The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Education

Chalk Talk 01/02/2019

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(Courtesy of Melonie Monson)

Students receive citizen honors
The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce has awarded its December Citizens of the Month. Students are chosen by teachers and administration of their schools for exemplary effort, achievement and contribution to their school, family and community. Students receiving the recognition were: Griffin Buchanan, The Academy of Spectrum Diversity; Cody Ramsey, The Broach School; Riley Flanary, Chester Taylor Elementary School; Ethan Joseph, East Pasco Adventist Academy; Isaiah Denison, Heritage Academy; Tatiana Torres-Marquez, Raymond B. Stewart Middle School; Elizabeth Light, West Zephyrhills Elementary School; Lanaiya Vega, Woodland Elementary School; and Peyton Lebron, Zephyrhills High School.

Student achievements

  • Jonathan K. Doyon, of Lutz, graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi with a Doctor of Philosophy
  • Erin Louise Hale, of Lutz, was named to the fall Dean’s List at Missouri Valley College, in the studies of criminal justice
  • Adriana Matallana, of Lutz, received a Master of Arts from the Office of Graduate Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  • Alwina Mohammadali, of Lutz, graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, Tennessee
  • Summer Renee Solovitch, of Dade City, was named to the fall Dean’s List at Missouri Valley College, in the studies of exercise science

Fine arts grant recipients
The First National Bank of Pasco and the Pasco County School Board announced the first fine arts grant recipients as a result of a public-private collaboration between the board and the bank, in a program called ArtsFirst.

The ArtsFirst grant applications were submitted by Pasco fine arts teachers, and awarded by FNBP based upon the grant’s likelihood of improving student achievement and opportunity.

The schools that received ArtsFirst grants in the first quarter include Centennial Elementary, Countryside Montessori, Odessa Elementary, San Antonio Elementary and Thomas Weightman Middle School.

The ArtsFirst initiative will assist fine arts classroom teachers with much-needed supplies, training and tools to help ensure a successful fine arts experience for students.

Recipients can use the grant to purchase anything from instruments to technology to art supplies.

Donald Scott, band director for Thomas Weightman Middle School, will use grant dollars to purchase a new instrument, as well as bolster the jazz band.

Employee of the Year
Pasco Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning announced that Mike Witfoth, maintenance area specialist, is the Pasco County Schools Non-Instructional Non-Bargaining (NNB) Employee of the Year.

Witfoth was recognized with 20 of his Maintenance Services Department colleagues for volunteering to spend a week in Bay County helping Bay District Schools recover from Hurricane  Michael. The group was recognized with the Superintendent’s Teamwork Award.

Witfoth has lived in Pasco County all his life and graduated from River Ridge High School.

After graduation, he started his 17-year career with Pasco County Schools as a maintenance assistant at the Northwest Bus Garage.

He then went on to work in maintenance, learning the trades of fencing, flooring and welding.

After earning his certification as a master custodian, he was hired as assistant plant manager at Pine View Elementary School.

A year later, Witfoth was promoted to plant manager and helped open Connor Elementary.

Six years later, within the Maintenance Services Department, he was promoted to his current position of custodial area specialist.

He oversees 25 elementary school plant managers.

Witfoth will be honored with other employees of the year at a dinner in February.

The district also will nominate him for Florida NNB of the Year.

Best college cities
The personal finance website, WalletHub, released its report on 2019’s Best & Worst College Towns & Cities in America.

To help college-bound high school seniors determine their future home for the next several years, WalletHub compared more than 400 U.S. cities, also group by city size, based on 30 key indicators of academic, social and economic growth potential.

The data set ranges from cost of living to quality of higher education to crime rate.

According to the reports, the top five Best Large College Cities are: No. 1-Austin, Texas; No. 2- Tampa; No. 3-Las Vegas, Nevada; No. 4-Seattle, Washington; and No. 5-Los Angeles, California.

The top five Best Midsize College Cities are: No. 1-Orlando; No. 2-Scottsdale, Arizona; No. 3-Gainesville; No. 4-Salt Lake City, Utah; and No. 5-Madison, Wisconsin.

Florida was not listed in the top 10 for Best Small College Cities.

To view a full report of the top 10, visit WalletHub.com/edu.

This fair was a showcase of ideas — turned into inventions

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Students at John Long Middle School recently transformed the school’s cafeteria and gymnasium into a venue where students showed off inventions they created, based on their ideas.

Eleven-year-old Logan Cantele rolls out his remote-controlled Clawrider robot, which is capable of moving and picking up items. (Christine Holtzman)

The school’s Maker Mania community night was inspired by the concept of Maker Faire, an international movement which encourages people of all ages and backgrounds to produce something unique of their own.

John Long Middle was the first public school in Pasco County to have such a fair, last year, and it was so successful that this year, the school invited the community — as well as the students’ families — to come take a look.

There was plenty to see.

