Category: Education

Homeschoolers Take First At Strawberry Festival With Re-Built Engine

A local group of about 15 homeschoolers who meet together for classes in a group called Legacy Homeschool Group has won a first-place blue ribbon and a “Grand Champion” purple ribbon for their display of a car engine they re-built and entered into Plant City’s Florida Strawberry Festival “Neighborhood Youth Village” competition. The award winners were announced on March 3.

The kids, ages 8 to 18, had a few classes learning about cars with Marty LaBarbera, owner of Christian Brothers Automotive on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in New Tampa. At one of those classes, Marty helped the kids take apart an old engine that he had at his shop.

“It was in bad shape and couldn’t be re-used,” LaBarbera explains, “so we spent about three hours taking it completely apart. That’s when the kids started swarming over it like a bunch of ants.”

LaBarbera says that’s when one of the kids said, “Let’s put it back together!” But, LaBarbera told the group that was an extremely ambitious goal. He suggested that they could partially put it back together so it could be used as a tool to help the kids see the parts of the engine and how they move, to gain a better understanding of how a real car engine actually works.

So, the kids met with LaBarbera several more Saturday mornings, cleaning each of the parts and painting them to prepare to put it all back together.

“It was a major task to clean all the grime and goo off that engine,” says LaBarbera, adding that the kids learned the names and the purposes of all the parts as they worked through the project.

Once completed, the students were able to use a small tool to turn the engine over by hand.

“They were so excited about their experience and what they had accomplished,” LaBarbera says.

At that point, it was Legacy Homeschool Group’s coordinator, Cheryl Chew, who suggested that the kids enter their engine into the Strawberry Festival, in the “model” category.

“It had turned out so well,” she says, explaining that she wanted the students to have the opportunity to have their efforts publicly displayed.

LaBarbera also says that the “word has gotten out” about his Saturday morning classes with the Legacy Homeschool Group students, and other local groups — such as Cub Scout packs and Girl Scout troops — have asked him about hands-on learning opportunities for their groups. He’s happy to oblige.

“This is fun for me,” he says. “I’m retired from another career, so I enjoy being able to do things like this.”

And, he got to see the fruits of his labor with the kids, as they were recognized for their efforts with the two ribbons at the Strawberry Festival.

“This is really an experience for them that they can be proud of,” LaBarbera says.

For now, the engine is on display in the lobby at Christian Brothers Auto Service, located at 20303 Trout Creek Dr. For more info, call Christian Brothers of New Tampa, at 991-7007.

Local Couple’s ‘JeeMin’ Books Help Kids Stand Up To Bullies

Bully Books copy — Matt, Lori and Kaia (aka JeeMin) Brown have turned their love of martial arts into a children’s book series to help prevent bullying and help young children be aware of ‘stranger danger.’

Lori Brown and her husband Matt were shocked when kids as young as five years old joined their martial arts program because they had experienced bullying.

“I couldn’t believe that kids this young were being bullied,” says Lori.

So, the couple decided to do something about it. They co-authored a book series for elementary-aged children starting in 2012, shortly after adopting their daughter from Korea.

They named their daughter Kaia, and the series of books stars a character with Kaia’s given Korean name, which is JeeMin.

The series, called What Would JeeMin Do, includes four books modeling how kids can deal with bullying, and four additional books to help kids learn about “stranger danger.” They are written for kids ages five to nine.

“We felt that if bullying was happening at these young ages,” Lori says, “Kids need to be educated younger, too.”

Matt and Lori completed all eight books in the series and self-published them in November 2015.

“Teaching martial arts is our passion,” explains Matt.

But, a few years ago, they realized there were many kids who would benefit from the lessons being taught in their classes who weren’t walking through their doors. “What we teach in our program, we wanted to also teach outside of our studio in a fun, different way.”

Bully Book Cover 2 Lori adds, “Martial arts is not for everyone, but bullying is a big issue that everyone needs to learn about.”

They describe the books as tools for both kids and their parents, whether it’s a kid who needs a model of how to deal with a bully, or a parent who’s not sure how to talk with their kids about issues that can be scary for small children.

“The most important message of the books is that kids should feel empowered to stand up for themselves and say, ‘Stop! Leave me alone!,’ if they are bullied,” explains Matt. “Bullies don’t have a right to do what they are doing. The person who is being bullied has a voice they can use to stand up for themselves.”

