The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Education

Lifelong learners have new options at PHSC

By

Maybe you’ve always wanted to try your hand at writing, start an edible garden or learn some foreign phrases.

wxp-rgbLifelong learning courses, offered through Pasco-Hernando State College’s ED2Go Online, are designed to help you fulfill those desires.

The courses are geared specifically for lifelong learning students.

The programs last six weeks, with new courses opening every month, said Karen Strouthopoulos, a senior office assistant at PHSC.

The instruction is delivered online, with class participants signing onto the class from their personal computers, Strouthopoulos said.

The state college offers more than 300 noncredit continuing education courses, ranging in cost from $104 to $146. Once students register and the course begins, they have six weeks to access the instructional materials.

They also can email questions to their instructor and participate in live chats with other students in the class.

Courses beginning on Nov. 9 include:

Computer

  • Introduction to Windows 10: Learn to use this operating system to customize your desktop, manage files and folders, and navigate the internet. Cost: $118
  • Introduction to Digital Scrapbooking: Make the most of your scrapbooking talents and artistic ideas when you combine digital and traditional scrapbooking techniques. Cost: $104
  • Understanding the Cloud: Learn what you need to know to truly understand the cloud, including how it works, what drives it, why it’s so popular, and how to make it work for you. Cost: $104

Healthy Living

  • Start Your Own Edible Garden: Learn how to grow delicious, nutritious fruit and vegetables in your own backyard. Cost: $104
  • Luscious, Low-Fat, Lightning-Quick Meals: Join a registered dietitian and discover how easy it can be to prepare delicious and nutritious meals. Cost: $104
  • Lose Weight and Keep It Off: Discover how to establish a healthy approach to successful weight loss and weight management for life. Cost: $104

Languages

  • Discover Sign Language: Discover the fun of learning sign language and using your hands to communicate with the deaf. Cost: $104
  • Speed Spanish: This course is designed for anyone who wants to learn Spanish pronto. Cost: $104
  • Instant Italian: Participants will learn practical, everyday words and phrases that will make any trip to Italy more enjoyable. Cost: $104

Personal Development

  • Assisting Aging Parents: Learn to prepare for the challenges of aging parents, while learning to cherish the transition. Cost: $104
  • Genealogy Basics: Learn where to look, who to contact, and how to use research tools to begin an exciting and fascinating exploration of your family roots. Cost: $104
  • Music Made Easy: Learn the fundamentals of music theory. Be able to read, write and play simple music. Cost: $104
  • Write Your Life Story: Learn how to create and distribute an inspirational and professional autobiography for family, friends and others. Cost: $104

Travel 

  • Travel Photography for the Digital Photographer: Learn tricks and techniques to capture scenes from around the world. Cost: $104
  • Travel Writing: Learn how to write and sell travel articles and books. Cost: $104

To see the complete list of PHSC’s Ed2Go courses, or to register for these and other noncredit courses, visit Ed2go.com/phsc/.

For information, call (727) 816-3123, or email .

Published October 26, 2016

Chalk Talk 10/26/2016

By

chalktalk-rgbCitizens of the Month honored
The Greater Dade City Chamber of Commerce recognized these students as Citizens of the Month for September: Koral Shirbach, Academy at the Farm; Sarah Thompson, East Pasco Adventist Academy; Grace Quinn, Saint Anthony Catholic School; Emma Buchanan, Centennial Elementary; Jacob Gamez, Lacoochee Elementary; Breanna Nicole Myers, Pasco Elementary; Jancarlos Sequen, Rodney B. Cox Elementary; Bellamy Buchholz, San Antonio Elementary; Jonathan Ponce, Centennial Middle School; Kellen Kender, Pasco Middle; Zoe Gaskins, James Irvin Education Center; and, Mariana Escudero, Pasco High School.

No hurricane makeup day for Pasco
The Pasco County Schools’ office for Information Technology Services reviewed the current bell schedules for each district school and determined that no instructional time will have to be made up relative to the hurricane day that occurred on Oct. 7.

Pasco County Schools officials canceled three days of school over concerns about severe weather associated with Hurricanes Hermine and Matthew. After cancelling school for two days because of Hermine, the district determined that there was enough instructional time built into school calendars to avoid makeup days.

Officials were unsure the third day could be absorbed, but determined that with some adjustments to schedules, all schools have a sufficient level of instructional seat time to meet statutory requirements, and students will not have to attend school during Thanksgiving break to make up for the Oct. 7 hurricane day.

However, if school is canceled another day prior to the break, a makeup day will be scheduled for Nov. 21.

Manufacturing Day tours
The Pasco County Schools Career and Technical Education Department partnered with the American Manufacturing Skills Initiative and Pasco-Hernando State College for middle and high school student manufacturing tours.

On Oct. 14, students from Sunlake High School visited Bay-Tech Industries and Pharma Works in Odessa.

On Oct. 28, students from Centennial Middle School will visit Nestle Waters in Zephyrhills.

Each group participates in a behind-the-scene tour, gains insight from managers, and interacts with shop workers on the floor.

Ninth-grader visits White House
Logan Beatty, a ninth-grade Land O’ Lakes High School International Baccalaureate student, visited The White House on Oct. 21, as one of President Barack Obama’s Kid Science Advisors.

