The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Education

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

Chalk Talk 11/28/2018

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(Courtesy of Andrew Bridges/Saint Leo University)

Teacher of the Year visits Saint Leo
Joy Prescott, the 2019 Florida Teacher of the Year (center), recently spoke to the education Honor Society student members at Saint Leo University. Prescott, a fourth-grade teacher at a public charter school on the Brighton Seminole Indian Reservation in Glades County, was inducted into the university chapter of Kappa Delta Pi, the international honor society in education, along with those attending the event.

Hillel Academy collects for hurricane victims
Hillel Academy staff, students and families collected school supplies for students attending Panama City’s Holy Nativity Episcopal School, which was devastated due to the impact of Hurricane Michael.

Among items collected are basic supplies, such as pencils, glue, highlighters and crayons; spiral notebooks; composition books; index cards and all kinds of paper; and art supplies and books for grades three to eight.

More unusual items included science, earth and space materials for middle school; individual white boards for students; bulletin boards, picnic tables; benches; projectors; shade tents; folding tables and chairs; and, carpet squares for students for sitting.

Hillel will send the supplies to Holy Nativity by the end of November.

Each month, Hillel Academy collects goods for a different charity or group in need as part of its Tzedakah (Charity) Project and Kindness of Culture philosophy.

Curriculum Night
Quail Hollow Elementary, 7050 Quail Hollow Blvd., in Wesley Chapel, will host a Curriculum Night on Nov. 29 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Parents can learn about the content that is being taught to students, through curriculum presentations from the teachers.

For information, call (813) 794-1100.

Ribbon cutting
Wendell Krinn Technical High School, 7650 Orchid Lake Road in New Port Richey, will host a ribbon cutting Dec. 4 at 11:30 a.m., in the media center.

A light lunch will be provided, after a brief ceremony.

For information, call (727) 774-3900.

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.

Donate an instrument
Pop music icon Barry Manilow will bring his Manilow Music Project to the Marcia P. Hoffman School of the Arts at Ruth Eckerd Hall by donating a Yamaha piano to launch a local music instrument drive.

Anyone who donates a new or gently used musical instrument will receive two complimentary tickets, valid for preselected seat locations on a first-come, first-served basis, for Manilow’s “A Very Barry Christmas” at Amalie Arena on Dec. 7 at 7:30 p.m.

The designated instrument drop is at the Amalie Arena Ticket Office during regular business hours.

Collected instruments will be distributed to local students and schools in need through the outreach efforts of the Hoffman School of the Arts.

The Manilow Music Project has conducted music instrument drives all over the country to assist local schools with their music programs.

For information regarding the project, visit ManilowMusicProject.org.

Scholarships for struggling readers
The state of Florida, in 2018, established Reading Scholarships Accounts to provide support for public school students in third grade to fifth grade who struggle with reading.

Students who received a Florida State Assessment score of Level 1 in English Language Arts automatically qualify for the scholarship.

The state program provides families with access to education savings accounts, worth $500, to pay for tuition and fees associated with part-time tutoring in reading, during the summer and after-school programs designed to improve reading and literacy skills through instructional materials and curriculum aligned to grade-level literacy standards.

Scholarships are limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

For information, visit StepUpForStudents.org.

Students receive AP diplomas, certificates
Pasco County Schools has announced that 20 students have earned the Advanced Placement (AP) Capstone Diploma, and 10 students have earned the AP Seminar and Research Certificate during the 2017-2018 school year.

AP Capstone is a diploma program from the College Board based on two yearlong AP courses: AP Seminar and AP Research. Both courses prepare students for college and career success through the development of critical thinking, academic research, collaboration, presentation, and time management skills.

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

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

Pasco County Schools offers AP Capstone at Sunlake, Wesley Chapel, J.W. Mitchell and River Ridge high schools.

Great American Teach-in exposes students to careers

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An animal service worker and an attorney were among nearly two dozen guests who dropped into Wesley Chapel High School on Nov. 14 to talk about their careers as part in the Great American Teach-In.

The goal is to give students an idea of the broad array of career choices they have, and to allow people from the community a chance to share their knowledge about what students need to know to thrive in their line of work.

