Pelican Water Systems Brings Its Mobile Showroom To Your Front Door

Pelican Water Systems technicians use mobile units like this one to bring the company’s water filtration products showroom right to your door in Wesley Chapel.

Do you have an aging water filtration system in your home that isn’t quite cutting it anymore?

Are you concerned about chlorinated water and contaminants that slip through your tap water’s purification process? Do you spend too much of your hard-earned money on bottled water?

If you answered yes to these questions, Pelican Water Systems would like to come to your home to give you a free consultation and water test, and set you up with a no-waste, no-salt, customized water filtration system that will meet your family’s needs.

“We want to educate people (about) what’s happening with their water,” Pelican Water Systems CEO Iain Whyte says. “Ours is a new way of approaching water treatment systems.”

Typically, buying a water filtration system is a multi-step process. Businesses will have a storefront where their products are on display. They’ll come to your home and test your water and then you’ll visit their store, sift through available products and eventually get a quote. This is after they come back to your home and conduct an inspection.

That process can be cumbersome, but Pelican Water Systems has a different approach. The company is designed to be a one-stop shop.

“We keep our best-selling products in our vans,” Whyte says. “Two-thirds of the van is showroom, the other third is inventory. We also test for up to nine major contaminants on site.”

Pelican Water Systems does not have a storefront, at least not in Tampa. The company’s Florida headquarters is located in Deland (northeast of Orlando).

Instead, Pelican offers what Whyte calls Mobile Retail Centers. These $45,000 mobile showrooms provide everything a technician/salesman needs in order to take care of everything on the checklist, from the initial water test to scheduling the installation of the system.

The company was formed in 2007 and broke into the Florida market in Ocala and Orlando in 2016, moved into Jacksonville and The Villages in 2017, and opened up in the Tampa Bay market a month or so ago.

Whyte says that sales to customers in Tampa, despite not having a location here, served as a catalyst to entering the market.

“We’ve been selling products online to Tampa customers since 2007,” Whyte says. “Now, we want to promote in-home service in the area.”

Whether you use well water or municipal water, Pelican Water Systems has a solution for you.

The most common issues with well water are iron and sulphur. Iron leaves those rusty stains in your bathtub and sulphur is responsible for that unappetizing egg smell.

If you have well water, it’s likely that you have a septic tank. Septic tanks can let harmful bacteria like E. Coli and fecal coliform into your well water.

Pelican Water Systems can test for these bacteria in your well water, which is sent to its lab in Deland. Typically, the turnaround for results is 36 hours. Whyte recommends that you install a UV (ultraviolet) system if bacteria is detected in your well water. The UV system typically kills 99.9% of all waterborne microorganisms.

With municipal water, particularly with the City of Tampa, chloramines and/or chlorine are used to purify the water. While it’s theoretically safe to drink, most people dislike the chlorine smell and the way the chlorine dries your skin when bathing or showering.

“I’ve had problems with my skin ever since I started living in my house, so I decided to try as much as possible to improve my skin,” says one of the company’s online reviews. “I then got a shower filter from Pelican, and I’ve had a nice experience with them. Now the water comes out nice and I’ve noticed that my skin is smoother.”

If you’re on municipal water and sewer, you’re paying for the water you consume, as well as the water you dispose of. That’s another reason why Pelican Water Systems sells salt-free systems — homeowners don’t consume water through the filtration process. There are no discharges. The system doesn’t even need electricity.

“You get good, quality water from every faucet in your home,” Whyte says.

The headline product that Pelican Water Systems is promoting is the Smart Combo, a water softener and filter combination system. It combines a certified carbon filter with a certified salt-free softener.

The carbon filter, which is tested and certified by the International Association of Plumbing & Mechanical Officials (IAPMO), in accordance with National Standards Strategy (NSS) standards, reportedly reduces chlorine levels by 96.7 percent. The salt-free water softener is certified by the German Technical & Scientific Association for Gas & Water. Pelican Water Systems uses the German standards because there currently are none in the U.S. for that type of technology. The salt-free softeners are reported to reduce scale that can clog pipes and appliances by 99.6 percent.

