The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Education

Pasco school choice expos going virtual

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Pasco County Schools is showcasing the district’s choice programs in two virtual events this year.

The goal is the same as it has been in years past — to inform families about the upcoming school choice application window and to highlight the innovative program options.

The Nov. 16 Virtual Pasco Pathways Expo, presented at 5 p.m., will be the east side program.

The Nov. 19 Virtual Pathways Expo, presented at 5 p.m., will be the west side program.

The events will feature informational sessions that cover the general application process.

In addition, many of Pasco County’s schools will showcase unique educational options like STEM and STEAM magnets, the Cambridge International Education Programme, International Baccalaureate, Career Pathways, and more.

Those in attendance will have the chance to learn about Wendell Krinn Technical High School, Pasco eSchool, and the soon-to-be open Starkey Ranch K-8.

The school choice application window will run from Jan. 7 to Jan. 21, for all schools and grade levels.

For information and to register to attend a virtual expo, visit Pasco.k12.fl.us/expo.

Published November 11, 2020

Districts await word on ‘remote’ learning funding

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When schools began this fall, state officials required that school districts open each of their campuses — but also allowed districts to offer parents a new remote learning choice —  without financial penalty.

Now, the state is considering how to handle the funding issue for the second semester of the school year.

State Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran met last month in a virtual meeting with representatives of the Florida Association of District School Superintendents and said the state needs to have a clearer picture of enrollment data, and how that could affect second semester funding. He expects the state to be able to make that determination by mid-November, or Thanksgiving at the latest.

Corcoran said students receive a better quality of education when they receive in-person instruction. He said that having students on campus also helps with societal issues, such as providing meals, mental health and other services for students.

The issue came up at the Pasco County School Board’s Nov. 3 meeting.

“We’re still waiting to hear from the department,” Superintendent Kurt Browning told board members.

“We’ve been told it’s going to be mid-November before we get direction from the department as to whether or not they’re going to continue funding the virtual option. So, that being said, this district is planning as if we’re going to have the virtual option, moving into the second semester,” Browning said.

“I know that FADSS — the Florida Association of District School Superintendents — sent a letter Friday to the commissioner (Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran).

“I know I’ve had personal communications; Mr. (Ray) Gadd has had personal communications, with the commissioner,” Browning added.

They are pressing for a decision.

“If we wait ‘til mid-November, there are three weeks that have to come out of that equation. One for Thanksgiving break, and then the two for Christmas break.

“I really don’t want our principals working over Thanksgiving or Christmas, trying to get the massive amounts of work done, if the state so chooses not to provide the funding for the virtual option,” Browning said.

He wants the state to continue to support the remote learning choice.

“COVID is still out there, and not just for the kids, but my concern is also for the staff. We have staff members who have chosen to teach in the virtual realm, simply because health concerns, elderly parents, those kinds of things.

“It’s about the kids, but also about our teachers and staff,” Browning said.

Board chairman Colleen Beaudoin added: “And, about the kids’ families — the whole community.”

Board member Cynthia Armstrong said that removing the funding support could hurt the district.

“It’s about having choice for the parents. Some parents who really believe that they need to be online, if they don’t get it here in the district, they will go elsewhere,” Armstrong said.

Browning responded: “Those concerns have been conveyed.”

Erin Malone, spokeswoman for Hillsborough County Schools, put it this way: “Our district knows the importance of parents having options, especially during this uncertain time.”

Published November 11, 2020

Hillsborough schools face shortfall

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Hillsborough County Schools is making massive cuts, as the district battles to stop the financial bleeding, Superintendent Addison Davis told members of the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce, during a Zoom business meeting.

The superintendent detailed the rollercoaster ride the district has been on — adjusting to challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and dealing with significant financial problems.

Davis joined the district on March 2, just weeks before the district shifted to remote learning for the remainder of the school year because of a shutdown imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Addison Davis

Then, when the 2020-2021 school year began, there was the controversy over whether schools should be required to offer brick-and-mortar for students, or online options only.

To retain state funding, the district was required to offer a brick-and-mortar option at every campus. It also offered parents the ability to choose an online option.

Davis said about 122,000 students are in brick-and-mortar classrooms and about 95,000 students are learning remotely. Some remote learners are assigned to specific classes, while others are enrolled in a more flexible virtual learning program.

The pandemic also has required the district to spend money on personal protective equipment, and has increased sanitation and cleaning costs for district schools and facilities.

