The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Education

Chalk Talk 01/16/2019

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School Board recognitions of 2018

  • Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative presented a check to Pasco County Schools for $216,266.57, which represents the remaining monies allocated to each member after operating expenses are paid, based on the amount of energy consumed during the year.
  • Pasco Clerk & Comptroller Paula S. O’ Neil sponsored the fifth annual Constitutional Essay Contest for fifth-graders. First place was awarded to Carly Bowling from Woodland Elementary School, and second place was given to Priscilla Savill from Lake Myrtle Elementary.
  • The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program recognizes and honors distinguished graduating high school seniors. Pasco County Schools selected Estefania Acosta, of Land O’ Lakes High School, for the general scholar award category; and Jaelyn Kirkland, of Wiregrass Ranch High School, for the career and technical education category.
  • The Outstanding Senior 2019 was awarded to Jillian Gordy, of Sunlake High School, based on her representation of the school through her leadership, service and citizenship.
  • Supervisor of Elections Brian Corley recruited the assistance of the teacher and students in Wesley Chapel High’s Television Production class to create a public service announcement video encouraging people to vote.

Elementary school choice
The Pasco Pathways application window for elementary schools is open through Jan. 18.

This will be the only opportunity for 2019-2020 elementary school students to apply.

Parents must have or set up a myStudent account, which will be used to complete school choice applications.

Families may enter up to three choices per child, and must be willing to accept any one of the options chosen. The system will offer enrollment only once per child.

To view the Pasco Pathways catalog of programs, visit Pasco.k13.fl.us/school_choice_catalog/catalog.

Car wash fundraiser
The Zepyrhills High School Cheer Team will host a car wash fundraiser on the south lot of Thomas and Son Inc., at 4542 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills, Jan. 19 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The team’s goal is to raise $2,000 needed for the Bulldog cheerleaders to compete in the National High School Cheerleading Championships, at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando from Feb. 8 to Feb. 10.

Thomas and Son is donating space at the dealership to help the team earn the remaining expenses for the trip.

Kindergarten countdown
During the month of January, schools across Hillsborough County will be hosting “Kindergarten Countdown.”

If your child will be entering kindergarten for the 2019-2020 school year, you will want to attend a Countdown event. These events will offer students and families a firsthand look at kindergarten life, and offer an opportunity to get acquainted with the school’s campus and teachers.

Parents who are able to bring documentation to the event will be able to register at that time.

For a list of items needed for registration and a Countdown schedule, visit SDHC.k12.fl.us.

Stay connected
To receive Pasco County Schools announcements through SMS text messaging to your mobile phone, text “Y” to the number, 67587.

Be sure the school has your mobile phone number on file.

You will receive a confirmation message from the school’s messaging system

You can unsubscribe at any time by texting the word “STOP” TO 67587.

Remember to create a contact in your phone with the name of the school and the phone number, 67587.

Message and data rates may apply.

Scholarships for women
GFWC Florida will award two $3,000 scholarships to women returning to college who need financial assistance for education to achieve their goal to gain employment and become self-sufficient.

Recipients must be a Florida resident and attend an accredited Florida public college, university or technical school as a full-time student.

The recipient’s application, personal statement and two references must be submitted by email to .

The application and recommended forms are available online at GFWCFlorida.org, under Member Resources, Grants, Scholarships and Awards.

The deadline for applications is March 1.

For more information about the program, contact Candi Aubin at (850) 508-3107 or .

Essay contest
Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano’s offices are accepting entries for an essay contest, for Pasco County’s high school students in grades 9 to 12.

Students of Pasco County’s public/charter, private, parochial, non-public and home-schools can enter.

In 500 words or less, students should answer the question, “Should property taxes be raised or lowered? What would be the impact of whichever decision you make?”

Entries will be judged by a panel of directors from the tax collector’s office, and will be reviewed on how well the student communicates the response to the question, as well as overall essay structure, appearance and readability.

