Education

Porter Campus aims to become hub of academic activity

November 13, 2013 By B.C. Manion

Deja Ventura couldn’t be more excited about the January opening of Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch in Wesley Chapel.

The new campus — PHCC’s fifth — will make life much easier for Ventura, a student at the college.

“I can’t wait,” she said.

Ventura and others attended an information session last week in a conference room at Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel. There, faculty and administration for the new campus gave the crowd a virtual tour of the new facility, and shared their aspirations for the quality of education it will bring to its students.

Having a campus in Wesley Chapel will reduce Ventura’s commuting time for school by two hours, she said. It takes the 20-year-old an hour to drive each way to her classes now at PHCC’s New Port Richey campus.

Ventura’s also pleased that the new campus is near Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, where Ventura eventually wants to work.

The Wiregrass Ranch High School graduate said she was a patient at the hospital, and the positive experience she had there helped seal her decision to pursue a nursing degree.

Julio Rivera, an employee in the hospital’s cafeteria, is also looking forward to the opening of the new campus, as he pursues classes in information technology.

“I live 5 to 10 minutes from here,” he said. “I drive by here all of the time.” Rivera said.

Stan Giannet, provost of Porter Campus, was enthusiastic about what the school intends to offer its students.

“We’re very fired up,” Giannet said, noting that PHCC expects to branch into four-year degree programs next year, with bachelor’s degrees in nursing as well as supervision and management.

Stan Giannet, provost at Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, looks forward to creating a sense of community on campus and connections with the community it serves. (Photo by B.C. Manion)

The community college has received approvals from the state for the programs and is awaiting approval on its application for accreditation for the programs.

Once that clears, PHCC plans to change its name to Pasco-Hernando State College.

The four-year programs are slated to begin in fall of 2014.

Porter Campus also plans to be the only PHCC location to offer two new certification programs that the college will launch in 2014. Those certification programs are for surgical and pharmacy technicians, both fields where workers are in high demand.

One of the college’s missions is to help address workplace needs. “We want to be at the table to offer some solutions,” Giannet said.

The new campus is well equipped to serve student needs, Giannet said. It has a seven-story building, which includes four stories of classrooms on top of a three-story parking deck.

Beyond traditional classrooms, it also has nursing, computer and science labs as well as a two-story library. The nursing labs are so current that the mannequins used there can breathe and talk.

The campus also features two outdoor plaza areas, which Giannet believes will be popular places for people to congregate, for academic discussions and social gatherings.

He aspires to make the new campus an intellectual, cultural and community hub.

“We want to make it a vibrant campus for this community,” Giannet said.

The campus doesn’t have a cafeteria, but Giannet said students, staff and faculty members have many dining opportunities nearby.

“It’s so ideally situated in the heart of Wesley Chapel. There are restaurants that are peppering this entire area,” he said, adding that the library will have a coffee shop.

Besides offering a wide variety of programs, the college is committed to helping its students succeed, Giannet said.

“You are not a number. You are known. This is the kind of climate we are going to have at Porter Campus at Wiregrass,” Giannet said.

Courses will be offered in a variety of ways. Some will be taught in the traditional mode of a teacher delivering face-to-face instruction. Some will be offered online. Some will be a combination of both.

Pam Medley, the assistant dean of student development, said the college wants to help students get the classes they need.

Those transferring in must be sure to get their transcripts, to help them during the enrollment process, she said. Unofficial records can be used during the registration process, but official records are needed to release financial aid.

It’s also important for high school graduates to be aware that they can enroll as early as May for classes that begin in August.

The college will work closely with high schools for dual enrollment, where high school students can earn college credits, Medley said. She expects those relationships to be especially close between the college and Wiregrass Ranch High School, which is across the street from the new campus, and with Wesley Chapel High School, which is nearby.

The college also has a Teaching-Learning Center, which is committed to helping students achieve their potential. The idea is to help students engage in learning, whether they are tackling a complex research project or struggling to stay on pace, said Natalie Epo, coordinator of the Teaching-Learning Center.

Classes at Porter Campus are set to begin Jan. 13.

For more information, go to www.PHCC.edu.

Chalk Talk 11-06-13

November 6, 2013 By Mary Rathman

LOLHS hosts IB information night
Land O’ Lakes High School will host several International Baccalaureate program information nights for applicants seeking ninth-grade admission in the 2014-15 school year. Upcoming sessions are from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. as follows:
• Nov. 7 at John Long Middle School, 2025 Mansfield Blvd., in Wesley Chapel
• Nov. 12 at Weightman Middle School, 30649 Wells Road in Wesley Chapel
• Nov. 14 at Pasco Middle School, 13925 14th St., in Dade City
For information, call Jeff Morgenstein at (813) 794-9429 or (352) 524-9429, or email .
Applications can be downloaded at lolhs.pasco.k12.fl.us.

