In-School Clubs Inspire Students At Liberty; MATHCOUNTS Team Makes States 

Liberty students can choose from more than 35 club options, which focus on interests such as art, calligraphy, board games, guitar, sports and science. Other clubs focus on community service or helping students to be the best versions of themselves.

Typical middle school clubs might involve the same group of high achievers joining in multiple groups to celebrate their successes, give back to their communities and start prepping their resumes for the inevitable, if still far-off, college applications.

At Liberty Middle School in Tampa Palms, however, clubs are designed to include all students, offered once a month as part of the school day.

Spanish teacher Katie Smith is the coordinator for Liberty’s clubs program. “The entire school is following the same schedule,” she says, “so all of the kids get to participate.”

She explains that the clubs were started to provide extra support for some students who may not have role models at home.

“We want to give them a chance to find people they can connect with, adults they don’t regularly interact with, or peers with similar interests,” says Smith. “We want them to make connections and have a reason why they like to come to school.”

Katie credits Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Nelson Agholor, who attended Liberty (see story, pg. 1), with planting the seed that grew into the school’s clubs. She recalls him visiting Liberty a couple of years ago and telling the teachers how having opportunities to build relationships with people who cared about him made a huge difference in his life.

“He started a conversation about reaching those kids, and that’s where I got the idea,” Katie says.

Liberty students can choose from more than 35 club options, which may focus on interests such as art, calligraphy, board games, guitar, sports and science. Other clubs focus on community service or helping students to be the best versions of themselves.

One unique club is the “Gentlemen’s Club,” led by physical education teacher Bryan Erwine and school resource officer Victor Moreta. “They focus on what it means to be a man — a gentleman — and the power of believing in yourself and how you show yourself to the world,” Katie explains. “Some kids are hand-picked to be in that group because they show leadership potential and need a little coaxing. Once they’re in there, the two men running the group are amazing, so kids really want to connect with them.”

Students from the Rescue Me! Pet Club will visit the Humane Society of Tampa Bay on March 2. They were invited on the field trip after dropping off collected donations back in December.

Susan Stabile, a school counselor who co-sponsors the club, says her students are excited for their behind-the-scenes tour of the facility and that she hopes all 50 club members will attend. “We hope that our students will be lifelong animal advocates and inspire others as well,” Susan explains.

These kind of connections are exactly what Katie hopes the clubs will foster. She says she hopes to bring the community into the school to further enhance the goals of the clubs. “We’re trying to reach out to the community so people can see what’s going on and how the community can shape and empower these kids with their involvement.”

She adds, “It’s great to have teachers, but for some clubs, like our food club, is there a restaurant owner who wants to work with the kids? Are there athletes who want to help with our sports clubs?”

If you’d like to help in any way, email Katie Smith for more information at Kaitlyn.Smith@sdhc.k12.fl.us.

Liberty Middle School’s MATHCOUNTS team finished second out of 17 teams at the Regional competition on Feb. 2, earning the team a spot in the State competition, which will be held on Thursday, March 22, in Daytona Beach.

MATHCOUNTS Team Advances To States: Liberty Middle School’s MATHCOUNTS team finished second out of 17 teams at the Regional competition on Feb. 2, earning the team a spot in the State competition, which will be held on Thursday, March 22, in Daytona Beach.

“Liberty has been participating in MATHCOUNTS for the past 10 or so years,” says coach Melissa Grier, a Liberty math teacher. “We have advanced to the State competition the last three years straight and are known in MATHCOUNTS circles as the team to always beat.”

Eighth-grade student Charley Cheng also finished second overall in the individual competition. “He actually had the highest individual score but lost in a head-to-head competition with the second place finisher,” explains Melissa.

Charley and eighth grade student Derek Wu also were on last year’s team, which went to the States, too.

Seventh-grade student Shreya Gullapalli and sixth-grade student Vignesh Saravanan also are on the team.

“These kids are wonderful,” says Melissa. “They are incredibly humble and they all share a love for mathematics.”

The MATHCOUNTS team from Benito Middle School on Cross Creek Blvd. finished in sixth place, with Saanvi Prasad, a seventh-grader, earning the sixth highest individual finish.

Wesley Chapel Community Responds To ‘What New Business Do You Want?’

City Investors, INC- Vulcan- 2200 Westlake

In pretty much every issue of Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News, we tell you what’s new and what businesses are coming to our area. That’s because pretty much every time we’re putting together an issue, there’s something else new, and something else coming.

We know you love it. We can tell.

When we post on Facebook that a new restaurant is coming, our readers like it and share it more than any of our other posts.

But, even with all the growth we’re seeing in Wesley Chapel, it seems there’s room for more.

When Marilyn Chick, a Wesley Chapel resident for 19 years, posed a simple question on the Wesley Chapel Community page on Facebook last month, Marilyn had no idea that people would comment on it more than 1,000 times.

“What new businesses would you like to see come to Wesley Chapel?”

