The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Education

Chalk Talk 09/01/2021

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Sheriff’s office dives in on first day of school
The Pasco Sheriff’s Office (PSO) helped to welcome students back to school.

School crossing guards, traffic control officers and school resource officers (SROs) greeted students and offered words of encouragement.

PSO deputies and detectives increased patrols in school zones to ensure everyone’s safety.

The first week of school was packed with celebrations and introductions, as the SROs participated in “get to know you” projects; handed out goodies, school supplies and backpacks; and, celebrated birthdays and the grand opening of a new school.

A smiling Cpl. Brandy Bors opens the gate for students at the new Starkey Ranch K-8 School. (Courtesy of Pasco Sheriff’s Office)
Cpl. Marvin Keys offers the Wiregrass Ranch High ‘Bulls’ sign to welcome students back to school.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lake Myrtle awarded grant
Lake Myrtle Elementary students and staff aim to focus on kindness, as the 2020-2021 school year begins.

Lake Myrtle is one of 82 schools nationwide awarded funding by the Choose Kindness Foundation, a philanthropic organization founded earlier this year, according to a news release.

Together, Lake Myrtle and the foundation will begin an active partnership to teach and celebrate kindness, with the intention of creating a welcoming, inclusive and caring school environment.

The $6,500 grant honors the commitment to kindness the school has made over the years, and was based on Lake Myrtle’s demonstration of a systematic, evidence-based approach to developing pro-social behaviors for at least three years.

Through grant funding, online resources and training, the foundation works with recipient schools to engage all students in a consistent effort to learn and practice kind behaviors that are shown to increase academic, social, emotional and behavioral competence.

New administrators
Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) has named Marcia Austin, Ed.D., as senior vice president of technology and distance education, chief information officer; and Reginald Wilson as provost of the North Campus in Brooksville.

Austin had served as PHSC’s dean of workforce development, career and technical education since August 2018.

Prior to that, Austin was employed with Hernando County Schools for 28 years, serving as a mathematics instructor, principal, interim assistant superintendent and, most recently, as the district supervisor of secondary programs where she served as a liaison administrator for dual enrollment programs between Hernando County Schools and PHSC.

She was an adjunct professor at PHSC for more than seven years.

Wilson served as acting provost of the North Campus, and the associate dean of academic affairs and retention services for nearly one year.

Prior to his employment at the North Campus, Wilson served as an assistant dean of student affairs at PHSC’s West Campus.

Lighting donation
The Pasco-Hernando State College Foundation received a $480,000 donation from Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative Inc. (WREC), for baseball field lighting at the college’s West Campus in New Port Richey, according to a news release.

Through the donation, state-of-the-art lighting will be installed at the field, enabling games to take place in the evening.

PHSC student-athletes will not be the only benefactors of the donation. Field lighting will increase PHSC’s opportunities to further engage the community by providing a premier sports recreation venue for youth programs, community outreach and fundraising events, and campus and student events.

Installation of the lighting is expected to be completed this fall.

For information on how to support PHSC athletics, visit Foundation.phsc.edu, or call 727-816-3410.

Performing arts fundraiser
In celebration of the upcoming 50th anniversary of Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC), the PHSC Foundation will host a fundraiser on Sept. 9, at the Instructional Performing Arts Center, 8657 Old Pasco Road in Wesley Chapel.

The foundation’s goal is to raise $1 million to help students with scholarships.

During the 2020-2021 academic year, the PHSC Foundation has assisted nearly 950 students with $1.2 million in scholarship funding.

The presenting sponsor for the event is the Musunuru family. Dr. Rao Musunuru has been serving as a member of the District Board of Trustees for PHSC for the past 22 years.

For information, contact Lisa Richardson, associate vice president of alumni and college relations/executive director of the PHSC Foundation, at or 727-816-3410.

(Courtesy of Patricia Serio)

Providing for students
Members of the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club collected a large amount of school supplies to assist students at three local schools: Connerton Elementary, Miles Elementary and Lutz Elementary. Faith Sincich stands alongside one of three SUVs filled with school supplies. The club for decades has supported education, local schools and libraries. For membership opportunities or information, visit GFWCLutzLandOLakesWomansClub.org, or its Facebook page.

Controversy continues over school mask mandates

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Leon County Judge John Cooper was scheduled this week to conduct a three-day hearing involving a lawsuit that challenges the legality of an executive order issued by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

In the executive order, DeSantis stands firm on his position that parents —  not school boards — have the right to decide whether their children should be required to wear masks on campus.

But a group of parents has challenged the governor’s legal authority to make that call.

This week’s Tallahassee court hearing, set to begin Aug. 23, comes after attorneys for DeSantis attempted to have the lawsuit dismissed.