Stop Bullying workshop
Crossroads Community United Methodist Church, 26211 County Line Road in Wesley Chapel, will host a free Stop Bullying Workshop, presented by Sunrise of Pasco County Prevention Team, on Nov. 9 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Participants can learn to detect signs of bullying, understand cyberbullying, how to help other parents and youth facing bullying, and more. The event is for parents as well as children in grades 6 through 12.
For information, email .

Virtual language clubs offered
Pasco eSchool is partnering with Middlebury Interactive Languages to launch virtual language clubs for elementary-age students.
This is a six-week online language club starting Nov. 11 and running through Dec. 20. Club members will benefit from weekly club sessions that will include interactive and language-rich activities in a virtual group setting.
This is a fee-based program offering instruction in the following languages:
• K-2, Spanish on Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m., and French on Thursdays at 4:30 p.m.
• Grades 3-5, Spanish on Wednesdays at 3:30 p.m., and French on Thursdays at 3:30 p.m.
Students are not required to be Pasco County residents.
The fee is $103.25, and includes a convenience charge for online payment.
To learn more, visit eschool.pasco.k12.fl.us.

Academy at the Lakes tour
Academy at the Lakes Wendleck Campus is hosting a Sunday Fun Day on Nov. 17 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Students from pre-kindergarten through first grade can enjoy art, reading and math games with teachers, while parents can tour the campus and learn more about the Academy. Activities are for children ages 3-7, but child care will be on hand for older children to play on the playground.
The campus is at 2331 Collier Parkway in Land O’ Lakes.
To RSVP, email .

Corbett hosts open house
Corbett Preparatory School of IDS, a school for pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, is hosting an admissions open house on Nov. 20 at 8:30 a.m. Prospective families can get an overview of the school and will learn about the academic curriculum, as well as the fine arts, sports and technology programs.
The open house includes a tour of the campus. A light breakfast will be served.
The school is at 12015 Orange Grove Drive in north Tampa.
To RSVP or for information, call Jennifer Morrow at (813) 961-3087, or email her at .

Great American Teach-In
Watergrass Elementary School, 32750 Overpass Road in Wesley Chapel, is looking for people from the community and parents interested in participating in the Great American Teach-In on Nov. 20 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Those interested in reading a story, talking about a job, or sharing a hobby, please call Amanda Boria at (813) 346-0600, or email .

Nicole Kandil joins orchestra
Nicole Kandil of Lutz has earned membership in the Bob Jones University Symphony Orchestra in Greenville, S.C. Membership in the top-tier orchestra is by audition only.
Kandil is currently pursuing a degree in music education.

Local students make semifinalist list for National Merit
The National Merit Scholarship Corp. has announced the names of approximately 16,000 seminfinalists in the 59th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.
Hillsborough County Public Schools led the state in the number of National Merit semifinalists, with 60 students earning the honor. Local students include:
• Rachel Hargrove and Shahob Miltenberger, Land O’ Lakes High School
• Bridget Weber, Sunlake High School
• Stephen Hurley, Steinbrenner High School
• Rohith Ravi, Freedom High School
• Jorge Rodriguez, Sickles High School
• Kiana Outen, Wharton High School
• Chelsea Chitty, Wiregrass Ranch High School

New charter school launches website
Classical Preparatory School, a new charter school planned for Land O’ Lakes opening in the fall of 2014, has launches its website at www.ClassicalPrep.org. The website serves as a resource for information about the school’s program, including frequently asked questions, and a letter of interest form for prospective students.

Heather Edwards elected to student government
Heather Edwards, a freshman and psychology major at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tenn., was elected to the school’s student government for freshman class student services for the 2013-14 school year. Edwards is a native from Lutz.

Businesses can make it or break it at BizGrow 2.0

November 6, 2013 By Michael Hinman

Last year, Kellye Dash sat in the audience of BizGrow and soaked in all the advice from small business owners like herself making their way in this technology-based economy. Now, the president and chief executive of The Busy Buddy is ready to share some of her own experiences as the Pasco Economic Development Council’s annual conference gets under way.

“I started my business in 2009 while working for an IT company,” Dash said. “I wasn’t sure when I was going to pull the trigger and head out on my own, but I knew I would have to do it at some point.”