“I was so surprised,” Marilyn says, “It’s the first time I’ve ever posted something on Facebook that got that kind of response.”

Facebook statistics show that, although the post itself had only 30 “likes,” the comments the post generated got about 2,300 “likes,” and about 7,400 people viewed the original post.

Scrolling through the comments, it’s easy to see a big trend. Most of the responses say, “Trader Joe’s,” “Whole Foods,” “Fresh Market,” or some combination of the above, with plenty of “Aldi” thrown in there, too.

Besides the requests for green grocers, many posts asked for specific restaurants.

Cheesecake Factory
 Carrabba’s
 PF Chang’s
 More places like Buttermilk Provisions and Capital Tacos
 Friendly’s
 Einstein Brothers Bagels
 Even Cici’s Pizza, Steak ’n Shake and White Castle.

“I get it,” says Marilyn. “Everyone has an idea of what they want, what they haven’t had in a while and (especially) what they’re hungry for.”

And, of course, there were some tongue-in-cheek responses, like this one from Krista Davidson, poking a little fun at the Fucillio Kia on S.R. 54, “A car dealership where the salesmen stand outside in red shirts.”

There also were plenty of responses saying, “no more!,” like this one, from Rusch Jason, which says, “No new businesses. If anything, they need to slow down growth until the roads catch up!!!!”

All those posts didn’t answer the bigger question Marilyn says she was really searching for. “I’ve retired as a radiology nurse from the Zephyrhills hospital, so I’m looking for something to do,” Marilyn explains. “My daughter, Maxine, and I are thinking about starting a business.”

Marilyn says neither she nor her daughter cook, so a restaurant is out of the question.

But, in the hundreds of suggestions, she says she found a few that resonate with her, especially the ones that suggested a community center and something for kids.

“It would be so nice to have something for the performing arts,” she says, which was suggested in a few comments. “We have a lot of sports, which is great, but there are other kids who would love to be in a play, or have a place to play their instruments.”

Marilyn says she doesn’t consider herself to be an entrepreneur, but admits, “we’re thinking about it and looking at what would fit best for us” as she moves forward and hopes to open a business here in Wesley Chapel.

She has plenty of suggestions to consider.

And, don’t worry, we’ll still be sure to tell you when that Fresh Market, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods or Aldi finally opens in Wesley Chapel.

Garden Provides Serenity For Wharton

Members of the Wharton High “Beautification Club” hope to raise funds to add some green to this serenity garden, which serves as both a memorial and a place of peace and quiet on the school’s campus.

Several years ago, students in Wharton High’s Key Club created a place on campus to remember students and faculty members who had passed away. But, the quiet corner it’s tucked into doesn’t have sprinklers, so grass won’t grow, and plants planted in the “serenity garden” wither.

Over the years, it fell into disrepair. In fact, says Jennifer Bell, an English teacher at the school, “It became a weed-choked barren thing with a picnic table — not the kind of memorial garden we wanted.”

So Wharton’s “Beautification Club,” which Bell co-sponsors with fellow English teacher Lindsey Glenn, went to work.

Back in September, with the help of the school’s head custodian, Junior Cintron, club members completely overhauled the area, adding raised plant beds with drought-friendly plants.

Now it’s much improved, but members of the club think it still has a way to go. While other solutions have been tried, such as mulch (which washed away in heavy rain), it was decided that the best way to improve the space would be with artificial turf, since no water is available to keep grass alive.

The turf is expensive, so the club hopes members of the community might help to make this project happen. The turf is estimated to cost about $1,200.

“We know there are people in our community who have been touched by those who were lost,” says Bell.

She emphasizes that the area is not only a memorial, which is why it was named the serenity garden.

“We want to make it a place that is uplifting and beautiful, as a place of reflection,” she explains. “So, if you need to go and re-center yourself, it’s off the beaten path a little, so you can take a quiet moment to yourself if you’re having a rough day.”

She says that is already happening. “We’ve heard there are definitely students who have noticed the improvement and have been sitting out there if they are upset and need to take a moment to themselves.”

Bell says that the serenity garden isn’t the only project the Beautification Club has undertaken since its inception last year.

“One thing that’s striking at Wharton is that everything at the school is gray,” she says. “We felt like the lack of color and beauty was hurting morale at Wharton.”

She explains that while the club hopes to overcome the gray with some color, it’s about more than that.

“We want to boost morale and improve the overall climate around the school,” she says, explaining that the club takes on a couple of large and a couple of small projects each year. “We’ve placed anonymous Post-It notes to encourage students, we’ve made sensory bottles — also called calm-down bottles — to help autistic students, and painted murals at our on-campus preschool playground.”

To support the Wharton Beautification Club’s efforts to install artificial turf in the school’s serenity garden, contact the club’s sponsors via the school: (813) 631-4710. Checks, made out to “Wharton High School” and designated for the Beautification Club, can be dropped off at the school.

