The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Education

Chalk Talk 11/20/2019

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(Courtesy of Melonie Monson)

Chamber honors student citizens
Eight students from across the community were honored as The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce Students of the Month for October. Students are recognized for exemplary effort, achievement and contribution to their school, family and community. Front row, from left: Olivia Williams, The Broach School; Rudy Shari, Heritage Academy; Austin Jacobs, Chester Taylor Elementary; Landon Connell, West Zephyrhills Elementary; Lilly Garcia-Mahon, Woodland Elementary; and Melonie Monson, Zephyrhills chamber. Back row, from left: Katy Boyd, chamber ambassador chairperson; Malachi Kellerman, Academy of Spectrum Diversity; Bella Crain, Stewart Middle; Joseph Hoppe, Zephyrhills High; Lance Smith, City of Zephyrhills councilman; and Vicky Jones, Zephyrhills chamber president.

Student achievements

  • Kerry Cordero, of Odessa, graduated from Western Governors University with a Bachelor of Science, IT.
  • Charlene Meyer, of Odessa, graduated from Western Governors University with a Bachelor of Science in nursing.
  • Julianna Mitten, of Odessa, served at Dayton, Ohio’s Life Enrichment Center alongside fellow senior Cedarville University nursing students, to complete seven week clinical studies as part of the Nursing Care of Population course.
  • Nelson Napoli, of Land O’ Lakes, graduated with an online MS Performance Improvement from Grantham University, a 100% online school.
  • Daniel Penning, of Odessa, graduated from Western Governors University with a Master’s Degree in Business Administration, IT management.
  • Anntara Roy, of Lutz, was initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, in Boston.
  • Artemii Stepanets, of Lutz, was named a Harrison Scholar at Mariette College in Ohio. Stepanets is a graduate of Academy at the Lakes and is majoring in petroleum engineering.

Schools take a break
As a reminder, Pasco and Hillsborough county students will have a Thanksgiving/Fall break from Nov. 25 to Nov. 29. All students will return to classes on Dec. 2.

Withlacoochee Electric scholarships
The Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative (WREC) will accept applications for scholarships, starting Dec. 1.

Students will be selected in their senior year of high school by local guidance counselors and WREC personnel.

Each applicant must:

  • Be a high school senior and maintain a minimum 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. 1
  • Plan to attend an in-state college, university or technical school full-time (minimum of 12 credit hours per semester)
  • Maintain a 2.0 GPA each semester (or higher if mandated by the institution) to maintain eligibility

Each successful candidate will receive $1,375 per semester (maximum $11,000) for undergraduate studies.

Applications will be available after Dec. 1 at high school guidance offices, any WREC district office, or online at WREC.net.

Completed applications must be mailed to WREC headquarters and postmarked no later than March 20.

AP Capstone diploma recipients
Pasco County Schools has announced that 32 students earned the Advanced Placement (AP) Capstone Diploma, and six students earned the AP Seminar and Research Certificate last school year.

The AP Capstone program develops students’ critical thinking, research, and presentation skills, both individually and as a team.

Students conduct academic research on topics of personal interests in two interdisciplinary courses.

To receive the diploma, students must earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar, AP Research and four additional AP exams.

To receive the certificate, students must earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research.

Students focused their research on a range of topics, including the extent to which phthalates used in U.S. food packaging harm human health, whether brine deposits from desalination plants trap excess CO2 in oceans and reduce the effects of ocean acidification, and how the utilization of hexagonal house structures made of hempcrete can create a more cost-effective, durable home.

Of the Pasco County Schools students who participated in the diploma program, the number of diplomas increased from 20 in the 2017-2018 school year.

Bahamas school supply drive
Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) is collecting donations of school supplies to assist the schoolchildren of the Bahamas. An estimated 18,000 children and their families have been displaced since Hurricane Dorian struck the islands on Sept. 1.

Ten schools were destroyed on the island of Abaco alone, while many other schools sustained damages.

The children of the Bahamas, some of whom lost family members, classmates, and their homes are transitioning to schools that are undamaged but strained to accommodate additional students.

Donations of classroom supplies will be accepted at all PHSC libraries.

Each college store also is accepting donations and selling discounted supplies to anyone contributing to the drive.

Needed items include new backpacks, flash drives, notebooks, binders, calculators, pens, pencils, art materials, and other typical classroom supplies.

The deadline to donate is Dec. 5, as the items will be shipped to the Bahamas in December.

