The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Education

Chalk Talk 11/23/2022

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(Courtesy of Sunlake Academy of Math and Science)

An honorable assembly for veterans
Sunlake Academy of Math and Science in Lutz hosted a Veterans Day Assembly and honored 41 veterans and their families, for their service to our country. As a surprise for the ceremony, a USCG C-130 flew over the school, flown by the Clearwater CG station’s first African American female command pilot. The guest speaker for the assembly was Sammy Ortiz, a U.S. Army Gulf War veteran who served as the unit armorer for Alpha Company 326 Engineers. Ortiz currently works as a social entrepreneur and is the founder of Young Entrepreneurial Students and Community Collective, a solution-providing organization that focuses on developing underestimated people in underestimated communities, through the introduction of entrepreneurship, life skills education and innovative thinking. This is Sunlake’s fourth year honoring veterans.

Student achievements
Savannah Qualey and Madeline Rodriguez, both of Lutz, were recognized to the President’s List at Flagler College, St. Augustine. Qualey is majoring in hospitality and tourism management, and Rodriguez is majoring in graphic design.

Angelique Mevorah, of Odessa, is a recent graduate of and an initiate of the St. John’s University Circle (chapter). She was selected as Omicron Delta Kappa’s national student vice chair-elect. She served as circle president and was a member of the Marketing Committee for the 2022 National Leadership Conference.

Music performance
As part of its 50th anniversary celebrations, Pasco-Hernando State College will host the band Decades Replay on Dec. 1 from 7 p.m. to 8:45 p.m., at the West Campus Performing Arts Center, 10230 Ridge Road in New Port Richey.

Decades Replay is a tribute band that plays ’70s, ’80s, ‘90s and 2000s music across the nation and is nd is based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The band covers the biggest hits by artists such as Madonna, Michael Jackson, Guns N’ Roses, Duran Duran, Prince, Journey, Cyndi Lauper, The Cure, Pat Benatar, The Cars and many others. Costumes, props and performance provide a full decades stage show.

The cost of admission is $50. For information and tickets, visit PHSC.edu and click on the 50 Anniversary banner at the top.

Millions invested for school meals
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Food and Nutrition Service launched a new and innovative initiative for healthier school meals through a $50 million grant opportunity that will support collaboration with the food industry to develop nutritious, appetizing school meals for students, according to a news release.

“School meals programs are on the frontline of providing critical nutrition to millions of children,” said Stacy Dean, deputy undersecretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, in the release.

“USDA is committed to supporting these programs holistically, and that includes strengthening the entire food supply chain that sustains them. These grants are intended to spark innovation in the school food marketplace and build a more equitable and resilient food system that serves all children well,” said Dean.

Up to four non-governmental organizations will be selected by the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service to manage funds for the School Food System Transformation Challenge.

These organizations will award competitive grants to support and enhance the food supply chain for K-12 schools.

Grantees may include food producers, suppliers, and distributors; school districts; and community partners.

The request for application is open through Feb. 1.

For more information, visit FNS.usda.gov/cnp/healthy-meals-incentives.

Apprenticeship program
Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) is expanding its apartment maintenance technician apprenticeship program beginning on Jan. 9, to include course offerings at its Spring Hill campus.

The expansion helps bolster PHSC’s continued efforts toward increasing opportunities for students seeking non-traditional learning experiences through workforce certification.

The 12-month program includes 183 hours of classroom instruction relating to the technical skills needed, while concurrently placing the apprentices with a leading apartment property management team in the area, where they complete 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training.

Students can expect to earn their OSHA 10, HVAC EPA 608, HVAC EPA General, and certified apartment maintenance technician certifications, as well as a certificate of completion from PHSC.

Upon completion of the program, students will receive job placement assistance to fill industry vacancies as full-time apartment maintenance technicians.

For more information on the program and to apply, visit PHSC.edu/apprenticeships, or contact the Workforce Development/Career & Job Training department at 727-816-3123 or .

Band program headed to D.C.
The Pasco High School Band Program, under the direction of Kyle Spence, is set to head to Washington D.C., from May 25 to May 30, to perform in the National Memorial Day Parade.

The “Marching Band of Pirates” also are scheduled to perform in front of the Lincoln Memorial, and will visit the Smithsonian Museums and Arlington National Cemetery, as well as at the World War II Memorial and the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier.

If you would like to donate to the band’s trip, visit PHS.pasco.k12.fl.us/dc-page/. A schedule of the trip also is on the website.

Pepin Academies forms partnership with Pasco County Schools

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Pepin Academies is planning a new charter school on the campus of Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation, between the magnet high school and a new public Kirkland K-8 planned on that site.

The Pasco County School Board approved a contract with Pepin Academies during its Nov. 8 meeting to seal the deal on the unique partnership.

Pasco Schools Deputy Superintendent Ray Gadd told the school board: “Today, the board is doing something that’s never been done in the state before.

“We are going to support the building of a charter school, Pepin Academies. “We’ve met with them. You have a contract on your agenda today,” Gadd said.

The deputy superintendent described Pepin Academies as “an independently owned charter school that specializes in working with kids that are unique, relative to their abilities, very talented kids.”