The one-day BizGrow 2.0 conference at Pasco-Hernando Community College is designed to show business owners they are not alone in the trials and tribulations of running their own business. (Photo courtesy of Summer Martin)

Dash designed her Wesley Chapel-based Busy Buddy to add an extra hand or two to businesses when they needed it most, providing everything from administrative work to data research and beyond.

She comes to BizGrow 2.0 at Pasco-Hernando Community College on Friday no longer attached to her old job, and now Dash hopes to share that confidence with others.

“I was working full-time, and I didn’t want to let that paycheck go,” she said. “But if you step out on your own, you really can do it, as long as you put people around you who are supportive. You may just surprise yourself.”

These are the kinds of stories BizGrow is expected to inspire once again, said organizer John Walsh, vice president of the Pasco EDC.

“The idea is to bring inspirational stories to the group so that people who are going through challenges right now of starting their own business and growing it know that other people are out there that went through it as well,” Walsh said. “But we also want to get people to network. This is a chance for like-minded people to get together, to create some strong relationships in the county, and make that happen.”

Networking can be just as important as anything else, especially when it comes to drumming up business, or even collaboration, said Amy Gleason.

As the chief operating officer of CareSync, Gleason is working to get the word out about her company’s new online application that brings a patient’s medical records together into one spot.

“It was inspired in part by my daughter who was diagnosed with a rare disease,” Gleason said. “We had a hard time managing all her health information, because it wasn’t all in one spot. There’s just no one that teaches you to be a patient, and no guidebook on how to navigate the health care system — and that’s something we really need out there.”

Many of the best product ideas come from a personal need to have them, Gleason said. But what a large number of would-be entrepreneurs suffer from are missteps in execution.

And that means paying attention to the ever-changing business world that’s out there.

“I hear a lot of people who are afraid of Twitter and don’t really understand it,” Gleason said, citing an example of tools not being properly used. “But it can be one of the most amazing sources of information. You can put one thing out there, and someone from a completely different walk of life can respond and offer you something to think about.”

It’s the ups and downs, and finding the right tools for the right job that makes BizGrow a popular destination for budding entrepreneurs, Walsh said. Especially the trials and tribulations involved in owning a business, because it’s not always easy.

“It’s not easy,” Walsh said. “It’s a commitment that will cost you 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and it might not be for everybody. If it’s not, this is the time to figure it out, before you spend a lot of time and money on the effort. Otherwise, there are opportunities here for those who are ready to embark on this path.”

If you go
BizGrow 2.0 is a conference designed to help businesses navigate in the new economy.
It takes place Nov. 8, beginning at 8:30 a.m., at the New Port Richey campus of Pasco-Hernando Community College, Building R.
Admission is $30 in advance, or $35 the day of the event.
Information: PascoEDC.com/events

Porter Campus ushers in change for Wesley Chapel, region

November 6, 2013 By B.C. Manion

When Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch opens in January, it will be the first time that students from Wesley Chapel will be able to attend college in their own backyard.

The campus’ offerings, however, are expected to have a much more far-reaching impact, said J.D. Porter, whose family donated 60-plus acres for the campus. Porter was among a contingent of guests getting a sneak peak at the new campus in a tour on Oct. 31.

An exterior view of the seven-story classroom building at Pasco-Hernando Community College’s new Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch. (Photo by B.C. Manion)

As they walked along, visitors saw construction crews working on scaffolding outside the seven-story classroom building, running wiring within the structure, wiping down lab tables and busy tackling other tasks.

Work is expected to be finished on time for classes to begin in January, according to Pasco-Hernando Community College officials.

The new PHCC satellite campus has come out of the ground quickly, but it has been a long time in the making, Porter said. He believes the campus will have a regional benefit.

“This is something that was needed,” Porter said. Besides giving Wesley Chapel students a chance to go to college in their own community, this campus is expected to attract students from not only across Pasco and Hernando counties, but also from Hillsborough County, as well.

The site, at 2727 Mansfield Blvd., is on the south side of State Road 56, about two miles east of Interstate 75. It is situated across the street from the planned Raymond James financial services office park, next to Wiregrass Ranch High School, and around the corner from Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel.

In addition to offering two-year degrees, the campus also plans to offer a bachelor’s degree in supervision and management, and a bachelor’s in nursing.

The PHCC name may not last long, however. The college is awaiting approval on its application with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. The board meets in December in Atlanta, and if they approve, could allow the school to change its name to Pasco-Hernando State College.