He says the books urge kids to stand up for others when they see bullying, too, and wants to let kids know they can seek out help if they are bullied, see bullying, or feel uncomfortable when they encounter someone they don’t know.

“We want to give kids encouragement, and also help them to find the courage to get help in these situations,” says Matt.

Martial Arts As A Learning Tool

For 10 years in Billings, MT, Matt and Lori ran a successful martial arts studio full time, teaching 130 students self defense.

They teach a blend of Korean Karate (called Tang Soo Do), Jiu-Jitsu, and Aikido.

Bully Book Cover 1 The pair moved to Zephyrhills in 2014 to be near family. Both are martial arts Masters (a designation certified through the Eastern USA International Martial Arts Association, Inc.), and both have been inducted into the Eastern USA International Black Belt Hall of Fame.

Matt has earned the rank of 5th Dan (aka “degree”) Black Belt, while Lori has earned the rank of 6th Dan Black Belt.

Matt currently works as the branch administrator at Berkshire Hathaway Florida Properties on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., just south of S.R. 56, in the Shoppes at New Tampa shopping center. He and Lori offer their classes at the Lake Bernadette Community Center off S.R. 54 in Zephyrhills on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.

The Browns are looking for a publisher to pick up their books, but Matt concedes publishing is a competitive business and it’s hard work to get published.

“Regardless of if this series is picked up by a major publisher or not,” he says, “we’re just happy to get one of our books into the hands of someone who needs it.”

Matt and Lori are currently working with the Pasco County Library Cooperative to present a community event that would share the books and their authors’ expertise in martial arts to kids through its reading program.

To learn more about the What Would JeeMin Do series of books, visit the Browns’ website at PowerMartialArts.com. The entire series also can be purchased on Amazon.com.

Library Cooperative Holds ‘2020 Vision’ Meeting At New Tampa Library

What do you want from your public library?

Cooking classes? Yoga classes? More DVDs or magazines? Less noise?

These questions, and more, were asked on Feb. 16 at a Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative (HCPLC) 2020 Vision Open House at the New Tampa Regional Library (NTRL) on Cross Creek Blvd.

The NTRL stop was the third in a series of 10 open houses HCPLC is holding across Hillsborough County as the cooperative forges it’s agenda for the next five years.

“This is the public input period in the planning and design of our strategic plan,’’ said Andrew Breidenbaugh, the director of library services for Hillsborough County during the meeting. “We use this as kind of a guide to what our services are going to look like for the next five years.”

HCPLC had a handful of displays for patrons to look at in NTRL’s community room during the open house, with employees of the cooperative stationed at each display to facilitate conversation and answer questions.

The turnout was the best yet, Breidenbaugh says, as 73 people took part, compared to an average of roughly 40 at the HCPLC’s previous two stops at the Upper Tampa Bay and Jimmie B. Keel regional libraries.

“That was great and nice to see,’’ said Breidenbaugh, who says he started his career at the New Tampa location when it opened in 1997. “It’s nice to see such involvement from a community that doesn’t really have a center. Maybe the library can be that center.”

Although inconclusive at this early stage in the 2020 Vision process, some of the responses at the NTRL open house indicated a desire for the library to partner with museums, schools and neighborhood associations, but not so much with sports teams and restaurants.

Some people wanted the library to start offering yoga, cooking classes and even self-defense classes. Others expressed interest in the library carrying newer-release DVDs and books.

In 2015, the HCPLC hosted 13,452 events and classes in its 29 libraries, ranging from astronomy to computer coding, with 272,463 people participating.

“We take the public phase input on this very seriously,’’ Breidenbaugh said. “We were looking for feedback on what we are doing well, what it is we can improve and generally speaking what people want in their future library.”

When the remaining seven open houses have been completed, the HCPLC will solicit questionnaires and surveys through its website and in print, sometime in late March.

That will be followed by focus groups in late May or early June of this year. The HCLPC will analyze the raw data and put together a plan by Oct. 1, the start of the county’s new fiscal year.

One thing that Breidenbaugh says will be interesting to watch is how the HLPLC balances the technological demands of the patrons who use the library for the internet, and those who prefer it remains a completely silent place for reading books and studying.

Customers who have used the library for a long time seem to like the way it is, but the way information is presented today is far different — and far louder, according to Breidenbaugh — than it was 25 years ago.

“There are different ideas of what the library should be,’’ Breidenbaugh said. “The picture is not clear to everyone.”

By October, the HCPLC hopes the picture will be clearer.

