The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Education

Pasco County Schools has big plans for 2018

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Pasco County Schools expects 2018 to be a busy year for planning, designing, renovating expanding and building new school projects.

Among the largest renovation projects are Land O ‘Lakes High School in Land O’ Lakes and Woodland Elementary School in Zephyrhills.

The commons area is getting a new look, as part of massive renovation project at Land O’ Lakes High School. The project’s design makes it easier to get around the campus. (File)

John Petrashek, director of construction services for Pasco County Schools, said he expected the first phase of a massive remodeling job at Land O’ Lakes High to be finished in time for teachers to move into the renovated spaces during the holiday break.

“There’s going to be reshuffling of teachers and students into those new areas that were just complete,” Petrashek said.

“Then, we’ll start Phase Two. There’s five phases to this project. We’ve never undertaken five, independent, separate phases,” he said.

When the project is ultimately finished, the school will have a better flow, Petrashek said.

“It’s going to improve the environment for teachers and students to come to every day,” he said.

He also praised Land O’ Lakes High Ric Mellin for his leadership during the renovation.

The renovation began in June 2017, with completion expected in the summer of 2019.

Meanwhile, work continues at Woodland Elementary School.

The project is adding eight new classrooms, remodeling restrooms, adding a new cafeteria and stage, and providing a covered corridor leading to the cafeteria from the main building.

“That’s going be so nice for that campus,” Petrashek said. “That’s bringing some tremendous improvement there.

Andrew Simpson is the project coordinator for Pasco County Schools, overseeing the $12 million makeover project at Woodland Elementary School.

Woodland now has more than 900 students, with many housed in portable classrooms.

Once the expansion is complete, the portables can be moved to other locations that are overcrowded, and the Woodland students will be able to move into permanent classrooms.

The new cafeteria will have a stage and there are music and band rooms in the new building.

“It’s going to be comparable to any new school, in what we have to offer,” Petrashek said.

The district is also moving ahead on plans to construct Cypress Creek Middle School, off Old Pasco Road in Wesley Chapel.

Last fall, the district opened Cypress Creek Middle High School, which is serving students in grades six through 11 this year.

The district’s original plans were to open a high school and a middle school on that site, but it simply couldn’t afford to do that, so it opened the single facility to serve both age groups.

Now, it is planning to build a separate middle school, for students in grades six through eight. Once that opens, expected in 2020, the existing facility will be used only by students in grades nine through 12.

On the same campus, Pasco-Hernando State College is planning a $15.5 million performing arts center that is expected to be used both as an educational facility and a cultural arts facility.

Cypress Creek Middle School’s design is underway, Petrashek said. “That’s going to be 1,600 student stations,” which will make it the district’s largest middle school to date.

The middle school is being designed with the performing arts center in mind, Petrashek said.

It will have a fine and performing arts wing, and will include a small black box theater, which will be separate from the main school building, so it can be shared in the after-hours.

The middle school curriculum will be rich in performing and fine arts, and will include band, chorus, orchestra, dance and visual arts.

Zephyrhills High School will also be undergoing a major remodeling, similar in scope to what’s happening at Land O’ Lakes High School, Petrashek said.

In addition to updating the school, the $26 million project also will add student capacity.

“We’re trying to increase capacity by 500 students,” which will push the school’s total capacity to about 2,000 students, he said.

The idea is to prepare for the growth that’s occurring along the State Road 54 corridor, he said.

The district is looking for more cost-effective ways to accommodate its growing enrollment, Petrashek said.

Another significant project on the district’s drawing board involves a kindergarten through eighth grade school planned for Starkey Ranch. That school is expected to open in August of 2021.

Typically, a kindergarten through eighth grade school is built for 1,200 to 1,250 students, he said.

“We’re going to try to have it be a 2,000-student station, depending on budget,” he said.

“The need is there. The growth is coming,” he said.

The school would accommodate 1,200 middle school students and about 800 elementary students, he said.

“Because it’s a very compact footprint, we would have to go vertical,” Petrashek said, adding it would be a single, three-story building.

Plans call for a number of shared uses on the site.

The library will be used by the public, as well as by the school.

The idea is to share the facilities, allowing the school to use them when it needs them and the public to take advantage of them when they’re not.

There also will be tennis courts, a softball field, a track and field, and other fields that can be used for soccer or football, Petrashek said.

The site will have a black box theater, too.

“There’s shared parking, shared roads, shared fields, shared facilities,” Petrashek said.

Published January 3, 2018

Chalk Talk 01/03/2018

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Winter commencement
Pasco-Hernando State College hosted its winter commencement Dec. 14 at its West Campus in New Port Richey.

Two commencement ceremonies honored graduates earning bachelor and associate degrees, and certificates.

Dr. Rao Musunuru (right), PHSC chair, District Board of Trustees, donated a $10,000 scholarship to the Pasco-Hernando State College Foundation in honor of Patricia Mulieri (center), PHSC professor emerita, alongside PHSC President Timothy L. Beard. (Courtesy of Pasco-Hernando State College)

The commencement also included presentations of two $10,000 donations to scholarships provided by Dr. Rao Musunuru, PHSC District Board of Trustees and local cardiologist.

The two scholarship donations were given to the PHSC Foundation in honor of Sen. Wilton Simpson, and Pat Mulieri.

This year’s winter graduates included students in The Laker coverage area who have overcome adversity in pursuit of a higher education.

Matthew Kurtz, of Dade City, earned his Associate in Science degree in drafting and design technology. As an Exceptional Student Education (ESE) student, Kurtz found the restraint and regiment of public education did not match his way of learning. He dropped out of high school and obtained his GED, prior to enrolling at PHSC.