Throughout the cafeteria and gymnasium, long rows of booths showcased creations from 76 students, in sixth through eighth grades.

Eighth-grader Breanna Martin, 13, shows how a hydraulic arm she made is powered by water. Each syringe of colored water represents a different command that the arm is able to perform.

As people stopped by, students explained what they had made and demonstrated how it works.

“The focus is to learn how to do something they didn’t already know how to do,” explained Darcy Cleek, a science teacher at John Long.

Students are taught about the process of engineering, but they also learn how to market their products, Cleek said.

Eleven-year-old Ava Krutulis, for instance, had a booth displaying her name brand ‘AK Toys,’ which she came up with using her initials.

As part of her brand, she presented her blue robotic snake to viewers.

Eleven-year-old Brooke Wheatley demonstrates how her project, a dance shoe dryer and deodorizer, can fix stinky shoes in 15 minutes by using rice, scented oils and a fan.

The snake’s head, body and pointy tail were carefully shaped and constructed from pieces of plastic — held together with toothpicks, beads, hot glue and thumb tacks.

Ava explained the source of inspiration for her project: “My sister really wanted a snake, but we can’t (have one).”

Her mother, Gina, chuckled recalling her response to the request for a real pet snake: “Mom said no,” she said.

Ava decided to make the next best thing.

During her demonstration, the toy snake twisted and slid across the floor with the help of a battery-operated motor.

Down the hall in the gymnasium, Isabel Martinez, 11, displayed her homemade lava lamp.

Using household ingredients, such as bottled water, vegetable oil, food coloring and Alka-Seltzer tablets, 11-year-old Isabel Martinez, shows off a colorful lava lamp she created to demonstrate at Mania Maker Night.

The sixth-grader said the idea caught her eye while she was doing research on Google.

Soda bottles containing water and oil were each placed on light pads so there would be a glow on the inside.

Her booth had instructional poster boards, and she explained how the lava lamp works, while demonstrating.

Vegetable oil and water don’t mix, so when I put the Alka-Seltzer in, the water reacts and pushes it up towards the oil,” she said.

Along with the tablets, Isabel dropped in food coloring, creating an even more interesting visual.

Next to Isabel stood Breanna Martin whose project used different colors of water, released through syringes, to move a hydraulic arm up, down or forward.

Eleven-year-old Naomi Gibson sits behind her ‘Tide Killer Shark,’ a device designed to eliminate red tide, as a previously produced video demonstration that the sixth-grader starred in broadcasts on the television screen.

The 13-year-old said her father who works in construction, and with hydraulic equipment, helped her with her project.

Besides learning how water pressure works, she also learned how to advertise, she said.

“This would help manufacturers,” she added. “Before you have to present something on what you want to build, you have to show them a diagram.”

Back in the cafeteria, 11-year-old Logan Cantele displayed something similar, but more computerized.

“I have a claw machine that moves on wheels,” he stated. “It’s a reliable source.”

The Claw Rider runs on four motors to help move it up, down, to spin and clench small objects.

Using an app on his tablet and a remote control, Logan demonstrated how the claw could pick up a ball and place it inside a cup.

Eleven-year-old Sylvana Armstrong uses a remote control to change the colors of the LED lights on her Bluetooth stereo speaker project that she named the ‘Alien Party Time Music Box.’

The sixth-grader was compelled to create the machine because his late great-grandmother once had limited mobility.

“What I have here is something that can help someone that can’t walk or can’t really do much,” he said.

When asked if his project helped him develop a greater appreciation for science, he replied, “you bet it does – especially the engineering part.”

Sylvana Armstrong, a sixth-grader, made what is essentially a music box.

She redesigned a portable speaker with painted cardboard – an Alien Party Time Music Box.

She demonstrated with a Bluetooth how to connect her phone to the portable speaker.

As she pulled up a music video on YouTube, she could watch the visual and pace around while getting amplified sound at a distance from the speaker.

She said she wanted her project to be unique, and she said, overall, being involved in Maker Mania has helped her to become more creative.

The faculty at John Long didn’t set out to have the students compete with one another, but to learn the fundamentals of being an inventor.

“The things that you can’t get away from [are] critical thinking and problem solving,” Cleek said.

“That’s at the heart of what this whole thing’s about.”

As Cleek surveyed the booths and the crowds of students, she said the sight makes her feel hopeful about the future.

Published December 26, 2018

Chalk Talk 12/26/2018

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Lower division director named
Academy at the Lakes has appointed Araina “Raini” Jewell as the school’s new lower division director.

Araina Jewell

Jewell joined the Academy’s administration this past summer and has worked in partnership with Kathy Heller, the interim lower division director, to lead the lower division program and culture to higher heights.

Jewell earned an undergraduate degree at Brown University and a Master of Science in Early Childhood and Elementary Education at the Bank Street College of Education.

She also worked for J.P. Morgan and on the development team for Nickelodeon’s Nick Jr.’s “Dora Explorer.”