PHCC President Katherine M. Johnson, who helped to lead the preview tour, characterized this as an exciting time for the college, as it opens a new campus, adds new programs and changes its name.

The seven-story classroom building consists of a three-story parking deck, topped by four floors of classrooms and labs. There are 10 classrooms, four computer labs. four science labs and eight health labs on the campus, as well as a library, faculty offices and administrative offices.

The nursing lab, on the fifth floor, will be set up to simulate a hospital ward.

“We tried to make it very much what you would find in a hospital setting,” said Stan Giannet, provost of the campus.

Besides nursing, other classes offered at the campus cover a number of disciplines, including business administration and information technology.

The building has been designed to be energy efficient, which lowers long-term operational costs and reduces its impacts on the environment, said Joseph J. Sorci, director of design for Florida Architects. It has been designed to take advantage of natural light and to conserve water. The campus also uses light-emitting diodes, or LED, lighting and a cooling system that reduces energy consumption.

The design takes future needs into consideration, Sorci said. For example, the network operations center in the library can accommodate additional equipment as it becomes necessary to meet the needs of a larger enrollment.

Care also was taken in selecting building materials, Sorci said. The carpeting, for instance, is made up of carpet squares. If one square becomes damaged it can be removed and replaced.

Besides saving money, that also reduces waste, Sorci said.

Students who want to take classes at the new campus can register at the Brooksville, Dade City, New Port Richey or Spring Hill campuses, or through online registration if they’re a current student.

Open registration begins on Nov. 12. The spring course schedule is available at www.phcc.edu/schedule.

Classical Prep will extend beyond reading, writing, arithmetic

October 30, 2013 By B.C. Manion

When Berean Academy closed its doors in Lutz in 2011, it left many families wondering where their children would get the classical brand of education the school offered.

It was a difficult time for families, but it spurred one parent, Anne Corcoran, to begin investigating what it would take to set up a school that would offer that style of education to any child.

Next school year, Classical Preparatory — a new charter school offering a liberal arts education — will open near State Road 52 at the edge of Land O’ Lakes. It will be the first public school in Florida to offer a classical education, said Corcoran, the new school’s board president.

The acquisition of the school site is nearly complete, and the school itself is in the design stage, but Corcoran is confident that classes for kindergarten through eighth-graders will begin in the fall of 2014.

The Pasco County School Board approved the charter school for five years last year, but agreed to delay opening of the school for a year to give its board more time to finalize plans.

The curriculum will emphasize writing, public speaking, character, leadership and critical and analytical thinking. It’s a style of education that dates back to Plato and Socrates, Corcoran said.

“The point is training the mind,” she said. “And training the mind includes the virtues of a classical education. If you can’t exercise self-control, if you can’t exercise responsibility and can’t have respect for others or be trustworthy, you’re not going to be a very good citizen.”

The school will emphasize seven character traits: humility, perseverance, responsibility, respect, self-control, citizenship and trustworthiness. It is important that students learn how to think things through and learn how to make good choices, Corcoran said.

“If you don’t know how to make good choices in life, then other people are going to be making choices for you,” she said.

When Classical Prep opens, it is expected to have 342 lottery-selected students in kindergarten through eighth-grade. The school will add a grade each year after that until it has a senior class, Corcoran said.

At its maximum under the current charter, the school will have 518 students.

A lottery will fill the school the first year as well as open slots in later years. Students already enrolled will earn automatic admission for the siblings without having to go through the lottery.

The school will have rigorous academic expectations, Corcoran said.

Students in middle school will be required to take two logic courses. High school students will be required to take four years of math, science, English and history, along with classes in the fine arts and humanities. Latin will start in third grade and go through eighth, also required.

Students will be expected to deliver oral presentations, even when they are quite young, Corcoran said.

“Learning to speak well, that is teaching you how to think because you have to memorize. You have to be able to say something cogently. You have to use certain vocabulary. Learning to speak teaches you to think,” she said.

Learning how to write well also builds thinking skills, she added.

The school’s board looked at four models of classical schools while laying the groundwork for Classical Preparatory in Land O’ Lakes, Corcoran said. They were found in Brooklyn, N.Y.; Washington, D.C.; Phoenix; and Fort Collins, Colo.

The school they’ve worked with most is Ridge View Classical in Fort Collins. It’s a charter school serving about 900 children in a community similar to Land O’ Lakes.

While many charter schools are established to promote study in a particular area, such as dramatic arts, engineering or other specialty areas, classical education is intended to train students how to be critical and analytical thinkers.

The school won’t begin accepting applications until January and the lottery won’t be until early March. However, the school is accepting letters of application and has launched a website.

