The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Education

Pasco County Schools secures $1 million grant

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Pasco County Schools is among a dozen school districts across the country selected to receive a Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation grant, as part of the Professional Learning Partnerships Initiative.

Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning said a $1 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will be used for professional development of teachers, to help them effectively deliver a new middle school mathematics curriculum. (File)

The school district will use the $1 million grant in partnership with the initiative to prepare teachers for a new middle school math curriculum, Illustrative Math (Open Up Resources).

The grant money will be used to provide teacher with professional learning to ensure that instruction is meeting the needs of all students.

Superintendent Kurt Browning said the district is honored to be selected by the Gates Foundation for the opportunity.

Browning said the grant will help the district to strengthen performance in mathematics at the middle school level, by ensuring teachers receive professional learning opportunities to help them effectively deliver the curriculum to students.

“Students will be able to make connections between what they learned in elementary school, to help them prepare for high school,” Browning said.

The district has already implemented a new mathematics curriculum at the elementary level, and this training will help teachers help students make a seamless transition at middle school, Browning said.

“My end goal is to make sure that when students graduate, they are prepared,” Browning said.

“It was a competitive grant,” Browning said. “We’re doing great things in Pasco. We’re thinking outside the box, and we’re thinking differently.”

Pasco has made significant efforts to provide teachers with resources to help them understand the Florida Standards and to deliver standards-aligned instruction, according to a district news release. The work will continue with this grant and the Professional Learning Partnerships Initiative.

Published October 2, 2019

Chalk Talk 10/02/19

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Schools and PTA garner recognitions

(Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

The Pasco County School Board recognized the Pasco County Council PTA and three schools at its September board meeting. Seven Oaks Elementary, River Ridge Middle and Wiregrass Ranch High schools were named National PTA Schools of Excellence. The Pasco County PTA was honored with the Florida PTA Safety Award, President’s Award for Membership, and Gold membership increase. From left: Heather Buboltz, Seven Oaks PTA past president; Kurt Browning, superintendent of schools; Megan McNeil, Wiregrass Ranch PTSA past president; Robyn White, Wiregrass Ranch principal; Shauntte Butcher, Seven Oaks principal; Denise Nicholas, PCC PTA president; Kevin Kolean, River Ridge assistant principal; Jennifer Resto, River Ridge School of Excellence chairman; and Alison Crumbley, school board chairwoman.

Criminal justice panel
Saint Leo University at 33701 State Road 52, in St. Leo will host a criminal justice panel discussion on Oct. 7. The panel will include Saint Leo’s criminal justice and psychology faculty members as well as Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco. A reception will be held from 4 p.m. to 5:50 p.m. in the Kirk Hall lobby. The discussion panel will follow from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Selby Auditorium in Lewis Hall. The event is free and open to the public. For information, call Mary McCoy at (352) 588-7118 or email .

Student concert
Saint Leo University, 33701 State Road 52 in St. Leo, will present “Fall Into Songs of the Roaring Twenties,” a student concert, on Oct. 8 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., in Selby Auditorium, Lewis Hall. For information, email , or leave a message at (352) 588-8401.

National Merit semifinalists
Officials of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation announced the names of about 16,000 semifinalists in the 65th annual National Merit Scholarship Program.

These high school seniors have the opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,600 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $31 million, to be offered next spring.

Local students that have been named as semifinalists are:

  • Cypress Creek High School: Mindy L. Do
  • Land O’ Lakes High School: Shannon S. Chen, Achyudhan R. Kutuva, Kathy Liu, Steven Miltenberger, Stanley S. Moonjeli, Elizabeth A. Thorner, Maxwell M. Twitmyer, Takashi Xu and Jennifer R. Zartmen
  • Lutz (home-school): Mark T. Thivierge
  • Mitchell High School: Bethany A. Bradshaw, Dustin G. Rendell and Amber L. Seaberg
  • Pasco High School: Nicholas C. Gray and Joseph S. Hart
  • Steinbrenner High School: Jonathan E. Barbara, Rebekah F. Hurwitz, Matthew R. Lee and Rana X. Scherer
  • Wharton High School: Valeria M. Gutierrez and Shehzad S. Shah
  • Wiregrass Ranch High School: Aidan J. Persaud

Saint Leo ranked best value
Saint Leo University was ranked as one of the best regional universities and best values in higher education in the South, in 2020 U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges rankings. Among regional universities in the South, Saint Leo ranked 25th, up from its 47th place ranking last year.

