater, and it may have to wait its turn in line as other science centers are undergoing similar transitions and there are few companies qualified to do the work. Most of the money donated by Florida Hospital will go into the “transformation,” as MOSI is calling it, although remaining funds can be used to help supplement other programs at the museum.

“Florida Hospital is demonstrating true community leadership, and I think we should really thank our lucky stars for Florida Hospital and all the work that they do in our communities throughout Florida,” MOSI board chair Robert Thomas said. “I just can’t begin to tell you how important this is, and how thrilled we are to have them as a partner in the future of this organization.”

Published July 30, 2014

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Proposed school taxes to be lower this year

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After years of gut-wrenching personnel cuts, Pasco County Schools expects to add employees this year, while reducing tax bills for property owners and balancing a budget of nearly $1.2 billion.

The proposed budget is based on a tax rate of $7.15 per $1,000 of taxable value compared to a tax rate of $7.36 this year.

Joanne Hurley
Joanne Hurley

Based on this year’s proposed budget, the owner of a $100,000 home, after $50,000 in exemptions, would pay $357.50 in school taxes, a reduction of $10.50 from the current rate.

The proposed budget anticipates the district’s enrollment to be 67,955, an increase of 925 over last year.

Allocations in the budget include:

• $500,000 to cover costs associated with opening Sanders Memorial, Quail Hollow and Shady Hills elementary schools, which are slated to reopen in the 2015-16 school year.

• $7.9 million for the equivalent of 176 full-time positions, primarily to comply with state class size requirements.

• $2.8 million for professional and curriculum mandates.

• $1.5 million for increased health insurance costs.

The budget assumes a $1 million reduction in district energy costs and $1.6 million in savings from cutting the district’s early retirement program.

The proposed budget also reflects an expected increase of 607 students attending charter schools, receiving McKay scholarships for special needs or enrolled in Department of Juvenile Justice centers. Those 607 students represent $2.4 million in funding, which comes into Pasco, but goes to those programs.

The total projected enrollment for those programs is 3,762, representing more than $23.3 million.

The district expects to have a total of $3.4 million available for salary increases, based on these budget projections.

School board member Joanne Hurley said this year’s budget deliberations are a welcome departure from the previous seven years. In those years, the board was forced to make “painful, painful decisions,” Hurley said.

“It is so nice at this time of the year to say we have a balanced budget,” she said. “This is a real luxury after the past seven years.”

A final public hearing on the district’s budget will be held in September.

Published July 30, 2014

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Special needs recreational classes struggling to stay afloat

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Megan Burgess loves to paint and sing.

She looks forward to her weekly art and music class, designed for people with special needs, which are Thursday evenings at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex on Collier Parkway. But if it doesn’t get more support, she might lose that opportunity.

Megan Burgess paints at her weekly art class at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex with art teacher Angela Dickerson looking on. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Megan Burgess paints at her weekly art class at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex with art teacher Angela Dickerson looking on.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

And that loss would be felt by both Megan and her mother.

“It would be horrible. You want the kids to be socializing,” Violetta Burgess said.

Her daughter Megan, 21, has low-functioning autism. She has trouble communicating verbally, but her enthusiasm for the class is clear: When Violetta tells her it’s time for art or music, Megan goes to find her shoes. She knows where she’s going that night, and has a fun time singing, using percussion instruments, painting and participating with everyone else in the class.

The problem is that “everyone” was just five students this past session. And for VSA Florida, the state branch of Very Special Arts — an international nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding art opportunities for people with disabilities — five is simply not enough.

“It does put the program in jeopardy, because if we don’t keep our numbers up, we’re not able to keep it going,” said Wendy Finklea, VSA Florida’s director of programs. “We aren’t at the point where the class is sustaining itself.”

The class requires at least seven students to break even, but really needs a steady roster of 10 or more students to be financially viable long-term. The $40 per month that participants pay not only compensates the teachers who direct the classes, but also covers a nominal fee the organization pays the recreation complex.

Since classes moved from the University of South Florida to Land O’ Lakes in January, attendance has ranged from four to eight students. Those figures have required VSA Florida to keep it going with other funds, Finklea said. They also provide scholarships based on need for families who cannot afford the monthly cost.

While the class is caught in a numbers game, Finklea said the benefits go way beyond the balance sheet.

“They learn self confidence, they learn teamwork, collaboration, tolerance, understanding,” she said.

And since the students are often asked to describe or explain their art, they learn to express themselves in a variety of ways.