Tara Buzina, of Land O’ Lakes, earned her Associate in Arts and is currently working full-time as a firefighter/EMT at Tampa Fire Rescue. She plans to pursue an Associate in Science degree in paramedics, an RN degree, and a bachelor’s degree in emergency medical services at the University of South Florida.

Wislet Joseph and Wisly Joseph, twin brothers from Zephyrhills, both earned a Bachelor of Applied Science in supervision and management. Wislet’s degree has a concentration in organizational administration, and Wisly’s degree concentrates on studies in health care management.

The Joseph brothers came to the United States from Haiti. Knowing very little English, they both enrolled in the English as a Second Language program at Moore-Mickens Education Center in Dade City.

The brothers matriculated to PHSC in August 2013, and each will continue to pursue a Master of Business Administration at Saint Leo University.

Mentor training
Take Stock in Children, a program with the Pasco Education Foundation, offers Pasco County students scholarships, mentors and hope.

Female mentors are currently needed at Centennial Middle School, Hudson Middle, Mitchell High and Zephyrhills High. Male mentors are needed at Sunlake High.

Mentors meet at the student’s school two times to four times per month.

Upcoming mentor training dates are Jan. 17 at 1 p.m., and Jan. 22 at 11 a.m.

For information, contact Diane Jerome, mentor coordinator, at (813) 794-2134 or .

Open house
Countryside Montessori Charter School, 5852 Ehren Cut-Off in Land O’ Lakes, will host an open house for the 2018-2019 school year Jan. 18 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Prospective students, grades one to eight, and families can tour the campus, and meet the teachers and staff.

For information, call (813) 996-0991, or visit CMCSmontessori.com.

Students make honor lists
These local students were named to the Dean’s List at their respective schools:

  • Stephen Goldman, of Lutz, Belmont University, Nashville, Tennessee
  • Kayla Mains, of Lutz, Union University, Jackson, Tennessee
  • Katelyn Prieboy, of Lutz, Belmont University
  • Katie Wynn, of Lutz, Belmont University
  • Summer Solovitch, of Dade City, Missouri Valley College, Marshall, Missouri

Also, Gianna Basulto, of Land O’ Lakes, has been named to the President’s List at Andrew College in Cuthbert, Georgia.

Saint Leo earns recognition
For the fifth consecutive year, Saint Leo University has earned recognition from Military Advanced Education & Transition as a leader in the nation for providing education to those who are serving or who have served in the armed forces.

Saint Leo University was awarded the designation of a Top School in the 2018 Guide to Colleges & Universities, measuring best practices in military and veteran education.

To be identified as a top school, Saint Leo exhibited military-supportive actions, such as having a veterans center, financial incentives for military-affiliated students, counselors for veterans, and more.

Higher education institutions also were evaluated on military culture, financial aid, flexibility, general support, on-campus support and online support services.

The guide is available online at MAE-KMI.com.

Two award-winning teachers create ‘safe’ places to learn

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Drop by Hannah Trapani’s mathematics classroom and chances are the teacher will be helping her students figure out a complicated mathematics problem by literally drawing it out.

Trapani has been known to have students cut dyed spaghetti into specific lengths and glue the pieces to a graph, to help drive home a lesson.

“If they can start visualizing what they’re doing, I think that helps a lot,” Trapani said.

And, she’s always on the lookout for new ways to deliver instruction.

Hannah Trapani, who teaches Algebra II Honors and Advanced Placement Statistics, has been singled out for her outstanding work as a mathematics teacher.
(B.C. Manion)

“I’m constantly on Pinterest. I’m constantly on any website I can find — to try to make it easier for the kids to understand things,” the Land O’ Lakes High School teacher said.

She encourages students in her Advanced Placement Statistics and Algebra II Honors classes to risk failure because, by overcoming a fear of not knowing, they gain deeper understanding.

Meanwhile, Terry Stanley, a science teacher at the same school, also realizes that to truly learn, students must be willing to initially miss the mark.

One recent day, there was a steady hum of activity, as Stanley moved about the classroom. She helped some who were peering into microscopes, checked in with others about their observations and answered questions as they came up.

When they completed their task, she instructed her students to compare their work against published results. She directed them to offer reasons for why their results were similar or different.

As Stanley engages her Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate students, she isn’t seeking only to prepare them to perform well on tests. She has a higher aim: She wants them to develop critical thinking skills that will serve them throughout life.

While their subject matter is different, Trapani and Stanley have much in common.

For one thing, they are each recipients of a Barrett Family Foundation Excellence in Science/Mathematics Teacher Award, which recognizes outstanding teachers of mathematics and science.

Three sections of seniors taking an International Baccalaureate Biology course taught by Terry Stanley made skeletons during their muscle unit. The students took information they’d heard in the classroom, as well as information they’d read, and translated that into a three-dimensional model.

The award is provided by a nonprofit charity, based in Clearwater. It honors teachers who share their energy and enthusiasm for science or mathematics through creative and innovative methods. It carries a $10,000 prize for each recipient.

While they share many professional characteristics, they came into teaching on different paths.

Stanley said she knew from an early age that she enjoyed teaching others.

“I remember in first grade, I would do my work as effectively and as efficiently as I possibly could, so that I could be awarded to go help the next-door kindergarten teacher,” Stanley said.

Trapani, on the other hand, initially was interested in becoming a physical therapist. When she got one B, though, she dropped that idea. She knew the acceptance criteria was stringent, and didn’t think she’d be selected over others who had achieved straight As.

