The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Education

Chalk Talk 08/23/2017

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Leaders program
Five Tampa Bay area students took part in the Bank of America Student Leaders program. The local students were building workforce and leadership skills through a paid summer internship at Boys and Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay, and participation in a national leadership summit in Washington D.C. Participants included Alice Hamilton, of Odessa (shown); Jenna Callison, Robert Schofner and Caroline Sharpless, all of Tampa; and, Allison Bloomer, of Dunedin.

Hearing screenings
The Sertoma Speech & Hearing Foundation of Florida screened more than 16,000 students at 74 schools last year, and is looking for volunteers to do the same this year.

No previous training is required, and the first screening will be Aug. 24.

Volunteers are free to choose which schools they would prefer. The average screening time is about two hours to three hours.

All volunteers must pass the School Board background check to help.

Prospective volunteers can access an application at Pasco.k12.fl.us and click on the Volunteer Application at the bottom of the page. Under Preferences, choose Sertoma Speech & Hearing.

For information, call (727) 312-3881.

English class
An English as a Second Language (ESL) class will meet on Wednesdays from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., at the Tampa Bay Presbyterian Church, 19911 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. The first class is Sept. 6.

Classes are taught using several ESL and Bible study resources.

There are classes for beginners through intermediate level speakers.

The cost is $40 per semester, which covers the workbook and class materials.

Child care also will be available.

For information or to register, call (813) 360-2077.

Middle school fundraiser
The ninth annual Taste of Trinity will be Sept. 9 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Seven Springs Middle School, 2441 Little Road, to benefit the school.

There will be stage music, a bounce house, a business expo, and food and desserts.

Proceeds will help the school purchase cutting-edge technology for its students.

Admission is $5 per person, or a family four-pack for $15.

For information, contact Maria Johnson at (727) 934-0940 or .

Registration is available online at WPBA.biz, by clicking on the event link.

More than $9,700 raised for school supplies
During the month of July, the Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office accepted donations from the public to purchase backpacks and school supplies for students in need.

Tax Collector Mike Fasano’s offices raised $9,739.50. The majority of the funds was used to purchase back-to-school supplies, and a smaller portion of the donations was used to assist in the purchasing of classroom supplies for teachers.

Each of the tax collector branches chose one school close to the office with a large percentage of children in need.

Staff members from each office delivered the backpacks and supplies to these schools on Aug. 3 and Aug. 4: Centennial Elementary School, Quail Hollow Elementary, Lake Myrtle Elementary, Fox Hollow Elementary and Marlowe Elementary.

Youth art contest
The Medical Center of Trinity announced its sixth annual “Expressions of Thanks” youth art contest, which started Aug. 14.

Students in kindergarten through 12th grade are asked to celebrate the service of all U.S. military veterans, those who currently serve our great nation and their families, by submitting artwork, poetry or an essay, by Sept. 15.

Each participant will receive a recognition certificate.

First-place winners in each grade level will receive a $25 gift card.

The grand-prize winner will have a choice of a bicycle or iPod nano.

Participants and their families can attend a reception Nov. 5 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., when prizes will be awarded and all artwork will be on display.

For complete details and rules, visit MedicalCenterTrinity.com.

For information, call (727) 834-4868.

Free VPK program
Primrose School at Collier Parkway, 23021 Weeks Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes, will offer Fall VPK (voluntary prekindergarten) programs for eligible families and their children.

The program is free for children who have not yet used a VPK voucher and turned 4 or 5 years old before Sept. 1, 2017.

There are three time options available: VPK Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.; VPK Monday through Friday from noon to 3 p.m.; and, VPK (K4) and VPK (K5) Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

For information or to enroll your child, call Angella Hart at (813) 242-7800.

First Day photos
We know that you took them, so why don’t you share them?
It’s an annual tradition for many families to take ‘First Day of School’ photos. We’d love to share some of your photos with our readers.

The number of photos we will be able to publish depends how many we receive, the quality of the photo and whether we have sufficient information.

If you would like your photo to be considered, please email us a digital copy. Include the name or names of the student, the grade of the student or students, and what school they attend. Also include contact information, in case we need to get back to you.

Finally, feel free to send us your photos whether you took them at home before leaving for school, or whether you took them at the school itself.

Please submit the photos by Aug. 25 by emailing them to .

 

Pasco schools revamp active threat procedures

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The Pasco County School District has made a major change to its crisis response plan — should an active shooting threat arise on campus.

The Active Threat Response Plan has replaced the lockdown plan, beginning in the 2017-2018 school year, which started on Aug. 14.

During an Aug. 7 media conference, Pasco County Superintendent Kurt Browning said the Active Threat Plan ‘is a huge shift in the way we think about school and safety.’ (Kevin Weiss)

The traditional, passive lockdown approach — where students huddle in a dark room — has been the district’s protocol for active threat incidents since safety plans were first implemented decades ago.

