Education

School district uses surveys to gauge progress

February 27, 2014 By B.C. Manion

Superintendent Kurt Browning plans to use annual surveys by the Gallup organization to help gauge the progress of Pasco County Schools.

The district’s school board in February heard a review of the Gallup Student Poll and the employee engagement survey findings in February, and according to the Gallup report, the district’s results were in the same ballpark as national findings.

Since the surveys had not been taken before, they will serve as a baseline.

Browning said he expects next year’s results to be interesting, because the district will be using the same survey tools. But even this year’s results are helpful, Browning said. They help the district to see, “Where are we doing well? Where are we not doing so well?”

It’s important to have an outside party take an objective look at the district, using statistically valid survey tools, Browning said.

School board member Joanne Hurley agrees. She said the surveys can help the district address areas needing improvement with the goal of helping students perform better academically and be better prepared for life beyond school.

Gallup is an internationally respected company, Browning said. The district’s contract with the company runs through September. The cost of the student and school-based surveys and analyses was $125,000. The district spent $19,000 more on a district office staff survey.

Browning anticipates an extension of the district’s contract with Gallup, but those details have not yet been worked out.

Gallup’s student poll measures indicators of future success, the superintendent said.

“I keep saying that we’re concerned about the success of our kids not only through high school, but after high school,” Browning said.

The Gallup Student Poll is a 20-question survey that measures the hope, engagement, and well-being of students in grades five through 12. Gallup defines hope as ideas and energy for the future; engagement as involvement with and enthusiasm for school; and well-being as how people think about and experience their lives.

The survey company said hope, engagement and well-being can be measured and are linked to student achievement, retention and future employment.

The Gallup Student Poll was conducted online in Pasco County Schools during the school day from Oct. 15 through Oct 31, with 31,740 students completing the survey.

District students’ results showed scores of 52 percent in the hope category; 53 percent in engagement; and 63 percent in well-being.

That compares to average results nationwide of 54 percent for hope; 55 for engagement; and, 66 percent for well-being.

“When you look at district overall results (for students), they look very similar to U.S. overall data,” Tim Hodges, director of research for Gallup, told school board members, according to a district release.

The staff survey measures factors that are critical to creating an environment that serves students, said assistant superintendent Amelia Larson.

The employee engagement survey measured attitudes that correspond with the most successful work places, based on more than four decades of research by Gallup.

The survey measured employee engagement, which Gallup defines as involvement with and enthusiasm for work.

Gallup used a 12-question employee survey to measure employee engagement.

The research company says an employee’s level of engagement links to employee retention, parent engagement, student retention, student achievement and other outcomes.

The employee engagement survey was conducted online in Pasco County Schools, from Nov. 15 through Nov. 22 and also Jan. 13 through Jan. 17 of this year, with 3,896 employees taking part. That represents a 79 percent response rate.

The results show that 26 percent of the school district’s employees are engaged in their jobs, compared to 30 percent of U.S. workers. Fifty-three district employees are not engaged, compared to 52 percent of workers nationally; and 21 percent of district employees are actively disengaged, compared to 18 percent of U.S. workers.

Looking only at district-level staff, 33 percent are engaged; 56 percent are not engaged and 11 percent are disengaged.

During the school board workshop, Hodges told the board, “to look at the rest of the U.S. working population, this is what we tend to see as a starting point.”

“This is a valuable tool for our administration,” Hurley said. “I think there is just a treasure trove of information contained within the Gallup results.”

School board member Steve Luikart agreed that the survey will be useful.

“Any feedback is always good. I do congratulate them on doing that,” he said. “I know it’s going to be used to get the temperature in different areas – how people feel and what people think.”

Teachers are facing huge challenges, Larson said.

“We want to keep track of student engagement,” Larson said. “We really are facing a crisis in education. Now, kids have every type of information available to them 24/7. The kids are not willing to wait (for instruction), so the teachers cannot wait” to deliver it, she said.

The district already has made some leadership changes at places such as Connerton Elementary and Sunlake High schools, which apparently are making a difference, Larson said.

New River Elementary School also is on an upswing, she said.

“That is like a well-oiled machine,” Larson said. “It scored a 65 percent engagement rating. You can really tell when you walk in there.”

Strategies that are being used at schools with high engagement ratings may be shared with schools that do not fare as well, Larson said. There also may be some coaching to help schools perform better, she said.

Published Feb. 26, 2014.

Wesley Chapel agriculture program making its mark

February 20, 2014 By B.C. Manion

When sophomores Spencer Brass, Amber Maxwell and Savannah Musser were students at Weightman Middle School, they were all involved in the school’s National FFA Organization program.

