Category: Education

Education Notebook: Big Surprise For Weightman Middle School Student

Mayah Jaramillo hadn’t seen her brother, U.S. Air Force Airman E-2 Joel Jaramillo, the entire school year.

The graduating eighth grade student at Weightman Middle School had no idea that her mom and assistant principal Andressa Williams had been secretly planning to change that in a big way.

They’ve been plotting with Joel, stationed in Nevada, to get him home for her middle school promotion ceremony. They were hoping that when her name was called at the ceremony on May 25, Mayah would get the surprise of her life as Joel joined her on stage.

Plans were for Joel to take a red-eye flight to arrive the morning of the ceremony and sneak in the back door of the Wesley Chapel Center for Performing Arts on Wells Rd. to be there for his little sister’s special day.

Joel is a 2015 graduate of Wiregrass Ranch High (WRH), but the last time Mayah saw him was at his graduation from basic training last August.

Because of his commitment to serve his country, Joel wasn’t able to drive her to school for her first day of eighth grade, as he had for her previous three first days of school. (See photo.)

The surprise went off without a hitch, as a shocked Mayah burst out in tears as her brother came up from behind and surprised her.

WRH Ranked Nationally

Wiregrass Ranch High has landed on the U.S. News & World Report list of 2018 Best High Schools.

Less than 30 percent of high schools in the country qualify for the list, and only four other schools in Pasco County appear on it: Land O’Lakes, Mitchell and Sunlake high schools, plus the Pasco e-School.

WRH earned a “Silver” badge, meaning it was in the top 11 percent of U.S. high schools. The U.S. News & World Report analysis ranked the school number 117 in Florida, with a 91 percent graduation rate and 37.4 college readiness ranking, out of 100.

The college readiness ranking is a measure of how many students took and passed at least one Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) test before or during his or her senior year for the last year this data is available, which is 2015-16. (It does not consider students taking dual enrollment classes, which are a popular alternative to AP classes among high-achieving students at WRH).

“I can’t tell you how proud this news makes me,” said Kurt Browning, Pasco County’s superintendent of schools. “This is a testament to our administrators’ deliberate planning, our teachers’ high-impact instruction, and our students’ hard work and focus.”

For more information about Pasco’s schools on the 2018 Best High Schools report, go to USNews.com/education/best-high-schools.

High Schools Celebrate Graduates

Congratulations to the graduating classes of Wesley Chapel (WCH) and Wiregrass Ranch (WRH) high schools.

WRH students graduated on May 24, at the Sun Dome on the Tampa campus of the University of South Florida (USF). The school’s valedictorian is Sabina Grace Boddupalli, who plans to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville and major in Business Administration.
WCH’s valedictorian is Karissa Sue Olsen. After graduating with the rest of her class at the USF Sun Dome on May 25, Karissa is planning to return to USF for college, where she’ll major in Pre-Physical Therapy.

Cypress Creek Middle High School, which opened this fall, did not have seniors this year. Its first graduates will be the class of 2019 next year.

Quail Hollow Elementary Kid Cooks Fall Short At ‘Challenge’

The team from Quail Hollow Elementary (QHE; bottom photo on next page) that was one of four finalists in the fifth annual Gridiron Cooking Challenge at One Buccaneer Place didn’t bring home the trophy they coveted.

Fifth-graders Gracie Evans, Madison Gulley, Katelyn O’Neil and Lindsey Overland prepared their Alfredo Smothered Roasted Red Pepper & Sun Dried Tomato Pasta Swirls for the event, held on May 19 at the practice facility and HQ of the Tampa Bay Bucs.

But, they were bested by Lake Gibson Middle School in Polk County, which clinched the victory with its Quarterback Quesadillas with Pineapple Salsa recipe.

“It’s been another impressive year by our Tampa and Central Florida schools,” said Teresa Moran-Wiebe, Dairy Council of Florida, Director of Youth Wellness. “Each team demonstrated the versatility and nutritional value of dairy products in a creative way.”

