Press Release Archive

With summer approaching, students will have the opportunity to obtain nutritionally balanced meals.  Meals will be provided free to all children regardless of race, color, sex, disability, age or national origin during summer vacation at open sites, open-restricted sites, and closed enrolled sites.  An open site is for all children 18 years old and younger.  An open restricted site is open on a first-come-first-served basis for all children 18 years old and younger, but the site sponsor may restrict or limit attendance.  A closed enrolled site is restricted and only available for the students enrolled in the sponsor’s program.

Sponsored sites are located in geographical areas of need where 50 percent or more of the children qualify for free or reduced-price meals during the school year.  

Information on participating sites is included in this pdf download. If you would like more information on the Summer Food Service Program or participating sites, please contact Food and Nutrition Services at (813) 794-2439 or visit our web site at www.pasco.k12.fl.us/nutrition/.

Any person who believes he or she has been discriminated against in any USDA-related activity should write or call immediately to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC, 20250-9410 or call  (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TTY).   USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

“Cheers” for Northwest Elementary students who will participate in an Author’s Tea in their newly established school garden.  On Friday, students will present their self-published book highlighting their experiences planting, growing, and tasting fruits and vegetables grown in their school garden.

As a part of First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Chefs Move to School” program, the school garden was planted earlier this year with the help of Chef Vince and local partners.  The “Chefs Move to School” program, is ran through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and is intended to help schools partner with chefs that are interested in volunteering their time to help educate kids about food and nutrition.

Northwest Elementary students are having a Harvest Week, May 15-19, to celebrate their garden’s success.  Local sponsors will host Harvest Week by providing samples and will celebrate the importance of fruits and vegetables by encouraging students to continue to “eat their colors” throughout their lives.

Each day, Harvest Week is honoring a different color, starting with the purple/blue fruits and vegetables, such as blueberries and grapes, and ending with the white/tan/brown fruits and vegetables, such as bananas, white corn, and mushrooms.

The District School Board of Pasco County is delighted to announce the first annual Title I Summer Technology Camp for Pasco’s most economically disadvantaged students.  This exciting program will give students the opportunity to work one-on-one with state of the art technology.  Specifically, students will be given the opportunity to produce and edit his or her very own video podcast.  Integrating technology with writing standards will help to increase academic proficiency while reinforcing the 21^st Century learning skills they need for future success. 

“This is just one of the many ways we are working to bridge the digital divide for our economically disadvantaged students,” stated Superintendent Heather Fiorentino. “We strive throughout the year to foster supportive learning environments that provide access to cutting edge technology and create equity of opportunity for all students.  This camp is an extension of those efforts and will enhance the quality of services these students receive,” she added. 

The Title I Summer Technology Camp is offered to qualifying students throughout the 21 Title I Elementary Schools.  These camps will follow the regular summer school schedule from June 21 – July 2, 2010.  For more information about this exciting new program, please contact the District Office at (727) 774-2324, (813) 794-2324, (352) 524-2324.

 

The District School Board of Pasco County is excited to announce the 2010 Science Pasco Environmental Adventure Camp Experience (PEACE) program.  This camp will give students the opportunity to study the environment through a variety of engaging, hands-on activities while visiting five wonderful locations:  the Energy and Marine Center (EMC), Starkey Environmental Education Center, Safety Town’s Environmental Center, Crystal Springs Preserve, and the Florida Aquarium.   One important focus area of the camp will be exploring the Gulf Coast oil spill and its impact on Florida’s delicate ecosystem.  

“This applied learning project reinforces innovative, problem-solving skills while giving our most needy students the chance to discover the fascinating world of science,” stated Superintendent Heather Fiorentino. “By gaining a strong foundation in science, these students are acquiring the skills needed to develop solutions for the challenges of tomorrow- a skill set that will prove to be a competitive advantage in the 21^st Century global economy,” she added.  

The PEACE Camps are offered to qualifying students throughout the District’s 21 Title I Elementary Schools.  These full-day, action packed camps run from 7:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. over a span of three weeks, with a rotation set up each week to cover the different locations. 