Clementine Conde, left, an attorney, and Sarah Sukhram, an associate at Pasco County Animal Services, took part in the Great American Teach-in at Wesley Chapel High School on Nov. 14. (Brian Fernandes)

Schools across Pasco, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties took part in the Great American Teach-In on Nov. 14 and Nov. 15.

Speakers talked about what they do for a living, what inspired them to pursue that line of work, and what skills and knowledge they need to be successful.

The event gives students a chance to hear directly from professionals. It also can introduce them to career choices they may not know about, and can be a source of inspiration to pursue additional education.

Teach-In speakers at Wesley Chapel High ranged from nurses and marketing administrators to radio personalities and aviation technicians.

When one student mentioned she’d heard that law is a boring major, criminal defense attorney Clementine Conde responded: “It depends on the type of law that you do. Once you get out there and practice, it’s a lot more interesting.”

Conde told students that studying law can be daunting, but the reward outweighs the work.

Since receiving a bachelor’s degree from the University of Miami, then a law degree from Western New England University, she has been practicing legal work for 26 years.

During her class visit, she broke down the difference between the federal and state court system, and she emphasized how a police record can hinder someone’s effort to land a particular job, or get into the school of one’s choice.

She said it’s important that students know their Miranda rights, to avoid self-incrimination.

“A lot of them [students] don’t know they have the right to remain silent if an officer is asking them questions,” said Conde. “It’s important for them to know.”

As she left the class, she offered a piece of advice that she gives her own 16-year-old son. She told them to set a long-term goal, a vision which is obtainable.

Kymone Hinds, another guest speaker, said he hopes to help others to “see past the limits that others have put on them and the limits they’ve placed on themselves.”

Hinds shared his experiences as an author, podcaster, and the owner of a business called Ideas to Life.

His business revolves around coaching and consulting inspiring entrepreneurs, while collaborating with other companies for projects and events.

A native of Tennessee, Hinds is a recent Wesley Chapel transplant and has been using his podcast for the past two years to promote his business.

Like Conde, Hinds, who has a daughter at Wesley Chapel High, wanted students to take away the message that it is important to have some agenda set in place, even if things don’t pan out the way they were intended.

“I wanted them to understand that it’s important to have a vision for your life,” he explained. “A vision is something that carries us beyond our present circumstance. When we face obstacles, our vision is what keeps us motivated,” he said.

Sarah Sukhram, an animal service worker, told students that no matter what skills they possess, they may find themselves in a field they never imagined.

With an education in corporate risk analysis, Sukhram had no idea that she would one day find herself dealing with the issue of stray animals. But since January, she has worked for the Pasco County Animal Services in Land O’ Lakes as a volunteer and foster care coordinator.

Although she has always had a love for animals, she never thought her skills in corporate risk analysis would be transferrable into caring for animals.

She encouraged students who were at least 16 to consider becoming volunteers.

She also asked how many of the students own pets, followed by a question regarding how many of the pets wear tags or have been micro-chipped. More hands went up for the first question than for the second.

Many pets, she said, end up in shelters because of a lack of identification.

Besides working directly with animals, other opportunities exist at Animal Services, including social media work, graphic design and customer service, she said.

Sukhram said that students shouldn’t have to feel boxed in to higher education, but instead should focus on what they are passionate about doing.

“I think that education is always important, but I do think there are a lot of opportunities out there for those that may not want to go the college route, and that’s OK,” she said.

Published November 21, 2018

Chalk Talk 11/21/2018

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2018 Homecoming King and Queen Montre Hall and Nadia Crawford (Courtesy of Saint Leo University)

Saint Leo alumni celebrate homecoming
Hundreds of Saint Leo University alumni and their families gathered for the school’s 2018 homecoming weekend.

Alumni came from more than 20 states, Canada, and even as far as Nigeria, representing nearly 50 different graduating classes, dating as far back as 1947.

The three-day weekend was packed with activities, including the Hall of Fame dinner, award recognitions, a tailgate party with live music and fireworks, and a men’s basketball game.

Montre Hall, Class of 20189, and Nadia Crawford, Class of 2020, were crowned the 2018 Homecoming King and Queen.

Members of Saint Leo University’s Class of 1968 celebrate their 50th reunion. The class ‘passed the baton’ to members of the Class of 1969, who will mark their anniversary next year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

National School Psychology week
Schools throughout the country recognized National School Psychology Awareness Week (Nov. 12 to Nov. 16) to highlight the work school psychologists and other educators do to help students thrive.