The New Tampa Regional Library is located at 10001 Cross Creek Blvd. For more information about future open houses and how to take part in the 2020 Vision, visit 2020Vision.hcplc.org.

New Tampa students make their marks at STEM Fair

The New Tampa area had a strong showing at the 36th Annual Hillsborough County Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematic (STEM) Fair last week, including Best of Fair awards for Chiles Elementary third-grader Ria Apte and Tampa Palms Elementary fourth-grader Kamaleldin Kamaleldin, as more than a dozen area students were honored for their projects.

Roofs — Chiles Elementary third-grader Ria Apte

The STEM was held Monday through Wednesday Feb. 8-10 at the downtown Tampa Convention Center. According to Larry Plank, director of K-12 STEM education for Hillsborough County Schools, the STEM Fair has grown to be the largest in Florida and one of the largest in the nation, with over 1,900 entries from 2,500 students in grades K-12.

Any student in Hillsborough County was allowed to submit a qualifying project in 13 major STEM subject areas. The top 27 winners advance to the State STEM Fair in Lakeland later this month.

The two best projects from Hillsborough County will also go on to compete in the International STEM Fair in Phoenix, Arizona in March.

A crowd of roughly 5,000 parents and students attended the two award ceremonies on Feb. 10, with over 1,000 students being recognized through a wide variety of awards.

Apte won for Best of Fair for her project called “The Truth About Roofs: Materials Matter.”

Kamaleldin’s project was entitled “Which Mixture Produces More CO2 To Attract Mosquitoes: Seashells & Vinegar or Eggshells & Vinegar or Baking Soda & Vinegar.

Here are the top local winners from the STEM Fair.

2015-2016 Hillsborough County Regional STEM Fair-Elementary Division

Accelerated Learning STEMscopes Award
Exothermic and Endothermic Reactions
Robbie Duke, Hunters Green

FAST Award Sponsored by the Florida Association of Science Teachers (FAST)
How’s the Weather Up There?
Emma Maggio, Pride

Grow Your Mind Award Sponsored by Glazer Children’s Museum
Wi-Hi or Wi-Lo
Elaine Feaster, Clark

Great Explorations Award by Great Explorations

Up, Up, and Away

Tyler Holland, Clark

Innovations in Construction by Sponsored by Cardinal Roofing
The Truth About Roofs: Materials Matter
Ria Apte, Chiles

Creative Engineering Award Sponsored by LEGOLAND Florida Resort
Light vs. Dark
Liberty Sanford, Hunter’s Green

Young Explorer Award Sponsored by National Geographic
The Power of Water
Anna Gonzalez Negron, Turner-Bartels

Simulating Tsunami
Uma Panchal, Clark

“Rays Up for Science” Award Sponsored by the Tampa Bay Rays
How Does the Weight Of Balls Affect the Distance They Can Travel In the Air?
Oscar Olivera, Tampa Palms

3rd Grade Best of Fair
The Truth About Roofs: Materials Matter
Ria Apte, Chiles

4th Grade Best of Fair
Which Mixture Produces More CO2 To Attract Mosquitoes: Seashells & Vinegar or Eggshells & Vinegar or Baking Soda & Vinegar?
Kamaleldin Kamaleldin, Tampa Palms

2015-2016 Hillsborough County Regional STEM Fair- Junior Division

National Geographic Young Explorer – Junior

Vapor Products and Endothelial Cell Growth

Christian Breslin, Liberty

Tampa Bay Lightning Award – Junior
Vapor Products and Endothelial Cell Growth
Christian Breslin, Liberty

2015-2016 Hillsborough County Regional STEM Fair- Senior Division

“Big Cat Rescue “Conservation” Award – Senior
Different Plants Improve Oxygen Levels to Combat Eutrophication.
Ibraahim Badat & Muhammad Erchid, Wharton

Florida Psychological Association Special Award – Senior 1st Place
Does Age Affect One’s Ability to Attain Greater Reading Comprehension on a Kindle vs. a Hardcopy Book?
Lauren Doebele, Freedom

Florida Society of Environmental Analysts Excellence in Environmental – Senior 3rd Place
Effects of Oxybenzone on Bioluminescent Dinoflagellates
Disney Rattanakongkham & Madison McCallum, Wharton

Society of Manufacturing Engineers Special Award – Senior
Environmental Impacts of Tampa Located Power Plants on Bay Water Inhabitants
Kyle Robinson, James Santana & Devin Constant, Wharton

Wards Science – Scientist in the Making
Environmental Impacts of Tampa Located Power Plants on Bay Water Inhabitants
Kyle Robinson, James Santana & Devin Constant, Wharton

Grace Abbott Memorial Award

Parachute Dispute…..Which one should you Recruit?