“We’re realizing in some cases (lockdown) still may be the best option and the best response, but in others, students and staff need to have different options that they can use in that situation,” Pasco County Superintendent Kurt Browning said, during an Aug. 7 press conference.

The new procedure, designed with the help of the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, is a multi-tiered, proactive approach that incorporates effective communication, self-evacuation and self-defense techniques — also referred to as the ABCs of surviving an active threat.

  • ‘A’ stands for alert and avoid, where school faculty alerts 911 of an active threat, and then evacuates students — particularly those in common areas like gymnasiums, cafeterias and media rooms.
  • ‘B’ stands for barricade. This method enhances the lockdown option, where students and teachers can pile desks and other heavy items against classroom doors or another secure place.
  • ‘C’ stands for counter. This method empowers students to try to distract and disarm an active threat by throwing items in his or her direction. This is designed as a last resort option, if students are cornered by such threat.

The three-pronged plan, Browning said, follows new guidance from safety and education experts who have spent the past two decades analyzing school shootings.

It also aligns with best practices for kindergarten through 12th grade education as recommended by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Department of Education, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Before the school year began, administrators, teachers and staff were required to complete an eight-part webinar course that identifies response options to help save lives from the time 911 is called to when law enforcement arrives on site.

Early in the school year, middle and high school students will be taught about how to act during a crisis situation — through videos and corresponding practice drills, under the guidance of law enforcement officers. Students and staff will be warned before drills are hosted, to avoid causing fear or panic.

The response plan, Browning said, represents “a huge shift in the way we think about school and student safety.”

Browning noted: “Although it is very unlikely that we’re faced with a violent attack in one of our schools — such as an active shooter —we must be prepared in a way that we will save lives and prevent serious injury to our students.”

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said the plan puts the district “on the cutting edge” for preparation and school safety.

“It’s sad that in the world we live in we have to do this, but we do,” Nocco said. “God forbid if that worst-case scenario happens…the first response from people will be, ‘What did you do to prepare?”

Meantime, a separate, ‘Stranger Danger’ video package has been designed for elementary students, in the case of an active threat.

The softer video approach contains a friendly animated lion and Cpl. Jennifer Rongo, a school resource officer at Fivay High School, explaining what to do in case of ‘Stranger Danger’ situations.

“We all understand this is a little uncomfortable for some parents out there,” Nocco said. “But…we have to be realistic; we have to have that plan in place.”

Browning stressed self-defense techniques will not be taught to elementary students or special needs students, who may not possess the physical abilities to defend themselves.  For older students, Browning said the decision to defend oneself — or counter — will not be required as part of the active threat response training.

“(We) won’t require anybody to do anything if they’re not capable of doing anything, or if they choose not to do it,” Browning said.

Nationwide there have been 233 cases of gun violence on school campuses since 2013, according to gun control advocates Everytown for Gun Safety.

About 40 of those incidents, however, meet the common perception of a school shooting, where someone comes to a school campus to shoot faculty, staff or students.

Besides active threat situations, the school district’s 12-point crisis response plan outlines various protocols for medical emergencies, fires, hazardous materials, bomb threats, fights and violence, and missing and endangered students, among others.

The Active Threat Response Plan comes on the heels of a new state law stiffening penalties for students who threaten to shoot up a school.

The Anti-Terroristic Threat and Public Servant Protection Law, which went into effect last October, makes false reports about using firearms in a violent manner a second-degree felony.

The Pasco County School District experienced three incidents of students making gun threats in the first six weeks of the 2016-2017 school year, before the law went into effect.

Published August 16, 2017

Ringing in a new school year in Pasco County Schools

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Parents and students stream toward Bexley Elementary School, a school that had its first ‘first day of school’ on Aug. 14. (B.C. Manion)

Pasco County public school students began a new school year on Aug. 14, and some of those students headed to schools that were opening for the first time.

At Bexley Elementary, in Land O’ Lakes, parents and children appeared eager to begin a new year, in a new school.

The message on the school’s marquee was summed up in three words: “Believe. Engage. Succeed.”

Cypress Creek Middle High School students make their way to their second class on the first day of school on the new campus in Wesley Chapel.

 

Things were running smoothly at Cypress Creek Middle High in Wesley Chapel.

Students streamed across campus for their second-period class. Most appeared to know where they were heading, but for those who were lost, there was plenty of help.

“I can help. If you need help, I can help,” Tico Hernandez, the school’s Graduation Enhancement teacher called out, as students changed classes.

Published August 16, 2017

 

First Day photos

Kate and Sean Cancelliere are in line with their son, Maxx, waiting for the first day of school at Bexley Elementary. Maxx was excited to be heading to kindergarten, in a class taught by Sarah Johansen.

We know that you took them, so why don’t you share them?

It’s an annual tradition for many families to take ‘First Day of School’ photos.

We’d love to share some of your photos with our readers.

The number of photos we will be able to publish depends how many we receive, the quality of the photo and whether we have sufficient information.