This year’s theme was “Unlock Potential. Find Your Password!”

A password is a personal key for unlocking any number of areas of potential in our lives. The goal is to connect with how modern youth and adults unlock things (such as gaming levels, phones, devices, codes) and to highlight how thinking about specific skills, assets or characteristics as “passwords” can lead to positive growth.

School psychologists are skilled at helping students and staff in unlocking resources, proactive and preventive skills, and positive connections that are necessary to opening up one’s potential.

The psychologists are trained to provide academic, mental health, and behavioral supports to children and adolescents, and can provide both direct and indirect services to students and schools.

Bulldogs Expo
Zephyrhills High School, 6335 12th St., will host a Bulldog Expo for incoming ninth-graders on Nov. 26 at 5:30 p.m., in the Commons Area.

Participants can see what the school has to offer in career technical education courses, such as business, agriculture, criminal justice, health academy, building and construction, JROTC, and aviation; as well as clubs, including FFA, and, FBLA, National Honor Society, Special Olympics, Student Council and more.

For information, call (813) 794-6100.

Pasco Pathways Expo
The Pasco Pathways Expo will give participants a chance to learn about the new school choice application process and innovative programs available for students in Pasco County.

There are two dates and locations to choose from:

Curriculum Night
Quail Hollow Elementary, 7050 Quail Hollow Blvd., in Wesley Chapel, will host a Curriculum Night on Nov. 29 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Parents can learn about the content that is being taught to students, through curriculum presentations from the teachers.

For information, call (813) 794-1100.

Conference center dedicated
Pasco-Hernando State College honored District Board of Trustees member Dr. Rao Musunuru with the naming of the Rao Musunuru, M.D. Conference Center at an open house and dedication ceremony at its Spring Hill campus.

Community members, faculty, staff and students helped to recognize Dr. Musunuru’s service as a PHSC trustee since 1999, including four terms of service as board chair, as well as his contributions to the PHSC Foundation.

Tours of the Spring Hill campus, at 450 Beverly Court, were made available after the dedication ceremony.

Student studying abroad
Emily M. Gerber, of Odessa, is participating in a St. Lawrence University (Canton, New York) off-campus study abroad program at the University of Otago, New Zealand, during the fall semester.

Gerber is a member of the Class of 2020 and is majoring in conservation biology. She attended Cocalico High School.

School choice programs
Pasco County Schools has adopted a new approach for its school choice programs.

The district offers a variety of programs aimed at providing a variety of choices based on student interests and needs.

Such choices include magnet schools, and programs like STEM, STEAM, Cambridge, and International Baccalaureate.

It also offers educational options and programs such as AVID, AP Capstone, arts, career pathways, technical education, eSchool and more, according to a school district news release.

Those interested in applying for school choice now have new timelines for submitting all applications.

The application window for middle school and high school choice programs opens Dec. 3 and closes Dec. 14. Acceptances will be announced between Feb. 5 and Feb. 15.

Applications for elementary choice programs will be available from Jan. 8 through Jan. 19, with notifications between Feb. 20 and March 1.

Once the application windows open, parents and students will use a district software program called myStudent to complete the school choice applications.

To access or set up a myStudent account, parents must use tinyurl.com/ybe2cygj.

College and university rankings
The personal finance website, WalletHub, has released its 2019 Best College & University Rankings.

To help college-bound seniors make the most informed school choices, WalletHub compared nearly 1,000 higher-education institutions in the United States, based on 30 key measures grouped into seven categories, such as Student Selectivity, Cost & Financing, and Career Outcomes.

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

The Top 10 colleges and universities in Florida ranked as follows:

  1. University of Florida
  2. Florida State University
  3. University of South Florida
  4. University of Miami
  5. University of Central Florida
  6. Ave Maria University
  7. Florida International University
  8. Florida Southern College
  9. University of North Florida
  10. Florida Institute of Technology

Chalk Talk 11/14/2018

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First-place winner from Wesley Chapel Elementary: Laila Paragon-Singh, fourth grade (Courtesy of WaterContest.org)

Poster contest winners
The 2018 Water Awareness Poster Contest winners have been announced.

