The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Education

Pasco agribusiness teacher wants her knowledge to grow in Korea

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Kelli Hamilton has a condition and she isn’t a bit ashamed to admit it.

“I’m an ‘ag’ nerd,” said the Pasco High School agribusiness and natural resources teacher.

Kelli Hamilton enjoys sharing her knowledge of agriculture in different parts of the world with her students at Pasco High School. She plans to get an up-close look at agriculture in South Korea this summer through an overseas study program. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Kelli Hamilton enjoys sharing her knowledge of agriculture in different parts of the world with her students at Pasco High School. She plans to get an up-close look at agriculture in South Korea this summer through an overseas study program.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

She’s so interested in agriculture that she’s planning to spend a month in South Korea this summer learning about that country’s agricultural education programs. Hamilton already has been to Ireland and to Iowa to get acquainted with agriculture in those parts of the world.

She’s making the trip to South Korea through a University of Florida/Penn State Program for undergraduate, graduate and kindergarten through 12th-grade teachers. Hamilton is among a group of teachers from Florida, Pennsylvania and Connecticut who are making the trip, traveling with eight students from Pennsylvania State University, and four faculty members from the two universities.

While in South Korea, they will see the country’s Future Farmers of Korea program, which is based on FFA. They also will observe various levels of education programs and various agricultural techniques.

The trip begins June 14 and concludes July 13.

“I’m pumped,” Hamilton said. “I definitely want to learn more about how they do their education system.”

She hopes to pick up different teaching techniques and to have a better understanding of the differences between agriculture in South Korea and agriculture here.

“I’m intrigued about the Korean agriculture just because it’s a developing country,” Hamilton said. “They’ve had a lot of strife in the past 50, 60, 70 years, so I want to see how they’re changing and adapting to that.”

The study abroad course and experience is a joint venture between the Department of Agricultural Education and Communication at the University of Florida, and the Department of Agricultural and Extension Education at Penn State.

In an essay explaining why she wanted to study abroad in Korea, Hamilton wrote, “When traveling overseas, we are able to see the same thing through a different set of lenses.

“Agriculture is in every corner of this planet,” she added. “It is different in some ways, but ultimately the same.”

She also expressed confidence that she could transfer the knowledge she gains into lessons in her Pasco High classroom.

Hamilton already knows how to give students real-world lessons, said Amber Hill, 17, a senior.

“She’s an amazing teacher. She doesn’t just give us facts. She gives us hands-on opportunities. She cares about what you learn,” Hills said.

Besides investing her time in the trip, Hamilton also is investing her money. She’s eager to make the trip.

“I’m pumped,” Hamilton said. “I’m going there to see how they do agriculture education, at all different levels from elementary to high school to college.”

Recently, Hamilton was talking to her students about differences that farmers encounter in different parts of the world. She talked to them about how terrain, equipment, weather, water and soil fertility can influence what crops are produced and where they are marketed.

She talked about some of the strengths and pitfalls of modern machinery and technology that today’s farmers can use.

“I actually went to visit a farm in Iowa. They have this huge sprayer, and it was on a pilot,” Hamilton said. “Basically, they use GPS.”

By using modern technology, farmers can fully utilize the space they have, can reduce manual labor, and can use less fuel, she said.

But there can be a downside.

“There was a lot of rain this past year, so part of the field had fallen down into the river, Hamilton said. “The tractor was on autopilot and it didn’t account for that terrain washing into the river, so he (the farmer) ended up flipping his brand-new sprayer.”

The farmer went into the river with it, and it turns out that it’s not so simple to shut down the computer system, she said. There’s a lot of debate in the United States and internationally about the benefits and risks of new technology, she said.

Hamilton also talked with the students about the economics of agriculture and the rules of supply and demand. If there’s a high supply and a low demand, prices drop, she told them.

Courtney Nathe, 17, said she hopes Hamilton will create a presentation that the teacher can share with students when she returns.

“I definitely think it’s a good opportunity for her, just to see what it’s like in an international market,” Nathe said.

She also thinks Hamilton is a worthy candidate for the program and will be able to convey what she learns to her students.

“She makes class interesting. She communicates well with teenagers,” Nathe. “She’s young enough that she does understand (teenagers), so it makes the class a little bit more interesting and we learn.”

Published April 16, 2014

Chalk Talk 04-16-14

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Oakstead kindergarten open house
Oakstead Elementary School, 19925 Lake Patience Road in Land O’ Lakes, will host a Kindergarten Open House April 29 at 7 p.m., in the cafeteria. 

Registration packets will be distributed. Students entering kindergarten must be 5 years old on or before Sept. 1, 2014. Completed packets will be accepted beginning May 5 and throughout the summer.

For information, call (813) 346-1500.

Double Branch kindergarten orientation
Double Branch Elementary School, 31500 Chancey Road in Wesley Chapel, will host a Kindergarten Orientation April 29 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., in the cafeteria.

Incoming kindergarten students must be 5 years old on or before Sept. 1, 2014 to register for the 2014-2015 school year.

Packets picked up that evening must be completed and the school will begin to accept them beginning May 5  from 9 a.m. to noon in the media center. 

For more information on documents needed, call (813) 346-0402.

PHSC names Academy leaders
Pasco-Hernando State College has named Charlie May director of public service programs, and Patricia Maxwell instructor coordinator of the Law Enforcement Academy.