Jewell began independent school work as assistant director of admissions at The Nightingale-Bamford School, and then as director of both the early childhood division and the lower school division at Trevor Day School.

She also has served as principal of the lower school at St. John’s Episcopal Parish Day School in Tampa, before moving to Academy at the Lakes.

Heller will assume the role of director of curriculum and instruction for prekindergarten through sixth grade.

Build A Bear fundraiser nets 200 donations
Two hundred bears were made during the third annual Build A Bear For A Cause campaign, a fundraiser to bring holiday cheer to the under-served children in local elementary schools.

The bears were distributed as follows: 19 to Double Branch Elementary, 32 to New River Elementary, 15 to Quail Hollow Elementary, eight to Seven Oaks Elementary, 30 to Veterans Elementary, 30 to Watergrass Elementary, 14 to Wiregrass Elementary and 44 to Wesley Chapel Elementary.

In response to a last-minute request, eight bears also were donated to New Leaps Academy in Wesley Chapel, a school for children with varied exceptionalities.

A lesson in giving
The Primrose School at Collier Parkway is teaching children in VPK classes an important lesson about giving to others during the holiday season.

Teachers took the three VPK classes on a field trip to Publix in Collier Commons to shop for other families in need served by Pasco Kids First.

The classes of 15 to 21 children took turns shopping at half-hour increments.

The school has had a holiday food drive for Pasco Kids First for the past two years, and the students brought items in from their homes.

In the days that followed, the children and teachers discuss how food banks and shelters help people in the community.

Each activity supports the lessons at the heart of the Caring and Giving Food Drive: compassion, citizenship and giving without expectation.

Visit PrimroseSchools.com/blog to read more about the food drive, and tips for encouraging empathy, selflessness and generosity in young children.

Winter commencement
Pasco-Hernando State College hosted winter commencement Dec. 11 with two ceremonies to honor graduates earning bachelor and associate degrees, certificates and diplomas.

Students in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area receiving degrees were:

• Felix Jimenez, of Wesley Chapel, Associate of Science in network systems technology. Jimenez emigrated to the United States from the Dominican Republic in May 2012.

In addition to being a student, Jimenez works full-time, and is a husband and father to a 4-year-old and an 8-month-old. He learned time management skills to help balance work, school and family.

Jimenez also is an active member of his church and its outreach leadership team.

He plans to work in the IT field.

• Brandon Swanbom, of Land O’ Lakes, graduated with an Associate of Arts and Associate of Science in aviation, professional pilot. Swanbom is a staff sergeant for the Mississippi Air National Guard (U.S. Air Force) since 2014. His position is C-17 Loadmaster in the 183rd Airlift Squadron.

He is the president and founder of the PHSC Flight Club, and a recipient of a 2018 veteran exemplary service award from PHSC Student Life and Leadership.

Swanbom hopes to become a C-17 pilot in his current squadron and a commercial airline pilot in the future.

Early childhood operations course
Pasco-Hernando State College is offering a course for childcare directors to become credentialed.

The course, Operation of an Early Childhood Center, meets Florida Department of Children and Families requirements for the director credential.

Interested childcare workers can enroll now.

The course will be offered on Tuesday evenings from 4:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., starting Jan. 8 through March 5, at the North Campus in Brooksville, 11415 Ponce de Leon Blvd.

It also will be offered on Tuesday evenings from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., March 19 through May 14, at the Spring Hill Campus, 450 Beverly Court.

The course is T.E.A.C.H. scholarship eligible. For information on the scholarship, visit Teach-fl.org.

To learn about the course itself, or to enroll, visit PHSC.edu/academics/continuing-education.

Online poster contest
The Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center is hosting the Kids Safe Online Poster Contest for kindergarten through 12th-grade students, nationwide.

Students can submit pieces of artwork that cover topics such as being safe online, good online security practices, cyber bullying, and how to be a good digital citizen.

The winners of the contest are made into cybersecurity awareness posters and calendars that are distributed throughout the country in recognition of National Cyber Security Awareness Month.

The contest is open until Jan. 25.

For information on how to access the contest guide and registration form, and how to enter and submit artwork, email .

Carin Hetzler-Nettles named principal of the year

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When Pasco County Schools opened Cypress Creek Middle High School, the challenges facing the new leader of that school weren’t the same kind faced by most principals of new schools.

For one thing, the school was the first in the Pasco school district that would be for students in sixth through 11th grade, initially, with a senior class to be added the following year.

For another, the school was pulling students from established middle and high schools — including many families who challenged the school district’s boundaries for the new school.

When it comes to being a cheerleader for her students and staff, Cypress Creek Middle High Principal Carin Hetzler-Nettles is out front, and center. The principal was named Pasco County Schools’ Principal of the Year and is now among the candidates for the state title. (File)

And, of course, there was the issue of combining middle and high school students on the same campus — with their obvious differences in the size, maturity level and academic needs.