If budget is an issue, Pelican Water Systems can even finance the system you choose.

Based on credit score and the length of the loan, monthly payments can be as little as $60/month, and Pelican Water Systems does not hide these prices. The company is a full-service retailer and the prices of all of their systems are available on the Pelican website.

Installation costs can vary based on where a customer wants the system installed. If the system needs to be further away from the source, your installation can cost more than it might if the system is going in directly adjacent to the water source. It takes between 3-5 days from the time you order for a technician to come out and install your system.

If you prefer the do-it-yourself route, Pelican offers a wealth of tools available for you to install the system yourself. There are even YouTube videos and tutorials that can be accessed through the website, and tech support is available through the Deland office six days a week (closed on Sunday), from 8 a.m.-9 p.m.

Pelican Water Systems also prides itself on giving back to the community. The company has partnered with organizations like the American Cancer Society, Our Home Transitional, the International Bird Rescue and Operation First Response. Pelican also sponsors Sustainability Scholarships every year to students who are U.S. residents and are enrolled full-time in an accredited university. Students are asked to submit a 30-60 second video demonstrating how they conserve water and write a 250-word essay highlighting what water conservation means to them.

There are two contests every year that award first, second and third-place scholarships. The next deadline to apply is October 15.

Pelican Water Systems’ Mobile Retail Centers can be at your home for a free consultation within three days of making an appointment. Appointments are set Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and can even be made on Saturdays. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call (8440 237-9949, visit PelicanWater.com or see the ad on page 29.

Better Realty Services For Home Buyers, Sellers, Renters  & Business Owners

(L.-r.) Mike Kane, Kathy Rieger & Monty Bryan have joined forces to open Better Realty Services , located off S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel, to serve all of your real estate & business brokerage needs.

The three co-owners of Better Realty Services say their name says it all: Their real estate firm will help you have a better experience in a wide range of services, whether you want to buy a home, sell a home, rent a home, manage an investment property, sell a business or buy a business.

Although their company is only three years old, Monty Bryan, Mike Kane and Kathy Rieger bring decades of experience to Better Realty Services, located on Cypress Creek Blvd. in Wesley Chapel (off of S.R. 56, just east of I-75). They each have their own specific area of expertise.

Monty has been a Realtor in the Tampa Bay area since 1982. He started his own real estate company in Tampa Palms in 1989, called Florida Properties Tampa, Inc. He sold that business to Coldwell Banker in 1999 and continued to work at the firm. He now handles the real estate sales and purchases for Better Realty Services.

He met Kathy when she purchased her home — with Monty as her agent — in 1999. He says he recruited her to join him at Coldwell Banker, where she specialized in property management. Today, Kathy brings her property management expertise to Better Realty Services, where she manages investment properties on behalf of owners, making the process of finding tenants, collecting rent and maintaining the property much easier.

Monty and Mike first connected while their children were in preschool together, and the kids later played recreational sports on the same team. Mike launched a business in New Tampa 10 years ago called First Choice Business Brokers, helping business owners who wanted to sell or people who wanted to buy a business. Mike’s role at Better Realty Services is to continue to help business owners as they plan an exit strategy from their respective businesses.

Monty, Mike and Kathy teamed up to launch Better Realty Services in 2015 and will celebrate three years in business together in May.

“It’s synergistic,” explains Mike. “There are a lot of people who want to buy an investment property, and then, we offer professional management for that property. Or, we sometimes sell a business to an out-of-state buyer, who then may be looking for a house to move into this area.”

All three are licensed Realtors, and Mike is the Broker for the office. Because of their years of experience and commitment to hard work and the highest ethical standards, they say they can help any customer who may be interested in any of their varied services.

“We’re a boutique company,” explains Kathy. “We customize our service so that it’s personal and works for every client.”

Good Timing For A Move

Monty says that now is the time of year that the residential real estate market is the busiest.

“Most people want to move before the summer, so this is the busy season for both sales and rentals,” he says. “If you have considered putting your home on the market, this is the time of year when there is the most traffic, so my advice is to do it now.” Monty and his team can help you get your home ready to sell and price it correctly.