He also noted that “Pepin has an incredible reputation throughout the Tampa Bay area.”

Gadd is obviously enthused about the new venture.

“I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to have this kind of partnership, and to be working with the kind of people that are involved with these children at Pepin Academies.

“This is an exciting partnership — a lot of learning ahead of us to figure out how to navigate some of the rules and regulations that the state puts on us, relative to our relationship, but really looking forward to it,” he said.

Jeff Skowronek, executive director of Pepin Academies, stepped to the podium to address the board, and the audience.

“Thank you for your vision, Mr. Gadd. Thank you all for your support,” Skowronek said. “I think fitting today, for Election Day, we are electing to choose and vote for collaboration over competition, and students over division.

“And I couldn’t be more excited, more honored and more humbled to lead Pepin Academies into Wesley Chapel and see where it goes from there,” the executive director added.

Background materials in the board’s agenda packet call for Pepin to operate a charter school for students in kindergarten through 12th grade, at the Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation campus, at 9100 Curley Road, in Wesley Chapel.

The goal is to open the new Pepin school in 2024.

Background materials in the board’s agenda packet say that Pasco County Schools staff has determined “that it is in the best interest of the district to facilitate the construction of this school.”

The school construction must meet all state requirements, and Pepin and the school board have agreed to fund the construction of the school using impact fees.

The school board approved a memorandum of understanding, as well as step-in agreement for the district to take over the school, should the charter school cease operations.

Pepin Academies are full-time exceptional student education day schools that offer a standard diploma option for students with learning and learning-related disabilities in grades three through 12, according to Pepin’s website.

Pepin Academies operates a Pasco campus in New Port Richey, one in Tampa and one in Riverview.

Pepin provides individualized instruction, focused on providing academic and social achievement, its website says.

In other action, the school board is considering changes to a district policy that’s  intended to raise the level of respectful behavior — both from parents and from district staff — when disputes arise on school buses, on school campuses and in district offices.

The board received significant pushback regarding the proposed policy from speakers during its Nov. 8 meeting.

Numerous speakers described the policy as a violation of the constitutional right to free speech and said it is intended to stifle critics who are dissatisfied with the school system’s operation.

They also said that provisions within the proposed policy are subjective and vague, and pressed the board to provide more precise definitions regarding what constitutes a violation.

School board members told Superintendent Kurt Browning that language that pertains to social media posts should be stripped from the proposed policy changes.

Board members told the audience it is not their intention to stifle feedback or free speech.

Rather,  they said, they are trying to protect bus drivers, school secretaries and others who are being subjected to verbal attacks by people screaming at them.

Browning told board members that amendments will be made to the policy before it is brought back for board action, expected in December.

At that point, the board will accept additional public comment before taking a vote on the policy, according to Cynthia Armstrong, the school board’s chairwoman.

Published November 16, 2022

Banded together, for the birds

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The birds are calling — and these kids are answering.

At Learning Gate Community School in Lutz, students have been participating in bird banding.

The work is led by environmental resource teacher Jim McGinity, who uses mist nets to capture birds and band them with tiny tracking nodules. For five days a month each fall and each spring, McGinity and some volunteers take students, of all grades, out into the 30 acres of woods on the campus, at 16215 Hanna Road, to look for birds in the nets.

Learning Gate Community School first-graders Jocelyn Stewart, left, and Sadie Kruz smile but also lean away from a common yellowthroat bird that teacher Jim McGinity holds out for them to observe after banding it. McGinity has set up safe nets for 11 years to catch birds on the school’s 30-acre wooded campus. He then bands them to track migratory patterns. He also brings out students from kindergarten through sixth grade to show them actual fieldwork. (Mike Camunas)

They’ll collect the birds, bring them back to a small learning center, band the birds and then safely release them.

Over a dozen years of doing this project, McGinity has banded more than 900 birds.

The exercise provides a unique opportunity for students to witness, first-hand, how real scientists conduct fieldwork.

“It is hard to measure the value of the students seeing science in action,” McGinity said. “They can read about science in a book, but to watch it live is something completely else and, usually, they learn more this way.

“The hands-on — to an extent — experience of seeing the entire process of actual fieldwork is perfect for them, and, as they get older, we’re recapturing some of the birds from a couple years ago or even four years ago, so tracking the migratory patterns — it’s working! It’s proving the fieldwork is working.”

McGinity emphasized the birds are not harmed in any way, nor do the students handle the birds out of the net or when they’re banded.

McGinity is a fully licensed and trained bander, which required substantial training and experience to become completely certified to run the program and handle birds.

Learning Gate Community School first-graders Norianna Marquez, left, and Ava DiPallo closely examine an indigo bunting that environmental resource teacher Jim McGinity just banded and soon will release.

“We are one of hundreds of banding projects in the country, but also one of the few, if maybe the only one that is a bird-banding project on a school campus,” McGinity added.

Once a bird is safely removed from a net, McGinity will identify its species, measure it, weigh it, determine the gender if possible, and band it.

The wooded area on campus is a stopping area for the birds during migration. During the fall, the birds are headed even farther down south and to other countries.

