Turner Bartels K-8 School ‘s PTSA poses with the awards they were given by Ami Marie Granger Welch (2nd from left) & Jessica Vaughn (3rd from left). (Photos by Charmaine George)
If you thought that having this year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee champion would be enough for Turner Bartels K-8 School in the Live Oak Preserve area off Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., you’d be wrong.
Less than two weeks before Turner Bartels seventh grader Bruhat Soma took home that coveted crown, the school itself was honored with six trophies from the Hillsborough County Council of PTAs & PTSAs, including PTSA of the Year (for the second year in a row), President of the Year (Ali Wilbur), Volunteer of the Year (Holley Townsend), “Superman” Award for Top Male Volunteer of the Year (Eric Wilbur, also for the second consecutive year), Administrator of the Year (Principal R. LaMarr Buggs) and the “At Your Service” Award for the Best Service Project (Giving Tree).
Principal R. LaMarr Buggs with Welch & Vaughn.
Hillsborough Public Schools District 3 School Board member (and New Tampa resident) Jessica Vaughn and Hillsborough County Council VP of Advocacy Ami Marie Granger Welch came to Turner Bartels on May 21 to give the school’s award winners their trophies.
“You have an amazing PTSA here at Turner Bartels,” Vaughn said. “We’re here to celebrate all of their hard work and what they give back to the community. Congratulations to Ali, to all of the other members and the work that they do and just thank you for everything you contribute. It really means a lot and it has a huge impact.”
Congratulations to the Turner Bartels PTSA Board: President Ali Wilbur, VP Nicole Reber, Treasurer Renee Krimetz, Recording Secretary Joe Kelly, VP of Fundraising Rebecca Reid, Corresponding Secretary Jenelle Bell, VP of Marketing Erin Delk Neylan, VP of Events Holley Townsend & VP of In- School Service Stephanie Rubly.
(L.-r.) PTSA VP of Events & Volunteer of the Year Holley Townsend, VP Nicole Reber & President Ali Wilbur pose with the hundreds of cereal boxes the PTSA collected for a service project..
(Above) Nearly 100 runners took part in the first-ever Freedom Firecracker 5K run & 1-mile fun run at Freedom High in Tampa Palms on a hot and humid July 4. (All photos by Charmaine George)
Our first Freedom Firecracker 5K (and 1-mile fun run) turned out to be a huge success on the morning of the 4th of July. When all was said and done, 98 people had registered for the race — after the numbers were much lower (at only about 30) until the last several days before the event.
Eight-year-old Lochlan Lawley finished the 3.1 miles in 24.48, or almost exactly 8 minutes per mile
Race day was bright, clear, sunny, hot and humid and there was lots of red, white and blue. America-themed pop music played over the loudspeakers. Several members of the Freedom PTSA were there to help with setup, face painting and providing course directions for the runners. A number of student volunteers from Freedom’s Key Club also came out to help with face painting, handing out bead necklaces and providing water to runners at stations along the route.
After the playing of the national anthem, the race began promptly at 8 a.m., with an actual firecracker start! The course took the runners off Freedom’s new track, and then twice around the back of the school, up past the New Tampa Recreation Center along Commerce Park Blvd., and back through the parking lot, finishing up back on the track.
The overall winner at the Freedom Firecracker 5K was Mason LaBlance.
Hot dogs and red, white and blue popsicles were enjoyed after the race ended!
Medals were given to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishers in male and female categories. The fastest runner overall was Mason LaBlance, who finished the 3.1-mile (5K) run in a time of 17:35.2. Mason, a student at King High, finished more than a minute ahead of his nearest competitors!
The other 5K medal winners were:
Male:
2. Joseph Kuhns – 18:44.5 (Freedom student)
3. Noah Brucculeri – 18:51.5
Female:
1. Elsi Rehberg – 22:08.5
2. Madelyn Ammirati – 23:22.3 (Freedom student)
3. Abigail Lawley – 23:27.2
The top-three male finishers were (l.-r.)Joseph Kuhns, Mason LaBlance & Noah Brucculeri. The top-three female finishers were (l.-r.) Elsi Rehberg, Madelyn Ammirati & Abigail Lawley.
The link at the end of this story will take you to a complete listing of the race results. Thanks to Freedom’s track coach Alex Hernandez for providing the link so everyone who participated can check their official results!
