Grandma Claire’s Early Learning Hive, a space handcrafted to combine youth recreation & education into a single experience, has been unveiled at the New Tampa Regional Library (NTRL) on Cross Creek Blvd. About 50 people, including the family of the longtime educator and librarian the room was named for, attended the ceremony at NTRL on Sept. 22.
Claire Unnasch, whose plaque is proudly displayed in The Hive, was a special education teacher, school librarian and middle school math teacher at South End School in Cedar Grove, NJ. However, the nickname “Grandma Claire” wasn’t coined until her later career as a volunteer at local libraries, where she discovered her immense affection for preschool-age children. Grandma Claire passed away in 2016.
Thomas Unnasch, Grandma Claire’s son, spoke at the unveiling, as children raced around playing and grabbing books.
“She would be beyond herself if she could see what we’ve created here,” Thomas said.
District 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera and Hillsborough County’s director of library services Andrew Breidenbaugh also spoke at the podium, sharing their vision of recreating Grandma Claire’s Early Learning Hive for libraries across the District in the years to come, to spread Claire’s love for children & education even further.
The New Tampa Regional Library (10001 Cross Creek Blvd.) is open every day.
Students in Wiregrass Elementary’s Explorations program get after-school enrichment in topics they want to learn more about. This quarter, the students could choose from coding and robotics or a dance class. Pasco County Schools hopes to expand this after-school program to other schools in the district.
When the school bell rings at the end of the day, some kids head home while others go to an after-school care program.
At Wiregrass Elementary in Wiregrass Ranch, dozens of students head to something totally different — a new pilot program called Explorations, which offers them a type of after-school club to learn something new.
Offered for the first time this fall, parents could sign their children up for either dance classes or coding and robotics. The seven-week sessions give them an opportunity to dive into a new skill, get some exercise or maybe even make new friends.
Steve Williams is the principal at Wiregrass Elementary, which is in its third year. It opened as a new school in 2016.
“We have a really engaged and invested community,” explains Williams. “Many parents have said they were interested in enrichment opportunities both in and out of school to go deeper into a topic.”
He started looking for ways to do that and thought partnering with the organization that already provides before- and after-school care for Pasco County Schools, called PLACE — which stands for Pasco Learning & Activity Centers of Enrichment — might be a good fit for a partnership.
Williams says that he approached the district’s After School Enrichment Department, which came up with a plan to launch the program this fall.
Carlotta Mathis is the Enrichment Specialist in that department who now heads Explorations and other programs. She was previously the site manager for Wiregrass Elementary’s PLACE program, so she knows the school well.
Mathis explains that Wiregrass Elementary parents were surveyed to determine the level of interest and what topics parents wanted.
“Parents want their students to be in something extracurricular after school but didn’t necessarily need care for the length of time of PLACE,” says Mathis, “but they did want students to participate in special interest cubs.”
So far, Explorations has been a hit.
Wanda Cook is the school’s bookkeeper and her son, Ethan, is in the fourth grade at Wiregrass Elementary.
“My husband and I wanted Ethan to be able to learn more about coding and robotics,” says Cook. “We think long term that will be great for him.”
Ethan says he enjoys it.
“We are learning about algorithms and how to program stuff, and how to fix it if you do something wrong,” Ethan says. “I like it because I get to learn new things and I get to learn how to program robots.”
Parents love the convenience of having the Explorations program being offered on the school’s campus.
“It’s nice that he doesn’t have to leave the school and go somewhere else,” says Cook.
Julie Cocozziello says she moved to Wesley Chapel this summer. Since her daughter, Emma, who is in the first grade, is a new student, she thought Explorations would be a good way for Emma to have fun and meet more of the students at her new school. She chose the dance class for her daughter.
“It’s a wonderful program,” she says. “It’s a great way to get students involved and make friends and improve their self-esteem. It gives her a chance to have fun, and she even comes home and practices.”
The classes for the first quarter filled up quickly, and registration is now open for the planned second-quarter classes —Spanish and sports skills and drills.
“We selected the courses that would be offered based on the survey results and what the families want to see their kids involved in,” Mathis explains, noting that Wiregrass Elementary’s staff plans to offer one academic and one physical activity each quarter.
Sara MacKnight registered her two kids — Sophia, who is in first grade, and Adam, who is in kindergarten — for the coding and robotics class.