May most recently served as forensic services chief for the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, and is retired after 25 years of service to that office. He is a former police officer with the New York City Housing Authority.

Maxwell is an adjunct law enforcement instructor at Hillsborough Community College, and was most recently the assistant terminal manager at Murphy Oil Corp. She is a former officer with the Temple Terrace Police Department.

President’s List welcomes Smith
Robert Ellis Smith of Land O’ Lakes, was named to the President’s List at Pensacola Christian College for academic achievement during the fall semester.

Pensacola Christian College is a liberal arts college with an enrollment of 4,500 students.

Robert played baseball, basketball and football at Academy at the Lakes, is an advanced pianist, and obtained his Florida insurance license just shy of the age of 18.

He is the son of Robert and Sheri Ellis Smith of Land O’ Lakes.

HCC open houses
Hillsborough Community College will host an open house at its Brandon Campus, 10414 E. Columbus Drive, April 16 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Program, admissions and financial aid information will be available.

For information, email .

Freedom High shoe recycling
Freedom High School, 17410 Commerce Park Drive in New Tampa, is hosting a shoe recycling drive through April 25.

All footwear, except metal cleats, will be accepted in old grocery bags. Bags can be dropped off in the shoe recycling bin of the school’s front parking lot.

For information, email .

Hillel students winners in art
Five students at Hillel Academy, 2020 W. Fletcher Ave., in Tampa, were honored at the 19th Annual Rembrandt Youth Art Competition. More than 120 entries were part of the Hillsborough countywide show.

The student winners were:
• 5- to 6-year-olds: Sam Hyman, third place, “King of the Jungle”
• 9- to 10-year-olds: Malina Seldes, first place, “Under the Sea”; Albert Tawil Brown, honorable mention, “Bamboo”
• 11- to 12-year-olds: Arielle Solomon, first place, “Nantucket Dream”; Briana Miele, honorable mention, “Three Course Dinner”

Kervin makes Honor List
Audrey Kervin of Lutz was named to the Honor List of Oxford College, a two-year liberal arts division of Emory University in Oxford, Ga., for the fall semester.

Students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher to receive the honor.

Lindo on Dean’s List
Michael Lindo Jr., of Lutz, was named to the Dean’s List at Berklee College of Music for the fall semester.

The Berklee curriculum focuses on practical career preparation for the music industry, and has campuses in Boston and Valencia, Spain.

PHSC faculty, staff garner excellence
Pasco-Hernando State College has announced its recipients of the annual National Institute of Staff and Organizational Development Excellence Awards.

The 2014 honorees include Rene Brioso, assistant professor of information technology programs; Shirley Cherry, associate professor of mathematics; Patricia Garcia, assistant professor of nursing; and Burt Harres, vice president of instruction and provost, West Campus.

NISOD’s Excellence Awards recognize men and women each year who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment and contribution to their students and colleagues.

PHSC’s NISOD Excellence Award recipients are invited to attend the 2014 International Conference on Teaching and Leadership Excellence May 25-28 in Austin, Texas. They will be honored during a ceremony that has become the largest gathering that recognizes the contributions and achievements of community and technical college faculty, administrators and staff.

(Courtesy of Georgene Orlowicz)
(Courtesy of Georgene Orlowicz)

Clowning around at Wesley Creative
The Clown Unit of the Ladies Oriental Shrine Cairo Court 97 visited Wesley Creative School in Dade City. The ladies told jokes, performed skits, gave out stickers and small gifts, and entertained the children and their teachers. The students and their teachers collected aluminum can tabs and donated them to the Clown Unit in exchange for the performance. Taking part in the fun were, back row from left,Catherine Parker, Linda Sumner, Patty Thompson, Virginia Hale, Isabelle Collins, Director of Wesley Creative School JoAnn Wilks, Gayle Johnson, Carol Miller, and M.J. Price (sitting in middle). The VPK children are Brycelin Infantino, Julia Cotter, Chase Carvill, Alexis Perez, Zachary Morrow, Maddie Rodriguez, Kylie Simon, Sebastian Esqueda, Aniya Gant, Zechariah Johnson, Layla Miller, Autumn Bennett, Cagen Wood, Diego Valdo Vinos, De’Onna Miller, Jason Byrd, Keilah Holtzhower and Darion Mings.

Student Citizens recognized by chamber
The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce recognized Student Citizens for March. Each month, one student from 10 area schools is selected for exemplary effort, achievement and contribution to their school, family and community.

Students recognized were Anyla Jordan of Chester Taylor Elementary School, Kelli Waver of The Broach School, Natalee Mason of Raymond B. Stewart Middle School, Victory Tinney of Zephyrhills High School, Shalyn Carter of East Pasco Adventist Academy and Hannah Gouldborne of Heritage Academy.

‘Bee Bully-Free’ in Zephyrhills
Zephyrhills area schools are encouraging students, teachers and staff to wear black and yellow on the last Friday of each month as part of the “Bee Bully-Free Initiative.” The initiative provides stickers and coloring book pages for schools that request them, participates in the Great American Teach-in, and provides certificates and awards for students who transform from bullies into kinder versions of themselves.

Upcoming black and yellow Fridays are April 25 and May 30.

For information on the initiative, visit Facebook.com/beebullyfree.