So, Trapani turned to something else that felt like a natural fit.

“I grew up teaching my younger brothers and sisters,” explained Trapani, who comes from a family of six children.

“In high school, the teacher would teach and I would sit next to a couple of people, and they would say: ‘Explain that to me again.’ I would help people,” Trapani added. “I knew I was always good at explaining things to other people.

“I think it (becoming a teacher) was always meant to be. I don’t think it was one defining moment. It was more like giving in to your fate,” Trapani said.

Removing barriers to learning
While both educators now teach in Land O’ Lakes High School’s International Baccalaureate program, their experience also includes teaching students of wide-ranging ability levels.

Trapani said she thinks she is a better teacher because she personally struggled as a learner and because she has taught struggling students.

“I know what it’s like to work really hard, and to finally be able to understand,” Trapani said.

Plus, she said, students at every ability level can find themselves struggling at times.

“You get these kids that are gifted and because they are so smart, they have never struggled. “And then they get to your class, and Algebra II is really the first time they see really new math.

Terry Stanley recaps a lesson and her expectations at the end of a class period during a recent class at Land O’ Lakes High School. She has been honored for being an outstanding science teacher.

“Those kids who have never had to study, who have never struggled, never hit that wall (before),” she said.

Trapani helps students by teaching them how to study for her classes.

She also makes it abundantly clear that she’s available to help students who need it.

She makes an effort at getting to know her students.

“When I go around and I check homework, I make eye contact with every person,” she said.

“I try to really connect with the kids; I think that makes a huge difference. I think if they feel you are there for them, then they’ll be there for you,” Trapani said.

“I try to help them understand that their self-worth is not wrapped up in whether or not they’re perfect at this problem, and whether or not they have an A. In the end, are they going to be a good person? Are they going to weather the storm?

“The fact that they failed my test, I’m not heartbroken about it,” Trapani said. And, she said a student who fails a test shouldn’t be heartbroken, either. Instead, her attitude is: “Let’s find a way to overcome this.”

Learning the course content is important, Stanley said, but when students leave her classroom she wants them “to know how to think, how to observe, how to ask questions.”

Stanley believes teachers must find ways to reach their students.

Teachers need to understand their audience, each individual,and then tailor-make their lessons to bring their students to the place they need to be, Stanley said.

“If they’re not interested, I try to find commonality with them. I try to find an entry point, if you will, for conversations outside of the content area.

“They understand that they have to perform in the class, but it’s a journey, and we’re going on this journey together.

“How are we going to get you to that point where you need to be?

“I’m here to help you. I’m your coach. I’m here to help you get where you need to be,” said Stanley, who teaches Advanced Placement Biology and IB Biology.

Some students are stymied by a lack of confidence, she said. Some just want to regurgitate what they’ve read in a book.

Stanley recalled that a student once told her: “I know everything I need to know about biology.”

She told the student she was happy for him, but to let her know if that perspective changed.

A few weeks later he came back to her and said: “I realize that what I know Miss Stanley is what I read in a book, and superficial. I can’t think through these problems that you’re putting on this test.”

It’s moments like those — when an obstacle to learning has been removed or overcome — that are especially gratifying, both teachers said.

Both Stanley and Trapani were pleased by the recognition they received from the Barrett Family Foundation award, and enjoyed celebrating their success with their families.

And, they have another thing in common, too.

“I absolutely love what I do,” Trapani said.

Stanley added: “I always was drawn to teaching. I just always had a passion for explaining things, observing, questioning.”

Kudos for Hannah Trapani and Terry Stanley
Hannah Trapani and Terry Stanley are each recipients of a Barrett Family Foundation Excellence in Science/Mathematics Teacher Award. Trapani teaches mathematics and Stanley teaches science, both at Land O’ Lakes High School.

Here are some excerpts from letters of support submitted on each teacher’s behalf in their nomination packets for the award.

Hannah Trapani
“Mrs. Trapani told her students that she would always be available after school … Mrs. Trapani’s devotion of her time to offer one-on-one help to me and other students who would stay after school was crucial to my success.” – Land O’ Lakes High student Ashley Kupferman

“Hannah gives freely of her time to students who struggle. She will help them during her lunch hour, before and/or after school. If a student is having difficulty with a standard, she will approach them and offer extra help and guide them to websites that provide assistance as well.” — Land O’ Lakes High mathematics teacher Amy Smith

“Hannah directs every ounce of energy towards helping all students learn. She accomplishes this by looking at each student as an individual with unlimited capabilities.” – Land O’ Lakes High Principal Ric Mellin

Terry Stanley
“… the abundance of laboratory experiments, which far exceeds my previous classroom experience, causes students to genuinely comprehend and understand the importance of the work they are doing. Ms. Stanley’s class looks to confront head-on that quintessential high-schooler question of ‘Who cares?’ and silence it with a simple answer: ‘Me.’”— Land O’ Lakes High student Camellia Moors

“To teach is to light a fire in the mind. If our role as educators is to guide students to explore the unknown, then Terry Stanley has accomplished this thousands of times over.” — Land O’ Lakes Assistant Principal Jeff Morgenstein

“Although it has been several years since I have walked the halls of Land O’ Lakes High School, I can safely say that my experience in Ms. Terry Stanley’s classroom changed my life in ways I am still realizing to this very day. Each day in her classroom was a chance to learn new and exciting things about the world around me. Going to class wasn’t just a boring lecture, it was interactive research, it was working together, and it was putting what we learned to the test.” — Land O’ Lakes High School graduate Blake Lash, now a research scientist

Published December 27, 2017

Design work to start on $15.5 million PHSC performing arts center

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Design work is expected to get underway soon on a Pasco-Hernando State College performing arts center that is planned for the Cypress Creek Middle High School campus, off Old Pasco Road.