“My kids think they’re just playing games, but they’re learning about algorithms and sequences,” she says. “The fact that they’re getting exposed to this at such a young age — I love it and I wish they would offer it year round.”
Williams and Mathis agree that if parents want it — and they seem to — the program can be expanded at the school so that students can build on the skills they’ve learned in the first session. In addition, from the beginning, they’ve discussed how it could be replicated at other schools.
“It’s been a very positive program,” says Williams. “Many others at the district have seen this and love the idea.”
Mathis says other schools are welcome to survey their parents for interest, and if the survey shows that the interest is there, she is willing to work with the schools to bring the Explorations program to them, too.
To register for the next set of classes, which starts Tuesday, October 23, visit ExplorationsProgram.com.
Pasco County Superintendant of Schools Kurt Browning meets with school safety guard Connie Novak, one of many to be stationed at schools all across the county. (Photo: Pasco County Schools
In the weeks leading up to school starting two weeks ago, school officials across the state have been preparing to comply with a new state law. The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act was passed in the aftermath of the mass shooting at the high school in Parkland, FL, on Valentine’s Day of this year, and requires armed security on every public school campus.
The new law also comes as parents are reporting having more fear about sending their kids to school. Phi Delta Kappa (PDK) International is a national professional organization for educators that has surveyed attitudes towards 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.”
In Pasco County, middle and high schools will continue to have Pasco Sheriff’s Office (PSO) deputies serving as school resource officers.
In addition, Pasco County Schools has hired school safety guards for all elementary schools, with each one carrying a gun and a Taser, as well as handcuffs.
Simple security precautions are being emphasized, such as locking gates and classroom doors, using scanning software to check for sexual offenders/predators, and making sure everyone who comes on campus goes through the office.
With the new school year just underway, we asked Pasco County Superintendent of Schools Kurt Browning to tell us more about the changes in school security, and what to expect at Wesley Chapel’s schools this year.
WCNN: Now that kids are back at school, what are they seeing and experiencing that is different from previous years?
Browning: The elementary students are seeing armed safety guards for the first time.
The guards will be easy to spot, because they’ll be wearing black polo shirts with our safety guard logo on the sleeve, and a vest with the word “Security” on the back. Students may not see any differences related to mental health services, but there will be a better coordinated effort to respond to students in crisis between the school, the district, law enforcement and community mental health partners.
We are adding social worker, psychologist and school nurse trainers to help school student services staff (members) respond to student mental health issues.
WCNN: Tell us more about the changes to the way that mental health is addressed in schools, and will students or teachers notice those changes?
Browning: Student mental health needs will be broken out into three tiers of support.
Tier 1 is universal prevention for all students. Tier 2 is supplemental/at-risk services involving early identification and social, emotional and behavioral interventions based on need.
New River Elementary security guard.
Tier 3 is individualized, intensive counseling and intervention, including behavior support plans, intensive monitoring, and wraparound and crisis planning.
We are increasing the number of crisis intervention teams from four to five, increasing the number of trainers for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), creating a 3-year training plan, and expanding the use of social emotional learning in instructional practices.
In accordance with the new law, we also have revised our threat assessment procedures and coordinated threat assessments to include law enforcement.
We will have a new mental health managing entity, the Central Florida Behavioral Health Network (CFBHN), which will provide a project manager to manage mental health services and assist with data reporting.
We are implementing the Sandy Hook Promise: “Know the Signs” programs, and creating a Parent University and other parent training opportunities.
WCNN: What are your thoughts about the changes in school security mandated by the new state law?
Browning: They’re a good start. Without significant funding increases, though, it is difficult to implement all of the safety measures we would like to. We are working within our means to do everything we can to make our campuses as safe as possible.
WCNN: What is the benefit to students and schools of having armed security guards on elementary school campuses?
Browning: Elementary schools will have school safety guards trained by the Sheriff’s Office on campus. These men and women will provide a level of security that elementary schools have not had in the past. They will be visible at drop-offs in the morning and during dismissal. They will patrol the grounds to make sure doors and gates are locked, and to assure that everyone on campus is checked in and accounted for. They also will be a resource for students and staff, and will become part of the school community.
WCNN: With all of the continued growth in Wesley Chapel, what rezoning plans are in the works?
Browning: We don’t currently have any rezoning in the works.
