Cadet receives high honor
Steinbrenner High School Junior Reserve Officer Corps (ROTC) Cadet Lt. Col. Zoe Spanos was awarded the Legion of Valor Bronze Cross at the school’s homecoming pep rally.
Each year, The Legion of Valor of the United States of America gives this award for achievement of scholastic excellence in military and academic subjects.
It is awarded only to the most outstanding cadets and is limited to one cadet for each 4,000 senior-year cadets enrolled within an Army JRTOC Brigade, according to a news release.
Cadet Spanos is a senior at Steinbrenner High and currently serves as the Warrior Battalion Commander.
She is one of only 65 Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine JROTC cadets to receive the Legion of Valor Bronze Cross for Achievement award out of 500,000 cadets nationwide, and she is the first cadet in the history of Steinbrenner High School to receive the award.
Educator grants awarded
The Southwest Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) awarded $104,941.81 in grants to 48 educators within the District as part of the Splash! school grant program, according to a news release.
The program provides up to $3,000 per school to enhance student knowledge of freshwater resources in kindergarten through 12th grade.
Splash! grants encourage hands-on student learning through STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) activities, as well as engagement of the greater school community through awareness campaigns.
Each school district allocates a portion of its annual youth education funding provided by the SFWMD to support the Splash! grants in their county.
SFWMD awarded grants to the following schools/teachers in Pasco County:
- Bayonet Point Middle School, Rowenna Collins
- Hudson Academy, Shamsher Lamba
- James M. Marlowe Elementary, Michelle Wainwright
- Quail Hollow Elementary, Lora Darby
- Richey Elementary, Angela Taylor and Shaun Burr
- Sunlake High, Gail Charpin
Grants are available for freshwater resources field studies, water-conserving garden projects, community or school awareness campaigns, and on-site workshops.
For information, visit WaterMatters.org/SchoolGrants.
Time to fill out FAFSA
Students who plan to attend a technical school or college in the fall of 2022 should submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as possible, according to the KHEAA (Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority), in a news release.
Those who do not think they can qualify for financial aid should submit the FAFSA, too. Rules governing student aid programs sometimes change, and students who do not file the FAFSA may miss out on free money that could help pay for their education, the news release says.
Some student aid programs have limited funds and provide awards on a first-come, first-served basis, so FAFSA applications should be submitted early.
Parents or guardians of students considered dependents under federal guidelines also must provide financial information. This affects most students going directly to college from high school, who are typically considered a dependent.
A formula set by Congress is used to determine if students qualify for federal and state aid, the release says.
Saint Leo food drive
Saint Leo University’s Tampa Education Center will collect food through Nov. 18 for Metropolitan Ministries, whose mission is to care for the homeless and those at risk of becoming homeless, according to a news release.
Saint Leo University-Tampa is in the former Berriman-Morgan Cigar Factory building, at 1403 N. Howard Ave., in Tampa.
Canned goods and nonperishable food may be dropped off between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.
For information, contact Rod Kirkwood at or 813-743-3228.
Early release days
Pasco County Schools again will utilize a monthly, early release time to allow for staff to engage in professional development aligned with student needs, and district and school priorities.
Upcoming early release dates are: Dec. 8, Jan. 12, Feb. 2, March 9 and April 13.
On each of these days, students will be released two hours early.
The bell times, including the early release times for each school, can be found online at Pasco.k12.fl.us/site/pcs_bell_schedule.