The $15.5 million project will be built by the state college, but both the college and Pasco County Schools plan to use the facility for educational programming.

Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent for Pasco County Schools, sees enormous potential for a planned $15.5 million performing arts center that will be built on the Cypress Creek Middle High School campus by Pasco-Hernando State College.
(B.C. Manion)

Additionally, Pasco County Schools is planning to begin construction on Pasco County Middle School, which is scheduled to open in August of 2020.

“We’re designing the middle school, with the performing arts in mind,” said Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent of Pasco County Schools.

“We’re going to have some dance rooms at the middle school. We’ll have a black box theater at the middle school. We’ll have a chorus room. We’ll have an orchestra room,” he said.

“Sometimes the college might be in our middle school at night, using the black box theater, and we might be in the new performing arts center, using the stage,” Gadd said.

Harvard Jolly — the architect for the middle school project — also has been selected to do the performing arts center, said Tony Rivas, PHSC’s associate vice president for facilities management and administrative services.

Creative Contractors has been selected as the construction management firm, Gadd said.

Both Creative Contractors and Harvard Jolly have experience with performing arts center projects, Rivas said.

The architect will be holding design charrettes with the users in January and February, to discuss design considerations.

The design must take into account the users’ needs, budget and state regulations for educational facilities, Gadd and Rivas said.

It also must consider how spaces interact with each other, Rivas said.

“You want to get certain things close to certain things, and you want to not necessarily be in proximity for other things because of noise levels or distractions. Those things come into play,” Rivas explained.

The arts center will be a teaching facility, but there’s also a desire to have a facility that can be used as a public venue, too, Gadd said.

Initially, the goal was to secure about $60 million in funding for a performing arts facility that would have accommodated about 3,500 seats, Gadd said. Actual funding came in at $15.5 million, which means the center will be much smaller.

Gadd said he hopes the new center will have a stage large enough to accommodate an orchestra. “If you have a stage that can hold an orchestra, then it can hold anything,” he said.

Construction is not likely to begin for about a year.

The college is in charge of construction, but the school district is providing about 5.5 acres for the site.

Lots of details regarding cost-sharing for operations and shared use of facilities still need to be worked out, Gadd added.

Betsy Kuhn, assistant superintendent for support services, said the school district plans to offer curriculum such as digital design courses, lighting, production, cinematography and traditional arts programs for students who are interested in the performing arts.

Rivas noted that that it’s very early in the process, but as things progress, information about the project will be shared in a number of venues to keep lines of communication open. For instance, the construction manager will have a website that will have progress photos and different milestone events.

“We have to be attuned to the fact that we are in the community. We’re going to keep that awareness and sensitivity, and always try to be a good neighbor,” Rivas said.

Creative Contractors has extensive experience in building performing arts centers — both professional and educational, said Joshua Bomstein, president of the Clearwater-based company.

“We’re finishing the Tampa Theatre renovation right now. We did the complete renovation of the Capitol Theatre in downtown Clearwater. We’ve done all of the work at Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater,” he said.

His company also did the Clearwater High School performing arts building, the performing arts building at Manatee High School, and the performing arts auditorium at Generations Christian Church in Trinity.

Bomstein is excited about the new project.

“This is going to be phenomenal facility. I predict and promise that,” he said.

Published December 27, 2017

Chalk Talk 12/27/2017

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(Courtesy of Mike Moore)

Community steps up for Pasco kids in need
Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore initiated a toy drive for Pasco County Schools children, ages 5 to 13, in need. Community members donated unwrapped toys at drop-off locations throughout the county. Toys were delivered to the district’s warehouse, and school social workers sorted through them to take back to their schools for the underprivileged students. Moore, right, stands with Superintendent Kurt Browning, center, and the social workers amid the donated toys.

Special presentation
Zephyrhills Mayor Gene Whitfield presented the R.B. Stewart Middle School football team with a proclamation on Dec. 15, in recognition of the team’s winning 41 consecutive football games and seven conference titles.

The Bulldogs were joined by other student athletes, cheerleaders, band members, school and district staff, for the presentation.

USA Football shows that only five high schools in the country have more consecutive wins, and one has the same number of wins as Stewart Middle School.

Gulf Trace holiday cheer
Santa Claus and Gulf Trace Elementary School volunteers shared holiday cheer and gifts with students Dec. 22.

Along with members of a women’s golf league, Santa and volunteer Shirley Bates delivered gifts to each Head Start prekindergarten class.

Bates has long-served as the school’s Secret Santa.

Frontier challenge winners
Frontier Communications honored the winners of the “Florida State Frontier Challenge” business case study competition during the school’s homecoming halftime show.

Senior David Walsh and junior Matthew Young received medals and prize money for placing first in the competition.

The annual competition provides students the chance to solve real-world challenges facing the telecommunications industry. This year, students were asked to help Frontier create new and original ways to engage millennial customers.

The process included written plans presented by students and in-person interviews in front of a panel of nine judges.

After presentations, teams had a chance to sit down with Frontier executives and discuss their ideas.

For information, visit FSU.edu.

Pine View joins Angus association
Pine View Middle FFA in Land O’ Lakes is a new member of the American Angus Association.

