Education

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.

Pasco Schools’ five-year building plan gets OK

October 2, 2013 By B.C. Manion

When Sanders Memorial Elementary School reopens in 2015-16, the Land O’ Lakes campus will have an entirely new look. It’s undergoing a $16.9 million renovation.

Quail Hollow Elementary School in Wesley Chapel is undergoing a $10.5 million makeover. It, too, is expected to reopen in 2015-16.

Quail Hollow Elementary School was closed at the end of last school year to enable the school district to renovate the school. The school was built at a time when open classrooms were in vogue. Classrooms will have windows, walls and doors when the project is completed. It is expected to reopen for the 2015-16 school year. (File photo)

Work already is underway on a new gymnasium at Stewart Middle School in Zephyrhills. That $4.6 million project is slated for completion in time for next school year, said Chris Williams, director of planning services for Pasco County Schools.

Those are just three of the scores of projects contained in the $192 million five-year work plan approved by the Pasco County School Board on Sept. 17.

One big-ticket item on the list is an $18.8 million elementary school planned in Wiregrass, which is earmarked for the 2014-15 school year.

The district also expects to spend $10.7 million to acquire school sites and $10 million on school buses within the next five years.

One of those sites is on the south side of State Road 54, across from the Ballantrae subdivision, in Land O’ Lakes.

Another elementary and high school are also expected to be needed to serve the Land O’ Lakes and Trinity areas in the future, Williams said.

It typically takes about 12 to 15 months to build an elementary school, about 18 months to build a middle school and about 18 to 24 months to build a high school, Williams said. That’s not counting all of the other work that must be done to get a school ready for construction, including design, site work and so on.

The district’s five-year work plan includes money to build or renovate schools, add classrooms, acquire new sites and complete sizable maintenance projects.

Some other notable projects on the district’s five-year plan include:

• West Zephyrhills Elementary School, a major renovation between 2014 and 2016, at an estimated cost of $8.2 million.

• Cox Elementary School, a $6.8 million makeover including a new cafeteria, removal of concrete portables, replacement of its old windows, parking and traffic improvements, and a new security system, slated for 2016-17.

• Pasco Elementary School, a major makeover in 2017-18, for an estimated $5.9 million.

• Woodland Elementary School, a $4.8 million upgrade to the school’s air-conditioning, heating and ventilation systems, anticipated in 2016-17.

• John Long Middle School, eight additional classrooms at an estimated cost of $4.4 million, expected to begin in 2017-18.

• Pasco High School, new bleachers, a concession stand, public restrooms and lockers, for an estimated $2.6 million in 2015-16.

• San Antonio Elementary School, upgrades in the heating, air-conditioning and ventilation systems estimated at $1.25 million, expected in 2014-15.

Dozens of schools in east and central Pasco will also get facility improvement under the district’s five-year plan.

More than $11.2 million in roofing work is scheduled over the next five years, including projects at Land O’ Lakes High School, Moore-Mickens Education Center, Pine View Middle School and West Zephyrhills.

The district has also allocated more than $9 million for technology infrastructure upgrades, including projects at Centennial Elementary and Centennial Middle schools.

District plans also include nearly $7.4 million on heating, ventilation and air-conditioning work, including projects at Pine View, Stewart and Weightman middle schools, and Sunlake, Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills high schools.

More than $4.5 million in athletic improvements are also planned across the district, including projects at Centennial, Rushe, John Long, Pasco and Weightman middle schools, and Land O’ Lakes, Sunlake, Wesley Chapel High, Wiregrass Ranch and Zephyrhills high schools.

Cafeteria renovations totaling more than $6.4 million are planned, including work at Chester Taylor, Fox Hollow, Lake Myrtle, Cox, West Zephyrhills and Woodland elementary schools; Pasco, Pine View and Weightman middle schools; and, at Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills high schools.

Dozens of schools in east and central Pasco will be getting safety improvements, parking improvements, electrical upgrades, alarms, telephone and intercom repairs and closed-circuit television projects. A slew of painting projects are planned, too.