Campuses are in Dade City, Wesley Chapel, New Port Richey, Brooksville and Spring Hill.

For information, email Lucy Miller, director of community outreach, at .

Volunteers needed
The GFWC Pasco Junior Woman’s Club is looking for dependable high school students for a variety of volunteer opportunities.

The club is a 501© nonprofit organization, and time spent volunteering will count toward the necessary Bright Futures scholarship hours.

For information, text the word ‘volunteer’ to (813) 461-3131.

Feeding Pasco food drive
The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office’s annual Feeding Pasco Kids food drive is in full swing.

The proceeds from the drive will go directly to local organizations whose mission is to provide support for homeless children and students.

This year, the recipients include the Pasco Schools system and Metropolitan Ministries.

Donation boxes are placed in the lobbies of the Pasco Sheriff’s office buildings throughout the county.

Several area churches also agreed to have boxes in their buildings to assist with the food collection.

Monetary donations can be made by check or money order to Pasco Sheriff’s Charities, with “Food Drive” in the ‘for’ line, and mailed to Food Drive Donations, Pasco Sheriff’s Charities, 8700 Citizen Drive, New Port Richey, FL 34654.

The deadline to donate is Dec. 13.

For information, call (727) 844-7759.

School boundary proposals draw opposition

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Compared to school boundary hearings in recent years, the crowd was relatively small at a public hearing last week on proposed boundary changes for Pasco County Schools for the 2020-2021 school year.

Still, concerns expressed by parents were similar to the types of concerns generally raised at school boundary meetings.

Boundary changes planned for next year primarily involve changes needed due to the opening of Cypress Creek Middle School, set for next fall.

Initially, the school district had planned to open a high school and a middle school on its campus at 8701 Old Pasco Road. But, it couldn’t afford to build both, so it used its high school campus to serve students in grades six through 12.

Cypress Creek Middle School, now under construction, is expected to open in August 2020. The school district is now considering boundary shifts to ease crowding at John Long Middle and Wiregrass Ranch High, in Wesley Chapel. (Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

When the new school opens next year, the middle school students on the campus will be shifted to the new school, and boundary changes will fill up remaining space at both the high school and the middle school.

The district’s proposal calls for filling the vast majority of those seats by shifting students from Seven Oaks now assigned to John Long Middle, to Cypress Creek Middle.

It also would shift Seven Oaks students now assigned to Wiregrass Ranch High, over to Cypress Creek High.

The change would not apply to rising seniors, who would be grandfathered in.

And, before the public hearing began, Superintendent Kurt Browning announced the proposal also calls for grandfathering in rising juniors.

The seniors would continue to be able to ride district buses; the juniors would not.

Other students can apply for school choice during the open enrollment period.

Parents who spoke at the public hearing offered a litany of reasons they oppose the proposed boundary shifts.

Mike Schulze, who lives in Seven Oaks, put it this way: “This is a personal thing for our family, for my son. This is not just a number on a sheet.”

He asked the board to consider the impact the boundary shift would have on students who will not be grandfathered in, including his son.

“His dream since he was in third grade was to go to Wiregrass Ranch High School and play basketball,” Schulze said. He asked board members to consider allowing all students to finish out their education in the school where they started.

Other parents also asked board members not to disrupt the academic or social life of their children.

They told board members they chose to live in Seven Oaks because the subdivision’s students were assigned to John Long and Wiregrass Ranch.

They voiced concerns about sending their children to schools that are farther away.

They questioned the decision to reassign school boundaries for an established neighborhood, instead of changing boundaries in newer neighborhoods.

They asked why the district can’t build additional wings at Wiregrass Ranch to accommodate additional students, to avoid redrawing lines.

Many of those same issues were raised in emails sent to district staff regarding the proposed changes. There also were criticisms of the district’s lack of planning for future growth.

Browning said the district considered building an addition at Wiregrass Ranch, but to do so would mean removing facilities that are needed for the school’s athletics, so that isn’t possible.

Board members Allen Altman and Cynthia Armstrong addressed comments related to planning.

“The school district does not get funding for a seat, for a student, until that student is already enrolled in school and counted,” Altman said.

Armstrong added: “It’s actually by state statute that we cannot start building a school until we have the total money in the bank to finish it. That makes the monetary part very tough, since we don’t get the funds until after the people are here.

“The other problem we have is locating school sites where the new buildings are going to be. We don’t always have access to obtaining a school site that would be affordable for us.”

