Author: Celeste McLaughlin

New River Branch Library To Close For Remodeling In October

In the more than three decades since the New River Branch Library was built on S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel, the only improvement the library had seen — until now — was just a little paint.

That will change in a dramatic way when the branch closes in October 2019 for about six months to receive a complete overhaul.

While the structure of the building won’t change, a spokesperson for Pasco County Libraries says the improvements within the walls of the library will be significant.

The children’s area will be enclosed with safety glass, so that children can make noise inside and not bother the rest of the patrons.

“Parents will be more comfortable,” says Angelo Liranzo, regional manager for Pasco Libraries. “We get a lot of requests from parents who feel embarrassed when their children make noise.”

A teen area also will be closed off with safety glass walls.

“With the glass walls, staff can see in,” he explains. “If teens are in there working on crafts or projects, we can go in there and help them, or we can bring out activities and make sure they have the books they need.”

Another big change will be to the restrooms. There will no longer be large restrooms with multiple stalls, but instead the restrooms will be for individual use and family use. This allows more accessibility for those with disabilities and helps parents who may be pushing a stroller or need to take small children to the restroom.

The library’s meeting room also will be enlarged, by about five (linear) feet, to provide more space.

A vending area also will be added to provide snacks and drinks for library patrons.

Outside, a new drive-up book drop will allow patrons to return books without getting out of their cars, a convenience for when it’s raining or when the library is closed.

The main area of the library also will be reconfigured to be more open and inviting, with new furniture that moves easily to create a more flexible and more comfortable space.

“Everything is being redesigned,” explains Liranzo. “The staff area will get a little bit smaller to make more room for the public.”

Changes Outdoors, Too

The New River Branch Library already has a community garden, where people can be assigned their own plant bed to raise vegetables, fruits or flowers. At certain times of the year, library staffers will bring out plastic “children’s beds” to fill with dirt and help the library’s youngest patrons learn how to grow their own plants, as well.

The remodel expands the library’s outdoor offerings by adding a learning space. This covered area will provide a place for any activities that are messy or difficult to do indoors, such as playing with sand or making slime, or something like shooting rockets, which can be taught on the patio and moved out from under the roof when it’s time to see the rockets in action.

Liranzo says he expects new plant beds will be added with the remodel, as well. Currently, there is one that is raised for anyone who can’t bend all the way to the ground to garden; he expects additional raised beds will be added, allowing more people the opportunity to garden at the library.

“It really is a community experience,” he explains. “People reserve the beds for as long as they want to use them. They can come anytime for their individual use, or can also come when we have an activity, such as a master gardener talking about different plants or soils.”

Because the community garden is such an important part of the library, it will be reflected indoors, as well, with a “green wall” and greenery added inside the library interior.

Programs To Go Mobile?

While the library is being remodeled, its programs will still continue.

“We’re going on the road with our programs while the branch is closed,” explains Danielle Lee, the New River branch manager.

Library staff will provide programs and services by working with community partners who are local and easy to find, to continue activities such as book clubs for adults and story times for young children and a drop-off location to return books.

“We’re not leaving the community, just because the building is closing,” says Liranzo. “We invite everybody to join us.”

Some programs are already held off-site, such as a digital book club for adults held at the Zephyrhills Brewing Co. in downtown Zephyrhills one Tuesday a month at 7 p.m.

But others, such as a ukulele jam held the first Saturday of each month, will look for a new home during the construction. Lee and Liranzo think it could be a win-win for a business to bring some new faces into its establishment and for the library to reach people who don’t typically visit the branch.

“For example, we host a “Vets Healing Vets” program, where we use crafts from Healing Vets of America to help veterans with whatever they’re dealing with and take their minds off things,” explains Lee. “We have been facilitating that in the building, and we would like to take it somewhere to reach more veterans, such as a community partner that attract veterans anyway.”

Liranzo and Lee say they are currently looking for locations to hold all the library’s programs during the construction time. If a local business is open to hosting a library program, please call the branch at (813) 788-6375 and ask for Danielle Lee.

How It’s Being Funded

The renovations have been made possible through funding approved by voters last November, through the “Go 4 Pasco” bond initiative.

“The library remodeling passed with overwhelming support,” explains Liranzo. “Now, we are set out on a mission from the taxpayers to get the remodels going.”