The school will use information collected from the letters of interest to keep parents informed of specific deadlines for submitting an application to enter the lottery and other types of information, Corcoran said. It will also help the school’s board with its planning.

For more information about the school, visit www.ClassicalPrep.org.

Young robotics pioneers finish second in X Prize competition

October 30, 2013 By B.C. Manion

While being No. 2 doesn’t have quite the same cache as taking home top honors, it’s not such a bad consolation prize when the contest pits creative kids from across the world.

At least, that’s how Ray Carr is looking at the second-place finish his son’s team achieved in the X Prize “After Earth” competition.

Shown here, left to right, are Sean Carr, R.J. Walters and Ross Edwards, who placed second in an international competition that aimed to encourage young people to think about ecology and robotic design. (File photo)

Sean Carr and his teammates, Ross Edwards and R.J. Walters, finished second to a team from Missouri in the competition, which drew entries from young pioneers spanning four continents. Other countries competing included Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Poland, India, Egypt, Hungary, Singapore and Oman.

The trio of local 14-year-olds would have preferred to win, of course, but they’re taking a philosophical attitude. They said they had fun rising to the challenge and learned how to be better teammates.

The contest was based on the movie “After Earth,” starring Will Smith and Jaden Smith. The sponsor, X Prize Foundation, uses competitions to address “the world’s grand challenges,” according to its website.

In this case, the teams explored ways to make Earth more sustainable and how to use robotics to investigate the potential for a new settlement for humans.

Ray Carr coached the young men, who are also members of the Trinity Dragons robotics team.

As part of the competition, the team designed and built a robot that can scoot across a surface, lift small buckets and deliver them to where they need to go, and then return to its base.

While the robot seemingly acts on its own, it actually completes its work through computer programming and infrared sensors. It carries out its tasks in a fictitious place, called Nova Prime.

The team also produced a video that tells the story of their imaginary world. It opens with images of what’s going wrong with Earth — traffic jams, billowing smokestacks, parched earth, landfills and a dead bird. It then pans to a view of Carr’s backyard in Lutz, where fish thrive in water tanks, which provide water and nutrients to a flower and vegetable garden in a system. That in turn produces fish and organic vegetables, using very little water.

The video features a lively musical soundtrack and an entertaining look at the steps the team followed to create and program the robot.

Other portions of the video show the rover coming together and the construction of Nova Prime.

Ray Carr said that even though they placed second, the team is included in a montage on the recently released “After Earth” DVD.

For making it to the final round, the team received a Lego Mindstorms robotic kit and a Sony Handycam video camera.

Competing in these kinds of contests is a great way to learn, Ray Carr said.

“Edison said he learned 3,000 ways not to make a lightbulb,” he said. “That’s what they did, too.”

Kids rise to challenge: Former principal gets slimed

October 30, 2013 By B.C. Manion

Dallas Jackson, the former principal at Martinez Middle School in Lutz, recently got his just desserts when two teachers poured 12 gallons of slime onto the administrator — soaking him with the sticky green Jell-O substance.

Chorus teacher Chad DeLoach and civics teacher Michael Carballo had the honors of sliming Jackson because their homerooms sold the most discount cards in a school fundraiser to generate money for covered walkways.

Dallas Jackson, former principal at Martinez Middle School, gets slimed in a school event to celebrate surpassing a fundraising goal at the Lutz school. (Photos courtesy of the Martinez Middle School Parent Teacher Student Association)

The school’s Parent Teacher Student Association took the lead on the moneymaking quest by devising a card with 40 discount stickers that can be redeemed at local businesses. The goal was to raise $22,500 this year, with $10,000 going toward the covered walkway project.

Jackson, who was recently promoted to a district position outside the school, promised he would allow himself to be slimed and would give students an upside-down uniform day if they exceeded the $22,500 fundraising goal. In the upside-down uniform day, teachers and staff wore school uniforms, while kids dressed in regular attire.

Apparently, the idea of seeing the principal slimed proved motivational. The PTSA raised nearly $30,000 through the discount card sales.

Of course, it didn’t hurt that the cards, which sold for $20, had a wide variety of discounts on local goods and services. There are discounts on frozen yogurt, cupcakes, pizza, hot dogs, restaurant meals, Sunday brunch, pet grooming, tutoring, car washes, golf outings, personal training and other deals.

This year’s discount card was an expanded version of a fundraiser the school had last year, which they called “Pizza Palooza.” That promotion was so successful the pizza places said they couldn’t afford to offer such deep discounts again, said PTSA president Monique Dailey.

