Pine View students place second
Local students from Pine View Elementary School in Land O’ Lakes are second-place national winners as part of the 25th annual Toshiba and NSTA (National Science Teachers Association) ExploraVision program.
The students will be honored in Washington D.C., June 7 through June 10.
The Pine View project named “The Coral Reef MGS” will help reefs grow, while providing scientists with consistent information about coral bleaching, ocean water temperature and acidity.
The Monitored Growth Sanctuary includes an electrified graphene coral growth platform, solar and hydropower collectors, and an ocean water monitoring station.
Fifth-grader wins first place in poster contest
Kaden Horvath, a fifth-grader at Cypress Elementary School in New Port Richey, won first prize (Grades 3 to 5 category) in the second annual Dole “Fruitapalooza” poster contest. Horvath received an iPad mini and a plaque.
Cypress Elementary’s fifth-grade art students also won the National Grand Prize in the contest. The school received $1,000 for the art classroom and 10 cases of Dole fruit bowls for the cafeteria.
To view Horvath’s submission, visit DoleFoodService.com/schoolcontest.
Teacher hiring event
Pasco County Schools will host a teacher interview and hiring event June 1 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., at the Pasco County Schools District Office Building 3, 7205 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes.
Those interested in an interview must apply to attend the event at PascoSchools.org/employment and complete the Teacher Interview and Hiring Event Application. Once the application is approved, the applicant will receive an email to respond to.
For information, contact the Office of Human Resources and Educator Quality at or (813) 794-2845.
Catholic homeschool conference
The IHM Tampa Homeschool Conference will take place at St. Lawrence Parish’s Higgins Hall, 5225 N. Himes Ave., in Tampa, June 8 from noon to 6 p.m., and June 9 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Participants can learn more about Catholic home-schooling.
Admission is free. Registration is not required.
For information, visit IHMConference.org, or email .
PHSC adds new trustees
Pasco-Hernando State College welcomed two new members to the District Board of Trustees.
Col. Jeffrey Harrington, of Hudson, serves as second in command at the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office. He previously served as Chief of Police at New Port Richey Police Department. Harrington has a doctorate degree from Capella University. He fills a vacant trustee seat, with his term ending May 31, 2019.
Alvaro “Al” Hernandez, of Odessa, is a vice president of marketing at Humana, and received a master’s degree from Nova Southeastern University. He fills a vacant trustee seat, with his term ending May 31, 2018.
Five students accepted to service academies
U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis (FL-12) congratulated five students who have been accepted to one of the nation’s prestigious service academies.
The students were nominated by Bilirakis’ office based on their academic performance, extracurricular involvement, and character.
This year’s appointees are:
- Bethany Greene, Sunlake High School, United States Naval Academy
- James Nichols, Steinbrenner High, United States Military Academy
- Olivia Lane, Hillsborough High, United States Air Force Academy
- Alana Tallman, Pasco High, United States Air Force Academy
- Nicolette Clark, Allendale Academy, United States Air Force Academy
The students undergo a competitive interview process, and each respective academy makes the final decision on acceptance.
Applications for the next round of nominations in the fall can be found online at tinyurl.com/lorof88.
Student selected for Duke program
McKenna Vitali, a seventh-grader at River Ridge Middle School, was selected to participate in Duke University’s Talent Identification Program, and received a medal at the university during a Grand Recognition Ceremony.
Vitali, an exceptional education student who has been diagnosed with dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), was recognized by Duke for her exceptionally high ACT scores.
Local university graduates
Grantham University in Kansas has announced these local graduates of the school’s online degree and certificate programs: Charles Hutchins, Dade City, electronic and computer engineering; Edward Bryant, Land O’ Lakes, criminal justice; Paul Hanniffy, Land O’ Lakes, business administration; Penny Petee, Land O’ Lakes, multidisciplinary studies; Emil Isaakian, Lutz, computer engineering tech; and, John Payne, computer science.
King’s College in New York has awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in media, culture and the arts to Alexa Rivera, of Wesley Chapel.
Tori Anderson, of Odessa, has earned a Bachelor of Science in psychology from Berry College in Georgia.
Katarina Parise, of Lutz, graduated from The University of Tampa with a Bachelor of Science in criminology and criminal justice. Parise is a 2013 graduate of Sunlake High School.
Courtney Olivier graduates law school
Courtney Olivier, of Lutz, has graduated from the Stetson University College of Law. Olivier was a member of the Trial Team, a fellow in the Center for Excellence in Advocacy, a member of the Student Leadership Development Committee, and a class representative of the Student Bar Association. She also served as a Stetson Ambassador and a Study Abroad Diplomat.
Olivier also was an intern for two federal defender’s offices: the Federal Defender Program in Chicago, Illinois, and the Office of the Federal Defender for the Middle District of Florida in Tampa.