New River is one of the first two branches to receive improvements. The other is the Centennial Park branch in Holiday.

New River is still Wesley Chapel’s only library branch. While Liranzo says he continues to hear from more and more residents who want another Wesley Chapel location, he wants to make sure the residents understand that the planning for that second library is not part of this project.

The New River Branch Library will be closed beginning on October 1 and should reopen in May, of 2020.

“This is a major, major remodeling,” says Liranzo.

Library new river

The USF Federal Credit Union Celebrates 60 Years Of Helping!

The year 2019 already has been a year of celebration for the USF Federal Credit Union (USF FCU). It’s the organization’s 60th anniversary, marking six decades since it was founded in 1959 and its continued growth and service to its members ever since.

The credit union’s growth is evidenced by the brand-new branch that now serves New Tampa and Wesley Chapel, located at the northwest corner of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and Imperial Oak Blvd., in the Trout Creek area in front of Winn-Dixie, just south of County Line Rd.

The New Tampa branch opened last fall, celebrating its Grand Opening on November 15. When it opened, it was the USF FCU’s first stand-alone, off-campus branch. In the next 18 months or so, the credit union will open two more branches modeled after the one in New Tampa – one on E. Fletcher Ave. in Tampa and one in Sarasota.

The credit union’s growth also is evidenced by its ever-expanding membership.

When it was founded in 1959, the USF FCU started with 16 members — all of whom were members of the academic faculty or staff at the University of South Florida — and had total assets of $505.

“Now, we have more than 60,000 members and $680 million in assets,” says Bill Steiger, brand and promotions manager for USF FCU.

While USF FCU originally served only faculty and staff, current USF students and alumni are eligible to be members, along with employees of certain companies that have business partnerships with USF, such as Tampa General Hospital, Moffitt Cancer Center, and even Darden Restaurants, due to a merger with that company’s credit union back in 2015.

A complete list of 42 affiliated companies is available at usffcu.com/eligibility#affiliates.

“If you graduate from USF,” says Steiger, “you can bank with us your whole life.”

Many people do. In fact, Steiger says that about 2,500 members live in and around New Tampa and Wesley Chapel. To find out if you’re eligible to bank at USF FCU, visit usffcu.com/eligibility.

Typical? Hardly!

The USF FCU offers typical personal banking services — from checking and savings accounts, to money market accounts and CDs (certificates of deposit), auto loans, home loans, personal loans and more.

But, Steiger says, those services are not offered in a typical way.

“We are member-focused,” he explains. “Our members are our number one priority, and providing service to them is job one.”

Myresha Daniel is one of those members who says she appreciates the difference. Myresha says she opened her first account at USF FCU when she was a college student more than 20 years ago. She says she uses the credit union for all of her banking needs, including checking and savings accounts, CDs, a car loan, credit card, and previously had a personal loan that she paid off.

“You hear about astronomical fees from the big banks,” she says, like her friends who have to keep a minimum balance of $500 and get charged a fee if they fall below that. “My account minimum is $5.”

She says other perks include having a free consultation with a financial advisor who helped her better understand her 401(k), and a personalized car-buying program where she not only got the lowest rate out there, but also an assigned representative to meet her at the dealership and walk her through all the paperwork.

“They even send you a card on your birthday,” she says. “The representatives at the call center are great. I like the fact that they know my nickname, they recognize my voice, and we have built a relationship over time.”

In addition to calling the credit union, the USF FCU offers robust online and mobile banking services that allow their members to bank digitally from anywhere at any time. Plus, anyone in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel can easily access the local branch for face-to-face services.

“The branch in New Tampa is state-of-the-art,” says Steiger. “We offer all of our services there. You can walk in and talk with someone about getting a mortgage or auto loan, or anything else you need.”

Steiger says the credit union provides many auto loans for its members. Personal loans also are popular.

“When people want to consolidate their bills,” he says, “they come to us to get a low rate and achieve some savings.”

He says the rates for USF FCU loans are extremely competitive, which lowers the amount of money members pay in the long run. “I would encourage any readers who want to refinance or buy a new home, talk with us first,” he says. “We are currently offering great rates and special programs, including some loan programs that have no closing costs to close on the loan.”

Diane Dwornik is an Arbor Greene (in New Tampa) resident who became a member of the credit union when her husband Julian began working at USF in 1970.

“Our experience over the years has been phenomenal,” she says. “I’ve never had loans anywhere else.”