“If your house is in good shape and priced well,” adds Kathy, “it will sell quickly.”

Monty adds that the local real estate market has been busy for the past two or three years, after several slower years.

“It took from about 2008 to about 2015 for all of the foreclosures to clear out of the market,” he explains. “Now, we’re in a season of steady growth and lower inventory.”

While lower inventory may mean a higher price if you’re ready to sell, the team explains that it’s still a good time to buy, too. Interest rates are low, which is good for buyers, and builders are active again, offering many new home options in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel real estate markets.

Long-Term Relationships

Pauline Evans is a former New Tampa resident who now lives near the University of South Florida (USF) in a retirement home. She says she has been working with Monty and Kathy for 18 years, since Monty first helped her buy a home in Hunter’s Green in 2000.

Since then, Pauline says that Monty has been her real estate agent for several more transactions, as she purchased two investment homes in Wesley Chapel.

“My husband and I were managing our own properties, and Kathy and Monty were always there as advisers,” Pauline says. “They helped us to be entrepreneurs and manage our own properties.”

Since her husband, who was retired from the U.S. Army, passed away about three years ago, Pauline has turned her rental properties over to Better Realty Services for Kathy to manage. She says she trusts Kathy to manage her properties as well as she and her husband did, when they used to send one of their sons over to mow the lawn or fix small problems at any of their investment homes.

“Everything is in Kathy and Monty’s hands now,” she explains. “Now, they just send me a statement each month.”

Pauline says it’s much easier on her, and that the friendship and advice she has received from Monty and Kathy over the years has led to her trusting them with her investments.

“I am blessed to have these rental properties,” she explains, “which make it possible for me to live in this community, which is more expensive than living in a little house somewhere.”

Monty, Karen and Mike hope to become that trusted source of expertise for anyone in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel area who is considering buying or selling their home, or an investment property, or even their business.”

Their years of experience have given them a perspective that is somewhat unique. When Monty opened the first real estate office in New Tampa in 1989, the only neighborhoods were Tampa Palms, Hunter’s Green, Pebble Creek and Williamsburg.

“I knew this area was going to grow, because I could see this area of raw land on the map,” says Monty. “But, it’s kept growing and growing, and now moved into Wesley Chapel. That’s a lot of growth in 30 years.”

Monty says with all that he’s seen over the last three decades, he still truly enjoys what he does.

Mike concurs. “I think it says a lot that we’re all still in this business after all this time.”

Better Realty Services is located at 2654 Cypress Ridge Blvd., #103. The office is open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m., and evenings and weekends by appointment. To reach Mike, Monty or Kathy, call (813) 793-4380. For more information, visit BetterRealtyServices.com.

Market Technologies Offers Investment Software & Career Opportunities

Building wealth by investing in financial markets can bring the reward of a secure future but there can be plenty of uncertainty along the way to that goal. For almost 40 years, Wesley Chapel-based Market Technologies has provided investors with trading software they can use to navigate the ebb and flow of economic factors influencing the stock, commodity, and currency markets, as well as their own investment portfolios.

According to Market Technology vice president Lane Mendelsohn, the company’s proprietary VantagePoint market forecasting software uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to track and analyze factors such as market reports, related market activity and government policies that can influence a particular stock or other trading investment, such as commodities like corn or copper.

A report by the financial services consulting firm Aite Group (cited in the June 2, 2016 edition of Forbes magazine) indicated that there are 54 million individual, self-directed market traders in the U.S. alone, who can manage their investments just about any time, anywhere, from their smartphones. To get VantagePoint software into the devices of as many investors as possible, Market Technologies is now hiring inside sales professionals to assist people calling to about the software.

Lane says software programs like VantagePoint analyze market information to give near-term trading forecasts. It’s an application of computer technology that has spawned new competitors for VantagePoint, which can trace its pioneering digital roots to 1991, a time before widespread consumer use of the Internet.