The White House chose Beatty based on his Kid Science Advisor Initiative Essay Contest entry. He participated in a roundtable discussion about future STEM ideas with The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, senior administration officials, pioneers of scientific discovery, and other Kid Science Advisors.

Elementary STEAM night
Pasco-Hernando State College, along with the Pasco County School District, will host an “Elementary School STEAM Night” on Nov. 1 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the East Campus, 36727 Blanton Road in Dade City.

Students from Rodney B. Cox Elementary School and their families can participate in educational fun related to science, technology, engineering, arts and math.

The program, with hands-on activities, will include “Build a Body,” “Rocket Blast-Off,” “3-D Printer” and more.

National Merit Scholarship recognitions
The National Merit Scholarship Cooperation has recognized these local Pasco County high school students as National Merit Scholarship semifinalists or commended students.

Land O’ Lakes High School semifinalists: Carter Bright, Michael Gendreau, Navya Jampani, Maxwell Keenan and Nicholas Riley

Land O’ Lakes High commended: Isabella Brown, Evan Caine, Angela Fadil, Holly Galluppo, Simon Geller, Isabelle Langner, Lawrence Miller, Alyssa Nguyen, Ashley Rocks, Shivania Saini, Alexis Schuler and Jessica Twitmyer

Sunlake High: Karine Armas, National Hispanic Recognition Program

Wiregrass Ranch High semifinalist: Lauren Payne

Wiregrass Ranch High commended: Rachel Sawah

Zephyrhills High commended: Sarah First

Denham Oaks seeking partners
Denham Oaks Elementary School, 1422 Oak Grove Blvd., has been in the Lutz area for more than 20 years and is looking for businesses to support the school.

Sponsorship opportunities start at $25, and allow the business to build its brand among local residents while supporting education.

There also are opportunities to join the School Advisory Council or serve as a judge for the student arts contest.

For information, visit DOES.my-pta.org, or email .

Boundaries recommended for Elementary B

By

A boundary committee has recommended boundaries for a new elementary school being built in Bexley, a new subdivision being built in Land O’ Lakes, off of State Road 54.

The committee has selected an option that would include Ballantrae, Suncoast Meadows, Suncoast Pointe, Hayman/Fuentes, Meadowbrook/Sierra Pines, and all of Bexley, which are east of the Suncoast Parkway.

The new elementary also would include Swan View Townhomes, Ivy Lake Estates and Toscano at Suncoast, which are west of the Suncoast Parkway.

Courtesy of Pasco County Schools This rendering depicts what the exterior view of a new elementary under construction in Bexley, will look like.
Courtesy of Pasco County Schools
This rendering depicts what the exterior view of a new elementary under construction in Bexley, will look like.

The proposed boundaries would reduce crowding at both Odessa and Oakstead elementary schools, and would provide additional students for Lake Myrtle Elementary.

Students that would be shifting from Oakstead to Lake Myrtle live in these areas: Morsani, Woodville Palms, Cambridge/Lake Linda, Oakstead Area South, Cypress Cove/Village on the Pond, Meadowview/Country Close and Foxwood/Lake Heron.

While the committee recommends the boundaries, the Pasco County School Board has the final word on where the lines should be drawn.

Elementary B is expected to open in the fall, for the 2017-2018 school year.

It will have a capacity of 878 students, and is expected to have 706 students.

Oakstead, which had 1,095 enrolled students is expected to have 765 students, under the proposed boundaries. Odessa, which had 1,000 students, is expected to have 780, and Lake Myrtle, which had 587 students, is expected to have 616.

A parent meeting has been scheduled for Nov. 1, from6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the cafeteria at Oakstead Elementary,11925 Lake Patience Road.

At that meeting, staff for Pasco County Schools, will explain the proposed boundaries and will invite those attending to ask questions and provide feedback.

While the school district needs to draw boundaries for new schools, the issue is typically controversial. Some parents complain that they deliberately moved into the area because of the school they believed their child would attend. Others are happy with the school and don’t want their child’s education disruption. Potential issues with childcare, after-school activities and the parents’ ability to be involved at the school are other common complaints.

Dave Skanga, area superintendent for Central Pasco schools, said he understands that parents have concerns, especially about the unknown.

However, Skanga said, the district will do what it can to reduce parental concerns about having their children zoned to a different school.

He expects the principal of the new school to be named in November. He also noted that many of the teachers will be coming from schools whose students are being shifted into the new school, Skanga said.

“This is going to be a beautiful building,” Skanga said. It will be well equipped, too, he said. “It’s state-of-the-art when we open a new school.”

The school board is scheduled to hold its first public hearing on the proposed boundaries on Dec. 20 and its second public hearing on Jan. 17, when it is expected to make the final decision on the issue.

Published Oct. 19, 2016

Chalk Talk 10/19/016

By

Lights on Afterschool event

The Pasco County Schools’ PLACE afterschool program will host its fifth annual “Lights on Afterschool” event at Fivay High School, 12115 Chicago Ave., in Hudson, on Oct. 20 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The Pasco Learning and Activity Centers of Enrichment (PLACE) celebration will include the River Ridge High School JROTC’s color presentation, a parade of PLACE program students, activities for children and a student art exhibit.

The guest speaker will be Florida Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Sharon Carie. There also will be food and refreshments available for purchase to support several school-based organizations.