If you would like your photo to be considered, please email us a digital copy. Include the name or names of the student, the grade of the student or students, and what school they attend. Also include contact information, in case we need to get back to you.

Finally, feel free to send us your photos whether you took them at home before leaving for school, or whether you took them at the school itself.

Please submit the photos by Aug. 25 by emailing them to .

Chalk Talk 08/16/2017

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Correction:
The District School Board of Pasco County approved the 2017-2018 school calendar. High school graduations will take place May 18 through May 27. Incorrect dates were published in the Aug. 9 edition of The Laker.

Youth art contest
The Medical Center of Trinity announced its sixth annual “Expressions of Thanks” youth art contest, which started Aug. 14.

Students in kindergarten through 12th grade are asked to celebrate the service of all U.S. military veterans, those who currently serve our great nation and their families, by submitting artwork, poetry or an essay, by Sept. 15.

Each participant will receive a recognition certificate.

First-place winners in each grade level will receive a $25 gift card.

The grand-prize winner will have a choice of a bicycle or iPod nano.

Participants and their families can attend a reception Nov. 5 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., when prizes will be awarded and all artwork will be on display.

For complete details and rules, visit MedicalCenterTrinity.com.

For information, call (727) 834-4868.

Free VPK program
Primrose School at Collier Parkway, 23021 Weeks Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes, will offer Fall VPK (voluntary prekindergarten) programs for eligible families and their children.

The program is free for children who have not yet used a VPK voucher and turned 4 or 5 years old before Sept. 1, 2017.

There are three time options available: VPK Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.; VPK Monday through Friday from noon to 3 p.m.; and, VPK (K4) and VPK (K5) Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

For information or to enroll your child, call Angella Hart at (813) 242-7800.

School supply lists online
Parents from local schools can access their school’s supply lists online at TeacherLists.com, and find the exact supply list and click over to pre-filled shopping carts on Target, Walmart, Jet.com or Amazon to purchase their list, and have it shipped right to their home.

Target and Walmart also offer in-store pickup.

More than 50,000 schools now have lists posted on TeacherLists. Lists for more than 1 million classrooms are live on the site, and include required and requested items, as well as specific notes and clarifications from teachers and school staff.

For complete details and all the lists, visit TeacherLists.com/parents.

Local students make Dean’s List
Abigale Pfingsten, of Lutz, was named to the Dean’s List in her freshman year at Carnegie Mellon University, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Pfingsten carried a full load of seven classes. Emily Schwitzgebel, of Lutz, made the spring Dean’s List at The College of Wooster, in Ohio. Schwitzgebel is a junior music therapy major.

Summer abroad trips
Belmont University, in Nashville, Tennessee, sent its largest group of students across the world for study abroad experiences.

With more than 650 students participating in 34 programs, including “Maymester” trips, students have spent time in Greece, Brazil, England, France, Switzerland and Haiti, among other locations.

Katie Wynn, of Lutz, traveled to Ireland and Northern Ireland, and Kyle McCann, also of Lutz, traveled to Israel.

Studying abroad encourages students to expand worldviews and deepen their understanding of themselves and the world, according to Dr. Thandi Dinani, Belmont’s director of study abroad.

Be a Best Buddies sponsor
Students at Dr. John Long Middle School in Wesley Chapel have been volunteering as part of Best Buddies, a club that provides students with and without disabilities the opportunity to be part of a global volunteer movement, which positively impacts the school and the Wesley Chapel community.

Best Buddies is a nonprofit organization dedicated to create opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

During the 2016-2017 school year, John Long Middle student volunteers and leaders inaugurated the Best Buddies Chapter at the school. The chapter members formed friendships, hosted a Special Olympics Holiday Party, attended the Friendship Ball, attended legislative week to advocate for inclusion, and participated and raised funds for the Friendship Walk.

To support the school’s mission for the 2017-2018 school year, John Long Middle is looking for sponsors for its Best Buddies chapter.

To find out how to make a tax-deductible donation before Sept. 1, call Andi Walker at (813) 346-6200.

(Courtesy of Pasco-Hernando State College)

Students place at business leaders competition
Students of the Pasco-Hernando State College Phi Beta Lambda business organization competed in the Future Business Leaders of America National Leadership Competition in Anaheim, California. PHSC student John Vann placed third in the Future Business Executive category. Other students included: Leslie Barnwell and Sidney Onstad, fourth place in Hospital Management Team category; Casey Cox, sixth in Organizational Behavior & Leadership; Emily Brocks and Simona Rivero, ninth in Small Business Management Plan Team; and, Michael Bradley II, 10th in Public Speaking. From left: Emily Brock, John Vann, Sidney Onstad, Michael Bradley II, Giselle Perez, Leslie Barnwell, Shannon Phillips, Victor Miller and Casey Cox. Not pictured: Simona Rivero.

