Category: Education

Joann Ortiz Ramos Named Pasco’s SRP Of The Year!

*Joann Ortiz Ramos (center) is congratulated by Pasco Superintendent of Schools Kurt Browning (left) and Cypress Creek Middle School principal Tim Light after being chosen as Pasco’s SRP of the Year.*

When Pasco County Superintendent of Schools Kurt Browning walked into a mostly empty Cypress Creek Middle School cafeteria in November, Joann Ortiz Ramos stopped cleaning tables to jump up and down and exclaim, “Oh, you gotta be kidding!”

Ramos knew immediately that Browning was there to surprise her with the news that she was chosen as Pasco County’s School Related Personnel of the Year award winner.

The award recognizes one non-instructional employee in Pasco County Public Schools for his or her outstanding and significant contributions they make to their school and to the district.

The fact that Ramos was cleaning tables is fitting. She was chosen for the honor because she is constantly going above and beyond her job responsibilities and doing things that are completely outside of her role as a discipline instructional assistant at the school.

Cypress Creek Middle School principal Tim Light says Ramos’ job is to handle student discipline that does not require the intervention of an administrator.

“She does the minor stuff, and there’s a lot more of that than the major stuff,” Light said. Ramos reviews referrals, ensures that every student receives due process, and then assigns consequences if warranted. She also brings certain offenses to the administrative team and supervises both detentions and Saturday school.

Her job most definitely is not cleaning tables in the cafeteria, yet that’s where she was found when the superintendent came looking for her.

“We are so proud of you,” Browning said. “Thanks for what you do.”

Light said the superintendent couldn’t have chosen a better candidate to represent Pasco County Schools as a nominee for the state’s award.

SRP winners from every county in Florida — including Ramos — are nominated by their superintendents for the Florida Department of Education award program, which chooses one statewide winner and four finalists.

“It speaks volumes to the job she does that she was chosen,” Light said. “Joann is the epitome of who warrants this prestigious award. She lives and breathes her job, and she’s also at every after-school event, at every school dance and sporting event, always helping out. I’ve never seen anyone work as hard as she does. She’s very deserving.”

As a volunteer, Ramos serves as the unofficial leader of the school’s ABC program, which provides meals, clothing, school supplies and hygiene products to students in need. Light said Ramos never hesitates to assist a family at a moment’s notice, whether it’s providing them with these items or acting as a translator.

She has been in her current role for three years and started her career with Pasco County Schools five years ago.

“There is no mistaking Joann’s love for her students, peers, school and community,” Browning added in his nomination letter.

The State education award winners will be announced in March.

pasco county schools SRP

Local Kiwanis & High School Key Clubs Spread Some Holiday Joy

JoLynn Warner, the faculty advisor for the Wiregrass Ranch High Key Club, delivers gifts for families to the Lacoochee Elementary student services team this holiday season. (Far left is Mrs. David, school social worker, then Nancy Montoya, guidance counselor, and far right is Dr. Mazzone, school psychologist.

As a long-time member of Kiwanis International, Martha Vaguener knows the value the organization can bring to a community.

That’s why she has helped start the Kiwanis Club of Wesley Chapel and serves as its treasurer, after serving as the president at the Zephyrhills Kiwanis Club for nine years, before it closed several years ago.

She says the Wesley Chapel club officially chartered in April 2020 and has the support of a sponsoring club in Carrollwood, but says that making a go of a service organization during a pandemic — where opportunities for service have looked very different — has been challenging.

However, it is happening.

“The whole point of Kiwanis is to change the world one child and one community at a time,” says Martha.

Kiwanis International is a service organization with more than 550,000 members in 80 countries and geographic areas, including members of all ages, from K-Kids Clubs to high school Key Clubs to Kiwanis Clubs. It was founded in 1915 in Detroit, Michigan, as the Supreme Lodge Benevolent Order of Brothers, and changed its name to Kiwanis a year later. The name “Kiwanis” comes from an American Indian expression, “Nunc Kee-wanis,” which means, “We trade.” While it originally focused on business networking, it became focused on service in 1919.

Kiwanis clubs globally host nearly 150,000 service projects each year.

Kiwanis has clubs for kids of all ages, including Key Clubs for high school students. Wiregrass Ranch High (WRH) has a Key Club with more than 100 members.

For the holidays, both the Wesley Chapel Kiwanis Club and WRH Key Club adopted families from the underprivileged Lacoochee Elementary in Dade City.

Key Club sponsor JoLynn Warner says her students were inspired by Martha’s stories of how the Zephyrhills Kiwanis Club’s past charitable efforts have helped the school, such as how attendance increased drastically in winter months one year because the club provided shoes for the children, allowing them to get to school in colder weather.

