Construction crews are fully engaged in the project to give Pasco County its first magnet school, which is set to open this fall in Land O’ Lakes.
Jason Petry, principal of Sanders Memorial Elementary School, has been immersed, too, in the task of hiring teachers for the school, which will focus on science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics.
Interest in the district’s first magnet is evident.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)
There were more than 1,689 applicants for its 762 student seats.
Most of those seats have been filled, but some of those initially chosen have opted out, leaving some available for students lower on the list, Petry said.
Students aren’t the only ones expressing a desire to be at Sanders.
The school drew 180 to 200 applicants for its teaching staff.
The vast majority came from Pasco County Schools, but there were also applicants from Pennsylvania, New York, Illinois and Arizona, Petry said. He was surprised by the out-of-state applications, since the openings were only posted on the district’s website.
Hiring was nearly completed, as of last week.
“We’ve hired our 40 teachers. We’re working on P.E. (physical education), music and art this week,” Petry said on April 24.
While work is wrapping up on selecting the school’s staff, construction crews are still hard at work to complete the building.
Sanders’ roots in Land O’ Lakes date back to 1948.
The school district funded the redesign of Sanders in 2008, but the project was put on hold because the housing market crashed. The initial plans had to be updated because of changes in codes and to address the school’s curriculum needs.
When completed, Sanders — located at 5126 School Road — will be almost entirely new. Just three of the former school’s buildings remain on site. The rest were demolished.
Besides being the district’s first magnet, Sanders also will benefit from an agreement between the school board and Pasco County. The arrangement aims at providing more recreational opportunities for school children and the community at large, while also broadening learning opportunities and providing a venue to accommodate community gatherings.
In keeping with the school’s educational mission, classrooms will have wireless technology and large-screen televisions. There’s also a space designed to foster collaboration between students and between classrooms. And, there is storage space for student projects and sinks in classrooms, to accommodate experiments.
The school also will equip each student with technology. Kindergarteners and first-graders will have iPads, and second-graders through fifth-graders will have laptops.
While the district moves forward with its academic preparations for the school, considerable construction progress has been made.
Still, much work remains.
Jeff Wright, project manager for Ajax Building Corp., is confident the project will be finished on time.
“The stuff that makes it look done — that’s the easiest part,” Wright said. “There’s a lot that happens very quickly in the finishing steps.”
Initially, Sanders’ lottery system gave preference to students living in the Connerton and Oakstead elementary schools to help relieve overcrowding at those schools.
In the coming year, the school will be serving primarily Central Pasco, but there will be students coming from as far away as Zephyrhills and New Port Richey, Petry said.
“I’m real excited about this school,” Petry said.
“This school is like a pillar in the community. Everybody that I come across is like, ‘I used to go to Sanders’ or ‘My grandmother used to go to Sanders’ or ‘My dad went to Sanders.’ ”
Petry said he’s looking forward to leading a school that will emphasize the four Cs: collaboration, communication, creativity and critical thinking.
Students need to learn how to work in teams, share ideas, take chances, and when they fail at something, to persevere, Petry said.
Being willing to take chances and to fail is part of how the world works, he said. The important thing is to learn from failure and be persistent.
“People who create ideas at Google and Apple, they get shot down a lot. They just keep on having to move forward. Even though their ideas aren’t making it, they’re still persevering,” Petry said.
Seeking expert help
Sanders Memorial Elementary School is gearing up to become Pasco County’s first magnet school. The school, which will open this fall in Land O’ Lakes, will have a curriculum focusing on science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics.
It is seeking experts in those subject areas to help enrich the learning experience for its students.
At the moment, the school is specifically looking for experts in computer coding, robotics, drones, and the arts, said Principal Jason Petry. But he expects to continue adding to that list.
Anyone who wishes to share their expertise would need to register with Pasco County Schools, Petry added. If you’d like to help out, contact Petry at .
Published April 29, 2015