The PEACE Summer Science Camp will be both a rewarding and educational experience that will help children gain a better understanding of the environment while combining adventure into their summers! For more information about the PEACE Summer Science Camp contact the District Office at (727) 774-2312, (813) 794-2312, (352) 524-2312.

Dates of PEACE Camp

PEACE – Week 1 – June 14-18
PEACE – Week 2 – June 21-25
PEACE – Week 3 – June 28-July 2

List of Schools Attending Each Week

PEACE – Week 1 – June 14-18: LES, RBCES, PES, WZES, SHES, MGES, CWTES
PEACE – Week 2 – June 21-25: MLES, NWES, GHES, HES, SES, FHES, RES
PEACE – Week 3 – June 28 – July 2: CAES, CHES, MPLES, JMMES, AES, SRES, GSES

 

A vast majority (71%) of third graders in Pasco County Schools demonstrated proficiency on this year’s Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test.  This year’s Annual Measurable Objective (AMO), set by the federal government, is 72% proficiency in reading and 74% proficiency in mathematics.  In Pasco, 19 elementary schools reached this target goal in reading and 18 schools reached it in mathematics. 

The District is proud that the following schools increased the percentage of students achieving proficiency in reading by 10 percentage points or more:  Seven Springs Elementary (11 percentage points), Sunray Elementary (10 percentage points) and Oakstead Elementary (10 percentage points).  Noteworthy gains in proficiency were also achieved by students in mathematics at R.B. Cox Elementary (12 percentage point increase) and Seven Springs Elementary (10 percentage point increase).  The schools in bold font indicate designation as a Title I school.  Title I schools serve high populations of economically disadvantaged students. 

“These results reflect the hard work and dedicated efforts of students, staff and parents,” stated Superintendent Fiorentino.   “As we celebrate today’s success within this subset of data, we recognize that opportunity for improvement exists as we work to ensure that all students reach their highest potential,” she added.

The District School Board of Pasco County and its Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) are pleased to announce the winners of the 2010 My Favorite Older Person Essay Contest.

• First Place – Keisha Abelgas, Deer Park Elementary School
• Second Place – Shanda Johnes, Moon Lake Elementary School
• Third Place – Isabella Brown, Pine View Elementary School
• Honorable Mention – Jeff Armstrong, Seven Oaks Elementary School
• Honorable Mention –Brittney Blair, Sanders Memorial Elementary School

The students will be recognized on Tuesday, May 18, 2010, at 4:30 p.m., in Building #4, Room C, at the District Office complex in Land O’ Lakes.  There will be a pizza party for the winners, their families, and other guests, and the students will read their winning essays and receive their awards.  At 6:00 p.m., the students will be recognized in front of the School Board at their regularly scheduled meeting.

The sponsors of the My Favorite Older Person Essay Contest are: The District School Board of Pasco County and its Retired Senior Volunteer Program; The Pasco Education Foundation, Inc.; CARES, Inc.; the Area Agency on Aging of Pasco-Pinellas, Inc.; and Apple, Inc.  The contest is open to all fifth-grade students in the District.

The essay contest is one of many activities held every May during Older Americans Month.  Older Americans Month has been a time to acknowledge the contributions of past and current older persons to our country.  Every president since John F. Kennedy has issued a formal proclamation during or before the month of May asking that citizens pay tribute to older persons in their communities.  Older Americans Month is celebrated across the nation through ceremonies, events and special activities.

The District School Board of Pasco County announces the immediate availability of Pasco Mobile, a new mobile web site built to provide employees, students, parents and community members with important District information while "on the go."  The site was developed because the District web page was being visited by an increasing number of handheld device users.

At launch, Pasco Mobile offers many exciting features, including District news and press links, school and department contact information, driving directions, searchable phone and email directories, a map of the District Office complex, employment listings, and school lunch menus. The site was created with the newest generation of mobile devices in mind, and will work well on the iPhone, iPod Touch, Palm Pre, and all Android devices.  Blackberry users running the Opera Mini/Mobile browser will be able to access most portions of the site.  Certain features of Pasco Mobile require cellular service.