John Barreto, Corpus Christi

GROUP PROJECTS (S:

Third Grade Life Science
E — Plant Growth in Different Liquids by Elijah Landers & Giovanni Castelblanco, Clark

Third Grade Math/Computer/Engineering
S — Don’t Rock the Boat by Gregory Davy & Kaele Smith, Pride

Third Grade Physical Science Energy
O — Heavy Hitter by Aeriel Larsen & Brooke Becker, Pride
E — Chemical Reaction Action by Danielle Arrigo & Morgan Sucher, Turner-Bartels
S — Cool Ponies Berkeley Wonder & Finley Myhre, Chiles

Third Grade Physical Science Matter
S — What Goes In and Never Comes Out? by Jibran Beg & Aayush Iyer, Chiles

Fourth Grade Earth/Space Science
O — A Magnetic Breakfast by Aryanna Joyette & Valli Kuruganti, Tampa Palms

Fourth Grade Math/Computer/Engineering
E — Battle of the Roofs by Teja Katipalli & Aashrith Kossireddy, Clark

Fourth Grade Physical Science Energy
S — On a Roll by Michael Miller & Keera Srivastava, Clark
S — Bounce, Tennis Ball, Bounce! by David Jin & Kevin Xiang, Pride

Fourth Grade Physical Science Matter
S — It’s All About the Plastic, Let’s Weigh It! by Mallory Marsland-Petit & Ashlyn Lindahl, Clark

Fifth Grade Life Science
S — Does the Temperature of Water Affect a Plant’s Growth? by Sami Al-Jamal & Caleb Davis, Hunter’s Green

Fifth Grade Math/Computer/Engineering
O — Parachute Mayhem by Brooke Evans & Ella Rivera, Tampa Palms

Fifth Grade Physical Science Energy
S — Butter Battle by Susana Nguyen, Yesh Alla, Tanner Quattrione & Gabe Grant, Chiles

Fifth Grade Physical Science Matter
E — The Bat Bonanza by Dylan Klinger & Kevin Logan, Turner-Bartels
S — The Mass of Salt Crystals by Olivia Krol & Inga Bjornsdottir, Pride
S — Make, Bake, Measure by Dante Boin & Hayden Scragg, Turner-Bartels
S — We Scream for Sunscreen by Jessica Afiat & Dylan Panganiban, Clark
S — How Much Acid is in My Drink? by Michelle McAveety & Helen Zhang, Clark
S — Catastrophic Chemicals by Khushi Mathur & Andrea Davis, Hunter ‘s Green

INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS

Third Grade Behavioral Science
S — Battle of the Senses: Eyes vs. Ears by Joseph Afiat, Clark

Third Grade Life Science
O — Fingerprint Findings by Makana Salim-Uesi, Pride

Third Grade Math/Computer/Engineering
S — Up, Up and Away by Tyler Holland, Clark

Third Grade Physical Science Energy
E — Battery Battle by Jason Abdullah, Turner-Bartels
S — The Truth About Roofs: Materials Matter by Ria Apte, Chiles

Third Grade Physical Science Matter
E — The Scoop On Cream by Samantha Roberts, Tampa Palms
S — How Does Temperature Affect Pressure in a Football? by McKenzey Craig, Turner-Bartels

Fourth Grade Earth/Space Science
E — Oh No!! Acid Rain by Sonia Chillikatil, Clark
S — How’s the Weather Up There? by Emma Maggio, Pride

Fourth Grade Life Science
E — Strawberry DNA by Saraswat Kahali, Chiles
S — Which Mixture Produces More CO2 To Attract Mosquitoes: Seashells & Vinegar or Eggshells & Vinegar or Baking Soda & Vinegar? by Kamaleldin Kamaleldin, Tampa Palms

Fourth Grade Physical Science Energy
E — The Power of Water by Anna Gonzalez Negron, Turner-Bartels

Fourth Grade Physical Science Matter
O — Exothermic and Endothermic Reactions by Robbie Duke, Hunter’s Green
S — Which Diaper Would You Buy? by Kyana-Rae Hunter, Pride