According to Market Technologies’ website, VantagePoint forecasts stocks, futures, Forex, and ETFs (Exchange-Traded Funds) with proven forecasting accuracy of up to 86 percent.

Market Technologies was founded by Lane’s father, Louis  Mendelsohn, who is still the company president. The company was the result of Louis’ quest for better returns on his own self-directed investments.

“He starting developing software for his own purposes so he could be a more successful, profitable trader and investor,” says Lane.

Lane Mendelsohn

As the senior Mendelsohn’s research gained notice through publications and television appearances, his personal project evolved into a company providing technical analysis trading software to individual investors.

“It was something he personally had a need for and later realized other people had that same need,” Lane says.

Louis Mendelsohn grew up in a Providence, RI, tenement building next to a freight rail line, and set his sights on moving away from that life of poverty. His first step was a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Administration & Management from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA.

Louis’ childhood background led him to study social work, and he received his Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He followed that up by earning his Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Boston University in 1977 and moved to Tampa to work as a hospital administrator.

While making investments for himself, he realized he needed better tools than the calculator and pencil technology that prevailed in the financial services industry at the time. Louis knew about computers and software, so he combined his interests in finance, investing and computers to develop predictive trading software that would compute market trading technical indicators — like moving averages that give investors clues as to how a stock or commodity may behave.

A Company Is Born

Wanting to share his knowledge and success from his work, Louis started Market Technologies in 1979 as a company and released his first trading software for personal computers in 1983. He has also written books on the subject, such as Trend Forecasting with Technical Analysis: Unleashing the Hidden Power of Intermarket Analysis to Beat the Market.

Louis Mendelsohn

Building on his early research, Louis began focusing on the relationships between individual stocks, currencies and commodities and the global factors affecting all of them. He developed proprietary mathematical processes to recognize trading patterns across different markets, leading to the development of today’s VantagePoint software.

VantagePoint is advertised in trading industry magazines such as Traders, Stocks & Commodities and Your Trading Edge. The ads generate leads for the Market Technologies sales force working out of the company’s building just off Wesley Chapel Blvd., about 1.5 miles west of I-75 on Old Pasco Rd.

VantagePoint user Eric Hall expressed his satisfaction by awarding a Five-Star Google Review, writing “This is an amazing group of people that provide cutting edge software products to traders across the globe. No other product even comes close to what they provide. If you’re looking for an edge in the markets they can provide it to you!”

Opportunity Is Knocking…

For people more interested in reaping financial and personal benefits from rewarding work, Market Technologies currently is hiring people for inside sales positions, responding to individual traders who express interest in the high-tech Vantage Point market forecasting software.

According to Lane, applicants do not need financial industry experience but persistence, curiosity and a positive attitude are essential for success at Market Technologies.

“We’ve had people who didn’t have sales experience but wanted to help people and learn new things,” he says, adding that as the market for self-directed investment products grows, so do the opportunities for those who make them available to individual traders. “There is no better time for someone to join our company and ride that wave of success.”

As to how good a time it is to join the VantagePoint team, in addition to having a product that is of interest to a lot of people, Market Technologies was just named as a “2018 Top Workplace” by the Tampa Bay Times newspaper, a recognition based on anonymous surveys completed by employees collected by the research company Energage, LLC. According to a company news release, the survey placed “Market Technologies in the top 10 out of 50 companies with fewer than 150 employees.”

That recognition comes as no surprise to Gilbert B., who has been a member of the Market Technologies sales team for nine years. Gilbert says he has found workplace satisfaction and financial security working atop the VantagePoint wavecrest.

“There’s a great opportunity here but you have to work hard,” Gilbert says, adding, “The company cares about the employees.”

Benefits include fully paid insurance for all employees, including health, dental, life and long-term disability. There is a full description of job openings and benefits available at the Market Technologies website, SellingIsFun.com.

Market Technologies has a global reach, with customers in more than 120 countries, but its connection to the Tampa Bay area has been strong since its founding. In fact, part of the company’s philosophy is sharing its success with the local community.