The district also plans to do playground renovation projects at about two-dozen schools in east and central Pasco, out of the $1.1 million the district has earmarked for projects in that category.

The district has also allocated $527,080 for energy retrofits, which will include two-dozen schools in east and central Pasco for those projects.

Some projects made it onto the district’s list, but have not yet received funding.

• $4.4 million to add a classroom addition at Wiregrass Ranch High

• $20.6 million to renovate Land O’ Lakes High

• $22.4 million to renovate Zephyrhills High

• $4.1 million to renovate San Antonio Elementary

Some projects on the district’s list are not funded, but sales tax proceeds from Penny for Pasco are expected to cover it, Williams said.

Chalk Talk

September 25, 2013 By Mary Rathman

Local sixth-grader crowned at pageant
Ashlynn Nicole Diaz, a sixth-grader at John Long Middle School in Wesley Chapel, was crowned the new 2013 Miss American MAC Florida Citrus Preteen at a pageant Sept. 1 at Downtown Disney.
MAC is more formally known as Miss American Coed.
Diaz volunteers for the Fill-a-Heart Project, a program that makes pillows for breast cancer survivors. She also participates in Relay For Life, Autism Walks and volunteers at Metropolitan Ministries in Tampa.
At the competition, Diaz received the highest awards for best academic achievement and best interview. She will represent Florida at nationals during Thanksgiving week in Orlando.

Red Ribbon Week kick-off
Red Ribbon Week is a national drug prevention program used by the Pasco County school system to teach drug prevention in schools. The kickoff for this year’s event is Oct. 28 from 2 p.m. to dusk at the historic courthouse in Dade City.
For the past four years, Office Friendly has decorated the \courthouse with red ribbons. It also hosted a pep rally to spread the anti-drug message.
Cpl. David Hink is in need of red ribbon material to decorate the courthouse. He is asking local businesses to decorate their storefronts as well.
Anyone who can help with donation should call Cpl. Hink at (352) 424-4827.

Open house at CDS
Carrollwood Day School is hosting two open houses at its campus at 1515 W. Bearss Ave.
There will be an open house for middle and high school students on Oct. 6 at 1 p.m., and another for high school students only on Nov. 5 at 7 p.m.
To RSVP, contact Michelle Caceres at (813) 920-2288, or .

John Long Middle walkathon
In an effort to raise money to replace photography equipment stolen from Dr. John Long Middle School last year, the school’s PTSA is coordinating a Go-Take-A-Hike Walkathon on Oct. 18.
Pledge packets for this pre-collection walkathon will be sent home with students on Oct. 7.
Students will have opportunities to receive a “get out of class” pass, join a “minute to win it” party, get a T-shirt, grab cash and prizes in a cash machine, or win gift cards.
Visit Facebook.com/JohnLongPTSA.

PHCC peace week
Pasco-Hernando Community College will host keynote speakers, guest lecturers, exhibits, presentations, interactive workshops, peace and religion festivals, and musical performances throughout Peace Week Oct. 7-11.
All events are on the West Campus in New Port Richey, East Campus in Dade City, North Campus in Brooksville, and the Spring Hill campus.
For a daily agenda of activities, times and locations, visit www.phcc.edu/peace, or call (877) 879-7422.

Open house at Corbett Prep
Corbett Preparatory School, 12015 Orange Grove Drive, in Tampa, will host admission open houses Oct. 9 and Nov. 20 for students in prekindergarten through eighth grade. It begins at 8:30 a.m.
Each date includes an overview of the school, tour of the campus and a light breakfast. Personal tours can be scheduled at any time.
For information, call admissions director Jennifer Morrow at (813) 961-3087.

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 on the West Campus, 10230 Ridge Road, in the library 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:

Rachael 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

Devon Dominguez graduates from Cornell
Devon Dominguez of Odessa has graduated from Cornell University’s summer college program.
The summer program invites talented 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.

