Pasco County Schools offers opportunities in art
LAND O’ LAKES – Students from the Mittye P. Locke Early Learning Academy and Wiregrass Ranch High School performed March 4 during the Pasco County School Board meeting.
The performances were in honor of Fine Arts In Our Schools Month.
“Fine Arts In Our Schools Month is a time to celebrate the various artforms,” said Thomas Viking, fine arts coordinator for Pasco County Schools. “Fine arts study is at the heart of the music we hear, the art we see, the beauty of dance and the transcending nature of theater.”
Vikings said students average 2,000 musical performances per year and participate in more than 100 art displays and shows. And 11 schools offer dance courses to boot.
“The arts are all around us and it’s one of the things that makes us uniquely human,” Viking said. “From the music we hear when riding elevators to the design of our cars, fine arts are woven into the fabric of our lives. The arts feed our souls like nothing else can.”
Employees worried about federal issues
LAND O’ LAKES – School employees are encouraged by some of the education conversations happening locally but concerned about national issues, according to Jeff Larsen, president of United School Employees of Pasco.
Larsen shared his insight with members of the Pasco County School Board on March 4 after visiting several jobs sites from the previous week. Those include Chasco Middle School, Cypress Creek Middle, Fox Hollow Elementary, Hudson Primary, Wesley Chapel High and the central bus garage.
Larsen said employees were encouraged by district conversations regarding homework and removing distractions from classrooms. However, staff is worried about what’s going to happen with the U.S. Department of Education.
“Frankly, people are scared,” Larsen said. “I know that parents are concerned that important programs and services may be cut or even eliminated. And some employees are wondering how they will be impacted and what can come of their career.”
Students get hands-on experience in construction
WESLEY CHAPEL – Students at Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation and Pasco High School got hands-on experience during a Workforce Development Day at the Target under construction at The Groves Shopping Center.
More than 100 students got to work with tools and interact with the team at Williams Company Management Group. Staff led lessons and activities at a series of stations at the worksite.
“This provided students with hands-on career exposure and interactive learning experiences like we’ve never seen,” said Lori Romano, assistant superintendent for support services for Pasco County Schools. “The structure allowed students to gain knowledge and practical experience, reinforcing true workforce readiness and workplace learning.”
Quick Hits
- Magnet Schools of America recognized Pine View Middle School as a Nationally Certified Magnet School.
- The J.W. Mitchell High School boys soccer team won a state championship.
- Bella Schwarz, of River Ridge High School, recently won her second state weightlifting championship.
- Kristy More, of Sunlake High school, recently won a state wrestling championship.
- The Rotary Club of Seven Springs donated $1,000 to the Pasco County Education Foundation to continue its William (Bill) Van Sickle Memorial Scholarship.
