Catalyst Club Members Bring Joy Of STEM To New Tampa Middle Schoolers

(Left to right) Jon Karthaka, Ansh Bhatt, Aaryan Sharma and Nusheen Immen lead the Catalyst Club at King High, where they are all juniors in the school’s IB program.

While many students recognize the importance of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) concepts and some join robotics or science clubs, it is likely that there are some kids who haven’t been exposed to STEM in a way that is fun and engaging.

Aaryan Sharma, a 16-year-old International Baccalaureate (IB) student at King High on N. 56th St. in Tampa wants to change that.

“We want to reach out to kids who are not already interested in STEM,” the Arbor Green resident explains.

Last year, Aaryan started the “Catalyst Club” at King with a goal to teach STEM to middle school students.

Middle schoolers, says Aaryan, are the perfect age — not too young to comprehend the subjects, and not too old that it is too late for them to become interested.

“Middle school kids are mature enough to grasp advanced concepts,” explains Aaryan. “High school students might be apathetic,” especially if they’ve already determined their path, and aren’t really open to being introduced to a new passion.”

So, Aaryan and fellow club members and officers worked last year to get the Catalyst Club up and running. This summer, their efforts took off.

Catalyst Club members reached middle school students, mostly through the HOST (Hillsborough Out of School Time) program, which provides care for students after school and during the summer.

They visited Liberty Middle School once a week, and Turner/Bartels K-8 School twice a week this summer.

Using presentations, hands-on activities and friendly competitions, Catalyst Club members teach STEM concepts to middle school students at Turner/Bartels K-8 school.

Each visit included a new lesson, first taught via a PowerPoint presentation, which was then followed up with a hands-on activity.

Jon Karthaka, the club’s director of information and content, explains a recent lesson last month.

“We’re teaching about non-Newtonian fluids, using oobleck,” he says. Oobleck is a mixture of cornstarch and water that has properties unlike a typical liquid. “We put oobleck in a Ziploc bag, then put an egg in. The kids can drop it and throw it, and the egg won’t break.”

He explains that the hands-on activities piqued the students’ curiosity and gave them the opportunity to learn in a fun way.

“We always have a demonstration and try to have competitions,” Jon explains. “They love it.”

He says the competition aspect of the club captures the middle school students’ attention. For example, at one lesson, club members gave the students popsicle sticks and tape to make a boat and see which one could hold the most quarters without sinking. This helped teach engineering, buoyancy and other principles.

“If we just teach the theory behind it, kids might be confused,” says Aaryan. “Having hands on activities, it clicks. The concept makes more sense.”

Along with Aaryan, Ansh Bhatt is the club’s vice president, and Nusheen Immen, who lives in Tampa Palms, is the club’s director of outreach and communications.

All are 16 years old and juniors in King High’s IB program.

They’re doing the typical things other high school students do, too, but are making time in their schedules to teach younger kids STEM concepts.

“We’re busy studying for SATs, too, but this is a way for us to give back,” says Aaryan. “That’s our core motivation.”

Not only do they want to volunteer and help those around them, they also are hoping to plant seeds that will lead to more students pursuing STEM careers.

They call it their “macro goal” — not just to impact some students here in New Tampa and surrounding areas, but to “bolster innovation and scientific progress in society,” Aaryan says.

“We hope to ignite a spark to create a beautiful chain reaction,” Nusheen adds.

Working with the HOST program has been a great match so far, and that is expected to continue, now that the students have returned to school. The lessons from the Catalyst Club members don’t conflict with the school day, where teachers might not have time to incorporate them.

Catalyst Club members also can attend their full day of school and go to HOST to teach after their school day ends.

“Another thing we love is it gives us opportunities to reach all kinds of students,” says Aaryan, not just students who are already gathered together because they’ve joined a STEM-related club. Catalyst Club officers say they hope to expand their lessons to more schools — and students – via the HOST program or other means.

