Education

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.

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

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.

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 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

Weightman sends message: Bullying not welcome here

October 16, 2013 By B.C. Manion

As teachers at Weightman Middle School were gearing up for the beginning of the academic year, they took part in a training session led by Sharon Morris, the school’s counselor.

Morris had seen a rise in bullying reports in the previous year, and wanted to talk to teachers about the need to identify bullying and stop it. Teachers agreed the issue needed to be tackled and suggested the school take aim at it early in the school year.

Mark Sweet, a parent volunteer, is holding the ‘Chain of Courage.’ Every Weightman Middle School student signed a link of the chain, pledging not to be a bystander to bullying. (Photo courtesy of Weightman Middle School)

Morris also believed the issue called for a more sustained effort than in previous years, so she recommended a weeklong slate of anti-bullying activities.

Each day of the week had a theme, inviting students to get involved.

For instance, they came to school on one day decked out in pink, with crazy hairstyles and glasses. The theme was “Don’t be a crazy bystander and watch someone get bullied.”

On another day, they made pinwheels for peace. The theme that day was “Too cool to be a bully, give peace a chance.”

On other days, they wore boots or jeans or bright colors, all tying in with a special theme.

The bottom line was to saturate the campus with the message that everyone must do what they can to stop bullying, said Morris, who has been an educator for 18 years.

“We did not let up,” she said.

The counselor knew the kids would have fun dressing up, but she didn’t expect the event to arouse such deep emotions by both staff members and students.

One teacher got on the school’s television morning show to share what it felt like to be bullied when she was young. Another staff member approached Morris to tell her how guilty she felt about being a bully when she was young.

One student came in to see Morris and told her about being bullied in the past by a school athlete. The student said he knew the boy would never apologize, but he said he also knew the boy was sorry when he saw he was wearing pink — and he smiled at him.

Morris estimated that 90 percent of the teachers and students took part in the activities and help set an anti-bullying tone on campus.

Weightman principal Brandon Bracciale emailed Morris to congratulate her and her committee for organizing the activities.

“What a great week last week was,” the principal wrote. “One of the most enjoyable and best I have been part of on any level as an educator.”

As principal, Bracciale wrote, he could not be more proud to see the school community “stand up to bullying in such a fun, creative and engaging manner.”

“The fact that the event occurred in the beginning of the school year helped to build a sense of community, and set the expectation that bullying would not be tolerated in our school,” he added.

Bullying is a real issue and can have deadly consequences, Morris said, noting the recent death of a 12-year-old Polk County girl who committed suicide at an abandoned cement plant. Authorities reported that the girl had been harassed by as many as 15 girls for about a year.

Remarks that kids make to each other may seem insignificant to adults, but they can be devastating to youths who are trying to fit in with their peers, Morris said.

In addition to bullying that happens on campus, bullying that happens online is a huge issue. Parents need to monitor what their kids are doing online, Morris said. They need to tell their kids that while they trust them, they don’t trust everyone else that has access to the Internet.

It’s important to realize the power that words can have, Morris said.

“Whether you’re a teenager saying something to another teenager, or whether you’re an adult that’s stalking a kid online, your words are so powerful,” she said. “They can change a person’s life forever.”

Ways to help, if your child is being bullied
• Encourage your child to talk about the bullying experience. Listen.
• Don’t criticize your child the way he or she is responding to the bullying.
• Teach your child ways to stay safe at school, such as telling an adult if he feels threatened.
• Encourage your child to pursue friendships at school.
• Encourage your child to walk with an adult or an older child if she doesn’t feel safe at school in the neighborhood.
• Identify safe areas, such as a neighbor’s home, library or community center. Tell your child to go to one of these areas if he feels threatened.
• Make sure your child has a phone number of an adult who can help.

To reduce the threats of cyberbullying
• Keep your home computer in an area of the house where it is easily viewable.
• Talk to your children about online activities.
• Consider installing parental control software.
• Know your children’s passwords and tell them not to give them out to others.
• Monitor your children’s Internet activity. Let them know that you can review their current or history of online communications at any time.

Ways to intervene, if your child is a bully
• Hold your child accountable for his behavior.
• Set up clear rules in your household and follow through with logical consequences, such as withdrawing privileges, when those rules are not followed.
• Spend time with your child and pay attention to what she does with friends.
• Support your child’s talents and skills by encouraging positive activities, such as involvement in sports or clubs.
• Reward your child and offer frequent reinforcement for positive behavior.
• If your child has been reported as engaging in bullying behaviors, listen to your child, but check the facts. Children who bully are also good at manipulating.