All entries must include the student’s name, school, grade and contact information.

Students should submit essays to their principal, who will then forward it to the tax collector’s office.

Those in private, parochial, non-public or home-schools can send essays directly to Greg Giordano, assistant tax collector, Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office, P.O. Box 276, Dade City, FL 33526.

Entries also will be accepted by email to .

The deadline to enter is 5 p.m., Feb. 28.

The winner will be notified by telephone no later than March 22.

Child care center coming to Wiregrass Ranch

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The Wiregrass Ranch community will soon have its own full-fledged child care center.

Kiddie Academy of Wiregrass Ranch is set to open this fall — serving children from 6 weeks to 12 years old.

The 10,000-square-foot facility is being built at 2900 Hueland Pond Blvd., in Wesley Chapel, right across the street from Wiregrass Ranch High School and Pasco-Hernando State College Porter Campus on Mansfield Boulevard.

It marks the first child care center in Wiregrass Ranch.

Kiddie Academy of Wiregrass Ranch is set to open in the fall. The 10,000-square-foot facility, being built at 2900 Hueland Pond Blvd., in Wesley Chapel, will serve children between as young as 6 weeks up to 12 years old. (Courtesy of Javier Rojas)

Educational day care programming will be offered for preschool, voluntary pre-kindergarten and kindergarten, while aftercare programming will be offered for kids ages 6 to 12 years old; various summer camp programs also will be available.

At build out, Kiddie Academy of Wiregrass Ranch will be able to accommodate 167 students and will have upward of 40 staff members, according to its franchisee and owner Javier Rojas, who was present at a Jan. 3 groundbreaking ceremony for the facility.

Kiddie Academy is a franchise with more than 200 locations nationwide, including a location in Carrollwood and another coming in Westchase. The franchise was founded in 1981.

Rojas, who is chief medical officer at AdventHealth Zephyrhills (formerly Florida Hospital Zephyrhills), said he and his wife, Maggie Delgado, had an interest in opening a franchise in the Wesley Chapel area about two years ago.

Realizing a need for child care in the area, Rojas said the couple set their sights on Kiddie Academy “to give back and be part of this community and extend our roots.”

The Wiregrass Ranch location will utilize the Kiddie Academy Life Essentials curriculum, which promotes each child’s intellectual, social, physical and emotional growth.

A groundbreaking ceremony for Kiddie Academy of Wiregrass Ranch took place on Jan. 3. It will be the first child care center in Wiregrass Ranch. Shown are co-owners Javier Rojas and Maggie Delgado. (Kevin Weiss)

In addition to age-based curriculum, STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and music classes will be offered for all ages.

The academy, too, will feature family-style dining, whereby kids will all share in eating nutritious meals together at the same table.

Rojas said at Kiddie Academy, students “learn without knowing they’re learning.”

Rojas added: “Our developmentally appropriate curriculum gives your child a full day of learning no matter what he or she is doing. Some of the best learning happens without your child knowing it.

“Respect, friendship, sharing, compassion and manners — those are the life essentials that Kiddie Academy would like to proliferate,” he said.

The aftercare center, meanwhile, will have playrooms with computers for kids to use for homework, and for fun.

Kiddie Academy also will feature a large outdoor recreation area, equipped with a soccer field, splash pad, playground, race track, and a harvesting garden and other amenities.

Also noteworthy: Instead of a drop-off and pickup line, Kiddie Academy parents will be required to sign in and sign out their children each day, via a check-in system requiring a fingerprint ID.

For more information, call (813) 702-5656, or visit KiddieAcademy.com/academies/wiregrass-ranch/.