Savannah Musser and Spencer Brass help care for the goats behind Wesley Chapel High School as part of the school’s agricultural program. (Photo by B.C. Manion)

But they weren’t sure what would happen after middle school, since Wesley Chapel High didn’t have an agricultural program.

“We were like, how are we going to go into high school and not have this?” said Maxwell, 15. So the students pushed their former agriculture teacher and adviser Halyee Monk to help them out.

With Wesley Chapel High School principal Carin Nettles as a driving force, the school got its agriculture program, and students like Brass, Maxwell and Musser were able to continue their work.

“She definitely was the one who pushed and pushed and pushed and pushed to be able to get this program. Without the support of the principal, it’s impossible,” said Brass, 16.

The students were happy to get to attend a high school that was right next door to their middle school, instead of having to travel to Zephyrhills or Pasco high schools to pursue their interests, said Musser, 16. All three said they would have transferred to different high schools if necessary, but were glad it didn’t come to that.

While Wesley Chapel High’s agricultural program is still in its infancy, it is growing, said teacher Erin McCann Farquhar. It has two courses now and will add another next year.

Despite its short history, the school’s FAA chapter already is beginning to make a name for itself, Brass said.

“I think a lot of people underestimated us,” said Brass, who, along with Helena Polansky, won an award last April for their egg carton herb garden in the ornamental horticulture demonstration category.

“We all have so much determination. We are so new we are trying to get our name out there,” Musser said.

The Wesley Chapel team of Polansky, Stephanie Reschke, Renee Carpenter and Shawn Devisfruto had the highest score in the state in the preliminary round of the dairy judging competition.

“Our school is actually home to three of the top 10 individual scorers,” Brass said. “There’s no other school that has more than one. We have three.”

Reschke tied for first place, while Polansky was No. 4 and Devisfruto was No. 8.

“Helena Polansky, she coached the entire thing,” Brass said.

Reschke gave kudos to Polansky for helping prepare the team.

“Helena, our leader, has helped us quite a bit with the written test she gives us and the study guides on the information,” said Reschke, who enjoys being in FFA.

The school’s dairy judging team placed fourth in the state last year. Results were not yet available for this year’s competition that was on Feb. 15.

Wesley Chapel students have shown animals at the state fair and will show animals at the Pasco County Fair, as well.

Musser, Brass and Polansky are showing steer at the Pasco County Fair. Others in the program who are showing steer are Justin Taylor, Nick Wrage and Carpenter.

Maxwell and Devisfruto are showing pigs.

“These are market animals,” Musser said. “We put our money into them, then we’re going to take them and auction them off and hopefully have a really good profit.”

Before joining FFA, Maxwell said she had some misconceptions about the organization.

“I thought it was all like people who just wanted to be farmers,” she said.

Musser believed it was all about agriculture, too. “I never thought of the public speaking aspect of it, until I got involved,” she said. “When you get involved, you really learn a lot.”

The lessons go far beyond tending to animals or growing crops, Brass said. It provides excellent opportunities to take leadership roles.

“This is a youth-led organization. We run all of the meetings. You learn a lot of life skills,” Brass said.

Musser agreed. “It teaches you how to talk to people, how to approach things.”

While all three students are involved in the program because of their interest in animals, Musser and Maxwell said they don’t plan careers involving animals.

“I want to be a neonatal nurse,” Musser said.

“I want to do physical therapy,” Maxwell said.

Heissler, Reschke and Brass, on the other hand, do expect their careers to involve animals.

Heissler is debating between equine veterinary or zoology. Reschke is debating between a veterinary career or training dogs for people with special needs.

Brass wants to continue his involvement with FFA.

“After high school, I want to go on to serve as a state and national FFA officer,” he said. “I want to go to UF (the University of Florida) and become a vet and have a large and small animal practice.”

Published Feb. 19, 2014

Porter campus enrollment exceeds expectations

February 20, 2014 By B.C. Manion

The numbers are in, and they paint a bright outlook for Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, the new satellite campus for Pasco-Hernando State College.

Officials at the college had forecast an enrollment of 1,500 for the first semester of the new campus, located on Mansfield Boulevard just off State Road 56 and slightly east of Bruce B. Downs Boulevard. The actual count, however, came in at 1,749.

Stan Giannet, the provost for Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, said he had hoped for at least 2,400 students during the first year of operation, and that goal should be surpassed.

Most of the students enrolled there are between 18 and 30 years old, Giannet added. The statistics also show where the students are coming from.

Porter includes 587 students who had attended PHSC’s East Campus, 283 who had been going to the West Campus, 57 who traveled to the North Campus, and 29 who took courses at Spring Hill, Giannet said.

Some of those students may still be taking courses at other campuses, but they are now taking the majority of their courses at Porter, Giannet noted.