WCNN: What is the current timeline for opening Cypress Creek Middle School and transitioning the current Middle/High School to a high school only?
Browning: Cypress Creek Middle School is scheduled to open in August 2020. The transition will occur at that time.
WCNN: Are there any other new schools proposed or under construction in Wesley Chapel?
Browning: We are working on a plan to build a technical high school in East-Central Pasco in the next five years.
WCNN: On a side note, can you explain why there is a transition to call substitute teachers “guest teachers” instead? Does that apply to all substitute teachers or only those in a certain category? Is it expected that staff and students will address these teachers as “guest teachers” and not refer to the more common “substitute?”
Browning: We have some really great subs and are hoping this will enhance their credibility and better demonstrate the scope and caliber of their service to kids in classrooms….as opposed to the “just a sub” mentality.
We’ve also moved to professional guest teachers (formerly “professional subs”) as well as the daily and long-term guest teachers. All students and staff will be expected to use the title, although there will be a natural adjustment period.
Wesley Chapel High senior Kris Chandler wasn’t sure he’d ever see the football field. But, fortitude overcame frustration and he’ll start Friday’s season opener for the Wildcats.
Hidden in what could very well emerge as one of the top rushing attacks in Pasco County is a back that you’ve probably never heard of.
Hitting the holes has never been a problem for Wesley Chapel High (WCH)’s Kris Chandler. Hitting the books, however, has.
But, no longer.
After three years of high school, with each of those football seasons spent practicing with the Wildcats but unable to compete because of academic requirements, Chandler will start tonight’s season opener against Sunlake in a great comeback story.
Chandler originally attended Wharton High in New Tampa, but transferred to Wesley Chapel (WCH) after a semester. That first year in high school after moving from Alabama, however, put him in an academic hole he thought he’d never climb out of.
“My first semester at Wharton was hard,” Chandler said. “We had just moved from Alabama and I didn’t like it here. I was resentful, mad, my whole focus was on going back.”
There was no going back, however. So, Chandler had to move forward. He came to WCH with a 0.7 GPA, making him ineligible to compete in high school sports. While he was still allowed to practice with the team, he could not suit up on Friday nights for games.
Head coach Tony Egan took an interest in Chandler, because he saw enough raw athletic ability that he thought the running back could one day play his way into a college football scholarship.
“I’ve always thought he was good enough to play D1 football,” Egan said. “Athletically, he’s a little raw but he’s as strong as can be. You should see him in tackling drills, he’s just a beast.”
First things first, Egan told Chandler. The coach got with his player’s teachers, sat down with Chandler in front of guidance counselors and helped put him back on track to attaining eligibility.
Egan admits that it was an uphill climb from 0.7. Chandler’s sophomore year went by, but his grade-point-average slowly climbed.
He took summer classes, online classes and retook classes through Apex, an online virtual school. He was still ineligible as a junior, but he kept showing up for practice, and kept showing out in the classroom.
Halfway through his junior year, he had raised his GPA to 1.78. By then, the Chandler project was taken up by his teammates and teachers. He credits science teacher Susan Cullum and SSAP/graduation enhancement counselor Celeste Richter for helping turn things around. Then-teammates Dexter Leverett, Malik Melvin and Isaiah Bolden encouraged him. Assistant coaches Nelson Vazquez and Delroy Lewis worked with him after school.
It turned Chandler’s attitude toward schoolwork on its head.
“I would turn my work in early, so my teachers could check it and make sure I had done everything right,” he says.
This past June, at the end of his junior year, Chandler nervously awaited his grades.
“I went in to the library to check with Ms. Richter, to see if I would have to take summer school again,” he said. “She was sitting there behind the computer, smiling. She told me I had done it. I asked her, ‘Are you sure?’. She turned the computer around and showed me.”
He had climbed all the way out of his hole. The computer monitor displayed a 2.3 GPA.
Chandler left the library and immediately sent his mother a text with the good news. He also sent texts to his sister, older brother and dad. He ran over to the weight room to tell his coaches.
Chandler was cleared to play in 2018, so he could take the summer off and focus on conditioning with the football team.
“It took a lot of weight off my shoulders,” Chandler said. “I think about it every day. I promise you, there’s no danger of sliding back now.”
It’s no secret what Egan likes to do on offense — run the ball down your throat, and Chandler could be his battering ram in 2018.