Market Technologies’ charitable efforts include supporting Metropolitan Ministries and the U.S. Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots program, among others. In fact, earlier this month, for International Children’s Book Day (Apr. 2), the company collected and donated more than 100 books to Shriners Hospitals for Children Tampa. Market Technologies also has hosted events for children being treated at Shriners and has supported the hospital with financial donations. “We decided last year we wanted to make Shriners a really big focus of ours,” Lane says.

He acknowledges that there are plenty of wealth-building products and programs in the marketplace for consumers to consider, but one way to distinguish among them is longevity.

“That’s something that really differentiates our company from so many others in the industry, that next year will be our 40th anniversary year,” Lane says. “So, for 40 years, we’ve been developing technology for traders and investors to help them achieve their goals and really empower them to be able to be successful and provide for themselves and provide for their families.”

Market Technologies is located at 5807 Old Pasco Rd. in Wesley Chapel. For more info, call (813) 973-0496. Neighborhood News readers interested in employment opportunities at Market Technologies can learn more by visiting SellingIsFun.com. To find out more about VantagePoint and get a free demonstration of the software, visit VantagePointSoftware.com, send an email to info@vantagepointoftware.com or call (800) 732-5407.

Vallarta’s Tampa Palms Is Gearing Up For Another Fun Cinco De Mayo!

EVEN THOUGH I’ll never try to convince you that Vallarta’s Mexican Restaurant, located in the City Plaza at Tampa Palms shopping center, is the best Mexican food you’ll ever eat, I do enjoy the food (especially at Vallarta’s reasonable prices), the service and the atmosphere at this local chain of family-owned eateries.

Because I’m the adventurous type, I always try to sample something new whenever I visit Vallarta’s, skipping only the shrimp dishes that I’m allergic to, and I keep finding new favorites to go with my old ones.

On my most recent visits, I first tried the semi-spicy steak a la Mexicana and although the thin rib eye steak is a fatty cut, the blend of onions, tomatoes and sliced jalapeños definitely make it a flavorful choice for me. There also are seven other non-fajita steak dishes on the menu, all under $15, unless you get a steak and shrimp combo. I can recommend the batter-dipped steak milanesa and the Vallarta’s special steak, topped with grilled tomatoes, onions and peppers.

Next, I tried the pork chunks with onions, or carnitas, and found what truly is now my new favorite dish at Vallarta’s.

The pork is obviously marinated and the chunks literally melt in your mouth. Pedro, the general manager, says that the chunks are made from pork leg or butt. All I can say is that I’ll be sampling this one again. For the same price ($13), you can add salsa roja (red) or verde (green), but these beauties don’t really need any sauce. The carnitas are totally tasty as is.

Shrimp Avocado Rice

Vallarta’s no longer serves its fajitas sizzling on a metal dish, but they’re still pretty tasty and I prefer the chicken to the steak fajitas.

Starters at Vallarta’s include the cheese (queso) dip, guacamole Vallarta, a mushroom quesadilla and five varieties of nachos,  so whether you like them just with cheese ($6) or the nachos Vallarta (with grilled steak, avocado, onions and cheese, $11), you’re sure to find one that suits your fancy — just bring plenty of friends, as the nacho orders are huge!

And although I can’t eat the Cocktel de Camarones (shrimp cocktail, $14) due to my shellfish allergy, I saw someone enjoying it the other day. The large shrimp are served “swimming” in a tasty hot sauce, in a gigantic margarita glass. I also enjoy the Mexican chicken soup, which was perfect for those cold days we had in March.

Jannah also recently found a new favorite, as she really enjoyed the chicken fajita salad, which also is available with beef or shrimp and served in a monstrous tortilla shell that is overstuffed with fajita chicken, plus grilled peppers and onions, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, pico de gallo, guac and cheese. It’s not served with dressing, but it honestly doesn’t need additional toppings, as Jannah ended up not needing to use her side of ranch dressing.

There also are plain grilled chicken dinners (pollo a la Parilla, $11) and a fried chicken breast (pollo Empanisado, $13).