So, when the school district was deciding on the leader for Cypress Creek Middle High, it had to be sure that whoever was in charge would be able to rise to the occasion.

“The obvious leader for this new school was Carin Hetzler-Nettles,” Tammy Berryhill, assistant superintendent of high schools for Pasco County, wrote in a letter nominating Hetzler-Nettles for Florida’s principal of the year.

Berryhill noted a number of the principal’s achievements, including her work to raise the performance at Wesley Chapel High School, which she led before being selected as the inaugural principal at Cypress Creek Middle High.

The assistant superintendent noted that Hetzler-Nettles is known for being able to help develop teachers and assistant principals for broader district roles, such as instructional coaches, assistant principals, principals, district supervisors and even one assistant superintendent.

Pasco Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning also sees Hetzler-Nettles’ strengths.

In his letter nominating her for the state honor, Browning observed: “Mrs. Hetzler-Nettles was selected as Principal of the Year from among nearly 80 school principals. Her peers nominated her, and all district administrators voted for the winner. They could not have selected a better example of an outstanding school leader. I am certain she would represent the state of Florida with distinction as the state’s Principal of the Year.”

For her part, Hetzler-Nettles said she “was very shocked, and humbled” to be named Pasco’s principal of the year, especially in light of her high regard for her peers across the district.

Hetzler-Nettles said she embraced the leadership position at Cypress Creek Middle High because it presented unique challenges from the outset.

For one thing, the district hadn’t initially intended to have middle and high school students within a single school on the campus. It had planned to build a high school and a middle school, but lack of funding changed those plans.

With pressing needs for more classroom space, the district decided to house grades six through 12 on the campus, temporarily, until the new middle school could be built.

And, instead of having separate principals for the middle and high school programs, Hetzler-Nettles was chosen to lead the entire campus, with assistant principals to support her.

The job had built-in challenges
Hetzler-Nettles described some of them, in an essay she wrote that’s included in her statewide nomination packet.

“I’m not going to lie, and say it was easy, and that all of the students zoned to attend Cypress Creek Middle High School were excited about the change.

“In fact, it was extremely difficult to get the students to buy in to the culture, community and identity we were building at Cypress Creek.

“Who could blame them? For decades, some of the communities that were rezoned to attend Cypress Creek were Wildcats or Bulls, and now they were forced to be Coyotes.

“The idea of having to leave friends who lived in a different neighborhood that was not affected by the boundary change, and attend a new school that had no familiarity, was a challenge for most students.

“It was my job to combat those fears and make the students’ transition from their previous school to Cypress Creek as smooth as possible.”

Long before the school opened, the principal began reaching out to schools that would be sending students and to parents of those students — to begin building the new community that would become Cypress Creek Middle High.

The principal said she knew many parents were worried about having sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders on the same campus as high school students.

Steps were taken to ensure that the middle school and high school students were kept separate.

At the same time, Hetzler-Nettles knew there were opportunities for high school students to develop leadership skills, and for middle school students to take advantage of academic possibilities.

For instance, middle school students could walk across campus for high school classes, and high school students could serve in ways that they could become positive role models for younger students.

“I know how awesome high school kids are. If you set high expectations for them, they will rise to the challenge,” the principal said.

Being named Pasco Schools’ principal of the year is icing on the cake for Hetzler-Nettles.

“I cherish this job and I love the work that I do, and feel that being a principal is an important role,” she said. “I see the power of good leadership — in getting kids excited about all of the possibilities that await them in life.

“I see the power in setting processes and procedures and high expectations for students, and for people who work with me and for me, and for myself,” she said.

She loves being an educator because the field is filled with people who are always striving for improvement.

“That’s a true love of mine: To think of ways that would engage kids to move something forward or make something better, and to have people rally around or come up with ideas and then to put that to work and to see it in action,” she said.

It’s not a passion that everyone shares, she added.

“People don’t always love change. But, I get very excited about, ‘How can we improve this? How can we always be striving to make things better?’

Being a principal is rewarding, but not always easy, she said.

“There’s not a day that I don’t come to work that there’s not a challenge, and it’s not always the same one,” she said.

It’s a job that requires grit and perseverance — but those are attributes that everyone needs in life, she said.

“You’ve got to have grit and perseverance, and set high expectations for yourself, in order to make it through whatever path you choose in life,” the principal said.

“You’re going to get knocked down in life. We all do and we all have.

“It’s really how you approach those challenges and roadblocks that are going to get put in front of you — as to how successful you are going to be in whatever you choose to do,” Hetzler-Nettles said.