For information, call Maree Marian at (813) 794-2124.

Boundary committee meetings

The High School GGG Boundary Committee has added two additional meetings and a parent information night to its schedule, to review maps and demographics of affected schools and work on potential boundary options for the school under construction on Old Pasco Road in Wesley Chapel.

Committee meetings will be on Oct. 20 and Dec. 2 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

A parent meeting will take place on Nov. 29 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Boundary committee meetings are public meetings. Members of the public may attend as observers only.

All meetings are at Wesley Chapel High School, 30651 Wells Road.

To see documents considered by the committee, visit PascoSchools.org, and click on the Rezoning link on the right.

Bishop McLaughlin open house

Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School, 13651 Hays Road in Spring Hill, will host an admissions open house on Oct. 23 from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Registration starts at 1:30 p.m., followed by a program at 2 p.m.

For information, call (727) 857-2600, ext. 244.

Bridge breaking at Saint Leo

Saint Leo University, 33701 State Road 52, in Lewis Hall, in St. Leo, will host its annual bridge-breaking contest on Oct. 26 at 7 p.m.

Students of all ages can watch the competition between other students in physics and engineering classes.

Saint Leo students have worked in teams to construct model bridges made with standard-issue kits of lightweight wood sticks and glue. The students bring the bridge entries to the competition, where faculty judges test how much stress and weight the bridges can bear. All the bridges break apart in a dramatic and entertaining testing process.

Admission and parking are free.

For information, contact Shawn Weatherford at (352) 588-8373 or .

Rasmussen career fair

Rasmussen College, 18600 Fernview St., in Land O’ Lakes, will host a free Community Career Fair on Oct. 26 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The event is open to students, graduates and community members, and is designed to help those in attendance advance their career.

Job-seekers will have the opportunity to network with potential employers, such as Walgreens, Women’s Care Florida and Access Health Care Physicians.

To learn more, visit Rasmussen.edu/student-life/events/careerfair.

Student-athlete named

Quentin Poteralski, of Lutz, has been named a student-athlete at Union College in New York.

Union College athletes are committed to the pursuit of academic and competitive excellence on the field and in the classroom.

Poteralski is a member of the football team.

Denham Oaks seeking partners

Denham Oaks Elementary School, 1422 Oak Grove Blvd., has been in the Lutz area for more than 20 years and is looking for businesses to support the school.

Sponsorship opportunities start at $25, and allow the business to build its brand among local residents while supporting education.

There also are opportunities to join the School Advisory Council or serve as a judge for the student arts contest.

For information, visit DOES.my-pta.org, or email .

Sponsor Student of the Month program

The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce has promoted the Student of the Month program for more than 20 years. Chamber businesses partner with local schools to encourage youth.

In most cases, the schools choose one student each month from September to May to be the winner of a trophy and T-shirt recognizing their achievement.

The business name is listed on the T-shirt, and the schools typically provide the business with the opportunity to visit the school each month and present the award.

The cost of a company to be a sponsor is $250 for the year.

Those interested in sponsoring a school or continuing a sponsorship from the previous year, can email the chamber office at , or fax to (813) 909-0827.

Donate shoes and socks for students

The Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office is participating in the new shoes and socks collection campaign to assist local students and families in need. A collaborative effort between Pasco County government and the school district, the “Two Good Soles” campaign, is seeking to collect as many new pairs of shoes and socks as possible.

All five tax collector’s offices will be collection sites for donations until Oct. 25, and will have a labeled collection box near the door.

For information and office locations, call Greg Giordano at (727) 847-8179.

Early childhood program

Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church, 2348 Collier Parkway in Land O’ Lakes, offers an Early Childhood Center through the state funded VPK program.

This is a faith-based structured preschool learning environment. The program starts at age 2, and focuses on phonetic awareness, letter recognition, writing skills, reading strategies and problem solving activities.

There are two sessions: a morning preschool program and an afternoon program. Extended hours are offered, if needed.

For information, contact Corrine Ertl, center director, at (813) 948-5999 or .

 

 

 

Mock election: A welcome alternate reality

By

Perhaps the most revealing development in this year’s unique — to say no more — choice of presidential candidates is this:

Even as we rumble toward the election’s Nov. 8 resolution, everyone from paid pundits to your next-door neighbor keeps replaying the events that brought us to this sad pass, and wondering how, out of 300-odd million American citizens, the finalists are an undisciplined, incurious billionaire reality TV star and a career politician who, evidence suggests, swapped top-level government access for financial gain.

Sophie Metellus portrays Angela Johnson, Democratic vice presidential nominee. (Photos courtesy of Jonathan Shoemaker/Saint Leo University)
Sophie Metellus portrays Angela Johnson, Democratic vice presidential nominee.
(Photos courtesy of Jonathan Shoemaker/Saint Leo University)

And so, like survivors winding through the stages of grief, we spin up alternate realities. If only this had happened, or that, we might have at least one candidate to whom we could devote ourselves unreservedly.

If only, indeed.

Well, if it’s an encouraging alternate reality you seek, Saint Leo University is where to find it. Even now, up in the peaceful rolling hills surrounding Lake Jovita, students are embroiled in a mock presidential election campaign that — minus the combined 10-figure budget and personal invective — looks and feels remarkably like the real thing.