“We have spent close to $14 (million) to $15 million initially to start the school year out, related to buying the necessary PPE, whether it’s gloves, masks, hand sanitizers, other cleaning equipment and technology, to ensure every one of our common areas, every one of our classrooms were protected for every one of our learners.

“And, that’s a reoccurring costs that we don’t get additional funding for, and it’s costing us close to $4 million to $5 million a month to continue that PPE, to make certain that we have sanitation stations, not only through our common areas, but also within every one of our classrooms,” Davis said.

The superintendent also pointed out the need to cut staffing because of district deficits.

“We’re $72 million in the hole,” Davis said.

Enrollment has dropped by 3,079 students, which could result in a requirement to give money back to the State Department of Education, unless state officials hold the district harmless, Davis said.

The school system already has cut hundreds of positions and is identifying others.

It has a long ways to go to bring staffing into alignment with the district’s allocation model, he said.

“We’ve identified over 3,000 positions that were overstaffed at our schools,” Davis said.

The district has already cut hundreds of employees, including some brand-new teachers that were hired on temporary contracts, after Aug. 14.

“It breaks my heart, and I know it’s disruptive,” he said.

The actions are necessary to protect the payroll for the district’s 24,000 employees — which amounts to $66 million, every two weeks.

“We’re in a bad spot, but we’re going to stand strong, and we’re going to lead through it,” he said.

Staffing is just one issue
Besides cutting personnel, the district is scrutinizing its vendors and its contracts.

The district is “going to selectively abandon contracts and exit them, if they’re not mission critical,” Davis said.

It plans to put a freeze on consultants.

The district has been “consultant-rich, program-rich” but ”results-poor,” the superintendent said.

“We’re ranked 40th out of 67 in the state of Florida. We have the title for having the most D and F schools in Florida, as well.

“So, we have a lot of work — not only from a fiscal perspective, but we have a lot of work with what we’re going to do to improve the overall health on the instructional side of the work.

“So now, more than ever, we’ve got to find ways to reset our priorities,” Davis said.

The school chief said the pandemic has hampered his efforts to “connect with constituents” through town hall sessions.

The town halls are needed, he said, “to talk and share about the current status we are in, and why we are having to make some hard decisions as an organization.”

While unable to connect personally with community groups, Davis is doing Zoom sessions, such as the one with the North Tampa Bay Chamber on Oct. 22.

He told those listening that the district’s top three priorities are student achievement, fiscal responsibility and community engagement.

He said the district is planning a luncheon in November in an attempt to recruit students to boost enrollment.

Davis also fielded questions during the Zoom session.

In response to a question about masks, Davis said he expects them to be required until at least January.

A question also came up about when parents and volunteers will be allowed on campus.

Davis said the district has restricted access to campus to reduce potential spread of COVID-19.

The district leader said he looks forward to the day when those restrictions can be eased.

“We’ve got to get back to a point where we’re having some normalcy,” he said, where “we can have volunteers on our campuses — those who want to reach out and do mentorships.

“That’s going to really help us.”

Another question came up regarding how the district’s experience with COVID-19 cases compared to what it had expected.

“We thought we would be a tremendous super spreader when we opened and have to shut down wings, classrooms and schools. And, it wasn’t the case.

“What we did see — and are seeing —  is that individuals are going to parties, going to events, coming to school when they don’t feel well, when they have symptoms — that’s creating the positive cases in our schools,” Davis said.

“In one of our high schools, we had to quarantine 260 kids last week because they went to a party. Four of them came back to school, they’re in classes —  they moved — and we quarantined 260 kids.

“This is where we have to reclaim the dinner table and talk about core values, and talk about expectations,” said Davis, whose daughter had to be quarantined from school, and he had to be quarantined, too.

Position cuts in Hillsborough County Schools
Hillsborough County Schools has announced these cuts:

  • 424 vacant positions that will not be filled for the 2020-2021 academic year
  • 246 positions (Teachers hired prior to Aug. 14, will not lose their jobs, but may be reassigned to a different role at their school or to another school)
  • Fewer than 60 teachers hired on temporary contracts after Aug. 14
  • 150 district level staff

The district also is scrutinizing its contracts and will selectively abandon those that are not deemed to support the district’s critical missions.

Source: Hillsborough County Schools

Published November 04, 2020

Pasco school system continues to improve safety

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Efforts to improve the safety and security of Pasco County Schools continues, as the district works to reduce potential threats on school campuses.

The district recently submitted a plan to the state’s Office of Safe Schools, outlining steps it is pursuing to make its campuses safer.

That submission came after a briefing on the efforts, presented to the Pasco County School Board, on Oct. 20.