There are other boundary changes proposed that would affect an area near State Road 52 and the Suncoast Parkway that is currently undeveloped, but has been approved for a massive development.

The proposal calls for assigning the entire area to Mary Giella Elementary, Crews Lake Middle School and Hudson High.

Under the current boundaries, some of that future growth would have been assigned to Land O’ Lakes schools.

The Pasco County School Board is set to vote on the proposed changes at its Nov. 19 meeting, at 6 p.m., at the school district headquarters, 7227 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.

Pasco school choice
Pasco County Schools is hosting expo-style events to inform families about school choice options in the district.

The west-side Pasco Pathways Expo is set for Nov. 18 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., at River Ridge High School, 11646 Towne Center Road, New Port Richey.

The east-side Pasco Pathways Expo is on Nov. 21 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Wesley Chapel High School, 30651 Wells Road in Wesley Chapel.

The expos will feature informational sessions that cover the general application process. In addition, many of the district’s schools will showcase their unique educational options, such as  STEM and STEAM magnet schools, the Cambridge International Education Programme, International Baccalaureate, Wendell Krinn Technical High School, Career Pathways, Pasco eSchool, and more.

The school choice application window will run from Dec. 3 to Dec. 13 for middle and high schools, and from Jan. 21 to Jan. 31, for elementary schools.

For more information, or to register to attend either of the expos, parents should visit PascoSchools.org, and click on the Pasco Pathways link.

Published November 13, 2019

Zen Den strives to increase inclusion

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Anna Melgaard couldn’t help but smile as she watched her son, Wayde, play in the Zen Den at Maniscalco K-8 School, a room designed for children who have sensory issues.

The first-grader has autism and found a place to have fun, while other students were out in the cafeteria celebrating the Lutz school’s Fall Ball event.

“The Zen Den is catered towards kids who have sensory issues,” said Daniella McClutchy, president of the school’s Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA).

The Zen Den creates a serene atmosphere at Maniscalco K-8 School, for students who have sensory sensitivities. It was unveiled on Oct. 25, during the school’s Fall Ball. (Brian Fernandes)

Based in a music room, the environment is a place of solace for special needs students who may be overwhelmed with too much noise.

The PTSA board realized it was hard for these students to be included in certain school events, McClutchy said. So, the board decided to take action — creating the Zen Den.

The term “Zen” refers to a form of meditation that aims to bring about a state of calmness.

The play space is intended to do just that.

It has an array of colors – from pillows of various shapes, chairs, blankets, bean bags and a matted floor.

It also has Legos, coloring sheets and headphones to block out the noise.

McClutchy noted that Maniscalco embraces diverse students, regardless of their limitations.

The Halloween-themed Fall Ball was the first time the Zen Den play space was implemented at the school.

At the Fall Ball, faculty members and parents accompanied students dressed in costumes to the school’s cafeteria, where there was dancing in the open space.

Some students needed a break from the large crowd and the lively tunes playing, so they headed to the Zen Den.

Tammy Reale, Maniscalco’s principal, said: “Some of them get very overwhelmed with noise, so that gives them the opportunity to step away, take a moment and then come back and be able to have fun with their peers.”

The school serves over 140 students with varying exceptionalities – those with physical, mental and emotional disabilities, Reale said.

Several classrooms cater to these students, including some students with autism spectrum disorder, which refers to a broad range of conditions that can cause significant social, communications and behavioral challenges.

The classrooms also incorporate a “safe place” or a “chill corner” for students to take a break and regroup before joining their fellow classmates.

Some of the faculty at the school have children there who have special needs.

Reale said that this is a “win-win” situation, because the teachers know how to educate and empathize with other parents with unique kids.

Melgaard is a math and science teacher at Maniscalco. She sees the challenges her 6-year-old son faces at school and at home.

“Just things that you wouldn’t normally think about, he struggles with all the time – making friends, talking to people, doing work, sitting in a seat,” she explained.

Melgaard said she was surprised when she heard that the PTSA board was going to introduce the Zen Den.

“It makes you feel like your child matters, because they’re doing things to show that they know that there’s kids that need more,” she said.

Other students without sensory issues also came into the Zen Den to have some fun, too.

It was a chance for Wayde to interact with other kids, and for those kids to better understand Wayde and others in his situation, Melgaard said.

There are plans to include the Zen Den in future school functions going forward, McClutchy noted.

“It’s something I’m so proud of, and it makes all the hard work worth it. It’s helping so many people on such a deeper level,” she said.

