Education

Chalk Talk 12/27/2017

December 27, 2017 By Mary Rathman

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

December 20, 2017 By Mary Rathman

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.

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

December 13, 2017 By Mary Rathman

(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

December 6, 2017 By B.C. Manion

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

December 6, 2017 By B.C. Manion

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

December 6, 2017 By Kevin Weiss

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

Chalk Talk 12/06/2017

December 6, 2017 By Mary Rathman

Replenishing needed school supplies
Members of the GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club donated and delivered a truck filled with teachers’ supplies, paper products and cleaning items to Buchanan Middle School in Tampa, in response to the school’s request for help. The school was open to the public and used as a temporary shelter during Hurricane Irma, during which time supply closets were virtually emptied of these items. Gail Howard, left, and Pat Wagner stand next to the donations.

Hospital hosts hands-on science program
The Perry Initiative hosted a one-day hands-on science program at Medical Center of Trinity to help get young women interested in pursuing careers in orthopedic surgery and engineering.

Forty students were selected from 16 local high schools to attend the all-day program.

Students performed surgical simulations to correct scoliosis deformity, fix a broken leg, and repair a rotator cuff.

Throughout the day, the participants also heard from prominent women surgeons, engineers, and business women in the field of orthopedics.

The Perry Initiative is a nonprofit organization that hosts outreach programs worldwide.

For information, visit PerryInitiative.org.

Alumni celebration
After many years of celebrating Alumni Weekend in the spring, Saint Leo University marked a return to recognizing the school’s alumni during Homecoming in the fall.

The pop-rock band Smash Mouth highlighted the Lions’ tailgate festivities; alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends took part in games and food trucks; and graduates of Saint Leo Prep and Holy Name Academy had reunions.

Joe Thompson and Brooke Bonsted, members of the 2017 Saint Leo University Homecoming Court, were crowned king and queen.

Activities also included a marriage proposal from Stephen Pinol to Kim Estrada, both in the Class of 2016.

Free Rock School jam session
The Patel Conservatory will host a free Rock School Jam Session and Open House Dec. 9 from 10 a.m. to noon, for fifth grade through adult. Rock School classes will start Jan. 20.

Jam session participants will jam together and get tips on musicianship from Rock School creator and instructor Lee Ahlin.

Instruments provided at the jam session will include keyboards, bass guitars and drum sets. Those playing other instruments, such as guitars, are asked to bring their own.

Those attending a jam session and register for Rock School before Jan. 1 will receive a 15 percent enrollment discount. If students cannot attend, they can still join Rock School by auditioning Jan. 6 or Jan. 9.

Registration for the jam session is available online at PatelConservatory.asapconnected.com, or by emailing .

For information about Patel Conservatory, call (813) 222-1040.

Spring registration
Currently enrolled and returning Pasco-Hernando State College students should register for spring classes, which begin Jan. 8.

New students should contact PHSC now, or visit Admissions.phsc.edu, for information. The application fee is $25.

The last day for students to register in person at the Brooksville, Dade City, New Port Richey, Spring Hill or Wesley Chapel locations for spring classes is Dec. 15 before 4:30 p.m.

Current students can continue to register for spring term online during the winter break, which is Dec. 16 through Jan. 1 for all campuses.

For more information, visit PHSC.edu.

Home-school performing arts
The 2nd Stage Studio Theater, 1875 Nursery Road in Clearwater, will offer Home-school Performing Arts Classes on Thursdays, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., starting Jan. 18.

The classes offered include band, chorus, musical theater, dance, and acting/improvisation.

The home-school classes will be taught by industry professionals.

For information and questions, call (727) 641-1391, email , or visit 2ndstage77.com.

Top Florida schools
WalletHub analysts have compared nearly 1,000 higher-education institutions in the United States, based on 26 key measures grouped into seven categories such as Student Selectivity, Cost & Financing, and Career Outcomes.