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

Michael Baumaister, the district’s chief of security and emergency operations, gave the briefing, after a closed-door session between the school board, district staff and representatives from local law enforcement agencies. That session was private because of the need for confidentiality, relating to security issues.

The safety upgrades that have been done, are in the works, or are planned, are in response to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas tragedy and laws that changed with it, Baumaister said.

The 2018 Valentine’s Day shooting spree left 17 dead and 17 injured at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.

The public outcry, including persistent student protests, prompted state legislators to mandate safety upgrades on school campuses across Florida.

The district’s recent safety assessment was required by state law.

During its review of the district’s current measures and practices, the goal was to

“use our resources smart, do tangible security improvements that actually have meaning,” Baumaister said. “They’re (upgrades) not there just for show.”

Initially, the district responded to the state’s mandate by ensuring that security improvements — such as a hole in a fence, or a sign down — were addressed and completed through work orders.

“I visited many of the schools and, I’ll be honest with you, I haven’t seen many issues that are still out that need to be addressed,” said Baumaister, who joined the district in July.

Part of the district’s current plan involves security cameras.

Some schools don’t have any cameras, or have too few, or have them in the wrong places.

The plan is to make sure that schools lacking cameras receive them, and that those that need more get them, and that those needing relocation are moved, Baumaister said. That work is being done in phases.

The district also is adding window security film in some places.

The film provides tinting and mirroring, and also hardens the glass.

“If something punctures the glass, the glass doesn’t fall apart. It stays together. You might have a hole in the glass, but it will stay together and it will keep people out,” Baumaister said.

Improvements also are being made to ensure that school safety guardians at elementary schools can communicate directly with law enforcement.

Improving communications
There are some dead areas on some campuses, where the radio system doesn’t transmit. Those areas are being mapped out, and bi-directional antennas will be used to correct the problem.

The district also is evaluating where it needs to add perimeter fencing at some schools.

This is a screen shot from our CrisisGo app. Principals can use it to report a problem immediately to everyone who needs to know. The app helps avoid multiple phone calls, and when certain buttons are pressed, the recipients receive a tone that’s extremely loud and impossible to ignore.

“We’re also looking to put a video doorbell at each front door of every school,” Baumaister said. “Someone hits the bell, someone from the inside can see who’s coming and they get let in.

“This way, there’s a stop point. You can’t just directly enter schools. It’s important. The installation of that has been going on for the last year and it should be completed, probably, by the end of the year — give or take a little bit,” he said.

The district also is using its “human tools” to help improve security.

“We’ve increased our ‘See something, Say something’ campaign. It creates an ability for our students, if they hear about a threat, to let us know about a threat,” Baumaister said.

“Fortify Florida is very heavily implemented in the schools,” he added. “It’s like an early warning system. So, if a student hears about something, they can let us know, anonymously, if they’d like to, so we can jump ahead on it.

“Our Crisis Go app has been implemented fully, in all of schools this year. We’re doing all of our drills through Crisis Go. What Crisis Go is, is basically an alert system. You hit a button and help will come on its way.

“If an intruder is walking across the campus, they can hit the alert on their computer or on their cellphone, and it will notify the authorities and help can come to them,” he added.

Student Crime Watch programs are encouraged, and the district has fully implemented its Threat Assessment Teams, Baumaister said.

Those teams include law enforcement, mental health, guidance and administration.

The goal is to provide intervention early — to help avoid bigger issues, the security chief said.

Keeping schools safe
The district is pursuing several ways to enhance campus security, which include:

  • Adding more security cameras
  • Installing window security film, with tinting/mirroring. This allows students and staff to see out, but makes it harder to see in. Plus, the glass doesn’t shatter, making it harder for intruders to break in.
  • Installing video doorbells.
  • Promoting programs such as, ‘See something, Say something,’ Student Crime Watch, Crisis Go and Behavioral Threat Assessment Teams
  • Providing perimeter fencing at more schools
  • Adding bi-directional antennas in some places, to improve communications through radio transmissions
  • Adding signs, to make it easier for responders to identify specific buildings where help is needed
  • Posting no trespassing signs, to reduce potential threats on campus.

Source: Pasco County Schools

Published November 04, 2020

Chalk Talk 11/04/2020

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(Courtesy of Patricia Serio)

Stitching for students and staff
Members of the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club’s Education/Libraries Committee delivered 250 hand-sewn masks to Miles and Shady Hills elementary schools, to help to protect all students and teachers. The club also donated a supply of gym shorts for the children. From left: Pat Wagner, Faith Sincich and Roseann Lange. For information about the woman’s club, visit GFWCLutzLandOLakesWomansClub.org, or visit its Facebook page.