The university also jumped up to fifth place, from 14th place last year, among Best Value Schools in the South.

And, Saint Leo tied with Christian Brothers University (Tennessee) for 14th place as Best for Veterans School among southern regional universities, up from 31st place last year.

In a new category, Saint Leo was named to the Top Performers on Social Mobility in Southern Regional Universities list, tying for No. 10 with Columbia College (South Carolina).

For more information on the 2020 Best Colleges, visit USNews.com/best-colleges.

 

Chalk Talk 09/25/19

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(Courtesy of Pasco Education Foundation)

Scholarship recipients
The Take Stock in Children program, which provides scholarships, mentors and hope, has awarded 30 Pasco County students with the opportunity for a paid college education. The Suncoast Credit Union sponsored a ‘signing event’ for the new scholars and their families, during which time the students confirmed their commitment to maintain good grades, attendance, behavior, and to remain drug- and crime-free. Upon high school graduation, each student will receive up to four years of college tuition.

Free math hotline
Hillsborough County Public Schools offers a free math homework hotline, available on select Thursdays, for math help on any topic.

Certified math teachers will be available from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., on Sept. 26, Oct. 3, Oct. 10, Oct. 17, Nov. 7, Nov. 14, Nov. 21 and Dec. 5.

There also is a ‘live’ show on Spectrum Chanel 635 and Frontier Channel 32, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., or live stream at MHH.mysdhc.org, and students can win prizes and/or answer the challenge question.

For information, contact Maggie Mixon at (813) 272-4927 or .

Saint Leo open house
Saint Leo University will host an Undergraduate Admissions Fall Open House on Sept. 28, starting at 8 a.m.

Students of all ages can attend with their families and friends, and explore the campus at 33701 State Road 52 in St. Leo.

Guests also can speak with members of the Saint Leo community.

Prospective students will be able to tour the campus, learn about the university’s academic offerings, student life, campus involvement, financial aid, and more.

For information and to register, visit SaintLeo.edu/visit-campus.

For questions or for special accommodations, contact the Office of Admissions at (352) 588-8283 or .

School district expands mental health services

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The Pasco County school district has been ramping up training and tapping into outside sources, in its quest to build a better mental health support network for students.

Statistics from across the school district underscore a compelling need for increased services.

District figures show that more than 1,200 suicide assessments were done last year of students in elementary, middle and high schools.

The breakdown showed that 463 suicide assessments were reported at the elementary school level; 408 at the middle school level; and, 308 at the high school level.

There also were nearly 600 threat assessments across the district, with 278 reported at the elementary level; 134 at the middle school level; and, 186 at the high school level.

Jeannine Welch, Melissa Musselwhite and Vicki Papaemanuel are leading up efforts to expand mental health services within Pasco County Schools. (B.C. Manion)

District data regarding Baker Act cases reported 171 at the elementary level; 211 at the middle school level; and, 207 at the high school level.

Baker Act cases involve individuals who are deemed to be a threat to themselves or others who are referred for mental evaluation.

“We obviously have many students that need significant support from us, relating to mental health,” said Melissa Musselwhite, the district’s director of student support programs, during a school board session on mental health held this summer.

Pasco Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning pointed to the suicide assessments.

“Twelve hundred and sixty — 463 just in elementary school alone,” Browning noted.

He also observed there were more suicide assessments at elementary level, than in high school.

“The same with threats,” noted School Board Chairwoman Alison Crumbley. “It’s (threats) higher at elementary.”

Jeannine Welch, senior supervisor for student support services, told board members that it’s  difficult to pinpoint what the statistics mean. For instance, a suicide assessment could refer to a student who was assessed, but not in any danger.

Musselwhite also said more information is needed: “Do we have the same standard for kids we are referring, let’s say for suicide assessment?

“If the kid has scissors and says, ‘I’m going to stab you,’ or ‘I’m going to stab myself,’ do we have a common practice across the district how we respond to that?

“Those are questions. I don’t know. We really need to analyze the data more deeply,” Musselwhite said.

Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Schools David Scanga said the statistics are telling.

“It does reflect the stress level of elementary that probably 10 years ago we didn’t see,” he said. “So, the stress on the families, the stress on the communities, the stress within the building. I hear what Melissa is saying, but we also know and agree that there are things in elementary that we’re dealing with that are more frequent — not that they were never there — but they are more frequent than they were in the past.”