Land O’ Lakes High undergoes $29 million makeover

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When students arrive at Land O’ Lakes High School next week, they’ll see construction crews busy on a $29 million makeover that’s expected to take two years.

But, great care is being taken to ensure that students and staff are kept out of the path of work crews, and vice versa, said John Petrashek, director of construction services for Pasco County Schools.

This is what the new main entrance will look like at Land O’ Lakes High School, as a result of a major makeover. (Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

During a recent tour of the school, Petrashek and Marc Graham, project superintendent for Walbridge, explained what the project entails and how it has been scheduled to allow the campus to be occupied during construction.

“It’s a five-phase project,” Graham said, with areas being walled or fenced off, to allow students, faculty and staff to carry on their activities, while crews work to modernize and reconfigure spaces in the high school.

In addition to Walbridge’s crew, the school district has two inspectors onsite, Petrashek said, who will be monitoring code compliance and quality assurance.

“With 1,700, 1,800 students — working on an occupied campus, even with the exceptional record that Walbridge has for safety and the protection of their staff and the students, it warranted having two people keeping eyes on this, coordinating with the school, the staff, the principal, to make this happen,” Petrashek said.

The project’s $29 million price tag includes construction, furniture and equipment, permitting fees, design fees, relocating portables, fencing and other expenses.

Marc Graham, project superintendent for Walbridge, is overseeing the massive makeover of Land O’ Lakes High School. Here, he describes how the company is converting an old stage area in the school’s gymnasium, that was being used for storage, into two classrooms, which will be used for physical education classes. (B.C. Manion)

Petrashek said it wouldn’t be possible to do the project on an occupied campus without the close cooperation of Ric Mellin, the school’s principal.

“Mr. Mellin has really been exceptional to work with on this project. He’s innovative. He’s taken the attitude, ‘We do what we have to, to make this a success,’” Petrashek said.

Some of the adjustments for the coming year include creative scheduling to maximize the use of classroom space.

“The principal has figured all of that out,” Petrashek said.

About a quarter of the school will be shut down at a time, Mellin said, noting parents did not want their children moved to a different campus or on any kind of split session.

The school day has been changed from seven periods to six periods, and the break for lunch has been shortened to 30 minutes.

Mellin said he thinks some people may have had the wrong idea about the scope of the project, perhaps thinking it was just a cosmetic update.

It’s far more than that, Mellin said.

“This is a tearing down walls to the bare minimum, redoing plumbing, electrical, upgrades to technology,” Mellin said.

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. (Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

It also involves new walls, new floors and new ceilings, Graham said.

“The restrooms will be brought up to ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant. They’ll be completely gutted and refurbished,” added Petrashek.

Doing such a substantial project while the campus is occupied requires a considerable amount of precaution, Petrashek said.

Mellin noted that parents wanted to be assured that the air quality will be protected.

Petrashek said the district will be on top of the issue. “We’re going to test on an ongoing basis, so we can respond,” he said.

The project will add capacity, but involves little new construction.

The school initially was constructed for 1,200 students. Over time, portables and additions increased its capacity to 1,700. At completion of the renovation, the capacity will exceed 2,000, Petrashek said.

A five-classroom addition is being made to the science wing, replacing an area that previously was occupied by portables.

“The other addition is the administration addition, which is going to be out front,” Graham said. That will be done in a later phase.

“There’s going to be inconvenience every day that this project goes on,” Petrashek said.

“But, anytime the contractors are doing work that is noisy, that will cause any type of disruption, they have to move that work to the swing shift, after school dismisses,” he said.

The project also will require adjustments from students and staff, as classes are moved from one part of the campus to another.

“Year two takes on a lot more classrooms,” Mellin said, noting, “we’re going to have to be a little more creative with our scheduling Year 2.”

But, the principal hopes that by then people will have adjusted to the idea that the school renovation is a work in progress.

The project must be completed by August 2019.

Meeting that deadline isn’t optional, Graham said.

“The seasons of the school are what they are,” he said, adding if construction crews run into some sort of delay, they’ll need to make up for lost time.

“Sometimes we have to run two shifts. Sometimes we run Saturdays and Sundays — that’s the extra time we have available,” Graham said.

Published August 9, 2017

Changes afoot, as school bells ring in a new year

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School bells are summoning students back to classes in Hillsborough and Pasco counties — and some students will be attending classes on entirely new campuses.

Sunlake Academy of Math and Science, a new public charter school in Hillsborough County, begins its inaugural school year on Aug. 10. It is located at 18681 N. Dale Mabry Highway in Lutz.

Sunlake Academy of Math and Science, at 18681 N. Dale Mabry Highway, is opening this year as a new public charter school in Hillsborough County. The school, located in Lutz, will serve elementary and middle school students. (B.C. Manion)

Meanwhile, Pasco County is opening Bexley Elementary, at 4380 Ballantrae Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes, and Cypress Creek Middle High School, in Wesley Chapel.