If the real thing was a contest rooted in ideas and policy proposals, that is.

This is not some lark. Instead, under professors Jeff Borden and Frank Orlando, it is a massive and massively serious undertaking that crosses majors and disciplines, involving nearly two dozen students on each side assigned almost every imaginable responsibility common to modern presidential campaigns: candidates, campaign managers, party chairs, policy advisers, strategists and — you don’t get more state-of-the-art than this — even social media operatives.

It is, in short, teaching by turning broad swaths of the student body into a full-time method-acting class. You catch a glimpse of their buy-in when, after the Oct. 3 debate between vice presidential contenders, one of the candidates introduces himself not as Mark Saunders, a 20-year-old junior majoring in economics from Temple Terrace via Land O’ Lakes, but as Paul Friedman, a libertarian-leaning Republican nominee for president. Yes, a libertarian economist named Friedman, as in Milton. Well played, Mr. Saunders.

Amanda Miceli portrays Catarina Castillo, Republican vice presidential nominee.
Amanda Miceli portrays Catarina Castillo, Republican vice presidential nominee.

Old-timers and traditionalists tempted to arch an eyebrow at play-acting-for-grades should know this: Alternate-reality education is an actual thing, dating back to the 1990s. And, also this: Borden was there at the start, putting students through their paces in such things as mock trials and viral contagions. Partnering with Orlando, the resident political science guru, the pair are in their second year staging a mock presidential showdown.

“The idea is to make it as authentic as possible,” Borden says. “We want to present them with realistic tasks, to get them thinking on their feet … and get them to realize that learning doesn’t happen in a vacuum.”

How real? Both campaign managers — the GOP’s Kevin Abbott, 20, from a New York suburb, and Emily Alfaya, 19, from West Palm Beach — love organizing and strategizing, but neither is keen on public speaking.

The same can be said of Democratic Party chairwoman Cassidy Whitaker, 21, a junior from Brandon, who regards her role as that of chief cheerleader, an impression she gleaned from working as a volunteer for Hillary Clinton over the summer.

The candidates, by contrast, feast on arguing in the spotlight. Unabashedly leonine in wondrous blond-tipped dreadlocks, bespectacled Jacksonville senior Leandrous Chieves — who tops the Democratic ticket of Marcus Howard and Angela Johnson (that’s right: Howard-Johnson) — says he’ll argue politics anywhere, anytime, with anybody, “as long as they’re coming with facts.”

Chieves/Howard and Saunders/Friedman are scheduled to tangle Nov. 7, Election Day eve, with a student vote immediately following.

“Last year, we even had demonstrators,” Borden says proudly. Students in the Department of Education rallied outside the presidential debate. “I expect it will happen again.”

The vice presidential debate was rather more sedate, the only sparks coming from the candidates themselves. Playing Johnson, Sophie Metellus, 20, a sophomore from Miami, brought the sort of passion for doing the right thing that can’t be faked. As Caterina Castillo, the former ambassador to Russia, 19-year-old Atlantan Amanda Miceli parried with earnest and deeply researched policy positions, revealing the self-admitted “political junkie.”

Most of their debate fell along the lines you’d expect, each taking the traditional party line on taxes, free college, public education, sanctuary cities, the Iran nuclear deal and hiking the minimum wage.

In a surprise, however, Republican Castillo/Miceli declared plans to slash military spending and shift that money to domestic projects.

Johnson/Metellus counterpunched with ISIS, retorting as long as ISIS is active, military spending shouldn’t be touched. The American people need to know, she said, if ISIS attacks, “We’ve got their backs.”

All of which prompted Chieves to tweet from his @Howard4prez account, “A republican wanting to slash the military budget? Unheard of.”

Still, this was substantive stuff, and with the possible exception of snarky exchanges over whether one candidate understood the point the other had made, it was collegial, even uplifting.

Sigh.

The candidates feel your pain.

As someone who is old enough to remember when the GOP nominated candidates whose knowledge of public policy was broad and deep — four years ago, then just 16, he worked the phones tirelessly for Mitt Romney — Saunders is already envisioning, if not outright plotting, a post-Donald Trump Republican Party.

“It’ll be a future without the extremists,” he says. “We have a chance to build a better way forward.”

Chieves is no less enamored of Hillary Clinton, who fairly curled his lip in describing her — within earshot of his I’m-With-Her party chief — as “no saint” and “far from perfect.” Just bringing the facts.

Imagine that. A committed Republican and an equally committed Democrat, each disappointed with their party’s nominees.

Maybe they’re not living such an alternative reality after all.

Tom Jackson, a resident of New Tampa, is interested in your ideas. To reach him, email .

Published October 12, 2016

Committee works on school boundaries

By

A committee is scheduled to meet on the morning of Oct. 13 at Oakstead Elementary School to work on a recommendation for boundaries for a new Pasco County elementary school being built in the Bexley Ranch subdivision in Land O’ Lakes.

The new school, scheduled to open in the fall of 2017, is now under construction at 4380 Ballantrae Blvd.

It is intended to relieve crowding at Oakstead and Odessa elementary schools.

