North Tampa Christian Academy To Open With Grades K-12 On County Line Rd.

The New Tampa Christian Academy is set to open on County Line Rd. in New Tampa on Aug. 20. This is a rendering of the private K-12 Christian-based school.

While the backbone of any good school has always been its curriculum, today’s modern students and parents also desire innovation outside of the classroom.

With that in mind, Sandra Doran, Ed.D., has been overseeing the construction of North Tampa Christian Academy (NTCA), located just west of the Grand Hampton community on County Line Rd., just south of Wesley Chapel.

Doran, the founding headmaster of the area’s first Christian K-12 school, promises a top-notch curriculum, to be taught on a state-of-the-art campus.

“Innovative buildings, innovative furniture, innovative teaching practices,” Doran told an audience of local business leaders gathered Feb. 22 for a North Tampa Chamber of Commerce Economic Development briefing at Hunter’s Green Country Club.

The new school is set to open on Aug. 20, with a full complement of grades, including an early childhood center that will take students as young as 2 years old. It is such a lofty goal that even Doran had to take a deep breath and smile when revealing the plans.

“Everything opens,” she said. “Early childhood, lower school, middle school. We’re not doing it gradually. Everything opens.”

The NTCA, with annual tuition prices ranging from $12,000-$16,000, is the culmination of plans that were hatched in 2012, when the Florida Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists (in concert with Adventist Health System and Florida Hospital West Florida Region) began to work with Tampa Bay-area churches and schools to establish a new campus in our area.

On August 17, 2015, the Florida Conference purchased the 43-acre parcel in New Tampa, right on the Hillsborough/Pasco County line, just south and west of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC).

While school officials felt confident the emphasis on project-based learning, academic excellence via innovative teaching and Christian ideals offered by the school would prove attractive for prospective families, they also wanted to be sure it was offered in an attractive, forward-thinking package.

The question was, according to Doran, “What kind of school architecture would promote good learning practices?”

The answer was Prakash Nair, of Fielding Nair International, whose company has designed innovative schools all over the world, including Academy of Holy Names in Tampa and Shorecrest Prep in St. Petersburg.

Project manager Michael Gilkey reached out to Nair via email, assuming he was in India and getting a timely reply would be difficult.

“Lo and behold, Prakash Nair had not only moved to the United States, and had not only moved to Florida but moved to Tampa and was at Michael Gilkey’s door the next day,” Doran says. Then, with a chuckle, added, “As people of faith, we found that very interesting.”

Nair discarded the original plans, which he dubbed the “Walmart Model” – a big building with a parking lot in front.

Instead, Nair devised a collection of four smaller buildings, each one housing about 150 students, or “separate learning communities,” as Doran referred to them. The separated structures will house an early childhood center, plus buildings for grades K-2, 3-6 and 7-12.

A hoped-for second phase will include an additional building to break up the older grades into 6-8 and 9-12.

The design places less emphasis on walls, doors and standard classrooms, and instead focuses on open spaces that free flow from room to room, with buildings connected by a sun-shielding shade.

Doran, who was associate superintendent at the Florida Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists (the second-largest parochial school system in the world, she says), agreed to take on the task of leading the NTCA. At that time, however, she had no idea, before visiting for the first time last July, that she was inheriting a dusty field with a discarded mattress laying on it.

As for the curriculum, Doran said that she is excited about what she describes as a project-based learning environment.

“The bottom line is this: we want our students, when doing their projects, to have an outcome that matters,” she says. “Are you creating beauty or solving a problem? If it’s none of the above, it’s pointless. Think about the science fair, when those are over, what do you do? You throw them (the projects) away, right? And yet, we wonder why our children don’t like doing them.”

There will be a focus on reading skills (her area of expertise, and a personal connection as well, as her son has struggled with dyslexia), Bible study, challenging math courses and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), designed to improve science education. The NGSS have been adopted by 19 states, although Florida is not one of them.

The school also will have a gymnasium and a soccer field and has already hired a volleyball coach, although Doran says NTCA isn’t looking to develop a high-level athletic program like the ones that define so many private and religion-based schools throughout Florida.

