West Zephyrhills conducts food drive for seniors
The student council at West Zephyrhills Elementary conducted a food drive to support Zephyrhills Meals on Wheels.
The council also heard a talk by Debbie Howton, from the Meals on Wheels program, who explained how the food they collected would help seniors who need help.
Students made posters, sent out flyers and encouraged classmates to bring in food to help senior citizens. The students collected 839 food items to distribute in the program.
Student citizens of December
The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce recognized these student citizens at a ceremony in their honor.
Each month, a student from each of the nine area schools is selected for exemplary effort, achievement and contribution to their school, family and community.
The students who were honored are: Savannah Baptist of West Zephyrhills Elementary; Lailani Perez of Heritage Academy; Austin LaRose of Zephyrhills High; Mikayla Isbell of Stewart Middle; Matthew Ely of The Broach School; Michael Leach of Chester Taylor Elementary; Haven Queen of Woodland Elementary; Jocelyn Couron of East Pasco Adventist Academy.
Education foundation names interim director
The Pasco Education Foundation has named Larry Starnes as its interim executive director. He will oversee staff and operations, while the foundation searches for a permanent executive director.
Starnes has been both a member and a chairman of the foundation’s board. He also has served as the president and CEO of Patriot Bank and the area president for Wachovia.
Governor speaks at Florida Tax Credit program
Gov. Rick Scott was recently a featured speaker at a celebration of the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship program.
The program provides scholarships for students from low-income families.
Besides helping families, it also saves money for taxpayers.
“A Florida legislative committee estimates the scholarships will save $220 million over five years. That’s hundreds of millions of dollars that go right back into providing children access to a quality education,” Scott said during remarks at the Tampa Museum of Art, according to a release. Scott was speaking at an annual donor appreciation dinner that included 200 corporate leaders, legislators, educators and families who participate in the program.
The scholarship, in its 11th year, is serving 50,821 students in 1,322 private schools, and is fueled by corporate contributions that receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit from the state.
House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, was among the lawmakers in attendance. He sponsored a bill in 2010 that strengthened the scholarship and allows it to grow each year, so long as companies are contributing and more students are choosing it. For more information about the scholarship program, visit www.stepupforstudents.org or call (813) 258-2700.
College funding advice available
If you have questions about choosing the college that is the right fit for your son or daughter, The Right Fit Foundation wants to help. The foundation also wants to help parents pay the least amount possible for their child’s college education.
The foundation’s services are free. To find out more visit, www.therightfitfoundation.org.
Ryland Homes helps Watergrass Elementary
Ryland Homes of Tampa has donated $500 to the Watergrass Elementary Parent Teacher Association to help raise the money to pay for a shade cover for the school’s playground.
CrossPointe offers ‘40 Days in The Word’ classes
CrossPointe Church of the Nazarene, 919 Debuel Road in Lutz, is offering a course designed to help people not just to hear and understand Bible messages, but to put them into action.
The introductory message for the course will be Jan. 6, with the series of lessons beginning on Jan. 13.
Teens from the church will be participating, with messages specifically designed for junior and senior high students.
Kidzstreet children’s ministry will be studying a coordinating video-based curriculum called Rebels of the Book.
Preschoolers will also be studying a coordinating curriculum entitled All Aboard The Bible Boat.
For more information, call the church at (813) 949-7727.
Education foundation gets $15,000 grant
Wells Fargo has provided a $15,000 grant to support the programs and mission of the Pasco Education Foundation. During the past eight years, it has donated more than $70,000 to the foundation.
Lutz student graduates from RIT
Yi Wang of Lutz has graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology with a Master of Science degree in print media from the institute’s College of Imaging Arts and Sciences.
Watergrass students help Toys for Tots
In conjunction with reading the story Stone Soup, students in Amanda Hoffman’s third-grade classroom at Watergrass Elementary developed a service project for the Toys for Tots campaign. They created posters to show to family, friends and neighbors to solicit toys for children in need.