 

Holocaust survivor shares his story at Land O’ Lakes High

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As the speaker wrapped up his talk, Land O’ Lakes High School students streamed down to the front of the auditorium to shake his hand and pose with him for photos.

After his talk, Philip Gans showed students his concentration camp tattoo, shook hands with students and posed with them for pictures. The students seemed eager to have a personal encounter with someone who had survived one of history’s most horrific chapters. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
After his talk, Philip Gans showed students his concentration camp tattoo, shook hands with students and posed with them for pictures. The students seemed eager to have a personal encounter with someone who had survived one of history’s most horrific chapters.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

They wanted a personal encounter with Philip Gans, a man who survived the horrors of the Holocaust during World War II. Gans was at the high school to share his story, so others won’t forget the atrocities committed by the Nazis.

“Your children will never have a chance to see a concentration camp survivor,” Gans said, speaking to teachers and students from U.S. history, world history and several other classes.

Social studies teacher Whitney Miller arranged the visit, saying it’s important for students to use the most primary source of information they can receive.

Gans, now 86, said his life in Amsterdam began as a happy one.

“We had a good life,” he said. “Dad had his own business. We had people working for us. We had domestic help. We even had a car.”

But Gans and his family were Jewish, so when the Nazis invaded they went into hiding beginning in August 1942, moving from place to place for nearly a year to avoid detection. On July 24, 1943 — the evening of his father’s birthday — they were arrested. Gans was 15 at the time.

The family was taken to a detention camp, where they remained a month before being sent to Auschwitz III, a slave labor camp. They loaded more than 1,000 people into cattle cars and carted them to the concentration camp, jamming 50 to 60 people in each car, Gans recalled.

There were no bathrooms. Those who needed to relieve themselves were forced to do so in a pail, in full view of others, Gans said.

“They had no respect for humanity. As a matter of fact, they were savages. They were brutal,” he said.

When they arrived at the camp, they separated the men and older boys from the women and children.

He never saw his mom, sister or grandmother again.

Once Gans he arrived at the camp, he was known as No. 139755. It’s tattooed on his arm and on a replica of the shirt he wore at the concentration camp.

“The conditions were unbelievable,” Gans said.

During his time of confinement he never saw a toothbrush or toothpaste. He showered about once every 10 days, he said.

Besides the physical hardships, prisoners endured mental abuse, he said.

“They did everything to make life miserable for you,” Gans said. “They were brutal.”

Workers kept trying to work, even when they were deathly ill, he said. They knew the consequences if they didn’t.

“Everybody knows if you’re too weak to work, you’d wind up in the gas chamber,” Gans said.

Despite the hardships, Gans considers himself one of the lucky ones.

“I survived,” he said. “There were many people who did not survive. My dad, for instance, he was the only (one) of the 21 members of his family that did not die in the gas chambers. He died in a death march April 1945, a month before the liberation.”

Gans said he, too, walked in the death march — long brutal hikes used by the Nazis when moving prisoners from one concentration camp to another — before being liberated by the American Army on April 23, 1945. He was 17.

Besides using his message to remind people of the atrocities of the Holocaust, Gans also spreads another message. “Erase hate,” he urged the audience.

“When you go home tonight, take out your dictionary and cross out the word ‘hate.’ Hate is corrosive,” Gans said.

He also encouraged students to never give up hope and to take action when they witness something wrong going on.

“Don’t hate and don’t be a bystander, especially in this day and age when so many kids are being bullied and then the next day in the newspaper (you read) that kid committed suicide,” Gans said.

Those who stand by idly and let the bullying happen, he said, “are partly to blame.”

“If you see something that’s being done wrong, even if you have no interest, speak up,” Gans said.

Published April 9, 2014

PHSC celebrates opening of new Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch

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Pasco-Hernando State College celebrated the formal dedication of its fifth full-service satellite campus, Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, with a ceremony at the campus on April 2.

Members of the Porter family joined Pasco-Hernando State College president Katherine Johnson at the open house and dedication of Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch. Attending, from left, are J.D. Porter, Bill Porter, Johnson, Don Porter and Quinn Miller. (Courtesy of Pasco-Hernando State College)
Members of the Porter family joined Pasco-Hernando State College president Katherine Johnson at the open house and dedication of Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch. Attending, from left, are J.D. Porter, Bill Porter, Johnson, Don Porter and Quinn Miller.
(Courtesy of Pasco-Hernando State College)

About 400 to 450 guests mingled, toured the campus and enjoyed refreshments at the celebration. It honored the Porter family, who donated 60 acres of land for the campus, and Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel for establishing an endowed scholarship.

“We certainly feel honored,” J.D. Porter said before the ceremony.

The family is especially gratified to play a role in promoting education, he added.

The opening of the campus signaled the first time in Wesley Chapel history that a student could attend preschool through college without leaving the Wesley Chapel community.

Porter said the new campus will play a significant role in the future of Wesley Chapel, as businesses will be able to take advantage of the college’s proximity to ensure that their workers keep current on new technologies. And students will benefit from the close relationship between the college and the business community.

He expects the college to continue to play an even larger role as time goes on.

The current buildings are on about six of the 60 acres the family donated, Porter noted.

Obviously, that leaves plenty of room for expansion.

Published April 9, 2014

Browning has concerns about recommended state test

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Students across Florida will face a new standardized test next year to replace the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test 2.0.

Florida Education Commissioner Pam Stewart has selected a replacement test, but not everyone is embracing it.