Chalk Talk

August 28, 2013 By Mary Rathman

Career and tech adult commencement
Pasco County Schools’ Office for Career and Technical Education will host the 79th Adult Commencement on Aug. 29 at 7 p.m. at Wesley Chapel High School, 30651 Wells Road. The ceremony is open to the public.

Open house at Double Branch
Double Branch Elementary School will have an open house Sept. 5 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. for kindergarteners to second graders, and from 7 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. for those in grades 3 through 5. The PTA will conduct a general assembly meeting in the cafeteria at 6:30 p.m. Spirit items will be available. The school is at 31500 Chancey Road in Wesley Chapel. For information, call (813) 346-0400.

English as second language class
Tampa Bay Presbyterian Church, 19911 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., will host an English as a Second Language class on Thursdays beginning Sept. 5 from 9 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Classes are for beginner through intermediate level speakers. Topics include American culture, English idioms and slang. Cost is $20 per quarter, which covers the workbook and class materials. For information or to register, call Heather at (813) 753-8567.

PHCC hosts artist Michael Conway
Pasco-Hernando Community College will host a lecture by Michael Conway, artist of Beyond the Proof Sheet, the first fine arts exhibit of the season, at Rao Musunuru M.D. Art Gallery on Sept. 5 from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Conway will discuss his artistic journey from an early focus in photography to the use of mixed media. The gallery is in the library of the West Campus, 10230 Ridge Road, New Port Richey. For information, call (727) 816-3231.

SAT and ACT practice test offered
The Wesley Chapel High School PTSA is sponsoring the Princeton Review Practice test on Sept. 7 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the school’s cafeteria. The practice test features a mix of questions from both the ACT and SAT. Cost per student is $20. Preregistration is preferred. Students will need to arrive by 8:45 a.m., and bring a calculator and No. 2 pencils. Lunch will be provided. A detailed score report will provide a side-by-side comparison of a student’s projected test scores. For information, call the school at (813) 794-8700, or email Heidi Bernaldo at .

Extension office offers food handler course
The Pasco County Extension office is offering the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Food Managers Food Safety and Quality Program and ServSafe Certification Exam on Sept. 11 starting at 8:30 a.m. at the Central Pasco Professional Center in Land O’ Lakes. There will be a break for lunch and the exam from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. This is a comprehensive food handler course, which includes food safety concepts. Upon completion of the training, participants will receive a state Certificate of Achievement from the university. Upon passing the ServSafe manager’s examination, participants receive a national certification valid for five years. Class size is limited. Training, exam and textbook cost is $165. To register, call (888) 232-8723, or visit fycs.ifas.ufl.edu/foodsafety.

Saint Leo offers doctoral program
Saint Leo University’s Donald R. Tapia School of Business is accepting applications through Sept. 15 for its new doctor of business administration degree program. The coursework emphasizes applied knowledge and practice, and is designed to develop graduates for college-level teaching, academic leadership or consulting. The first class of students will be capped at 25 participants. For information, contact graduate admissions at (800) 707-8846, or .

Samuel Watkins earns business degree
Samuel Watkins of Lutz has graduated from the University of Houston with a degree in business. The University of Houston is a Carnegie-designated Tier One public research university recognized by The Princeton Review as one of the nation’s best colleges for undergraduate education.

Social work program gets accreditation
Saint Leo University announced its master of social work program has received accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of the Council on Social Work Education, just four years after the technologically innovative program was launched.
The accreditation assures workplaces, prospective students and the general public that the Saint Leo program meets the teaching and curricular standards established by the profession. Through the accredited program, master of social work graduates are eligible to take the examination to become licensed clinical social workers.

Lee on Dean’s List at Eckerd
Laura Lee of Lutz has been named to Eckerd College’s Dean’s List for the spring 2013 semester. Lee is majoring in American studies. To qualify, students must complete at least four courses with a grade point average of 3.75 or higher. Eckerd College is at 4200 54th Ave. S., in St. Petersburg.