“My students can’t even imagine not being able to go to school because they don’t have shoes to wear,” JoLynn explains, “so they’re excited to help.”

While JoLynn oversaw the collection of toys, clothes and other items from students to benefit the families the WRH Key Club adopted, Martha, who serves as a Key Club advisor, took a group of Key Club members shopping to help her choose the items that would go to the families the Kiwanis Club adopted.

“It helps to develop community awareness, develop citizenship and do good in the community,” Martha explains.

The partnership benefits both groups, as adults in Kiwanis Club support the students’ efforts — such as in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, which will be coming up in early 2022 — and the students support the causes of the adult club as they grow into people who value giving back to their community.

“When we improve the lives of kids,” Martha explains, “we improve the lives of families, as well.” Martha says the Wesley Chapel Kiwanis Club currently has about 10 members and wants to grow. The Kiwanis Club of Wesley Chapel meets the second and fourth Tuesday of every month at 6:30 p.m. at the Seven Oaks clubhouse, although the club will not meet on Dec. 28.

To learn more about getting involved in Wesley Chapel Kiwanis Club, email Martha Vaguener at mvaguener@aol.com or call her at (813) 362-5799.

Kiwanis

New Bell Times For Wesley Chapel Schools Start Jan. 4

When Wesley Chapel students return to school after the winter holiday break, every single school will have new start and end times, with some changing by as much as 90 minutes (see chart on next page).

A shortage of drivers countywide has been causing buses to run late every day throughout the Pasco County School District, so the School Board approved a plan that moves schools into four “tiers” — instead of the current three — to allow existing bus drivers to run an additional route each day.

When the change was proposed, Pasco County Superintendent of Schools Kurt Browning explained in a video to parents, “The result of this acute shortage is that many of our students are late arriving to school in the morning, which results in loss of instructional time, and they are late arriving at home in the afternoon and early evening, which puts a strain on families.”

Students at Wiregrass Elementary will see the biggest change in Wesley Chapel, with school times moving 90 minutes earlier. The students currently attend from 9:40 a.m. to 3:50 p.m., but the new schedule has them starting at 8:10 a.m. and ending at 2:20 p.m.

Another big change in Wesley Chapel is that a couple of schools that already start late will start even later. New River and Quail Hollow elementary schools, which currently go from 9:40 a.m. to 3:50 p.m., won’t start school until 30 minutes later, both beginning their day at 10:10 a.m. and ending at 4:20 p.m.

The other six elementary and three middle schools in Wesley Chapel are all changing by 20 or 30 minutes; some starting earlier and others later.

Wiregrass Ranch High students will likely appreciate the extra sleep they will get by their school start time moving 46 minutes later, to 8:10 a.m. instead of their current 7:24 a.m. And, while the other Wesley Chapel high schools are only moving by 15 minutes, those students are now expected to be in their classes, ready to learn, at 7:10 a.m.

A 2017 proposal in Hillsborough County to have high schools start similarly early was widely opposed by parents who cited the American Association of Pediatrics’ recommendation that middle and high schools start at 8:30 a.m. or later to give students more time for adequate sleep, but that change ultimately was not approved by the School Board.

The changes in Pasco County were approved unanimously at the School Board meeting on November 2, and go into effect on January 4.

While the new schedule should allow school buses to run on time and get more kids in the classroom for instructional time, Browning acknowledged that it puts a strain on families to shift their schedules around and find new solutions for childcare during the times they are not in school.

“I don’t like it,” Browning said at the School Board meeting. “I don’t like anything about it. But, I equally dislike having kids miss instructional time before the great teachers we have in this District.”

The new start times will remain in effect for the remainder of the 2021-22 school year and will be reevaluated for the 2022-23 school year.

bus school times

Wiregrass Ranch High Senior Named National SADD President

*Wiregrass Ranch High senior Shaina Finkel is the SADD National Student President for the 2021-22 school year.*

Shaina Finkel was only four years old when she started going to Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) events and campaigns with her father.

Now 16, the Wiregrass Ranch High senior will represent all 7,500 SADD chapters as the organization’s national student president for the 2021-22 school year.

In this position, Shaina will be expected to be a spokesperson for SADD nation, oversee the Student Leadership Council and advise the SADD national Board of Directors, which is comprised of adults.

Above all, she says she is focused on improving the mental health of students across the nation.

“I’m just really looking forward to being able to bring my ideas and the things my chapter has worked on to a bigger stage,” Shaina says.

Shaina is the first person ever from Florida to serve in this position, and SADD CEO Rick Birt says her passion is what made her stand out.

“Shaina is truly the embodiment of the word passion,” Birt says. “In everything she does and in every interaction you have, you see that she is truly the embodiment of this word and we are so honored and excited to have her (serving) in this role.”