“I don’t agree with the choice that she’s made,” Pasco County Schools superintendent Kurt Browning said.

Florida has joined a host of other states in the pursuit of Common Core Standards — now known as the Florida Standards — which define what students should know as they proceed through school in order to graduate from high school fully prepared to enter college and the work force. Browning has been making the rounds for more than a year, talking to parents, teachers, administrators and civic groups about the importance of adopting the more rigorous standards, and also of the importance of being able to measure the district students’ progress against students across the nation.

The test Stewart has selected won’t allow those national comparisons, Browning said.

With the FCAT, the district could compare itself to other Florida districts, but that’s where it stopped, Browning notes.

“With this new assessment, we still can’t compare ourselves to other states,” he said.

The superintendent said he’s also concerned that the field-testing for the new assessment is being done in Utah.

“Utah is nothing like Florida,” Browning said. “In addition to that, we find out that it’s not the entire assessment that’s being field-tested, but just questions that are being field-tested.

“Right now, we’re just going in there saying, ‘Well, if it’s good enough for Utah, it’s good enough for Florida.’ I disagree with that.”

Stewart selected the not-for-profit American Institutes for Research to provide the new English language arts and mathematics assessment.

Browning noted the new assessment is not a done deal until it gains approval from the state Board of Education.

“The Legislature certainly has the opportunity to chime in on what assessment is used,” Browning said. And if state lawmakers do, Browning asks them to approve “an assessment that provides transparency, that truly measures student growth,” and that would allow for comparability with performance by students in other states.

Pasco School Board member Cynthia Armstrong agrees with Browning’s objections. Armstrong is concerned the test doesn’t allow comparisons across the nation, and she also is worried about the field-testing being done in Utah, which is much less diverse than Florida.

When Stewart announced her selection of the assessment, she posted prepared letters to teachers and parents.

In the March 17 letter to teachers, the education commissioner noted she has heard repeatedly from teachers that they want “tests that provide a more authentic assessment of our students’ grasp of Florida Standards.

“These assessments will do that,” Stewart said, “because they will include more than multiple choice questions. Students will be asked to create graphs, interact with test content, and write and respond in different ways than on traditional tests.”

The education commissioner also told teachers the “new question types will assess students’ higher-order thinking skills, which is in keeping with the higher expectations of the Florida Standards.

In a March 17 letter to parents, Stewart explained the new Florida Standards, upon which the new test will be based.

“As many of you know, your children will have new goals to meet with the adoption of the Florida Standards,” Stewart wrote. Simply put, these standards are the detailed expectations of what every child should be able to do at each grade level.

“The new standards were developed with unprecedented input from Florida teachers, educators and the public,” Stewart wrote. “The emphasis with these standards is for your children to think critically and analytically and go beyond memorization.”

Published April 2, 2014

Chalk Talk 04-02-14

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ChalkTalk-CorbettYoung thespians receive accolades at festival
A team of 28 middle school performers from Corbett Preparatory School of IDS took honors in every category the students entered at the Florida Junior Thespians State Festival. Corbett Prep Thespian Troupe 88622 received superior ratings and two best in show awards at the festival in Melbourne Feb. 7 and Feb. 8. (Courtesy of Blythe Sobel)

WRHS scholarship opportunity
Wiregrass Ranch High School’s PTSA will award six $350 scholarships to the school’s seniors or PTSA members.

There will be three academic and three citizenship scholarships awarded. Applications and information can be found at WiregrassPTSA.org.

Deadline to submit an application is April 4 at 2:30 p.m.

HCC open houses
Hillsborough Community College will host several upcoming campus open houses. Each event will have refreshments and giveaways.

• Plant City Campus, 1206 N. Park Road: April 8, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Guests can tour environmental science, advanced water treatment and other programs. Admissions, financial aid and career opportunity information will be available.
For information, email .

• SouthShore Campus, 551 24th St., N.E., in Ruskin: April 15, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Guests can pick up program information, tour the campus, view nursing lab demos and more. Financial aid and admissions materials will be available.
For information, email ">.

• Brandon Campus, 10414 E. Columbus Drive in Tampa: April 16, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Program, admissions and financial aid information will be available.
For information, email .

JLMS carnival
The John Long Middle School Parent-Teacher-Student Association will host its seventh annual Round Up Carnival April 11 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at the school, 2025 Mansfield Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

The event will include food, games, prizes, rides, inflatable obstacle courses, human hamster ball, laser tag, 4D video game van and more. Armbands and tickets will be sold in the cafeteria the week of April 7 during student lunches.

For information, call Jill Nasso at (813) 235-6699.

Pine View band event
The Pine View Middle School band will present its seventh annual Night Under the Stars April 12 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., at Land O’ Lakes High School’s John Benedetto Stadium, 20325 Gator Lane.

There will be music, food, a silent basket auction, drum line battle, and a battle of the bands.

For information, call (813) 794-4800.

Students named to All-Florida Academic Team
Eight Pasco-Hernando State College students were nominated to the 2014 Phi Theta Kappa All-Florida Academic Team. Students were selected based on academic achievement, leadership and community service.

Students representing PHSC are Sasha Stanek and Michael Wilson of Dade City, Ana Chambers and Melissa Espinosa of Spring Hill, Jasmine Frey and Hongyan Lu of Hudson, Leanore Masi of Brooksville, and Tonya Mason of Dunedin.