“We’re contributing to the greater knowledge of the migration of these birds,” he said.

The information is valuable, but the teacher said there’s a low percentage of birds that return. Of the thousands of birds he’s banded, only two of his have been found — at a different location where McGinity bands (Dunedin). One was found in Massachusetts and another in Minnesota.

However, at Learning Gate, it’s a well-received, extremely fun project for the students, especially when they hike out into the woods to search the nets.

Learning Gate Community School environmental resource teacher Jim McGinity holds up a common yellowthroat to show to students, after he banded the bird.

“I really like bird banding because you get to learn about new birds,” fourth-grader Yza Blanco said. “It’s just really fun, and we get to spend time with our nature teacher (Mr. Jim).”

“Sometimes,” added fellow fourth-grader Kealan Cooke, “the birds go to one place and then go back to the same place they were before, and they keep repeating that over and over again.”

In the end, the students are more than happy to release the birds back into the trees. In fact, it’s their favorite part, one meticulously supervised by McGinity who places the bird on students’ outstretched hands, allowing the birds to happily fly away.

They fly away — back and banded — to the call of nature.

“(I’ve learned) that when they migrate, they have to rest in order to keep going to Brazil or Mexico, and that you have to be a professional in order to touch a bird,” Blanco said.

“My favorite part is releasing the birds,” Cooke said, “and I got to release one back in kindergarten!”

Published November 09, 2022

Lincoln Maynard, left, and Jude Elliot prepare to release a common yellowthroat as environmental resource teacher Jim McGinity looks on. The teacher had just banded the bird after catching it in nets set up in the woods on Learning Gate Community School’s campus in Lutz.
First-graders Rae Oates, left, and Liam Graham take a close — but not too close — look at an indigo bunting as part of Learning Gate Community School’s bird-banding program that has been tracking migratory bird patterns for 11 years.
Jim McGinity has just placed a small band on a common yellowthroat, to track the bird’s migratory patterns.
Jim McGinity measures the length of the wing of a tufted titmouse. He also will try to determine the gender of the bird and to weigh it.

 

Altman steps away from school board

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Allen Altman’s last school board meeting — which coincided with the day of the Nov. 8 General Election — marked the end of 16 years of elected service.

He said he chose to step away now because he felt “it was just time” for his departure.

Altman is a native of Pasco County, attended Pasco Elementary, Pasco Middle and Pasco High, and what is now known as Pasco-Hernando State College.

He’s been involved in Pasco County Schools in some shape or form for nearly 40 years, serving on his daughter’s school advisory committees, on the Pasco Education Foundation Board and as chair of the Penny for Pasco campaign, in 2004.

Allen Altman reads to a class during a school visit. (Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

He didn’t plan to run for school board, but was approached in 2006 by Jeannie Weightman, a sitting board member.

“I still remember it like it was yesterday. She was in Kansas. She called me. She told me the night before she had been rocking her grandbabies and decided that she no longer wanted her life schedule to revolve around school board.

“She had already announced for reelection. She said, ‘Allen, I think you ought to run for my seat.’

“I was actually on a bus — a church bus with a bunch of men headed to Georgia, headed to a men’s conference. We were going across Payne’s Prairie, at Gainesville, when she called me. And, by the time we got to Tifton, Georgia, to stop for lunch, my phone was blowing up with people saying, ‘We heard that Miss Weightman isn’t going to run again and we want you to run.’”

While he had helped others run for office, Altman hadn’t considered that path for himself.

So, when he got home from the men’s conference, he talked it over with his family.

“I sat down my wife (Laura) and my two daughters (Michelle and Melissa) and we had a family meeting,” he said.

They listed the pros and cons.

Ultimately, he said, “they all encouraged me to run. The community support was just overwhelming. I finally gave in and decided I would run.

“At the time I got elected, my intention was to serve no more than two terms,” Altman said.

The Great Recession changed that.

“It was extremely difficult and tough,” he said. “Some of the dreams and visions that I had for the district — like a career and technical high school — were put on the back burner just because of economics.

“So, I decided to run again. And then those things got into the planning process, and I decided, (to run) one more time.”

Expanding options for students
The academic landscape in Pasco County has changed greatly since Altman joined the board.

He was a staunch advocate for expanded educational choices for students living in East Pasco.

When he joined the board, the district’s most rigorous courses were offered only in the central and west areas of the county.

Since then, the district initiated a Cambridge Program in East Pasco, which has spread to schools in other parts of the county. It also has added STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics) magnet programs to more schools. It also has career academies at every high school.

Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation opened in August — a new magnet high school off Curley Road, in Wesley Chapel, that prepares students for current and emerging careers.

Altman credits Superintendent Kurt Browning, Deputy Superintendent Ray Gadd, the superintendent’s staff and his board colleagues for the district’s progress.

“We have been diligent to try to respond to parents’ needs and be prudent with tax dollars, at the same time,” Altman said. “The big driver is what’s best for our students and families? What the planning has revolved around is how best to provide educational opportunities, accommodate families — and be prudent with taxpayer dollars — and, that’s a balancing act.”

A new school being built on the Kirkland Ranch campus will be for students in K-8. That’s an educational model that’s finding favor with families, Altman said.