A new elementary school, now known as Elementary B, is under construction in the Bexley Ranch subdivision in Land O’ Lakes. It is intended to relieve overcrowding of Oakstead and Odessa elementary schools. (Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)
A new elementary school, now known as Elementary B, is under construction in the Bexley Ranch subdivision in Land O’ Lakes. It is intended to relieve overcrowding of Oakstead and Odessa elementary schools.
(Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

During boundary deliberations, the district may also consider recommending a shift in the boundaries between Oakstead and Lake Myrtle elementary schools, to provide additional relief to Oakstead and to help increase Lake Myrtle’s enrollment. Lake Myrtle is operating below capacity and can accommodate more students.

Oakstead Elementary, at 19925 Lake Patience Road in Land O’ Lakes, has a permanent capacity of 762 students, with an enrollment of 1,095 students, and a total of 1,457 students living within its boundaries. That puts the school at 705 students over its capacity.

Odessa Elementary, at 12810 Interlaken Road in New Port Richey, has a permanent capacity of 762 students, but had 1,000 students enrolled last year, and a total of 1,058 students living within its boundaries. That puts the school at 296 students over its capacity.

Lake Myrtle Elementary, at 22844 Weeks Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes, on the other hand, has room to grow. Its permanent capacity is 736. It had 587 enrolled students, with 570 of those living within its boundaries. So, it is operating at 166 students below capacity.

While the district needs new schools to provide a place for students to learn, the practice of drawing boundaries for them always sparks controversy. Passions run high, as parents outline the various problems they envision if their child is reassigned to a new school, or — in some cases — is not. Sometimes the complaints are about academic opportunities, but often they involve day care or the ability to be involved in school activities.

Under district policy, when making recommendations, the school boundary committee should propose boundaries that:

  • Provide a balance of racial and economic diversity among populations served
  • Maintain school feeder patterns to the greatest extent possible
  • Provide room for future growth and the optimum use of schools within the proposed boundaries
  • Provide for safe and efficient transportations for students, to and from school
  • To the extent possible, incorporate complete neighborhood communities within the boundaries
  • To the extent possible, consider long-term construction plans to create as much stability as possible to areas affected by the proposed boundary changes

Anyone is welcome to attend the boundary committee meetings, but only committee members are permitted to take part in the discussions.

A parent meeting regarding the proposed boundaries has been scheduled for Nov. 1, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Oakstead Elementary School, 19925 Lake Patience Road in Land O’ Lakes.

The meeting will be in the school’s cafeteria.

Those interested are invited to hear the presentation, offer input and ask questions at that meeting.

School boundary committee meeting
When: Oct. 13 at 10:30 a.m.
Where: Oakstead Elementary, 19925 Lake Patience Road, Land O’ Lakes
All are welcome. Only committee members are allowed to participate in the discussion.

Parent meeting on proposed boundaries
When: Nov. 1, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Where: Oakstead Elementary School, 19925 Lake Patience Road, Land O’ Lakes. The meeting will be in the cafeteria.
Those interested are invited to hear the presentation, offer input and ask questions.

Published October 12, 2016

Chalk Talk 10/12/2016

By

Scholarship awarded
The East Pasco Democratic Club presented a $500 scholarship to Pasco-Hernando State College student Caitlyn Fontan. Fontan was selected for her drive and fortitude. She plans to use the money toward a degree in phlebotomy.

Wiregrass Ranch student gets national honor
Caroline E. Eichelberger, a Wiregrass Ranch High School student, has been selected to be a member of the National Society of High School Scholars. The organization recognizes students who have demonstrated outstanding leadership, scholarship and community commitment.
NSHSS members automatically become lifetime members at the time of their initial membership. From high school to college to career, NSHSS connects outstanding young scholars with the resources needed to develop their strengths and pursue their passions.

Book drive for Lacoochee Elementary
Anne Sawl, a junior at Land O’ Lakes High School, is organizing a book drive for a community service project, to benefit the children at Lacoochee Elementary School. Books can be dropped off at Pine View Middle School, 5334 Parkway Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes, during the week of Oct. 10. There will be donation boxes in Pine View’s cafeteria. PVMS National Junior Honor Society will assist in the collections.
For information, email Sawl at .

Martinez Middle blood drive
Martinez Middle School’s staff and parents will host a blood drive with OneBlood on Oct. 14 from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at 5601 W. Lutz Lake Fern Road in Lutz. Signup slots are limited.
For information, call (813) 558-1190, or email .

Job and internship fair

Pasco-Hernando State College will host the CareerSource Pasco Hernando Job & Internship Fair on Oct. 19 from 9 a.m. to noon, at PHSC East Campus, 36727 Blanton Road in Dade City.

For information, contact Nathan Stevens at (352) 585-5117 or .

Lights on Afterschool event
The Pasco County Schools’ PLACE afterschool program will host its fifth annual “Lights on Afterschool” event at Fivay High School, 12115 Chicago Ave., in Hudson, on Oct. 20 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

The Pasco Learning and Activity Centers of Enrichment (PLACE) celebration will include the River Ridge High School JROTC’s color presentation, a parade of PLACE program students, activities for children and a student art exhibit.

The guest speaker will be Florida Afterschool Alliance Executive Director Sharon Carie. There also will be food and refreshments available for purchase to support several school-based organizations.

For information, call Maree Marian at (813) 794-2124.