To help address the needs, the district has been collaborating with Central Florida Behavioral Health Network, which has allowed the district to expand its services.

Central Florida has worked out a memorandum of understanding with all of the providers, so the district doesn’t have to obtain a separate contract for a specialized service, Welch said.

Students receiving services are run through a voucher system.

That helps stretch the district’s spending capacity because if a child is eligible for Medicaid, or would be potentially eligible, those dollars are used first, Welch said.

The district has added key personnel and has expanded training efforts.

It has added mental health coaches to coach school-based student services staff regarding mental health initiatives.

The mental health liaison has been able to help analyze data, and also has provided “literally, someone to call instantly in order to be able to problem-solve with some of the situations we have within schools,” Musselwhite said.

The district is working to improve its supports for students.

When a student has been Baker-acted, for instance, the district wants to be sure it supports that student when he or sure returns to school.

“We want to make sure that it’s truly done as a safety net for them,” Welch said.

“We’ve had kids that have been gone for a week and come back, and said they’ve been on a Disney cruise. They weren’t on the Disney cruise,” Welch said.

The district has ramped up training.

“We are required to train staff and make sure they have first-aiders at schools. When this first came out, we had zero trainers,” Welch said. “This summer we’ve trained 688 staff members.”

The district continues to build on its capacity, she said.

“We spent this year building up trainers,” she said.

“It shouldn’t just be the administrator. It should be others that, these are embedded practices that live on, regardless of the leadership,” she said.

“The state has rolled out a new threat assessment  protocol that we’ll be training all student services and administrative staff, in the next month (by Oct. 1),” Musselwhite said.

“The majority of the day will be around the threat assessment, behavioral threat assessment that the state mandated, using a specific  tool and a training platform,” said Vicki Papaemanuel, who will be overseeing the training for the district.

“The second half of the day will be around threat to self or suicide assessment,” she said.

Threat assessments
Elementary: 278
Middle: 134
High School: 186
Total: 598

Suicide assessments
Elementary: 463
Middle: 408
High School: 308
Total: 1,260

2018-2019 Baker Act Data
Elementary: 171
Middle: 211
High school: 207

Source: Pasco County Schools

Published September 18, 2019

Chalk Talk 09/18/2019

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Airman Apprentice Destiny Gonzalez (Courtesy of Navy Office of Community Outreach)

Local graduate serves at Weather Command
Airman apprentice Destiny Gonzalez, a 2011 Wiregrass Ranch High School graduate, serves with the Navy’s Weather Command Headquarters at the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.

The Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command at Stennis advises Navy leaders about the impact of ocean and atmospheric conditions on future operations.

As an aerographer’s mate, Gonzalez helps platoons take sonar pictures of the ocean floor and then analyzes the photos to inspect what is found on the ocean floor.

Her responsibilities provide timely, comprehensive and tactically relevant information for ships, submarines, aircraft and other commands operating throughout the globe.

As a member of one of the U.S. Navy’s most-relied upon assets, Gonzalez and other sailors know they are part of a legacy that will last beyond their lifetimes providing the Navy the nation needs.

“I think serving in the Navy means a bit of sacrifice,” said Gonzalez in a release. “Serving here I found a lot of camaraderie and everyone is very welcoming in help with training and more. Being here I’m learning something that not too many people get to learn.”

Support for Bahamian students
Although Hurricane Dorian did not strike Saint Leo University, its impact on the Bahamas was strongly felt by the university community — nearly 150 Bahamian students attend Saint Leo.

The school’s community had a candlelight vigil on the steps of the Tapia College of Business, with prayer, music and remarks from several speakers.

In addition to the vigil, Saint Leo had a prayer service at the Saint Leo Abbey Church, prior to the student Mass.

Group and individual counseling has been offered and there are daily check-ins with the school’s Bahamian students.

A relief drive for supplies began Sept. 6, and collection bins are placed throughout the Saint Leo campus.

For information, email .

Free math hotline
Hillsborough County Public Schools offers a free math homework hotline, available on select Thursdays, for math help on any topic.

Certified math teachers will be available from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., on Sept. 19, Sept. 26, Oct. 3, Oct. 10, Oct. 17, Nov. 7, Nov. 14, Nov. 21 and Dec. 5.