With 43 acres, NTCA will have plenty of room left over for students and staff to explore the woods and trails behind the classrooms. Doran says the school has available capacity for 750 students and is projecting 240 enrollees for the 2018-19 school year, plus another 100 children in the early childhood programs.

“It’s a scary and exhilarating adventure,” she says. “Am I a risk taker? Yes.”

The North Tampa Christian Academy is now accepting applications for the 2018-19 school year. For more information, visit SeeThisSchool.com or NorthTampaChristian.org, or call (813) 591-0309.

SPOTLIGHT ON…KidsPark Tampa On S.R. 56!

Do you need childcare for spring break or summer? KidsPark Tampa (located just off of S.R. 56, east of I-75, in Wesley Chapel) offers camps with a variety of fun activities.

What makes KidsPark different from other childcare options is that it offers no-reservation, drop-in care for kids ages 2 through 12. You pay only for the hours and days you need.

Spring Break camp will be held March 19-23, with a different theme every day, including a Disney day with a visit from Mickey and Minnie, a science day, art day, carnival and field day.

Summer camps are held every week throughout the two-month break, with crafts, games, outdoor water activities, bounce houses and more. There’s no need to register in advance or commit to an entire day or week — just drop in whenever you need care or your kids want to play!

KidsPark is a national franchise, with just three locations in Florida (two are in Jacksonville). There will soon be four, however, as KidsPark Tampa owner Amanda Justus says she will open a new KidsPark center near Westfield Brandon Mall in July.

Families who register at any KidsPark location can use all KidsPark facilities, so kids can use the new center (or any Kids Park across the country when they travel) by just paying a low hourly rate, with no additional registration fee.

“We try to make it so everyone can afford child care,” Amanda says. The hourly rate is just $8 for one child, or $12.25 for two siblings. Additional siblings are $3.25 per hour. A “preferred customer rate” is available for anyone who pre-pays $100 or more, and a “day rate” is offered for kids who stay more than seven hours.

Amanda also offers discounts to hospital employees and to anyone in the military.

KidsPark offers both Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten (VPK) for four year olds and preschool for ages two and three. Birthday and other private parties are available on Sundays, before and after KidsPark is open to the public.

KidsPark Tampa is located at 26240 Golden Maple Loop, just south of S.R. 56 (and just east of I-75). The center is open Monday–Thursday, 7 a.m.–10 p.m., 7 a.m.–midnight on Friday, 10 a.m.–midnight on Saturday, and 1 p.m.–6 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, call (813) 803-4972, visit KidsPark.com, and mention this story for half off of the one-time registration fee, which usually costs $25.

Marc & Kelly Rockquemore are proud to have opened their third Tampa Bay-area New Identities Hair Studio, in the New Tampa Center plaza on Bruce B. Downs Blvd.

Marc & Kelly Rockquemore are proud to have opened their third Tampa Bay-area New Identities Hair Studio, in the New Tampa Center plaza on Bruce B. Downs Blvd.

Not unlike the local restaurant business, the hair salon scene in New Tampa has been pretty volatile the last two decades. It’s therefore pretty impressive that Marc and Kelly Rockquemore, who are now the proud owners of three New Identities Hair Studios in the Tampa Bay area — including two right here in New Tampa — have not only survived, but thrived during that span.

The Rockquemores opened their first New Identities Hair Studio in what was then called the Palm Lake at Tampa Palms (now the Shoppes at Amberly) shopping center 17 years ago, which means I’ve known them for 18 years, because they came into my office in that same plaza looking for advertising for the salon several months before it opened.

Since then, the Rockquemores have opened a second successful New Identities salon in the Riverview/Apollo Beach area that they refer to as their “South Shore” location, and have now opened their third studio — and hosted  a Feb. 7 North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting — in the space in the Publix-anchored New Tampa Center plaza on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. that most recently was occupied by Bella Mia hair salon.

The 1,400-sq.-ft. space also previously was home to the second Bostonian Hair Salon. Marc admits that Bostonian owner Joseph Caetano was something of a role model for them, as Caetano’s salons were well-known throughout the area for high-quality, affordable hair services provided by professionally-trained stylists and hair color specialists.