He also noted the district is doing a good job of planning ahead. When it builds a new school, for instance, it designs it to make it easy to add an additional wing, if that is needed to accommodate future growth.

That, he said, gives the district the most bang for its buck.

Making tough decisions
It hasn’t all been smooth sailing, Altman said.

The Great Recession forced hundreds of layoffs. School boundary issues have been heated. A shortage of money and bus drivers forced the district to end “courtesy” busing for students in grades six through 12, who live within 2 miles of school.

And, that’s not to mention all of the changes required by COVID-19 and an increasing spread of misinformation through social media.

“Those are all extremely difficult issues,” Altman said.

He understands there are individual circumstances that can’t always be accommodated and that can pose hardships on families.

“My focus has been on the big picture for the district — making sure that we’re financially prudent, that we’re providing student choice opportunities and we’re serving families. At the end of the day, you have to make decisions based on the good of the whole,” he said.

Allen Altman offers some remarks during the groundbreaking for the Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation. The school, now open on Curley Road in Wesley Chapel, offers a wide array of classes designed to prepare students for current and emerging careers.

“Do I wish I could wave a magic wand and fix their (individual) need? You know I can’t.”

Still, he empathizes with people who feel boxed-in by state or federal requirements.

He understands the frustrations of mandates and red tape.

“Those are hard to stomach. Many times, I’ve agreed with them (people who are objecting),” Altman said.

He recalls one conversation when he told a school board attorney he agreed with the opponents on an issue.

The attorney told Altman: “You can agree with them, but it’s going to cost you $800,000 or $900,000 to fight the federal government to agree with them.

“Those are frustrating times,” the school board member added.

Knowing how to help is gratifying
Some of his best moments on the board have been knowing where to turn for help, to try to resolve a specific problem.

He recalls being approached at a Wesley Chapel High graduation by parents of a student who thanked him profusely for his help in getting their son the help he needed to be able to walk across the stage to receive his diploma.

“I’ve had that happen three or four times,” said Altman, also crediting the superintendent’s team and district staff for making those things happen.

“Superintendent (Kurt) Browning and Deputy Superintendent (Ray) Gadd have put together an All-Star team. They are hardworking, energetic, dedicated, high integrity.

“And, so I don’t have the answers, but I know — after 16 years now — who to call that knows who to talk to, to get help,” Altman said.

As he steps away from public office, Altman said he is troubled by a decline in common courtesy and in the rapid spread of disinformation.

“One of the things that I hear from business owners, and from our administrators and teachers, is just the lack of civility of the entire population, and that’s sad,” he said.

He’s concerned, too, by an increasing disregard for facts.

“I am convinced that social media is a tool of the devil,” Altman said.

With social media, he said, “regardless what you think, you can search and find somebody that will provide something that you like to hear — regardless to whether there’s any truth to it at all.”

The failure to recognize verifiable facts makes it hard to resolve disputes and find a way forward, Altman said.

“It makes it difficult to build consensus when there are people who have absolutely no regard or concern for what the truth is,” Altman said.

Published November 09, 2022

Chalk Talk 11/09/2022

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(Courtesy of Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce)

Student Citizens of the Month
The East Pasco Chamber Foundation in partnership with the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce recognized nine students as Citizens of the Month for October. Students are chosen by the teachers and administration of their individual schools for exemplary effort, achievement and contribution to their school, family and community. This is the 25th year the Zephyrhills Chamber has honored students through the program. Receiving recognition are: Kamryn Morfey, Academy of Spectrum Diversity; Rylee Bowman, Chester W. Taylor Elementary School; Eva Pena, Heritage Academy; John Blandford, Raymond B. Stewart Middle; Gov Ramirez and Esmerelda Soto, The Broach School; Dexter Balch, West Zephyrhills Elementary; Adriele Jerabek, Woodland Elementary; and Tessa Starnes, Zephyrhills High.

Centennial Fall Festival
Centennial Middle STEM Magnet School, 38505 Centennial Road in Dade City, will host a Fall Festival on Nov. 12 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The festival will include food, pumpkin painting, a petting zoo, pumpkin bowling, a fall photo booth, pumpkin tic-tac-toe, STEM activities, haybale lassoing, scarecrow contest, bouncy house, music and more. For information, call 352-524-9700.

School Choice events
Mark your calendar with the following dates related to School Choice in Pasco County:

  • Nov. 14 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Pasco Pathways Expo, at River Ridge High School
  • Nov. 17 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Pasco Pathways Expo, at Wesley Chapel High School
  • Jan. 9 to Jan. 20: Pasco Pathways Application Window
  • Feb. 27 to March 8: Notification and Acceptance Window

For more information, visit Pasco.k12.fl.us/schoolchoice.

Fee adjustments meeting
Pasco-Hernando State College’s (PHSC) District Board of Trustees (DBOT) will consider approving proposed adjusted course-related fees at a Nov. 15 meeting at 6 p.m., at the Instructional Performing Arts Center in Wesley Chapel.

Fee adjustment proposals are reviewed and approved for DBOT consideration by PHSC’s Council of Academic Affairs.