The 5K was followed by a 1-mile run/walk around the Freedom track. Mostly parents and some staff members participated in that event.
Freedom assistant principal Jenna Lamour and Coach Hernandez did an outstanding job organizing our school’s first-ever Firecracker 5K event. Thank you to them, the runners and their families, the Freedom PTSA and Freedom Key Club for their participation and support of the Freedom Athletics program.
Ms. Lamour says that the event generated about $2,000 in proceeds, which will be used to purchase athletic equipment, supplement uniforms, support coaches at clinics, recognition banquets, varsity letters/pins, etc.
The Hillsborough County Council of PTAs/PTSAs held its annual awards ceremony this year on May 1, with several New Tampa schools, educators and volunteers taking home top honors.
Hector Rivera of Liberty Middle School was named Instructional Person of the Year for middle school. Rivera is a technology resource teacher who was nominated because he, “worked tirelessly to provide technical support and troubleshoot problems that our e-learners encountered with technology during the year,” according to his nomination. Rivera uses his bilingual skills to help Spanish-speaking parents overcome technical difficulties, and enthusiastically supports his school and students.
At the high school level, Dr. Tammy Crawford of Wharton High also received the Instructional Person of the Year award. Dr. Crawford is a success coach at the school who, according to her nomination, “is someone who has been a very strong advocate for all students, but especially for those who sometimes need the most help and are often overlooked.”
Wharton principal Michael Rowan was named Principal of the Year among the county’s high school nominees for the second time in three years.
According to the Wharton PTSA’s nomination, “Our principal, Michael Rowan, works to make our school a safe, welcoming and fun place that students want to come to!”
Hunter’s Green Elementary won awards for Health & Safety for its “Walk & Bike to School Week” event, for Advocacy/Legislation for its “Engage 33647” initiative, and for Volunteer of the Year, which went to PTA treasurer Rachel Barten.
This year was a year of unknowns for Barten, whose work used to include frequent international travel, which was stopped due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Then, she faced unexpected surgery to remove a brain tumor. As she recovered, with no work obligations, she returned to the school PTA and became one of the group’s busiest and most passionate volunteers.
“I honestly think between Covid and my diagnosis, it should have been the worst year ever,” Barten says, “but it truly gave me the opportunity to focus on things I always wanted to do.”
Barten’s main priority is her daughter, Reagan, who is a fourth-grader at the school. She jumped in and volunteered at every possible opportunity, from the school’s fund raisers to running errands, helping with staff appreciation and handing out fliers in the car line after school.
“It was two very odd crises that turned into blessings,” Barten said. “I was able to totally repurpose my attention to what I’ve always wanted it to be.”
After A Decade In New Tampa, Principal Gaye Holt Retires
After 10 years serving as principal of New Tampa schools, Gaye Holt will retire June 30. She steps down after a 39-year career in education, with the last seven years as the principal of Hunter’s Green Elementary and three years prior to that at Clark Elementary.
“I’m really going to miss everyone, and it’s going to be hard,” she says. “Whether I was at Clark or Hunter’s Green, the boys and girls, the parents, everyone in the community has been nothing but supportive, helpful and caring.”
Holt is known for her hard work and generous spirit, whether it’s greeting each child by name every morning or keeping the campus looking top-notch with her personal, daily inspections.
She says one of the funniest memories she has is when she dressed up as a member of the rock band KISS for a school fund-raising lip synch contest among teachers and staff.
“It’s those kinds of things that everybody enjoys,” she says, “because it’s very uncharacteristic of me. I did it because the kids love it, and I’ll do anything for those kids – goo and slime, getting iced, all of that, I’ll do it for the kids.”
Her teachers and staff at Hunter’s Green say Holt will be missed tremendously.
“She’s so wonderful about procedures,” says Roxi Coriell, one of HGE’s kindergarten teachers. “There’s a plan for everything and the plan makes sense. When it came to coming back after Covid, I knew that we would be in great hands.”
Coriell says it’s obvious how much Holt cares about all of her students and members of the school community, a sentiment echoed by current PTA president Rebecca Towner.
“She is leaving Hunter’s Green Elementary with a strong foundation and a legacy that will not be forgotten,” says Towner.
Holt’s replacement was scheduled to be named at the Hillsborough County School Board meeting on May 18, which was held after this publication was printed.