There also is a ‘live’ show on Spectrum Chanel 635 and Frontier Channel 32, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., or live stream at MHH.mysdhc.org, and students can win prizes and/or answer the challenge question.

For information, contact Maggie Mixon at (813) 272-4927 or .

Career college open house
Altierus Career College-Tampa, 3319 W. Hillsborough Ave., will host an open house focusing on health care careers on Sept. 19 from noon to 2 p.m., and from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Participants can get a tour of the nursing and surgical technology labs, and learn about the Altierus programs, such as scholarships.

For information, visit Altierus Career College on Facebook.

Homecoming boutique
A Cinderella Project Homecoming Boutique will be set up at Cypress Creek High School, 8701 Old Pasco Road in Wesley Chapel, Sept. 23 and Sept. 24 from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Free homecoming attire, shoes and accessories will be available for any high school student.

For information, call Cypress Creek at (813) 346-4400.

Other boutiques also will be at Gulf High School in New Port Richey on Sept. 25 and Sept. 26; and, Fivay High School in Hudson on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1.

Faculty recital
As part of its Roaring Twenties Decades Project, Saint Leo University will host a Fall Music Faculty Recital on Sept. 24 at 7 p.m., in Selby Auditorium, Lewis Hall.

The presentation will feature music of the 1920s.

Admission is free.

For information, email , or leave a message at (352) 588-8401.

Arts education website
The Arts Council of Hillsborough County has launched a new arts education website to help provide education and experiences for students.

The website has information on field trips from cultural organizations throughout the area; opportunities to engage students with art in the classroom; experienced educators from across Tampa Bay; and, student guides and links to Florida State Education Standards.

Check it out at ArtsTampaBay.com/artsed/.

Hispanic Heritage contests
Students in kindergarten through fifth grade are invited to design a bookmark, and students in grades six to 12 can design a poster, for the Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative’s Hispanic Heritage Contest.

First- and second-place winners will be chosen in groups: kindergarten through second grade; third grade through fifth grade; sixth grade through eighth grade; and ninth grade through 12th grade.

Prizes include museum tickets, gift cards, history center tickets, sketchbooks, and professionally printed bookmarks.

The contest runs through Sept. 30. Entries can be submitted to any Hillsborough County public library.

For information and to see some of last year’s winners, visit HCPLC.org/events/hispanic-heritage.

Saint Leo partners with Bucs
Saint Leo University and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers commemorated Saint Leo becoming the exclusive educational partner of the Bucs at a kickoff party in August.

The partnership was marked by a mingling of Saint Leo’s green and gold, and the Buccaneers’ red and pewter on the school’s campus in St. Leo.

Team mascots Fritz (Saint Leo Lions) and the Bucs’ Captain Fear, as well as cheerleaders from both organizations, led the celebration.

The event featured food, music, games and giveaways.

With the partnership, Saint Leo University will be featured in online, television, radio and in-stadium promotional advertisements.

Saint Leo also will present Bucs Trivia Tuesday on Instagram, Game Day Trivia in Raymond James Stadium on game days, and the Military Hero at each home game.

Pasco to open K-8 school in fall 2021

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The groundbreaking last week for Starkey Ranch K-8 School was celebrated in grand fashion —  at a gathering that included a high school jazz band and color guard, preschoolers, a private developer partner, elected leaders and government officials.

The school is the second phase of a partnership between Pasco County Schools, Pasco County government and Wheelock Communities, the private developers of Starkey Ranch, a community off State Road 54 in Trinity.

Members of the Pasco County School Board join top district staff in a ceremonial groundbreaking for the Starkey Ranch K-8 School. (B.C. Manion)

One part of the project is the Starkey District Park, which opened its first phase in November 2017. Two additional phases are planned for the park.

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

It is expected to open in August 2021, with about 1,000 elementary school students and 600 middle school students.

The school 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, there’s a third part of the partnership that involves construction of what’s been dubbed TLC, which stands for theater, library and cultural center.

Matt Call, project director for Starkey Ranch, talked about the collaborative attitude the partners have shared.

“It began as an idea to work together to create something great,” Call said.

The approach that’s been used, he said, “is something that we sometimes feel is missing in society today — just the idea of putting aside our own differences and our own desires, and really coming together and working to do something.”

His enthusiasm for the partnership was shared by Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning.

“We have looked forward to this day for a very, very long time,” Browning told the crowd.