While the Land O’ Lakes class attendance is troubling, that location isn’t alone. Many of their locations struggle with attendance, Finklea said. She believes there are several reasons why the programs don’t always gain traction, from a lack of societal emphasis on the arts, to scheduling conflicts, to parents not even knowing the classes exist.

But the ones who attend appreciate the program, and Finklea said the training the teachers receive to work with special needs students contributes to the positive feedback.

While Finklea and VSA Florida are disappointed with the turnout so far, they aren’t giving up. VSA Florida will continue advertising and promoting the classes, and is working with a consultant to find other opportunities to get the word out to the community.

After a scheduled summer break in August, the classes will begin again in September, and Finklea said they’ll have roughly six months to get the program running at a higher capacity before some tough decisions have to be made.

Right now she believes many people with special needs are missing out on the benefits of the class, and if it has to be cancelled or relocated, the existing students will join them.

“They’re probably missing out on a huge chance for creative expression and probably a chance to enhance their cognitive and social outcomes, which ultimately develops a stronger quality of life,” Finklea said.

That outcome would disappoint Megan, and her mother would have a tough time replacing the activity and the enjoyment she gets out of it.

“My daughter would lose out because I don’t know what I would do,” Violetta said. “She’s older, and it’s hard to find something for her that’s close.”

Siblings of special needs students also are encouraged to join and participate with them in the classes. Children under 7 must be accompanied by an adult.

For more information about VSA Florida, call (813) 974-0715, or visit VSAFl.org.

Published July 30, 2014

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Chalk Talk 07-23-14

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Oakstead Kindergarten camp
Oakstead Elementary School, 19925 Lake Patience Road in Land O’ Lakes, will host a Kindergarten Camp Aug. 5 from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

Students should be registered for this event by Aug. 1.

New kindergarten students will experience a day of kindergarten, and parents can learn more about the school.

For information, call (813) 346-1500.

Back 2 School drive
The Children’s Home Society of Florida is having a back-to-school drive through Aug. 11 to help foster children.

There are separate needs for elementary, middle and high schools, including backpacks, index cards, pens, markers, transparent tape, calculators and wide-ruled paper.

The drop-off location is 4250 Oak Fair Blvd., in Tampa, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For information, call Rachelle Duroseau at (813) 949-8946, ext. 237, or email .

Boot camp for new teachers
The School of Education and Social Services at Saint Leo University, 33701 State Road 52 in St. Leo, is offering a free Beginning Teacher Boot Camp for first-time teachers in Pasco and Hillsborough county school districts.

The camp is July 25 from 8:30 a.m. to noon in the Student Community Center.

New teachers are invited whether they graduated from Saint Leo or another institution.

Topics will include classroom management strategies, contract rights and responsibilities, workplace acronyms, and how to work with school support personnel and fellow teachers.

To attend, email , with the phrase “Beginning Teacher Boot Camp 2014” in the subject line.

Stuff the Backpack
First National Bank of Pasco is hosting its fifth annual Stuff the Backpack Drive through Aug. 4.

School supplies needed include pencils, pens, scissors, index cards, notebooks, folders, paper, glue sticks, Ziploc bags, crayons, erasers, rulers, highlighters and pencil boxes. Monetary donations will be used to purchase additional school supplies.

Donations can be dropped off at its three locations:
• 13315 U.S. 301 in Dade City
• 37215 State Road 54 in Zephyrhills
• 4518 Gall Blvd., Zephyrhills

Back to School Bash
Cobb Theatre Grove 16 & Cinebistro’s 2014 Back to School Bash will be Aug 9 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at 6333 Wesley Grove Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

The event will include face painting, games, haircuts, health screenings, school supplies and more.

The theme for this year’s bash is the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” which will be the theater’s major summer release.

Kiwanis Club school supply drive
The Kiwanis Club of Greater West Pasco is having a school supply drive through Aug. 5.

Gulfside Hospice thrift shops will collect donations at its five sites, including 37925 Sky Ridge Circle in Dade City, and 36524 State Road 54 in Zephyrhills.

Anyone who donates to the drive will receive a voucher for 25 percent off a single item (excluding sale items and furniture) valid for up to one week after donation is made.

For information and shop locations, visit GHPPC.org.

Pasco County schools reopen Aug. 18
Students in Pasco County will return to school for the 2014-15 school year Aug. 18.

Notable dates on the calendar are:
• Possible hurricane makeup days are Nov. 24-25, and Feb. 16
• Veterans Day will be a school day
• Thanksgiving holiday is Nov. 24-28
• Winter break is Dec. 22 through Jan. 2
• Spring break is March 16-20
• Last day of school is June 3

For complete calendar information, visit Pasco.k12.fl.us.