The national breed organization, with more than 25,000 active adult and junior members, is the largest beef breed association in the world. Its computerized records include detailed information on more than 18 million registered Angus.

The association records ancestral information and keeps production records and genomic data on individual animals to develop industry-leading selection tools for its members.

The programs and services of the association help members to advance the beef cattle business by selecting the best animals for their herds and marketing quality genetics for the beef cattle industry and quality beef for consumers.

Superheroes and science
The National Science Foundation and the National Nanotechnology Initiative are gearing up for this year’s Generation Nano: Superheroes Inspired by Science challenge.

Sixth-grade through 12th-grade students can compete for scholarship money and a trip to Washington D.C., to attend the 2018 USA Science and Engineering Festival.

There will be an honorarium for teachers involved with the winning teams.

Students may compete as individuals or as members of a two-person to three-person team, to create a superhero using science, or tell their story in a short comic or video.

The contest ends Jan. 8 at 11:59 p.m.

To learn more, visit NSF.gov and search “Gen Nano.”

For questions, email .

Mentor training
Take Stock in Children, a program with the Pasco Education Foundation, offers Pasco County students scholarships, mentors and hope.

Female mentors are currently needed at Centennial Middle School, Hudson Middle, Mitchell High and Zephyrhills High. Male mentors are needed at Sunlake High.

Mentors meet at the student’s school two times to four times per month.

Upcoming mentor training dates are Jan. 17 at 1 p.m., and Jan. 22 at 11 a.m.

For information, contact Diane Jerome, mentor coordinator, at (813) 794-2134 or .

Open house
Countryside Montessori Charter School, 5852 Ehren Cut-Off in Land O’ Lakes, will host an open house for the 2018-2019 school year Jan. 18 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Prospective students, Grades 1 to 8, and families can tour the campus, and meet the teachers and staff.

For information, call (813) 996-0991, or visit CMCSmontessori.com.

Chalk Talk 12/20/2017

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School’s president receives prestigious award
Katherine M. Johnson, president emerita of Pasco-Hernando State College, was honored with the Dr. James L. Wattenbarger Award by the Association of Florida Colleges (AFC) Council of Presidents. The council annually selects a recipient who has advocated for affordable, convenient open access to higher education and who has made significant contributions to Florida’s higher education system.

Katherine M. Johnson

The award is named for James L. Wattenbarger, renowned as the architect of Florida’s internationally recognized community college system.

During Johnson’s tenure from 2005 to 2015, PHSC established two new full-service campuses — the Spring Hill Campus and the Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch in Wesley Chapel.

The college also transitioned to Pasco-Hernando State College in 2014 to reflect adding baccalaureate degrees to the curriculum, in addition to associate degrees and certificate programs.

Johnson retired as PHSC president in 2015, after more than a decade of service. She now resides in Gainesville, and collaborates with the American Association of Community Colleges, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, and several other community college systems.

Johnson also serves as a leadership development mentor for administrators in higher education.

Discovery Point collects for Toys for Tots
Discovery Point, 5203 Lutz Lake Fern Road in Lutz, will collect toys, for children age 8 and older, during December for the Toys for Tots program.

Discovery Point Child Development Centers have partnered with the Toys for Tots Foundation this holiday season.

For information, email Kae Holloway at .

Superheroes and science
The National Science Foundation and the National Nanotechnology Initiative are gearing up for this year’s Generation Nano: Superheroes Inspired by Science challenge.

Sixth-grade through 12th-grade students can compete for scholarship money and a trip to Washington D.C., to attend the 2018 USA Science and Engineering Festival.

There will be an honorarium for teachers involved with the winning teams.

Students may compete as individuals or as members of a two-person to three-person team, to create a superhero using science, or tell their story in a short comic or video.

The contest ends Jan. 8 at 11:59 p.m.

To learn more, visit NSF.gov and search “Gen Nano.”

For questions, email .

Mentor training
Take Stock in Children, a program with the Pasco Education Foundation, offers Pasco County students scholarships, mentors and hope.

Female mentors are currently needed at Centennial Middle School, Hudson Middle, Mitchell High and Zephyrhills High. Male mentors are needed at Sunlake High.

Mentors meet at the student’s school two times to four times per month.

Upcoming mentor training dates are Jan. 17 at 1 p.m., and Jan. 22 at 11 a.m.

For information, contact Diane Jerome, mentor coordinator, at (813) 794-2134 or .

Saint Leo ranked eighth by Military Times
Saint Leo University was selected as one of the Military Times: Best Colleges 2018.

Formerly known as Best for Vets, the Military Times: Best Colleges rankings factor in the results of the Military Times annual survey, the most comprehensive school-by-school assessment of veteran and military student services, and rates of academic achievement.

More than 600 colleges took part in this year’s detailed survey.

Saint Leo ranked eighth in the country in the Online & Nontraditional Schools category, which recognizes the university’s commitment to educating military personnel, veterans and their families wherever they may be – even if they are deployed.

In additional to University Campus in St. Leo, students are educated at more than 35 teaching locations, including many located on military bases.

Saint Leo teaches at one of the largest naval bases in the world, Naval Station Norfolk, as well as other bases in Virginia, Florida, California, Texas, South Carolina and Mississippi.

Rankings can be found online at MilitaryTimes.com.

For information about Saint Leo’s commitment to the U.S. military forces and veterans, contact Pamela Martis at (352) 588-8234 or ">.