The joint efforts will yield a community asset, he said.

“These amenities add, not only to Starkey Ranch, but also to Pasco County as a whole,” Browning said.

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

And, because the facilities will be shared — instead of being duplicated, Browning said, “the taxpayers are winners on this project.”

The superintendent added: “We want it to be a community place. We want it to be a place where people come and gather, and socialize and learn.”

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Wells noted that “from the county standpoint, the last time we built a library, my father was a county commissioner. That was in 1982.

“This is a very, very exciting day. The TLC is the first of its kind in Pasco County.”

The center will accommodate public library patrons and students. It also will have a 250-seat theater and three maker spaces.

Like the other speakers, Wells praised the cooperative arrangement to pursue these facilities.

“It’s not very often that we all come together to do things,” Wells said, noting that government agencies have a tendency to operate in silos.

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey, a former school board member, said she hopes that Starkey Ranch K-8 School is so successful that the school district will build more in the future.

“I’m so excited for the residents that live here and for all of those lucky kids who are going to be able to experience this kind of school,” Starkey said.

She also talked about the TLC.

“We have worked really hard to make this facility different than the normal facility. We’re going to have outdoor space, where you can have cocktail parties,” she said.

She expressed gratitude that both the school board and the Pasco County Commission put in some extra money to make the TLC “exactly what we wanted.”

School board chairwoman Alison Crumbley said the project is exciting because of what the school will offer for students. She’s also pleased by the presence of the theater and cultural center because she’s a proponent of the arts.

Browning said the K-8 model will provide “opportunities for middle-schoolers to mentor elementary school kids, which is a great, great thing for us.”

No decision has been made yet on the boundaries for the new school, said Chris Williams, director of planning for the school district.

Beyond assigning students from Starkey Ranch to the school, various options are being discussed, including the possibility of a magnet school to fill the remaining spots, he said.

The school construction budget is $44.4 million.

Published September 11, 2019

Chalk Talk 09/11/2019

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(Courtesy of Betty Burke, Rotary Club of San Antonio)

Back-to-School Party
Fifty boys and girls received bags of school supplies at the 12th annual Back-to-School Party sponsored by the Rotary Club of San Antonio and Farmworkers Self Help. The children also listened to Senior Forest Ranger Chris Farley and Ranger Ali discuss entry-level jobs with the Florida Forest Service, and they got to sit in the Forest Service bulldozer. Several children talked about becoming forest rangers and helping to fight forest fires. The event also provided hot dogs served by Rotary Club President Jim Tremmel.

Hispanic Heritage contests
Students in kindergarten through fifth grade are invited to design a bookmark, and students in grades six to 12 can design a poster, for the Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative’s Hispanic Heritage Contest.

First- and second-place winners will be chosen in groups: kindergarten through second grade; third grade through fifth grade; sixth grade through eighth grade; and ninth grade through 12th grade.

Prizes include museum tickets, gift cards, history center tickets, sketchbooks, and professionally printed bookmarks.

The contest runs through Sept. 30. Entries can be submitted to any Hillsborough County public library.

For information and to see some of last year’s winners, visit HCPLC.org/events/hispanic-heritage.

Fee adjustments
Pasco-Hernando State College’s District Board of Trustees (DBOT) will consider approving proposed adjusted student-related fees at a Sept. 17 board meeting, at 6 p.m., at the Spring Hill campus, 450 Beverly Court.

The fee adjustment proposal was reviewed and approved for DBOT consideration by the PHSC President’s Administrative Leadership Team, a committee of college administrators.

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

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

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

Faculty-authors to read
Five Saint Leo University faculty-authors will read from their own creative works Sept. 18 at 7 p.m., at 33701 State Road 52 in St. Leo, in Selby Auditorium, Lewis Hall.

The event, “Wild Gifts: A Reading by Creative Writing Faculty,” will include readings by poets, a short story writer, a memoirist, and a novelist.

For information, email .

Homecoming boutique
A Cinderella Project Homecoming Boutique will be set up at Cypress Creek High School, 8701 Old Pasco Road in Wesley Chapel, Sept. 23 and Sept. 24 from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Free homecoming attire, shoes and accessories will be available for any high school student.

For information, call Cypress Creek at (813) 346-4400.

Other boutiques also will be at Gulf High School in New Port Richey on Sept. 25 and Sept. 26; and, Fivay High School in Hudson on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1.