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

The top 10 colleges and universities in Florida, ranked 1 to 10, are: University of Florida, University of Miami, Ave Maria University, University of South Florida, Florida State University, Florida Southern College, University of Central Florida, Florida Institute of Technology, Nova Southeastern University and Florida International University.

Chalk Talk 11/29/2017

November 29, 2017 By Mary Rathman

Artwork by Aaliyah R., of Connerton Elementary

Youth art contest winners
The Medical Center of Trinity announced the award recipients for its sixth annual Expressions of Thanks Youth Art Contest.

More than 700 entries from students in kindergarten through 12th grade were received from 31 schools, including home schools.

The entries, which included art, compositions and poems, honored veterans of all branches of service.

Artwork by Audrey L., of Pine View Elementary

Recipients of a $25 gift card were: Alison M., Genesis School; Aaliyah R., Connerton Elementary; Gavin C., Hudson Elementary; Whitney D., Dayspring Academy; Ariana S., Dayspring Academy; Audrey L., Pine View Elementary; Austin W., Hudson Middle; Stella T., Seven Springs Middle; Isabella M., River Ridge Middle; Roberto T., Hudson High; Erika W., River Ridge High; Brenda A., Harry Schwettman Education Center; and, Megan G., Ridgewood High.

The grand prize recipients who had a choice of a bicycle or iPod were Emily B., Genesis School; Lily H., Longleaf Elementary; Mia M., Genesis Preparatory School; and, Faith G., Ridgewood High.

New academy info session
The North Tampa Christian Academy (a new early childhood through 12th grade school under construction in Wesley Chapel) will host a Parent Meet-and-Greet/Information Session Dec. 4 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., at the Land O’ Lakes Library, 2818 Collier Parkway. Light refreshments will be served.

The school is slated to open in August 2018.

To RSVP, call (813) 591-0309.

Letter-writing session
The Global Studies Club at Saint Leo University will host its annual campus activity in support of Write for Rights, a campaign sponsored by Amnesty International, the global human rights organization, Dec. 4 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., in Kirk Hall, Room 308.

Materials will be available from Amnesty International about individuals or groups that are suffering oppression or human rights abuses in a variety of countries.

The activity is to generate letters of support to the afflicted individuals or groups to boost morale.

Project participants also can write separate letters to the responsible government authorities to advocate for freedom, justice or protection for the oppressed individuals.

Sample letters, writing supplies and refreshments will be provided.

For information, email Patricia Campion at .

Information also can be found online at Write.AmnestyUSA.org.

Order of the Gown induction
Julia Elizabeth Peacock, of Lutz, was inducted into the Order of the Gown at the University of the South, a school comprised of a College of Arts and Sciences, and a School of Theology, in the Tennessee Cumberland Plateau.

The Order of the Gown is an academic honor society and a student government body among U.S. colleges and universities. Since 1875, the Order has remained the body responsible for maintaining the spirit, traditions and ideals of the University of the South.

The wearing of the gown is both a sign of academic achievement and a promise to uphold the school’s ideals and traditions.

Peacock is the daughter of Catherine and Nicholas E. Peacock.

Jam session participants will jam together and get tips on musicianship from Rock School creator and instructor Lee Ahlin.

Instruments provided at the jam session will include keyboards, bass guitars and drum sets. Those playing other instruments, such as guitars, are asked to bring their own.

Registration for the jam session is available online at PatelConservatory.asapconnected.com, or by emailing .

For information about Patel Conservatory, call (813) 222-1040.

Schools compete in recycling challenge
Fifteen schools participated in Pasco County Schools’ “A Bag’s Life” plastic bag recycling challenge.

When the contest closed Nov. 15, in recognition of America Recycles Day, Odessa Elementary School emerged as the winner, amassing more than 2,494 pounds of plastic bags.

Gulf Trace Elementary collected 823 pounds, and Bexley Elementary collected 725 pounds, in a close battle for second place.