The judge refused to toss the lawsuit, but refrained from any assessment on the merits of the case, according to numerous published reports.

In addition to DeSantis, the Florida of Board of Education has weighed in on the mandatory mask issue.

The board of education has created options for students who are in districts that mandate masks, but do not wish to comply. Instead of complying, those students can obtain a scholarship through the state to attend a private school, or can attend school in a different district.

Also, the state has warned districts that if they defy the governor’s executive order, they can face reduced funding in an amount equivalent to the sum of the superintendent and school board members’ salaries, according to numerous published reports.

President Joe Biden has countered that by pledging the federal government could fill that funding gap — if one arises — by using American Rescue Plan dollars.

“We’re not going to sit by as governors try to block and intimidate educators protecting our children,” Biden said, on national television.

DeSantis, at another news event, countered: “We believe this is a decision for the parent.”

As the debate plays out, individual school boards continue to impose face mask requirements.

During an emergency meeting last week, the Hillsborough County School Board adopted a 30-day mandatory face mask requirement for students and staff, allowing an opt-out with a medical note.

School boards in Mami-Dade, Alachua, Palm Beach, Broward and Sarasota counties have taken similar actions.

The divisiveness of the mandatory masking issue was on full display during the Hillsborough school board’s hearing.

Board Chair Lynn Gray said the surge in the delta variant of COVID-19 created an emergency for the board — not only in terms of the number of positive cases being reported on campus, but also of the numbers of students and staff being forced to quarantine.

She said action was needed because the situation was unsustainable.

Passions ran high at the meeting.

Dozens of speakers on both sides of the issues made passionate 1-minute arguments, either for or against.

“Our K-5 children cannot get the vaccine, but at the same time, you’ve given them no option to do e-learning, no required social distancing and no required masks,” one parent said, urging the board to take action.

Another put it plainly: “I am very concerned for our vulnerable children.”

A third observed: “If you can mandate masks 100% last year, you can mandate masks this year. Your actions today can save lives.”

Other speakers presented a different point of view.

“Those that are living in fear, if they want to wear a mask, let them wear a mask. Put on a visor. Put on a second mask. But don’t force our children to wear masks if they don’t want to,” one speaker said.

Another put it this way: “Leave the mask policy as is, with parents deciding what’s best for their children.”

A third challenged the school board’s authority: “You work for us. We are not subservient to you. My children will not spend the rest of the year, or another minute, wearing a mask.”

Board members listened to hours of public testimony. Medical experts offered data and answered questions. Board members discussed the issue, too.

Ultimately, the mandatory mask decision passed on a 5-2 vote, with members Nadia Combs, Jessica Vaughn,  Henry “Shake” Washington, Karen Perez, Board Chair Gray voting yes; and members Stacy Hahn and Melissa Snively voting no.

Hillsborough Schools Superintendent Addison Davis recommended that the board follow DeSantis’ executive order, but said he would support the board, whatever the vote’s outcome.

Hahn and Snively spoke against defying DeSantis’ executive order.

It remains unclear how the mandate, which remains in effect in Hillsborough public schools through Sept. 17, will be enforced.

Contact tracing can’t keep up
Meanwhile, in Pasco County public schools, masks are optional.

Dealing with the impacts of COVID-19 and the delta variant in this new school year, has not been easy, Pasco Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning told the Pasco County School Board at its Aug. 17 meeting.

“We are drowning. We are struggling to stay afloat,” Browning said. “It’s like bailing out a sinking ship with a thimble.”

The district can’t keep pace with the contact tracing that’s required, Browning said.

That’s problematic because by the time the contact tracing can be completed, the quarantine period has expired, he said.

“You may have positive cases, asymptomatic positive cases, in the classrooms,” the superintendent explained. “At this point, there is nothing we can do about that, unless they start showing symptoms. Then, as soon as they are symptomatic, they will be sent home.”

There’s another issue that’s compounding the problem, the superintendent said.

“What we’re having, and this is not a news flash, we’re still having some parents sending their sick kids to school,” Browning said.

School board member Alison Crumbley had this message for parents:  “If your kid has a symptom, they don’t need to be showing up at school. Period. Done.”

“I can’t even imagine sending a kid to school that’s sick and you know they’re sick. We cannot be doing that right now.

“We’ve got to keep these number down, we’ve got to keep these numbers down,” Crumbley emphasized.

School board member Megan Harding said the district should provide COVID sick time for all teachers, not just those who have been vaccinated.

Browning disagreed: “It is a statement of fact that the costs for unvaccinated employees are higher.”

The district has already spent $12 million in COVID-related claims, and the district’s insurance fund is running at a $4 million deficit, Browning said.