Students arriving at Land O’ Lakes High School will find reconfigured spaces, to accommodate a $29 million makeover.

At Sunlake High School and Rushe Middle School, there will be a new traffic pattern for student drop-off and pickups, and at Wiregrass Ranch High, the school will be back to operating on a seven-period day.

Those are just a few of the changes in store for the new school year, which begins in Hillsborough County on Aug. 10 and in Pasco County on Aug. 14.

Some changes, which are state mandates, affect public school students in both counties.

Other changes affect students at a particular school or within a specific county.

For instance, the Pasco school district is revising its crisis plans to give students and staff a better chance to survive an active threat on campus.

Meanwhile, Principal Vicki Wolin will lead the new Bexley Elementary School, in the Bexley subdivision off State Road 54, in Land O’ Lakes. That school was built to ease crowding at Oakstead and Odessa elementary schools.

Bexley is also part of the school district’s feeder pattern for the Aviation Academy at Sunlake High School.

As such, Bexley will have drones, flight simulators and robotics. Its STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) lab is situated in its media center, which it calls its REC Center, which stands for Research, Engage and Collaborate.

Cypress Creek Middle High School, at 8701 Old Pasco Road in Wesley Chapel, will serve students previously assigned to Wiregrass Ranch, Wesley Chapel and Sunlake high schools and John Long, Weightman and Rushe middle schools.

Principal Carin Hetzler-Nettles, previously principal at Wesley Chapel High, will recognize many of the students streaming onto the campus for their first day.

But, there will be many unfamiliar faces, too.

The school has been hosting events ahead of opening day to help students get acquainted with the school and to find out what it has to offer.

Cypress Creek Middle High will serve sixth- through 11th-graders its initial year and will add a senior class its second year.

The new high school’s curriculum runs the gamut from ballet to digital design to American Sign Language. It offers several certification programs, including Microsoft Office, QuickBooks and Autodesk Inventor.

Cypress Creek’s middle school curriculum includes Criminal Justice and Engineering academies, plus core classes.

The new schools aren’t the only places where Pasco County students will have a chance for new experiences.

The district also is expanding its Cambridge Programme to San Antonio Elementary School.

And, Zephyrhills High School is adding a new academy of Building Construction Technology and Public Safety Telecommunications 911 certification for the Academy of Criminal Justice.

A new public charter school also has opened in Pasco County, too, bringing the district’s total number of charter schools to 11. The new charter is called Pasco MYcroSchool and is located in New Port Richey.

Besides new schools and programs, Pasco County also has shifted some principals since last school year and promoted an assistant principal to the top post.

Those changes are:

  • Principal Scott Atkins has moved from Sand Pine Elementary School to West Zephyrhills Elementary School.
  • Christine Twardosz has transferred from Centennial Elementary School to Sand Pine.
  • Gretchen Rudolph Fladd has moved from Veterans to Centennial.
  • Melissa Bidgood, who was an assistant principal at Watergrass Elementary, has been promoted to the principal’s post at Veterans.

Parents wanting to know more about the upcoming school year should check out their school’s website.

School websites can provide a wealth of information. They generally list important upcoming dates for school activities, such as cheerleader tryouts, booster club meetings, school spirit nights and parent-teacher events.

The websites also often let parents know how they can get involved at school and how they can help their children at home.

Most schools also have Facebook pages and Twitter accounts, and some post videos to YouTube, too.

Websites maintained by the Hillsborough and Pasco school districts can also provide useful information, too.

Free breakfasts
Pasco County Schools will serve free breakfasts to all students at these sites in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area during the 2017-2018 school year:

Elementary schools

  • Centennial Elementary
  • Chester Taylor Elementary
  • Lacoochee Elementary
  • Pasco Elementary
  • Quail Hollow Elementary
  • Rodney B. Cox Elementary
  • West Zephyrhills Elementary
  • Woodland Elementary

Middle schools:

  • Centennial Middle
  • Pasco Middle
  • Stewart Middle

High schools:

  • Pasco High
  • Zephyrhills High

 

Meal prices for Pasco County Schools
Reduced-price meals

Reduced-price breakfast: .30
Reduced-price lunch: .40
Full-price meals
Full-price breakfast
Elementary: $1.35
Secondary: $1.50
Charter, K-8: $1.50
Charter, high school: $1.60
Full-price lunch
Elementary: $2.50
Middle: $3
High: $3.25

Published August 9, 2017

Chalk Talk 08/09/2017

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From left: Rosanne Heyser, executive director Take Stock in Children Pasco; Mark Wickham; and, Diana Jerome, mentor coordinator. (Courtesy of Pasco Education Foundation)

Mark Wickham is mentor of the year
Take Stock in Children, a program with the Pasco Education Foundation that provides scholarships, mentors and hope to at-risk Pasco County Schools’ high-schoolers, has named Mark Wickham as its 2017 Mentor of the Year.