Corrections and Law Enforcement Academy
Pasco-Hernando State College is now accepting applications for Law Enforcement Academy programs for summer and fall at East Campus, 36727 Blanton Road in Dade City.

A new part-time evening Law Enforcement Academy will begin May 12. Application deadline is April 7.

The next daytime program will be offered in the fall term, starting Aug. 18. Application deadline is June 23.

The programs prepare cadets for work in the field as certified police officers, and are based on 770 hours of training.

For information, call (352) 518-1364, or visit PHSC.edu.

Shelton honored in Tallahassee
Jacquelynn Shelton of Pasco County, a Take Stock in Children high school senior, was recently honored with a 2014 Leaders for Life Fellowship.

The fellowship rewards scholars for excellence in leadership, academics, community involvement and good citizenship. With tuition costs covered through Take Stock in Children, the Leaders for Life Fellowship ensures the student’s freedom from non-tuition related expenses of attending college, according to organizers.

Extension pesticide session
University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension of Pasco County will offer a free open pesticide exam session April 17 from 9 a.m. to noon in Clayton Hall on the Pasco County Fairgrounds.

All categories will be offered except pesticide control operator and limited.

A valid pesticide license is required for those who apply or supervise the application of restricted-use pesticides.

To RSVP, call (352) 793-2728, ext. 234, by April 15.

For information, email Cami Esmel McAvoy at .

Nurse assistant scholarships
The American Red Cross St. Petersburg office has been selected to receive 10 nurse assistant training program scholarships for training service members and veterans, or their immediate family or caregivers.

The St. Petersburg Red Cross Nurse Assistant Training Center is one of seven sites in the country selected to receive the scholarships from a partnership between the Wounded Warrior Project and the American Red Cross.

Students who complete the Red Cross nurse assistant training course are qualified to take the state exam to become a certified nurse assistant.

For information, or to be considered for a scholarship, call (727) 898-3111, ext. 7562.

‘Bee Bully-Free’ in Zephyrhills
Zephyrhills area schools are encouraging students, teachers and staff to wear black and yellow on the last Friday of each month as part of the “Bee Bully-Free Initiative.” The initiative provides stickers and coloring book pages for schools that request them, participates in the Great American Teach-in, and provides certificates and awards for students who transform from bullies into kinder versions of themselves.

Upcoming black and yellow Fridays are April 25 and May 30.

For information on the initiative, visit Facebook.com/beebullyfree.

 

Superintendent pushes new standards, parent involvement

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As the Pasco County school district shifts to a more rigorous set of educational standards, Superintendent Kurt Browning has been making the rounds to explain the changes to parents.

At a series of community forums, Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning explained the Common Core State Standards. The system defines what students should know as they proceed through school so they can graduate from high school fully prepared to enter college and the work force. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
At a series of community forums, Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning explained the Common Core State Standards. The system defines what students should know as they proceed through school so they can graduate from high school fully prepared to enter college and the work force.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

During his most recent stop at Wiregrass Ranch High School — the final of 13 community meetings — Browning told parents that the district must change the way teachers teach and students learn. He also called for greater involvement by parents to help prepare students for entering school and to reinforce learning at home.

The district’s current performance must improve, Browning said, especially since the district is ranked 34th out of the state’s 67 districts.

“I’m not the least bit happy with 34,” Browning said.

Society has changed and the district must change, too, to meet its goal of producing students who are ready for college, careers and life, Browning said.

“We’ve got to make a connection between what’s happening in the real world and in the classroom,” Browning said.

Along those lines, the district is shifting to Common Core State Standards and raising the bar on expectations. The standards define what students should know as they proceed through school in order to graduate from high school fully prepared to enter college and the work force.

“We’re embracing a new way of teaching and learning,” said Rayann Mitchell, a senior supervisor in the division of curriculum, assessment and instruction.

The new standards are causing teachers to think differently about the way they teach, Browning said.

Instead of standing at the front of the classroom lecturing, teachers are now pushing for more collaboration between students and self-directed learning, Mitchell said. When parents visit a classroom, they may see different ways of teaching and learning. Instead of being seated in neat rows, students may have their desks pushed together so they can collaborate on projects, divvy research assignments and share what they’ve learned.

Teachers are being challenged in new ways, too. They’re using technology to help deliver lessons, and they’re using a new set of educational standards. The standards aim at helping students develop a deeper understanding of concepts and an ability to use their knowledge to tackle new academic challenges, Mitchell said.

Under Common Core, students will spend more time reading for information and less on literature as they advance through their school years. Elementary students will spend about half of their time on literary texts and the other half reading for information. Secondary students will spend about 30 percent of their time reading literature and the rest reading information.

Students will read a wide range of information and also will dig deep into content, Mitchell said.

“We want them to be able to pick up anything they want to read and to be able to figure it out,” she said.

In mathematics, the shift is toward developing a deeper understanding so that students can use efficient and effective ways to solve problems. Besides communicating their math knowledge through writing, they’ll also be expected to explain it, orally.

Teachers need to help students become self-directed learners, Mitchell said.

School districts cannot use a one-size-fits-all approach to instruction. “Every child learns differently,” Browning said. “There are going to be some kids that just aren’t going to get it.”

The district must address those needs. “We’re about pushing kids, but we’re not about pushing kids along,” he said.

