Environmental champions honored
Learning Gate Community School in Lutz announced the recipients of this year’s SIEGE Award, an honor given to an individual on each campus who embodies the spirit of the school mascot, the heron.
As a premier charter school, Learning Gate prioritizes academic excellence, community service and environmental responsibility through the ethos of “Nature is our Best Teacher.”
The SIEGE award recognizes individuals who have gone above and beyond in their dedication to education, reflecting on the core values: Striving for excellence, Inspiring others, Engaging in learning, Giving respect and Establishing purpose.
This year’s recipient for the Hanna Campus is Kara Windish for her dedication to students and love for teaching. She uses methods like Socratic Seminars, Shark Tank Pitches, Mystery Historic Crime Scenes, Debates, Escape Room and skits, making lessons come alive. She also plays a key role in The Amazing Shake program, teaching students vital communication skills and accompanying them to national competitions.
Windish supports new teachers, organizes sixth-grade challenges, contributes to the National Junior Honor Society, and supports both school campuses through training sessions and teaching sessions at the University of South Florida.
OJ Beane is this year’s recipient for the Lutz Lake Fern Campus, recognized for his positive attitude and team spirit.
He is dedicated to self-improvement and professional growth, and his humility and kindness make him approachable and easy to work with. Beane proactively addresses needs before they become issues and connects with students on a personal level, supporting their academic, emotional and social growth.
Learning Gate Community School is a tuition-free, A-rated public charter school.
Curbside meals offered
Pasco County Schools has four sites offering curbside meal pickup every Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.: Connerton Elementary, Lacoochee Elementary, San Antonio Elementary and Watergrass Elementary.
These sites provided meals to over 1,300 children this week, which is 30% more than anticipated. Pasco Schools has implemented changes and improved its process with the hope of meeting the demand for summer curbside meals.
To better serve the community, families are encouraged to fill out the Curbside Intent to Participate Form each week so the district has an estimated number of meals to prepare.
The Curbside Intent to Participate form opens at 6:30 a.m. every Wednesday and closes at 5:30 p.m. every Sunday.
Filling out the form does not guarantee meals at the time of pick up, as meals are distributed on a first-come, first served basis.
For more information, visit https://www.pasco.k12.fl.us/fns/mform/view.php?id=285537
Goal exceeded in reading campaign
Pasco County Schools has announced that students, parents and staff exceeded a reading goal by more than 15 million minutes during the 2023-2024 Race to Read campaign. The Pasco Schools community read 30,468,440 minutes in the district-wide initiative aimed to foster a love of reading by engaging students, parents and staff in a collective effort.
“We are immensely proud of our students, parents and staff for overwhelming participation and dedication to this initiative,” said Superintendent Kurt Browning, in a news release.
“Reading is the foundation of all learning, and the incredible number of minutes read this year demonstrates our community’s commitment to education and literacy,” said Browning.
Moon Lake Elementary School, Pine View Middle and Pasco High were the champions in their respective categories. These schools each receive a celebratory banner and 500 paperback books to distribute to students next year. Several schools achieved significant milestones and have been awarded digital badges created by Beanstack.
These schools were awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze medals based on their reading achievements:
Gold: Moon Lake Elementary, Pasco Elementary, New River Elementary, Seven Oaks Elementary, Connerton Elementary, Sand Pine Elementary, Pasco High, Quail Hollow Elementary
Silver: Odessa Elementary, Longleaf Elementary, Double Branch Elementary, Pine View Elementary, Denham Oaks Elementary, Cypress Elementary, Trinity Elementary, Mary Giella Elementary, Shady Hills Elementary, Anclote Elementary, Wiregrass Elementary, Pine View Middle, Centennial Middle, Sanders Memorial Elementary, James M. Marlowe Elementary, Veterans Elementary, Charles S. Rushe Middle
Bronze: Wesley Chapel Elementary, Chester W. Taylor Elementary, Bexley Elementary
For more information about the Race to Read campaign and other initiatives, visit Pasco.k12.fl.us.
Nutrition training funding
The USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) announced funding for Behind the Tray-Food Science for School Meals, and is committed to providing safe school meals and supporting those who prepare and serve them every day.
FNS seeks to award a two-year $600,000 cooperative agreement to develop, implement and evaluate a new weeklong, in-person, science-based food safety education training program for school nutrition professionals. Behind the Tray will enhance the food science and food processing literacy of school nutrition professionals with special emphasis on food safety and food microbiology.
Public, state and private universities and colleges are eligible to apply. The opportunity closes on July 12.
For information and to apply, visit https://grants.gov/search-results-detail/354169.
New Horizons program
Saint Leo University is now offering its Next-Level Grad Award, a scholarship available to graduate program students who study online or at one of the university’s education centers.
This graduate program scholarship is for students newly enrolled in Saint Leo’s Master of Business (MBA) or Master of Science in criminal justice degree programs. It covers the tuition costs for the final nine credit hours of the program (all specializations).
Technology, book and assessment fees are not waived for those who receive the award, and up to six transfer credits will be accepted for those enrolling.
Eligibility requirements include that the recipients must be Saint Leo WorldWide students, fully admitted to the MBA or master’s in criminal justice programs that are now enrolling.
To continue receiving the scholarship, students must meet all academic performance requirements and maintain good standing in their program from an attendance, student conduct, and GPA requirement standard (3.0 cumulative average or better).
For more information about the Next-Level Grad Award, email , or call 855-523-2472 or 800-707-8846.
Woman’s club awards scholarships
The GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club announced the 2024 scholarship winners and recognized each of the following high school students:
- Siena Pena, Sunlake High School: $2,000 – University of South Florida (nursing)
- Tyler Montgomery Tyson, Jesuit High: $5,000 – University of Florida Honors Program (computer science)
- Aelexys Carley, Land O’ Lakes High: $2,000 – St. Thomas University (biology/biochemistry)
- Rohil Agarwal, Land O’ Lakes High: $2,000 – University of California-Berkeley (computer science)
- Caitlin Conrad, Steinbrenner High: $5,000 – University of South Florida
For more information and/or club membership opportunities, visit GFWCLutzLandOLakesWomansClub.org or its Facebook page.