The students’ creations were judged by Florida Dairy Farmer Courtney Campbell, Executive Chef of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Michael Beadles and Publix Aprons Cooking School Chef Alan Landers.

Hosted by the Dairy Council of Florida in partnership with the NFL, the cooking challenge is a fun-filled food competition for elementary and middle school students throughout Florida and is part of the “Fuel Up to Play 60” program.

School & Hospital Partner Up

North Tampa Christian Academy (NTCA), which is under construction on County Line Rd. and set to open for the 2018-19 school year, has announced a partnership with Florida Hospital, naming it the “official health and wellness partner” of the school.

The new private school is currently being built on more than 43 acres of land. It is now accepting applications for students in grades K-12, while its on-campus preschool is accepting applications for kids ages two to pre-K.

The partnership is an obvious fit, as the NTCA is the culmination of plans that started in 2012, when the Florida Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists began working in concert with the Adventist Health System and Florida Hospital West Florida Region to establish the school in this area.

Sandra Doran, Ed. D, NTCA’s Founding Head of School, says, “We are so thrilled to have Florida Hospital joining us, as our official health and wellness partner. Our core values truly align and it’s all about the students, providing them unique healthcare opportunities both in and outside the classroom setting.”

NTCA will is inviting the local community to a ribbon-cutting ceremony, inviting the community to tour the brand-new campus, on Tuesday, July 17, 11 a.m.

For a virtual tour of the school, visit SeeThisSchool.com. An informational session for interested parents will be held on Wednesday, June 20, 6:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m., at Lincoln Memorial University Nursing School at Florida Hospital Health Park (3102 E. 138th Ave., Tampa). Call (813) 591-0309 for more info or to RSVP.

Wesley Chapel Elementary Odyssey of The Mind Team To Defend Its World Title

Wesley Chapel Elementary’s Odyssey of the Mind (OM) team is known as the 2017 World Champion elementary school team in the extracurricular academic activity that is a combination of technology and performance art. The WCE team gets to defend its title this weekend.

If you ask someone to name a world championship team from Wesley Chapel, the first thought might be the U.S. women’s national ice hockey team that trained at Florida Hospital Center Ice before winning the Gold medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea earlier this year.

But, for those who follow competitive mind games, the Wesley Chapel Elementary Odyssey of the Mind (OM) team is famous for winning the 2017 World Champion elementary school team in the extracurricular academic activity that is a combination of technology and performance art. According to the OM website (OdysseyOfThemind.com), OM is the “largest creative problem-solving competition in the world!”

Teams of students compete in grade-appropriate divisions to solve problems that require building and using a vehicle they can ride on while completing a triathlon of feats that display mechanical prowess and dexterity, such as jousting, curling and navigating a course in two directions.

The students compete from prepared routines they create, corresponding to a rubrik of requirements, such as a multiplication problem or something more spontaneous — like being asked unexpectedly to answer a question like “name a tree.”

It is a production that for the WCE team, known as “JJAMSSS” (the name is derived from the first initial of the name of each team member), combines a bit of pirate-speak and a boat that turns into a sea monster with a learning platform for science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) knowledge.

“The dynamic of this team is incredible,” says Joelisa Sherman, a parent serving as the team publicist. “They have truly learned the meaning of teamwork through perseverance, hard work, and a lot of creative thinking.”

Of the seven team members, six are fifth-grade students and one is in the third grade. Three of them are returning veterans from the 2017 World Championship competition that took first place at the OM World Finals at Michigan State University in Lansing.

Among them is Sam Cappelluti, who says that while performing as the lead sea monster can be good preparation for a possible career in life science, he really enjoys the time with like-minded students.

“I like thinking creatively and having fun with my friends,” Sam says.

Also adding championship experience to this year’s team is fifth-grader Jason Sherman, who says the atmosphere at the Odyssey World competition is not too unlike other big events, whether in education or sports.

“You develop great relationships with friends and there’s a lot of things to do there,” Jason says.

Mina Melaika is the third member of the team who competed for WCES last year, and she says it truly is an international event. “You go to a dorm and meet friends from Japan and trade pins and stuff.”