Many fee adjustments relate to vendor increases for workforce courses, laboratories, and program testing.

Some fees may be covered by financial aid, scholarships and grants.

For details regarding proposed fee adjustments, justification for the fees and fee implementation details, visit Policies.phsc.edu, and click on Policies and Procedures, and then Public Disclosure.

School grants awarded
The Southwest Florida Water Management District awarded $107,969 in grants to 58 educators within the district, as part of the Splash! school grant program.

The program provides up to $3,000 per school to enhance student knowledge of freshwater resources, for kindergarten through 12th grade.

Splash! grants encourage hands-on student learning through STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) activities, as well as engagement of the greater school community through awareness campaigns.

The district awarded grants to these schools/teachers in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area:

  • East Pasco Education Academy: Dr. Jose Olmo
  • Pine View Elementary School: Jaime Gauvin

Grants are available to support water education programs and activities that are focused on water cycle basics, freshwater or estuarian ecosystems, water quality and water conservation.

For more information, visit WaterMatters.org/SchoolGrants.

Investiture ceremony
Saint Leo University will host an investitute ceremony of the Papal Knighthood of the Order of St. Gregory for Rabbi A. James Rudin on Nov. 20 at 1 p.m., according to a news release.

Rudin is one of the co-founders of the university’s Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies.

Cardinal Sean Patrick O’Malley of the Archdiocese of Boston will conduct the ceremony on behalf of Pope Francis.

This is the third time in history a pope is honoring an American rabbi with the Papal Knighthood of the Order of St. Gregory the Great. This also marks the first time in his papacy Pope Francis is granting the honor to a Jewish person, the release said.

Student initiation
Marissa Rakauskas, of Odessa, was initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society. Rakauskas was welcomed into the society at Jackson University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Financial Aid tip
High school students who plan to play college sports must make sure they are eligible. Requirements differ for the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics or the National Junior College Athletic Association, according to the Kentucky High Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA).

Athletes at an NCAA Division I or Division II school must register with the NCAA Eligibility Center.

Home-schooled students must register at the Eligibility Center and meet the same requirements as other student-athletes.

NCAA Division III schools don’t give athletic scholarships. Students who want to play sports at a Division III school should contact the school to find out what its policies are.

Students who want to play sports at an NAIA college or university must register with the NAIA Eligibility Center.

To play sports at an NJCAA school, students must have a high school diploma or a GED. Home-schooled students must meet different requirements.

KHEAA is a public, nonprofit agency established to improve students’ access to college.

For more information and details on financial aid tips, visit KHEAA.com.

Afterschool Meals Program
Pasco County Schools has announced the approval of 51 schools for participation in the Afterschool Meals Program, a subcomponent of the Child Care Food Program.

Afterschool Meals is designed to provide nutritious food to children participating in afterschool programs on campus. Approved schools hosting these activities (including PLACE) after school hours will have the ability to provide meals.

These schools in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area have been approved to participate in the program: • Elementary schools: Centennial, Chester Taylor, Lacoochee, New River, Pasco, Quail Hollow, R.B. Cox, San Antonio, West Zephyrhills, and Woodland

  • Middle high schools: Centennial, East Pasco Education Academy, Pasco, R.B. Stewart
  • High schools: East Pasco Education Academy, Pasco, Zephyrhills

Parents should contact the coordinator of the program their child is participating in, to determine if meals will be provided.

Chalk Talk 11/02/2022

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(Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

A step in the right direction
Pasco County Schools thanks everyone in the community who donated shoes and socks to Pasco students, through the Two Good Soles campaign. A total of 2,821 pairs of shoes and thousands of socks were donated.

Free TEACH program
Wreaths Across America (WAA) has launched a new TEACH program that was put together by retired educator and Gold Star mother Cindy Tatum, according to a news release.

The program shares an established curriculum designed to teach the next generation about the value of their freedom, and includes stories of courage and character. It also regularly introduces new educational materials, such as recent lesson plans related to Veterans Day.

The program encompasses all grades from kindergarten through the senior year of high school.

The service-based curriculum shares educational materials from philanthropic and patriotic organizations such as The United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration, the American Rosie Movement, Random Acts of Kindness Foundation, The Congressional Medal of Honor Society, and IKEducation at the Eishenhower Foundation.

Additionally, WAA developed a Veterans’ Oral History Project for youth from fourth to 12th grades that encourages young people to interview a veteran, service member, or Gold Star family member to learn about the sacrifices the military makes on behalf of our country.

The TEACH program is free to download at WreathsAcrossAmerica.org/teach and also is available for all educators and homeschoolers on Teachers Pay Teachers.

Recycle your pumpkins
Learning Gate Community School’s environmental science teacher Steve Warrener’s classes have just started an adopt-a-farm program with Happy Farm, 16610 Tobacco Road in Lutz, for composting.

The public can drop off their pumpkins anytime from Nov. 1 to Nov. 15 in the bins at the farm (signs will be posted). Pumpkins must not be treated with any preservatives.

Warrener also can do bulk pickup if anyone is interested.

For more information, email .

Culinary Arts bake sale
The Land O’ Lakes Academy of Culinary Arts is offering its 11th annual Fall Bake Sale.