Students may complain to their parents that school is hard, Browning said. But school is supposed to be challenging. It isn’t supposed to be easy. Learning requires work.

There are many ways that parents can help. Parent involvement begins before children enter school, he added, noting some youngsters arrive at school without knowing such basic things as the alphabet, colors, numbers or seasons.

Having nonfiction materials at home for children to read, engaging children in family projects, and helping with homework, are among the ways parents can support their children’s education, Browning said.

Sometimes, children are frustrated by homework because they say they haven’t learned a concept yet in school, one parent noted on a comment card. The district’s policy is that homework is intended to reinforce what’s been learned in school. It’s a way to practice new learning, Mitchell said. If materials are being sent home and the child doesn’t understand, parents should reach out to teachers.

Browning encourages parents to talk with teachers, and if they can’t resolve their issue there, to talk with principals. He invites them to take their issues up the chain of command until they reach him if problems cannot be resolved.

The community forums have been informative, Browning said. For one thing, the district has learned it needs to communicate more with parents. To that end, it will launch a monthly newsletter next school year to keep in touch with parents. The newsletter will be emailed to any parent submitting an email address.

The community meeting also addressed some misconceptions about the Common Core standards. Skeptics have claimed that Common Core are standards that are being pushed on local districts by the federal government, but Browning said that isn’t true.

The National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers collaborated with teachers, researchers, education experts, and members of the higher education and business communities to design and develop the standards.

Local school districts are in charge of the educational materials used to ensure students meet those standards, Browning said.

This year, Florida students will continue taking the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, Browning said. Next year, there will be another assessment, though state officials have not yet decided what that will be.

The school district’s goal is to equip students for challenges they’ll encounter beyond high school. So, Browning told parents that when international companies locate in Tampa Bay, “I want your kids to be able to compete for those jobs.”

Sources of help for parents:

• PTA.org

• ParentToolKit.com

• K12Blueprint.com/ccss

• The ‘In Sync’ education link at Pasco.k12.fl.us.

Published March 19, 2014

Land O’ Lakes teen prepares for big summer adventure

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Many teenagers would be content to spend their summer vacation learning how to drive, getting a part-time job or hanging out at the beach. But 16-year-old Amy Deeb has much bigger plans.

Amy Deeb, a sophomore at Sunlake High School, received a scholarship from the U.S. Department of State to study Hindi this summer in Indore, a city in central India. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
Amy Deeb, a sophomore at Sunlake High School, received a scholarship from the U.S. Department of State to study Hindi this summer in Indore, a city in central India.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

She’ll jet off to New York on July 5 where she’ll spend three days being prepped before traveling another 7,600 miles to spend the summer in Indore, a city in central India. The Sunlake High School student will be immersed in the sights, sounds, language and culture of the place – and she’ll spend at least 120 hours in class learning Hindi.

Deeb’s travel expenses and classes are being covered through a scholarship provided by the U.S. Department of State’s National Security Language Initiative for Youth program. She’ll stay with a host family and receive a stipend to cover her day-to-day expenses in India.

The program is intended to encourage youths to develop language skills in Arabic, Mandarin, Korean, Persian (Tajiki), Russian, Turkish and Hindi. The initiative is aimed at helping prepare Americans become leaders in a global world, according to the NSLI for Youth website.

While in school, Deeb will focus on reading, writing, speaking and listening, so that by the end of her program, she’ll be familiar with the Devanagari alphabet and will possess and understand Hindi grammar and the different dialects of Hindi, according to the program’s website.

Not only will Deeb learn a new language, but she’ll also learn new sounds and how to make them. She’ll have a chance to explore the context in the language, including Indian crafts, music and dance, as well as yoga and the Bollywood film industry, the program’s website says.

Deeb is counting the days before her departure. She knows throwing herself into a new place without extensive background in the language or culture is a somewhat daunting challenge. But she is ready to embrace it.

“Complete immersion,” she said, is a very cool way to learn about another culture and language.

When she applied for the scholarship, Deeb said she had to rank three languages she was interested in studying. Hindi was her No. 1 choice.

“I figured if I’m going to go for it, I may as well pick something that’s so, in my mind, different from what I could ever experience in America,” said Deeb, who has aspirations of becoming a surgeon working in foreign countries.

She has her sights set on work in fetal surgery. “I think it would be interesting to be kind of like a pioneer in fetal surgery,” Deeb said.

She expects to be in class about six hours a day during the week. She’ll spend other time with her host family and on cultural excursions.

Deeb studies American Sign Language, but doesn’t take other language classes. She believes her sign language studies will help her be more observant of others than she might have otherwise been.

But she admits she doesn’t have a clue about speaking Hindi.

“I could be just terrible at Hindi – it’s a definite possibility,” Deeb said, but it won’t be for a lack of effort or enthusiasm. “I’m going to throw myself in there and hope for the best.”

Deeb said she found out about the scholarship program from two of her cousins who live in Tucson, Ariz. Both of them have been selected to study Mandarin, and one of them is currently involved in a yearlong program, Deeb said.

Deeb found out about the program when she was 13 and knew then that she wanted to apply when she turned 16. She’s delighted she was chosen.

“It’s very selective,” Deeb said, noting about 3,500 students apply nationwide for scholarships for all seven languages. About 400 or fewer receive scholarships.