And of course, Vallarta’s also has lunch and dinner-sized combinations of all of your Mexican favorites. So, whether you like hard or soft tacos, enchiladas, chalupas, burritos, tamales, tostadas, taquitos, flautas, chimichangas or tostaguac (I honestly don’t know what that last one is), you’re sure to find your favorites on this huge menu, with most lunch combos from $6-$9 and most dinner combos at around $10.

I’m not the biggest quesadilla fan, but they also are available for $8-$11 and the one I definitely will try in the future is the chicken, bacon and cheese variety.

Oh, and of course, even though I’m usually a chunky salsa kind of guy, Vallarta’s puréed salsa, served in wine carafes (you pour the salsa into a bowl for dipping), is highly addictive, especially with the restaurant’s fresh, hot, super-crisp tortilla chips.

Don’t Forget Cinco!

Another great thing about Vallarta’s is that it offers a full liquor bar with a variety of Mexican and domestic beers, a selection of top-shelf tequilas, as well as lots of margarita varieties that, according to the Vallarta’s menu, are “truly bigger than your head,” all at much lower prices than you’ll find at most sit-down Mexican eateries.

So, if you’re looking for a place to spend Saturday, May 5 — aka Cinco de Mayo — look no further. Vallarta’s will have music, food and drink specials and a big crowd for Cinco, although the place is crowded for dinner almost every day all year-round (and even many days at lunch time) and continues to receive lots of votes every year in our annual Reader Dining Survey & Contest. In other words, when you serve good food at very fair prices, people will keep coming back for more.

And, speaking of more, there also are Vallarta’s locations in the Wesley Chapel Village Market, one near the Suncoast Pkwy. off S.R. 54, one at Collier Pkwy. at 54, one on S.R. 54 in Trinity/Odessa, plus Temple Terrace and Carrollwood. The family that started Vallarta’s also opened a more upscale San José Mexican Restaurant on Land O’Lakes Blvd. (U.S. Hwy. 41 in Lutz), as well as the new El Pescador Mexican seafood restaurant in the New Tampa Center plaza on BBD Blvd. We plan to feature El Pescador in our next issue.

Vallarta’s of Tampa Palms is located at 16023 Tampa Palms Blvd. W. It is open every day for lunch and dinner. For more information, including some great regular coupon specials, visit VallartasRestaurants.com or call (813) 978-3761. The Wesley Chapel Vallarta’s is located at 5335 Village Market. For more info, call (813) 907-5161.

Family Of Christ Christian School Offers A Great Education & Life Lessons, Too

If you want to see smiles like these on your children’s faces, arrange a tour today to check out Family of Christ Christian School off BBD Blvd. in Tampa Palms, no matter what denomination or religion or your family may be.

“And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.”

Those words from Luke 2:52 (New Testament, New International Version) delivered in the First Century AD come alive today in the Family of Christ (FoC) Christian School mission statement, which commits the faculty and staff to growing the knowledge and abilities of their students “in a manner that brings honor and glory to God.”

Putting those words into action is the job of the school’s faculty and administrators, including Jennifer Snow, who has been the principal at FoC since 2005.

“The priority of the staff is to work as a team to help our students develop their hearts, minds and souls,” Snow says, adding that the joy of learning is part of the educational experience at FoC.

“If you walk through the classrooms, you see how happy they are while learning.”

But of course, plenty of learning goes on beyond the classrooms of the tree-shaded campus nestled between Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and Tampa Palms Blvd. W. in Tampa Palms.

Recent class field trips have taken students to places like the Florida Keys to explore marine science and Washington, D.C., to see firsthand and up close how the American political machine operates and the history of our government. Snow, who has a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Education from the University of South Florida, says the students’ enthusiasm for learning makes it easy to give them a little more freedom in their pursuit of knowledge.

“We have such well-behaved students that you can kind of go out of the normal classroom realm a little bit and just have fun,” she says.

Snow adds that, in addition to a focus on core academic subjects such as science, language and math, FoC also provides instruction in art, music, computers and physical education and is an active participant in the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS).The school measures student progress by administering the Stanford Achievement Test each year for grades 1-8.