Published December 19, 2018

Chalk Talk 12/19/2018

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(Courtesy of Renee Gerstein, Saint Leo University)

Class of 2018 graduates leadership program
Saint Leo University recently graduated its 2018 class from the Leadership Saint Leo program, which is designed to develop and train leaders. The program began in 2005 to expand leadership capacity, build culture, and create a common leadership lexicon across the university, including its education centers and online offices. Front row: Elainne Feeney, Jennifer Martell, Moneque Walker-Pickett, Sharon Scruggs, Raphael Rosado-Ortiz, Jeffrey D. Senese (Saint Leo president), Amanda Ross, Dawn Boltin and Kristen Nash. Back row: Cyrus Brown, Colleen McIlroy, Jessica Markham, Charlene Cofield, Melinda Carver, Lan Pham and Nancy (Laura) Cheek.

Student winter break
Both Pasco and Hillsborough county schools will closed for winter break from Dec. 24 through Jan. 7. All students will return to classes on Jan. 8.

For complete 2018-2019 school calendars, visit Pasco.k12.fl.us/calendar or SDHC.k12.fl.us/calendar.

Festival of Reading
The 2018 Tampa Bay Times Festival of Reading took place in November and featured a lineup of children’s authors, adult authors, music and food.

The winners of the 2017-2018 Tampa Bay Times Newspaper in Education Science Fiction and Fantasy Writing Award (an annual writing contest for area high school students) were honored at a presentation at the festival.

Allana Taylor, a Sunlake High School student, was recognized as the 2018 second runner-up for her submission, “How to Resurrect Your Fish in Five Easy Steps.”

Vice president appointed
Dr. Jeffrey D. Senese, Saint Leo University president, announced the appointment of Dr. Mary T. Spoto as vice president of Academic Affairs.

Spoto, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, has served as the acting vice president of Academic Affairs since Senese was named president.

She has served in several roles during her 25-year history with Saint Leo.

Prior to serving as dean, she was chair of the Department of English, Fine Arts and Humanities (now the Department of Language Studies and the Arts).

She also is a professor of English.

Spoto earned her Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, and doctoral degree in English from the University of South Florida.

Military academies nominations
U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) officially nominated 27 high school students for admission into the nation’s military academies: Air Force (USAFA), Navy (USNA), Army (USMA) and Merchant Marine (USMMA).

Nominations are earned based upon each student’s interview with Castor’s Nomination Committee, their individual academic record, extracurricular activities and leadership qualities.

All U.S. military academies, except the Coast Guard Academy, based upon U.S. law, require a nomination from their Congressional representative, senator or the vice president of the United States as part of the application process.

Students from The Laker/Lutz News coverage area that were nominated were Josef Stooks, Steinbrenner High School (USMA), and Christian Thompson, Wharton High School (USNA).

Parents and students interested in the nomination process can visit Castor.house.gov.

Online poster contest
The Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center is hosting the Kids Safe Online Poster Contest for kindergarten through 12th-grade students, nationwide.

Students can submit pieces of artwork that cover topics such as being safe online, good online security practices, cyber bullying, and how to be a good digital citizen.

The winners of the contest are made into cybersecurity awareness posters and calendars that are distributed throughout the country in recognition of National Cyber Security Awareness Month.

The contest is open until Jan. 25.

For information on how to access the contest guide and registration form, and how to enter and submit artwork, email .

Pasco has new process for school choice program

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Pasco County Schools adopted a new approach this year for its school choice program.

Now, the district has separate time frames for submission of secondary and elementary school choice applications.

People gathered at various booths at the Pasco Pathways Expo at Wesley Chapel High School, to learn more about Pasco County Schools’ educational options. (B.C. Manion)

Also, all school choice options including International Baccalaureate (IB), Cambridge, STEM, Collegiate High School and Wendell Krinn Technical High School have been combined into one time frame for secondary schools.

And, the school choice options for elementary schools, including International Baccalaureate (IB), Cambridge and STEAM also have been combined into one time frame.

The application window already has opened for choice applications for middle and high school students in Pasco County Schools, with a deadline of Dec. 14 for those applications. The parent acceptance period for those students is Feb. 5 through Feb. 15.

The choice application period for elementary school students will be Jan. 8 through Jan. 18. The parent acceptance period for those students will be Feb. 20 through March 1.

To help families understand the new process and their options, the district had two choice expos.

Parents streamed into an expo on Nov. 29 at Wesley Chapel High School, accompanied by children of all ages to check out their school choice options.

At various locations on campus, parents and their children could attend presentations on school choice programs, and in the school’s gym, they could stop by tables to talk to school representatives about programs being offered at their school.

A similar expo was held on Nov. 26 at  J.W. Mitchell High School in New Port Richey.

The east-side and west-side events, both billed as the Pasco Pathways Expo, were intended to be a convenient way to learn about the district’s programs and the application process.

Information about various programs available, how to make application and answers to frequently asked questions also are available on the district’s website, Pasco.k12.fl.us. (Look for the rotating banner at the top of the landing page labeled Pasco Pathways Innovative Programs and School Choice, and click on the Learn More link below it).

Published December 12, 2018

Sunlake senior wins countywide honor

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Since she stepped foot upon Sunlake High School’s campus four years ago, Jillian Gordy has strived to make a difference within her school and community.