Items up for grabs include: Apple Crumble Coffee Cake, $10; French Silk Pie, $12; Pumpkin Cream Cheese Roll, $10; Kentucky Pecan Pie, $15; Vegan + GF Apple Cranberry Crisp, $14; and Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies, $10.

Order deadline is Nov. 4. Pickup is Nov. 16, Nov. 17 and Nov. 18 in the Lakeview Café.

For information and questions, email Chef Blythe at or Chef Cooper at .

Fall Heritage Festival
Moore-Mickens Education and Vocational Center, 38301 Martin Luther King Blvd., in Dade City, will host its third annual Fall Heritage Festival on Nov. 5 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The event will include food, live music, vendors, artists, and Buffalo Soldiers. Admission is $7; $25 VIP seating (with an RSVP). For information, call 352-518-8008.

50th Anniversary
Pasco-Hernando State College will celebrate its 50th anniversary on Nov. 5 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a free commmunity West Campus Anniversary Celebration, at 10230 Ridge Road in New Port Richey. Activities will include games and prizes, music, refreshments, and tours of the campus (fees for new student applications will be waived during the event.)

To learn more, visit PHSC.edu/history.

Afterschool Meals Program
Pasco County Schools has announced the approval of 51 schools for participation in the Afterschool Meals Program, a subcomponent of the Child Care Food Program.

Afterschool Meals is designed to provide nutritious food to children participating in afterschool programs on campus. Approved schools hosting these activities (including PLACE) after school hours will have the ability to provide meals.

These schools in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area have been approved to participate in the program: • Elementary schools: Centennial, Chester Taylor, Lacoochee, New River, Pasco, Quail Hollow, R.B. Cox, San Antonio, West Zephyrhills, and Woodland

  • Middle high schools: Centennial, East Pasco Education Academy, Pasco, R.B. Stewart
  • High schools: East Pasco Education Academy, Pasco, Zephyrhills

Parents should contact the coordinator of the program their child is participating in, to determine if meals will be provided.

A meaningful conversation
The Saint Leo University Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies (CCJS) will present “Why Dialogue Matters” on Nov. 10 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., at Congregation Schaarai Zedek, 3303 W. Swann Ave., in Tampa.

This conversation will focus on why the practice of dialogue is essential for the health of traditions, institutions and society.

Guest speakers will be Rabbi David Maayan, Cohn visiting chair in Jewish Thought and assistant director of CCJS, and Dr. Matthew Tapie, associate professor of theology and director of CCJS.

Joining in the panel wil be Friar Henry Fulmer, Sacred Heart Catholic Church; Rabbi Rachel Blatt, Congregation Kol Ami; and Rabbi Joel Simon, Congregation Schaarai Zedek.

Prior to the event, an hors d’oeuvre reception will take place at 6:15 p.m. An RSVP is required online at SaintLeo.edu/Why-Dialogue-Matters.

The program will conclude with a presentation of the 18th Eternal Light Award to Dr. Eugene Fisher for his 50 years of contributions to Catholic-Jewish relations.

Admission is free. For information, email , or call 352-588-7298.

School Choice events
Mark your calendar with the following dates related to School Choice in Pasco County:

  • Nov. 14 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Pasco Pathways Expo, at River Ridge High School
  • Nov. 17 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Pasco Pathways Expo, at Wesley Chapel High School
  • Jan. 9 to Jan. 20: Pasco Pathways Application Window
  • Feb. 27 to March 8: Notification and Acceptance Window

For more information, visit Pasco.k12.fl.us/schoolchoice.

Playground fundraiser
Odessa Elementary School will host a golf tournament at Cheval Golf Club, at 4312 Cheval Blvd., in Lutz, on Nov. 13. Money raised from the event will go toward expanding and improving the school’s playground, by adding structures for all ages and abilities.

Cost is $150 per person and $550 per foursome. It will be a 9 a.m. scramble start and includes contests such as a $10,000 hole-in-one chance, on-course refreshments, lunch, gifts and more.

For information or to register, visit bit.ly/wildcat-golf.

JoAnne Glenn will lead Angeline Academy of Innovation

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Pasco County Schools has named JoAnne Glenn to be the first principal at Angeline Academy of Innovation, a new 6-12 magnet school being built in an emerging community in Central Pasco.

Glenn, principal of Pasco eSchool and Angeline Academy of Innovation, has won both district and national honors for her work.

Glenn was named Pasco County Schools’ Principal of the Year in 2019 and was named the 2020 Digital Principal of the Year by the National Association of Secondary School Principals.

JoAnne Glenn has been named the inaugural principal of Angeline Academy of Innovation, a 6-12 magnet school set to open in Pasco County in August 2023. (Courtesy of JoAnne Glenn)

The new 6-12 school will be near Moffitt Cancer Center’s planned Pasco County campus, which is in the heart of Angeline, east of the Suncoast Parkway and south of State Road 52.

The $52.7-million magnet school is expected to have strong partnerships with both Moffitt and with Pasco-Hernando State College.

In an email to The Laker/Lutz News, she explained her interest in the new position and expressed enthusiasm for what the new school will offer students.