Chalk Talk 12/13/2017

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(Courtesy of Pasco Education Foundation)

The Ronald McDonald House Charities’ recipients of the Pasco Education Foundation’s Take Stock in Children program were recognized during a luncheon Nov. 28. Three Pasco County 11th-grade students were honored for their academic achievements, along with their strong involvement in community service. Standing, from left: Kayla Conologue, program coordinator; recipients Alexus Kennedy, Pasco High School; Ashleigh Jackson, Pasco High; and Sydney Kirby, Gulf High; and, Rosanne Heyser, Pasco executive director.

 

 

Take Stock in Children
Take Stock in Children, a need-based scholarship program with the Pasco Education Foundation, announced its application period is now open to students currently in eighth grade attending Pasco County schools.

An additional opportunity also is open for those with a severe disability or chronic illness for those in eighth to 10th grade.

Eligibility requirements and online applications are posted on TakeStockInPasco.org or PascoEducationFoundation.org.

Applications must be submitted no later than Jan. 17.

Discovery Point collects for Toys for Tots
Discovery Point, 5203 Lutz Lake Fern Road in Lutz, will collect toys, for children age 8 and older, during December for the Toys for Tots program.

Discovery Point Child Development Centers have partnered with the Toys for Tots Foundation for this holiday season.

For information, email Kae Holloway at .

Superheroes and science
The National Science Foundation and the National Nanotechnology Initiative are gearing up for this year’s Generation Nano: Superheroes Inspired by Science challenge.

Sixth-grade through 12th-grade students can compete for scholarship money and a trip to Washington D.C., to attend the 2018 USA Science and Engineering Festival.

There will be an honorarium for teachers involved with the winning teams.

Students may compete as individuals or as members of a two-person to three-person team, to create a superhero using science, or tell their story in a short comic or video.

The contest ends Jan. 8 at 11:59 p.m.

To learn more, visit NSF.gov and search “Gen Nano.”

For questions, email .

Pasco School Board elects new chairs
The District School Board of Pasco County elected Cynthia Armstrong board chairman and Alison Crumbley board vice chairman.

Armstrong represents District 3 on the board. She was first elected in 2010, and was re-elected without opposition in 2014. Armstrong has served as vice chairman and chairman of the board. She is a former science teacher and adjunct professor, and currently works in real estate.

Armstrong earned her Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Wake Forest University and her Master’s Degree in Education from the University of South Florida.

Crumbley represents District 4 on the board. She was elected in 2010 to fulfill the remaining two years of an unfulfilled term, and was re-elected without opposition in 2012 and 2016.

This is her second stint as vice chairman; she served as chairman in 2014.

Crumbley is a public relations/marketing director for a commercial real estate firm. She has previous experience managing an international advertising agency office and as an advertising account executive.

Crumbley graduated from Gulf High School and has a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from the University of Florida.

Phillips family donates $1 million for scholarships
Ted and Avis Phillips, founders of Phillips and Jordan headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, and owners of 4G Ranch in Pasco County, donated $1 million to Lincoln Memorial University to create an endowment fund for nursing scholarships.

The Ted and Avis Phillips Endowed Nursing Scholarship Fund will provide academic scholarships to assist nursing students at the LMU-Tampa Extending Learning Site.

Recipients of the scholarships will be deemed “Phillips Scholars,” with first priority given to students from Pasco County.

Secondary priority will be given to qualified students from Pinellas, Hillsborough, Polk, Sumter or Hernando counties.

Scholarships will be awarded for both part-time and full-time students on an annual basis.

For information about the undergraduate and graduate programs available at LMU, email .

‘Angels’ deliver homemade gifts to students
Two Heritage Pines retirement community groups, Angels in the Pines, made hats, scarves and wooden toys for underprivileged students at Hudson Elementary School, whose families may not be able to afford such things. The retirees also deliver gifts to other schools in the Hudson and Shady Hills areas.

Every class at Hudson Elementary visited the media center Dec. 8 to choose a toy and scarf/hat, and then the class sat together to open the gifts at the same time.

More than 83 percent of the students at Hudson Elementary are considered low income.

New Christian academy scheduled to open in fall 2018

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The North Tampa Christian Academy, now under construction, is scheduled to open in the fall of 2018.

School officials expect it to open with 250 students in kindergarten through 12th grade, said Dawn McLendon, marketing and enrollment director. It also expects between 50 and 60 in its early childhood program, which will serve students beginning at age 2.

The school, being built at 5619 E. County Line Road in Wesley Chapel, is a private Christian school, sponsored by the Florida Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

This is what the campus of the North Tampa Christian Academy is expected to look like when it opens for the 2018-2019 school year next fall. (Courtesy of North Tampa Christian Academy)

The denomination has sponsored schools throughout the United States and across the globe.

“We’re one of the largest denominationally sponsored school systems,” McLendon said.

The conference has 30 schools in Florida, including one in Zephyrhills and one in Tampa.

“We don’t have a traditional setup, where you think of rows of desks and 25 kids, 30 kids, 40 kids,” McLendon added.

While it isn’t the same, its setup is similar to the private model of a lower school, middle school and upper school, McLendon said. “It’s divided by buildings (which serve specific age groups), more than grade structure,” she explained.

The North Tampa Christian Academy emphasizes the “whole person” approach to education, by promoting a balanced development of the whole person – spiritually, physically, intellectually, socially and emotionally, background materials say.

Its design — both programmatically and physically — seeks to create an environment that fosters collaborative, project-based learning, with focus on service to others and real-world experience, according to information supplied by McLendon.

Construction is underway at North Tampa Christian Academy, a new private school that is scheduled to open in Wesley Chapel in the fall of 2018.