“Even though Joseph (now 84 years old) no longer owns a salon in this market,” Marc say, “his success paved the way for salons like ours. The key for us is being able to sustain that success long-term.”

Maintaining success hasn’t really been an issue for the Rockquemores, who opened the new salon on BBD with some of the popular stylists from the Tampa Palms location.

“I just think that Kelly and I have both have been relentless in our pursuit of success, by our own definition,” Marc says. “We’re always working to make this thing better all the time and we’ve been fortunate to have great people who have stayed with us long-term.”

Kelly adds, “We had to open another salon up here. We were having two stylists working at each station in Tampa Palms.”

The Rockquemores say they started looking for a new salon sometime last summer and quickly found the New Tampa Center location. They were open by November.

“We did a lot of the work ourselves, whatever we could do,” Kelly says. “It all came together pretty quickly.”

The new New Identities, which has a total of ten stations available, already has eight stylists, four of whom came from the “overcrowded” Tampa Palms studio, but Marc says, “We still have room for more here, and we’ve been getting some outstanding applicants.” At New Identities, stylists have to be properly trained, and clients pay different rates for the same services, based on the level of a stylist’s training.

They both credit advertising in not only the New Tampa but also the Wesley Chapel edition of the Neighborhood News with helping them get the new salon started off right.

“It hasn’t been easy getting this place open and running properly,” Marc admits, “but it’s truly been a blessing to us so far.”

New Identities specializes in “anything to do with hair, including hair styling for men and women, coloring, perms, relaxers and even extensions. “We definitely are known for our color specialists,” Kelly says.

The salon also specializes in playing a vital role in the biggest day of a woman’s life. “Our Bridal Services primarily consist of hair design up-dos, shampoo & blow dries), as well as makeup application,” Kelly says. “Let us take care of your entire wedding party!”

Your Stylists, Your Salon

The Rockquemores are somewhat skeptical about the rise of “Salon Suites,” where stylists (or other beauty industry professionals) can rent a space, set their own hours and “be their own boss.”

“But, some states, like New Jersey, are banning the salon suites because it’s easier to avoid paying taxes on what you make,” Marc says. “Those booth rental people are independent contractors, whereas we work on commission and offer employee benefits and continuing education training.”

Kelly adds, “A lot of those people get stuck at a certain level because they don’t want to have to pay out of their own pocket for education. Here, everytime you receive more training, you have an opportunity to earn more money.”

Marc adds that he has very strong opinions about booth rentals because, “all you’re doing is renting a 10-foot-by-10-foot space in a store. You’re not incorporated, you don’t have employees or have to pay business taxes, you’re not inspected and on and on and on. You’re not a business owner, but that’s what the stylists are being sold.”

Marc says that he and Kelly were particularly proud to have been named the “Best Hair Salon in New Tampa & Wesley Chapel” in the recent Neighborhood News Reader Survey & Contest. In addition to those accolades, New Identities  has been the official salon of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tampa Bay Storm cheerleaders, and most recently, the Tampa Bay Lightning girls. The Tampa Palms location was featured on the HBO series “Hard Knocks” last summer, when Bucs linebacker Kwon Alexander (photo, above left) took the advice of  teammate (and New Identities client) Gerald McCoy, and came to New Identities for a new color job.

“We do a lot to make sure people know who we are (including possibly being a sponsor of the upcoming Taste of New Tampa, see pg. 3),” Marc says, “but Kwon being filmed here for ‘Hard Knocks’ was a great bonus.”

For appointments at the New Tampa New Identities Hair Studio (19038 BBD Blvd.), call (813) 579-1575. For Tampa Palms (15307 Amberly Dr.), call (813) 979-0760. For the South Shore studio (10639 Big Bend Rd. in Riverview), call (813) 741-1177. For more info, visit NewIdentitiesSalon.com or the Facebook pages for any of the locations.

Promise Pointe At Tampa Oaks Offers A Way To Keep Your Family Closer

Tampa Palms and New Tampa-area residents searching for a convenient assisted living and memory care option for their aging family members will soon have a new choice with the opening next month of Promise Pointe at Tampa Oaks.