Although Julian has since passed away, he was a founding member of the USF medical school and went on to become dean of admissions for the school.

“When you’re a member, you’re a family member,” says Dwornik, explaining that she’s never felt like she’s just a customer of a bank.

“You get personal treatment,” she says, “I’ve always been treated so well and anyone I’ve recommended to the credit union has thanked me over and over again.”

While USF FCU offers the latest in digital banking technology, that personal touch means someone like her — who has no interest in online or mobile banking — can call and ask for help with all of her banking needs.

“At the end of the month,” Diane says, “I call them and they help me pay my mortgage and other bills.”

“We’re all treated just like family,” she adds. “That is so rare today.”

The New Tampa branch of the USF Federal Credit Union is located at 20610 BBD Blvd. The lobby is open Monday, Tuesday & Thursday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., 10 a.m.–5 p.m. on Wednesday, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m.–1 p.m on Saturday. The drive-through opens at 8 a.m. weekdays. For additional information, visit USFFCU.org or call (813) 569-2000.

bank credit union

Excel Music Helps Musicians Young & Old Hit All The Right Notes

Since 2006, Excel Music in the Cory Lake Isles Professional Center on Cross Creek Blvd. has been teaching students of all ages to sing and play a wide variety of instruments with some of the area’s top teachers. If you’re looking for something for the kids to do this summer, it may be the perfect time to bring them to Excel Music to try new musical endeavors. You may end up becoming a student yourself, too.

John and Sheri Thrasher are the husband-and-wife team who own Excel Music. “We’ve helped thousands of students of all ages reach their musical goals while enjoying the journey,” says John. “We like to say Excel is both the place you start and the place you stay.”

Excel Music has 20 teachers on staff and all are either university trained (many with Master of Music degrees) or they have at least 10 years of study and performing experience. The faculty teaches voice and nearly every traditional musical instrument, including piano, guitar, drums, violin and so many more.

“There’s a lot of excellent science out there that shows the benefit of a broad education that includes arts and music,” John says, adding that Excel provides a variety of opportunities for people of all ages — not just kids — to experience and connect with music.

Beyond Just Lessons

Excel Music offers the New Tampa Choir, a singing group for kids ages 7-12, and no experience is necessary to participate. It’s currently on hiatus for the summer, but will start back in September.

“It’s a learning experience, and it’s fun,” John says. “We want to give students a venue to sing songs they know, and some they don’t. In addition to traditional choir music, we do Broadway songs, Disney songs and more. We are always looking for more opportunities for this group to perform.”

Excel’s choir is for everyone – whether or not they have any prior singing experience. It provides small group instruction and even the opportunity for students to have solo parts, if they choose.

“This is not a huge choir where no one even knows each other’s name,” John says, adding that the choir will provide a way for New Tampa kids to meet new people and get involved in the music school.

The school also will start up its Excel Rock Band again this fall, but students can apply to participate at any time.

“We’ve done a rock band a couple of times over the years, and its success depends upon the right mix of students,” John says. “We make sure to group students by age, skill level and instrumentation.”

Excel Music offers a preschool music class for ages 18 months to four years, which is enjoyed by both kids and parents. The class lasts 45 minutes, once a week, for 10-12 weeks. The next semester will start in August.

“It’s a great way to engage with both the parent and the child,” John explains. “The smiles on the faces of the parents are often as big as the ones on the faces of their children.”

John adds that the classes help parents learn ways to engage musically with their preschoolers at home. “This is a participatory class in which we teach parents how to bring music into their kids’ lives,” he says, “especially if they’re not musicians.”

The school’s students have the opportunity to take part in recitals twice a year, but John says these performances are always optional and low-pressure. “Recitals are part of what we do,” John says. “But, we aren’t a performance-driven studio.”

Adult Training, Too

While many of Excel Music’s students are kids, the opportunity to learn to sing or play an instrument is certainly not limited by your age.

“A lot of adults come in for lessons, too,” says John. “We get retired people who say they’ve wanted to play their whole lives, and now they’re finally going to do it.” He says one of his favorite stories was about teaching an 86-year-old man how to play the trumpet.

Pete Laches is quite a bit younger than that, but he also is one of the school’s adult students. Pete says he has been taking guitar lessons at Excel since his daughters were in middle school. One is now in college and one just graduated from college.