Third-grader Jadyn Sherman, Jason’s sister, says she enjoys crafts and finds the OM competition a good fit for her artistic skills.

“I saw the creativity in it and I like to make stuff,” Jadyn says, adding that participating in OM is “a really cool way to hang out with my brother (Jason).”

Anna Gust is a fifth-grader who says she appreciates the close-knit nature of her team and that she wants to “learn more stuff about inventing because, when I grow up, I want to invent stuff.”

The storytelling aspects of OM competition is of particular interest to fifth-grade student Samarth Muralidhara, who also says he’s finding an outlet for his curiosity about how things work.

“I like to see people laugh at my jokes and I love to do the pirate voice,” he says.

A new member of the team who brings about four years of experience is Sean Donahue, who has been participating in OM for four years. He has high expectations for the World Title defense, which will take place at Iowa State University in Ames, May 23-26.

“I’m especially excited for the Worlds, to meet new people and brainstorm,” he says.

Parents who are serving as coaches for the team are Jackie and Sergio Cappelluti, Sandy Gust and Elena Donahue.

The WCES team earned the right to compete at the World Finals by placing first in the Gulf Coast Regional and Florida State-level competitions earlier this year.

Odyssey of the Mind Wesley Chapel Elementary

Quail Hollow Kid Cooks Ready To Take Their Talents To The ‘Gridiron Challenge’

(L.-r.) Lindsey Overland, Madison Gulley, Gracie Evans and Katelyn O’Neil show off their Alfredo Smothered Roasted Red Pepper & Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Swirls.

Quail Hollow Elementary (QHE) students Gracie Evans, Madison Gulley, Katelyn O’Neil and Lindsey Overland will be competing in a “Gridiron Challenge” on Saturday, May 19, at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ training facility at One Buc Place.

But, don’t expect the 10- and 11-year-old fifth-graders to be knocking anyone down with ferocious hits.

Instead, they will be trying to knock some people out with their Alfredo Smothered Roasted Red Pepper & Sun Dried Tomato Pasta Swirls.

The Wesley Chapel girls will take part in a culinary competition against students from three other schools in the annual Gridiron Cooking Challenge, part of the “Fuel Up to Play 60” initiative, an in-school nutrition and physical activity program run by the National Dairy Council and the NFL.

The event is free and open to the public to attend. And, while it’s still a few weeks away at our press time, the girls say they are already getting nervous.

“I think about it a lot. I’m very excited,” Katelyn says, with her teammates nodding in agreement.

At the competition, the Quail Hollow quartet will have an hour to prepare their signature dish for a panel of judges, including a Florida dairy farmer, the Bucs’ executive chef, a representative from Publix and teenage culinary whiz Zac Kara, a former MasterChef Junior competitor on FOX-TV.

The QHE team has its own culinary whiz and former television competitor in Gracie. In 2016, when she was just 9-years-old, she battled against nine other kid cooks from across the country on Food Network’s “Star Kids” cooking show.

On that show, Gracie had to present a live audition to judges, prepare dishes on the fly and incorporate social media — such as a Snapchat cooking tip — into her cooking presentation. She still maintains a popular Instagram page, where she posts her most current dishes.

It’s a skill set she picked up from her mother, Juliana, a well-known dessert maker who has appeared on NBC-TV’s “The Today Show,” as well as the Food Network and local TV. She describes herself as a “freelance food stylist,” and her daughter is following in her footsteps.

It was while both were giving demonstrations at the Southern Women’s Fair last October that Gracie was introduced to the Florida Dairy Council, which suggested she take part in the council’s upcoming competition.

The idea of a team competition appealed to Gracie, as opposed to the kid-to-kid cooking combat she went through at Food Network. She decided to team up with Madison, Katelyn and Lindsey, with fifth-grade teacher Alysha Moscarelli and Juliana helping to guide the girls.

“It will definitely be better than my first time,” Gracie says. “You will be able to rely on other people. It helps you relax more. You won’t be as nervous.”