Published November 13, 2019

Jewish scholar talk: Early rabbis, ancient synagogues

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How did the Jewish faith go from all but destroyed in its structures by the Roman Empire nearly 2,000 years ago, to the modern world religion as we know it today?

To Rabbi Dr. Ruth Langer, that’s the “billion dollar question.”

The internationally recognized Jewish studies scholar visited Saint Leo University on Nov. 5 to present a free lecture titled “Rabbis and the Ancient Synagogue.”

Langer also was on hand to receive the university’s Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies’ Eternal Light Award — recognizing her efforts to promote respectful interreligious dialogue.

Jewish scholar and Rabbi Dr. Ruth Langer was a featured speaker at Saint Leo University, where she gave a free lecture titled ‘Rabbis and the Ancient Synagogue.’ (Courtesy of Jo-Ann Johnston, Saint Leo University)

Langer is an ordained rabbi and professor of Jewish studies at Boston College.

She also is associate director of Boston College’s Center for Christian-Jewish Learning and  author of several books and scholarly articles.

Her talk at Saint Leo spanned from synagogues in late first century Judea to modern times.

Synagogues in Jesus’ time were much smaller in nature, maybe accommodating up to 20 to 30 people at a time, she said.

She acknowledged “there’s very little we can say about what exactly was happening in the (ancient) synagogue based on what archaeological remains show,” but noted New Testament stories mention reading scripture and preaching or teaching based on said scripture.

Langer went on to point out the New Testament makes no mention of a rabbi or “real authority figure” and “no indisputable evidence there was indeed some kind of verbal worship of God” inside these ancient synagogues in the early first century.

Simply, it is believed these ancient synagogues originally functioned more as a Jewish community center and a house of study, rather than a house of worship.

So, how did synagogues develop into a place of prayer that follows rabbinic leadership as its clergy common today?

According to Langer, the rabbinic-synagogue tradition formed slowly following the exile and destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem in the Jewish-Roman in 70 C.E.,  which led to the end of the Jewish monarchy.

The Temple of Jerusalem in ruins, Jews no longer had a place to sacrifice animals as their official form of worshipping God.

“Today’s scholars are pretty well agreed that losing the only place where Jews could fulfill God’s expectation of worship generated a major trauma. Jews were in shock,” Langer noted of this event.

Because of that, Langer explained worship evolved from sacrifice to become “purely verbal,” and “met the needs of the world that no longer had the Jerusalem temple.”

Further, the responsibility for this new form of worship “transformed from belonging to a hereditary priesthood, to resting on the entire community,” she said.

With that, Langer said it was a relatively small group of rabbis who rose up and won out in this endeavor, throughout the Land of Israel and Babylonia initially.

“They (rabbis) fairly quickly found out what temple rituals could be continued elsewhere and how to compensate for those central ones that could not,” Langer said.

To spread influence, Langer explained these early rabbis used persuasion tactics and developed arguments “to convince both rabbis themselves and non-rabbis that there are advantages to participating in public prayer in the synagogue.”

That, she said, included various forms of exhortations in rabbinic text on the significance of community gathering in a synagogue for prayer, such as:

  • “One must pray in a place specifically designated for prayer.”
  • “When one prays within its home, it’s as if one prays encircled within an iron wall.”

(Presumably, praying in the home prevented prayer from reaching God, Langer said.)

  • “Prayer in the synagogue is especially effective, because it’s like an ideal sacrifice in the temple.” (Prayer in a synagogue compensates for the loss of the Temple of Jerusalem, Langer said.)
  • “Prayer offered in the synagogue is guaranteed to work, and failure to participate has dire consequences.”
  • “If one enters synagogue with a buddy to pray, but does not wait for buddy when leaving, then one’s own prayers are ruined.”

But, the shift to get Jews to comply to such edicts didn’t happen overnight.

Langer noted some Jews previously had gotten used to ancient synagogues as not for prayer, but “for all sorts of profane purposes,” such as using the space for funerals, for making rope or fishnets and so on.

Langer said the rabbis’ efforts to get non-rabbis on board to conform to their liturgy and rituals “was a long and bumpy process” that took centuries. In fact, she said it wasn’t until late third century “there were some, but perhaps not all synagogues that housed rabbinic ritual life.” And, it wasn’t even until the end of the first millennial, or another 700 years or so, that the symbiotic rabbi-synagogue union became normalized, she said.