“They started taking lessons right after we moved here, so they were in third or fourth grade,” he explains. “Rachel played the cello and piano, and Elizabeth played viola and guitar.”

He says that while his daughters no longer play their instruments, the investment he made in their lessons was well worth it.

“It’s a well-run place,” Pete says. “The instructors are good, and it seems to be a pretty stable staff. I like that they can teach every instrument, so your kid never feels stuck if they try something and hate it.”

Pete adds that, as an Arbor Greene resident, the location can’t be beat. It’s “right around the corner” — a huge convenience when his girls were taking lessons, and now for him. “I’m trapped in an office 40 hours a week, so playing guitar is an outlet for me,” Pete says. “It was a bucket list item and it’s a mental challenge, using a part of my brain that I usually don’t.”

About The Owners

John explains that he and Sheri originally opened Excel Music with the dream of providing the opportunity for young people to be trained for the kinds of careers and lives they once experienced themselves.

“We both had long careers in music, and were professional musicians who were able to make a living performing,” John says, adding that he was the drummer for country singer Mickey Gilley for many years, giving him the opportunity to perform on TV, at the White House and for people all over the world.

In the 1990s, John and Sheri had success together with a band of their own in Japan called Tz, where he says they sold tens of thousands of CDs. They also found themselves immersed in a culture that revered teachers, which led them to start thinking about passing on the knowledge and experience they had gained to the next generation.

“We met tremendous people, saw great places, and made a living,” John says. “We started thinking, ‘What if some of the kids who come through our school can experience what we’ve experienced?’”

They landed in New Tampa, where they had relatives, and have been building their school ever since. With 13 years now under their belts, some of John and Sheri’s long-term students are now growing up and moving on. “We’re seeing many students who have come through our school go on to college, and some are majoring in music,” John says. “This dream we had is starting to come true.”

John explains, however, that he and Sheri recognize that the vast majority of their students will not go on to have professional music careers. “Our teachers are good enough for that type of student, but most of our students will go on to have another career such as a doctor or lawyer or something else,” he says. “We hope that when they go to a concert or experience music, they will appreciate it on a different level, because they truly understand the challenge of playing music, and the dedication and skill of the performers presenting the music to them.”

For the past five years, Excel Music has been a business partner at Hunter’s Green, Clark and Pride elementary schools — and recently added Liberty Middle School to its list of partners. Students who attend those schools can enroll at Excel Music with no registration fee, which is a value of up to $45.

Excel Music (10353 Cross Creek Blvd., Suite I) is open Monday- Thursday, 2 p.m.-9 p.m., 2 p.m.-7 p.m. on Friday, and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday. Visit ExcelMusic.org, or call (813) 991-1177 for more info or to schedule lessons.

Excel music lessons

Book It! Elaine Feaster To Receive Student Of The Year Award

It started out as a little box, meant to hold 175 books, to be distributed to those who needed them

In just two years, however, it has turned into something so much more.

While initially launched as a relatively simple Girl Scout Silver Award project, incoming Freedom High freshman Elaine Feaster now has distributed more than 7,000 books to four elementary schools in Tampa, the Salvation Army, Metropolitan Ministries and the PCAT (Parents & Children Advance Together) family literacy program.

Her impact led her to be recognized by the Hillsborough County Council Parent Teacher Association/Parent Teacher Student Association (PTA/PTSA) as their “Middle School Student of the Year.”

And, the awards keep getting bigger.

Just a few weeks before she is to begin high school, Elaine will be honored with a state-wide designation when she receives the Florida PTA Student Advocate Award, which is given to one middle school student in Florida who through his or her creativity, leadership and dedication, has positively affected policy or change in their school or community in a way that aligns with PTA’s mission and goals.

Feaster will receive her award at the Florida PTA Award Celebration Luncheon on Saturday, July 20, in Edinburgh Hall at the Innisbrook Golf and Spa Resort in Tarpon Springs.

“When I found out, I was just like, wow,” Elaine said. “I was surprised. But I am honored. It makes me feel good that even though I never thought of getting awards for this — it’s not why I did it — it’s nice to be recognized. No matter how young you are, you can make an impact in your community.”

Elaine just completed eighth grade at Liberty Middle School.

As Liberty PTSA president Shari Burress explains, Elaine’s project was one of the main reasons why she was chosen for the award.