Report a bully:
Go to: www.pasco.k12.fl.us, and click on the “stop bullying” link.

Chalk Talk

October 9, 2013 By Mary Rathman

Education recognized in Pasco County
The Pasco Education Foundation received a donation of $10,000 from Humana in support of its educational program at the Sept. 17 school board meeting. Participating in the presentation, from left, are Superintendent Kurt Browning, Pasco Education Foundation operations vice president Stacey Capogrosso, Humana president and chief executive Tom Avramis, Humana’s Tampa director of accounting management Ray Hodorski, and school board chair Cynthia Armstrong.

Sanchez receives UPS scholarship

Javier Sanchez, a senior at Saint Leo University, has been selected to receive a $2,400 UPS scholarship provided through the Florida Independent College Fund.
He is the son of Javier Garcia and Primitiva Garcia, and is a 2011 graduate of Zephyrhills High School.
Sanchez is majoring in sport business and is a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, the Sport Business Association, and Toastmasters. He also has participated in four varsity sports programs.

Human trafficking presentation
The Parent-Teacher-Student Association at Charles S. Rushe Middle School will host Officer Alan Wilkett of the Pasco County Sheriff’s office on Oct. 10 at 6:30 p.m. for a presentation on “What Parents Need to Know About Human Trafficking.” Tampa Bay is one of the leading sources for human trafficking in Florida.
Parents of elementary or middle school children who would like to attend should arrange for child care for the evening. The school is at 18654 Mentmore Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.
For information or questions, call Tammy Curtis at (813) 909-4200.

KnowledgePoints celebrates five years
KnowledgePoints Tutoring is celebrating its five-year anniversary with a series of special events throughout October, including an essay contest. There also will be an open house on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
During the month, KnowledgePoints Land O’ Lakes will offer all diagnostic testing free, as well as a savings discount for those that prepay their child’s program.
For information, visit KnowledgePoints.com/landolakes.

USF offers retirement workshop
USF Continuing Education will offer a two-day workshop, “Planning for a Balanced Retirement: It’s Not Just About the Money,” on Oct. 25-26 for adults ages 50-65. It will take place at Unitarian Universalist Church, 11400 Morris Bridge Road, in Tampa.
The workshop will look beyond financial issues and focuses on the personal and psychological process of finding purpose and satisfaction in life.
The workshop is $395 per person before Oct. 14, and $435 per person after Oct. 14. There is a discount for those registering as a couple.
For information, visit conted.usf.edu/transitions.

Home Improvement Education Scholarships
Hillsborough County Public Schools and the Tampa’s city water department are teaming up to support neighborhood revitalization.
Prequalified utility customers may be eligible for scholarships through the Hillsborough Education Foundation. For $50, a prequalified customer can register for a $216 hands-on eight-week home improvement course. The course is designed for adults looking to upgrade their home improvement skills or looking to explore a new career.
The courses are at Erwin Technical Center, 2010 E. Hillsborough Ave., in Tampa, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting Oct. 22.
Seats are limited. Vouchers are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
For information, visit tampagov.net/DIY or call the water department at (813) 274-8121 for a tuition voucher.

District launches new online tool
Hillsborough County parents now have the option to use the school district’s new grade book tool, Edsby, that 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.

PHCC collects canned food
Pasco-Hernando Community College Human Services Club members will compete in The Volunteer Way’s fundraising competition “Canstruction” on Oct. 18 at the Pasco Government Center, 7535 Little Road, in New Port Richey.
The exhibit will be open to the public Oct. 21-25 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
PHCC has a goal to collect more than 1,000 cans of food for the event. All food collected will be donated to The Volunteer Way Food Bank after the competition.
Collection barrels are located in the library on the West Campus, 10230 Ridge Road, through Oct. 17.

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

Dominguez graduates from Cornell summer program
Devon Dominguez of Odessa has graduated from Cornell University’s summer college program.
The summer program invites high school sophomores, juniors and seniors to spend three or six weeks on the Cornell campus in Ithaca, N.Y., experiencing what it’s like to live and learn at an Ivy League university.
Students take official courses, earn college credits and explore majors and career options.

