Saint Leo begins Christmas season
Saint Leo University kicked off the Christmas season at the school’s annual tree-lighting ceremony at the main campus on Nov. 27.
Father Kyle Smith, university chaplain, read the Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke, and then blessed the Christmas tree and the nativity, leading the Saint Leo community in prayer as it prepared for Advent.
Music was provided by students Olivia Callahan and Allie Losee, and Dr. Cynthia Selph, director of the music program. Lucas Nocera, music minister for University Ministry, played the keyboard and led everyone in Christmas carols.
The evening was capped off with cookies and treats for the students, faculty and staff.
Also presented were four performances of “A Saint Leo Christmas” by the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Department of Language Studies and the Arts.
Maker Mania Night
John Long Middle School will host a Maker Mania Night on Dec. 17 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
A Maker Faire is an international movement in which participants learn to do something they didn’t already know how to do. Each project works through the engineering cycle to solve problems related to their purpose.
The format will be an open-house style in which visitors can take a look at the booths of the children and learn about the work they have done.
For information, contact Darcy Cleek at (813) 346-6200 or .
Online poster contest
The Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center is hosting the Kids Safe Online Poster Contest for kindergarten through 12th-grade students, nationwide.
Students can submit pieces of artwork that cover topics such as being safe online, good online security practices, cyber bullying, and how to be a good digital citizen.
The winners of the contest are made into cybersecurity awareness posters and calendars that are distributed throughout the country in recognition of National Cyber Security Awareness Month.
The contest is open until Jan. 25.
For information on how to access the contest guide and registration form, and how to enter and submit artwork, email .
Model United Nations Conference
Students from Tallahassee Community College’s Model United Nations team won five awards at the National Model United Nations Conference in Washington D.C., in November.
That team included a local student from The Laker/Lutz News coverage area: Samuel Goetz, of Odessa.
TCC’s student team represented the U.N. delegations of Sweden and Nepal. Both delegations earned Honorable Delegation Awards for their overall team effort in representing and speaking for these nations in various U.N. committees.
The team was also recognized with three Position Paper Awards, which are based on the research and written policy positions submitted by students prior to the conference.
While in D.C., students had the chance to meet with political counselors at the Swedish embassy to discuss potential solutions to a wide range of international issues.
Luminary Award given
The Pasco Education Foundation’s Take Stock in Children Scholarship program has been named a recipient of the statewide Take Stock in Children 2018 Luminary Award.
The program provides scholarships, mentors and hope to eligible students, and is committed to breaking the cycle of poverty through education.
The criteria for the award is to exceed targets in every category of the Balanced Scorecard, the measurement of deliverables set by the statewide Take Stock in Children headquarters and the Florida Department of Education.
Key performance indicators include the areas of student recruitment, mentor matching and sessions, student learning and growth, and operational and financial perspective.