“It just keeps blossoming and growing, and she just keeps taking it on,” says Burress. “She doesn’t think twice, and she never complains about the work. She’s always looking for the next opportunity to help.”

Ellen Lyons, the 2018-19 vice president of council operations for the Hillsborough County Council of PTAs/PTSAs, was responsible for overseeing the awards process.

She says she didn’t personally judge the category that Elaine won, but she speaks on behalf of all of the judges who did review the Middle School Student of the Year nominees.

“There were many outstanding applications,” Ellen says. “It was an embarrassment of riches to see how many quality students there are doing great things in the schools.”

She says Elaine’s project stood out because of her collection site at the New Tampa Family YMCA, which the judges thought was a smart strategy, and her strategy to get the books into the hands of students who need them the most.

“It was well executed,” Ellen says.

Elaine, a volleyball player for years at the YMCA, was volunteering as an assistant coach and set up a site for book donations, which she figured she could empty each week when she went there for games.

She was stunned, though, that the large box was overflowing every time she showed up. “I would collect all the books (after each game) and put them in the car, and the next week, there’d be more books,” Elaine says. “It was an exciting feeling that the community was helping.”

Elaine’s mom, Jane, says one reason Elaine was so passionate about her project is that she had a lot to overcome to be a successful student.

“I’m very proud of Elaine and all that she has accomplished,” says Jane. “Back in elementary school, she was diagnosed with a reading disability. I was very concerned for her going into middle school being a number and another face in the crowd. I couldn’t be any happier with what the school and the administration and teachers and what they’ve done for her. She’s a different kid from when she entered to when she’s leaving. It’s remarkable.”

Elaine has become well known for her project. In fact, even when the initial project was completed for her Girls Scout silver award (she is in Troop 1247), people kept asking if she was still accepting donations.

“Our garage was filled with books,” says her mother Jane, laughing. “We still have probably 300 books in there right now.”

No matter who asked, Elaine simply couldn’t say no.

“Elaine has a really kind heart and is always thinking of others,” Burress says. “She’s very involved at the school and is one of those kids who other kids look up to, as far as what’s the right thing to do.”

Liberty principal James Ammirati agrees.

“Elaine’s a phenomenal student,” he says. “She’s respected on campus by her peers and by the faculty and staff. She has a heart for service, and that’s her passion.”

He also describes Elaine as humble and says she doesn’t seek attention for the good things or works she does.

In addition to winning Hillsborough’s Middle School Student of the Year Award, Elaine was recognized with a “Certificate of Excellence” from the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards because her volunteer activities were judged to be among the top 10 percent of all those considered in the State of Florida.

Also, based on the number of volunteer hours she performed, Elaine received the “Presidential Volunteer Service Award” and a letter from the White House.

She says she’s simply trying her best each day to be a good student and a good friend to all those around her.

Elaine isn’t done with her book project. She intends to continue in Girl Scout Troop 1247, which meets at St. James United Methodist Church on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in Tampa Palms. As a high school student, she can begin work on her Gold Award.

Her summer project included creating a website — ScoutingForBooks.com — and she now puts a stamp on the inside of each cover that says “Read. Share. Repeat.” with the website’s URL.

She wants her project to have a lasting impact, and hopes that those who read the books she has collected will notice the stamp and pass them on to others.

Elaine is happy that her project touched so many lives, but she encourages those around her to realize they don’t need a big project to have a positive impact.

“There are different ways that you can make a difference,” Elaine says. “It doesn’t matter how big or small, as long as you made an impact on one person’s life. For me it’s thousands of books I donated to children, but also the ways I’ve helped people at my school by being a good friend to everyone.”

books Girl Scouts

Wharton High’s ‘Wee Wildcats’ Program Benefits Pre- & High Schoolers

While the halls at Wharton High are mostly filled with teenagers, there’s a brightly colored preschool-sized playground adjacent to the front parking lot that may seem a bit out of place on a high school campus.

It’s actually a symbol of a unique learning opportunity that benefits both high school and preschool students.

A handful of preschoolers arrive on campus four mornings a week for a program called “Wee Wildcats,” named after Wharton’s mascot.

The program has been a part of the school for two decades, bringing together high school students who want to learn about early childhood education with preschoolers whose parents appreciate the low cost of the program and the attention their children receive.