The genesis of FoC was almost two decades ago, at the end of 1999, when Family of Christ Lutheran Church embarked on its mission of bringing high-quality educational opportunities based on Christian values and beliefs to the New Tampa area with (at that time) Pre-K and Kindergarten instruction. The school took a gradual approach to growth, adding one grade at a time until it achieved its current K-8 status , now with 180 enrolled students.

The classrooms at FoC features staffers like Lindy Evans, a language arts teacher for middle school (grades 6-8), who says the emphasis in her class is on learning to live by high standards, as well as learning with high achievement. 

“We aren’t primarily focused on test scores,” Evans says. “We are more concerned with producing academically strong students, with a solid Christian foundation, who will be positive members of our community.”

And when FoC alumni transition to high schools, middle school science teacher Melissa Gembarowski expresses confidence that the graduating Family of Christ 8th graders will be well prepared for all of the challenges awaiting them.

“Our students are successful, whether at private or public high schools, due in part to the confidence and Christian foundation that is instilled in them during their years at Family of Christ,” Gembarowski says.

Graduating eighth-graders also can get a headstart on their high school educations by earning credits in advanced science, algebra and Spanish language courses at FoC that can be applied to a high school diploma.

Living Up To Its ‘Family’ Name

It’s an educational formula that FoC parent Yamira Soto says has benefited her children.

“We have been a part of the Family of Christ Christian School family for the past 8 years,” Soto wrote in her email. “Our school has the perfect combination of a superior curriculum, the best educators and a faith-based, nurturing environment.”

Similarly, Tom and Lori Lahart have experience as a long-term FoC family, with their two children attending there for nine years.“Mrs. Snow delivered on her promise to provide a safe, nurturing, fun environment while putting a world-class education as their primary focus,” the Laharts wrote in an email. “Our two children have now graduated and are flourishing in high school, thanks to the strong foundation they received at Family of Christ.”

While the school is affiliated with Family of Christ Lutheran Church and is accredited by the National Lutheran Schools Association (NLSA) (and by the district of the Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod), enrollment at FoC is open to anyone, regardless of their religious affiliation.

“There are Christians and non-Christians; there are Catholics, Baptists and non-denominational families here,” says Snow. “We have (children from) a variety of denominations that go to different churches but still come here for school.”

Snow adds that FoC’s “inclusivity” is based on common interests and helps the school achieve its purpose.

“To me, it’s about God’s word and what we can do to work in (and have) a positive effect on the community,” she says.

Some of the community projects the school has undertaken include feeding the homeless through Metropolitan Ministries and donating financial offerings to charities such as the Red Cross.

Further Expansion On The Way?

In the 13 years since Snow joined FoC,  its enrollment has increased from fewer than 80 students to its current level of 180, which is just about the capacity of the current facilities. Snow says she hopes expansion will occur, but that there are no firm plans to do so at this time.

“We don’t have a lot of spaces to give, but we want people to know we are here,” Snow says, adding that the school is tuition- and fee-based, but there are scholarships available to help in some situations.

For families with infants or toddlers through age four, their Christian school relationship can begin at Family of Christ’s Child Development Center, which was part of the original church mission that brought forth the school as a K-8 institution. In addition, Family of Christ Lutheran Church is hosting a Vacation Bible School (VBS) July 16-20, with a theme of “Rolling River Rampage.”

Athletics also are part of the FoC experience, with students in grades four through eight participating in a variety of sports, including flag football, golf, cross country, volleyball and basketball. The FoC Knights compete against other Christian schools throughout the Tampa Bay area.

Snow, who has more than 25 years experience as an educator, including as a teacher at Hunter’s Green Elementary when it first opened, says that she and her colleagues at FoC are committed to doing their best at this special career they have chosen.

“This is the most important job God could have given any of us, and that is to work with kids,” she says. “Our staff at Family of Christ is the school heartbeat and, daily, they go above and beyond their jobs.”

You can learn more about Family of Christ Christian School by calling (813) 558-9343 to arrange a tour of the school and its campus, located at 16190 BBD Blvd. com. For more info, see the ad on pg. 38 of this issue or visit FOC-Knights.com.