An honorable assembly for veterans
Sunlake Academy of Math and Science in Lutz hosted a Veterans Day Assembly and honored 41 veterans and their families, for their service to our country. As a surprise for the ceremony, a USCG C-130 flew over the school, flown by the Clearwater CG station’s first African American female command pilot. The guest speaker for the assembly was Sammy Ortiz, a U.S. Army Gulf War veteran who served as the unit armorer for Alpha Company 326 Engineers. Ortiz currently works as a social entrepreneur and is the founder of Young Entrepreneurial Students and Community Collective, a solution-providing organization that focuses on developing underestimated people in underestimated communities, through the introduction of entrepreneurship, life skills education and innovative thinking. This is Sunlake’s fourth year honoring veterans.
Student achievements
Savannah Qualey and Madeline Rodriguez, both of Lutz, were recognized to the President’s List at Flagler College, St. Augustine. Qualey is majoring in hospitality and tourism management, and Rodriguez is majoring in graphic design.
Angelique Mevorah, of Odessa, is a recent graduate of and an initiate of the St. John’s University Circle (chapter). She was selected as Omicron Delta Kappa’s national student vice chair-elect. She served as circle president and was a member of the Marketing Committee for the 2022 National Leadership Conference.
Music performance
As part of its 50th anniversary celebrations, Pasco-Hernando State College will host the band Decades Replay on Dec. 1 from 7 p.m. to 8:45 p.m., at the West Campus Performing Arts Center, 10230 Ridge Road in New Port Richey.
Decades Replay is a tribute band that plays ’70s, ’80s, ‘90s and 2000s music across the nation and is nd is based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The band covers the biggest hits by artists such as Madonna, Michael Jackson, Guns N’ Roses, Duran Duran, Prince, Journey, Cyndi Lauper, The Cure, Pat Benatar, The Cars and many others. Costumes, props and performance provide a full decades stage show.
The cost of admission is $50. For information and tickets, visit PHSC.edu and click on the 50 Anniversary banner at the top.
Millions invested for school meals
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Food and Nutrition Service launched a new and innovative initiative for healthier school meals through a $50 million grant opportunity that will support collaboration with the food industry to develop nutritious, appetizing school meals for students, according to a news release.
“School meals programs are on the frontline of providing critical nutrition to millions of children,” said Stacy Dean, deputy undersecretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, in the release.
“USDA is committed to supporting these programs holistically, and that includes strengthening the entire food supply chain that sustains them. These grants are intended to spark innovation in the school food marketplace and build a more equitable and resilient food system that serves all children well,” said Dean.
Up to four non-governmental organizations will be selected by the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service to manage funds for the School Food System Transformation Challenge.
These organizations will award competitive grants to support and enhance the food supply chain for K-12 schools.
Grantees may include food producers, suppliers, and distributors; school districts; and community partners.
The request for application is open through Feb. 1.
For more information, visit FNS.usda.gov/cnp/healthy-meals-incentives.
Apprenticeship program
Pasco-Hernando State College (PHSC) is expanding its apartment maintenance technician apprenticeship program beginning on Jan. 9, to include course offerings at its Spring Hill campus.
The expansion helps bolster PHSC’s continued efforts toward increasing opportunities for students seeking non-traditional learning experiences through workforce certification.
The 12-month program includes 183 hours of classroom instruction relating to the technical skills needed, while concurrently placing the apprentices with a leading apartment property management team in the area, where they complete 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training.
Students can expect to earn their OSHA 10, HVAC EPA 608, HVAC EPA General, and certified apartment maintenance technician certifications, as well as a certificate of completion from PHSC.
Upon completion of the program, students will receive job placement assistance to fill industry vacancies as full-time apartment maintenance technicians.
For more information on the program and to apply, visit PHSC.edu/apprenticeships, or contact the Workforce Development/Career & Job Training department at 727-816-3123 or .
Band program headed to D.C.
The Pasco High School Band Program, under the direction of Kyle Spence, is set to head to Washington D.C., from May 25 to May 30, to perform in the National Memorial Day Parade.
The “Marching Band of Pirates” also are scheduled to perform in front of the Lincoln Memorial, and will visit the Smithsonian Museums and Arlington National Cemetery, as well as at the World War II Memorial and the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier.
If you would like to donate to the band’s trip, visit PHS.pasco.k12.fl.us/dc-page/. A schedule of the trip also is on the website.