School district statistics: 2021-2022 school year, to date*

Hillsborough County
Student cases: 2,310
Staff cases: 648

Pasco County
Student cases: 897
Staff cases: 196

*As of the evening of Aug. 22

Published August 25, 2021

Chalk Talk 08/25/2021

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Rebecca Urbonas (Courtesy of Allan and Pamela Urbonas)

Local student aims high
Rebecca Urbonas, Sunlake High School Class of 2018 valedictorian, graduated from Florida Atlantic University (FAU) with a Bachelor of Science in Biology, summa cum laude, after three years, at the age of 19.

She also received recognition for achieving Max Planck Honors for her research and defense of her undergraduate thesis in the area of neuroscience.

Urbonas was one of 67 students, out of more than 6,000 applicants, to be admitted into the medical school at the Charles Schmidt College of Medicine at FAU, to continue her studies to become a medical doctor.

She was inducted on Aug. 6 into the FAU medical school at the annual White Coat Ceremony for the Class of 2025, where she received her white coat as an M1, at the age of 20.

Vocational center
Hope Services will host a grand opening ribbon-cutting of a Vocational Training Center on Aug. 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Wesley Chapel Recreation Center Complex, 7727 Boyette Road in Wesley Chapel.

There will be inflatables, food trucks, games, music, sports clinics, refreshments and more. The first 750 people will receive a free goodie bag.

For information, email .

Intro to Acting
The Live Oak Theatre Company will offer an Introduction to Acting program on Aug. 30, Sept. 13, Sept. 20 and Sept. 27 from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m., at the Carol and Frank Morsani Center for the Arts, 21030 Cortez Blvd., in Brooksville. The program is for ages 7 to 18.

Topics will include basic acting skills and the principles of acting; theater terminology; theater etiquette; the use of humor; and memorizing and delivering monologs.

Tuition is $40 for the four-day course.

To register, call 352-593-0270, or email .

Performing arts fundraiser
In celebration of the upcoming 50th anniversary of Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC), the PHSC Foundation will host a fundraiser on Sept. 9, at the Instructional Performing Arts Center, 8657 Old Pasco Road in Wesley Chapel.

The foundation’s goal is to raise $1 million to help students with scholarships.

During the 2020-2021 academic year, the PHSC Foundation has assisted nearly 950 students with $1.2 million in scholarship funding.

The presenting sponsor for the event is the Musunuru family. Dr. Rao Musunuru has been serving as a member of the District Board of Trustees for PHSC for the past 22 years.

For information, contact Lisa Richardson, associate vice president of alumni and college relations/executive director of the PHSC Foundation, at or 727-816-3410.

Adopt a Classroom
Pepin Academies Foundation is hosting its second annual Adopt a Classroom campaign to help equip teachers and students with needed school supplies.

Individuals and businesses can participate by sponsoring or adopting a classroom, with the option to donate to one Pepin Academies campus or support all three of its Tampa Bay-area campuses.

Teachers will have the opportunity to identify their own classroom needs, which is an important step in granting schools the flexibility to adapt teaching practices to suit the individual needs of the students.

Adopt a Classroom donations can be made online at tinyurl.com/y34hzd72.

Board reappointments
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the reappointment of Dr. Rao Musunuru and Alvaro Hernandez to the Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) District Board of Trustees (DBOT).

Dr. Musunuru, current vice chair, PHSC DBOT, has been a board member since 1999.

He is a cardiologist affiliated with Regional Medical Center Bayonet Point since 1981, and over the years, has served as chief of medicine, chief of staff, and chair of the board of trustees for the center’s heart institute.

Dr. Musunuru is a past recipient of the Southern Regional Trustee Leadership Award from the National Association of Community Colleges.

Alvaro Hernandez is a market vice president for Humana.

He is a past member of the PHSC DBOT and serves on the boards of the Behavioral Health Community Council, the Starting Right Now Foundation, and Humana’s Bold Goal Community Brain Trust.

Hernandez earned his bachelor degree and master degree in international business from Nova Southeastern University.

Both Dr. Musunuru and Hernandez have been reappointed for a term through May 31, 2025.

Shoe & sock drive
The Two Good Soles Shoes and Socks Drive is underway through Oct. 22, with the Pasco County government and constitutional offices working together to collect footwear for kids in Pasco County schools.

Last year’s drive yielded 1,746 pairs of shoes and 5,773 pairs of socks.

Social workers will distribute the items to Pasco County Schools students at the end of October. Drop-off locations/collection boxes are at the offices of the Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller, the Pasco County Property Appraiser, and the Pasco County Tax Collector.