For winning, Odessa Elementary will receive a bench made of recycled plastic bags from the contest sponsor Trex. The presentation will be made Dec. 4 at 10:30 a.m., at the school, 12810 Interlaken Road in New Port Richey.

In addition to the main contest, two other challenges were issued — a race to collect the most plastic bags by Halloween and an art contest to design the plastic bag collection boxes.

Odessa and Gulf Trace elementary schools each won a $100 Walmart gift card for the most bags, and Lacoochee Elementary won first place in the box design contest.

Combined, the 15 schools collected almost three tons of plastic bags, or more than 300,000 individual bags.

Art grants available
The Arts Council’s Professional Development for Artists Grant Program recognizes the value and important contributions of creative individuals to the cultural vitality of Hillsborough County.

The program’s intent is to support and develop a vibrant, creative community that inspires, energizes and stimulates prosperity for residents and visitors alike.

The annual grant program provides financial support to emerging or established artists in a variety of disciplines.

The program is open to literary performing and visual artists residing in Hillsborough County.

Applications for grants must be submitted with proper documentation by 4 p.m., Dec. 15.

For information, visit TampaArts.org.

Garden yields lessons on math, science, conservation

November 22, 2017 By B.C. Manion

Children at Hammond Elementary School are learning all about water conservation, and honing their mathematics and science skills, too, in a class that uses a hydroponics garden to help bring the lessons home.

Children in Bonnie Cothern and Tina Miller’s classes at Hammond Elementary are learning about the advantages of hydroponics gardening. (B.C. Manion)

The school, at 8008 N. Mobley Road in Odessa, used a Splash! grant from the Southwest Florida Water Management District to cover the costs of creating the hydroponics garden. The grant also includes several other elements relating to water conservation.

Teachers Tina Miller and Bonnie Cothern said that Urban Roots, of 11780 N. Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa, have also helped in the program by demonstrating how to put together the plant towers and letting students help, as well as allowing them to plant vegetables and herbs.

Students in Cothern’s gifted education classes are working with Miller’s fifth-graders to help educate the entire school about hydroponics and water conservation.

This tower of plants contains rosemary, oregano, basic, chocolate mint, French sorrel lettuce and parsley.

They’ll be reporting conservation tips monthly on the school’s morning show, and will be making posters to raise awareness to the rest of the school and members of the community about the importance of water conservation.

Lessons also will include the importance of choosing Florida-friendly garden plants that are adapted to the state’s climate to prevent unnecessary water use.

On a recent day, Cothern and Miller were out in the garden with some of their students.

The children talked about some advantages of hydroponics gardening.

Third-grader Lyla Cullimore explained how the plant tower system works.

“The reservoir is right here,” she said. “When you turn it on, the water goes through a pipe and it goes up, then the water goes down and it makes it so the plants get water.”

Teacher Tina Miller checks on plants in a hydroponics garden at Hammond Elementary School.

The pump runs twice a day, for 15 minutes each time, the teachers said, via email, in a more detailed explanation of hydroponics.

The water drips from the top plant container, through the plant medium, which is composed of shredded coconut shell and perlite. Then, water in that planter drips to the one below, the teachers said.

Fifth-grader Ryan Dumont noted the water “can drip down through the angles of the planters, then, once it drops down, there’s holes in the planters and it drips down into the reservoir, and we can reuse it.”

The drip system, combined with a porous medium, conserves water and provides oxygenation to the root system of the plants. The water in the reservoir lasts 10 days to 14 days, the teachers said. The system is efficient because no water is wasted through runoff and evaporation.

Miller asked students, what does organic mean?

Carlie Restrepo is eager to offer an answer during a discussion about hydroponics at Hammond Elementary School’s hydroponics garden.

Fifth-grader Ethan Bezaury responded: “Organic means that it’s not manmade.”

Miller then talked about the liquid fertilizer that provides nutrients to the plants.

By growing the plants in pots, arranged on a tower, more plants can be grown in a smaller area, she said.

“How many plants are in that little bit of a space?” Miller asked.