The award is given with criteria of challenges faced during the school year, how the challenges were handled, mentor participation in TSIC events, meeting or exceeding the number of documented mandatory mentor sessions, and student feedback.

Wickham joined TSIC as a mentor in 2015. He is employed as president/CEO at Youth & Family Alternatives in Pasco County.

WCHS hosts kickoff dinner

Wesley Chapel High School will host a Kickoff Dinner for the school’s seniors, families and school staff Aug. 23 at 5 p.m., in the cafeteria at 30651 Wells Road. 

Seniors and their families can have a free pasta dinner, and meet with the school principal, assistant principals, school counselors and career counselors.

They can discuss graduation requirements, the college application process, graduation bash information and other topics.

For information, call Kelly McPherson at (813) 794-8802.

School calendar set

The District School Board of Pasco County approved the 2017-2018 school calendar.

The first day for teachers was Aug. 7, and the first day for students will be Aug. 14.

Its weeklong practice of Thanksgiving break will continue, with the Monday and Tuesday of the week set as possible hurricane makeup days.

Winter break will begin Dec. 23. Employees will return on Jan. 8, 2018 and students will return on Jan. 9, 2018.

Spring break for students will be March 16 through March 25, and spring break for employees will run March 17 through March 25.

The last day of school for students is scheduled for May 25, and the last day for teachers will be May 30.

Other non-school days include Labor Day on Sept. 4, Teacher Planning Day on Oct. 16, and Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 15, 2018.

High school graduations will take place May 18 through May 27.

For more details, visit Pasco.k12.fl.us.

New school bell times
The District School Board of Pasco County has approved new bell times for these local area schools, with explanations, as follows:

  • Bexley Elementary School: 9:40 a.m. to 3:50 p.m. (new school)
  • Charles S. Rushe Middle School: 7:25 a.m. to 1:50 p.m. Changed from 8:40 a.m. to 2:50 p.m., to balance routes associated with the opening of the district’s new transportation garage and compressed natural gas filling station in Odessa.
  • Cypress Creek Middle High School: 7:25 a.m. to 1:50 p.m. (new school)
  • Land O’ Lakes High School: 7:25 a.m. to 1:55 p.m. Changed from 7:30 a.m., to give additional time for passing between classes needed due to construction.
  • Wiregrass Ranch High School: 7:25 a.m. to 1:56 p.m. Changed from dual bell times associated with 10-period day, which ends with the opening of Cypress Creek Middle High School.

For information, visit PascoSchools.org, or call (813) 794-2000.

Local residents win President’s award
Carmen and Roman Mesa, owners of Discovery Point Terra Bella in Land O’ Lakes, were honored with the President’s Award, which is given to franchise owners who demonstrate excellence in developing and supporting the Discovery Point brand and values.

The Mesas also received the High 5 Center of Excellence Award, which recognizes franchisees that demonstrate excellence in operations, compliance and community service.

In addition to operating the Land O’ Lakes center, the Mesa family also owns and operates a center in New Port Richey.

Be a Best Buddies sponsor
Students at Dr. John Long Middle School in Wesley Chapel have been volunteering as part of Best Buddies, a club that provides students with and without disabilities the opportunity to be part of a global volunteer movement, which positively impacts the school and the Wesley Chapel community.

Best Buddies is a nonprofit organization dedicated to create opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

During the 2016-2017 school year, John Long Middle student volunteers and leaders inaugurated the Best Buddies Chapter at the school. The chapter members formed friendships, hosted a Special Olympics Holiday Party, attended the Friendship Ball, attended legislative week to advocate for inclusion, and participated and raised funds for the Friendship Walk.

To support the school’s mission for the 2017-2018 school year, John Long Middle is looking for sponsors for its Best Buddies chapter.

To find out how to make a tax-deductible donation before Sept. 1, call Andi Walker at (813) 346-6200.

Marchman Technical ranked as top college
AdvisoryHQ has ranked Marchman Technical College as one of the Top Six Best Colleges in Florida for 2017.

AdvisoryHQ is a global news website that researches, reviews and ranks organizations and products from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. It bases its college rankings on a mixture of criteria, including cost, real-world application and program offerings.

This is the second time this year Marchman Technical College has been recognized as one of the top colleges in Florida. In March, BestColleges.com ranked the school No. 2 on the list of Best Community Colleges in Florida.

 

Atmosphere is upbeat on teacher move-in day

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Volunteers and teachers were busy on teacher move-in day last week at Cypress Creek Middle High School.

Pasco County School Board members, the superintendent of schools, Rotary Club members, members of The Greater Wesley Chamber of Commerce, the Pasco Education Foundation and other community volunteers joined in with teachers to help them get ready for Day 1 at the new school at 8701 Old Pasco Road in Wesley Chapel.

They hauled boxes from the parking lot.

Cypress Creek teacher Jenny Burton was busy last week, unpacking and storing supplies for her middle school art classes. She is thrilled with both the size of her classroom and the supplies she has to work with. (B.C. Manion)

They pushed carts down corridors filled with classroom stuff.