Kindergarten: Alivia O’ Connor, Trinity Oaks Elementary, first place; Jakob Attard, Trinity Oaks, second place; and Mayson Way, Schrader Elementary, third place

First Grade: Nila Rodriguez, Cypress Elementary, first place; Collin Stafford, Cypress Elementary, second place; and John DeLuca, Cypress Elementary, third place

Second Grade: Hailey Benavides, Richey Elementary, first place; Marcella Wyman, Richey Elementary, second place; and Drew Delaney, Trinity Oaks Elementary, third place

Third Grade: Ariana Marquez, Trinity Oaks Elementary, first place; Sasheika Sequi-Vasquez, Deer Park Elementary, second place; and Sarah Avila, Deer Park Elementary, third place

Fourth Grade: Laila Paragon-Singh, Wesley Chapel Elementary, first place; Mathias Vidal, Wesley Chapel Elementary, second place; and Valerie Noriega, Wesley Chapel Elementary, third place

Third-place winner from Lake Myrtle Elementary: Arol Abel, fifth grade

Fifth Grade: Terry Pixler, Longleaf Elementary, first place; Sienna Fletcher, Trinity Oaks Elementary, second place; and Arol Abel, Lake Myrtle Elementary, third place

Honorable Mention: Joseph Glennon, Trinity Oaks Elementary, Winter’s Choice; Olivia Rueb, Cypress Elementary, Tango’s Choice; and Riley Payne, Trinity Oaks Elementary, Andy’s Choice

To view all winning posters and educational materials, visit WaterContest.org.

Zephyrhills economic summit puts focus on education

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Fostering educational opportunities in Pasco County was the primary focus of the second annual Zephyrhills Economic Summit.

Doing that begins with beefing up the Pasco County school district’s career and technical education programs, said Kurt Browning, superintendent of Pasco County Schools.

“We need to put our career academies on steroids,” said Browning, one of several guest speakers at the Oct. 24 summit, at the new Zephyrhills City Hall, that brought together local education, business and government stakeholders.

Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning was one of several guest speakers at the second annual Zephyrhills Economic Summit. The event focused on local educational and career opportunities in Pasco County. (Courtesy of The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce)

Based on the region’s business profile, Browning said there needs to be greater emphasis on teaching trade skills — such as roofing and carpentry, plumbing, HVAC technicians, electricians and more.

“One of the things that we keep hearing a lot about is the trades. I’m continually amazed of the number of people that stop us and say, ‘I just need young men that can get up there and lay roof,’” Browning said.

To meet those demands, he called for increased state funding and greater collaboration with the Florida Department of Education to create industrial certifications for those fields. The district also needs to ensure opportunities for students, not destined for college, to have a chance to learn trade skills that can translate to high-wage job right out of high school.

Browning put it this way: “What we need to do is have training programs that meet the needs of all of our students, so if you’re going to be a plumber, you be the best plumber you can be.”

Browning also said the school district needs more input from local business leaders on the types of labor needed for the present and future.

“We need to do a better job of communicating, and we need to create a better relationship with our chambers, because the chambers are the ones that are really connecting, letting businesses know what we do and creating dialogues to help build that need,” the superintendent said.

Preparing tomorrow’s workforce
Browning was upbeat about some of the career and technical academies the district presently offers.

Pasco County School’s Career and Technical Education programs were discussed extensively at the second annual Zephyrhills Economic Summit. (Courtesy of Pasco Schools)

He pointed to Zephyrhills High’s aviation academy and Wesley Chapel High’s automotive technology academy, along with academies at other schools ranging from health and finance, to cybersecurity and culinary arts.

“I think we’re on the right path,” Browning said. “We’re working tirelessly trying to make sure our programs are relevant to meet the employment needs of our employers in Pasco County. We’re not perfect, and we’re not where we need to be. We’re still trying to figure out how to address the trades issue.”

Browning also mentioned the district is designing a technical high school in east Pasco that would likely open by 2022.

The district’s only two technical offerings — Marchman Technical College and Wendell Krinn Technical High School (which replaced Ridgewood High this school year) — are located in New Port Richey.

Plans call for the new school to be built on a 125-acre, district-owned tract of land along Fairview Heights and Handcart Road in the Dade City area.

It will help relieve overcrowding at Pasco, Zephyrhills, Wesley Chapel and Wiregrass Ranch high schools, Browning said.

“It’s going to be uniquely situated in the right place, right spot, offering technical career education students are clamoring for,” he said.