Porter Campus also attracted 180 students who have Tampa ZIP codes. But that was no surprise to Giannet.

College officials had expected Porter to draw students from Hillsborough County because the campus is so close to Interstate 75. For many Hillsborough residents, the PHSC campus is more convenient than other educational options.

Porter also has 358 students enrolled in Internet courses and 283 dual enrollment students. Most of the dual enrollment students — high school students earning college credits – attend Wiregrass Ranch and Wesley Chapel high school.

Enrollment figures indicate that general education courses leading to associate’s degrees are popular, as are allied health, business and information technology programs, Giannet said.

Popular information technology areas include associate’s degree programs in computer programming and analysis, networking services technology, Internet services technology and information technology security.

Giannet noted that the associate’s degree in human services — which leads toward a career in social services, social work and counseling — is attracting interest.

“This is very important for us because with the advent of our new behavioral health facility just down the corner from us,” Giannet said. “This will be a very good collaboration that we’ll forge.”

Giannet also expects the college to have a close partnership with Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel.

The college’s nursing department and the hospital are planning to work together to arrange rotations for the college’s nursing students. He also expects similar opportunities to develop for the college’s pharmacy technician and surgical technology students.

Plans also are in the works for Florida Hospital to provide some scholarship opportunities in the allied health areas for PHSC students, Giannet said.

Published Feb. 19, 2014

Chalk Talk 02-19-14

February 20, 2014 By Mary Rathman

Students ‘dare to dream’ at Liberty Middle
Students at Liberty Middle School in Tampa, recently took part in the week-long ‘Dare to Dream’ campaign hosted by the Advanced Via Individual Determination Program. AVID helps to bring awareness to students about college admissions, and how to be successful in college. The program also helps students improve writing, reading, math and study skills. Students wore their school team shirts on the last day of the campaign.

College night at WCHS
Wesley Chapel High School, 30651 Wells Road, will host a free college night in the gym Feb. 24 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Guests can speak to admissions representatives from public and private colleges and universities, vocational and technical trade schools, and the military.

For information, call (813) 794-8700.

Rasmussen career fair
Rasmussen College, 18600 Fernview St., in Land O’ Lakes, will host a free career fair Feb. 25 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The event includes workshops, employment opportunities, and job skill development.

For information, visit Rasmussen.edu/careerfair.

LOLHS accepting applications for agritechnology
Land O’ Lakes High School, 20325 Gator Lane, is offering the Academy of Agritechnology to incoming freshmen. The four-year program will develop skills needed to prepare students for education and careers in agriculture, and food and natural resources management.

Applications are due Feb. 28, and can be accessed at lolhs.pasco.k12.fl.us.

For information, call (813) 794-9400.

Adult Ed program graduates more than 220
The East Side Pasco County Adult Education Program graduated more than 220 adult students on Jan. 30 at the Wesley Chapel High Performing Arts Center. They were enrolled in classes at Moore Mickens Education Center and attended classes at Dade City, Land O’ Lakes, Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills, Wiregrass Ranch and Sunlake.

Black History Month event
Pasco-Hernando State College will host “History of African-Americans in Opera” with JoAnne Stephenson Feb. 20 at 1 p.m., at East Campus, Room A-240, 36727 Blanton Road in Dade City.

The presentation will offer a performance of select classical compositions by African-Americans.

Admission is free. Schools and organizations are welcome.

For a schedule of Black History Month activities and locations, visit PHSC.edu/calendar.

Presentations on Florida’s new standards for students
Pasco County Schools will host an information meeting Feb. 20 beginning at 6 p.m., on Common Core State Standards Initiative. Located at Zephyrhills High School, 6335 12th St., the program is designed to educate parents and the community on the new standards for students from kindergarten through 12th grade.

District experts will lead the presentations, and attendees will receive materials explaining what Common Core is. There also will be question and answer sessions.

For information, call Linda Cobbe at (813) 794-2717 or (352) 524-2717.

Schools awarded grants at Suncoast Arts Fest
The Suncoast Arts Fest at The Shops at Wiregrass awarded more than $8,000 in SAF Grant Awards to teacher and schools at the Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce Arts and Business Showcase on Jan. 18. The festival is sponsored by Fine Arts of Suncoast Inc., with proceeds benefiting Arts for Kids in Pasco County.