Beautification project at Watergrass
During the month of September, employees of Lowes Home Improvement store in Zephyrhills volunteered hours to beautify the campus of Watergrass Elementary School in Wesley Chapel. The store donated flowers, shrubs and 100 bags of mulch.
In addition, the employees erected a fence behind the Elf Owl classrooms, providing the students with autism a safe, secure play area.
This group is seeking various equipment donations for use within this area so students can practice gross and fine motor skills, as well as communication and socialization skills.
If interested in donating to this project, contact the school at (813) 346-0600.

Despite focus, manufacturing labor still lacking in region

October 9, 2013 By Michael Hinman

It takes more than tax incentives and good schools for kids to attract the manufacturing industry to Pasco County. It’s going to take a solid workforce base already living here. And that’s where programs like the engineering academy at schools like River Ridge High School come into play.

The only program of its kind in Pasco County, these engineering students are learning about the ever-evolving manufacturing industry — one that more and more requires homegrown highly skilled labor to take on complex jobs.

Bryan Kamm, director of government and public relations for Bauer Foundation Corp., talks to students of the Engineering Academy at River Ridge High School as part of Pasco-Hernando Community College’s National Manufacturing Day on Friday. Bauer has an apprenticeship program that helps produce high-skilled manufacturing workers in the county. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

“Many times, kids don’t have a clue what they want to do when they graduate from high school,” said Bryan Kamm, director of public and government relations for Bauer Foundation Corp. in Odessa. “And when they do, they still don’t have the experience they need when they graduate from college. Here we’re trying to bridge that gap.”

The doors of Bauer Foundation Corp., a company that specializes in building foundations and equipment, were opened to students around the area last week as part of National Manufacturing Day. Pasco-Hernando Community College organized this year’s tours, providing an in-the-field look at industry to more than 160 students in the River Ridge program as well as 100 more from Nature Coast Technical High School and Hernando Robotics Club.

The River Ridge program pulls in students from all over the county, and continues to grow, said former school board member and current Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey.

“If you stay in engineering, you have the highest chance of anybody to get a job,” Starkey told some of the students during the Bauer Foundation Corp. visit. “Whether you go on to college, or you just want to get a job after high school, you will get the highest pay and have the most opportunities.

“That, to me, is why engineering is so important. It will help bring American jobs back from overseas, and bring stability to our economy.”

Manufacturing jobs have remained flat year-over-year in Florida, according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics for August. The Tampa Bay region, which Pasco County is a part of, has actually witnessed manufacturing jobs drop 3 percent since last year. Yet, some 600,000 manufacturing jobs across the country remained unfilled because of the gaps between the job requirements and the skills of those who are applying for them, according to PHCC.

Many young people, especially those under 25, aren’t even considering manufacturing jobs in their future. That’s despite the fact that manufacturing salaries are typically 19 percent higher than other jobs, according to a report from The Manufacturing Institute. The national trend is for salaries and benefits averaging at just under $79,000, while non-manufacturing jobs pay a little more than $66,000.

Manufacturing jobs are also more likely to have benefits — 78 percent offer health care, for example — compared to non-manufacturing jobs, which only 54 percent offer similar benefits, according to the study.

Pasco County offers a wide range of manufacturing opportunities through 320 different facilities, according to the Pasco Hernando Workforce Board. That includes 3,100 jobs in highly technical advanced fields in pharmaceutical packaging, aerospace, military and defense manufacturing, as well as the manufacturing of baking equipment, and storm and lightning detectors. The county also offers thermoforming jobs, where plastic is heated and shaped into different products.

Bauer Foundation focuses on the construction of building foundations, and developing the equipment that creates it.

A division of the German-based Bauer Group, the Pasco company employs up to 80 people at its Odessa site, but has more than 200 people working in construction sites across the Southeast.

Bauer offers an apprenticeship program that allows high school students to apply for what becomes a job complementing their schoolwork. It introduces jobs that students may not even had known existed before, and helps create the local workforce manufacturing companies like Bauer needs.

“We’re a very highly technical and skilled company from Germany, and when someone comes in the door and applies, generally they don’t have the skills they need to work for us,” Bauer’s Kamm said. “There ends up being this learning curve, where over a long period of time, they can come up to speed. And they can do that while still going to school.”

Bauer typically takes in four students each year for its summer orientation program, a six-week program that is ultimately a long-term job interview. The best candidates from that group are offered on-the-job training that they can do during their junior and senior years, and while they continue their education.

And if they choose a local school, like PHCC, Bauer also pays their tuition.

For more information on National Manufacturing Day and how to pursue a job in the manufacturing industry, visit mfgday.com.