They stood in line, awaiting the elevator to carry their load to the second floor.

They unpacked boxes. Put together bookcases. They stamped books and put away supplies.

Some teachers began decorating the walls in their classrooms, adding their personal touch.

They were working, but there was a friendly banter. The atmosphere was upbeat, with an undeniable sense of excitement in the air.

Jenny Burton, a middle school art teacher, is thrilled to be teaching at Cypress Creek.

“This is like absolute heaven,” Burton said, as she organized her art supplies.

“I’ve never worked in a space like this before. I’ve worked in rooms that were a quarter of this size,” she said.

She’s also impressed by the supplies that have been provided for her class and can’t wait to begin working with her students to find out which materials they’ve used before, and which ones will be new to them.

Her next-door neighbor is Sara Connolly, a middle school social studies teacher.

First-year teacher Sara Connolly wants to bring her social studies lessons to life for her students. She’s already chosen a playlist for the first day of school, featuring music from different eras of American life.

“I want kids to realize that history is not just a book, and it’s not just someone standing up and lecturing to you, and memorizing a bunch of dates,” said Connolly, a first-year teacher, whose mother is a retired teacher and whose father teaches at Land O’ Lakes High School.

She’s been preparing for that first day.

“I already have a playlist set up of American historical music through the ages,” she said, noting the students will hear snippets of American Colonial music, the Civil War, the jazz age and other eras.

She’s also planning to have students break into teams on that day, to do a scavenger hunt in the classroom.

Burton and Connolly are already thinking about ways the two of them can collaborate to do cross-curricular lessons.

Meanwhile, down the hall, Dani Sauerwein who teaches sixth-grade language arts is equally enthusiastic about the new school year.

“It’s always exciting for a new school year to start, but this is just a whole new level of excitement,” she said, noting she’s thrilled to be part of the team opening a new school.

“We’re trying to create a community,” Sauerwein said.

She also expressed gratitude for the volunteers who were at the school, helping teachers get set up for the new year.

“Honestly, I could not do it without them. This would have taken 10 times longer if it weren’t for everyone who came out to help,” she said.

The value of such volunteer efforts goes beyond the benefit of providing help with the physical labor, said Colleen Beaudoin, a school board member.

The interactions can help build community spirit and foster greater understanding, she said.

“A lot of community members want to help, but they don’t really know what’s needed,” said Beaudoin, who was there volunteering alongside her 14-year-old son, Bryce.

When members of the community spend time inside schools, they gain greater insights into what’s needed or desired, and they can help school personnel connect with resources available through businesses or organizations, Beaudoin said.

“Sometimes, I think, that is that missing link — that connection,” the school board member said.

Published August 2, 2017

Chalk Talk 08/02/2017

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(Courtesy of Benjamin Watters, Saint Leo University)

Caps of Love presents 72nd wheelchair
Michael Ledford, a rising fourth-grader at Woodland Elementary School in Zephyrhills, received a new wheelchair from Saint Leo University. The wheelchair was purchased using funds raised by Saint Leo and its community partners through the Caps of Love program. Saint Leo students, faculty and staff, along with community and business partners in five counties, collected 12,000 pounds of plastic bottle caps, which were shipped to Commercial Plastics Recycling in Tampa. This is the 72nd wheelchair Caps of Love has presented.

Community Service Day
Rasmussen College, an accredited private college, hosted its ninth annual Community Service Day July 21. Approximately 900 employees and students from the college’s 22 campuses and three central offices participated in the national service day event in communities across the United States.

The Land O’ Lakes/East Pasco and New Port Richey/West Pasco campuses chose Metropolitan Ministries Pasco, Meals on Wheels East Pasco (Dade City), and the the PACE Center for Girls as beneficiaries of its service work.

Students, faculty and staff from both campuses prepared lunch, stocked the food pantry and helped in the resource center at Metropolitan Ministries.

Employees volunteered at Meals on Wheels East Pasco, and painted a large mural and worked in the food pantry.

Employees also volunteered at the PACE Center, and organized the center and provided resources for young women in the New Port Richey area.

(Courtesy of U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis)

Art competition winner visits capital
Clare Hernandez, of Dade City, was the 2017 winner of the Congressional Art Competition for Florida’s 12th District. U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis (FL-12) welcomed Hernandez to the nation’s capital, where her winning artwork, ‘Portrait of an Unknown Soldier,’ will remain on display for a year in the Capitol Building.

 

 

 

Sales tax holiday
The 2017 Back-to-School Sales Tax Holiday will begin at 12:01 a.m., Aug. 4 and end at 11:59 p.m., Aug. 6. Qualifying items will be exempt from tax, including certain school supplies selling for $15 or less per item; clothing, footwear and certain accessories selling for $60 or less per item; and, personal computers and certain computer-related accessories purchased for noncommercial home or personal use selling for $750 or less per item. For information and a list of qualifying items, visit FloridaRevenue.com.