Those receiving grants were:
• Carolyn Frances, Zephyrhills High School
• Mary Hensel, Seven Oaks/Lake Myrtle elementary schools
• Marcia Workman, Lacoochee Elementary School
• Paula Smith, Wiregrass Ranch High School
• Donna Fulton, Mitchell High School
• Elizabeth Shuman, Gulf Trace Elementary School
• Michelle Paris, Cottee River Elementary School
• Denise Zimmer, Raymond B. Stewart Middle School
• Jill Hallauer, Pine View Elementary School
• Lisa O’ Keefe, Gulfside Elementary School
• Latarsha Harris, Wesley Chapel Elementary
• Kathleen Abremski, Seven Springs Elementary School
• Michelle Garay, Odessa Elementary School
• Paula Athans, River Ridge High School
• Darlene Wells, Ridgewood High School
• Cindy Smith, Land O’ Lakes High School
• Donald Scott, Weightman Middle School

‘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 Feb. 28, March 28, April 25 and May 30.

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

Educational fun for Woodland Elementary
M.J. Price of Goin’ Postal in Zephyrhills will be visit students at Woodland Elementary School, 38203 Henry Drive in Zephyrhills, with presentations and learning experiences on the following days:

• March 13, “Learn About Butterflies Day.” Students will enjoy colorful displays of a variety of butterflies and learn the differences between moths and butterflies, the butterfly life cycle, butterfly nutrition, and participate in a craft project.

• April 11, “Jelly Bean Day.” Students will play bingo using specially created bingo cards featuring spelling and vocabulary words from their current word lists and jelly bean “markers.”

Tucker Carlson headlines business conference at Saint Leo

February 13, 2014 By Michael Hinman

Love him or hate him, organizers of this year’s International Business Conference at Saint Leo University are only asking people give Tucker Carlson a chance.

Former Gov. Jeb Bush is one of many widely known speakers that have addressed the crowds at Saint Leo University’s International Business Conference over the years. This year’s keynote speaker is another popular conservative, television pundit Tucker Carlson. (Courtesy of Saint Leo University)

Carlson, a popular conservative commentator who hosts the weekend version of “Fox & Friends” on the Fox News Channel, is the keynote speaker for the International Business Conference when it kicks off Feb. 19. He will headline a conference focused on innovation and globalism, key components to a business environment connected worldwide by the Internet.

“Tucker is a great personality,” said Adam Shoemaker, an assistant professor in Saint Leo’s School of Business, and the organizer of the conference. “He is very divisive, and people will want to at least hear what he has to say. So we’re asking people to come and decide.”

Carlson is slated to take the podium at the university’s student community center beginning at 7:30 p.m., for a talk that is open to the public whether they’re attending the conference or not.

Shoemaker, however, hopes people do stay the rest of the week, because there’s a lot to learn from panelists who have traveled from around the world to attend.

“We are becoming a global economy, and people have to be ready for it,” the assistant professor said. “If it’s not happening now, then it’s happening in the near future. You can’t count on just your local markets or your national markets anymore.”

Even areas of Africa are finding ways to connect to the Internet, many times building a Wi-Fi infrastructure in places where there isn’t even a way to produce clean water.

“Just the fact they can communicate across the world is helping to change their situation and get their basic needs,” Shoemaker said.

And that market continues to change, where even the dollar is not always the preferred currency. The Saint Leo conference also will feature panel discussions on new ways to trade, like bitcoins. Introduced in 2009, bitcoins are found solely in the digital realm and are created through digital mining.

“It’s an international currency that is not regulated by any country,” Shoemaker said. “We go into how it works and how it’s affecting different global economies.”

Joining the expected 150 attendees is a small delegation from Brazil, a country quickly growing into an economic power because of its increasing exports and viable labor force.

These speakers are involved in a partnership between Saint Leo and Pontifical Catholic University in Rio de Janeiro, designed to try to bring the South American country up to par with others in the global economy, such as the United States and the European Union.

“They’ll explore the parallels and differences in how they teach about business in their country, and how it’s taught up here,” Shoemaker said.

This is the first year Shoemaker has organized the International Business Conference, although he’s worked on the team in the past. The school prefers to rotate chairs, especially since they are taking on the responsibilities while still facing a full workload at the busy school.

Yet, the work is satisfying to Shoemaker, because finding a way to grow in a world business market is the best way to thrive in a world business market.

“It certainly helps to understand different cultures, and at least have an open mind about different cultures,” he said. “You have to have that infrastructure in place, because even if you’re a small company with a Web presence, you could quickly become overwhelmed when the world comes knocking.”

Carlson isn’t the only featured speaker during the event. On Thursday, David Harmon, deputy director and chief human capital officer of the U.S. Federal Reserve Board of Governors will be at the podium. Later on, during lunch, Maxwell Stewart of Enterprise Florida will talk about his organization’s efforts in bringing businesses — and jobs — to not just the region, but to the state.

Bill Zobrist will lead Friday’s lunch likely sharing his experiences around a startup he’s invested in. Zobrist works on online and emerging product strategy for Pearson Embanet, an online learning services company that has offices in Orlando, Chicago and Toronto.