So, the PTSA came up with a new plan. Fellow PTSA member Charmane DelBrocco suggested they expand on the theme.

In the words of Dailey: “They decided to take it and 2.0 it.”

“It definitely took hard work. There was a lot of cold calling,” said Dailey, crediting DelBrocco and Terri Ansel, another PTSA member, for hitting the pavement and using persistence to secure 40 discount deals.

By putting together their own discount card, the PTSA is able to direct the money to school projects and activities instead of paying a professional fundraising company, Dailey noted. Some of those companies want at least 60 percent of the proceeds.

Dailey said she’s not surprised by the generosity of area businesses, but she is gratified.

“It’s reassuring because we stepped out on faith that they would be there, that we would be able to fill 40 coupons,” she said.

To help entice students to sell the discount cards, the PTSA offered a $250 prize to the top seller. Seventh-grader Jordyn Schramm, who sold 18 discount cards, took home that reward.

Schramm said she walked around her Lutz neighborhood, pitching the discount cards to friends and neighbors.

“All I did was put a smile on my face and ask for their help,” she said.

It helped that the discount card had lots of good deals at nearby businesses, she said. “It’s for all of the places around our local neighborhood.”

Raising money to help the school provide more covered walkways is a good cause, Dailey said.

It’s a definite need, Schramm agreed, noting on rainy days all of the school’s 1,000-plus students use the same hallway.

“It’s almost like human bumper-to-bumper traffic,” she said.

By next year, the PTSA ladies said, they hope more kids will be able to walk under covered walkways across campus.

And, in the end, the former principal took a soaking — so students at the middle school won’t have to, on those rainy days.

PHCC gearing up to talk about Porter Campus

October 23, 2013 By B.C. Manion

Three sessions have been scheduled to provide information about Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, a new satellite campus of Pasco-Hernando Community College that is scheduled to open in January.

The Porter Campus, which is under construction at Mansfield Boulevard and State Road 56, is situated in an area poised to attract major employers and substantial residential growth in coming years. It is directly across State Road 54 from the site where Raymond James, an international financial services company, is expected to build an office park.

A view from State Road 56 of one of the buildings under construction for the new Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, a Pasco-Hernando Community College satellite campus scheduled to open in January. (Photo by B.C. Manion)

The Porter Campus plans include six buildings. One of its structures will stand 122 feet tall, giving the campus the bragging rights of having Pasco County’s highest building.

College officials anticipate attracting students from Pasco, Hernando and Hillsborough counties. One day, the Porter Campus is expected to draw about the same number of students as the college’s West Campus, the main campus in New Port Richey.

The information sessions are designed to provide a wealth of information to potential students.

Three individual sessions are scheduled at Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, in the second floor conference room of Wellness Plaza, 2600 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. Each session will be from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., and they will be on Nov. 4, Nov. 5 and Nov. 6.

The sessions are intended for prospective, current and returning PHCC students who are interested in attending the new Porter Campus.

College faculty and staff will be on hand to provide information and answer questions about the campus. The sessions will highlight student support services, student activities, programs and courses, prerequisite courses, testing, and admission requirements.

Question-and-answer sessions are also planned, with a panel fielding the questions.

The campus has encountered some construction delays because of weather, but unless a hurricane hits or another natural disaster occurs, college officials expect the campus to open on schedule in early January, said Lucy Miller, PHCC’s executive director of marketing and public relations.

The Porter Campus is slated to offer a bachelor of applied science degree in supervision and management, and a bachelor of science in nursing degree beginning in the fall of 2014. It has received permission from the state and is now awaiting action on its application from the board of directors of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. The board meets in Atlanta in December.

The college has appointed Stan Giannet to serve as provost of the Porter Campus. Previously, he served in that same capacity at PHCC’s North Campus.

Those wishing to attend the information sessions are encouraged to sign up now.

Space for each session is limited to 50, for a total of 150. The deadline for registering for the free session is Nov. 1.

To sign up, go to www.phcc.edu/rsvp. Call (727) 816-3398 for more information.

Chalk Talk

October 23, 2013 By Mary Rathman

Veterans Elementary festival
Veterans Elementary School PTA will host an Owl at the Moon fall fundraising festival on the school campus, 26940 Progress Parkway in Wesley Chapel, on Oct. 25 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. The event will include carnival games, inflatables, a dunk tank, photo book, pumpkin decorating contest, music, vendors, and concessions. Proceeds from the event will help the PTA provide essential programs and services to the school.