Paying for college
The Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative will offer these free online programs:

  • Nov. 5 at 6:30 p.m.: How to Pay for College. This workshop is for families with students planning for a higher education, and includes an overview of the Bright Futures Scholarship Program and financial aid.
  • Nov. 12 at 6:30 p.m.: Choosing the Best Financial Fit for Your Family. This program, for teens and adults, will offer tools to help find the best fit based on a student’s aspirations and budget.

Register for the online programs through the calendar feature at HCPLC.org.

Small business webinar
Saint Leo University will present a free webinar to aid small businesses on Nov. 5 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The webinar is entitled, “Business Re-imagined: Set Your Course for Survival with the 13-Week Cash Flow Model.”

Presenters will be Dr. C’Lamt Ho, assistant professor of accounting at Saint Leo University, and Dr. Ruediger Mueller, president and senior partner of TCMI Inc.

The program will focus on cash flow and why it is more important than profit or loss in difficult times. It will walk participants step-by-step through the construction of a cash flow model that can be used to monitor cash , as well as requirements for the near and intermediate future.

Participants also can learn how to budget tight cash resources, how to survive on existing cash and projected cash streams, when to seek additional funding, and how to obtain financing.

The 13-Week Cash Flow model is one of the most popular and commonly used tools of turnaround- and restructuring-experts today.

Small businesses and the community can attend online at tinyurl.com/y5qjpae5.

Two Good Soles a success
The fifth annual Two Good Soles Shoes and Socks Drive yielded more than 7,500 pairs of shoes and socks for kids in Pasco County schools.

A drive-thru donation event took place on Oct. 27 at Wendell Krinn Technical High School in New Port Richey.

This year’s drive resulted in 1,746 pairs of shoes and 5,773 pairs of donated socks.

Since 2016, Two Good Soles has collected 9,314 pairs of shoes and 30,510 pairs of socks, which social workers distribute to Pasco students.

New governance model
The Board of Trustees at Saint Leo University made a decision on Oct. 23 to no longer recognize the United Faculty of Florida Union at the school and approved the creation of a new, shared governance model, according to a Saint Leo University news release.

In keeping with the university’s Catholic Benedictine identity, the board made the decision in the spirit of helping the university maintain its strong values-based community, innovate, and be more agile in the fast-moving world of higher education, the release said.

“The time has come to chart a new path at Saint Leo University,” said Jeffrey Senese, university president. “We are excited about having the faculty side-by-side with us to make important decisions about academic standards, working conditions, compensation and benefits, and strategic planning.”

Under the shared governance, the university will have a guiding Faculty Handbook and will create a new faculty body with various committees, based on the interest and needs of the elected faculty and administration members.

Each committee will utilize the shared experiences of the faculty and administration to ensure equal representation.

Reach-Out Program
The Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) College Reach-Out Program (CROP) is accepting applications.

The PHSC CROP is a state-sponsored educational program established by the legislature to increase the number of low-income, educationally disadvantaged students in grades six to 12 who, upon high school graduation, are admitted to and successfully complete postsecondary education. The PHSC program serves students in Hernando and Pasco counties, and involves academic enrichment, social/behavior workshops, field trips and university residential visits.

Additional program criteria includes: students who would benefit from structured motivational programs; prospective first-generation college students; and students meeting a minimum of one, preferably two, in each category of the guidelines listed below.

  • Academic: Low GPA and FSA scores, dropout prevention, grade retention, expulsions and high absenteeism
  • Economic: Reduced or free lunch eligible; wages participant; public assistance recipient

An application for CROP is online at Equity-services.phsc.edu/programs. Click on the “Pre-Collegiate” link.

The grant program is funded by the Department of Education through the Office of Postsecondary Education Coordination.

For information, contact Ronteryl Black at (352) 340-4809 or .

Chalk Talk 10/28/2020

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From left: Dr. Judy Moore; Eric Stommes of the American Heart Association; and physical education coach Sabrina Lucas. (Courtesy of Sabrina Lancaster)

Challenge raises more than money
The Kids Heart Challenge is an event that teaches students about the heart itself, while helping others by raising money for the American Heart Association.

The program aims to promote awareness of heart issues, and to prepare children for success through physical and emotional well-being.

Sunlake Academy of Math & Science in Lutz took part in the challenge and collected $10,858.57, more than triple the average from a charter school, for the organization.