Sunlake High School student Jillian Gordy has been named Pasco County Schools’ 2018-2019 Outstanding Senior. The award is given on the basis of academic record, service, leadership, citizenship, and evidence of commitment to school and community. (Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

She’s spearheaded new school traditions.

She’s been involved in numerous clubs and service organizations.

And, she’s managed to maintain a 4.0-plus grade point average.

The 18-year-old’s efforts have not gone unnoticed.

Last month, the young woman from Lutz was named Pasco County Schools’ 2018-2019 Outstanding Senior Award.

The award is given on the basis of academic record, service, leadership, citizenship, and evidence of commitment to school and community. Students considered for the award are nominated by the student body, principals, faculty and staff. Nominees from each high school in Pasco are then interviewed by a panel of administrators who ultimately narrow the selection to one student to represent the school district.

Gordy said she was surprised to even be nominated for the senior award because she only takes one class on Sunlake’s campus.

She takes the rest of her senior classes off-campus at Pasco-Hernando State College.

“I’m just really honored to be able to represent Sunlake, and honored to be named for this award,” the 18-year-old said in a recent interview with The Laker/Lutz News. “I wasn’t really expecting it.”

What she lacks in classroom time at Sunlake, Gordy makes up for in student involvement.

She serves as executive student body president and has been an officer in student government for four years.

In the senior leadership role, she’s already helped enact two new traditions at Sunlake.

Within the first few months of her term, Gordy persuaded school administration to enable seniors and school staff to paint their parking spots as a way to encourage school spirit.

While a relatively common practice for many other high schools, it marked a first for Sunlake.

“I was really proud of seeing that come to fruition,” Gordy said. “People don’t like their spots being taken in the morning, so this was something that the kids really looked forward to and the staff really loved, and it was really a morale boost.”

Her other tradition? Making goodie bags for incoming freshman during orientation.

Gordy refers to the goodie bags as “survival kits.” They contain applications for clubs, athletic information and homecoming information. The idea is to encourage new students to get involved.

“I wish that all schools could do that because it gives everyone a chance to get involved and no one can say, ‘Oh, I didn’t know about that club in freshman year,’” Gordy said.

Besides being involved in student government, Gordy also is president of the French Honor Society and French Club.

Her mother’s family is French-Canadian, she said, noting, “I was kind of connecting with my roots through French Honor Society and learning about French culture.”

Gordy also is a member of the National Honor Society and class director of Sunlake’s Key Club, a volunteer and service organization.

She’s racked up more than 450 volunteer hours through Key Club.

During her sophomore year, she led the club’s first Toys for Tots gift drive. (Toys for Tots is a program run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve, which distributes toys to children whose parents cannot afford to buy them gifts for Christmas.)

During that effort, she asked her peers to bring in more gifts for teenagers, after noticing that youths ages 13 to 17 are often overlooked by donors.

Gordy became a volunteer with Toys for Tots when she was just 5. She credits her mom, Carol, for getting her involved.

“My mom has really influenced me to be a volunteer for life and really dedicate my life to service,” Gordy said.

Over the years, Gordy said she noticed that most of the gifts provided for teenagers involve sporting equipment, such as basketballs and footballs.

To help improve the situation, she made a donation list for fellow Key Club members, asking for gifts such as books, science kits, art supplies and beauty products.

She’s continued the initiative ever since, and is now working with Kiwanis of Greater West Pasco to expand awareness and increase donations for teens.

Gordy underscored the importance of addressing that issue: “Those are the children that are usually taking care of their younger siblings, and they’re more of like a parental figure, and so we really need to take care of them during the holiday season.”

Because of her work with Toys for Tots, Gordy received the Anne Frank Humanitarian Award last year. The award is presented by the Florida Holocaust Museum to one junior in each of the public and private high schools in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Sarasota and Manatee counties.

Besides her service and leadership qualities, Gordy’s academic achievements are admirable, too.

She’s been named to the All-As Academic Honor Roll every year of high school.

She won the AP Scholar Award for getting 5s — the highest score possible—on every AP exam she took.

She also earned the Science Achievement Award in AP Environmental Science as a sophomore.

In addition to her AP course load, Gordy has been taking dual enrollment courses since her sophomore year — earning 35 college credits to date. She was also awarded the English Achievement Award for dual enrollment as a sophomore and junior, and made the PHSC Honor Roll both semesters of the 2017-2018 school years.

Gordy credits much of her success to her teachers at Sunlake and PHSC.

“My teachers have been amazing,” Gordy said. “I’ve learned so much from my classes and they’ve really shaped me as a person, and they shaped what I want to go into.”

That also includes her mother  — who is a marine science teacher at Sunlake.

Gordy noted education was “very, very emphasized” in the family’s household.