Boundary committee meetings
The High School GGG Boundary Committee has added two additional meetings and a parent information night to its schedule, to review maps and demographics of affected schools and work on potential boundary options for the school under construction on Old Pasco Road in Wesley Chapel.

Committee meetings will be on Oct. 20 and Dec. 2 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

A parent meeting will take place on Nov. 29 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Boundary committee meetings are public meetings. Members of the public may attend as observers only.

All meetings are at Wesley Chapel High School, 30651 Wells Road.

To see documents considered by the committee, visit PascoSchools.org, and click on the Rezoning link on the right.

Wharton newspaper staff garners awards
Members of the Wharton High School newspaper staff competed at the Florida Scholastic Press Association’s District 4 Workshop at the University of South Florida. The district includes seven counties: Citrus, Hernando, Sumter, Pasco, Hillsborough, Pinellas and Polk.

Members of the staff brought home eight awards — four that were pre-submitted, and four that were on-the-spot.

Award winners in the pre-submitted contests were Rachel Letteiro, first place, architectural photography; Jiwoo Moon, second place, health page design; Ashley Zack, second place, infographic design; and, Ryan Russell, third place, infographic design.

Winners in the on-the-spot contests were Lexie Savedge and Ryan Russell, first place, collaborative commentary writing; Sonal Madhok, first place, poetry writing; Rachel Hineline, honorable mention, news/feature writing; and, Olivia Miranda, honorable mention, candid photography.

“I was very proud of how the students did competing at the workshop,” Kyle LoJacono, Wharton newspaper adviser, said in an email. “It was great that they won eight awards, and I loved the fact that it was in several different categories. They won awards for their design, writing and photography skills, and I think that speaks to how well rounded the current staff is.”

Bishop McLaughlin open house
Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School, 13651 Hays Road in Spring Hill, will host an admissions open house on Oct. 23 from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Registration starts at 1:30 p.m., followed by a program at 2 p.m.

For information, call (727) 857-2600, ext. 244.

Denham Oaks seeking partners
Denham Oaks Elementary School, 1422 Oak Grove Blvd., has been in the Lutz area for more than 20 years and is looking for businesses to support the school.

Sponsorship opportunities start at $25, and allow the business to build its brand among local residents while supporting education.

There also are opportunities to join the School Advisory Council or serve as a judge for the student arts contest.

For information, visit DOES.my-pta.org, or email .

Sponsor Student of the Month program
The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce has promoted the Student of the Month program for more than 20 years. Chamber businesses partner with local schools to encourage youth.

In most cases, the schools choose one student each month from September to May to be the winner of a trophy and T-shirt recognizing their achievement.

The business name is listed on the T-shirt, and the schools typically provide the business with the opportunity to visit the school each month and present the award.

The cost of a company to be a sponsor is $250 for the year.

Those interested in sponsoring a school or continuing a sponsorship from the previous year, can email the chamber office at , or fax to (813) 909-0827.

Donate shoes and socks for students
The Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office is participating in the new shoes and socks collection campaign to assist local students and families in need. A collaborative effort between Pasco County government and the school district, the “Two Good Soles” campaign, is seeking to collect as many new pairs of shoes and socks as possible.

All five tax collector’s offices will be collection sites for donations until Oct. 25, and will have a labeled collection box near the door.

For information and office locations, call Greg Giordano at (727) 847-8179.

Students ‘escape the tomb’
The sixth grade World History class at Paul R. Smith Middle School in Holiday took part in an Indiana Jones-themed activity, “Escape the Tomb,” based on the achievements of the Ancient Egyptian civilization.

Students worked in groups and followed standards-based clues to unlock a series of boxes to “escape the tomb (room).”

Using a 44-minute timer, students worked collaboratively to answer questions/clues in order to complete a performance task. They were given a short set of instructions via a pre-recorded video to describe the task, and then followed a set of clues related to the achievements of the civilization.

The correct answer allowed the students to unlock a box that held a new clue.

Students who were able to answer all questions correctly and follow the clues escaped the “tomb.”

Each team that participated earned school incentive “flight tickets” for working cooperatively and problem solving. The team with the fastest time earned a prize.

Early childhood program
Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church, 2348 Collier Parkway in Land O’ Lakes, offers an Early Childhood Center through the state funded VPK program.

This is a faith-based structured preschool learning environment. The program starts at age 2, and focuses on phonetic awareness, letter recognition, writing skills, reading strategies and problem solving activities.

There are two sessions: a morning preschool program and an afternoon program. Extended hours are offered, if needed.

For information, contact Corrine Ertl, center director, at (813) 948-5999 or .

School shooting threats now a felony

By

The consequences just got tougher for Florida students who threaten to shoot up a school.

The Anti-Terroristic Threat and Public Servant Protection Law. The law, which went into effect Oct. 1, makes false reports about using firearms in a violent manner a second-degree felony. Bomb threats have carried a second-degree felony, but only charges of “disrupting a school function”—a second-degree misdemeanor — could have been brought against someone making a gun threat.