Her application included three essays, biographical information and a copy of her transcript. Finalists also underwent personal interviews, which lasted about 40 minutes.

The main qualities the program requires are enthusiasm and aptitude, Deeb said.

She seems to qualify on both counts. Deeb has a 4.4 GPA on a 4.0 scale, with extra points awarded for rigorous coursework.

And, her enthusiasm is obvious.

“I can’t even imagine in my mind what it’s going to be like to go there. I am so excited,” Deeb said.

For more information about the National Security Language Initiative for Youth program, visit NSLIForYouth.org.

Published March 19, 2014

Chalk Talk 03-19-14

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

PHSC trustees attend legislative conference
Pasco-Hernando State College’s trustee board attended the Association of Florida Colleges Trustee Legislative Conference in Tallahassee in February. The conference provides college trustees the opportunity to learn more about the Florida College System legislative budget request and other substantive issues being monitored there. Attending the conference and a reception at the governor’s mansion were, from left, PHSC board vice chair Leonard Johnson, PHSC trustee Edward Blommel, Libby Blommel, Gov. Rick Scott, trustees Judy Parker and Morris Porton, and PHSC president Katherine Johnson.

 

Students compete at National History Day Fair
More than 100 students participated in Hillsborough County’s National History Day Fair. This year’s theme was “Rights and Responsibilities,” and students created projects on the Berlin Wall, the Holocaust, the Great Depression, capital punishment and students’ educational rights.

Students at Liberty Middle School in New Tampa who won awards included Will Rojka and Amere Nelms for the judge’s award for presentation, and Amanda Yelvington for the Student Advocate Award.

Rojka and Nelms developed the project “Rights of Jews During the Holocaust,” while Yelvington won for “Schools: Rights for All.”

Wesley Chapel students collect cat food
The safety patrol program at Wesley Chapel Elementary School, 30243 Wells Road, is collecting cat food through March 21 for The Labor of Love Animal Rescue, as its community service project.

The group’s goal is to collect 2,000 cans of cat food for the rescue. Businesses and schools are invited to join in the food drive.

For information, call Chris Gorman at (813) 794-0100.

College info event in Spanish
Hillsborough County Public Schools Guidance Services will host a college information event in Spanish March 22 at 9:30 a.m., at Wharton High School, 20150 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., in Tampa.

The meeting is to inform Hispanic students and their parents about preparing for college, applying to college, and the financial aid and scholarship process.

For information, call (813) 631-4710.

WRHS scholarship opportunity
Wiregrass Ranch High School’s PTSA will award six $350 scholarships to the school’s seniors or PTSA members.

There will be three academic and three citizenship scholarships awarded. Applications and information can be found at WiregrassPTSA.org.

Deadline to submit an application is April 4 at 2:30 p.m.

Hillsborough schools joins 100K
Hillsborough County Public Schools has been invited to join a national network of partners with the overall goal of developing and training 100,000 science, technology, engineering, and math teachers by 2021.

Hillsborough is the only school district in Florida, and one of only seven school districts in the nation, to be chosen to participate.

The effort brings corporations, school districts, universities, foundations, museums, federal agencies, and nonprofit organizations together to address the challenges of increasing the number of effective science, technology, engineering and mathematics teachers.

Local students make dean’s list
The following local students were named to the dean’s list at their respective schools:

• Ahmed AlTonobey, of Lutz — Virginia Tech
• Alan Westbay, of Lutz — Mercer University, Georgia
• Alexis Setteducato, of Lutz — Mercer University
• Austin Schonbrun, of Lutz — Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, N.C.
• Cynthia Pumphrey, of Lutz — Springfield College, Springfield, Mass.
• Devan Dampier, of Odessa — Clearwater Christian College
• Dominic Prado, of Odessa — Wake Forest University
• Eric Boyd, of Odessa — Springfield College
• Lauren Lopez, of Lutz — Clearwater Christian College
• Lin Larson, of Lutz — University of Iowa
• Melvin Shepard, of Lutz — Springfield College
• Rachel Wilder, of Lutz — Belmont University, Nashville, Tenn.
• Rebecca Hamm, of Odessa — Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta

Shelton honored in Tallahassee
Jacquelynn Shelton of Pasco County, a Take Stock in Children high school senior, was recently honored with a 2014 Leaders for Life Fellowship.

The Fellowship rewards scholars for excellence in leadership, academics, community involvement and good citizenship. With tuition costs covered through Take Stock in Children, the Leaders for Life Fellowship ensures the student’s freedom from non-tuition related expenses of attending college.

Student Citizens honored by Chamber

The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce recognized Student Citizens at a February ceremony. Each month, one student from 10 area schools is selected for exemplary effort, achievement and contribution to their school, family and community.

Among those recognized were Giovanni Maduko of Florida Autism Center of Excellence, Henry Charlebois of Woodland Elementary School, Madison Watson of West Zephyrhills Elementary School, Lailani Perez of Heritage Academy, Dylan Peters of Zephyrhills High School, Kendra Williamson of Stewart Middle School, Javier Ayala of East Pasco Adventist Academy, and Shelby Stevanus of Taylor Elementary School. Also present for the ceremony were chamber executive director Vonnie Mikkelsen, chamber president Carolyn Sentelik, and facilitator A.J. Hernandez.