Air Force colonel to speak at Saint Leo
Retired U.S. Air Force Col. Sheri Andino Straka, a resident of Lake Jovita, will speak at Saint Leo University’s Teco Hall Oct. 24 at 6 p.m. Straka is the recipient of the Bronze Star and the Legion of Merit. She currently is the Air Force JROTC instructor at Springstead High School in Spring Hill where she also serves as the senior aerospace science instructor. Her presentation is one of several special programs in celebration of Saint Leo University’s 40^th anniversary of those who serve the nation. The program is free and open to the public. For more information, call (352) 588-7233.

Weightman hosts All Pro Dads
Thomas Weightman Middle School hosted its first All Pro Dads Day breakfast in the school’s media center on Oct. 2. The event connected 75 dads and their middle school students. For an upcoming schedule of more All Pro Dads meetings, visit AllProDad/3830.

Robotic showcase at UT
Robocon Tampa Bay will be held Oct. 26-27 at the Bob Martinez Sports Center at the University of Tampa, 401 W. Kennedy Blvd., in Tampa. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free. Guests can watch a full-scale robotic competition with massive Frisbee shooting robots, participate in a college and career fair, and learn more about industrial and medical robotics, and tech careers in Tampa Bay. For information, visit RoboconTampaBay.com.

PHCC to host free workshop
Pasco-Hernando Community College will host a free information workshop “Knowing Your Options for High School and Beyond” on Oct. 29 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at its West Campus,10230 Ridge Road, in New Port Richey. Representatives from the Pasco County school district and PHCC will provide information on advanced placement, dual enrollment, International Baccalaureate programs, and more. Space is limited. For reservations, email .

Bridge building contest at Saint Leo
The Department of Mathematics and Science at Saint Leo University, State Road 52 in St. Leo, will host its annual Bridge-Building/Bridge-Breaking competition on Oct. 30 at 6:30 p.m. in the Greenfelder-Delinger boardrooms of the Student Community Center. Students from kindergarten through high school can watch small-scale model bridges built by physics and engineering students be tested for weight. All bridges are destroyed at the end of the event. Those attending also will have a chance to speak to faculty members. For information, call Jo-Ann Johnston at (352) 588-8237.

Nicole Kandil joins orchestra
Nicole Kandil of Lutz has earned membership in the Bob Jones University Symphony Orchestra in Greenville, S.C. Membership in the top-tier orchestra is by audition only. Kandil is currently pursuing a degree in music education.

District launches new online tool
Hillsborough County parents now have the option to use the school district’s new grade book tool, Edsby, which provides classroom assignments and grades. To register, go to sdhc.edsby.com. Parents will need the name of the child’s school, the child’s student number, last four digits of the child’s Social Security number, and the child’s birthday. An Edsby registration video tutorial can be found at sdhc.k12.fl.us. For information, call Grace Posada at (813) 840-7064.

Land O’ Lakes thespians excel
The Land O’ Lakes High School Thespians Troupe 4740, took part in a one-act play competition at Haines City High School over the Oct. 5 weekend. The group performed the play “Drop Dead, Juliet” and went on to receive a rating of Excellent. Cast member Carinne Julien also received the All-Star Cast award.

Heather Edwards elected to student government
Heather Edwards, a freshman at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tenn., was elected to the school’s student government for freshman class student services for the 2013-14 school year. Edwards is a psychology major native from Lutz.

Zephyrhills schools support anti-bullying
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.” In addition, the initiative plans to provide free stickers and coloring book pages to schools that request them, to spread the word by participating in the Great American Teach-In, and provide certificates and awards for students who transform from bullies into kinder versions of themselves. The initiative hopes to sponsor and provide assembly programs, BMX demonstrations, skydiving jump-ins, and team-building and confidence-building games and activities at no cost to schools throughout the school year. For details, visit facebook.com/beebullyfree. Upcoming “Black & Yellow Fridays” are: Oct. 25, Nov. 22, Dec. 20, Jan. 31, Feb. 28, March 28, April 25 and May 30.

Keeping kids safe from human trafficking

October 16, 2013 By B.C. Manion

It’s a crime that is so horrible it’s hard to imagine it happening in our own backyard — but statistics prove that it does, Cpl. Alan Wilkett, of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, told a group of Rushe Middle School parents.

Florida ranks third behind New York and California in the number of human trafficking cases, and Tampa Bay routinely ranks second or third in the state. Cpl. Alan Wilkett shared those numbers with a group of Rushe Middle School parents last week.