The speakers schedule will close Friday afternoon with U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor, who will talk about his work on helping businesses in Washington, D.C.

For more information on the conference and how to attend, call Amanda Laffin at (352) 588-8837, or email her at . Cost to attend ranges from $150 to $400, but is free to Saint Leo students.

Saint Leo is located at 33701 State Road 52 in St. Leo.

Published Feb. 12, 2014

Pasco’s top teacher says he’s ‘living the dream’

February 13, 2014 By B.C. Manion

When Pat Connolly was in high school, he thought he had his future mapped out.

He planned to become an engineer and had even been accepted to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Pat Connolly jots out a problem during his Advanced Placement calculus class at Land O’ Lakes High School. Connolly recently was named Teacher of the Year for Pasco County Schools. (Photo by B.C. Manion)

All that changed, however, after he began tutoring some high school peers.

As he worked with them, Connolly saw the light bulb go on in their heads when they understood what he was teaching.

“I felt then that I’d been given a gift, and it became my moral responsibility to the universe to use that gift,” said Connolly, recently named Teacher of the Year in Pasco County Schools.

Instead of going to MIT, Connolly headed to the University of Chicago where he earned a degree in mathematics and picked up some classes in education. Even then, Connolly said he understood that there’s both an art and a science to teaching.

It’s not enough to have mastery of the material one’s teaching, said Connolly, who teaches mathematics at Land O’ Lakes High School. It’s also essential to able to convey it in a way that connects with students.

“They (students) trust me to take them on this ride called education. And, without that trust, I can’t do what I do,” he said. “I think I have earned that trust from them. I’ve shown them that I care about them. I’ve shown them I have interesting things to teach them, and that I have faith that they can learn it.”

Even after decades of teaching, Connolly still delights in seeing that light bulb go on when a student finally catches on after struggling with a concept. He often sees that light go on when he’s introducing new ideas.

“They’ve got no clue what you are talking about,” he said. “Then, after five minutes, you get a bunch of them nodding. Then, you finally get this one kid, after 15 or 20 minutes, he’s like, ‘I got it!’”

Watching students become confident in their ability to learn is satisfying, Connolly said. Students in his Advanced Placement calculus class describe him as a teacher who is not only in full command of the material he’s presenting, but also can relate mathematics to just about anything in life.

“He knows like everything,” said Carlos Osorno, the high school’s senior class president. “Anything we talk about, even random topics that come up in class, you really don’t know how he knows everything.”

Classmate Andrea Slouha agreed. “Any subject you ask him about, he seems to always have an answer for it. I don’t think he’s ever said, ‘I don’t know’ to anything.”

Vincent Trang, who has taken Connolly’s classes for two years, described him as a teacher who wants his students to succeed.

“He’s a really helpful teacher,” he said. “There are some times when I don’t understand a concept. He would take the time to make sure I understood it.

“I think he loves teaching,” Trang said.

Robin Hanna, another AP calculus student, said she took the class because of Connolly’s good reputation, and he’s lived up to the billing.

“He has turned out to be really interesting,” Hanna said. “There’s never a dull day in this class. I have learned a lot — not just about math, but about how certain things work and about how math can be applied to real-life situations. Just a lot of random facts, too, because he can go off on tangents.”

Another student, Ryan Kova, said Connolly is tuned into students and can tell if his lessons are getting through to them.

Connolly has been teaching in Pasco County Schools since 1989, first at Ridgewood High School, then transferring to Land O’ Lakes two years later.

His wife Sherri is a teacher at Centennial Elementary School, her school for 25 years. They live in Zephyrhills and have three adult children, Shanna Harper and Sara and Shane Connolly.

Before arriving in Pasco County, Connolly taught for five years in Missouri, followed by six years as an instructor at the Naval Nuclear Power School in Orlando, as well as two years at the Naval Academy Preparatory School.

Connolly had considered retiring at the end of this school year, then seeking out a teaching job overseas. But he put those plans on hold to instead run for president of the teacher’s union.

If he wins, he’ll finish out the school year and take on that role. If he loses, he’ll stay on for another year at Land O’ Lakes High and pursue overseas teaching opportunities the following year.

For now, though, he’s enjoying the privilege of teaching. He said people think he’s joking when he says he’s “thrilled to be here” or that he’s “living the dream.”

But he’s serious.

In his application for Pasco’s Teacher of the Year, he explained his love for teaching by describing a scene from the movie “City Slickers.”

In that scene, a character named Curly explains the key to happiness is finding the one thing that really matters to you and sticking to it, no matter what.

“It seems teaching is my one thing,” Connolly wrote.