Ambassador sworn in
Philanthropist Donald R. Tapia, Saint Leo University alumnus and former Board of Trustees chair, was sworn in as U.S. ambassador to Jamaica by Vice President Mike Pence on Aug. 20, in Washington D.C.

Tapia will represent the president in an official capacity, and work on efforts to protect and promote national interests and maintain diplomacy.

Tapia competed his undergraduate degree in business administration from Saint Leo’s Center for Online Learning in 2005, joined the board of trustees in 2006, earned a Master of Business Administration from Saint Leo (online) in 2007, and was named chair of Saint Leo’s Board of Trustees in 2011.

He was the chairman and CEO of Essco Group Management, which grew to become the largest Hispanic-owned business in Arizona. In 2010, he retired from the company to devote his time to philanthropy.

Tapia’s gift of $4 million to Saint Leo was announced in 2010, and was used to construct the Tapia College of Business building.

In 2014, the university awarded Tapia the degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, for his dedication to Saint Leo.

Belle of the Ball
The Belle of the Ball Project again will provide free homecoming dresses and accessories to in-need high school girls on Sept. 21, Oct. 5 and Oct. 12 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at its boutique at 1210 Holt Ave., in Clearwater.

Dresses will be available to all in-need high school girls for their high school prom, homecoming or military ball.

No referral letter is necessary. No appointment is needed.

A $1 to $5 donation is requested, but not required.

Donations of dresses and accessories also can be made at the site. Large size dresses (size 18 to 26) are the biggest need.

For information, visit BelleOfTheBallProject.com.

Chalk Talk 09/04/2019

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International students parade in with their country’s flag during ‘Welcome to the Pride.’ (Courtesy of Renee Gerstein, Saint Leo University)

Record-setting class moves in
Saint Leo University welcomed its largest class of incoming students for the 2019-2020 school year.

Despite the sticky, hot, rainy weather, students and their parents moved their belongings into their residence halls. Faculty, staff, alumni and students helped pull items out of vehicles and haul them into the students’ rooms.

New Student Orientation included a “Welcome to the Pride” event to cheer on more than 1,000 members of the Class of 2023.

More than 800 new freshmen and 180 transfer students moved into the Saint Leo campus in Pasco County.

This represented a 45% increase over last year’s new student enrollment.

New students received Saint Leo lapel pins to symbolize their membership in the scholarly community.

Five-year-old Maite Tenorio wears a photo of her sister, Megan Rowe, on her shirt, as she helps Rowe move into Saint Leo University.
Michelle and Rob Rosales get some help from their son, Blake, as they move their new-student son, Savion, into Marmion-Snyder Hall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Belle of the Ball
The Belle of the Ball Project again will provide free homecoming dresses and accessories to in-need high school girls on Sept. 7 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at its boutique at 1210 Holt Ave., in Clearwater.

The event also will take place on Sept. 21, Oct. 5 and Oct. 12, during the same hours.

Dresses will be available to all in-need high school girls for their high school prom, homecoming or military ball.

No referral letter is necessary. No appointment is needed.

A $1 to $5 donation is requested, but not required.

Donations of dresses and accessories also can be made at the site. Large size dresses (size 18 to 26) are the biggest need.

For information, visit BelleOfTheBallProject.com.

Early release days begin
This school year, Pasco County Schools will implement a monthly, two-hour early release time to allow for staff to engage in professional development aligned with student needs, and district and school priorities.

Early release days will take place on the second Wednesday of each month, with the exception of January and May.

The first early release day is coming up on Sept. 11.

Additional scheduled days are Oct. 9,  Nov. 13, Dec. 11, Jan. 15, Feb. 12, March 11 and April 8.

Fee adjustments
Pasco-Hernando State College’s District Board of Trustees (DBOT) will consider approving proposed adjusted student-related fees at a Sept. 17 board meeting, at 6 p.m., at the Spring Hill campus, 450 Beverly Court.

The fee adjustment proposal was reviewed and approved for DBOT consideration by the PHSC President’s Administrative Leadership Team, a committee of college administrators.

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

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

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

Student loan tip
If you are having trouble repaying federal student loans, you may be able to apply for a deferment, according to the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA).

A deferment allows you to postpone paying loans, if you meet certain guidelines.