Pasco County Superintendent Kurt Browning address the new Anti-Terroristic Threat Law during a Sept. 30 press conference. The law, which took effect Oct. 1, makes false reports about using firearms in a violent manner a second-degree felony. (Kevin Weiss/Staff Photo)
Pasco County Superintendent Kurt Browning address the new Anti-Terroristic Threat Law during a Sept. 30 press conference. The law, which took effect Oct. 1, makes false reports about using firearms in a violent manner a second-degree felony.
(Kevin Weiss/Staff Photo)

The law also makes it a first-degree misdemeanor to threaten with death or serious harm a law enforcement officer, state attorney or assistant state attorney, firefighter, judge, elected official or any of their family members.

In the Pasco County School District, there already have been three incidents of students making gun threats through the first six weeks of the 2016-2017 school year.

Pasco County Superintendent Kurt Browning described such threats — regardless of the degree of seriousness — as being “incredibly disruptive” to the community.

“When someone makes what they consider a joke to shoot up the school, people panic,” Browning said during a Sept. 30 press conference. “I’ve pleaded with students, and I’ve asked their parents to plead with them, to think before posting an idle threat on social media, or to make any kind of verbal threat to carry out a shooting at any of our schools.”

He added: “When kids and their parents see these things, the fears spread quickly.”

Such threats, Browning said, often cause Pasco schools to become “half-empty” the following day.

“Students and parents are not going to take any chances when they hear rumors or see the posts on social media,” the superintendent said.

“It means that students who do show up are not going to learn much that day. It means that some teachers may decide not to teach the lesson that they had planned, because half the class will miss it,” Browning said.

Ava Cahoon, a junior at Land O’ Lakes High, said fellow classmates oftentimes become “very scared” when they hear such threats.

“We have to go into lockdown, and we don’t learn at all,” Cahoon said. “We have to sit in the dark, and the teachers don’t get to teach at all.”

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco said many of the threats are discovered via social media, including Twitter and Facebook.

“The sad reality,” Nocco said, “is a lot of times these are kids that are just playing a game or just messing around.

“If the kids in our own community realize they’re now going to have a felony charge…they’re not going to play with this game anymore.”

State Rep. Jimmie Smith, the house sponsor of Senate Bill 436, said the rise of social media has created a “sad state of affairs” for making terroristic threats.

“This legislation is going to ensure that those people who make these threats are properly punished,” Smith said.

Browning’s message to students: “Think before you act.”

“It has long-term consequences,” Browning said. “Your chances of getting into college almost disappear, chances of getting jobs almost disappear.”

“It can ruin your future,” Nocco agreed.

Published October 5, 2016

Weatherford makes PHSC’s hall of fame

By

Will Weatherford, the former Speaker of the House of the Florida Legislature, was inducted into Pasco-Hernando State College’s Legislative Hall of Fame on Sept. 20.

The ceremony was at the state college’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch in Wesley Chapel, 2727 Mansfield Blvd., according to a news release from the college.

From left, Pasco-Hernando State College Trustees Ardian Zika, Morris Porton, and Marilyn Pearson-Adams, former Speaker of the House Will Weatherford, PHSC President Tim Beard, PHSC trustee Robin Schneider and PHSC Board Chair Ed Blommel. (Courtesy of Pasco-Hernando State College)
From left, Pasco-Hernando State College Trustees Ardian Zika, Morris Porton, and Marilyn Pearson-Adams, former Speaker of the House Will Weatherford, PHSC President Tim Beard, PHSC trustee Robin Schneider and PHSC Board Chair Ed Blommel.
(Courtesy of Pasco-Hernando State College)

Ed Blommel, chairman of PHSC’s District Board of Trustees, officiated over the ceremony, which included the unveiling of a plaque to be displayed in perpetuity in the Legislative Hall of Fame.

Weatherford received an identical plaque.

“We recognize Will Weatherford, who has proved to be an unwavering champion for PHSC,” Blommel said, according to the release.

“Speaker Weatherford assisted the college in getting the funding for the construction of the beautiful Porter Campus ($52.2 million), including fighting off a veto and legislative resistance to get the final installment after construction was underway and nearly complete,” he added.

Timothy Beard, the college’s president, also recognized the former speaker’s efforts to provide equity in funding for the Florida College System, leading to a $7.7 million funding increase for the college and for securing more support for PHSC from the State Board of Education.

A number of special guests were at the event, including Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera, Florida College System Chancellor Madeline Pumariega, Rep. Danny Burgess, Pasco County Superintendent of Schools Kurt Browning, Pasco County School Board Member Alan Altman, Bill and J.D. Porter and Quinn Porter-Miller.

Weatherford’s induction makes him the second member of the Legislative Hall of Fame, which is a new tradition at PHSC. The honor recognizes legislators for supporting the college and higher education opportunities for their constituents.

Sen. Jack Latvala, who was inducted in July, was the first to receive the honor.

Weatherford and Latvala are both members of the inaugural class of 2016.

Published October 5, 2016

Chalk Talk 10/05/2016

By

(Courtesy of Culver's)
(Courtesy of Culver’s)

Pledging to help the community
Culver’s has been committed to being an active member in its local community since 1984. On Sept. 14, the restaurant in Lutz hosted a Scoopie Night to raise funds for Veterans Elementary School in Wesley Chapel. The event included games, activities, and a visit from Culver’s mascot, Scoopie. The event raised more than $500 for the school. Breanna Flanigan hung out with Scoopie himself at Culver’s.

