New Tampa Well Represented At Annual PTA/PTSA Awards Banquet

The Hillsborough County Council PTA/PTSA (Parent Teacher Association/Parent Teacher Student Association) has presented its annual award winners and those who work and learn in New Tampa have taken home a number of those awards.

The biggest one given out at the Glazer JCC on April 11 may be the one given to Liberty Middle School 8th-grader Elaine Feaster, who was chosen as the district-wide Middle School Student of the Year. 

Feaster, who has been mentioned in these pages a few times in the past, is a Girl Scout (Troop 1247) who has collected thousands of books for underprivileged students.

This spring, she also was recognized by the Prudential Spirit of Community Award and the Presidential Volunteer Service Award.

The Freedom High PTSA took home four awards, including the “At Your Service Award,” which recognizes an outstanding service project. 

Freedom won the award for its campus cleanup project, which involved students doing school beautification projects on the weekends, about once a month, including trimming shrubs, adding mulch, and painting. 

Freedom music teacher Lorelie Wiemar was named “Instructional Person of the Year,” teaching assistant Stacey Lindahl was named “Non Instructional Person of the Year” and PTSA president Jeannine Armington was the “PTSA President of the Year.”

Wharton High principal Mike Rowan was named “Principal of the Year.” 

The latter award is given to recognize an outstanding principal who is committed to cooperation with the PTSA.

Wharton PTSA president Kristie Scism says that in his first year as principal at the school, Rowan worked tirelessly, and closely with the school’s PTSA, to add events and recognitions that help increase school spirit and pride around campus.

Other winners include Hunter’s Green Elementary earning the “Arts in Education Award” and Tampa Palms Elementary PTA earning the “At Your Service Award” for the elementary level.

Benito Middle School PTSA won the “Family Involvement Award” and Liberty Middle School’s Meghan Melton was awarded the middle school “Non-Instructional Person of the Year.”