You may qualify for a deferment if you are:

  • enrolled in college at least half time
  • in a rehabilitation training program
  • unemployed or can’t find a full-time job
  • having economic hardship
  • on active duty service in the military

However, according to KHEAA, if you have defaulted on your federal loans, you may not be able to get a deferment.

If you qualify for a deferment, you must submit an application, but continue to make your monthly payments until such time as you are told your loans are in deferment.

The public, nonprofit agency KHEAA provides information about financial aid and financial literacy at no cost to students and parents.

The organization also helps colleges manage their student loan default rates and verify information submitted on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

To learn more about services, visit KHEAA.com.

Chalk Talk 08/28/2019

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From left: Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning, Ronak Agarwal, Foundation Board Chairman Mark Van Trees, Emmerson Parks, Logan Beatty, Manok Kambara, Ben Mellin, School Board Chairman Alison Crumbley and Foundation Executive Director Paula Mekley. (Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

Medals of honor
The Pasco County School Board and the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation recognized students who created National History Day projects on Medal of Honor recipients.

The Medal of Honor Convention will be hosted in Tampa, in October.

Student winners and their projects are:

  • Manok Kambara and Logan Beatty, Land O’ Lakes High School: Group Website, Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Mary Edwards Walker
  • Ben Mellin and Ronak Argawal, Land O’ Lakes High School: Group Website, The Hardship & Conquest of Robert Patterson, Congressional Medal of Honor recipient
  • Emmerson Parks, Pasco High School: Individual Documentary, Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Gary Beikirch

Student goes to space camp
Bryce Holeman, of Lutz, attended Space Camp Robotics Camp at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

The weeklong educational program promotes science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), while training students with hands-on activities and missions based on teamwork, leadership and decision-making.

The program is specifically designed for trainees who have a passion for programming and engineering.

Using the Office of Naval Research’s SeaPerch undersea robotics, Holeman, along with teammates, could strengthen teamwork and leadership skills, while learning engineering, programming and wireless control concepts. Using Lego Mindstorms EV3 technology, students tested payloads on unmanned aerial vehicles, and created and piloted underwater robots.

More than 900,000 trainees have graduated from a Space Camp program since its inception in 1982.

To learn more, visit SpaceCamp.com/robotics.

New chair to serve two-year term
Tampa Bay real estate professional D. Dewey Mitchell has become chair of the Saint Leo University Board of Trustees for a two-year term.

Mitchell is co-owner of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Properties Group in Trinity, and markets commercial, industrial and mixed-use properties in Tampa and Central Florida.

Mitchell also has been active in Realtor groups, various regional business development organizations, and nonprofit boards.

He received his bachelor’s degree in commerce and business administration/marketing from the University of Alabama.

He first became a trustee of Saint Leo in 2012. Immediately prior to assuming the role of board chair, Mitchell served as vice chair for two years. His new duties began on July 1.

Belle of the Ball
The Belle of the Ball Project again will provide free homecoming dresses and accessories to in-need high school girls on Sept. 7 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at its boutique at 1210 Holt Ave., in Clearwater.

The event also will take place on Sept. 21, Oct. 5 and Oct. 12, during the same hours.

Dresses will be available to all in-need high school girls for their high school prom, homecoming or military ball.

No referral letter is necessary. No appointment is needed.

A $1 to $5 donation is requested, but not required.

Donations of dresses and accessories also can be made at the site. Large size dresses (size 18 to 26) are the biggest need.

For information, visit BelleOfTheBallProject.com.

Business leaders needed
Nearly 180 Tampa Bay CEOs on Oct. 18 will volunteer an entire day at Hillsborough County public elementary schools as part of a new educational initiative, CEOs in Schools.

A Vistra Communications initiative, in partnership with Hillsborough County Public Schools, CEOs in Schools serves to connect business leaders with the workforce of the future.

The CEOs will see, hear and do the things that our public school educators and students experience, and gain a new perspective on the role of schools in preparing students for success in the future workforce.

As an initiative under Vistra’s 1 Day of Change program, CEOs in Schools is a catalyst for big advances that are possible from just one day of change.

Any CEOs or most senior executives interested in participating can learn more at 1DayOfChange.com, and sign up under the Get Involved tab.

Once a school selection is made, participants will receive an email with program information and the next steps.

For questions about CEOs in Schools, contact Jamie Needham at (813) 961-4700, ext. 201 or .