“She definitely taught me the meaning of education and how important it is,” Gordy said, “and how much that education can influence others, as well as yourself, and how everything can be achieved through education. I definitely learned to love school and to love learning through her.”

Gordy said she’s still undecided on which college she plans to attend. But, her sights are on becoming a civil engineer and working for Engineers Without Borders, a nonprofit humanitarian organization that assists developing communities worldwide with engineering projects.

Reflecting on her high school career, Gordy is appreciative of the level of support she’s received from the Sunlake teachers and administration.

She’s also grateful for the numerous opportunities afforded to her through school clubs and other organizations.

“The amount of school spirit at Sunlake when I was a freshman was so amazing that I wanted to be more involved,” Gordy said. “I just wanted to be part of like the change at our school.”

Published December 12, 2018

Chalk Talk 12/12/2018

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Saint Leo begins Christmas season
Saint Leo University kicked off the Christmas season at the school’s annual tree-lighting ceremony at the main campus on Nov. 27.

Saint Leo University’s nativity scene (Courtesy of Cameron Wallace, The Lion’s Pride Media Group)

Father Kyle Smith, university chaplain, read the Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke, and then blessed the Christmas tree and the nativity, leading the Saint Leo community in prayer as it prepared for Advent.

Music was provided by students Olivia Callahan and Allie Losee, and Dr. Cynthia Selph, director of the music program. Lucas Nocera, music minister for University Ministry, played the keyboard and led everyone in Christmas carols.

The evening was capped off with cookies and treats for the students, faculty and staff.

Also presented were four performances of “A Saint Leo Christmas” by the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Department of Language Studies and the Arts.

Maker Mania Night
John Long Middle School will host a Maker Mania Night on Dec. 17 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

A Maker Faire is an international movement in which participants learn to do something they didn’t already know how to do. Each project works through the engineering cycle to solve problems related to their purpose.

The format will be an open-house style in which visitors can take a look at the booths of the children and learn about the work they have done.

For information, contact Darcy Cleek at (813) 346-6200 or .

Online poster contest
The Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center is hosting the Kids Safe Online Poster Contest for kindergarten through 12th-grade students, nationwide.

Students can submit pieces of artwork that cover topics such as being safe online, good online security practices, cyber bullying, and how to be a good digital citizen.

The winners of the contest are made into cybersecurity awareness posters and calendars that are distributed throughout the country in recognition of National Cyber Security Awareness Month.

The contest is open until Jan. 25.

For information on how to access the contest guide and registration form, and how to enter and submit artwork, email .

Model United Nations Conference
Students from Tallahassee Community College’s Model United Nations team won five awards at the National Model United Nations Conference in Washington D.C., in November.

That team included a local student from The Laker/Lutz News coverage area: Samuel Goetz, of Odessa.

TCC’s student team represented the U.N. delegations of Sweden and Nepal. Both delegations earned Honorable Delegation Awards for their overall team effort in representing and speaking for these nations in various U.N. committees.

The team was also recognized with three Position Paper Awards, which are based on the research and written policy positions submitted by students prior to the conference.

While in D.C., students had the chance to meet with political counselors at the Swedish embassy to discuss potential solutions to a wide range of international issues.

Luminary Award given
The Pasco Education Foundation’s Take Stock in Children Scholarship program has been named a recipient of the statewide Take Stock in Children 2018 Luminary Award.

The program provides scholarships, mentors and hope to eligible students, and is committed to breaking the cycle of poverty through education.

The criteria for the award is to exceed targets in every category of the Balanced Scorecard, the measurement of deliverables set by the statewide Take Stock in Children headquarters and the Florida Department of Education.

Key performance indicators include the areas of student recruitment, mentor matching and sessions, student learning and growth, and operational and financial perspective.

Chalk Talk 12/05/2018

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Elissa Gomez and Rabbi Yochanan Salazar (Courtesy of Hillel Academy)

Academy creates new Torah
The Murray and Sarah Fisch family have donated a new Torah to Hillel Academy, in memory of Murray’s father, Jerry Fisch. An ark also is being built in his honor.

Writing a Torah is the 613th Mitzvah (commandment), making this gesture even more significant.

“Jewish values are very important to our family. Being given the opportunity to contribute to creating a Torah for Hillel Academy is the true embodiment of L’dor Vador (Generation to Generation). This will be shared with future generations as a testament to our Jewish values and beliefs,” said Sara Fisch, in a release.

A sofer (scribe) will visit the school in January and in March to enable students, families and community members to help write the Torah to fulfill this commandment, by dedicating parts of the Torah and/or the ark.

Musical & art show
Centennial Elementary School, 38501 Centennial Road in Dade City, will present a Holiday Musical & Art Show, “A Very Merry Grinchmas,” on Dec. 6 at 6:30 p.m.

The event will include a fourth and fifth grade musical, featuring the chorus and first-graders.

For information, call (352) 524-5000.

Students of the Month
The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce recognized students from across the community as November Students of the Month.

