Zephyrhills team scores big
A team from Zephyrhills High placed 11th in the world at the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.
More than 15,000 people traveled from around the globe to attend the competition, which featured 815 teams from 40 states and 15 countries.
The Zephyrhills team is composed of Rose Kettelle-Daily, Hali Fisher, Ashley Ramirez, Savana Wright, Shelby Osborne and Jessica Geiger. These girls have been competing together for four years.
The group competed in a division that included 48 teams working on the same problem.
Cecil Jones, a science teacher at Zephyrhills High, is the team’s coach. The squad extended their thanks to Jones and his wife, their family and friends, Zephyrhills High, the Gulf Coast Odyssey of the Mind and the Zephyrhills community for helping them get to the world competition.
Woman’s Club’s scholarships
The GFWC Lutz-Land O’ Lakes Woman’s Club recently awarded a total of $12,750 in scholarships to area high school seniors, as well as older students returning to technical schools and community colleges, according to Barbara Nicholson, the scholarship chair. This year, the club awarded stipends of $750 each. This year’s total was the largest amount distributed in the club’s 52-year history.
Hillsborough public high schools among best in nation
For the first time since reporter Jay Mathews began using the Challenge Index to rank America’s best high schools in 1998, this year all of the Hillsborough County school district’s 27 traditional high schools were included, as well as Brooks-DeBartolo Collegiate Charter High School. Plant High School led the district’s schools, achieving No. 57 on the list. Hillsborough High ranked No. 62 and Steinbrenner High came in at No. 99.
The ranking now is called America’s Most Challenging High Schools, and is published by the Washington Post. The list previously was known as America’s Best High Schools, and until last year was published by Newsweek. It was not published in 1999, 2001, 2002 or 2004.
The high school Challenge Index is based on a formula that takes the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and college-level tests administered at a school divided by the number of graduating seniors.
Free ESL class
A free English as a Second Language (ESL) class is now meeting at Tampa Bay Presbyterian Church, 19911 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. in New Tampa, Thursdays from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Activities for school-aged children also are provided during this time.
A native English speaker teaches the class using a variety of resources, including the Bible. The class also includes discussions of American culture, English idioms and slang.
To find out more, call (813) 973-2484.
Applications for Buc-Packs
Applications are open until June 29 at 5 p.m. for Buc-Packs for Back-to-School, one of the Glazer Family Foundation’s signature programs.
Each summer, the Buc-Packs for Back-to-School program presents Buccaneers backpacks filled with school supplies to children throughout Central Florida. This year, youth from local community groups will receive a total of 5,000 backpacks during the team’s training camp at One Buccaneer Place.
After receiving backpacks, the children will be able to watch the Buccaneers practice before participating in their own on-field football drills.
The Glazer Family Foundation accepts applications for the Buc-Packs for Back-to-School program from local community nonprofit organizations. Applications for the program will only be accepted online. To learn more, visit www.GlazerFamilyFoundationn.org.
Take Stock in Children scholarship winners
The Take Stock In Children Scholarship program has announced recipients of its 2012-13 scholarships.
The value of the scholarships is more than $450,000, which includes Florida Prepaid College Foundation’s dollar-for-dollar matching funds program.
A recent signing event took place for the 25 Take Stock in Children recipients to confirm their commitment to the Take Stock in Children program by maintaining good grades, attendance, behavior and remaining drug- and crime-free.
The following students are provided with tuition for up to four years of college. Each has been matched with a mentor and has met income eligibility requirements provided by the state of Florida.
The following area eighth-graders are recipients of 2012-2013 Take Stock in Children scholarship: Luisa Alvarez, Marissa Tyler and John Wiggins of Weightman Middle; Britany Butler and Megan Frederick of Stewart Middle; Caroline Cannon of John Long Middle; Marcus Downey and Audrey Morrison of Centennial Middle; Bethany Kemper and Jennifer Lopez of Pine View Middle; and Nicole Law of Dayspring Academy; Nolan Martinez of Pasco Middle; and Ryan Rodriguez of Rushe Middle.
The following students are recipients of a Chair Scholars Foundation Scholarship, covering two years of community college and two years of university tuition:
Alissia Crum of Stewart Middle; Elizabeth Carr of John Long Middle; and Kelanie Cuadrado of Land O’ Lakes High.
Also, Christina Hilliary, of Zephyrhills High, was a recipient of the Ronald McDonald House Charities scholarship, which provides a tuition scholarship for two years.
Countryside Montessori kids go to nation’s capital
A team from Countryside Montessori Charter in Land O’ Lakes recently visited Washington D.C. as second place winners in their age division of the Toshiba/NTSA ExploraVision competition, the world’s largest science competition for students in kindergarten through 12th grade.
The Countryside Montessori Charter students were among 14,606 students from 4,809 teams from across the U.S. and Canada competing in the contest.