Chalk Talk 08/18/2021

By

(Courtesy of Pasco County Sheriff’s Office)

Safety is a priority for these officers
The Pasco Sheriff’s Office Traffic Control Officers (TCO) completed their annual certification training prior to the start of the new school year. The TCOs assist school crossing guards by maintaining traffic flow for pedestrians and cyclists to cross the street. This helps to ensure the safety of students and their families as they get to and from school. Training took place at Safety Town in Shady Hills.

Adopt a Classroom
Pepin Academies Foundation is hosting its second annual Adopt a Classroom campaign to help equip teachers and students with needed school supplies.

Individuals and businesses can participate by sponsoring or adopting a classroom, with the option to donate to one Pepin Academies campus or support all three of its Tampa Bay-area campuses.

Teachers will have the opportunity to identify their own classroom needs, which is an important step in granting schools the flexibility to adapt teaching practices to suit the individual needs of the students.

Adopt a Classroom donations can be made online at tinyurl.com/y34hzd72.

Vocational center
Hope Services will host a grand opening ribbon-cutting of a Vocational Training Center on Aug. 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Wesley Chapel Recreation Center Complex, 7727 Boyette Road in Wesley Chapel.

There will be inflatables, food trucks, games, music, sports clinics, refreshments and more. The first 750 people will receive a free goodie bag.

For information, email .

Scholarships awarded
Negative Population Growth (NPG) leaders have announced that 16 students from across the United States will receive checks ranging from $1,000 to $5,000, to put toward tuition, as winners of NPG’s annual Essay Scholarship Contest.

High school students and currently enrolled college undergraduates competed by writing an original 450-word to 600-word essay addressing the topic of “Write a letter to President Biden that highlights why overpopulation must be part of his administration’s discussions concerning our environment, including efforts to curb climate change.”

This year’s $25,000 in prizes was a portion of the scholarship money NPG has awarded in recent years as part of its Youth Outreach program.

The multi-faceted outreach program is designed to get “young people focused on the disastrous future that awaits their generation if our nation’s leaders fail to soon recognize and act on putting forth workable, responsible, common-sense solutions to today’s ever-growing population crisis,” according to an NPG news release.

For more information about the essay contest and Negative Population Growth, visit NPG.org, follow NPG on Facebook @NegativePopulationGrowth, or on Twitter @npg_org.

Student achievements
-Kaylyn Burr, of Land O’ Lakes, was named to the Honor List at Minnesota State University-Mankato.
-Benjamin Tomas, of Lutz, was recognized to the Dean’s List at Peru State College in Nebraska.

(Courtesy of Patricia Serio)

An assembly line of help
Members of the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club recently volunteered at Connerton Elementary School in Land O’Lakes, to help it get ready for the new school year. The women quickly worked to assemble and collate 750 information packets for the students and parents. The woman’s club has long supported local schools through hands-on volunteering and annual scholarships. From left: Darlene Choe, Nancy Taylor, Jean Palmieri, Tanya Highnote and Joan Moore. For information, visit GFWCLutzLandOLakesWomansClub.org, or its Facebook page.

Debate over masks continues, as a new school year begins

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Students streamed back to school campuses this week to start the 2021-2022 school year in Pasco and Hillsborough counties.

And, much like last year, the debate continues over mandatory face masks.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has taken a firm stand on the issue. He signed an executive order banning school districts from imposing mandatory mask requirements — instead letting parents make the call regarding whether their child wears a mask to school.

The Florida Board of Education also has adopted an emergency rule that allows a child to transfer to a private school or another school district, under a Hope Scholarship, “when a student is  subjected to harassment in response to a school district’s COVID-19 mitigation protocols.”

Masks are optional for students and staff in Pasco County’s public school district.

Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning repeatedly has said the issue is closed, based on the governor’s actions.

In Hillsborough County, there’s a mandatory mask policy for students — but that policy allows parents to exercise an opt-out option for their children.

Masks are optional for the Hillsborough school district’s staff.

In media interviews, Hillsborough County Schools Superintendent Addison Davis has said he believes the district complies with the governor’s executive order because parents can choose to opt out their children from the requirement.

Meanwhile, at least two lawsuits have been filed challenging DeSantis’ executive order, according to media reports.

While those debates play out, the Hillsborough and Pasco school systems have been busy preparing protocols for the school year.

During the Pasco School Board’s last meeting, on July 27, Browning said he and his staff had spent considerable time going over the COVID protocols for the coming year, in terms of athletics, fine arts, social distancing, cleaning protocols and so on.

Deputy Superintendent Ray Gadd also told the school board that the district plans to have procedures that are “going to be considerably looser, as opposed to tighter than they were last year” as they relate to facilities, events and athletics.