Avalon Park West Brings The Arts To East Pasco

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Avalon Park West and the Pasco Fine Arts Council are bringing art and cultural events, exhibits and workshops to East Pasco County through a new public-private partnership.

Celebrating their new partnership with the Pasco Fine Arts Council are (left to right) Stephanie Lerret, marketing and community relations for Avalon Park Group; Jo Baughman, director of the Pasco Fine Arts Council; and, Beat Kahli, president and CEO of Avalon Park Group.

This partnership kicks off in September with a series of art exhibits at the Welcome Center at Avalon Park West in Wesley Chapel, at 33613 State Road 54. The first event will showcase Suzanne Natzke, an accomplished watercolor artist and Pasco County resident.

An artist reception for Natzke will take place Friday, Sept. 27 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., along with live music by Jared Violin. The public is invited to meet the artist and enjoy the music at this free community affair, and enjoy complimentary wine and refreshments.

Natzke’s paintings will be displayed through the end of October in Avalon’s Welcome Center, and after her show closes, a new artist will be featured. A total of six artist exhibits are planned during the first year of the new partnership with Pasco Fine Arts Council and Avalon Park West, all hosted at the Welcome Center for East Pasco residents.

“This partnership brings great opportunities to expand the arts to not only our community, but the entire east side of the county,” says Stephanie Lerret, senior vice president of marketing and community relations for the Avalon Park Group. “It is our vision to build Downtown Avalon Park West as the cultural and event center of East Pasco County.”

Paintings by watercolor artist Suzanne Natzke will be the first of six art exhibits hosted by the Pasco Arts Council at Avalon Park West in Wesley Chapel. This one is entitled, Purple Coneflower.

The first phase of Downtown Avalon Park West is currently under construction, and is projected to open next summer. Included in the plans for Downtown is a dedicated Arts Gallery, that will be the permanent East Pasco home for the Pasco Fine Arts Council.

“We’re very excited about expanding the presence of the Fine Arts Council to East Pasco County,” says Jo Baughman, director of the Council. “It will be thrilling to feature local artists and discover new artists through these events and educational opportunities, made possible through the partnership with Avalon Park West.”

For Baughman, who has been involved in the Pasco Fine Arts Council for 22 years, and director for the past four, the invitation from Avalon Park West to work together accomplishes a long-held dream.

“This has been a long time coming, and will be a tremendous help to the artist community and our patrons,” said Baughman. “It’s been really hard to service the entire county without a location in East Pasco, and when Avalon Park contacted us last February and asked if they could partner with us, it was completely unexpected, and we were completely overjoyed!”

Watchful, by Suzanne Natzke

The vision the leaders at Avalon Park West have for the arts in their master-planned community meshes perfectly with that of the Pasco Fine Arts Council.

“We want to have art classes and workshops for our community, and a place to share artwork created by students and adults,” said Lerret. “As it turns out, the Fine Arts Council has been providing these types of programs for years, and all they needed was a place in East Pasco to bring their programs and exhibits to our residents in Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills, San Antonio and Dade City.”

One of the first youth programs the Fine Arts Council will be moving to its Avalon Park West location is the Middle School Photography competition it hosts annually in conjunction with Pasco County Schools.

“This is part of our Kids In Arts program, and is a photography competition where students earn first, second and third place recognition in each grade level,” said Baughman. “We are so excited to now have exhibit space to share these photos with the public.”

For more information on the artist schedule and upcoming events, please visit AvalonParkWest.com or PascoArts.org.

About Avalon Park West
Nestled in serene natural surroundings, Avalon Park West is a master-planned community planned for 4,800 residential homes and over a half million square feet of commercial and civic uses where residents will be in walking and bike riding distance to schools, shops, restaurants, workplaces and recreational amenities. Avalon Park West is a traditional community of small-town life where you can Live, Learn, Work and Play. For more on Avalon Park West, visit AvalonParkWest.com, or call Stephanie Lerret at (407) 427-6073.

About Pasco Fine Arts Council
The Pasco Fine Arts Council Inc., is a public entity created by the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 1, 1978 as a nonprofit organization with the County to encourage community involvement in the arts, provide art education to the community, and to be a leader in stimulating art and cultural entities throughout Pasco County. For more on the Pasco Fine Arts Council, visit PascoArts.org, or contact Jo Baughman at (727) 845-7322 or .

Published August 28, 2019 in Homes