“There’s about 20,” answered third-grader Evan Rottenberger.

That’s correct, Miller said, adding that students have been able to integrate math and science into what they are learning about hydroponics.

Students have been taking measurements of the plants and charting their observations in notebooks.

Lyla Cullimore talks about how a hydroponics plant system works.

“When you guys were doing your data recording yesterday, what did you find about the different plants that you had taken your baseline data on?” Miller asked.

Fifth-grader Sophia Wyant responded: “They were growing more and more each time.”

The teacher explained: “We’ve been doing some long-term investigations because one of the claims of hydroponics is that the yield is greater.”

It’s too early to tell if that is true, but fifth-grader Angela Rosario has noticed that a plant she’s been observing has achieved noticeable growth.

The first time they observed the garden was on Oct. 27.

“It was 10 centimeters, my longest leaf. I had seven leaves. The smallest leaf was 3 cm, and the height was 17 cm. After 10 days, my height was 21 cm, I had eight leaves. My smallest was 6; the longest was 11,” Rosario said.

She said hydroponics helps conserve water and reduces problems from weeds.

Cothern’s students began their observations a week after Millers’ students.

She said she gave her students the freedom to choose how they wanted to observe their plant.

“I told them they could take whatever data they wanted to. They could measure the whole plant. They could measure the biggest leaf, the smallest leaf, whatever they decided to do,” she said.

The teachers are pleased that the children are learning about water conservation and are excited about the students sharing what they have learned with the entire school community, as well as with their families at home.

Published November 22, 2017

Chalk Talk 11/22/2017

November 22, 2017 By Mary Rathman

**Marching with honor**
The Thomas E. Weightman Middle School Marching Band proudly represented Pasco County when it took part in the annual James A. Haley Hospital’s Veterans Day parade. The band is directed by Donald Scott. (Courtesy of Tabetha Merritt)

Student earns solo wings
Pasco-Hernando State College’s professional pilot program student Dustin Snodgrass, of Spring Hill, earned his solo wings Oct. 11.

Snodgrass was the first student in PHSC’s new aviation program to achieve this milestone after logging 14 hours of instructed flight time.

PHSC began offering associate in science degrees in professional pilot technology and aviation administration this past August. Two additional aviation degrees — unmanned vehicle systems operations and aviation maintenance administration — are slated to be available in 2018.

For information about the new program located at the East Campus in Dade City, visit PHSC.edu/aviation.

Academy receives leadership award
Hillel Academy received the Innovation Award from the Tampa Jewish Community Centers and Federation at a ceremony on Oct. 19.

The school was recognized for its innovative way it lets students create through the school’s Maker Lab, which is based on the worldwide Maker/DIY movement. It allows students a space to create and explore STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) concepts with proper tools and guidance.

As part of the award, Hillel was given the opportunity to create an award of its own, to be named the Hillel Academy Outstanding Service Award. In its inaugural year for this award, Hillel chose Henry and Yael Hatfield to receive the award on behalf of their dedication to the school.

The Hatfields are committed to cultivating and developing Rachel’s Garden, created by the Hillel Academy Class of 2020, in loving tribute to a classmate, Rachel Lia Hatfield.

Cypress Creek celebrates opening
Cypress Creek Middle High School students, staff and the community celebrated the school’s opening with a dedication ceremony Nov. 14.

In addition to messages delivered by Superintendent Kurt Browning and Principal Carin Hetzler-Nettles, there was a ribbon cutting, photo opportunities, live music from the Cypress Creek High School band, refreshments and self-guided tours.

Jam session participants will jam together and get tips on musicianship from Rock School creator and instructor Lee Ahlin.

Instruments provided at the jam session will include keyboards, bass guitars and drum sets. Those playing other instruments, such as guitars, are asked to bring their own.

Registration for the jam session is available online at PatelConservatory.asapconnected.com, or by emailing .

For information about Patel Conservatory, call (813) 222-1040.