Gadd told the board: “It’s only looking back, we’ll know if that’s a mistake. But going forward, we’re going to loosen up a little bit, so folks can attend ball games and dances, and things like that.”

Regarding procedures for quarantining students and staff, Browning said those rules are set by the Florida Department of Health and will remain the same this year as they were last year.

“All symptomatic cases will be sent home for 10 days. If you’re not vaccinated and you have come in contact with a positive case and the health department has made the determination that you’ll quarantine, then you’ll quarantine.

“If you are vaccinated and come in contact with a positive case and you are asymptomatic — not showing any signs — then you can remain in school, either as a student or as a teacher,” Browning said.

The district was still working out the details regarding how to handle sick time for teachers, if they have to quarantine because of COVID.

In Hillsborough, the district has posted its protocols for visitors on school campuses or district offices. In short, it prefers visitors to have a scheduled appointment.

It also requires visitors to practice social distancing, and all in-person meetings must allow participants to be able to maintain a 6-foot social distance.

Visitors also must complete a self-check before entering a school building.

They should check themselves for these symptoms: Fever or chills, fatigue, sore throat, cough, muscle or body aches, congestion or runny nose, shortness of breath, headache, nausea or vomiting, difficulty in breathing, diarrhea or new loss of taste or smell.

Also, those who are awaiting the results of a COVID-19 test, or who have a known exposure to COVID-19, should not visit the district’s campuses or offices, according to the district’s website.

Published August 11, 2021

School board member cites concerns about funding trends

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Pasco County School Board member Cynthia Armstrong is calling attention to a trend she finds worrisome relating to state funding for schools.

She made her remarks during the July 27 school board meeting, after she and her colleagues approved the tentative budget for next fiscal year.

Superintendent Kurt Browning provided an overview, highlighting some of the key points of the approximately $1.47 billion budget, which is a decrease of $53.5 million.

Pasco County School Board member Cynthia Armstrong is concerned about a reduction in state funding for schools. (File)

For instance, the budget includes $10.5 million in additional state funding, to accommodate the district’s projected growth of 2,277 students, and recurring expenses.

The operating budget, of $731.5 million, includes the allocation and operating costs for the opening of Starkey Ranch K-8 and the mid-year opening of the Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation.

The budget also includes an allocation of nearly $1.6 million to continue to increase the minimum base salary for full-time classroom teachers, Browning said.

The $351 million capital budget includes the construction of the Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation, the construction of the 6-12 academy in the Land O’ Lakes area, and major renovations for Hudson and Gulf high schools, he added.

Olga Swinson, the district’s chief finance officer, said the district set aside $5.5 million for COVID-19 retention supplements, for employees who would not qualify under the governor’s bonus plan.

Swinson explained some of the steps necessary to balance the proposed budget.

For instance, she said, “we are moving 30 custodial units to be paid with the Department of Health grant.”

The district also plans to move 35% of the salary of its school psychologists to be covered by funding allocated for mental health needs.

The district additionally used Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief funding for the purchase of textbooks, which is allowed, but for this year only, Swinson said.

It also is transferring about $4.5 million from capital funds to the general fund to cover property insurance costs. Again, that’s for this year only, Swinson said.

Most of the new money received by the district resulted from an increase in property values, Swinson said. “The budget was built on about 6% property increase and we actually saw a 12.4% increase,” she said.

School board member Cynthia Armstrong raised concerns about the level of state funding received by the district and steps the district was forced to take, to maintain a balanced budget.

“You can see that we did use a few non-recurring funds to balance this budget, which is something that none of us like to do,” Armstrong said. “That just means we’re really going to have to dig in hard next year, unless the financial situation improves,” she said.

The board member continued: “I can only say, ‘Thank goodness property values went up, or we really would have been hurting.

“Because if you look at comparing this budget with last year’s, the money from the state that they give us was less than what we received last year,” she said.

The year before, the district received more money than it had the previous year — so it was on an upward trend, Armstrong said.

This year, she said, “despite what the Legislature (says) — how they spin it — when you look at the actual numbers, we actually got less from the state Legislature.

“Those are issues we need to be concerned with because, as we all know, the property values will not continue to go up at the rate that they’re going up,” she said.

She told her colleagues that she was raising the issue, as “kind of a cautionary thing.”

The district must remain fiscally strong to retain its high credit rating, so that it can borrow when necessary at the lowest cost possible, Armstrong said.

The district’s final public hearing on its budget is set for Sept. 14 at 6 p.m., in the board room at district headquarters, 7227 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

Pasco County Schools tentative 2021-2022 budget
General operating budget: $731.5 million
Capital budget: $351.1 million
Tax millage rate: $5.810
Taxes on a $175,000 home, assuming a $25,000 homestead exemption, would go down $16.80, under the proposed budget.

