Taking stock in our children
The Kiwanis Club of Brooksville Ridge presented members of Pasco-Hernando State College’s Take Stock in Children program with a $1,000 donation as part of the club’s Year of Giving Campaign. From left, Imani Asukile, director of Global Multicultural Awareness and special assistant to the president; Ronteryl Black, pre-collegiate coordinator; and, Donna Burdzinski, PHSC provost, North Campus.
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 .
Practice ACT test
Steinbrenner High School, 5575 W. Lutz Lake Fern Road in Lutz, will offer The Princeton Review Practice ACT Test on Sept. 24 from 9 a.m. To 3:30 p.m., for high school students throughout the area. The cost is $25.
For information, email Lynette Mills at .
Gaither High garage sale
Gaither High School will host its first Band Garage Sale on Sept. 24 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine, in the school parking lot at 16200 N. Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa.
There will be vendors and businesses introducing their products and/or services. Food trucks also will be on site.
The cost is $20 for two parking spaces, and must be prepaid with signed vendor contract.
Proceeds will help send the Gaither High School Band to Carnegie Hall.
For information, contact Melissa Seaman at or (786) 514-0128.
PHSC Foundation fundraiser
The annual Pasco-Hernando State College Foundation Golf Tournament will take place on Oct. 3 at the Black Diamond Ranch Quarry Course, 2600 W. Black Diamond Circle in Lecanto.
Awards will be given to first place teams, and winners of the longest drive, closest to the pin and putting contests.
Players receive a breakfast buffet, lunch, beverages, awards banquet seat, official tournament apparel and goodie bags.
Registration is available at PHSC.edu/foundation/events.
Middle school students explore STEM
Students from Centennial Middle School in Dade City took part in STEM Day on Sept. 9 to engage in science, technology, engineering and mathematics activities.
Students participated in a rotational program, visiting several stations to explore STEM issues. Some of the stations involved invention kits, unmanned aerial systems (UAVs), catapults, robots and water rockets.
For information, call Bobbi Starling at (352) 524-9700.
Mobile dental unit visits schools
Chasco Elementary School in New Port Richey was the first of many Title I Pasco County schools to receive a visit from the Smile Care A Van.
Pasco County Schools and the Florida Department of Health in Pasco have partnered to support the dental health of students across the district.
The mobile dental unit provides students with free dental services, including assessments, cleanings, fluoride treatment, sealants, brushing and flossing instructions, and general oral care education.
For upcoming scheduled school stops, call Lisa Kern at (727) 774-2360.
Head Start program applications
Head Start provides early childhood development and education, medical, dental and mental health services, and family support services to qualifying low-income families with children ages 0-5.
All Hillsborough County’s Head Start classes use the same voluntary prekindergarten curriculum in addition to the Head Start Early Childhood Framework.
The program can accommodate students residing throughout Hillsborough County, including those in the vicinity of Nye Park, 630 Sunset Lane in Lutz.
All services are free to those who qualify.
For information on registering your child, call (813) 272-5140, or visit HillsboroughCounty.org/HeadStart.
Best community colleges
The personal finance website WalletHub conducted an analysis to identify the states with the best and worst community college systems.
WalletHub’s analysts compared 821 schools across 12 key metrics, with data set ranges from the cost of in-state tuition and fees, to student-faculty ratios to graduation rates.
The top five states with the best community college systems were South Dakota, Alaska, North Dakota, Florida and Montana.
McKitrick Elementary goes digital
McKitrick Elementary School in Lutz has been selected to receive a computer/laptop for each student in two of its fifth-grade classes, as part of the Hillsborough County Public School program for Project Innovate computers and digital classroom allocation.
The students will be using and toting the computer/laptop to all their classes.