Published Feb. 12, 2014

Pasco superintendent pushes for culture of caring

February 6, 2014 By B.C. Manion

Planning is underway for Pasco County Schools’ second youth summit aimed at reducing violence and creating more inclusive schools throughout the district.

Students gathered last year at the Pasco County school system’s first youth summit to talk about ways to take aim at problems of bullying and create a culture of caring in schools and offices around the district. (File Photo)

The Together We Stand Youth and Community Summit 2014 will be on June 10 at River Ridge Center for the Performing Arts at River Ridge High School.

The first planning session for this year’s event was on Jan. 21.

This year’s theme is “building safer, more inclusive schools and communities, and reducing violence,’’ according to school district spokeswoman Linda Cobbe.

Speakers and guests have not yet been fully determined, but the event will include Roy Kaplan, last year’s keynote speaker, and Pasco County Schools superintendent Kurt Browning. The daylong seminar will include a keynote address, breakout sessions, networking, lunch and a panel discussion.

An online application will be available soon for speakers and exhibitors. Online registration for the free event will start in April.

The summit is one of the tangible ways that Browning is trying to promote an increased “culture of caring and respect” in the county’s public schools.

The lack of civility and lack of respect are issues that Browning has frequently discussed. He wrote about those concerns in an op-ed piece published last December in The Laker/Lutz News after the violent death of a 16-year-old. Another teenager was charged with the crime.

“When that op-ed was penned, I think it had a sense of frustration, desperation, in it,” Browning said.

“I know it will take deliberate and tough conversations within families and communities to help kids learn how to deal with conflict and cope with adversity appropriately. We must work together,” the superintendent wrote in the piece.

His words struck a chord with readers.

“I did get a number of emails, as well as people stopping me out in the community, when I’ve walked through schools, teachers have stopped me, administrators,” Browning said. “They agree. We’ve lost civility. We’ve lost respect. We have become, in my opinion, a society of entitlement — with no accountability, no responsibility.”

There are no easy answers, Browning said.

“This is like nailing Jell-O to a tree,” Browning said. “It’s such a pervasive, complex issue. It is a societal issue. It is a cultural issue. And yet, the school district is expected to fix it.”

Technology adds to the challenge.

“Technology is both a blessing and a curse. It’s a blessing because of the things that we can do with kids today in the classroom are incredible,” Browning said. “It’s a curse because we have technological advances in our school being used inappropriately.”

Photos taken with smart phones often end up in cyberspace. And once the images are circulating, they’re out there forever, Browning said.

Cyberbullying is an issue, too.

The district also must deal with electronic posts in which students threaten to harm others or themselves, Browning said. A student making a flippant remark can set off a whole chain reaction of activity.

“We’ve got to notify district staff, we’ve got to notify law enforcement, we reach out to moms and dads,” he said.

So how does this all get back to the culture of caring and respect?

“It starts at home. It starts at home,” Browning said. “These kids are sponges. They watch moms and dads. They watch neighborhood kids. They watch other adults. And these kids are going to model what they see.”

For his part, the superintendent sets a tone of high expectation for the district’s staff. When it comes to influencing student behavior on campus, Browning believes that students are key to elevating the standard of behavior among their peers.

This year, Browning wants middle school students to be involved in planning the youth summit. Behavior problems begin to develop when children are young, so the district needs to address them — and involve students at younger ages — in helping to find solutions.

In addition to supporting the youth summit, Browning encourages student initiatives aimed at building respect at schools throughout the district, and he wants district administrators to support the youth-led efforts.

Browning believes that, essentially, people have the same needs and desires.

“When you take our skin color off of us, we all look the same,” he said. “Our emotions are the same. We express them differently. Our desires are the same. We want to be successful. We want to be loved. We want to be cared for. We want to be respected.

“Even the hardest of hard kids want to be cared for, loved and respected. I’m convinced of that,” Browning said. “We need to be respectful. We need to be civil. We need to be caring.”

Browning welcomes suggestion and help from the community. Those who would like to help or have ideas can email him at .

Published Feb. 5, 2014

Wesley Chapel High senior ranks among state’s top 14

February 6, 2014 By B.C. Manion

She didn’t move on to the nationals, but Savannah Renberg was among 14 young women from across the state vying for that chance.

Renberg, a senior at Wesley Chapel High School, was one of 16 Distinguished Young Women in Florida selected to compete earlier this month in Winter Garden.

Distinguished Young Women is a national scholarship program in which high school seniors from across the country compete for scholarships. The competition requires contestants to interview effectively, demonstrate physical fitness, and perform on stage.

The young women first compete in local events to advance to the state competition, and then on to the national level.

While 16 qualified for the state contest, it turns out only 14 — including Renberg — made the trip to Winter Garden.