Caught in action, third-graders Rebekah Ostojic, left, and Emilio Cervantes take part in the Kids Heart Challenge.
Hope Lancaster, left, jumps rope with Evan Littler, both third-graders, to help raise money for the American Heart Association.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Small business webinar
Saint Leo University will present a free webinar to aid small businesses on Nov. 5 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The webinar is entitled, “Business Re-imagined: Set Your Course for Survival with the 13-Week Cash Flow Model.”

Presenters will be Dr. C’Lamt Ho, assistant professor of accounting at Saint Leo University, and Dr. Ruediger Mueller, president and senior partner of TCMI Inc.

The program will focus on cash flow and why it is more important than profit or loss in difficult times. It will walk participants step-by-step through the construction of a cash flow model that can be used to monitor cash , as well as requirements for the near and intermediate future.

Participants also can learn how to budget tight cash resources, how to survive on existing cash and projected cash streams, when to seek additional funding, and how to obtain financing.

The 13-Week Cash Flow model is one of the most popular and commonly used tools of turnaround- and restructuring-experts today.

Small businesses and the community can attend online at tinyurl.com/y5qjpae5.

Reach-Out Program
The Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) College Reach-Out Program (CROP) is accepting applications.

The PHSC CROP is a state-sponsored educational program established by the legislature to increase the number of low-income, educationally disadvantaged students in grades six to 12 who, upon high school graduation, are admitted to and successfully complete postsecondary education. The PHSC program serves students in Hernando and Pasco counties, and involves academic enrichment, social/behavior workshops, field trips and university residential visits.

Additional program criteria includes: students who would benefit from structured motivational programs; prospective first-generation college students; and students meeting a minimum of one, preferably two, in each category of the guidelines listed below.

  • Academic: Low GPA and FSA scores, dropout prevention, grade retention, expulsions and high absenteeism
  • Economic: Reduced or free lunch eligible; wages participant; public assistance recipient

An application for CROP is online at Equity-services.phsc.edu/programs. Click on the “Pre-Collegiate” link.

The grant program is funded by the Department of Education through the Office of Postsecondary Education Coordination.

For information, contact Ronteryl Black at (352) 340-4809 or ">.

College & university rankings
The personal-finance website WalletHub has released its 2021 Best College & University Rankings report, in addition to separate rankings for colleges and for universities.

WalletHub compared over 1,000 higher-education institutions across the United States based on 30 key measures grouped into seven categories, including Student Selectivity, Cost & Financing, and Career Outcomes.

The data set ranges from student-faculty ratio to graduation rate to post-attendance median salary.

The top 10 colleges and universities in Florida are, in order from No. 1 to No. 10, are: University of Florida, Florida State University, University of Miami, Florida Polytechnic University, University of South Florida, University of Central Florida, Florida Southern College, Florida A&M University, University of West Florida and Florida International University.

To view the full reports, along with accompanying video, visit Wallethub.com/edu/college-rankings/40750/ and Wallethub.com/edu/best-colleges-in-the-us-ranking/40748.

Chalk Talk 10/21/2020

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(Courtesy of Demaris Diaz, Pasco County Schools Student Services)

‘It takes a village’
Wiregrass Elementary School in Wesley Chapel was presented with a free 4K Ultra HD 50-inch television as part of a raffle through The Kiwanis Club of Greater Wesley Chapel. The partnership is part of a collaborative effort to work toward a better education and a better community, with a shared common goal to provide the best academic environment for scholars to succeed. From left: Wiregrass Elementary School Principal Steve Williams, Kiwanis Club representative Martha Vaguener, school social worker Damaris Diaz and Wiregrass Elementary School Assistant Principal Erin Ipock.

 

Student achievements
• Kennedy Deluca, of Odessa, has been awarded the Georgia Power Foundation Student Recruitment and Retention Fund Scholarship for the 2020-2021 academic year by Valdosta State University in Georgia.
• Emily M. Gerber, of Odessa, graduated from St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York, with a bachelor degree. Gerber majored in conservation biology.

Think Big Tech Fest
Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) will host a Think Big Tech Festival on Oct. 23 at 6 p.m., to aid job growth/training for faculty, staff, students and community members.

The college is partnering with Innovation Collective, an education and human capital company, for the festival.

A team from Innovation Collective will visit PHSC’s North Campus in room B-104 for the hybrid event. Participants can sign up and attend in person, or via Zoom. A group of 40 people will be hosted by PHSC at the North Campus.

Featured speakers include Arabian Prince, NWA founder and entrepreneur; Giselle Mota, principal, Future of Work, ADP; Josh Childress, former NBA standout and founder, Landspire Group; Katerina Axelsson, founder and CEO, Tastry; Dr. Michael Hayduck, deputy director, Information Directorate, U.S. Air Force; and others.