Published August 11, 2021

‘Stuffing the bus’ for a good cause

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Florida Penguin Productions, the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel and the Tampa Premium Outlets teamed up for a ‘Stuff the Bus’ event on Aug. 8, at Tampa Premium Outlets. The idea was to gather supplies for Pasco County Schools. A number of vendors also were there, in the courtyard of the outlet mall, and some lucky kids walked away with backpacks and other freebies.

An event to collect school supplies to help others was organized by Drew Cecere, of Florida Penguin Productions, along with the Tampa Premium Outlets and the Wesley Chapel Rotary Club. (Fred Bellet)
It wasn’t all about backpacks as Tim Crandall, a member of the Wesley Chapel Rotary Club, prepares to ‘stuff the bus’ with pens, colored pencils and various other classroom items that teachers need.
The Florida Kid Care booth bustled as the organization distributed backpacks filled with school supplies, to those attending the Stuff the Bus event.
With the Pasco County Schools’ bus reflecting in her sunglasses, Charane Groeller, president of the Wesley Chapel Rotary Club, waits with other members for walk-ups delivering school supplies to the ‘Stuff the Bus’ event.
Charane Groeller, president of the Wesley Chapel Rotary Club, sits near the cash donation jar on the table of the Wesley Chapel Rotary Club’s tent in front of the Tampa Premium Outlets.
Making his way down the narrow aisle in a school bus made for children, Drew Cecere, owner of Florida Penguin Productions, carries donated items into a Pasco County school bus.
Nine-year old Anthony Clemente emerges from the crowd carrying a free backpack he received from the Florida Kid Care booth, one of 30 vendors and businesses in the courtyard of the outlet mall. He was at the event with his parents, David and Araceli Clemente, of Clearwater.

 

 

Chalk Talk 08/11/2021

By

(Courtesy of Pasco County Sheriff’s Office)

Slow down, stay alert
With schools back in session, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office (PSO) reminds drivers to be on the lookout for students traveling to and from school, whether it be on foot, bike, scooter or by bus. Take a look at the graphic for a refresh on when to stop for school buses. Slow down and stay alert while driving. The PSO also is looking for school crossing guards. Check out JoinPSO.com to apply and for additional information.

 

 

Saint Leo puts out welcome mat
Saint Leo University rolled out the welcome mat for nearly 1,000 guests — new and prospective students and their families — at its admissions event, “Super Saturday.”

Each of Saint Leo’s colleges provided a taste of what is to come for students who are enrolling in the more than 60 degree programs the university offers.

Super Saturday gave students a chance to meet faculty and engage in activities designed to introduce them to the degree programs, future classes and real-world learning experiences.

The event also provided opportunities for parents and family members to meet with university leaders during a Q&A session.

Students also were able to get a jumpstart on the fall by registering for classes, housing and parking, attending financial aid sessions, and more.

Saint Leo will welcome new students on Aug. 28, and classes will begin on Aug. 31.

For more information about attending the school, contact the Office of Admissions at 352-588-8283, or email .

Back-to-School Bash
The First United Methodist Church of Lutz, 960 W. Lutz Lake Fern Road, will host a Back-to-School Bash on Aug. 13 starting at 5 p.m., rain or shine.

The event will include food trucks, bounce houses, make-and-take crafts, an indoor movie, and more. The Pixar movie, “Monsters University,” will begin at 7:30 p.m. Guests should bring a lawn chair or blanket.

Popcorn and movie snacks will be available for purchase, as a fundraiser for the church’s youth mission trip.

Those attending also are asked to bring a nonperishable food item for the Christian Social Services Food Pantry.

RSVP by Aug. 6. Each preregistered child will receive a gift bag.

Sign up at tinyurl.com/59c6rnue.

Leadership forum
Saint Leo University will host the FBI National Academy’s Mass Casualty Response Leadership Forum Series on Aug. 16 and Aug. 17 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the school’s Pasco County campus.

The forum is designed to provide those in attendance with the knowledge, skills and resources needed to improve initial response, emergency operations center procedures, and communications management during and after a crisis.

Key topics include:

  • Lessons Learned (a review of past incidents)
  • The dynamics of an active assailant situation
  • Multi-agency Response
  • Communications during and after an incident

For information, contact Laura Masterton at or 540-810-2725.

For cost and registration, visit FBINAA.formstack.com/forms/mcrlf_fl.

Student resources
The Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative offers educational resources to support student successes on the library’s website, HCPLC.org.