Browning parts from Scott, stands by Common Core Standards

October 2, 2013 By B.C. Manion

Pasco Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning is standing by the Common Core State Standards, despite a recent decision by Gov. Rick Scott to put the kibosh on the state’s participation in a consortia developing assessments for those standards.

Scott sent a letter to federal Education Secretary Arne Duncan on Sept. 23 telling him that he would ask the State Board of Education to end Florida’s fiscal relationship with the Partnership for Assessment Readiness for College and Careers.

Scott said the move was intended to protect the state from federal intrusion into education policy, and a parade of lawmakers and educators applauded Scott’s action.

Browning did not.

“It’s all political,” Browning said. “He’s getting a lot of pressure and he’s running for re-election.”

Browning added that Scott is trying to make sure that he has the support of the tea party, a populist movement within the Republican party that opposes the Washington political establishment. Scott was backed by the tea party when he won the governor’s office in 2010.

Florida needs a different way to measure its students’ progress, Browning said.

“Florida cannot afford to go back to another homegrown assessment,” Browning said.

The superintendent’s comments followed a talk he gave about the Common Core State Standards to more than two-dozen members of the Republican Club of Central Pasco.

Browning made it clear that he stands behind the Common Core State Standards.

“We need to be able to have a set of standards that engages kids, that gets them to think and not only to get them to give the right answer, but how they came up with that answer,” Browning said. “That, in large part, is what Common Core is.”

There’s a perception that Common Core is being driven by the federal government, Browning said. But that isn’t true. The National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers led the effort to develop standards, he said.

There are three basic components to Common Core State Standards, Browning said. Those components are the standards themselves, the assessments to measure student performance and the data collection.

Critics are lumping all three of those elements together.

“The standards are the standards,” the superintendent said.

There’s also a misconception about what the standards are, he said. The standards are not curriculum. Curriculum is developed and delivered at the local level.

The standards provide the foundation for the curriculum and establish what students need to learn. They do not prescribe how students should be taught, Browning said.

A new set of tests will be used to measure student performance. Regardless of what test is used, there will need to be some sort of assessment.

Common Core State Standards are intended to raise the bar for students and prepare them to compete in a global economy.

“Gov. Bush just made a comment this week that summed up exactly the way I feel about Common Core,” Browning said, adding he echoed those statements in a letter he sent to Scott. “Gov. Bush said, ‘If you’re ok with mediocrity, fine. I’m not,” Browning said.

“What our current standards really encourage our kids to do is memorize and regurgitate. Common Core is calling for kids to think critically,” Browning said.

Pasco County needs improvement.

“Look at our FCAT scores. Look at our reading scores. Look at our math scores. Look at our science scores,” he said. “They’re abominable. They really are.”

Pasco is ranked 34th out of 67 school districts, and that’s something that has to be improved, he said.

“I am tired of the Pasco district playing second fiddle to other districts in the state,” Browning added.

Teachers have a difficult job, he said.

“We’re getting kids in school that don’t know their alphabet. They don’t know simple words. We’re having to get these kids up to grade level,” Browning said.

About 450 third-graders each year are held back in Pasco County because they cannot read at grade level. Some of those students are held back twice, Browning said.

“When a third-grader is retained two times, you can pretty much write them off,” he said. And while the district doesn’t actually write them off, those children face an uphill battle.

“They’re older, they see their peers moving forward. They begin to think that they’re stupid, they can’t learn,” Browning said. “They’re taller than other third-graders. They don’t fit.”

Common Core State Standards are not a new idea, Browning said.

“This has been going on for like six years,” he said. “There were public hearings. There was time for input. There was all this time for public involvement.”

People who want to learn more about Common Core should research the issue, he said. But when they do, he advised that they make sure the websites are reliable.

“With all due respect to radio talk show hosts, that is not a good place to get information from,” Browning said.

Hugh Townsend, who was attending the Republican club’s meeting, said uniform standards are a good idea, particularly in a mobile society. The military has already demonstrated that.

“They’ve already proven that this system works, migrating children around and getting the same outcome of a well-educated, thinking student,” Townsend said.

Alison Crumbley, a Pasco County school board member, said she knows from personal experience about different standards used in different school districts.

“I moved from Chicago in the third grade. I came into third grade. I was put in the sixth-grade reading classes at the time,” Crumbley said.

The disparity in educational opportunities was one of the things that motivated her to seek a seat on the school board, Crumbley said.