Fifth Grade Earth/Space Science
S — Simulating Tsunami by Uma Panchal, Clark

Fifth Grade Life Science
E — Bean Plants Growth with Different Sizes of Eggshells in Ground Soil by Matthew Dong, Pride
S — Hair Diameter and Age by Luis Perez, Pride
S — Grow Plants Grow Elios Matias, Turner-Bartels

Fifth Grade Math/Computer/Engineering
O — Wi-Hi or Wi-Lo by Elaine Feaster, Clark

Fifth Grade Physical Science Energy
E — Keep It Cold! by Kiara Orbegoso, Tampa Palms

Fifth Grade Physical Science Matter
E — Speedway Splash by Aubrey Glover, Turner-Bartels
S — Drastic Times Call For Diaper Measures by Taikhoom Janoowalla, Chiles

JUNIOR DIVISION

Behavioral & Social Sciences
Third Place: Social Media Posting
Prajuna Venkatesan, Turner-Bartels

Chemistry
Third Place: Sunlight, Water, and Sun Sensitive Paper Turns Chemistry into Art!
Peter Nelson, Liberty

Physics & Astronomy
First Place: Parachute Dispute…..Which one should you Recruit?
John Barreto, Corpus Christi
Third Place:Refraction of Solar Energy
Daniel Carvajal, Bartels

Behavioral and Social Sciences
Second Place: Does Age Affect One’s Ability to Attain Greater Reading Comprehension on a Kindle vs. a Hardcopy Book?
Lauren Doebele, Freedom

SENIOR DIVISION

Chemistry
Third Place:Effects of Oxybenzone on Bioluminescent Dinoflagellates
Madison McCallum and Disney Rattanakongkham, Wharton

Earth and Environmental Sciences
Second Place: Effects of Riparian Buffer on Ecosystem Productivity
Sonile Peck, Wharton

Engineering
Second Place: Does Distance Matter?
Spencer Skypack, Wharton

Smart kids + numbers = Math Bowl titles

MathClark5thgrade copy — Clark’s 5th grade winners

Three New Tampa schools now have some new hardware to show off after some of the best and brightest fourth and fifth grade math stars from New Tampa’s seven public elementary schools went head-to-head to see who would bring home the trophies in this year’s Math Bowl last month.

Teams compete against others from their “area” in Hillsborough County Public Schools. New Tampa teams are from Area 3, which is comprised of about 20 schools. The competition’s awards ceremony honors the top three teams in each area.

In the fourth grade event, New Tampa teams took home all three top awards. First place went to Richard F. Pride Elementary, second went to Tampa Palms, and third place to Harold H. Clark Elementary. The teams from Hunter’s Green (4th place), Chiles and Turner/Bartels (tied for 9th), and Heritage (15th) also competed at the event.

For fifth grade, the team from Clark won first place, and the team from Pride came in second. Other New Tampa teams who competed include Chiles (6th place), Heritage (8th place), Hunter’s Green (9th place), and Tampa Palms (11th place).

The annual Math Bowl is co-sponsored by Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) and the Hillsborough Council of Teachers of Mathematics, an all-volunteer, teacher-led organization. The annual event was held this year at the T. Pepin Hospitality Centre on 50th St. in Tampa.

“The Math Bowl has been in existence for over twenty years,” says Jack Fahle, supervisor of elementary mathematics for HCPS. “It got started as a Saturday event among just a few schools and no one really knows when the first one was or when the organization actually started calling it the ‘Math Bowl.’”

MathPride5thgrade3(1) — Pride’s 5th grade team

The competition pits teams of four against each other to see who can solve the most challenging math problems in the least amount of time.

The Math Bowl is divided into halves, with three students from each team participating in the entire competition, and two students each participating in one half or the other, giving each team a built-in alternate. The faster a team finishes a question, the higher the points they are awarded for correct answers. Incorrect answers equal zero points, so the teams have to be accurate in their work.

Each team has a coach, typically their math teacher, who helps them practice and prepare for the competition. Kimberly Terenzi, who teaches fourth grade math and science at Pride, coached the school’s winning fourth and fifth grade teams. She says they prepare with weekly practices for several weeks before the competition. Since working accurately and quickly is essential, “we also have discussions on how the team can become more efficient and eventually create their own strategies and shortcuts.”

Terenzi says the competition benefits the kids in several ways.

“They learn team building skills, how to work corroboratively, and how to stay focused in a high stressed atmosphere,” she says. “The children learn to trust each other and develop as a team.”

A competition for Math Bowl teams for first, second, and third grade students will be held in May.