As a mathematics teacher “and self-admitted nerd,” Glenn said, “I love helping students become confident in exploring and strengthening their understanding of these topics.”

She believes that “children are born to be scientists, and they learn through exploration and experience.”

She also noted that she’s worked for the last 14 years to build the district’s virtual school and to challenge the status quo of more traditional education models.

“Having the opportunity to build a school that incorporates hybrid experiences and strong partnerships with families and our community brings all of my favorite aspects of education into one school,” Glenn said.

She’s excited about the potential offered by Angeline Academy of Innovation, which is set to open in August 2023.

“Angeline Academy of Innovation is on a mission to challenge the ways we use time and space to offer students more agency and control over their path and pace for chasing their dreams,” Glenn said.

“Because Pasco eSchool will also be housed at Angeline Academy of Innovation, students will have a continuum of learning experiences and can move between on-campus, job-embedded, and online learning experiences supported by a cadre of educators and professionals with high levels of expertise,” Glenn said.

She’s also enthused about new opportunities that will be presented to students.

“I’m excited about some of the early commitments to establish strong partnerships with local businesses, a successful local charter school, and postsecondary institutions. Our students will learn alongside engineers, IT professionals, scientists, medical professionals, and more. With access to world-class facilities, and a focus on entrepreneurship and innovation, Angeline Academy of Innovation will allow students an environment that is designed to launch secondary students into relevant career fields, equipped with certifications and expertise,” she said.

As an example, the school will offer engineering, cybersecurity, biodesign, and an entrepreneurship incubator, Glenn said.

As Glenn moves into her new post, the school district is searching for a new principal to lead Pasco eSchool.

Published October 26, 2022

Chalk Talk 10/26/2022

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(Courtesy of PHSC Foundation)

Foundation receives $3,000 donation
The GHC Ladies Auxiliary presented a $3,000 donation to the PHSC (Pasco-Hernando State College) Foundation for its student scholarships. The auxiliary hosts fundraisers throughout the year in support of various initiatives and organizations in the community. To make a scholarship donation, visit Giving.PHSC.edu, or call the foundation office at 727-816-3410.

Zephyrhills High reunion
The Zephyrhills High School Class of 1972 will host its 50th reunion, including:

  • Homecoming Game on Oct. 28 at 6:30 p.m.
  • “A Night to Remember” dinner/dance on Oct. 29 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., at the Scotland Yards Clubhouse, 9429 U.S. 301 in Dade City — $45 per person
  • Sunday Brunch, on Oct. 30 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., followed by a “Memory Lane Stroll” down iconic Fifth Avenue

For more information, call the school at 813-794-6100.

Recycle your pumpkins
Learning Gate Community School’s environmental science teacher Steve Warrener’s classes have just started an adopt-a-farm program with Happy Farm, 16610 Tobacco Road in Lutz, for composting.

The public can drop off their pumpkins anytime from Nov. 1 to Nov. 15 in the bins at the farm (signs will be posted). Pumpkins must not be treated with any preservatives.

Warrener also can do bulk pickup if anyone is interested.

For more information, email .

Culinary Arts bake sale
The Land O’ Lakes Academy of Culinary Arts is offering its 11th annual Fall Bake Sale. Items up for grabs include: Apple Crumble Coffee Cake, $10; French Silk Pie, $12; Pumpkin Cream Cheese Roll, $10; Kentucky Pecan Pie, $15; Vegan + GF Apple Cranberry Crisp, $14; and Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies, $10.

Order deadline is Nov. 4. Pickup is Nov. 16, Nov. 17 and Nov. 18 in the Lakeview Café.

For information and questions, email Chef Blythe at or Chef Cooper at ">.

Fall Heritage Festival
Moore-Mickens Education and Vocational Center, 38301 Martin Luther King Blvd., in Dade City, will host its third annual Fall Heritage Festival on Nov. 5 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will include food, live music, vendors, artists, and Buffalo Soldiers. Admission is $7; $25 VIP seating (with an RSVP). For information, call 352-518-8008.

50th Anniversary
Pasco-Hernando State College will celebrate its 50th anniversary on Nov. 5 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a free commmunity West Campus Anniversary Celebration. Activities will include games and prizes, music, refreshments, and tours of the campus (fees for new student applications will be waived during the event.) To learn more, visit PHSC.edu/history.

A meaningful conversation
The Saint Leo University Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies (CCJS) will present “Why Dialogue Matters” on Nov. 10 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., at Congregation Schaarai Zedek, 3303 W. Swann Ave., in Tampa.

This conversation will focus on why the practice of dialogue is essential for the health of traditions, institutions and society.

Guest speakers will be Rabbi David Maayan, Cohn visiting chair in Jewish Thought and assistant director of CCJS, and Dr. Matthew Tapie, associate professor of theology and director of CCJS.

Joining in the panel wil be Friar Henry Fulmer, Sacred Heart Catholic Church; Rabbi Rachel Blatt, Congregation Kol Ami; and Rabbi Joel Simon, Congregation Schaarai Zedek.

Prior to the event, an hors d’oeuvre reception will take place at 6:15 p.m. An RSVP is required online at SaintLeo.edu/Why-Dialogue-Matters.