They also emphasize that they’re not limited to just schools. So far, in addition to schools, they have also presented to Girl Scouts and are open to working with other organizations.

They hope more high school students will start their own Catalyst Club chapters at their schools, too, to increase their impact.

Aaryan says the middle school students he met this summer asked them to come back, and look forward to their visits.

“It’s so good to see the kids and develop a relationship with them,” he says.

Catalyst Club officers emphasize that they do all the work and don’t charge for their services. When they work with a school or organization, they agree on dates and times, then club members plan everything.
To learn more about the Catalyst Club, to request a presentation for a middle school group, or for high school students to find out more about starting their own chapter of the club, visit CatalystClub.TK.

5 Things That Have Changed As New Tampa Students Head Back To School

With students throughout Hillsborough County now back to school for the 2018-19 school year the same day this issue is scheduled to arrive in your mailbox, there are many changes that make this school year different from last. Here are five things that are new since your students were on campus last spring:

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office deputies went through intensive “active shooter” training this summer in preparation for the new school year. (HCSO Twitter)

 

1. School Security
In the aftermath of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High shooting on Valentine’s Day of this year, a new state law requires armed security on every public school campus.

While the law has changed, it won’t appear much different from what’s already been in place on most New Tampa public school campuses.

Freedom and Wharton high schools, Benito and Liberty middle schools and Turner/Bartels K-8 school will continue to have a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) deputy or Tampa Police Department (TPD) officer on campus.

At our area’s six elementary schools, one TPD officer or HCSO deputy will be assigned to each school. Previously, one officer served multiple campuses.

While it is planned to have an armed school security officer at every elementary school, employed by Hillsborough County Public Schools, the school district says it will take time to hire and train the necessary personnel, so elementary school campuses will have law enforcement officers from the local agencies to “fill that temporary gap and ensure the safety of our schools,” according to a statement provided by the Hillsborough School District.

What may be different, though, is the fear felt by parents as they send their kids back to school.

Phi Delta Kappa (PDK) International is a national professional organization for educators that has surveyed attitudes toward public education every year since 1969. This year’s poll finds that one in three parents fear for their child’s physical safety at school. PDK describes that as, “a sharp increase from 2013, when just 12 percent said they were fearful.”

Wendy Arroyo, whose two children attend Wharton and Benito, says she believes the school campuses are safe but, in the back of her mind, “There’s always a little bit of fear that something might happen today,” she says. “Unfortunately, that’s the reality that we live in now.”

Local principals say their campuses are continually monitored for safety and improved as opportunities are recognized, with some improvements being provided by the district and some coming out of school budgets.

“We have always tried to secure our campus in every way, shape and form, from every angle,” says Benito principal John Sanders. He and other local principals say they continue to do that on an ongoing basis.

 

2. Bell Times
Every school in New Tampa has a new schedule this year. Elementary schools start at 7:40 a.m. and finish at 1:55 p.m., middle schools start at 9:25 a.m. and finish at 4:20 p.m., and high schools start at 8:30 a.m. and finish at 3:25 p.m.
The biggest change is at Turner/Bartels K-8 School, which starts at 7:40 a.m. and finishes at 2:35 p.m. this year.
Last year, Turner/Bartels’ school hours were 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“It’s a huge change for our families,” says principal Cindy Land. “It’s bittersweet. Parents are excited because their younger kids will be able to participate in after-school activities, but older kids are used to the later (start and end) times.”

Parents of students at all schools are making changes in their routines to accommodate the new schedules. Elementary and middle schools have before- and after-school care, called HOST (Hillsborough Out of School Time) to help working parents who need to drop off or pick up their children outside of their school’s hours.

“Drop off doesn’t happen until 9 a.m. now,” explains Benito principal Sanders. “HOST starts at 7 a.m., but if you’re not in HOST, you can’t walk in or be dropped off until 9 a.m.”