Published January 9, 2019

Chalk Talk 01/09/2019

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(Courtesy of Benjamin Watters, Saint Leo University)

Puppies help curb exam stress
Saint Leo University’s Counseling Services offers ‘Puppies and Pizza’ twice a semester to offer stress-reducing effects to students during midterms and finals. Pet therapy can help lower blood pressure, releasing endorphins, which have a calming effect and can diminish physical pain. The event also lets the students know about the free and confidential counseling services should they need further assistance. At a recent event, Saint Leo student Michael Aldridge grabbed a slice a pizza and petted Lou (a Shih Tzu-Chihuahua mix), owned by Mary Eversmann.

Elementary school choice
The Pasco Pathways application window for elementary schools opened Jan. 8, and parents can apply through Jan. 18.

This will be the only opportunity for 2019-2020 elementary school students to apply.

  • Parents must have or set up a myStudent account, which will be used to complete school choice applications.
  • Families may enter up to three choices per child, and must be willing to accept any one of the options chosen. The system will offer enrollment only once per child.
  • To view the Pasco Pathways catalog of programs, visit Pasco.k13.fl.us/school_choice_catalog/catalog.

School-related personnel of the year
Katie Jeffcott, resource management associate at R.B. Stewart Middle School in Zephyrhills, was named Pasco County Schools SRP of the Year.

Jeffcott started her career with Pasco County Schools nine years ago as a food and nutrition assistant at John Long Middle School.

She has been at Stewart Middle for the last six years. Her primary responsibilities include all the inventory, distribution, maintenance and repair of the school’s technology.

Jeffcott also coaches cheerleading, boys and girls soccer, and track.

She volunteers at Stewart Middle, outside her coaching responsibilities, with the National Junior Honor Society, dances, and fundraising for school and community projects.

Jeffcott serves on several school committees, and has created and coordinated several programs, including alternative field day, intensive math rewards, carnivals, spirit week, pep rallies and book fairs.

The school district will nominate her for the Florida SRP of the Year.

Academy’s culture of kindness
The Hillel Academy staff and students created a Culture of Chesed (Kindness), through a strategic plan and curriculum created by a team of educators.

Throughout the school, value words like ‘Truthfulness’ adorn the doors and hallways as reminders to students about the virtue of the week. Teachers and students discuss virtues in class.

As part of the ‘kindness’ culture each month, students and staff collect goods for charities or groups in need, as part of its Tzedakah (Charity) Project. The year started off by collecting for Joshua House.

Last October, hundreds of pacifiers were collected for infants at St. Joseph Hospital, via Emmi Grace’s Angels; and in November, Panama City’s Holy Nativity Episcopal School, devastated by the impact of Hurricane Michael, received donations.

Students have been very receptive to the idea, said Allison Oakes, head of school, in a release.

Oakes explained that the students are there for one another and are understanding that doing good for others is what’s right.

“Learning this life lesson is an important part of our school culture as a whole,” Oakes said.

Hillel Academy is at 2020 W. Fletcher Ave., in Tampa, and can be reached at (813) 963-2242.

Step Up program benefits from donation
Globe Life made a $25,000 contribution to the Step Up For Students Scholarship Program for the 2018-2019 school year.

This is the first time Globe Life has supported the program.

The company’s donation funded three K-12 scholarships to help lower-income children attend schools that best meet their learning needs.

Step Up For Students is a nonprofit organization that helps manage the income-based Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program.

Grant funds summer institute
The Community Foundation of Tampa Bay approved $40,000 in grant funds for Pasco County Schools, for a project that seeks to improve teacher and leader professional learning with the goal of greater student outcomes.

The grant will be used to plan and develop training materials for the 2019 Pasco Standards Summer Institute.

The institute will take place while schools are closed, so teachers can attend and begin to embed their deeper learning into their planning for the 2019-2020 school year.

Addressing each student’s unique needs is her calling

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Drop by Holly Mickler’s classroom at Pasco Middle School in Dade City, and ask her students a few questions about their teacher, and you’ll hear some interesting answers.

Does she truly deserve to be Pasco County Schools’ teacher of the year?

Yes!

