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.