Admission to the virtual event is free, and in-person tickets are $14.95 each.

To register for the virtual, streaming event, visit tinyurl.com/y5so38co.

For the in-person event, visit tinyurl.com/y677dmpo.

Free cleaning services for Pepin
Bio-Safe Surfaces and partner Pro Clean USA are providing free deep-cleaning and sanitization services for all three Pepin Academies’ campuses for the entire 2020-2021 school year.

Approximately 100 classrooms and common areas across Hillsborough and Pasco Counties’ campuses will be treated with BioShield, a nanotechnology treatment designed to protect against COVID-19 and other viruses.

The in-kind services provided by Bio-Safe and Pro Clean are in response to Pepin’s call for donations, as part of its inaugural Adopt-a-Classroom and Adopt-a-Student campaigns.

This added layer of defense against COVID-19 will work in tandem with the school’s existing daily sanitation partner, Gator Cleaning Solutions, whose team not only works to keep the campus safe, but also participates in Pepin Academies Transition Program job site.

The Transition Program combines vocationally based training with life and job readiness courses, and is designed for young adults ages 18 to 22 who have an identified learning or learning-related disability.

Kicks for Kids
The GFWC New Tampa Junior Woman’s Club has announced its Kicks for Kids campaign, to collect new children’s shoes and socks (toddler size 10 through adult men/women size 9), to benefit Mort Elementary School.

Teachers report that attendance increases when a child from an at-risk home has new shoes.

Children can focus on the lessons in school instead of focusing on their feet that hurt.

Proper shoes also help increase a child’s activity, which, in turn, helps to decrease childhood obesity and diabetes.

Throughout the month of October, the club will have a drop-off at the New Tampa YMCA, 16221 Compton Drive.

It the drop-off is not a convenient location, email , to set up a meeting place. Monetary donations also will be accepted using PayPal.

State college gets grant
Pasco-Hernando State College has been awarded a $449,311 grant through the CARES Act Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Rapid Credentialing Program.

The joint venture with the Florida Department of Education as a new workforce education initiative is to raise awareness of short-term career and technical education programs.

The rapid-credentialing programs will provide Floridians the opportunity to complete curriculum in 18 weeks or less, aiding in accelerated recovery for residents and the economy.

The college will use the grant to launch training in the areas of manufacturing, welding, health, informational technology/cybersecurity/ unmanned vehicles/drones, real estate, and more.

The school also will award scholarship opportunities to cover tuition and materials for qualified applicants.

For information on PHSC’s rapid credentialing grant, programs or courses, email Marcia Austin at .

Starkey Ranch K-8 is set to open next fall

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A new kindergarten through eighth grade school that’s being constructed in the Starkey Ranch community now has an official name: Starkey Ranch K-8.

The school is scheduled to open next fall, and will part of a complex that includes a district park, a theater and library. The district park opened in November 2017.

This is what the Starkey Ranch K-8 School campus will look like. (Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

The quartet of community amenities resulted from a public-public-private partnership involving Pasco County Schools, Pasco County and the Wheelock Communities, the private developers of Starkey Ranch, a community off State Road 54 in Trinity.

Starkey Ranch K-8 School is the public school district’s first school specifically designed for elementary and middle school students.

The school is expected to have about 1,000 elementary school students and 600 middle school students. The campus includes a gymnasium, athletic fields, a running track and sports courts that will be available during non-school hours to residents, through a shared-use agreement.

Additionally, the third part of the partnership involves Pasco County, and involves the construction of what’s been dubbed TLC, which stands for theater, library and cultural center.

The TLC will accommodate public library patrons and students. It also will have a 250-seat theater and three makerspaces.

The Pasco County School Board approved the school’s official name during its Oct. 6 meeting. The board prefers to name schools after the general location, features of the area or historical information about the area.

Published October 14, 2020

Embracing the changing world of education

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When people arrive on the campus of Sunlake Academy of Math & Science, in Lutz, they are greeted by a place that sets a positive tone.

“Welcome back Ravens, we missed you,” proclaims a sign near the school’s driveway.

“We support our students. We support teachers. We support our administration. We love our school,” a sign on a fence declares.

“Go Ravens!” a third sign encourages.

Sounds of children — playing outdoors—  fill the air.