PHCC trustees elect new leadership
The Pasco-Hernando Community College District Board of Trustees elected a new chair and vice chair for the 2013-14 academic year. Trustee John L. DiRienzo was elected to serve as chair, succeeding Rao Musunuru, and Trustee Leonard H. Johnson was elected as vice chair.
DiRienzo, of Spring Hill, is an adjunct faculty member at Saint Leo University. He is a retired school principal with a master’s degree in special education and additional certification in educational leadership. DiRienzo is past president of the Board of Directors for Arc of Florida and Arc Nature Coast in Hernando County, and currently is an active volunteer for the organizations. DiRienzo has served on the college’s board since July 2009.
Johnson, a Dade City attorney, is a shareholder at Johnson Auvil & Pratico P.A., where he practices real estate law, business and banking law, construction law and estate planning.
Johnson received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida, and his law degree from the University of Florida College of Law. He also sits on the board of directors of Gator Boosters Inc., and has served on the college’s board since November 2011.

A trio of computer businesses under one roof

August 28, 2013 By B.C. Manion

When Michael Sawyer recently set up shop in Lutz, he brought together three businesses offering a broad array of computer services.

The storefront at 18125 N. US 41, Suite 101, is the new home for Aware Media, TechGuyToGo and Tampa Technology Training.

Aware Media Marketing focuses on design work, ranging from business cards to website design. Sawyer had that business before he opened his new storefront.

Michael Sawyer works at his computer in his new storefront in Lutz, which has three computer businesses under one roof. (Photo by B.C. Manion)

He added TechGuyToGo to bring consumers into the shop for computer repairs, as well as repairs to the screens on their hand-held devices and computers. Sawyer also offers business services and technical training.

He launched Tampa Technology Training to provide courses for those wanting to improve their computer skills. Sawyer wants to share his knowledge with students, whether they are seeking a job, want to handle new responsibilities, or are interested in engaging in creative pursuits.

A part-time teacher at Hillsborough Community College, Sawyer said he’s excited about launching his training center because he wants to create an educational environment he believes will help students thrive.

“This is a small class. I have eight seats,” said Sawyer, who also previously taught at Aparicio-Levy Technical Center in Hillsborough County. “I might go to 10 eventually, but at the end of the day, it’s going to be a small-class environment. I just think the dynamics of the whole class changes, when you have that small classroom size.”

Personal interaction is helpful in computer courses because students arriving at class often come with wide-ranging levels of experience, he said.

“You have people who think they know, and they don’t. And, you have people who have no clue,” Sawyer said.

When people lack experience, they tend to be tentative, Sawyer said.

“You have to break down some of that intimidation. You have to make sure there are some steps for people to follow,” he said.

Small classes encourage greater collaboration in the learning process, Sawyer said.

“I think it makes people feel more comfortable because they’re not afraid about asking a question because they’re not holding up 29 people,” Sawyer said.

He plans to offer a wide array of courses, including those for people who want to get a better job, but may not be so strong with their computer skills. Sawyer will also offer classes for those looking to get into Web design.

He also plans to provide corporate training classes, as well as classes focused on desktop publishing. Training will be geared toward preparing students to obtain certification.

Because it is his own business, Sawyer said he is able to offer classes when he wants, usually around his HCC teaching schedule. However, he is planning to survey students to find out when they would like classes to be offered.

Sawyer moved to Lutz about a year and a half ago because he was attracted by the community’s natural beauty and quiet nature, he said. He chose to locate his storefront on US 41 because the busy highway that bisects the community brings thousands of cars past his business each day.

The location is also about midway between computer repair shops to the north and south, Sawyer said.

To learn more about Mike Sawyer’s businesses, visit:

www.awaremediamarketing.com

www.TampaTechnologyTraining.com

www.TechGuyToGo.com

Local schools add 1,000 students to rolls

August 28, 2013 By Michael Hinman

More students are walking through the front doors of area schools as communities in Pasco County continue to grow.

The 39 schools in east and central Pasco County added 1,000 students since this time last year, according to population numbers released by Pasco County Schools. On average, the student population growth in east and central Pasco would be equivalent to adding a classroom per school. The additional students bring the total public school population to 30,800 — a 3.4 percent increase.