Renberg, who is a member of Suncoast Dance Theatre in Lutz and has been dancing since she was 1, showcased her dancing skills in the competition. While the 18-year-old wasn’t one of the top finishers, Renberg said she’s glad she took part.

“It was just a very unique experience,” said Renberg, who is the senior class president at her school. “Every day we would have rehearsal. I kept forgetting that there was a contest, that there was going to be a winner at the end because it just felt like, to me, like a performance.”

She also enjoyed meeting young women from across the state, and they became fast friends.

“There weren’t any cliques or anything. We all have the same desires,” Renberg said. The Distinguished Young Women requires its participants to be academically focused.

For her part, Renberg has a 3.9 unweighted GPA on a 4.0 scale, and a 4.4 weighted GPA when college-level coursework is considered.

Renberg became aware of the program through a friend and decided to give it a shot. While she knows she eventually wants to be a college professor teaching literature classes, she’s not sure what college she’ll attend. So far, she’s been accepted to the University of North Florida and Winthrop University in South Carolina.

“I’m waiting for my acceptance to Troy University,” Renberg said about the college in Alabama. She wants to go there because it has a dance program, and she’d like to minor in dance.

Renberg credits her mom, Sharon Renberg — a first-grade teacher at Chester Taylor Elementary School outside of Zephyrhills — for helping to develop a love for teaching and learning. After volunteering in her mom’s class, Renberg said she thinks she would be suited for teaching older students.

She’s attracted to the university level because that would enable her to teach and to continue pursuing her love for learning at the same time.

The Winter Garden contest was friendly, Renberg said, and when it was over, the competitors planned to stay in touch.

“We all were swapping numbers and Instagrams and Twitters,” she said.

They’ve even talked of going on a road trip together to cheer on the young women who will represent Florida at the 57th Annual Distinguished Young Women National Finals this summer in Mobile, Ala.

The young women there will compete for more than $130,000 in cash scholarships.

Renberg hopes the Florida contestants make the trip to Mobile.

“I think it would be fun,” Renberg said.

Published Feb. 5, 2014

Chalk Talk 02-05-14

February 6, 2014 By Mary Rathman

Music teacher receives state recognition
Watergrass Elementary School music teacher Karen Reinhold was awarded the 2013-14 Music Education Service Award by the Florida Music Educators’ Association, in recognition of her 30 years of service in the field. Reinhold began her Pasco County Public Schools career in 1992 at Lake Myrtle Elementary School, and has worked at Denham Oaks Elementary and Wesley Chapel Elementary schools. She has been with Watergrass since 2009.

Principal loses hair over books
Watergrass Elementary School student Josh Griffin contemplates where to start shaving on principal Scott Mitchell’s head. Mitchell agreed to ‘lose his hair’ when the students reached their goal of selling more than 1,000 books at a recent book fair. In return, he was presented with a hat to wear, and was told by a second-grade student, ‘Don’t worry, you are still handsome.’

Common Core info meetings
Pasco County Public Schools has scheduled meetings to educate parents and the community about Florida’s new standards for students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

Meetings are from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., for parents whose children attend the high schools and the elementary and middle schools that feed into them.

Guests will hear a presentation by district experts, receive materials explaining what the Common Core state standards are, and participate in a question and answer period.

Upcoming meetings are:
• Feb. 6, Land O’ Lakes High School, 20325 Gator Lane, mini theater, Room 500
• Feb. 25, Sunlake High School, 3023 Sunlake Blvd., Land O’ Lakes, cafeteria
• March 4, Wiregrass Ranch High School, 2909 Mansfield Blvd., Wesley Chapel, business learning community area

STEM Fair at River Ridge
The Pasco County Regional Science and Engineering Fair is Feb. 8 at the River Ridge Middle/High school campus, 11646 Town Center Road in New Port Richey. Students from schools throughout the district will display their projects.

The schedule is as follows:
• 9 a.m. to noon, judging
• noon to 2:30 p.m., public viewing
• 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., awards ceremony
For information, call Lauren Burdick at (813) 794-2746, or email .

Countryside Montessori fundraiser
Students at Countryside Montessori, 5852 Ehren Cutoff in Land O’ Lakes, will take part in the annual Walk Your Heart Out during the week of Feb. 10.

The event raises awareness of staying active and healthy, while raising money for the physical education and recreation program at the school. Students can walk, jog or run as many miles as they can during a regular physical education class. Parents pledge per mile.

Last year more than 2,000 miles were completed.

For information, call (813) 996-0991.

Wiregrass hosts Curriculum Night
Wiregrass Ranch High School, 2909 Mansfield Blvd., in Wesley Chapel, will host a general assembly PTSA meeting, followed by Curriculum Night, on Feb. 11 starting at 5:15 p.m. Students and parents can learn more about classes and meet teachers for the next school year.