A few of the resources include:

  • HAAL Pass (Hillsborough All Access Libraries) — All students enrolled in a Hillsborough County public school, charter school or virtual school have access to public library resources, even if they don’t have a public library card. Students can use their seven-digit student ID number to borrow up to three items from any branch, download eBooks and audiobooks, and refer to study aids and reference resources. Visit HCPLC.org/HAALPass.
  • Tutor.com — Get help with schoolwork, prepare for a test, send in a paper review, and connect with a live tutor. One-to-one help also is available for Spanish-speaking students. Visit “Learning & Research” on HCPLC.org.
  • Ask a Librarian — Chat with a local librarian about homework or educational needs, or ask a question via chat or email. Visit the “Get Help – Contact Us” link at HCPLC.org, or call 813-273-3652.
  • Online classes and events — Free, real-time programs continue virtually, including story time for little ones, youth book clubs, or technology tutorials. Find the listings under the “Online Events & Classes” tab at HCPLC.org.

For more information, visit HCPLC.org/BackToSchool.

SADD names local student for national post

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Shaina Finkel likely didn’t know at the ripe old age of 6 that one day she would be taking her place on a national stage for a group that’s primary mission is to save lives.

But that’s exactly what happened on July 28, when the Wiregrass Ranch High School student was sworn in as the national student president for Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD).

Her selection was celebrated during a national news conference, which took place at Wiregrass Ranch High School and was streamed by SADD’s social media channels.

Shaina Finkel is the new national student president for Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD). The Wiregrass Ranch High student was sworn in during a national news conference last week, and took a moment to thank a long list of supporters in life, including her parents, grandparents, SADD chapter members and the Wiregrass Ranch school administration. (Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

One of the key speakers at the event was Greg Finkel, the adviser for the SADD chapter since Wiregrass Ranch High opened. He’s Shaina’s dad.

“We do it to save lives,” said Finkel, who has been the adviser of the Wiregrass chapter since it began in 2008.

The chapter’s T-shirts have a Superman logo on the front and words on the back that say: “How to save a life.”

His pride in his daughter’s accomplishment was palpable, as he struggled, occasionally, to maintain his composure.

She was just a little girl, he said, when she asked if she could come along to a chapter meeting.

Finkel thought to himself: Why not?

She became a regular, and even at that early age, she was a leader, he said.

Whether the chapter was working with young kids or the elderly, he said, “she took over.”

As she grew older, she became even more involved.

At one point, she asked Finkel if he thought she could become chapter president.

He said he didn’t see why not, but they would have to see about it when she got to high school.

Shaina became president of the Wiregrass chapter during her sophomore year, and now, as a rising senior, she is entering her third year in that role.

Last year, though, she told Finkel: “Dad, I would like to see if we can go a little bit further.

“And,” he added, “here we are.

“Pretty amazing.”

Kids today face greater pressures
Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning joined in the celebration.

“This is a big deal. This is a very big deal, isn’t it?” Browning said, adding he understands that today’s students are under a great deal of pressure.

“It was way different 45 years ago, when I graduated from Pasco High School,” the superintendent said. It was different, too, he added, when his sons, who are now in their 30s, graduated.

The leadership, exhibited by Shaina, and other officers in Wiregrass’ SADD chapter, “goes a far distance in encouraging students to make great choices in their lives,” Browning said.

SADD president and CEO Rick Birt conducted the swearing-in ceremony, as Shaina became student president of an organization with 7,500 chapters nationwide.

“Today, we honor your community, we honor your chapter, we honor the resilience and the compassion of one remarkable young woman as she assumes a new leadership role,” Birt said.

“As the national president, she will serve as our key spokesperson, representing SADD in the media,” he said.

She also will help advise and guide the organization in its programming and structure, while working closely with SADD staff, students, advisers, partners and stakeholders across the country, he said.

Shaina said she applied for the role because she was looking “to bring the amazing work that my chapter does to a new level. I wanted them to be in the spotlight. I think we work so incredibly hard here, to make change, to really empower students and I just thought that needed to go to a new level.”

She said she saw the application for the position on social media.

“With little hesitation, I went ahead and I applied. It really was a shot in the dark,” Shaina said.

“To me, SADD is very much an opportunity. It is an opportunity to be more than yourself. To help others. To help the community.

“It gives you the opportunity to connect with others who have the same mindsets and the same goals and aspirations, that you have,” she said.

Helping students find a place they belong
She sees the organization as a way to tackle issues and to play an important role in the lives of others.

“I believe many high schoolers, and middle schoolers for that matter — they’re very lost. They don’t know their group of people. It’s very hard to find a group of people that believes the same things as you.

“So, SADD allows for students across the nation to come together and find each other … to be able to work together, to make incredible changes,” she said.

The past year brought many obstacles, she said. But, she added, the students and adults involved with SADD “are so ready to adapt and be able to change on a dime, to keep helping students.”