Published November 13, 2019

Two Good Soles drive smashes record

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Pasco County government and its constitutional offices collected more than 3,000 pairs of shoes for local students — smashing a previous record for the annual Two Good Soles Shoes and Socks Drive.

The drive, now in its fourth year, yielded 3,057 pairs of shoes and 13,285 pairs of socks. The items will be donated to students in Pasco County Schools.

Cathy Pearson, Pasco County’s assistant county administrator for public services, set a goal of 2,000 pairs of shoes for this year’s challenge. (Courtesy of Pasco County)

Last year, donations totaled 2,264 pairs of shoes and 6,609 pairs of socks.

Besides vastly exceeding last year’s totals, the collection also shattered the goal of 2,000 shoes set by Cathy Pearson, Pasco County’s assistant county administrator for public services.

Pasco County and Constitutional Office staff gathered at Wendell Krinn Technical High School in New Port Richey on Oct. 29 to officially donate the footwear and tally the results.

Pasco County’s Internal Services Branch won the trophy for the most donations from county branches. The Pasco Property Appraiser’s Office won for most donations collected by a constitutional office, just surpassing the Tax Collector’s Office.

The Public Services Branch placed first in the decorated collection box competition with the Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Department’s “Playground Box.”

Pearson recapped this year’s efforts for the Pasco County Commission at its Nov. 5 meeting.

She was delighted by the level of giving.

“We have just made some students very, very proud and very happy. That couldn’t have happened without the great community that we have,” Pearson said.

Commission Chairman Ron Oakley was impressed, too.

“If you figure $40 for a pair of shoes, there’s over $120,000 worth of shoes there — just amazing,” he said.

Pearson added: “It’s all for a great cause, it’s all for the kids. I couldn’t be more proud and humble, to be part of this community. Thank you all and we’re looking forward to the fifth annual next October.”

Published November 13, 2019

Chalk Talk 11/13/2019

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Bahamas school supply drive
Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) is collecting donations of school supplies to assist the schoolchildren of the Bahamas. An estimated 18,000 children and their families have been displaced since Hurricane Dorian struck the islands on Sept. 1.

From left: Pastor Stephan Knowles, Strong Tower Community Church, Abaco; Senior Mistress Agartha Francis, teaching assistant, Thompson Junior High School, Nassau; PHSC alumnus D’Angelo Ferguson, CEO, Alfred and Nancy Stuart Foundation; and, Andrew Dean, teaching assistant, Thompson Junior High School. (Courtesy of Pasco-Hernando State College)

Ten schools were destroyed on the island of Abaco alone, while many other schools sustained damages.

The children of the Bahamas, some of whom lost family members, classmates, and their homes are transitioning to schools that are undamaged but strained to accommodate additional students.

Donations of classroom supplies will be accepted at all PHSC libraries.

Each college store also is accepting donations and selling discounted supplies to anyone contributing to the drive.

Needed items include new backpacks, flash drives, notebooks, binders, calculators, pens, pencils, art materials, and other typical classroom supplies.

The deadline to donate is Dec. 5, as the items will be shipped to the Bahamas in December.

Campuses are in Dade City, Wesley Chapel, New Port Richey, Brooksville and Spring Hill.

For information, email Lucy Miller, director of community outreach, at .

Schools take a break
As a reminder, Pasco and Hillsborough county students will have a Thanksgiving/Fall break from Nov. 25 to Nov. 29. All students will return to classes on Dec. 2.

Volunteers needed
The GFWC Pasco Junior Woman’s Club is looking for dependable high school students for a variety of volunteer opportunities.

The club is a 501© nonprofit organization, and time spent volunteering will count toward the necessary Bright Futures scholarship hours.

For information, text the word ‘volunteer’ to (813) 461-3131.

Feeding Pasco food drive
The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office’s annual Feeding Pasco Kids food drive is in full swing.

The proceeds from the drive will go directly to local organizations whose mission is to provide support for homeless children and students.

This year, the recipients include the Pasco Schools system and Metropolitan Ministries.

Donation boxes are placed in the lobbies of the Pasco Sheriff’s office buildings throughout the county.

Several area churches also agreed to have boxes in their buildings to assist with the food collection.

Monetary donations can be made by check or money order to Pasco Sheriff’s Charities, with “Food Drive” in the ‘for’ line, and mailed to Food Drive Donations, Pasco Sheriff’s Charities, 8700 Citizen Drive, New Port Richey, FL 34654.

The deadline to donate is Dec. 13.

For information, call (727) 844-7759.