Mechelle Flippo is among the parents from Rushe Middle School who came to learn more about human trafficking and what they can do to help keep their children safe. (Photo by B.C. Manion) — Mechelle Flippo is among the parents from Rushe Middle School who came to learn more about human trafficking and what they can do to help keep their children safe.
(Photo by B.C. Manion)

“Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery,” Wilkett said. “It involves exploitation,” adding that it could be sexual exploitation or forced servitude.

Wilkett came to the Land O’ Lakes school to inform parents about human trafficking at the suggestion of the school’s Parent Teacher Student Association president Anne Fisco.

Fisco had seen a presentation on the topic and believed parents and students at Rushe would benefit.

Rushe principal David Salerno said he wants parents to help their children avoid potential harm.

“Parents need to be aware of what the dangers are, not to scare them, but to inform them,” he said.

“We think this particular subject is one of those things that really needs to be talked about,” Wilkett said, noting he would be giving another presentation to the school’s students. The student talk, he said, would be tailored to the younger audience, with an emphasis on how to stay safe.

There’s an estimated 15,000 to 18,000 people trafficked in the United States each year, Wilkett said. Tampa Bay is fertile ground for the crime because it has major sports teams, is a popular tourist destination, brings in big conventions, has lots of hotels, and has a large agricultural economy.

The sports teams and tourism create crowds, which can generate more customers for prostitutes, Wilkett said. Trafficking victims can also be forced into servitude performing jobs at hotels, or in agriculture.

Victims often are bought or kidnapped in other countries and smuggled into the United States. They can be forced to work a circuit that takes them from New York to Florida to Texas in a matter of weeks, Wilkett said. They are moved around to avoid being detected.

Parents should be vigilant in protecting their children because there are also victims who are American, Wilkett said. These kids often are runaways, vulnerable kids who are lured by expert criminals.

Statistics show that 70 percent of the trafficking victims are female, and the slavery can begin before they even reach their teenage years. The youngest victim Wilkett’s ever run across was 8 years old.

Generally, trafficking victims have a lifespan of seven years because they are killed when they are no longer productive, he said.

The perpetrators tend to look for their victims in places where kids congregate, such as shopping malls, beaches and parks. They tend to go after kids who are alone or in groups of two, he said. They try to engage the kids by finding out what their interests are, or asking them if they’re hungry.

With boys, they might lure them in by talking about video games or sports. With girls, they may use sweet talk and offer to help them, Wilkett said.

The main thing is that they’re looking for some kind of hook. That’s their window of opportunity, he said.

Nicole Hahn, a parent in the crowd, asked Wilkett what parents can do.

“We don’t want to be helicopter parents, but we want our kids to be safe,” she said. “How do you give them some of that freedom, without making them vulnerable?”

Wilkett said that it’s tough to balance safety with freedom.

Parents should instruct their children to make a lot of noise if they feel threatened. They should scream, shout or do whatever they can to attract attention, he said.

It is also good to remember that there’s safety in numbers, Wilkett said. When kids go to a movie, or the mall, or the beach, they should go in groups of at least three, but preferably larger groups. They should also stick together once they get to wherever they’re going.

Parents also need to remind their kids that no one has a right to violate them, and that means no one, Wilkett said.

Human trafficking is a brutal, dehumanizing crime.

“People who traffic humans often smuggle drugs and guns,” Wilkett said, noting groups like the Russian mob and drug cartels typically use the same routes for human trafficking as they do for smuggling guns and drugs.

The crime often goes unreported because the victims can’t speak English, don’t trust the police because they were corrupt in their home country, or are afraid something will happen to them or their family, Wilkett said.

He asked those in the crowd to help in the fight against human trafficking.

“Be observant in your neighborhood,” Wilkett said. A house that has its windows covered with aluminum, for example, may be a place where illegal activity is occurring inside.

“Listen, especially for detecting an involuntary domestic servitude victim,” he said.

People who look down when you talk to them or don’t answer your questions may be afraid, he said. If something doesn’t sound or feel right, people should report it.

“At least give us the opportunity to go look at it,” Wilkett said, adding the sheriff’s office accepts anonymous tips.

Something has to be done to help these people, Wilkett said. “Inside, they are screaming, ‘I’m really not for sale. I’m really not for sale.’”

Parent Mechelle Flippo said she was glad she attended the meeting.

“Anytime you get information about something that can protect your child, you need to make that a priority,” Flippo said. “It is real. It does happen and it does happen in our community.”

Learn more about human trafficking by visiting these websites:
www.WorldReliefTampa.org
www.SharedHope.org
www.RescueAndRestore.org