Florida Family Practice Has Two Locations Serving New Tampa & Wesley Chapel

Dr. Ronald Manalo, M.D., offers caring, personalized service for those who want to truly develop a relationship with their primary care doctor. Visit him at his Wesley Chapel office or at his Tampa location on E. Fletcher Ave.

Ronald S. Manalo, M.D., opened Florida Family Practice less than a year ago, seeing patients at both his Wesley Chapel office (in the Cypress Glen Professional Center off S.R. 56 near I-75), and in his Tampa office on E. Fletcher Ave.

Dr. Manalo and his family have lived in Wesley Chapel for the last several years. His wife, Dr. Hoka Nyanda, practices with a local dermatology group. They moved here when she began practicing a few years ago, even while he did his residency at the Mercer School of Medicine in Macon, GA. He finished in 2015, then worked as a hospitalist at Navicent Health Hospital in Macon for a year before making the transition to living full-time in Wesley Chapel and opening his private practice here.

“I love Wesley Chapel,” he says. “It’s great. It’s not busy like Tampa. It’s nice and quiet, but has a lot of growth and potential to grow, and I look forward to growing with the community.”

He says opening his practice is the culmination of many years of hard work and planning.

“Since medical school, it’s been my dream to own my own practice,” he says. He received his Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree from Meharny Medical College in Nashville, TN, in 2010. Prior to that, he earned a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree from Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley, GA, in 2001.

Now, Dr. Manalo is a family practice physician who sees people in all life stages, from infant to geriatric.

“As a family doctor, you grow with your patients,” he says. “You get to know them, and they become part of your family, too.”

While many parents choose to take their children to a pediatrician, the whole family can see one doctor at Florida Family Practice. Dr. Manalo says anything a pediatrician can do, he can do, too, but a patient who comes to him as a child doesn’t have to transition to a different doctor when they reach a certain age.

“I recently saw a husband and wife who brought their infant to me,” he says. “They’re a young couple, just starting their family, and it’s just a joy. It is really rewarding to take care of the whole family.”

He says his practice is different than what’s typical in our area these days.

“We’re personal, patient, caring and compassionate,” Dr. Manalo explains. “You’re not here for a certain time slot and then out the door.”

Instead, he adds, “We want to get to know you. When you come to see me, it’s not just about your diabetes or high blood pressure, but you as a whole person. We treat your whole body and we get to know you well.” Dr. Manalo believes that this whole person philosophy, “promotes wellness within.”

He also says that he and his office administrator Dayna Yannello are always building these types of relationships with their patients and creating a different atmosphere in the practice. “As a new practice,” he says, “we have the ability to take time with the patients we see, and to really get to know (them). (We’re) unlike other practices around here.”

Happy, Healthy Patients

JosĂ© Bernardo and his wife, Lillian Ayala, agree that Florida Family Practice is unique. “When we moved here from Puerto Rico six years ago, we came from a different culture, where it’s more of a family relationship built with you and your kids,” JosĂ© says. “Our experience here with doctors is that it’s been impersonal, and the feeling that your doctor cares about you just hasn’t been there.”

But, JosĂ© explains, “Dr. Manalo is completely different from that. He cares. He follows up, emails you, calls you. And, Dayna is amazing. They have been available for us on the weekend, after work hours. We have not been able to find this type of treatment and care from anybody else, and we have tried plenty.”

Dr. Manalo explains it this way: “For me personally, the care and services I provide to my patients is a partnership or a trust. A lot of doctors say, ‘do this, take this,’ and that’s that. I like to have more of an open dialogue. We’re developing a relationship; it’s not one-sided where I’m the boss telling the patient what to do.”

He says his dream to own his own  medical practice is rooted in caring for his community. “I’m getting to know communities and families and want to be the best doctor I can be,” he says. “My vision is to streamline medicine. Some people don’t think primary care is necessary. In the future, I hope to combine family practice and urgent care, so that people who come in just for urgent care can get the follow up they need from a family practice doctor.”

In a way, he says, his office already functions similarly to an urgent care facility. “If you need a sick visit, we can accommodate that.”

The practice offers same-day visits, so you don’t have to schedule months in advance, and you can even schedule online, through FLFamilyPractice.com.

Florida Family Practice is currently seeing patients at the Fletcher Ave. office on Mondays and Tuesdays, and in Wesley Chapel on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Saturday and after-hours appointments are sometimes available, if needed.

“I’m here and I’m available,” Dr. Manalo says. “I have a new vision of how a practice should be. You can reach us by phone, email or text, and you won’t have to wait several days to hear back from the doctor. You’ll see it as you get to know us. Community is key.”

Florida Family Practice’s Wesley Chapel office is located at 2412 Cypress Glen Dr., Suite 102, and its Tampa office is at 3450 E. Fletcher Ave., Suite 330. For more information, visit FLFamilyPractice.com, or call (813) 812-4133.