Education month
The District School Board of Pasco County, along with the Florida Department of Education, recognizes November as Florida Family Engagement in Education month, to highlight the role parents and families have in student education.

Parents, grandparents, guardians and extended families are encouraged to be involved throughout the year.

Parent-teacher conferences are one of the ways to be involved and stay engaged in your student’s education.

For engagement ideas, visit PTAOurChildren.org.

Band yard sale
The Zephyrhills High School Band will host an indoor yard sale on Nov. 16 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Zephyrhills First Nazarene, 6155 12th St., to help fund a trip to Washington D.C., to march in the 2020 National Memorial Day parade.

For information, call Meggan Nichols, the ZHS Band sponsor fundraiser coordinator, at (813) 403-0700.

Barbeque benefit
The Great American BBQ, benefiting Hudson Elementary School, will take place Nov. 16 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., at SunWest Park, 17362 Old Dixie Highway in Hudson.

There will be eating competitions, live music, volleyball and cornhole, and a contest for the best sauce. Admission is $5.

For information, call (727) 674-1464.

School choice expos
Pasco County Schools will host expo-style events, one on each side of the county, to inform Pasco County families about the upcoming school choice application windows and innovative program options.

  • Nov. 18 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., at River Ridge High School, 11646 Towne Center Road in New Port Richey
  • Nov. 21 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Wesley Chapel High School, 30651 Wells Road

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

In addition, many Pasco County schools will showcase unique educational options, such as STEM and STEAM magnet schools, the Cambridge International Education Programme, International Baccalaureate, Wendell Krinn Technical High School, Career Pathways, Pasco eSchool, and more.

The school application choice window will run from Dec. 3 to Dec. 13 for middle and high schools, and from Jan. 21 to Jan. 31 for elementary schools.

For information or to register, visit PascoSchools.org, and click on the Pasco Pathways link.

Fee adjustment review
Pasco-Hernando State College’s District Board of Trustees (DBOT) will consider approving proposed adjusted course-related fees at a Nov. 19 board meeting, at 6 p.m., at the Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, 2727 Mansfield Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

Fee adjustment proposals are reviewed and approved for DBOT consideration by PHSC’s Council of Academic Affairs, a committee that includes representation by administrators, deans, academic department chairs, program directors, faculty and staff.

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.

All fees charged by vendors are negotiated by the college, with additional fee increases and decreases expected in the coming academic year.

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

Saint Leo conference focuses on WWI and its impacts

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Maybe you’re a history teacher, with a penchant for the World War I era.

This World War I-era poster was created by James Montgomery Flagg in 1918 and printed by the American Lithographic Company of New York. It shows Uncle Sam arm-in-arm with Britannia, accompanied by a lion (U.K.) and an eagle (U.S.A.). It will be included in Marco Rimanelli’s presentation at an upcoming conference at Saint Leo University. (Courtesy of Saint Leo University)

Perhaps you have a fascination for the impacts that World War I had on politics, medicine, diplomacy or, even closer to home — your family’s personal history.

Maybe you’re just curious about what life was like in the wider world, during the time of Downton Abbey.

If any of this resonates with you, an upcoming conference at Saint Leo University could be right up your alley.

The university is inviting teachers, history and political buffs, veterans and the general public to a conference that centers on the history of World War I, and subsequent peace-building efforts.

The Nov. 16 event, called the Centennial of World War I & Peace 1914 to 1919 Interdisciplinary Conference, will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the university’s campus in St. Leo.

The event comes slightly more than a century after the original Armistice Day — Nov. 11, 1918 —which marked the official end of World War I.

The conference is structured around three panels, with presentations by speakers and time allotted for questions and answers, said Marco Rimanelli, full professor of political sciences and international studies at the university.

The presentations will cover:

  • Military and diplomacy
  • Medical and health care issues in the Great War
  • The impact of the League of Nations

Rimanelli’s presentation is entitled “Alliances & U.S. Military in World War I: ‘Doughboys & Trenches, ‘Over There’”

Members of American Company A, Ninth Machine Gun Battalion set up in a French railroad shop on June 7, 1918. (U.S. National Archives and Record Administration)

“We want to try to give an overview,” said Rimanelli, a driving force behind the conference.

“World War I is essential in the emergence of America as a global super power, as well as the beginning of the demise of the European order,” Rimanelli said.

Panelist Dan DuBois, an assistant professor of history, will focus on how World War I played out in East Asia, in his talk entitled “Aye, What has Become of Civilization?: East Asia & The Great War.”