Shaina wants to make mental health a key priority.

“There is such a negative stigma that surrounds having a mental illness. You walk around campus and nobody really sees it, but if you really just tune in and think about it, there are so many students who are right next to us who are struggling. They are suffering. And, they feel alone because they’re too embarrassed to go and speak out about what they’re feeling,” she said.

That’s because, she said, “they don’t realize there is someone right next to them who has, or does, feel the same way.”

SADD wants “to show kids that they’re not alone and to touch those topics that most people try to avoid because they are uncomfortable topics,” she said.

Published August 04, 2021

Schools reopen, amid COVID concerns

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The debate over whether masks will be required in Pasco County Schools is over, in Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning’s mind.

“That issue has been settled. The governor (Gov. Ron DeSantis) has taken that issue on, as his issue. The governor has made that decision. There is no local decision-making regarding masks. And, he has said there will not be a mask mandate. We understand that,” Browning said.

The issue of quarantining people who have been exposed to COVID-19, however, is another matter.

Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning said the debate is over, regarding making masks mandatory in Pasco County Schools and offices. Masks will be optional. (File)

“I know there’s been a lot of questions about quarantining,” Browning said at the July 27 Pasco County School Board meeting.

He told board members that he and members of his staff met with Mike Napier, administrator for the Florida Department of Health-Pasco County, and members of Napier’s team.

They discussed issues relating to COVID and the coming school year.

“As far as quarantining goes, that was the main issue that staff wanted to talk about yesterday (during that meeting),” Browning said.

“We know that is probably one of the more problematic issues, the more challenging issues, pressing issues — as you see COVID numbers dramatically increasing,” Browning said.

The superintendent noted that the COVID situation is at “about the same place as we were in December, which is frightening, if you will, particularly as we approach the start of a school year.”

That being said, Browning added: “The quarantine rules will remain the same. The quarantining rules are not made by this superintendent, this board or the superintendent’s staff. The quarantining rules are set by the state. They’re the health experts.”

Browning said until he’s directed by the Florida Department of Health in Tallahassee, the quarantining rules will remain the same.

“All symptomatic cases will be sent home for 10 days. If you’re not vaccinated and you have come in contact with a positive case and the health department has made the determination that you’ll quarantine, then you’ll quarantine.

“If you are vaccinated and come in contact with a positive case and you are asymptomatic — not showing any signs — then you can remain in school, either as a student or as a teacher.

“We take the direction from the state department of health. They’re the ones who set these rules. We do not set these rules,” Browning said.

The superintendent also told board members that a Florida Department of Health grant will provide funding for the school district to hire, on a contract basis, licensed practical nurses and registered nurses, to perform contact tracing.

The district will have little to no involvement in that effort, he said.

“I want to make sure that our school nurses are in fact back in schools, doing their jobs, as school nurses — providing health services to our kids,” Browning said.

Browning also told board members that he and his staff had spent considerable time going over the COVID protocols for the coming year, in terms of athletics, fine arts, social distancing, cleaning protocols and so on.

When the district was gearing up for a new school year, Browning said, “I did not think we would have the positivity rate that we have today, two weeks ago, but we do.”

Board members told Browning that parents and staff must be kept informed.

School board member Colleen Beaudoin said she thinks the health department should be taking the lead in providing information about how quarantines will be handled.

“I feel like we’re being put in a position of having to be a spokesman for the health department. Really, that’s not our job,” Beaudoin said.

School board member Alison Crumbley said, “I think it’s important that we get the picture to the parents as soon as possible about what the quarantine is going to look like for their kids.”

“Parents want to know how kids will be able to continue with their education, if they’re quarantined,” she said.

School board member Megan Harding wants the district to do what it can, to keep healthy kids in school.

“I’m worried about their academic success and their mental health,” Harding said.

Harding added: “I’m getting a lot of questions from teachers now, that if they have to quarantine, what that is going to look like for their classrooms.

Teachers are worried that if they’re forced to quarantine that it will take away from their sick time. She asked if the district is making provisions for that.

Kevin Shibley, assistant superintendent for administration, said discussions must be held with the union before any specific actions can be taken.

Harding said she’s also receiving inquiries about how the district will handle sports, the arts and other activities.

Browning said the district will be sending out procedures to schools soon, outlining how it will address various COVID issues.

Deputy Superintendent Ray Gadd put it like this: “The procedures you’re going to see are going to be considerably looser, as opposed to tighter than they were last year.

“So, as it relates to use of facilities, athletics, various events, they’re going to be looser.

“It’s only looking back, we’ll know if that’s a mistake. But going forward, we’re going to loosen up a little bit, so folks can attend ball games and dances, and things like that,” he said.

Published August 04, 2021