 

3. Newly Assigned Schools
A major boundary shift has happened, with students living in several New Tampa neighborhoods heading to different schools this fall. Students living in Cory Lake Isles and Arbor Greene who previously attended Pride Elementary have been reassigned to Hunter’s Green Elementary (HGE).

School records show that, as of the end of July, 250 students are now enrolled at HGE who were previously at Pride. Many students who were reassigned from Pride were given the opportunity to stay there using the school district’s “school choice” applications. The number of students who chose to do that will not be available until after school starts.

“People are very excited,” says HGE principal Gaye Holt. “It’s been a very positive transition.”
Meanwhile, residents of the Morgan Creek apartments neat I-75, who were previously assigned to HGE, have been reassigned to Clark, which is a couple of miles closer to Morgan Creek residents.

Residents of K-Bar Ranch and Addison Park apartments in Cross Creek have been moved from Heritage to Pride.
More than 550 students who were bused to Clark and HGE from the area surrounding the University of South Florida now attend schools in their own neighborhoods, which created space at both HGE and Clark to accept students from Pride and make room for the expected growth in K-Bar Ranch.

4. Fewer Buses, More Cars?
Expect to see a few less school buses on the roads in New Tampa for the 2018-19 school year, as many students have been reassigned to schools closer to their homes. Hillsborough County Schools doesn’t provide buses to students who live less than two miles from their assigned school.

Hunter’s Green has prepared for the change – with just four school buses on campus this year, compared to 10 last year – by doing some construction to accommodate the expected increase in car traffic and those students who will be walking and biking.

Drop-off and pick-up car line traffic will now enter HGE via Cross Creek Blvd. A new roadway circle that accommodates cars two-deep was constructed to aid in the lineup of traffic, especially for the afternoon pick-up line.
Designed to minimize traffic impacts along Cross Creek Blvd., Principal Gaye Holt says the new path is expected to accommodate 110 vehicles in the car line at once.

 

5. Wharton’s “New” Principal
A new principal who is a familiar face to many locals has taken the helm at Wharton High, which suffered some negative publicity last year about student safety at the school.

Mike Rowan was the principal at King High on N. 56th St. until he officially became the principal at Wharton on July 1.

Rowan is a resident of Pebble Creek and a parent of a student who graduated from Wharton this past spring. When the school first opened in 1997, becoming New Tampa’s first high school, Rowan was a social studies teacher and soccer coach. In 2006, he was named assistant principal for administration (APA) at Wharton. He served in that capacity for five years before being named the principal at King.

The New Owners Of Budget Blinds Still Promise Affordable Luxury!

Mike Wonderlin has been an employee of Budget Blinds for 10 years. When the previous local franchise owners retired, Mike and his wife, Adriane, jumped at the chance to take over the successful franchise they already knew so well and the showrooms in Brandon and on W. Fletcher Ave. in Tampa.

Mike and Adriane Wonderlin are the new owners of Budget Blinds of North Tampa, Land O’Lakes and Brandon.

After working for Budget Blinds for almost a decade, Mike and his wife purchased the three Tampa-area franchises from the previous owner.

The Budget Blinds showroom that serves New Tampa, Wesley Chapel and surrounding areas is located on W. Fletcher Ave. near I-275, two exits south of Wesley Chapel’s S.R. 56 exit. The Wonderlins have a second showroom in Riverview, serving the Brandon area.

Mike moved to Florida to work for Budget Blinds about 10 years ago. At the time, he had already been in the window treatment industry for eight years and was looking to get out of the cold winters in Illinois. While he was interested in purchasing a franchise, the economy was bad. Instead, he took a job as a design consultant in warm, sunny Tampa.

“I thought I would do it for a year or two and learn the business, so I could hit the ground running,” says Mike. “But, the business kept growing and they treated me well.”

“They” are Jim and Elaine Trotter, who owned the franchises at the time.

Mike was the second employee the Trotters hired. As the business grew and more design consultants were needed, Mike remained a top design consultant and also trained new hires.