“To understand the current degree of distrust between the United States and China, that really begins in 1919,” DuBois said.

Interspersed between the panels, Saint Leo faculty members will help take conference-goers back to World War I through poetry readings and musical performances from the era.

Chantelle MacPhee, the university’s chair of language studies and the arts, will read “In Flanders Fields,” a World War I poem by John McCrae, a medic from Canada.

“He wrote it in the memory of those he saw perish with him,” said MacPhee , who herself lost great-uncles in World War I.

American troops going forward to the battle line in the Forest of Argonne. France, September 26, 1918.
(U.S. National Archives and Record Administration)

“In Flanders Fields,” she said, “is the most famous in Canada and is recited every Nov. 11, which is called Remembrance Day.”

Conference attendees also will be able to glean an additional sense of what life was like during World War I through an array of posters featuring combat scenes, war memorabilia, and a glimpse of African-American life at that time.

The $12 admission to the conference deliberately was kept affordable to encourage attendance. Admission includes lunch, snacks and beverages and there is no charge for parking.

Also, Saint Leo University alumni, students, faculty and staff will be admitted free, with proper ID.

Teachers attending the conference may also be eligible to apply for continuing education credit, which Saint Leo University will help to document.

Published November 06, 2019

Principal raises the roof to promote literacy

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Students at Wiregrass Elementary School have a summer tradition.

They take part, every year, in the Scholastic Book reading challenge.

Several students passing by the courtyard area wave excitedly at Steve Williams, the school principal, as he broadcasts on Facebook Live from on top of the school’s roof to fulfill a promise he made to his students, who logged more than 160,000 minutes in the nationwide Scholastic Book summer reading challenge. (Christine Holtzman)

Two years ago, the students logged in over 43,000 minutes, and came in eighth in the state.

But, Steve Williams, principal of the school at 29732 Wiregrass School Road in Wesley Chapel, knew they could do better.

So, he challenged them to log in more than 50,000 minutes.

If they could, he promised he would spend time reading to them from the school’s roof.

The students slayed the challenge — logging more than 160,000 minutes of reading.

And, the principal responded by spending a full day on the school’s roof — about 32 feet above ground — reading through a megaphone to the students below.

Steve Williams, principal of the Wiregrass Elementary School, reads a book into a megaphone, so the students seated in the courtyard below could hear. The top student readers from each group and their classmates earned the right to enjoy a story from the courtyard.

About every half-hour or so, the principal went on Facebook Live to connect with the community and with his students.

Teachers could log in and let their students watch.

The principal read a series of fiction and nonfiction books. He read newspapers and textbooks. He regaled the audience with his thoughts about the characters, plots and illustrators.

As a special treat, the top reader in every grade level was invited to come to the courtyard to listen to the principal read a book to them, from his high perch, through a megaphone.

Williams said that the kids love the fact that their principal is willing to do fun and extreme things.

He summed up the rooftop challenge like this: “Today is really all about supporting literacy.”

Published November 06, 2019

From approximately 32 feet above the ground, Steve Williams, the principal of the Wiregrass Elementary School, waves to passing students and staff members from the school’s roof. Williams spent the whole school day on the roof, reading books through a megaphone, as well as broadcasting on Facebook Live, to promote literacy and to fulfill a promise he made to his students during the summer reading challenge.
Steve Williams, principal of the Wiregrass Elementary School, holds up a book that he will read during one of his broadcasts via Facebook Live. Every half-hour or so, Williams went on Facebook Live to connect with the community and with the students. Throughout the campus, teachers were able to log in and let their students watch.

 

Chalk Talk 11/06/2019

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(Courtesy of Patricia Serio)

Music to their ears
The GFWC Little Women of Lutz, a teen group mentored and sponsored by the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club, presented Lutz Elementary School music teachers with a $500 donation in memory of the late Marilyn Wannamaker. Wannamaker was an advisor to the Little Women for many years, and a past president of the woman’s club. The funds will be used by the school to purchase new sound equipment and xylophones. From left: Genesis Corbin, music teachers Kathy Barbur and Kelly Couthu, and Rachel Lightner.

Student artworks
The Medical Center of Trinity, 9330 State Road 54, will host an Expressions of Thanks Youth Art Contest reception on  Nov. 7 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The reception will showcase the artwork honoring our veterans and those serving in the military, submitted by students in Pasco, Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties.