 

 

 

 

Manufacturing Day
On Oct. 7, thousands of students and educators from schools across Florida will take field trips to learn about products Made in Florida, and the opportunities for high-skilled, high-wage careers offered through Florida’s approximately 19,000 manufacturing companies.

Most student tour events are held on nationally celebrated Manufacturing Day and mark October as National Manufacturing Month.

For information on Florida’s Manufacturing Day 2016 news and events, visit MFGDay-fl.com.

Keystone Prep fundraiser
Keystone Prep High School will host “Taste of Keystone” on Oct. 8 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the campus at 18105 Gunn Highway in Odessa. The high school specializes in special-needs students.

There also will be rides, games, a car show, food, vendors and crafts.

For information, email Randy Keck at .

Wiregrass Ranch student gets national honor
Caroline E. Eichelberger, a Wiregrass Ranch High School student, has been selected to be a member of the National Society of High School Scholars. The organization recognizes students who have demonstrated outstanding leadership, scholarship and community commitment.

NSHSS members automatically become lifetime members at the time of their initial membership. From high school to college to career, NSHSS connects outstanding young scholars with the resources needed to develop their strengths and pursue their passions.

Student receives Legion of Valor award
Allison Segard, a Gulf High School International Baccalaureate senior, received the Legion of Valor Bronze Cross for Achievement Award, presented by the Gulf High ROTC program.

Segard is an IB transfer student from Franklin High School in Franklin, Tennessee.

Only 60 of the awards are given nationally each year, and the award can only be presented by a military veteran who earned a Medal of Valor during their service.

Segard received her award from Michael Perry of Zephyrhills, a Distinguished Service Cross recipient from the Vietnam War.

PHSC is an educational investment
WalletHub analysts ranked Pasco-Hernando State College as offering the highest return on educational investment among 821 community colleges. Also ranking first was Valencia College, Coastline College (California), Northern Oklahoma College, and Cochise County Community College District (Arizona).

PHSC also received a national ranking of 15th in the career outcomes category.

Other WalletHub rankings include the Florida College System as fourth in the nation, and PHSC overall ranking of third among 28 Florida two-year colleges.

For information about Pasco-Hernando State College, visit PHSC.edu.

Chamberlain High 50th
The Chamberlain High School Class of 1966 will host a 50-year class reunion on Oct. 14 and Oct. 15. The committee needs help locating the Class of 1966 graduates.

If you graduated in 1966 and would like to have your name included for future updates and information, send your name (including maiden name), email, current address, home and/or cellphone number, and spouse’s name to

If you know anyone else in the class who has not yet been contacted, email their name and contact information to the same email address.

Job and internship fair
Pasco-Hernando State College will host the CareerSource Pasco Hernando Job & Internship Fair on Oct. 19 from 9 a.m. to noon, at PHSC East Campus, 36727 Blanton Road in Dade City.

For information, contact Nathan Stevens at (352) 585-5117 or .

Boundary committee meetings
The High School GGG Boundary Committee has added two additional meetings and a parent information night to its schedule, to review maps and demographics of affected schools and work on potential boundary options for the school under construction on Old Pasco Road in Wesley Chapel.

Committee meetings will be on Oct. 20 and Dec. 2 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

A parent meeting will take place on Nov. 29 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Boundary committee meetings are public meetings. Members of the public may attend as observers only.

All meetings are at Wesley Chapel High School, 30651 Wells Road.

To see documents considered by the committee, visit PascoSchools.org, and click on the Rezoning link on the right.

Denham Oaks seeking partners
Denham Oaks Elementary School, 1422 Oak Grove Blvd., has been in the Lutz area for more than 20 years and is looking for businesses to support the school.

Sponsorship opportunities start at $25, and allow the business to build its brand among local residents while supporting education.

There also are opportunities to join the School Advisory Council or serve as a judge for the student arts contest.

For information, visit DOES.my-pta.org, or email .

Sponsor Student of the Month program
The Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce has promoted the Student of the Month program for more than 20 years. Chamber businesses partner with local schools to encourage youth.

In most cases, the schools choose one student each month from September to May to be the winner of a trophy and T-shirt recognizing their achievement.

The business name is listed on the T-shirt, and the schools typically provide the business with the opportunity to visit the school each month and present the award.

The cost of a company to be a sponsor is $250 for the year.

Those interested in sponsoring a school or continuing a sponsorship from the previous year, can email the chamber office at , or fax to (813) 909-0827.

Donate shoes and socks for students
The Pasco County Tax Collector’s Office is participating in the new shoes and socks collection campaign to assist local students and families in need. A collaborative effort between Pasco County government and the school district, the “Two Good Soles” campaign, is seeking to collect as many new pairs of shoes and socks as possible.

All five tax collector’s offices will be collection sites for donations until Oct. 25, and will have a labeled collection box near the door.

For information and office locations, call Greg Giordano at (727) 847-8179.

Early childhood program
Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church, 2348 Collier Parkway in Land O’ Lakes, offers an Early Childhood Center through the state funded VPK program.

This is a faith-based structured preschool learning environment. The program starts at age 2, and focuses on phonetic awareness, letter recognition, writing skills, reading strategies and problem solving activities.

There are two sessions: a morning preschool program and an afternoon program. Extended hours are offered, if needed.

For information, contact Corrine Ertl, center director, at (813) 948-5999 or .