Samantha Touriello, an incoming fifth-grader at Connerton Elementary School, gets some reassurance from principal Aimee Boltze while her mother Jessica Cottrell looks on during the first day of school last week. Samantha was able to wipe away her tears, and make her way to her new classroom. (Photo by Michael Hinman)

“We’re not exactly sure where they are coming from as we haven’t had a chance to analyze it just yet,” said Christopher Williams, director for planning services at Pasco County Schools. “There are certainly some new houses being built, but I’m not sure how much of that has impacted the schools.”

The biggest student population jumps came in Wesley Chapel, where Watergrass and Wesley Chapel elementary schools added 382 students, many of them coming from Quail Hollow Elementary School, which is closed this year for renovations. Both schools already taught more than a combined total of 1,000 students, but this year are operating with 1,438 — a 36 percent jump.

Also on the rise is Wesley Chapel High School, adding 206 students from this time last year, and increasing its student body by nearly 16 percent. Wiregrass Ranch High School was not far behind, adding 159 students to cross the 2,000 mark with an 8 percent jump.

“The Wesley Chapel and (SR) 54 corridor is where we’re seeing the most growth,” Williams said, adding there are still serious overcrowding issues at schools like Seven Oaks Elementary, Long Middle and Wiregrass Ranch.

And it will be that way, at least for the near future.

“We don’t have much of a budget for new schools, other than having enough money to build a new elementary school, in the next five years,” he said. “In the meantime, we’re doing what we can to help these schools.”

Can’t afford training? There may be a grant for that

August 28, 2013 By B.C. Manion

Businesses have to overcome many obstacles to find success, but the Pasco-Hernando Workforce Board wants to remind them they are not alone.

The board, which administers local workforce development and welfare reform programs, is connecting businesses in Pasco and Hernando counties with grants that can be used to help employees learn new skills or can provide on-the-job training for new hires. The grants are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis until the money runs out.

“We put the word out to everybody,” said Ana Segovia, a business services consultant for the workforce board. “It’s set up to help the local employers for what their needs are.”

For example, someone has worked at a company for five years gets promoted and now has to work with different software, Segovia said. The employee may need training to handle their new responsibilities.

Or maybe the company has a new bottling line, and its staff needs to learn how to work it. Training dollars may be available to help meet that need, she said.

Under the Employed Worker Training grant program, companies can seek reimbursement of 50 percent to help employees upgrade their skills. But they must meet specific requirements. These grants seek to help companies perform well, with the increased skills of their workforce leading to greater success, which is good for the overall economy, Segovia said.

To receive reimbursement, the training must meet industry-recognized standards, Segovia said. But the process is simple, especially if companies consider all of their training needs for a year and then put together a single application.

There are some restrictions, however. For instance, a company can be eligible for a grant two years in a row, but it cannot receive reimbursement for training involving the same employee year after year, Segovia said.

People are sometimes intimidated by the paperwork, but they shouldn’t be.

“The paperwork we’re talking about initially for your employer to fill out is six pages,” said Nathan Stevens, who also is a business services consultant for the workforce board. “It’s free money. You would think people would be standing in line. Why wouldn’t you come and try to get it?”
Companies can apply for any amount they’d like, and the application will be considered.

“If there’s money available, and there’s justification for this amount, they may be able to get it,” Stevens said.

On another front, there’s also funding available through an on-the-job grant program. The company can receive up to 50 percent of a new employee’s wages for up to 12 weeks through the program.

The arrangement must be pre-approved, the employer must document the training plan and the employee must be a new hire and cannot be a relative, Segovia said.

Some companies use on-the-job training because they want to mold their employees to complete the work the way they want it to be done, Segovia said.

For more information about either of these programs, go to www.CareerCentral.jobs. Click on the Job Seekers tab to find out more about on-the-job training, and click on the employers tab to find out more about the Employed Worker Training program.