The Power Of Teamwork

In fact, each girl has her own role to play on the team, forming a finely-tuned unit.

Gracie started brainstorming immediately after finding out about the competition. She pitched the Council with one of the recipes she served on the Food Network, modifying it by replacing the recipe’s marinara sauce with Alfredo sauce, as the competition calls for dairy-based recipes.

“I changed it a little bit,” Gracie says. “It was really easy to make and it is an interesting dish because it has a lot of components that, all together, taste really good.”

One of those components, which provides a secondary dash of dairy, could be called the “secret sauce” — yogurt.

“It made it a little creamier, and yogurt has that tart kind of a bite,” Juliana says. “It plays very nicely.”

Katelyn also helps with the Alfredo sauce. “We put a lot of work into it and practice and tasting, making sure it’s real smooth,’’ she says. “And, we have a lot of back-up plans, in case it’s not perfect.”

Lindsey’s job is the lemon ricotta filling, which she says she makes with ricotta cheese (still more dairy), zested lemon, salt and black pepper.

“We mix it all up and put it (on the noodles) and roll it all up,” she says.

Madison is responsible for the roasted pepper sun-dried tomato, which is blended with pesto, baby spinach, parsley and olive oil before being incorporated into the lasagna noodles.

“It’s very delicious,” says Madison, who is dubbed the “Pesto Queen” by her teacher.

Lindsey and Madison both say that since joining the Gridiron Challenge team, they have taken a greater interest in cooking and now make more dishes around their homes.

“I really enjoy doing the cooking,” Lindsey says. “But, I think it all started with this competition.”

The team has been practicing for three months now, sometimes at home, other times at school, where they push three desks together and set up their stations.

Moscarelli, a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) teacher who has all four girls in two separate math and science classes at Quail Hollow, says she has enjoyed watching them work together in preparation for the upcoming competition, not to mention all the taste-testing she has been able to indulge in.

“It’s nice to see them use their critical thinking skills, communication skills and teamwork in everyday life,” she says. “And, the recipe is delicious.”

The girls are all friends and have each brought their own special talents to the cooking table — with a mix of brainstorming and experimentation.

“They started to talk about it at lunch,” Moscarelli says, “and they would say, ‘Ooh, what if we added this to the recipe?,’ and then would go home and try different things and alter the ingredients. They all jumped right in.”

The recipe is finalized, and the team is now working on the little things, like plating and timing. They will have to plate and present four dishes for the judges, and also are responsible for producing 50 samples for the audience.

The girls are confident they will do well and deliver a hit at the Gridiron Challenge. The delicious kind.

“We have been working hard,” Madison said. “It will be good.”

Gridiron Cooking Challenge Quail Hollow Elementary School

Students & Teachers Across Wesley Chapel Are Back In School

The lunchrooms and the walkway and courtyard at Cypress Creek Middle High School were finally filled by students as the new school, while others across Pasco County were back in business on Aug. 14. (Photo: Pasco County Schools)

Among the thousands of students who went back to school in Pasco County on August 14, more than 1,500 of them spent their first day at Wesley Chapel’s newest school, Cypress Creek Middle High School, which is located off Old Pasco Rd.

Cypress Creek Middle High was expected to open with about 1,500 students, but actually had 1,603 students show up on the first day. The school’s capacity is 1,958 students, so it still has some room to grow.

The new school was needed to relieve crowding at not only Wiregrass Ranch High and John Long Middle schools, but also has students who previously were zoned for Sunlake and Wesley Chapel high schools, as well as Weightman and Rushe middle schools.

All students at the new school follow the same bell schedule, from 7:25 a.m. to 1:50 p.m.

“The first few days have been outstanding,” said Cypress Creek principal Carin Hetzler-Nettles. “Our students are enjoying their new environment and are learning the layout of the campus. Other than the normal situation of getting used to the routine, and watching to see where we need to change procedures with car loop or bus loop, etc., we have truly had an amazing first few days.”

Hetzler-Nettles also said that the campus was filled with Parent Teacher Student Association members helping students find their classes, and even Pasco Superintendent of Schools Kurt Browning was on hand to help welcome the students and direct them to their new classes.

