By Matt Wiley
Despite a recent FCAT score scare at some public schools in Hillsborough County, several New Tampa schools are being recognized for their excellence in education.
For example, Paul R. Wharton Highâs Parent-Teacher-Student Association (PTSA) was recently recognized as the best in the Hillsborough County School District at the annual Hillsborough County Council PTA/PTSA Awards Luncheon on May 30 at Lowry Park Zoo. And, Wharton principal Bradley Woods was recognized as Hillsboroughâs High School Principal of the Year â for the second year in a row!
âItâs quite an honor to be selected,â says Woods of his second consecutive Principalâs award. âItâs both overwhelming and humbling. I feel like I just show up every day and try to do whatâs right for the kids. Iâll be here at 6:45 tomorrow morning to do it all over again.â
Woods says he wasnât fazed by the recent FCAT results, which claimed that several schools in Hillsborough County were performing at unacceptably sub-par levels.
âFrom a testing standpoint, we just need to keep challenging our students,â Woods said. âWeâve got to take a step back and look at all the information from the test results to see what the numbers really say.â
The Wharton High PTSA also was recognized as the District’s High School PTSA of the year. The group also was honored with the âLocal Unit Achievement Award,â as well as numerous other awards, including the âOutstanding Program Awardâ for its â5K & One Mile Family Fun Runâ that helps raise money for âWishes for Wharton,â a program in which teachers submit requests for things that would benefit their classroom and the learning experience their students receive.
âWe raised enough money to meet all of the wishes that were submitted by our teachers this year,â says Wharton PTSA president Eileen Dellecese. âIt goes to show what can be accomplished when everyone works together.â
Dellecese is finishing up her third and final year as Wharton’s PTSA president. She is excited for the next group of Board members who will run the PTSA next year.
âWe have had a great group of Board members,â she says. âIt’s been a great experience and I’m proud of everyone.â
She says that Wharton’s PTSA tries to do a lot with the students.
âWe try to reach out to wherever the ‘need’ is,â she says. For instance, the PTSA was able to provide seven $500 scholarships to students this past year, as well as provide yearbooks to Wharton seniors who could not afford to purchase one.
Wharton also was recognized for the work of Amy French, who received âInstructional Support Person of the Year.â The school also received awards for âCommunications Excellenceâ and âHigh School PTSA Student Involvement.â
But, Wharton wasn’t the only school in the spotlight at the awards ceremony, as Benito Middle School principal John Sanders was named Hillsborough County’s Middle School Principal of the Year. âI feel blessed to have the PTA, teachers and community that I do here at Benito,â Sanders says. âWithout them, this award would mean nothing.â
Benito also was recognized for the work of Brandie Villano, who was honored as Hillsborough County’s âMiddle School PTSA Person of the Year.â The school also received awards for âCommunications Excellenceâ and âSchool Volunteering Excellence.â
Hunter’s Green Elementary (HGE) also was honored with several awards this year, including the prestigious âHillsborough County Elementary School Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) of the Year.â The school also received recognition for âCommunications Excellence,â âSchool Volunteering Excellenceâ and for its newsletter.
Congrats, Gabrielle!
In addition, HGE also is home to a National Award of Merit winner of the 2011-12 PTA Reflections Program for film from the National PTA. Gabrielle Meyers, a ten-year-old fourth grader who won at both the state and national level for her two-minute short film entitled âComet Zoo,â about zoo animals that can’t seem to get along.
She put together a short âstop animationâ film using small âsquishyâ animals in diorama backgrounds, one of which featured an arctic scene with animals floating on icebergs. She also recorded a song for the opening and closing credits in which she both sang and played the guitar.
âIt took at least a day to film it,â she says. âIt took about fifteen minutes to write (the script).â
Meyers says that she had to click the shutter on a still-shot camera each time she moved the animals and then put the photos in order on the computer to make them appear to be moving. The film is made up of 120 still shots.
âIt wasn’t about winning,â says Meyers, humbly. âBut it is something I’ll always remember.â
Appropriately, Meyers received her award at Tampa’s renowned Lowry Park Zoo. Her film is currently on display this summer in Washington, D.C.
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