Principal Judy Moore came to Sunlake Academy of Math & Science last year, after a lengthy career leading schools in North Carolina. (B.C. Manion)

And, near the front door of the public charter school, there’s a reminder of today’s COVID-19 times. A sign reminds those entering that they must wear a face mask and maintain social distancing.

Inside, there are other clues regarding the ongoing pandemic.

There’s hand sanitizer on the counter, plexiglass separating office staff from visitors, and social distancing signs.

Children seem to be taking it all in stride as they walk down a corridor in single file, dressed in school uniforms and wearing their masks of various designs.

They wave to Principal Judy Moore, as they make their way to Spanish class.

Finding the balance between safety and normalcy has presented new challenges, but Moore said that adapting to change is part of an educator’s way of life.

As it relates to COVID-19, she said, “I think, like everybody else, you just take it as it comes, do the best job that you can.

“The challenge with COVID, all of the way back to March when it started — the information changes every 10 minutes. Whatever the standard is right now, is probably not going to be the standard tomorrow, or the day after,” she said.

That’s been a frustration for everyone, but the school has proceeded — giving parents an option for their children to learn at home or at school.

The children are assigned to a specific class, wherever they’re learning.

“If they happen to be at home, they’re basically on the screen and the teacher is interacting with the kids that are at home and the kids in the class, at the same time,” the principal said.

Teachers sometimes will group kids, so one teacher is working with the kids at school, while others instruct the online kids. And, then they will swap.

Some teachers feel they are better able to serve both groups that way, Moore said. But, other teachers are teaching both groups, simultaneously.

Moore knows that’s difficult to do, and she’s impressed.

Adapting to COVID-19 has required changes, but the school also is getting ready to embark on another big change — this one, of its own making.

Parents have raised $30,000 to pay for a new STEAM lab.

Sunlake Academy of Math & Science, in Lutz, is a public charter public school for kindergarten through eighth grade. It is operated by Charter Schools Associates Inc.

Initially, the hope was to open it at the beginning of this school year, but that was thrown off by COVID-19. Now, plans call for opening it within the next couple of months.

A space initially that was designed for a media center is being converted into the STEAM lab. (The acronym stands for science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.)

A group, which Moore calls the STEAM Team, led the planning efforts. Moore joined that team, the executive area director from Charter School Associates and one of CSA’s math coaches during visits to STEAM labs at Corbett Prep, Jesuit High School and Academy of the Holy Names to glean ideas.

The lab will be equipped with Virtual Reality headsets, which individual classrooms can check out. It will have 3D printers, a 3D laser printer, tablets, and other devices and programs aimed at unleashing new ways of learning.

Children in kindergarten through fifth grade will visit once a week, and the technology will be incorporated into middle school classes.

The idea is to harness the power of technology to broaden learning experiences.

“You kind of have to change up the way you think, and the way you teach,” said Moore, who did her doctoral work in technology integration.

“It’s about higher order thinking skills. It’s about problem-solving. It’s about teamwork, creative thinking and creative problem-solving,” said Moore, who worked in the Gaston County school district in Charlotte, North Carolina, for 21 years before arriving last year at Sunlake Academy.

Educators must connect how they teach with how students learn, the principal added.

“For me, it became not so much about technology, not so much about how we teach, but it’s about how kids learn — and how they’re wired these days,” the principal added.

Today’s students are part of the digital native generation. They live in a world of Google, digital on-demand, virtual reality and other technical advances, Moore said.

Education must go deeper
“How do you make the students think through the problems versus the teacher just giving the question and the answer?” Moore said.

Students are challenged to consider: “How do you use your creativity to come to more than one solution, to the same problem?

“The truth of the matter is the jobs that we’re trying to prepare them for, don’t exist. And, they’re not going to exist anytime soon,” Moore said.

The principal and her husband moved to the area because he was offered a new job opportunity, and she set out seeking the right match for her interests and skills.

Moore said she was attracted to Sunlake Academy because she’s been interested for years in  differentiated instruction and higher-order thinking skills.

“We’re (Sunlake Academy) very data-driven. Our teachers are constantly checking in on where kids are in terms of their proficiency and growth, on different curriculum strands and skill sets.

“We have differentiated groups,” she said, adding there are multi-tiered systems of support for students who need extra help.

“I had a lot of opportunity to go where I wanted,” Moore said. “I chose to come here because they’re speaking my vision.”

The promise of stability was attractive, too.

In her previous district, the management style involved transferring principals around a lot.

“I really want to be in a place where I can make some change and be long-term,” Moore said.