The school also is participating in the Teens for Jeans drive, sponsored by Aeropostale. Donated jeans can be dropped off in student services through Feb. 16. Those donating will receive a coupon for 25 percent off a jeans purchase at Aeropostale. The jeans collected will be donated to local homeless shelters.

For information, call Robin Williamson at (813) 528-5444.

Corbett Prep open house
Corbett Preparatory School of IDS, 12015 Orange Grove Drive in Tampa, will host an open house Feb. 12 beginning at 8:30 a.m.

The event will include an overview of the school, a tour of the campus, and a light breakfast.

To make a reservation, call Jennifer Morrow at (813) 961-3087, or email ">.

January’s Student Citizens
The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce recognized its January Student Citizens including Cameron Hill of The Broach School, Teonshae Starks of Taylor Elementary School, Adelynn Leasure of East Pasco Adventist Academy, Layla Williams of Heritage Academy, Jacob Chinchar of Stewart Middle School, Lacey Wipper of West Zephyrhills Elementary School, Dylan Medlock of Woodland Elementary School, Noah Childers of Zephyrhills Christian Academy, Jasmine Canty of Zephyrhills High School, and Anastasia Atkinson, Florida Autism Center of Excellence. Students are selected for exemplary effort, achievement, and contribution to their school, family and community. Joining the students are, from left, are chamber president Carolyn Sentelik and executive director Vonnie Mikkelsen.

Black History Month event
Pasco Hernando State College will host “History of African-Americans in Opera” with JoAnne Stephenson Feb. 20 at 1 p.m., at the East Campus, Room A-240, 36727 Blanton Road in Dade City.

The presentation will offer a performance of select classical compositions by African-Americans.

Admission is free. Schools and organizations are welcome.

For a schedule of Black History Month activities and locations, visit PHSC.edu/calendar.

Presentations on Florida’s new standards for students
Pasco County Public Schools will host an information meeting Feb. 20 beginning at 6 p.m., on Common Core State Standards Initiative. Located at Zephyrhills High School, 6335 12^th St., the program is designed to educate parents and the community on the new standards for students from kindergarten through 12th grade.

District experts will lead the presentations, and attendees will receive materials explaining what Common Core is. There also will be question and answer sessions.

For information, call Linda Cobbe at (813) 794-2717 or (352) 524-2717.

As classes begin, PHCC becomes Pasco-Hernando State College

January 30, 2014 By B.C. Manion

Pasco-Hernando Community College has changed its named to Pasco-Hernando State College.

The new name reflects the college’s broader mission as it prepares to offer bachelor degree programs. The college’s board of trustees approved the name change at its Jan. 21 board meeting.

Students fill the walkways on the first day of classes at Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, a new satellite campus for Pasco-Hernando State College. (Photo courtesy of Stephen John Photography)

The vote follows the December approval by board of directors of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to authorize the bachelor degree programs.

“Our new name signifies enhanced opportunities for our current and future students,” John DiRienzo Jr., PHSC district board of trustees chair, said in a release. “This is a pivotal moment in our college’s 41-year history. The transition to a state college is reflective of the college’s enhanced mission to provide accessible, affordable, quality higher education that meets the needs of our local residents and employers.”

PHSC plans to begin offering a bachelor of applied science degree in supervision and management, and a bachelor of science in nursing, both in August.

“These two baccalaureate degrees are in high demand fields that will provide advanced career opportunities in fast-growing, stable industries,” PHSC president Katherine M. Johnson said, in a release. “While the word ‘community’ no longer appears in our new name, the college’s commitment to serve the higher education needs of residents from all of our communities has never been stronger.”

The nursing bachelor’s degree is designed to prepare graduates of associate’s degree nursing programs — who already have a registered nursing license — to obtain additional skills in management, leadership, theory and research to succeed and be promoted within the nursing profession.

Prerequisite courses for this program will be offered at any of the college’s campuses. The bachelor’s degree in nursing program will be offered only online.

Published Jan. 29, 2014

The bachelor’s degree in supervision and management is designed to meet the needs of students with business, technology and workforce-focused associate’s degrees. Several courses in this program will be available at every campus and online, with the full program initially offered at the Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch in Wesley Chapel.

Besides getting a new name, the college boasted an opening day enrollment of 1,600 students at the Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, according to campus provost Stan Giannet.

While classes have begun, construction work continues at the campus, Giannet said, adding that the ongoing construction work will not disrupt campus operations.

To learn more about Pasco-Hernando State College degree and certificate programs, visit PHSC.edu, or call (855) 669-7472.

Published Jan. 29, 2014