Cypress Creek Middle/High. (Photo: Cypress Creek Howler)

“It takes a village to open a new school,” added Hetzler-Nettles, “and our community has just been so welcoming and helpful! We couldn’t have done it without them and are excited for our future!”

Among those who helped get the teachers set up in their new digs at the school on July 26 were volunteers from the Pasco Education foundation and the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel.

At Long Middle School, one of the schools that lost students to Cypress Creek, principal Christine Wolff said, “You always miss the kids on campus that you have grown attached to, and my wish for all of our former students is to have a good adjustment and get excited for learning, and take that excitement for learning with them wherever they are.”

She says that while Long’s enrollment numbers are down slightly (1,488 students were enrolled on opening day this year, versus 1,810 last year), the school is still over capacity because of all the growth in the area.

“We did have a smooth start to the school year,” Wolff says, “And, just like all of our Pasco County schools, we’re focused on meeting our school improvement goals and making sure they (the teachers and students) are meeting the learning standards in the classroom.”

And at Wiregrass Ranch High (WRH), the 10-period schedule is a thing of the past, as many former students have new homes at either Cypress Creek Middle High or WCH.

A contentious rezoning process last year was designed to ease the overcrowding at Wiregrass Ranch while also filling the new school.

“We had a great start,’’ said WRH principal Robyn White. “We are back to the 7-period day, and while there are a lot of students on campus at the same time, it is manageable. We started day one with a little over 2,200, which was a decrease of 300 from last year.”

CORRECTION: We inadvertently omitted New River Elementary from our chart of Pasco County school grades in our last issue. We’re really sorry about that, because principal Lynn Pabst and the students and teachers at New River earned a “B” grade for the third consecutive year.

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School Grades For 2016-17 For Wesley Chapel’s Schools

School grades have been announced for the 2016-17 school year and, of the 12 public schools located in Wesley Chapel, all either maintained their grades from the 2015-16 school year, or went up by at least one letter grade.

Letter grades are assigned by the State of Florida Department of Education (DoE), based on statewide standardized assessments. High schools also have a graduation component, based on how many students graduate in four years. The letter grades then reflect the percentage of points received, of the total number of available points.

The biggest jump in local school grades was at Quail Hollow Elementary (QHE). For the 2016-17 school year, QHE received an “A” from the DoE, a big boost from the C it received last year, in 2015-16. Prior to that, the school had been closed for two years for remodeling.

But, QHE isn’t the only school that improved. Veterans and Seven Oaks elementaries both improved from B to A, while Watergrass Elementary improved from C to B.

For the other elementary schools, Sand Pine and Wesley Chapel both maintained their A ratings, while Double Branch maintained its B. Wiregrass Elementary received its first-ever grade since it opened last fall, a B.

Wesley Chapel High (WCH) raised its grade back up to a B again after last year’s grade dipped to a C for the first time in the school’s history.

“I was ecstatic,” says Carin Hetzler-Nettles, who was the principal at WCH until she was named principal of the new Cypress Creek Middle High School in January. “It’s fun to see that grade improve, and it’s exciting for the community, staff and kids at the school.”

The other Wesley Chapel high school, Wiregrass Ranch (WRH), maintained the B rating it had last year.

Dr. John Long Middle School maintained its A from the previous year, and Weightman Middle School kept its B.

While the school grading system has many critics, the grades are widely used by parents as a measure of how well their child’s school is performing.

Hetzler-Nettles is among many who say that school grades are just one of many factors to be considered when attempting to measure a school’s performance. This is partly because a different group of students is tested each year.

“In high school, tenth grade is our heavy testing year,” she says. “Next year, we’ll test a completely different group of tenth grade students. There is a human factor.”

And, she says, the specific criteria that make up the school’s grade also are different from year to year.

“There are always things that change,” says Hetzler-Nettles. “The grading changes every year at the state level, and then we tend to see trends. This year, it seems like the schools are on an upswing.”

school grades Wesley Chapel