The new facility is located seven minutes away from the heart of New Tampa via I-75, one mile west of Exit 266 on E. Fletcher Ave., next to the Woodspring Suites Tampa Northeast hotel and the Hong Kong Willie art gallery and red worm farm (that is not a typo).

The 108-unit Promise Pointe joins recently-opened Discovery Village at Tampa Palms, the Legacy at Highwoods Preserve and the Memory Lane Cottages in Tampa Palms as assisted living and/or memory care residences those living in New Tampa can consider to meet the changing lifestyle needs of their elderly family members.

Promise Pointe is managed by Life Care Services (LCS), the country’s third-largest manager of rental senior living and continuing care communities, serving more than 33,000 residents nationwide. LCS also manages the Beach House Assisted Living & Memory Care at Wiregrass Ranch in Wesley Chapel, which also is celebrating its Grand Opening in March.

Executive director Delane Ward, NHA (Nursing Home Administrator)

Overseeing day-to-day operations at Promise Pointe is the job of executive director Delane Ward, NHA (Nursing Home Administrator) who brings more than 25 years of elder-care experience working in assisted living facilities, nursing homes and memory care facilities. Whatever the setting, Ward abides by a simple rule of “making sure the basics are done” and says, “the safety of residents is number one,” on her list of priorities.

“I treat every resident as if they’re my own family member,” Ward says. “On my business card, I provide my personal cell phone number and if there’s an issue or concern, they can call me anytime.”

Ward says she put her B.A. in Political Science from the University of South Florida to considerable use in navigating the regulatory environment of elder care and working with the state’s Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) to open Promise Pointe, which has a March 20 Temple Terrace Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting scheduled.

The location of Promise Pointe can help keep New Tampa residents close to their family members residing there and it also provides easy access to numerous nearby medical providers, including Florida Hospital Tampa and the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital, as well as attractions like Busch Gardens and Wesley Chapel’s nearby shopping centers and restaurants.

Onsite services and activities offer chances to work out in Promise Pointe’s fitness center, spend time on hobbies, develop artistic talents or socialize in an environment where chores like housekeeping and laundry can be taken care of and all utilities, including Wi-Fi are included in a month-to-month rental package.

According to the Promise Pointe website (PromisePointeSeniorLiving.com), assisted living involves helping residents with daily activities such as dressing, bathing, dining and managing medications without impinging upon their independence. For residents, that means living in their own private unit (or companion suite) with whatever level of help and care they may require being readily available once those needs have been assessed.

So Many Options

Assisted living residences range from 355-sq.-ft. studios for a monthly rate of $3,395 to 730-sq.-ft., two-bedroom units for $4,495. Additional personal services are available in Level of Care (LOC) packages ranging from $350 to $1,500 a month.

Promise Pointe also addresses the needs of memory care residents who have dementia-related disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, which is characterized by a general decline in mental ability and inability to retrieve information, through the use of Heartfelt Connections – A Memory Care Program®.

Heartfelt Connections derives detailed biographical information by using tools such as LifeBio’s Reminiscence Therapy, which according to its website (LifeBio.blogspot.com), “is a powerful tool which promotes engagement, ignites feelings of purpose, reduces loneliness, and increases emotional wellbeing.” Daily routines emphasize accomplishment of basic tasks and participating in activities to promote self-esteem and reduce anxiety.

Home for memory care residents is a dedicated area of the Promise Pointe facility, staffed continuously by Registered Nurses (RNs) and/or Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs). Accommodations include private 318-sq.-ft. studios for a monthly rate of $4,495 and a 442-sq.-ft. shared suite for $3,495 per month.

Memory care monthly costs include medication management and attending to personal care needs.

To keep an eye on the health of residents, Promise Pointe staffing includes the 24-hour presence of Registered Nurses and/or Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) and residents also will have access to services provided by visiting physicians.

For families more involved in the daily care of aging loved ones, Promise Pointe offers respite care at a daily rate that can give home caregivers a break while their loved ones enjoy a short stay in a safe and supportive environment.