The class emphatically responds.

How would you describe her to someone who doesn’t know her?

First, they offer succinct responses: Wonderful. Amazing. Funny. Hardworking.

Then, they begin to elaborate.

“She wants the best for her students,” one says.

“She’s like your school mom,” says another.

Holly Mickler, Pasco County Schools’ teacher of the year, helps her students prepare for college and life. (B.C. Manion)

“She’s not only there for her students, but she’s there for her students’ families. My dad was sick, and she and the tutors brought over food for us,” still another responds.

“I had a problem with a different teacher, and she was the first one that I went to about it,” another student says, with appreciation.

“When I was in the hospital, she actually took the time to get my work from my other teachers and give it to me,” another shares.

It sounds like Mickler may have some of the very characteristics she admired in the woman who inspired her to become a teacher.

That woman was her kindergarten teacher, Dawn Brown, in Statesville, North Carolina.

Mickler was just 5 years old when she decided to become a teacher.

Her kindergarten teacher took a personal interest in her students, Mickler explained.

“I would see that love that she had for us,” Mickler said.

She cared beyond the classroom walls.

“She invited me to her house and I would play with her daughters, who were high schoolers at the time. We would sit down and play school,” she added.

It was a different time, and place, Mickler wrote, in an essay contained in her teacher of the year packet.

But, just like then, Mickler said, every student is unique and has individual needs.

“I like the challenge of trying to figure out where they need the assistance, and the best way to get it for them. Sometimes you have to get creative.

“I had a kid the other day who walked in and said, ‘I just need a hug,’ ” she said.

She said one of the main things she tells her students is: “Keep your opportunities open. Don’t start closing doors by the choices you are making now.”

Mickler, who has been at Pasco Middle School in Dade City for 14 years, is the teacher and coordinator in the school’s AVID program. The acronym stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination.

She built that program at her middle school from the ground up.

It’s an elective college prep and life skills course aimed at students who typically find themselves in the middle, with some slightly above average and others slightly below, she said.

“They have what it takes to go to college,” she said, but they may need a little extra support in some areas.

The course is about helping students advance through individual determination — and that means knowing more than just how to analyze a piece of writing or solve a mathematics problem, Mickler said.

It also requires knowing how to advocate for yourself, how to resolve conflicts and how to prioritize the importance — and order of tasks — that need to be done, she said.

Mickler calls that mastering the soft skills needed to navigate the “hidden curriculum” of school.

The teacher said she’s lucky because her job gives her the luxury of flexibility not found in typical classrooms.

Most classrooms are tightly regulated by the amount of material that must be covered and the emphasis on performance.

Performance is important, she said, but so is flexibility.

Her program is an elective, and she has a greater opportunity to really get to know her students and identify their needs.

AVID, she said, has made her a better educator.

“Intentionally planned flexibility is what turns good teachers into great teachers,” Mickler believes.

Early on, AVID emphasizes team-building with the goal of creating a family atmosphere in the class.

“It is never ‘my classroom.’ It is ‘our classroom,’ ” Mickler said.

Mickler never expected to be selected as Pasco’s teacher of the year.

She was helping to judge science projects in the school’s media center, when a contingent of district officials showed up to let her know.

“I was in shock. It was so completely unexpected.

“It made me feel incredibly special,” Mickler said.

And, she wasn’t just happy for herself.

She thinks the honor will help boost morale at a school which contends with a poor image — that Mickler said is inaccurate and unfair.

“People think it’s a rough school, a rough clientele, and it’s not. We have amazing kids. We have an incredible staff of teachers.

“It’s not without its problems. Every place has problems,” she said.

But, she’s a big believer in Pasco Middle — so much so that she commutes daily from Wesley Chapel.

“It’s about a 35-minute drive, but it’s worth it.”

“I cannot picture myself anywhere else. I’m a pirate,” Mickler said.

Published January 2, 2019

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