“Now we have 27 employees and I’ve trained most of them,” Mike says.

The first employee hired by the Trotters was administrative assistant Derenda Burdette, who is still with the business. “She is a huge asset to our team,” Adriane says.

And this year, when the Trotters became grandparents and retired, they approached Mike about buying the business.

“They’ve mentored me to prepare me for ownership,” he says. “By selling their franchises to us, they’ve kept it in the family.”

A Little Budget Blinds History
Founded in 1992 in Orange County, CA, Budget Blinds today has more than 1,100 franchises in the U.S. and Canada and has served Tampa Bay-area residents for more than 20 years. The Trotters moved the showroom to its current location about 6 years ago, from an original location in Land O’Lakes.

Mike has learned the business inside and out, and is thrilled to be the new owner. “It’s a well-run franchise,” he says.

In fact, Adriane adds, “The Trotters won Budget Blinds’ Franchise of the Year in 2016 and 2017, and we are on track this year for a three-peat.” Adriane, who comes from a background in retail, also says that she most recently she worked for Vans as a district manager. Her experience meshes well with Mike’s.

“(We) have a good partnership because he knows the product and I know human resources and operations from the corporate end,” she says.

Adriane adds that she also is excited that her new job keeps her local, so she no longer has to travel out of the area.

Mike and Adriane live in Lexington Oaks in Wesley Chapel with their daughter, Harper, who will be 5 in August.

A Variety That Won’t Break The Bank!
“The most important thing is that we have a style and service for every budget,” Adriane says.

While customers are always welcome to visit either Budget Blinds showroom, Mike says that many clients never set foot in the door. A design consultant will come to your home with many samples for a complimentary design consultation to help you choose the perfect products for your needs.

Budget Blinds offers a complete line of window coverings. Blinds come in vinyl, wood, fabric, faux wood and aluminum. Shutter options range from modern wood styles, plantation shutters for the inside and outside, composite shutters for bathrooms that prevent warping, and many more.

If you prefer shades, you can choose from roller, pleated, Roman, cellular, woven wood, bamboo, sheer, solar and graphic, not to mention a variety of panels, valances and drapes.

“Our niche in the market is somewhere between a big box store and calling a decorator,” explains Adriane. “Our design consultants don’t just go out and give a quote; they actually help design.”

Mike says a big advantage of using Budget Blinds instead of one of those big box stores is that the buying power of Budget Blinds within the industry allows the company to negotiate better warranties on the same products.

“You can buy the same exact line at Home Depot, but you won’t get the same warranty,” he explains, noting that many of Budget Blinds’ warranties are both lifetime and “no questions asked” — meaning that whether the dog eats it, the kids damage it — for any reason, the product will be replaced.

Mike and Adriane say their number one focus is customer service.

Mat and Karie Jones are happy to attest to the level of customer service provided by Budget Blinds. When it was time to update their home in Lexington Oaks, the couple called Budget Blinds to schedule a design consultant to come out to their home. While they thought they would be shopping for vertical blinds, Mat says, “The salesman was very knowledgeable and showed us options we didn’t even know existed.”

They ended up purchasing a cellular shade, a popular and versatile option.

“We have younger kids and a dog, and they couldn’t mess it up, so it seemed like a no-brainer,” says Mat.
The Jones’ positive experience led to them purchasing a vertical panel to provide shade to their pool area, too. “We’re very happy,” he adds.

Mat says he wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Budget Blinds. Why? “Because of the service that you get, and the product they offer, before, during and after the installation,” he says. “They’re very customer-service focused, and not just there to make the sale and get out.”

Smart Products For Your Home
The Wonderlins say many of their customers are looking for “smart” products these days, and that Budget Blinds is a leader in this area, which is a huge trend in the market.

“Especially in neighborhoods such as Estancia and The Ridge (both in Wiregrass Ranch), where they have nice conservation views, people don’t want to have to go behind the couch to pull the cord on their window treatments,” Mike says.