Families also can connect with what’s going on in their loved ones’ lives through social media such as the “Promise Pointe at Tampa Oaks” Facebook page, which also provides information families may find useful in planning for the attrition of life, so their loved ones may age in place as gracefully as possible. There are links to articles about topics such as communicating effectively with someone who has dementia and performing legal document “check ups.”

Delicious Food, Too!

Enjoying food is a big part of enjoying life and an essential part of health in the elderly and Promise Pointe’s Executive Chef Jorge Perez blends taste and nutrition in a modern kitchen.

Executive Chef Jorge Perez

Chef Jorge earned his Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree in Culinary Arts from Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico in Ponce, and has worked in assisted living and hospital kitchens for seven years. He also has had commercial experience in opening two Tampa Bay-area Cheesecake Factory locations.

Chef Jorge says that a basic principle of cooking  — “flavor, not salt” is applied to the menu, and recipes for Promise Pointe meals use other ingredients, such as cilantro, to spice up a dish. He adds that residents will always have two choices for each meal, and that customer service is an essential ingredient to the dining experience he wants to provide.

“If today we have fried eggs and tomorrow you want boiled, I’ll make it happen,” she says. Residents have access to food throughout the day and facilities for private family events also are available.

Residing in an assisted living or memory care facility can provide a good value for the cost of living there, but paying for it requires knowledge and planning. Long-term care insurance is accepted by Promise Pointe, as are Veterans Administration benefits that can help veterans and their spouses, as well as surviving spouses, pay for assisted living services. Help in determining insurance coverage and benefit eligibility, as well as identifying financial resources to finance senior living expenses is part of discovering if Promise Pointe is a viable senior-living solution for your family.

Membership in the Founders Club awaits the first 35 families who become part of the Promise Pointe at Tampa Oaks community. Benefits offered in promotional materials include free rent for the first and 20th months of residency, guaranteed lifetime rent pricing, recognition with personalized plaques, and more.

To learn more about assisted living and memory care options, or schedule an on-site tour at Promise Pointe at Tampa Oaks (12110 Morris Bridge Rd.), see the ad on pg. 25 of this issue, call (813) 694-2153, or visit PromisePointeSeniorLiving.com.

Olympus Pools Offers A Unique, Customized Customer Experience

Involving the homeowner in the design process — and new technologies — are hallmarks of Olympus Pools and regional manager and designer Doug Griffith. (Photo by Andy Warrener)

A swimming pool can say so much about a home. Architecture and landscaping can project a homeowner’s sense of style from the street, but a unique, custom-designed pool conveys that sense of style to friends and family, people who are inside the home.

It can be difficult in scorching Florida summers to enjoy the outdoors without a pool. It’s also a huge investment, perhaps the biggest single-ticket item that goes into anyone’s home.

New Tampa residents James and Alexis Staten, owners of Olympus Pools in Tampa, share that view. They won’t put any pool in your home unless it’s of the same quality they would have in their own home.

“From the amount of steel, the thickness of the concrete and finished products like tile, pavers or travertine floors, the same products we offer our customers are the same products we use in our own homes,” Staten says.

The company is accustomed to managing a large volume of projects. There are four designers and four project managers on staff, with 150 crew members out in the field on any given day. In 2017, Olympus completed 330 pools, all completely customized; 40 to 50 ongoing projects are managed at any time.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re budgeting for a $30,000 or a $300,000 pool, Olympus uses the same top-quality products.

“We use the best filters, best pumps and best salt systems included with every pool,” Staten says. “Even the most basic design gets the most premium quality money can buy.”

It’s a sentiment not lost on Olympus Pools’ core of veteran employees.

Construction manager Brian Messler has 34 years of experience in the business, and helped start the company with the Statens in 2013. “All of my subcontractors are top notch and each specializes in one phase of the construction,” says Messler. “We’ve got tile guys, plumbers, excavators and other specialized craftsmen. A lot of our crew (members) have 30 or more years of experience, too.”

Messler says that if anything doesn’t look right when your pool is being built (or completed), it will be dealt with immediately. “If I go to a job site and I see something that would be unacceptable in my house,” he says, “we take it out and replace it.”