The learning environment is designed to encourage an appreciation of beauty and the natural environment, and will incorporate strong connections between indoor and outdoor areas – including learning terraces, gardens, shaded reading areas, nature trails and playfields.

“The design is very intentional,” McLendon said, with the goal of providing students with the individual attention they need to reach their potential, while also promoting group learning.

Even the furniture is designed to honor learning styles and learning preferences of students, she said.

Planning for the school began in 2012, when the Florida Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, in collaboration with Adventist Health Systems and the Florida Hospital West Florida Region, began to envision the school.

A 43-acre site for the school was purchased on Aug. 17, 2015.

Prakash Nair of Fielding Nair International, a global leader in innovative school design, is the school’s designer, and Wannemacher Jensen Architects is the project architect.

A ground-breaking ceremony was held Nov. 4, 2016.

Sandra Doran is head of school, Stephen Herr is associate head of school, and McLendon is marketing and enrollment director.

The school is now accepting applications for the 2018-2019 school year, which begins in fall of 2018.

North Tampa Christian Academy
North Tampa Christian Academy, now under construction at 5619 E. County Line Road in Wesley Chapel, is scheduled to open in fall 2018.

Here are some facts about the school:

  • It will serve children from age 2 through grade 12.
  • Its curriculum is based on the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventist Educational Standards, the Common Core Curriculum, and the Next Generation Science. There is an emphasis on project-based learning, competency-based grading and real-world teaching.
  • Students do not need to be of the Seventh-Day Adventist denomination to attend the school.
  • Tuition ranges from $11,900 to $15,900 per year, based on the student’s grade level. Scholarships may be available through the Step-Up Scholarship and the McKay Scholarship programs, and families can work with the school leadership team to assess the family’s financial scholarship needs.

For information, visit the school’s website, NorthTampaChristian.org, attend an upcoming information session, contact the school through email , or call (813) 591-0309.

Published December 6, 2017

Families can find out more about Pine View Middle IB

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Families who want to know more about the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme at Pine View Middle School can attend a community information night.

The session is planned for Pine View Middle School, 5334 Parkview Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes, on Dec. 12 at 6:30 p.m.

Students who are interested in the program, but are not zoned for Pine View Middle School, may apply to attend the school through the magnet application process.

The community information night will provide information about the program and about how to apply to attend.

Pine View Middle is Pasco County Schools’ first IB Middle Years Programme Candidate School.

It has around 1,000 students.

Its mission, according to the school’s website “is to provide a rigorous, world-class education which inspires students to become active, compassionate, and collaborative lifelong learners who understand and respect other people and their differences.”

The International Baccalaureate program aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect, according to Pine View’s website.

The organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging program of international education and rigorous assessment. The IB program encourages students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

Published December 6, 2017

Saddlebrook Prep student-athletes strive for success

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Cosette Anderson moved clear across the country from Seattle when she was in seventh grade to attend Saddlebrook Preparatory School — with the hope of developing her golf game.

Tennis player Noah Schachter also ventured to the school from the Pacific Northwest.

Meanwhile other athletes, including Aline Krauter and Sifan He, moved even greater distances to attend the renowned prep school. They crossed international waters, with Krauter coming from Germany, and He making the trek from China.

Four student-athletes from Saddlebrook Preparatory School penned their National Letters of Intent at a signing ceremony last month. From left: Cosette Anderson, signed with Elon University; Sifan He, signed with Pepperdine University; Aline Krauter, signed with Stanford University; and Noah Schachter, signed with Texas A&M University.
(Courtesy of Chris Rosenke)

Students arriving on the Wesley Chapel campus have specific goals in mind. They are aiming to earn a Division I college athletic scholarship and to compete in professional sports.

Anderson, Schachter, Krauter and He have achieved part one. Each of them signed National Letters of Intent during a signing day ceremony on Nov. 9.

Schachter signed with Texas A&M University; Anderson signed with Elon University in North Carolina. Krauter and He, meanwhile, intend to spend the next four years golfing in California, for Stanford and Pepperdine universities, respectively.

The fall signing period wrapped up last month, whereby several student-athletes from The Laker/Lutz News coverage area went from prospective recruits to college signees.

The designated period allowed athletes who have made verbal commitments to a university to officially accept a scholarship by signing with their chosen school.

It holds particular meaning for sports academies, including Saddlebrook, where many students have professional sports aspirations, and work tirelessly everyday to reach that goal.

Saddlebrook Prep has 85 students, and caters to grades 3 through 12; all but three students actively compete in tennis or golf.

Tuition for the prep school and golf academy costs nearly $49,475 annually for non-boarding students and $64, 875 for boarders. Its tennis academy — combined with prep schooling — is slightly less expensive, at $42,060 a year for non-boarders and $60,665 for boarders.

School leaders say Saddlebrook’s “world-class training facilities and strong academic focus” set it apart from other tennis or golf boarding schools.

Student-golfers are coached on the resort’s two Arnold Palmer-designed courses, while tennis players train daily with their coaches on 45 tennis courts.

Both sports programs allow students to participate in local, regional and national tournaments, traveling as part of the Saddlebrook Prep team, or individually, depending on the tournament and player.

More than 50 percent of its student-athletes wind up signing a college scholarship or some type of grant-in-aid agreement, headmaster Chris Wester said.

Making international connections
Saddlebrook Prep’s record of success annually attracts dozens of boarding students from more than 20 countries, including such places as Sweden, Germany, France, Poland, Czech Republic, Russia, Malaysia, South Korea, China, Australia and Brazil, among others.