Shaina has been president of Wiregrass Ranch’s SADD club since her sophomore year. She said the club opens students’ eyes to the dangers of making destructive decisions, especially driving under the influence, and the need to maintain good mental health.

“We have English, we have history, but we don’t have a class about how to save your life,” Shaina says. “So, the fact that we have a club for that or a chapter for that, and we as peers are able to help our own peers, that’s just honestly the most beautiful thing.”

Shaina’s father, Gregory Finkel, is the advisor of Wiregrass Ranch’s SADD club and also the school’s driving teacher. He said he can’t wait to see where her role as national student president takes his daughter.

“I’m super excited for everybody that’s going to see her, because she’s going to make a huge difference,” Gregory Finkel says. “As long as everybody listens, they will see that she’s got a true heart.”

Finkel’s mother Jessica couldn’t stop smiling when she heard the news that her daughter would be the next SADD national student president. She says Shaina is always so excited when it comes to SADD-related topics and is constantly participating in a variety of SADD events.

“I’m so proud of her for accepting it and taking on the challenge,” Jessica says. “I’m not concerned. I know she can do all of this. She always takes on a lot, and she’s very successful at everything she takes on.”

Shaina says that SADD is already a big part — and will continue to be a big part — of her life. She is excited to represent her community on a national level and uphold the mission and vision of what SADD stands for.

“Not only does this position give me a voice, I think it gives Wiregrass SADD a voice,” Shaina says. “It gives Wesley Chapel a voice, and it gives Florida a voice.”

For more information about the national Students Against Destructive Decisions organization, visit SADD.org.

SADD Wiregrass Ranch High School

School Starts Amid Covid Concerns

Pasco County Schools superintendent Kurt Browning.

Pasco County Superintendent of Schools Kurt Browning made his usual rounds Tuesday morning on the first day of the 2021-22 school year, and was both happy and a little concerned at what he saw.

He told a gaggle of reporters at Cypress Creek Middle School that he was thrilled to see the classrooms and hallways overflowing with students and teachers — “some with masks, some without” — but he intimated he would have liked to see more of them wearing the protective face coverings.

“I want parents to know, I want the very best for their children,” said Browning. “I want their children safe. I want their children kept safe. This district is doing everything we possibly can with the hand that we’ve been dealt. We are doing social distancing where we can. We are taking extreme measures in our cleaning protocols. I’m strongly recommending staff and students, families, to mask up when they come into our schools.”

Browning cannot impose a mandate — that much has been made clear in recent days by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who via executive order has threatened to defund school districts and dock the pay of superintendents who mandated the controversial face coverings for their districts. Browning says, “I just wish he hadn’t done that,” and said he would have liked to have seen a more aggressive state-wide mandate.

“We would not be standing here having these types of conversations if there had been a state- wide mask mandate,” he added.

But Browning, who had his own three-week battle with a bad case of Covid-19, did say he may consider talking to his staff about requiring them to wear masks.

Only 47% of Pasco County residents are fully vaccinated.

“Adults need to set the example,” Browning said. “But then, when I make that pronouncement, or if I make that pronouncement, then I’m showing my political bias, apparently, because I think masks are a valid way to tamp down Covid.”

Concern was the theme of Browning’s press meet-up. Florida is the epicenter of the latest Delta variant Covid-19 outbreak, just as schools are opening. He worries about the future as the heavy and expanding cloud of the pandemic hangs over everyone.

More than 15,000 positive cases a day have been reported every day this month. Hospitalizations and deaths are at record-setting highs. Numbers are rising among the younger, school-age population, as well.

“I think we’re weathering the storm,” Browning said, when asked if there was any positive case number that would force him to change course. He also said that his hands were tied. “Last year, 5 percent (positivity rate for Covid) was a trigger for us. The last number I heard was mid- to upper-20 percent. That number, which is scary to me, really doesn’t have an impact on what we do, because of the executive order.”

Browning said the county is hoping the numbers drop in the next 10 school days, but the superintendent seemed to believe there will be a rise in the count.

“I think when we start seeing what happens to Covid numbers with kids in 2 weeks or 10 days, if there’s a spike, we’ll take a hard look,” he says. “Whereas last year, when we were having to close down classrooms, I am fearful that (this year) it may cause us to close down schools.”

Until then, Browning says the District will do everything it can to keep schools running smoothly and doing what they do best — educating the children. He thinks a return to classroom teaching is paramount — especially since last year’s eLearning option is no longer funded by the state and is therefore unavailable — and also says that the mental health issues caused by kids not being in class last year “were staggering” and also must be considered.

“We’re going to hang in there, play tough and we’re going to get through the first 10 days of school and see where we are and, at that point, adjust,” Browning said. “That’s the attitude that this District is taking to make sure we can accommodate our kids and staff…it’s a challenge.”

Covid-19 education pasco county schools School