Shooting for Nationals
The Wharton NJROTC Precision Marksmanship Team placed third along with an individual sixth place for Kylie Lewis in the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP) Southeastern Regional Competition from April 13 to April 15. The team was made up of Andrea Boknevitz (senior), Gretchen Miller (senior), Kylie Lewis (senior) and Christian Perna (sophomore), with coach GMC Wayne Boknevitz. The third place finish qualified the team to move on and represent the Southeastern Region at the CMP Nationals in Camp Perry, Ohio from July 10 to July 12. A GoFundMe account has been set up to help the team get to the next competition. Visit GoFund.me/39cdbb7e.
‘Signing Day’
Pasco County Schools will host “Signing Day” on April 26 at 9 a.m., for high school students who are declaring their intent to return to teach in Pasco schools after college. The 33 students are graduating from Pasco’s New Teacher Academy (NTA) where they have had the opportunity to explore their chosen profession.
The New Teacher Academy is one of Pasco Schools’ many strategies for addressing the ongoing teacher shortage, in this case by preparing “homegrown” teachers who come directly from our schools and our community. The 33 student graduates are nearly twice as many as last year, when Pasco held its first signing day.
The New Teacher Academy was established at River Ridge High School in 2016 for students who are considering a career in teaching to learn more about the profession. The NTA provides hands-on experience at elementary schools in Pasco County.
The signing-day event will take place at River Ridge High School, 11646 Town Center Road, in the media center, and will feature an NTA graduate who has gone on to earn her college degree and is slated to begin teaching at a Pasco County elementary school next school year.
Florida Prepaid
Pasco County Schools is reminding families that Open Enrollment in Florida Prepaid ends April 30 to lock in the cost of college tuition, starting at just $45 a month. To learn more, visit bit.ly/3H1SeQH.
Literacy for Families
PBS Kids will present “Literacy for Families” on May 5 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center, 12118 Lake Blanche Drive in Odessa.
Participants can discover a variety of pre-reading/reading/language-based games, crafts and other suggestions that promote literacy. The program is designed for families and their children ages 3 to 5. A family is considered a parent/guardian plus one or two children.
Registration is required. For information, call 727-815-7126.
Summer Open House
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of South Florida (OLLI-USF) will host a Summer Open House on May 11 at 10 a.m., at the Temple Terrace Golf and Country Club, 200 Inverness Ave., in Temple Terrace.
OLLI is a member-based learning community of adults age 50 and older. It offers classes, workshops, lectures, events and social networking, and provides high-quality, low-cost learning opportunities for adults. Visit USFSeniors.org for more information.
The open house will highlight the 100 liberal arts and technology classes and lectures that will be offered both in person and online, and guests can meet the faculty. The keynote speaker will be retired professor Howard Kerner on the topic of “History: Why Don’t We Know the Names of the Good?” Kerner researches and shares uplifting and inspiring stories of human goodness during the Holocaust.
To RSVP for the event, call 813-974-5848.
Alternative Peer Group
Victory High School in New Port Richey will host an Alternative Peer Group from May 15 through July 27, for youth ages 14 to 18 who have a substance use disorder or co-occurring disorder and no sex or violent offenses.
The program will run Mondays through Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with two weeks off: May 29 to June 2 and July 3 to July 7. The group will take educational field trips to discover new career options, trades, vocational opportunities and tour colleges, and it will participate in sober, fun activities in Tampa Bay. There also will be yoga, art, and sound healing sessions.
For more information, visit FloridaRecoverySchoolsOfTampaBay.com.
Spirit Night
Pasco County Schools will celebrate education with a Spirit Night at the Tampa Bay Rays’ game on May 20 at 4:10 p.m., at Tropicana Field. Lower-level seating is $19. The deadline to purchase tickets is May 8. A portion of each ticket purchased will benefit the Pasco Education Foundation.
For tickets, visit PascoEducationFoundation.org/community-involvement/teaming-up-for-kids/.
PROMise program for students
The Auto Club Group, AAA, is working with Florida schools to prevent prom and graduation season from turning deadly on the road, by launching its annual AAA PROMise program designed to help teens avoid substance-impaired driving, as well as distracted driving, according to a news release.
The program works by having teens sign a pledge banner and make this promise before prom and graduation celebrations:
- I promise not to drive impaired or distracted.
- I promise not to let my friends drive impaired or distracted.
- I promise my parents I will get home safely or call them for help.
Parents also can PROMise that they will always pick up their teen, regardless of the time or location.
Public and private schools can participate in the program for free by registering at AAA.com/PROMise.
Schools will receive a tool that includes: fact sheets/resources; a pledge banner; and premium student items, such as drawstring bags, an AAA PROMise keepsake and more.
Last year, more than 300 schools participated in the program.
The deadline to order is May 31.
Autism certification
Florida’s Sports Coast has announced the Destination Management Organization has completed autism-specific training to become a Certified Autism Center, designated by The International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards, a global leader in online training and certification programs, according to a news release.
The certification acknowledges that Florida’s Sports Coast staff have completed training and certification in best practices when assisting autistic individuals in the destination.
“Our goal as a destination is to provide the best service and experiences possible to visitors of all abilities,” said Adam Thomas, tourism director, in the release.
“To achieve that goal, we do our part to educate ourselves on the various needs of our visitors. We are delighted for Florida’s Sports Coast to now be a Certified Autism Center, having completed autism-specific training so that we can better implement practices to assist autistic individuals who visit, and live, in Pasco County. Next, we look forward to becoming a Certified Autism Destination in 2024,” said Thomas.
For information on the Certified Autism Center or Autism Travel, visit IBCCES.org/cac-faq-travel or AutismTravel.com.