Customized Designs

Olympus Pools doesn’t sell “templates.” Every pool starts with a clean slate and is entirely built around the customer’s desires. James says his company’s guiding principles are incorporating the customer’s available space, taste and budget.

“The design has to fit with the customer’s environment, as well as their wants and needs,” he says. “It’s what makes this business fun to work in. We’re extremely passionate that each pool we build will be unique. I like to say we’re in the memory business.”

He adds that every week, customers send him and his staff text messages with photos of their new pools and how much they are enjoying them. If his customers are happy, James and his staff are happy.

“It’s what gets us out of bed in the morning,” he says.

Olympus Pools prides itself on bringing the customer’s vision to life. Sometimes, all they have to work with is something sketched on a piece of paper. No matter. Regional manager and designer Doug Griffith takes customers through every step of the process, letting them see and touch the colors and textures that will be used in their dream pool.

The company’s showroom near Tampa International Airport helps bring the customer’s vision into reality.

“We’re not selling a package,” Griffith says. “We spend a lot of time creating the right pool for the right person.”

Griffith, like Messler, has been with Olympus Pools since its inception and as the regional manager, he stays on top of any issues that come up with a new or existing installation.

Tracking With Tech

Olympus Pools keeps up to date with cutting-edge technology, which fits into every aspect of pool construction. The company’s 3-D imaging AutoCAD system creates a life-like image of your pool. It can be rotated 360 degrees, to show the customer what the pool would look like at dusk or at night, even view features as if floating through the pool.

“We can create an entire 3-D tour for every client” James says. “Customers can see what their pools will look like before any construction is started.”

During construction, customers can use a customized application that enables them to check the construction schedule, communicate with Olympus staff members, access any documents related to the pool’s construction and make secure payments online.

Customers also can receive photos of the project’s progress 24-7, even if they are away from home.

Olympus also utilizes an application created by pool pump manufacturer Hayward called OmniLogic that enables customers to control day-to-day and customized functions of their aquatic oases.

The technology is only three years old, and it allows a homeowner to change the pool’s temperature, check the salinity and chlorine levels, and even turn the spa on or off. For example, a client could be out to dinner and, by pressing one button on their phone, can set the temperature and lighting just right in their spa for when they get home.

“We want ownership of our pools to be as easy and carefree as possible,” James says. “The only thing I want them to worry about is what to serve at the barbeque.”

Community Connections

The Statens live in and install a lot of pools in the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area, and are big proponents of giving back to the Tampa Bay community.

Four or five times a year, Olympus Pools sponsors a local classroom through Donors Choose.org, a public charitable organization. DonorsChoose connects contributors to classrooms that have submitted requests through the website. Olympus Pools sponsored five classrooms in 2017, which are predominantly in the low-income-area public schools in Hillsborough County.

Recent efforts saw Olympus Pools donate tablets to each student in a selected class, help in donating an entire audio-visual system to a special needs class where the teacher had students who were hard of hearing, and donating $200 from each of 22 different pools they built to Feeding Tampa Bay, a hunger-relief charity — nearly 3,100 meals were purchased with those funds.

“If you’re in business and all you do is make money, you’re not a very good business,” James says.

Over the years, Olympus had donated more than $50,000 to the aforementioned charities, as well as to Kids Place (a foster home), and in sponsorships and donations to schools in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel area. Hand-written thank-you letters from dozens of students line the window of the main office and dry erase board in the Olympus Pools showroom.   

“We’re all about giving back to the community,” James says. “Most of our staff lives in the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area. Our kids go to school in the area and half of our business comes out of that area.”

Olympus Pools has installed custom pools in the Live Oak, K-Bar Ranch, Estancia at Wiregrass Ranch, Union Park, Grand Hampton, Meadow Pointe and Esplanade communities, to name a few. The company’s goal is to make your dream aquatic paradise a reality.

Olympus Pools is located at 4422 N. Lauber Way in Tampa. For more information, visit OlympusPoolsFl.com, call (813) 983-7854, or see the ad on pg. 24 of this issue.