Budget Blinds offers many products that are automated, set on timers and interact with your smart phone or even Alexa.

So, you can be awakened in the morning by natural sunlight as your blackout shades gradually rise, or change the ambiance of your whole home after the sun has set, all at the press of a button.

In 2016, Budget Blinds began offering a “Smart Homes by Budget Blinds” partnership with the smart home company Lutron. The Tampa-area franchise was one of just 15 franchises to pioneer the concept, introducing smart shades, lighting and thermostat controls for its customers.

Lutron is a company based in Coopersburg, PA, that specializes in lighting technologies, with more than 2,700 patents, including innovations in window shade technology that integrates daylight and electric light.

Budget Blinds also offers solutions for commercial clients, ranging from schools to hotels to small businesses, and these window coverings also cut down on energy costs by helping to blunt Florida’s heat and glare.

Budget Blinds of Greater Tampa is located at 1208 W. Fletcher Ave. The showroom hours are Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday. To schedule a complimentary in-home consultation, call (813) 968-5050. For more info, visit BudgetBlinds.com/NorthTampa.

Music Changes Local Resident Tyler Sinckler’s Life

On a recent Sunday afternoon, the sweet sounds of a young man playing a beautiful baby grand piano fill the air in the lobby of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC).

Behind the keyboard sits Tyler Sinckler, a 15-year-old student who will enter Wesley Chapel High this fall as a freshman.

His mom, Crystal Jenkins, and stepdad, Acie Jenkins, watch as Tyler plays, bursting with pride and marveling at how far their son has come.

Before middle school, Tyler says he was only interested in video games. His parents say he was struggling academically.

Then one day — he and his mom agree that it was out of boredom — he sat down at the piano his older brother, Chad, used to play before he left for college at Florida State University in Tallahassee.

Tyler started plunking the keys and listening to the notes, and managed to figure out the melody of the music from one of his favorite video games. He kept at it, and played more video game melodies.

He says he taught himself to play the theme from Super Smash Bros.

Shortly thereafter, Crystal signed her son up for piano lessons.

One thing led to another, and Tyler began playing percussion in the middle school band at John Long Middle School. He went to a camp to learn how to play electric guitar and bass.

Now, he composes original pieces for the piano. He competed in the talent show at his school — one when he was in the seventh grade at John Long, and another as an eighth grader at Weightman, after his home was rezoned from one school boundary area to the other. In both shows, he played an original composition and, in both shows, he took home second-place awards.

Acie and Crystal Jenkins are proud of their son Tyler Sinckler, who has improved his grades through his dedication to learning and playing music. He recently got to perform on the grand piano in the lobby at Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel.

He says he discovered something new about himself.

“I liked being in front of an audience,” Tyler says. “I created my own songs and it went well. It was fun.”
Crystal says she’s impressed with Tyler’s innate skill. While both of her boys have a talent for music, she’s not a musician.

“I’m not sure where they get it from,” she laughs.

Tyler says becoming a musician has taught him many things.

“I’ve learned patience,” he says. “When I mess up in practice, I slow down and take my time.”
He also says he’s overcome being nervous and become more self-confident when he’s not playing an instrument.

He uses what he’s learned to encourage others to try new things, too, like when his friends wanted to enter the talent show competition, but didn’t because they were too nervous. “The more you do it, the less nervous you are,” he tried to convince them.

Crystal says Tyler’s love for music has led to improvements at school, and he is doing better in reading, writing and math.

“I think it’s because of his improved focus,” she says.

While Tyler had previously struggled with academics, he’s going into honors classes in high school.
That self-confidence he mentioned? It is now his shoulder to lean on as he takes on more difficult classes.

“I think I’m up for it,” he says.

When marching band starts this fall, he’ll play percussion. Tyler says he’s earned the role of “first vibraphone,” which means he’ll play the solos and leads, while other vibraphone players play rhythm.