Students in kindergarten through 12 grade entered artwork, poetry and essays.

Light refreshments will be served at the reception.

The artwork will be on display in the hospital lobby through Dec. 1.

For information, call Mary Sommise at (727) 834-4868.

Saint Leo open house
Saint Leo University, 33701 State Road 52 in St. Leo, will host a Fall Open House on Nov. 9 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Check-in and breakfast are available from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., in the Marion Bowman Activities Center gymnasium.

Students will have an opportunity to explore life at Saint Leo and learn about academic programs through the faculty, resource fairs, and academic presentations and demonstrations.

Visitors also can tour the campus, learn about clubs and organizations, meet with financial aid representatives, talk with admissions counselors, and more.

Breakfast and lunch will be provided. Admission is free.

Prospective students can register at SaintLeo.edu/open-house.

For assistance or questions, email , or call (352) 588-8283.

Car show fundraiser
The second annual Fundraiser Car Show to benefit the bands of Sunlake High School and its Color Guard program will take place Nov. 10 from noon to 4 p.m., at Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd.

There will be live music, special guests, a silent auction, a 50/50 raffle, food and more.

There is a $15 registration fee for all classics, hot rods, muscle cars, customs and motorcycles.

For information, email .

Math competition
Saint Leo University, 33701 State Road 52 in St. Leo, invites middle-schoolers to participate for free in the American Mathematics Competition (AMC) 8, scheduled for Nov. 13.

This is a national competition developed by the Mathematical Association of America.

Students can apply their knowledge to a 25-question, multiple-choice exam, to be completed in 40 minutes.

Saint Leo can accommodate 30 students. Mathematics faculty will monitor the exam.

Advance registration is required by emailing Kevin Murphy at , with the phrase “AMC 8” in the subject line. Parents also can call Murphy at (352) 588-7192.

Fall hiring event
Pasco County Schools District Office, 7227 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., will host a Pasco County Schools Fall Instructional Hiring Event on Nov. 14 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Participants can meet with administrators from schools across the district and interview for vacant positions.

Qualified applicants need to have a valid teaching certificate or a valid statement of eligibility, or be a recent college of education graduate.

Registration closes at midnight on Nov. 7.

Register at FallHiringEvent2019.eventbrite.com.

Band yard sale
The Zephyrhills High School Band will host an indoor yard sale on Nov. 16 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Zephyrhills First Nazarene, 6155 12th St., to help fund a trip to Washington D.C., to march in the 2020 National Memorial Day parade.

For information, call Meggan Nichols, the ZHS Band sponsor fundraiser coordinator, at (813) 403-0700.

New online program
Saint Leo University will now offer a Bachelor of Arts degree in emergency management, completely online, and will begin enrolling students in January.

Faculty at the school were inspired to create the new program by the sustained demand across the country for people trained in managing coordinated response to disasters, fires, and other emergencies caused by conditions ranging from coastal flooding and powerful storms, to industrial accidents and criminal actions.

Admissions inquires can be made online at tinyurl.com/y53z4rmm, or by calling toll-free (877) 622-2009.

Bilirakis helps Pasco secure $500,000 safe schools grant

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U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis has helped Pasco County Schools secure a $500,000 federal grant to help keep students and teachers safe.

The funding is part of the STOP School Violence Act, which Bilirakis supported and which became law last year.

Bilirakis advocated for Pasco to receive this grant after speaking with Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco, Pasco Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning, members of the Pasco County School Board, teachers and parents, according to a news release from the congressman’s office.

The funds will be used to enable Pasco Schools, law enforcement partners, and mental health providers to facilitate multidisciplinary threat assessments while developing behavioral threat assessment teams to intervene and mitigate potential risks, the release says.

Funding will build on current community engagement by supporting a dedicated school threat assessment coordinator and certified juvenile criminal intelligence analyst.

Pasco County Schools is the 10th largest, among the state’s 67 school districts.

In the release, Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said “we want to thank Congressman Bilirakis for his leadership in protecting our children in Pasco County.

“Funding for threat assessments is one of the best methods for prevention and to help a child in distress before they become a threat to others or themselves.

“We look forward to further partnering with Pasco County Schools and Superintendent Browning on this important initiative,” Nocco added.

Pasco County Schools is one of just eight school districts in the country to receive this competitive grant.

Bilirakis also is the author of the PROTECT KIDS Act, which would provide additional federal funding for School Resource Officers in the nation’s largest school districts, such as Pasco, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

Published October 30, 2019