The technical school is also something the manufacturing industry is pushing for, according to Tom Mudano, AmSkills executive director, another guest speaker at the summit.

Mudano said a tech school based in east Pasco could help lure more manufacturing business to the region, to follow in the footsteps of companies such as Mettler Toledo and TouchPoint Medical, which he said have already brought a combined 700 jobs to the county.

“We truly believe that we need a facility on this side of Pasco County,” Mudano said. “If you’re looking at bringing jobs here, having a workforce is important.”

Mudano pointed out Tampa Bay has the most number of manufacturers in the state. And, he said that many of those companies have expressed a great need for additional skilled and semi-skilled workers.

“A lot of people don’t even realize that there’s a lot of (manufacturing) opportunities out there,” he said.

Mudano also assured that those types of trade jobs aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

He cited information from the National Association of Manufacturers that projects there will be about 3.4 million jobs over the next 10 years, yet only 1.1 million of them will get filled.

The summit also featured a lengthy presentation from state Sen. Tom Lee, a Republican from Thonotosassa. Much of his talk centered on the state’s education system and the strides made during the last several years.

He pointed to the advent of charter schools and various opportunity scholarship programs as key reasons for boosting the state’s public education system on the whole.

“Everybody is more on their game today than they were 20 years ago. We have a rising graduation rate, better testing scores,” said Lee, who represents parts of Hillsborough, Pasco, and Polk counties in District 20.

He added: “We have created some competition for the public education system, and the public education system has responded well.”

Meanwhile, Lee suggested that going forward, the state legislature should “back off some of the micromanagement” of county school districts. He said school boards should instead have more control over district budgets and educational programs to “best meet the needs of the individual student populations of the schools.”

Lee also advocated for creating “fair competition” and “leveling the playing field” between public schools and alternative charter schools.

One way to do that, he said, includes loosening up some of strict building requirements of new public schools, called State Requirements for Educational Facilities (SREF), that cost school districts exponentially more than their charter school counterparts. He asked: “Why is it costing public education system 20 percent more to build a public school than it is a charter school?”

Other speakers at the summit included Dr. Keiva Wiley, Pasco County Schools director of Career and Technical Education; Angie Stone, Zephyrhills High School principal; Dr. Stanley Giannet, of Pasco-Hernando State College; Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley; Maria Reza, Career Source Pasco/Hernando business services consultant; Seta Ruiz, Florida Hospital Zephyrhills director of clinical services; and, Dr. Randy Stovall, Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce president.

The Zephyrhills Economic Development Coalition presented the summit, in partnership with the City of Zephyrhills and The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce.

Published November 7, 2018

Pasco County Schools helping Hurricane Michael victims

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Pasco County Schools has given 20 school buses to Bay District Schools and is loaning 20 maintenance employees to that district to help it recover from Hurricane Michael.

David Fussell, of Bay District Schools, was among the bus drivers arriving in Pasco County last week to pick up buses that Pasco County is providing to assist the Bay school district, which is in the midst of recovering from Hurricane Michael. (Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

Bay County school bus drivers traveled to New Port Richey on Nov. 1, where they picked up the Pasco school district’s buses to drive them back to Bay County, according to a news release from Pasco County Schools.

When the visiting bus drivers arrived at Fred K. Marchman Technical College, they were served lunch by the school’s culinary students. After lunch, they were escorted to the bus barn at Pinehill Road and Congress Street, to pick up the buses to drive back to Bay County. The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office escorted the buses to Interstate 75, according to Linda Cobbe, public information officer for Pasco County Schools.

Bus drivers from Bay County District Schools traveled to Pasco County to pick up some buses to take back to their district, which is recovering from the devastation caused by Hurricane Michael.

The schedule called for laborers and experts in site development, tree trimming, heavy equipment, electricity, HVAC, carpentry and mechanics to travel from Pasco County, to help Bay County schools to prepare for students in that district to return to school on Nov. 12, the release said.

The Pasco school district crew was scheduled to depart on Nov. 3 at 6:30 a.m., from the Maintenance Department, 11835 Tree Breeze Drive in New Port Richey.

In the news release, Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning said, “I can’t imagine what our colleagues are going through in the Panhandle, and we just wanted to give them the same kind of support I know they would give to us if we were in the same situation.”

Published November 7, 2018