Corrections and Law Enforcement Academy
Pasco-Hernando State College is now accepting applications for Law Enforcement Academy programs for summer and fall at East Campus, 36727 Blanton Road in Dade City.

A new part-time evening Law Enforcement Academy will begin May 12. Application deadline is April 7.

The next daytime program will be offered in the fall term, starting Aug. 18. Application deadline is June 23.

The programs prepare cadets for work in the field as certified police officers, and are based on 770 hours of training.

For information, call (352) 518-1364, or visit PHSC.edu.

Trustees appointed to PHSC board
Gov. Rick Scott has appointed John Dougherty to the District Board of Trustees for Pasco-Hernando State College. Scott also reappointed Morris Porton, who has served on the board since November 2011.

Dougherty, of Spring Hill, has 25 years experience as a certified public accountant and financial planner. He is a managing member of the investment advisory firm Dougherty & Associates.

Porton, also of Spring Hill, is a senior vice president at Florida Traditions Bank with 44 years of banking experience.

Adult education info session
Saint Leo University will host an information session on its degree programs March 25 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Pasco-Hernando State College, 10230 Ridge Road in New Port Richey.

Undergraduate, adult education and masters students are invited.

Guests can meet with an admissions counselor and are asked to bring a copy of their transcripts. Financial aid and scholarship information also will be available.

To make a reservation, call (352) 588-8879, or visit SaintLeo.edu/rsvp.

Wiregrass Ranch has impressive science fair results

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Ryan De Vroeg’s fascination with military weapons and armor began when he was just a little kid.

He recalls watching the Military History channel when he was quite small, and being drawn to stories about how weapons work and how they’ve evolved.

Wiregrass Ranch High School student Ryan De Vroeg has a new enthusiasm for competing in science fairs since his teacher, Branden Anglin, encouraged him to explore a topic of interest to him. (Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)
Wiregrass Ranch High School student Ryan De Vroeg has a new enthusiasm for competing in science fairs since his teacher, Branden Anglin, encouraged him to explore a topic of interest to him. (Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

So, when his Wiregrass Ranch High School teacher encouraged students to do science fair entries based on their interest areas, De Vroeg decided to study the impact force of a composite material, in a quest to design safer armor to protect soldiers and law enforcement personnel.

De Vroeg, whose study involved carbon fiber, said he was inspired by a desire to improve protection for military personnel and law enforcement officers. His entry at the Pasco Regional STEM Fair — which focuses on science, technology, engineering and mathematics — won first place in the engineering category and was named the most outstanding exhibit in materials science by the ASM Materials Education Foundation.

De Vroeg now moves on to compete at the Florida State Science and Engineering Fair slated for April 8-10 at Lakeland Center in Lakeland. He is one of four Wiregrass Ranch High students who advanced beyond the regional fair. Other students with winning entries were Vasili Courialis, Tyler Glantz and John Pease.

Courialis, who now attends Sunlake High, designed an experiment to determine whether or not manipulating the center of gravity in an SUV could reduce the rollover rates of the vehicle. His entry was chosen to be one of two representatives for Pasco County at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in May.

Glantz looked at rocket design and which design would decrease fluid drag on a rocket in the atmosphere. Pease measured the impact force of a soccer ball, and looked at ways he could reduce that force to help protect soccer players at all levels.

“This the first time Wiregrass Ranch has sent students to both state competition and international competition as well,” said Branden Anglin, who teaches biology and biology honors, and coordinates the science fair for Wiregrass Ranch. “This is a tremendous achievement, considering that this the first year that Wiregrass Ranch sent a student to regional fair.”

This is also De Vroeg’s first science fair.

“I wasn’t really a fan of science fairs when I was younger because teachers just forced me to do something out of a book,” De Vroeg said. However, he changed his attitude because of Anglin’s approach.

The science fair, Anglin said, is not about a grade.

“All too often, we approach it as a requirement for the science classroom,” he said. “We assign the project, let the kids go, and expect them to come back with a decent project. That leads to students turning to the Internet and giving us canned projects in return.”

A science fair helps spark scientific interest in students, Anglin added.

“If I were to force students to do a science fair project only on a slim range of topics, I would get back less-than-exciting projects that were merely a copy of a project found online,” he said.

Giving students a range of options allows them to own the process, he said.

“I then help them to refine that project, and make it into a high-quality project that they can be proud of,” Anglin said.

He thinks teachers can use science fair projects to share their passion for understanding how the world works. And he shares that with students about their science fair projects as well.

“I tell them I want them to try to change the world, and not settle for anything less than their best,” Anglin said.

He believes this gives students an opportunity for an authentic way to experience science.

“They aren’t just reading a textbook or taking notes, they are actually doing science. They are being scientists,” Anglin said. “Many students, myself included, change their career path after advancing to state or international competition.”

De Vroeg’s new interest in scientific competitions may bode well for the young man, Anglin said.

“Ryan is one of my most enthusiastic students when it comes to scientific discovery,” he said. “He has a lot of great ideas, and, if he pursues those interests, he will make a dramatic impact on the world of material engineering.”

He’s particularly impressed by De Vroeg’s grasp of concepts, especially in light of his youth.

“To do this kind of work as a freshman in high school is almost unheard of,” Anglin said. “Ryan has positioned himself to be a competitor at the regional, state, and international level over the next three years if he stays dedicated to his craft and really focuses on generating unique and applicable projects.”

Published March 12, 2014