School calendar set
The District School Board of Pasco County approved the 2017-2018 school calendar.

The calendar sets the first day for teachers as Aug. 7 and the first day for students as Aug. 14.

Its weeklong practice of Thanksgiving break will continue, with the Monday and Tuesday of the week set as possible hurricane makeup days.

Winter break will begin Dec. 23. Employees will return on Jan. 8, 2018 and students will return on Jan. 9, 2018.

Spring break for students will be March 16 through March 25, and spring break for employees will run March 17 through March 25.

The last day of school for students is scheduled for May 25, and the last day for teachers will be May 30.

Other non-school days include Labor Day on Sept. 4, Teacher Planning Day on Oct. 16, and Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 15, 2018.

High school graduations will take place May 18 through May 27.

For more details, visit Pasco.k12.fl.us.

River Ridge celebrates new year
River Ridge High School will kick off the new school year with a Welcome Back Event Aug. 7 at 8:45 a.m. The high school’s band will play as community members, and the football, cheerleading and weightlifting teams assemble along the cafeteria and theater’s adjoining walkway, to clap and cheer to welcome teachers back for the year’s first faculty meeting.

For information, call (727) 774-7200.

Operation Backpack
Friends of the Children Inc., will host a free backpack giveaway Aug. 5 from 10 a.m., until supplies last, at the Jerome Brown Community Center, 99 Jerome Brown Place in Brooksville.

The backpacks will be filled with basic school supplies for children in kindergarten through eighth grade. One backpack per child; children must be present with an adult.

Several vendors and supporters also will be present to distribute additional school supplies.

For information, call (352) 540-3835, or visit CityOfBrooksville.us.

Meal applications open online
The Pasco County Schools free and reduced-price meal online application is now available for the 2017-2018 school year at PascoSchoolMeals.com.

Under the National School Lunch Act, families who are below the federal income eligibility guidelines may qualify for free or reduced-price meal benefits. A new application must be submitted at the start of each school year, and only one application can be completed per household.

Families that have received a letter indicating the student is directly certified, do not need to apply.

For information and questions, call Megan Sexton, Food and Nutrition Services finance specialist, at (813) 794-2480.

Nominations open for service academies
U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis (FL-12) is accepting applications for nomination to the U.S. service academies.

Each year, Bilirakis has the opportunity to nominate high school students from Florida’s 12th District to be accepted to the U.S. Military Academy, the Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy or the Merchant Marine Academy.

The office will accept submissions through Sept. 29, and applicants will be interviewed starting in late October.

For information or to download an application, visit Bilirakis.house.gov and click on Services.

Chalk Talk 07/26/2017

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(Courtesy of Duke Energy)

Zephyrhills teacher attends STEM training
Jennifer Griffone, second from left, a STEM coach at Woodland Elementary School in Zephyrhills, attended STEM training at Keystone Science School in Colorado, through a Duke Energy Foundation grant. Duke Energy sponsored 14 Florida teachers to attend the education-focused training, along with 19 other teachers from across the country. Griffone participated in a water quality testing activity during Keystone’s Key Issues Institute.

Student barbecue
Wesley Chapel High School will host a cookout to celebrate the new school year, welcome back returning students, and introduce new students, July 31 at 11 a.m., at the school’s event field, 30651 Wells Road in Wesley Chapel.

The Team Chapel Student Barbecue will give the students and staff a chance to interact and get acquainted, with games and food.

Participants will receive a free school T-shirt.

For information, call Dee Dee Johnson, principal, at (813) 794-8700.

Sunlake student receives distinction award
Rebecca D. Urbonas, a senior at Sunlake High School in Land O’ Lakes, received the AP Scholar with Distinction Award from the AP College Board “for achieving an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP exams taken, and a score of 3 or higher on five or more exams.”

As a sophomore, Urbonas took AP World History and received a score of 4.

This past year, as a junior, Urbonas took four AP courses (AP Statistics, AP Psychology, AP U.S. History and AP Biology) and received three 5 out of 5 and one 4 out of 5.

Spring Dean’s List
These Odessa students were named to the spring semester Dean’s List at their respective schools:

  • Elisabeth Dichiara, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, Georgia
  • Elizabeth Gwilt, Rochester Institute of Technology, New York
  • Ashley Kubel, Georgia Southern University

Meal applications open online
The Pasco County Schools free and reduced-price meal online application is now available for the 2017-2018 school year at PascoSchoolMeals.com.

Under the National School Lunch Act, families who are below the federal income eligibility guidelines may qualify for free or reduced-price meal benefits. A new application must be submitted at the start of each school year, and only one application can be completed per household.

Families that have received a letter indicating the student is directly certified, do not need to apply.

For information and questions, call Megan Sexton, Food and Nutrition Services finance specialist, at (813) 794-2480.