Egan coached offensive line at River Ridge High when the Royal Knights rushed for more than 3,000 yards in both 2014 (3338) and 2015 (3166). As head coach at WCH, Egan guided Leverett to consecutive 1,000-yard seasons, with Melvin serving as a dangerous complement in the rushing game, building one of the area’s most productive ground attacks.
Chandler’s one year of high school football will be a big one, as he steps into the role vacated by his former teammates.
Egan says that Chandler squats 450 pounds, bench presses 320 and can power clean 285. He also runs a 4.4-second 40-yard dash. Chandler looks like a high school version of former Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Doug Martin — short, with a compact frame and tree trunks for legs. What’s more, Chandler has an awful lot to prove, not just to himself but to all of the people who helped him get to where he is.
He got to pull a game jersey over his head on August 7 for the team pictures. On August 17, as we were going to press with this issue, he saw his first live game action in a preseason matchup against Land O’ Lakes.
But tonight, it’s for real.
Tonight, Chandler officially makes it all the way back.
Austin Channels (left), a Boy Scout with Troop 180, built this sign for Freedom High in Tampa Palms as his Eagle project. Austin (with Freedom principal Kevin Stephenson) will graduate from the school next May.
To achieve the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest rank for scouts with the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), Austin Channels had to lead a project that would help his community.
As a student at Freedom High in Tampa Palms, who will start his senior year this fall, Austin wanted to do something to impact his school for good.
“In previous years, there was a football sign that was up with the football schedule,” Austin explains. “Every year, they had to make a new sign and print it just for the new football schedule.”
So Austin — with the help of his mom, Kim — came up with the idea for an interchangeable sign that could make announcements for all the sports and other important school-related info.
Austin got approval from the school and led a team of fellow scouts and family members to conceptualize, design, build and implement the sign, plus add lighting and landscaping. He had to do his own fund raising to purchase materials, and says he met his goal of about $800 by selling T-shirts.
He worked to pick the perfect spot for the sign, where it could be seen by cars both entering and leaving the school.
Now, Austin’s sign will be maintained by the school, with student assistants changing the words on it as needed.
A final phase of the project will be to add clear plexiglass and a lock, so that no one can switch the letters around without the school’s authorization.
Austin is glad to be able to use his Eagle project as a platform to do something significant at his high school.
“It was cool to give back,” Austin says. “After being there for years with everyone teaching you, it’s good to give back to the school a little bit.”
Austin’s Eagle project is the culmination of his many years in Scouts, starting with Cub Scouts, when he was in third grade at Tampa Palms Elementary.
To achieve the Eagle rank, he’ll need to complete a Board of Review, which he expects to do soon. Once he earns the Eagle rank, his family will host a celebration this fall.
“It’s not as easy as other people made it look,” says Austin, who explains he’s seen many older scouts complete their Eagle projects, “because you’re leading everyone, you’re not just doing the project.”
Austin is a member of Troop 180, which meets at Compton Park in Tampa Palms. He says the best thing about his Boy Scout experience has been some of the incredible trips he’s had the opportunity to take, such as a 50-mile backpacking trip through the mountains of Wyoming, including Yellowstone Park.
He says his journey to earn the Eagle rank is just another part of his Scouting experience, and he looks forward to finishing out the year with his troop before he completes the program when he graduates high school.
“It’s like mountain climbing,” Austin says, “You climb one, but then there’s another one a little bit taller that you can climb.”
His dad, Steve, who is a teacher at Freedom, says Austin’s scouting experience has taught him skills and helped him to be more self-reliant than many kids his age.
“Austin has little side businesses repairing cell phones and doing car repairs that has taught him to appreciate money,” says Steve. “He bought his own car with his own money, after saving for several years. Not many teenagers do that.”
Steve says his son has spent a lot of his time this summer doing yard work for elderly neighbors, including one he drives to various appointments and whenever she needs a ride somewhere.
“It’s been a delight to follow his journey,” says Steve, “and yes, I’m really proud of him.”
Grandma Claire’s Early Learning Hive, a space handcrafted to combine youth recreation & education into a single experience, has been unveiled at the New Tampa Regional Library (NTRL) on Cross Creek Blvd. About 50 people, including the family of the longtime educator and librarian the room was named for, attended the ceremony at NTRL on Sept. 22.
“She would be beyond herself if she could see what we’ve created here,” Thomas said.