Donald Scott, the band director at Weightman, says Tyler is a dedicated, hard working and perseverant student.

“He has a real deep love for music,” Donald says.
Tyler has developed skills in a variety of band formats. He excelled in the marching band (which performed at parades and middle school football games), concert band and even a little jazz band in middle school.

“He plays all the percussion and does it well,” says Donald. “He was one of my leaders.”

Donald says Tyler often showed the younger students how to play their parts. “He’s like a little percussion prodigy back there,” Donald says. “He knows his stuff.”

While he’s been a standout as a middle school percussionist, Tyler says that his real love is playing the piano.

He’s played in a nursing home, and even played an original composition at his mom and stepdad’s wedding.

Acie explains that Tyler has been looking for more opportunities to both perform and to give back to the community. So, Acie approached Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel requesting that his stepson volunteer his time and talents by playing the grand piano in the hospital’s lobby.

The family is hopeful that Tyler will be able to continue to volunteer in that way.

When asked if he still plays video games, Tyler says, “Not that much. I sold my video game consoles to make time for music.”

In the future, Donald says he can see Tyler continuing to pursue music with a passion.

“I can see him being a steady performer, doing all the percussion parts, and he would definitely be a great piano player,” Donald says. “If he wants to, he could become a music teacher. I really do see that in him.”

Wesley Chapel Schools Earn Top Marks In Latest School Grades Report

School grades for the 2017-18 school year were released by the Florida Department of Education on June 27, and Wesley Chapel’s schools continue to perform well, including a pair of schools that improved over last year.

Of the area’s 14 schools, only Weightman Middle and Wiregrass Ranch High scored better than they did last year, when both earned Bs. This year, however, they are both A schools.

“We are very excited to have earned an A rating this year,” says Robyn White, principal of Wiregrass Ranch High. “It is due to the hard work of the teachers, students, parents, and community. We really focused on our areas of weakness and worked toward students achieving mastery of the standards. While an A rating is great, we still have work to do and will continue to move forward in the 2018-19 school year.”

Of the nine elementary schools in Wesley Chapel, four received A ratings, four received a B, and just one — New River Elementary — received a C.

Both of Wesley Chapel’s middle schools earned As, while its combined middle/high school, Cypress Creek, received a B. Wiregrass Ranch High received an A, while Wesley Chapel High received an B. (See chart)

Most of the schools stayed the same from the previous school year, with only two schools dropping a grade. New River Elementary dropped from a B to a C, and Wesley Chapel earned its first B since 2010, after seven years in a row as an A school.

School letter grades are based on the compilation of individual scores on statewide tests, called Florida Standards Assessments (FSA), at each grade level. The letter grades are a snapshot of a wide variety of factors, with nuances that aren’t always apparent from the single letter assigned to each school.

“The Wesley Chapel schools traditionally are high performing, and the 2017-18 school grades continue to reflect their students’ success on state exams,” says Linda Cobbe, the public information officer for Pasco County Schools. “While a school’s state-assigned grade does not tell the whole story about its overall quality, we know that the combination of dedicated teachers, engaged students, and supportive parents in these schools is reflected in those outstanding grades.”

Cypress Creek Middle High, which opened for its inaugural school year last fall, received a B in its first year..

“We are incredibly pleased with our grade, and I am so proud of our faculty, staff and students,” says principal Carin Hetzler-Nettles. “As a staff, we are truly thrilled to get a great look at our data as a school as compared to other schools.”

Because Cypress Creek did not have seniors, the school’s graduation rate and college and career acceleration points were not factored into its grade for 2017-18. They will be factored in the upcoming school year and next year’s grade.

“Overall, our students made us proud,” said Pasco County Schools superintendent Kurt Browning in a media release. “Can we do better? Yes we can, and I expect to see continuous improvement every year, in every school, and at every grade level.”

The complete DOE report is online at FLDOE.org/accountability/accountability-reporting/school-grades/.