Each individual was honored for exemplary effort, achievement and contribution to their school, family and community.

The students receiving recognition were: Kamryn Morfey, The Academy of Spectrum Diversity; Dylan Powers, The Broach School; Ricardo Morales, Chester Taylor Elementary School; Griffin Blair, East Pasco Adventist Academy; Skylar Goeb, Heritage Academy; Trinity Williams, Raymond B. Stewart Middle School; Pushti Patel, West Zephyrhills Elementary School; Makayla Suarez, Woodland Elementary School; Anna Cahill, Woodland Elementary School; Nayairis Rivera, Zephyrhills Christian Academy; Bryce Sanders, Zephyrhills High School; and Taija McCullough, Zephyrhills High School.

Flu shots for students
Pasco County Schools will again partner with Healthy Schools LLC and the Florida Department of Health in Pasco to administer no-cost flu shots to students.

The clinics will take place starting on Dec. 12.

In order for a student to receive a flu vaccine shot during their scheduled clinic day, a parent/guardian must register online.

This is a voluntary service, so if the parent does not want a child to receive the flu shot, they should not register or complete a consent form, or they can check the ‘No’ box at the top of the form given at each school.

To view the 2018 flu shot schedule and to register a student, go to Pasco.k12.fl.us/ssps/health.

Board members announced
Steve Knobl, executive director of the Early Learning Coalition of Pasco and Hernando Counties, has announced that Gov. Rick Scott has appointed Jacob Horner to the Coalition’s Board of Directors.

Horner, of Odessa, is the senior manager of Government Affairs with WellCare Health Plans.

He has a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from Florida State University.

Horner fills a vacant seat on the Coalition’s board and was appointed for a term that began on Nov. 16 and runs through April 30.

The District School Board of Pasco County also has sworn in three members.

Cynthia Armstrong and Allen Altman are returning members, and Megan Harding is the newest member of the board, filling the vacant seat of Steve Luikart (retiring).

As part of the reorganization, Allison Crumbley was elected chair and Colleen Beaudoin was elected vice chair.

Making a case for higher learning

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Dr. Jeffrey Senese, the president of Saint Leo University, talked about the role and importance of higher education in today’s society during a breakfast meeting of the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce.

The leader of one of the nation’s largest Catholic universities tackled what he called public misperceptions regarding the words “liberal arts.”

Saint Leo University President Dr. Jeffrey Senese speaks about the importance of a college education during a Nov. 6 breakfast meeting at Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus. (Brian Fernandes)

“They’re ‘bad’ words today,” Senese said, noting that the word “liberal” has a political connotation and the word “arts” has the stigma of unemployment attached to it.

Senese contends that those notions aren’t true.

“Math and sciences are liberal arts,” Senese said, and so is the study of “universal principles.”

Indeed, the state requires that a large portion of an academic degree be focused on the liberal arts, “so when people leave the university, they have this broad skillset in addition to their major,” Senese said.

The image of higher education also has declined, the Saint Leo president acknowledged, noting that 61 percent of the population doesn’t like the direction in which it is heading.

Reasons contributing to that include the media’s portrayal of institutions and the  hyperpolitical partisan environment in which we live, he said.

The private college president also addressed the concern about rising tuition.

Some costs result from meeting campus regulations, and also from the expense of hiring personnel who can meet students’ expectations and needs, he said.

Academia itself is also at fault for its image because learning institutions do a poor job of communicating and justifying the benefits of a higher education, Senese said.

Professors allowing their political views to influence their teaching and employers’ dissatisfaction by the inability of recent graduates to perform well in the workplace also contribute to negative views, he said.

To help change that, Senese implored business owners and employers in the audience to play an active role on advisory boards to ensure that students graduate with the necessary skills.

“If you’re not getting what you need, speak up and help us,” Senese said.

He also addressed the perception that online courses are not up-to-par with the traditional classroom setting.

Online courses, he explained are provided as a matter of convenience for students, especially older ones, who are bound by their job and family life.

“A lot of online students would love to take in-class [courses] if they could,” the college president said.

Despite criticisms of higher education, Senese noted that an academic degree has definite benefits.

The unemployment rate is much lower for those with a bachelor’s degree, he said.

Liberal arts graduates also tend to have a 30 percent to 100 percent chance of being in a leadership role, and they are  22 percent to 66 percent more likely to contribute back to their society in a charitable way, he said.

And, on a personal level, those with degrees tend to have longer marriages and better family lives, he added.

Senese was named the university’s 10th president in July. He had been serving as acting president since April, after William J. Lennox Jr., stepped down from the role.

Senese’s remarks came during the chamber’s monthly business breakfast meeting on Nov. 6, at Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch in Wesley Chapel.

Senese is a Pennsylvania State University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. He also has a master’s degree in criminology at Indiana State University and has a Ph.D. in criminal justice/research methods/statistics from Michigan State University.

Published November 28, 2018