About half of Saddlebrook’s enrollment consists of international students.

Many discover Saddlebrook Prep by competing in international tournaments and by word of mouth.

That was the case for China’s Sifan He, who enrolled in September.

The Chinese student said a friend recommended the school to her, and she believes the boarding school experience has proven worthwhile — socially, academically and athletically. Her college of choice—Pepperdine— consistently fields one of the nation’s top 10 Division I women’s golf programs, and is widely regarded as one of the nation’s premier private institutions.

Saddlebrook Preparatory School has 85 students, catering to grades 3 through 12. More than 50 percent of its student-athletes wind up signing a college scholarship or some type of grant-in-aid agreement. The school attracts students from more than 20 nations, primarily from Asia and Europe.

She gave Saddlebrook high marks. “The program here is very good. All the people here are very friendly, and they’re willing to help you. I like all the staff here — they’re really, really nice. And, the facilities here are very good.”

Aline Krauter arrived at Saddlebrook during her sophomore year, from Germany.

Krauter, an elite golfer in her own right, won the 2016 German International Amateur Championship. More recently, she finished seventh this year at the Portuguese International Ladies Amateur and 22nd at the Annika Invitational in Sweden. She also placed in the final 64 at the Ladies British Open Amateur Championship, and competed in the European Girls Team Championship in Finland.

Krauter said the move from Germany to Wesley Chapel wasn’t a huge transition, having attended an international school in her native country.

“I was used to having an international environment, so it wasn’t too much of a difference,” she said.

Something she couldn’t do in Germany, however, was golf everyday.

As soon as she finishes school at 12:05 p.m., she can head straight out to the golf course, she said.

Saddlebrook’s daily schedule is modeled after the NCAA format for athlete participation; twenty hours is the maximum number of organized practice hours at the NCAA level.

High school students have classes from 7:30 a.m. to 12:05 p.m. They then practice from 1 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. — which includes fitness time.

The boarding program, meanwhile, requires additional responsibilities of its students, such as washing clothes, cleaning dishes and making beds — helping to create a collegial atmosphere on campus.

“Our kids master time management, whereas kids that maybe went to a public school and went to golf every other day…they may not have the same time management skills that our kids would have, because they’ve been living it for a period of time,” Wester said.

Some sports academies are criticized for not emphasizing academics enough.

Wester argues that’s not the case for Saddlebrook Prep, which is fully accredited through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS-CASI), and the Florida Council of Independent Schools (FCIS).

Seventy percent of the school’s faculty members hold master’s degrees.

Said Wester, “If you look at where our student-athletes matriculate to, and the pathways that we’ve created with universities, our academics are deemed to be rigorous enough for Stanford, Texas A&M, Virginia, Florida from last year, Vanderbilt, Duke. They all know — because we have sent students there previously — what they’re going to get.”

In addition to the four athletes that signed last month, Wester anticipates more than 11 more seniors — out of its 22-member senior class — to sign some sort of scholarship in the spring signing period in March.

Besides strong academics, advanced sports instruction helps make the reality of a college scholarship possible.

All of Saddlebrook’s tennis and golf instructors played at the collegiate level; a majority played their sport professionally, too.

Mark Hirschey is the director of instruction for Saddlebrook Golf Academy.

He said coaches and athletic trainers assist students on technique, decision-making and in-game strategy.

Hefty focus is also given to strength and flexibility training, and mental fitness—encompassing visualization, proper breathing during to pre- and post-shot routines, and positive self-talk.

Being around other motivated, likeminded athletes, too, provides an invaluable experience.

“It creates a competition that helps them improve and, at the same time, learn to handle the pressure. They not only learn from the coaches, but also by the example the better players set,” Hirschey wrote in an e-mail to The Laker/Lutz News.

Saddlebrook also accommodates a tournament travel schedule during the school year where athletes can compete throughout Florida and the U.S., and even the Bahamas and Cayman Islands. Athletes can compete, as long as they make up their classwork when they return.

“We have designated time for them to come back and get one-on-one instruction with their teachers, so that they stay academically sound,” Wester explained.

Schachter, who is rated as the No. 23 player in the 2018 class by tennisrecruiting.net, considers that option “the best part” about Saddlebrook.

“Academically, it’s helped me a lot,” he said, “because I can travel to tournaments where I would normally not be able to at a regular school, and they’re really flexible here, and I’m allowed to make up my work easily. It’s made for athletes and that’s been like a huge help, because I don’t feel stressed whenever I want to travel to tournaments.”

Schachter earned a career-best ITF (International Tennis Federation) ranking of No. 185 in February, after earning ITF points from wins at several sanctioned tournaments.

“The biggest thing that’s helped me develop as a player is just having a good schedule and being able to have private instruction with the coaches, and also being able to hit with like really good players,” Schachter said.

The daily grind can be demanding.

In the long run, Anderson said, that will serve her well.

“I feel like the structure and everything is definitely a component where your life is set up in a way where you’re taught to practice no matter how you feel, so it’s good and bad, but I mean in the end, after high school, after it’s all done and you’ve graduated, all those days that you put into practice, you’ve grown as a person and feel like a stronger athlete,” she said.

Besides golf, Anderson serves as Saddlebrook Prep’s council president for the Class of 2018.

She appreciates the small, tight-knit environment the program creates.

“Everyone gets really close, so you have a sense that you’re a family in the community,” Anderson said.  “And, that’s helped me a lot as a person because I’ve been able to build really, really close relationships with people from all over the world, and I can go to a lot of different places and know people from there, and have a connection.”

Published December 6, 2017