“It’s been phenomenal,” says Marissa Harris, whose four-year-old son, Cohen, was in the program last year. This fall, Cohen will return to Wee Wildcats, and he’ll be joined by his younger sister, Charleigh, who is three.

Wee Wildcats is offered Tuesday through Friday, from 9:30 a.m.-11:55 a.m., for children who turn three by September 1 of the year they enroll, until they go to kindergarten. Parents pay just $40 per month per child.

Marissa says she was nervous at first to leave Cohen in the care of high school students, but she decided to give it a try because it’s so affordable.

And, she says, Wee Wildcats quickly exceeded her expectations.

“Cohen is so comfortable and he’s learned so much,” she says, which is why she’s opting to bring him back for another year. In addition to his ABCs and 123s, Marissa says Cohen has learned how to spell his name and put letters together to form words in an environment he loves.

The Right Teacher

Wee Wildcats is led by Wharton’s early childhood education teacher, Erin Heilman, who doubles as the preschool director and has credentials to teach students in both age groups. The preschool only accepts 15 students at any one time to meet proper ratios for the one adult in the room — although they are considering hiring a second adult to make room for more students — but several high school students are the ones who actually lead the preschoolers through their day, which closely follows Florida’s VPK (voluntary pre-kindergarten) curriculum.

Wharton students in the first year of the program, typically freshmen, do bookwork in the classroom during times when there are no preschoolers in attendance. As they progress through their sophomore, junior and senior years, they begin to alternate bookwork with planning lessons and teaching the preschoolers in their care. The students design the lessons for the preschoolers, then lead them throughout the day.

Meanwhile, the bookwork they complete prepares them to earn a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential from the State of Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) once they turn 18. Some students may immediately begin using this license to teach in a preschool. For others, it’s a stepping stone to future goals.

Alexis Fernandez is a senior at Wharton who says she wants to teach elementary school after college. She is entering her fourth year of the Early Childhood Education program at Wharton.

She says her freshman year, before she was allowed to work with the kids, was “amazing,” as she learned how to “deal with kids.”

“It’s very difficult teaching small kids,” Alexis says. “They get distracted easily, and get upset a lot, too. I understand that, but without the program, I don’t think I could handle it. Really, it’s all about patience and learning how to be strict, but also calm and understanding.”

Alexis says the kids prefer the arts & crafts and hands-on activities. Heilman says she will continue to add science-based activities. For example, the preschoolers observed the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly last spring, and they will plant a garden this fall.

Heilman has been leading the program less than a year. She took it over late last fall, while it was undergoing a transition. She had been hired at Wharton as a technology teacher in the business department, thanks in part to the MBA (Master of Business Administration) degree that she holds from the University of Phoenix, Tampa campus.

She had previously taught middle school history and then third grade at the Turner Bartels K-8 school and was excited to move to Wharton, where her son is a junior.

One day, when a newly-hired teacher didn’t show up for work, administrators called on Heilman.

“I didn’t even know we had a preschool at Wharton, but I was the only one on campus with an early childhood certification,” Erin explains. “So, I ran down there and greeted the parents.”

She says several days later, she was offered the position.

Heilman says it feels like her dream job, and brings together many of her skills and passions. She asks rhetorically, “How lucky am I that I get (to teach) these incredible high schools students, as well as preschool?”

For example, Heilman’s business background helps her coach high school students who might want to open their own preschool one day. Not only do they need to know how to teach preschool-aged children, Heilman also can help them create a business plan.

She’s also elevating the program to be much more selective, where it was previously open to any interested student.

For the 2019-20 school year, only 45 Wharton students were chosen for the program, out of 130 who applied.

“I want only the best of the best working with these preschoolers,” Heilman says. “They have to be highly qualified with a high GPA, no tardies, no suspensions, and two teacher recommendations. Ultimately, I always think, ‘Would I, as a parent, leave my child with that student?’”

For the students who were chosen to be in the program this upcoming year, the answer is a resounding “yes!”

“I think it’s a great program for the community,” Heilman says. “I’m so proud of these high school kids. If I had known about Wee Wildcats when my son was that age, I would have put him in it.”

For more information about the Wee Wildcats preschool program at Wharton High, visit http://wharton.mysdhc.org/Programs/Wee%20Wildcats/ or contact Erin Heilman at Erin.Heilman@sdhc.k12.fl.us.

preschool Wharton