The program will conclude with a presentation of the 18th Eternal Light Award to Dr. Eugene Fisher for his 50 years of contributions to Catholic-Jewish relations.

Admission is free.

For information, email , or call 352-588-7298.

School Choice events
Mark your calendar with the following dates related to School Choice in Pasco County:

  • Nov. 14 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Pasco Pathways Expo, at River Ridge High School
  • Nov. 17 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Pasco Pathways Expo, at Wesley Chapel High School
  • Jan. 9 to Jan. 20: Pasco Pathways Application Window
  • Feb. 27 to March 8: Notification and Acceptance Window

For more information, visit Pasco.k12.fl.us/schoolchoice.

Playground fundraiser
Odessa Elementary School will host a golf tournament at Cheval Golf Club, at 4312 Cheval Blvd., in Lutz, on Nov. 13. Money raised from the event will go toward expanding and improving the school’s playground, by adding structures for all ages and abilities.

Cost is $150 per person and $550 per foursome. It will be a 9 a.m. scramble start and includes contests such as a $10,000 hole-in-one chance, on-course refreshments, lunch, gifts and more.

For information or to register, visit bit.ly/wildcat-golf.

Options after high school
Education after high school does not necessarily have to be a traditional four-year college degree, according to a news release from the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA).

Two-year degrees can prepare students to continue at a four-year school, but it also can lead directly to a job in the workforce, the release said.

Diplomas and certificates in specialized skills can give students the knowledge they need to compete for good jobs in industry and other careers. These programs can take six to 18 months to complete.

Nearly all states offer grants and scholarships for in-state students, and many offer specific grants for students who want to become teachers or work in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields.

In many states, members of the National Guard also can take advantage of student aid programs geared to guard members.

In addition, most technical schools, two-year colleges and four-year colleges and universities offer their own grants, scholarships and other student aid programs.

Students should check with the financial aid office of the school they plan to attend, to help them understand these and other aid programs.

KHEAA is a public, nonprofit agency established to improve students’ access to college. It provides information about financial aid and financial literacy at no cost to students and parents.

To learn more about its services, visit KHEAA.com. For information about financial aid and college planning, visit ALStudentAid.com.

Pasco schools continues work to improve safety and security

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Mass shootings on school campuses — in places like Uvalde, Texas and Parkland, Florida —  highlight the need to focus on continuous improvement of safety on school campuses.

In Florida, it’s the law.

Michael Baumaister, the district’s chief of safety and emergency operations, gave a general overview of the district security plan for 2022-2023 school year during the Pasco County School Board’s Oct. 4 meeting.

Entry buzzers have been installed at schools across Pasco County. Visitors push the doorbell and are buzzed in, individually. (File)

That overview followed a private session between the board, Baumaister,and representatives of law enforcement agencies who work closely with the school district on safety and security issues.

The closed-door meeting was necessary so security professionals could brief the board on issues that must remain confidential.

But during the board meeting, Baumaister explained general steps the district is taking to continue to improve security.

He explained Florida’s law for school safety plans was adopted after 17 people were killed and 17 were injured in the 2018 Valentine’s Day shooting spree at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, in Parkland.

Those shootings spurred a public outcry and persistent student protests. Ultimately, state legislators mandated a series of new steps intended to reduce threats on campuses across Florida.

Baumaister said even before those state actions, Pasco had been seeking ways to improve safety.

Those efforts continue.

“Every year, our partners do campus tours with us. We walk through our campuses and, from there, we develop new procedures, we plan projects and then we prioritize our projects.

“The partnership we have (with law enforcement) does work. We’re fortunate in our county that we have that. Not every county experiences that. We’re very lucky,” Baumaister said.

Baumaister described some of the current efforts, including a work-order system to make minor repairs at schools, such as repairing fences and cameras.

The district also uses window security film, to harden the exterior of its schools, aimed at making it harder for intruders to penetrate.

It also has added a doorbell system, to give staff the ability to find out who is visiting and why, before allowing access.

It also has polished up its reunification and emergency operations plans, he said.

Fencing also has been added at some schools, to make them “less open access,” while retaining the appearance of the building being a school, he said.

“We also added signage. And, we’re constantly doing more communication improvements,” Baumaister said.

Completing improvements, however, required funding, he said.

The district is asking the state to continue its funding at the current level, Baumaister said.

The district also has allocated funds for school hardening efforts, from potential future Penny for Pasco revenues, if voters approve that initiative.

School board member Alison Crumbley commented on the thoroughness of the presentation the board received during its closed-door session.

She commended Baumaister’s leadership.

“We can’t, obviously, share a lot because of security reasons. But everyone in this county, parents, citizens, should be aware of the work that he has led and that the teams have put together.

“It’s mind-blowing the good things we have in place here in Pasco County,” she said.

She also noted that the Pasco school district is considered a leader regarding its partnerships with law enforcement.

The “state looks to Pasco County for guidance in a lot of areas of school security,” Crumbley said.

She also noted those leading the efforts “are continuing to do work constantly — they’re not just stopping where we are, and it’s incredible.”

Published October 19, 2022