Students attending the school, at 18681 N. Dale Mabry Highway, come from Hillsborough and Pasco counties. It draws primarily from the communities of Lutz, Land O’ Lakes, Tampa, Carrollwood, Cheval, Wesley Chapel and Odessa. It has some openings, so parents interested in learning more should contact the school.

Other details that may be of interest to parents of potential students:

  • Before and after school care is available, with doors opening at 6:30 a.m., and closing at 6:30 p.m. Full-time or part-time child care is available to suit parents’ needs.
  • The school’s car line begins at 7:20 a.m., with classes beginning at 8 a.m.
  • Dismissal times are staggered, with the school day ending for kindergarten through second grade at 2:30 p.m.; and, for grades three through eight at 3 p.m.

For additional information about Sunlake Academy, visit SunlakeAcademy.org.

Published October 14, 2020

Chalk Talk 10/14/2020

By

A budding photographer
Alec Brown, a fourth-grader at Bexley Elementary, took this photo of an alligator in one of the Bexley ponds, in Land O’ Lakes. He submitted the photo for a youth art exhibition, called the ‘Mini Matisse Show,’ at the Carrollwood Cultural Center and won first place.

(Courtesy of Sarah Brown)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kicks for Kids
The GFWC New Tampa Junior Woman’s Club has announced its Kicks for Kids campaign, to collect new children’s shoes and socks (toddler size 10 through adult men/women size 9), to benefit Mort Elementary School.

Teachers report that attendance increases when a child from an at-risk home has new shoes.

Children can focus on the lessons in school instead of focusing on their feet that hurt.

Proper shoes also help increase a child’s activity, which, in turn, helps to decrease childhood obesity and diabetes.

Throughout the month of October, the club will have a drop-off at the New Tampa YMCA, 16221 Compton Drive.

It the drop-off is not a convenient location, email , to set up a meeting place. Monetary donations also will be accepted using PayPal.

TechHire scholarships
CareerSource Tampa Bay and the TechHire program are offering scholarships to students who want to receive entry-level certification for information technology and health care-related fields.

The TechHire scholarships will cover 100% tuition for qualified programs.

The classes are accelerated programs for ages 17 to 29 in the Tampa Bay area, to help students discover and learn technology skills that are in demand by local businesses.

Scholarship coverage includes tuition, lab and certification fees, and amounts range from $100 to more than $3,000, depending on the program and funding availability.

For a list of covered IT and health care training programs, visit tinyurl.com/y2p2vdgf.

Students who qualify will be contacted by a TechHire administrator who will assist in the application process.

Program options
Upcoming dates for events related to Pasco County Schools’ Pasco Pathways/Innovative Programs and School Choice options available for students:

  • Nov. 16 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Virtual Pasco Pathways Expo (west side)
  • Nov. 19 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Virtual Pasco Pathways Expo (east side)
  • Jan. 7 to Jan. 21: Pasco Pathways Application Window
  • Feb. 19 to Feb. 28: Secondary Notification and Acceptance Window
  • March 12 to March 26: Elementary Notification and Acceptance Window

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

Cindy Harper, Sunrise book chair, left, delivers books to Pasco Elementary Principal Nena Green. (Courtesy of Jean Nathe)

Keeping literacy alive
The Rotary Club of Dade City Sunrise partners with the Pasco Education Foundation to take advantage of a matching grant and provide books to local elementary schools.

Now in its 11th year, Sunrise has been able to provide 1,282 books to date, supporting education and literacy.

The Rotary theme for September was “Basic Education & Literacy,” and during a recent Zoom meeting, books were presented virtually and then delivered in person.

The guest speaker was Kimberly Poe, assistant superintendent for Pasco County Schools, who gave an update on the breakdown of students learning “in person” versus “online,” lunchroom procedures, and the recent parent survey results.

For information on Sunrise’s Rotary meetings, email President Jen Ferguson at .

WREC 2021 scholarships
The Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative (WREC) every year offers scholarships to high school students. The students are selected by local guidance counselors and WREC personnel.

Applications for the 2021-2022 school year will be available after Dec. 1, and must be postmarked no later than March 26, 2021.

To apply, students must:

  • be a high school senior and maintain a 2.0 GPA
  • be a dependent of a WREC member
  • be a bona-fide resident within the service area of WREC for at least one year prior to Dec. 31.
  • plan to attend an in-state college, university or technical school full-time (minimum 12 credit hours per semester)
  • keep a 2.0 GPA each semester (or higher if mandated by the institution) to maintain eligibility

Applications can be found at any local WREC office, high school guidance office or online at WREC.net.

Successful candidates will receive $1,375 per semester ($11,000 maximum) for undergraduate studies.