Users can access Pasco Mobile by directing their handheld device’s Internet browser to the District’s homepage and clicking the red “Tap here to visit our mobile site” button, or by visiting http://www.pasco.k12.fl.us/mobile.  Instructions are available on the site to assist in adding Pasco Mobile to a device's home screen.

“In an effort to make information more easily accessible, the Pasco Mobile site will help us to meet the needs our 21^st century learners and their busy, on-the-go families,” stated Superintendent Heather Fiorentino.  “People who depend on their smart phones now have another way to stay in touch with our schools.”

 

The District invites you to try Pasco Mobile, and to provide feedback via the "Contact the Webmaster" button on the site's homepage. 

Wesley Chapel Elementary School (WCES) has received the Bronze National Recognition Award from the Alliance for a Healthier Generation for creating a healthier environment for students and staff.   WCES has improved the nutrition in its school lunches, promoted physical activity before, during and after school, and focused on stress reduction and relaxation techniques for students and staff, resulting in a healthier, more energetic and more dynamic school population.

Nearly one in three children and teens in the United States is obese or overweight. In response to the epidemic, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation – a joint partnership of the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation – established the Healthy Schools Program in 2006 to help schools develop and implement policies and practices to promote healthy eating and increase physical activity. The Healthy Schools Program is supported by funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), which has committed $28 million to the program.

“We know that healthy students learn better,” said Ginny Ehrlich, Executive Director of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. “The Healthy Schools Program takes a comprehensive approach to helping schools create healthier environments by working with them to improve access to healthier foods; increase physical activity opportunities before, during and after school; enhance nutrition education; and establish school employee wellness programs. Through these systemic changes, schools are not only teaching their students the academic skills they need to succeed, but healthy habits for life.”

Schools participating in the Healthy Schools Program are eligible to earn bronze, silver, gold or platinum awards based on their range of healthy eating and physical activity programs and policies. The rigorous program criteria – known as the Healthy Schools Program Best Practice Framework – were developed in consultation with a panel of experts, including representatives from the American Heart Association, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, RWJF and others. WCES has met these stringent standards, positively impacting healthy eating and physical activity behaviors among students and staff.

“This program has helped us to analyze what we’re doing correctly here at the school and what we can do better.  The wellness center that we’ve built has been a real morale booster and has brought the staff together,” commented Christopher Gorman, the physical education teacher who spearheaded the project.  “Plus, it has supported us to deliver teacher-led P.E.  Teachers bring their students here and they work through the stations, changing stations when the music changes.  There’s cardio, a punching bag and other exercise equipment.  The stations are different every month, so it makes it fun for the kids.”

The Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s Healthy Schools Program offers free support to more than 7,800 schools and provides more than 4.8 million students increased opportunities for physical activity and healthy eating.  “We are grateful to Chris for leading this effort,” noted John Abernathy, principal of Wesley Chapel Elementary School.  “The biggest thing we have been able to demonstrate is how to be a role model for students, because this is not only for students but for adults, too.  We received a great response from the community, parents, staff and students.  Our school has become immersed in nutrition, exercise and leading a healthy lifestyle,” he added.  

Any school in the United States can enroll in the Healthy Schools Program and receive free assistance and support in creating a healthier environment. Additionally, any individual who cares about helping a school in his or her community become a healthier place may join the Healthy Schools Network for immediate access to tips and tools to support a healthier school. Find out more at HealthierGeneration.org.

The District School Board of Pasco County is delighted to announce that Watergrass Elementary School has recently earned the prestigious Gold LEED certification. “LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO₂ emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.  Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), LEED provides building owners and operators a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.”

This is the most recent in a lengthy list of honors the District School Board of Pasco County has received for its eco-friendly operations.  The District has a long-standing commitment to environmental education, energy and water conservation, green cleaning practices and recycling.  The District’s sustainable conservation methods and energy efficient operations have yielded significant savings of financial and environmental resources.  By meeting the high standards of Gold LEED certification, the District has made yet another long-term investment in energy efficiency that will continue to benefit students and the environment for many years to come. 

“We are thrilled to be developing healthy, efficient and productive learning environments for our students,” stated Superintendent Heather Fiorentino.  “Our efforts extend beyond the design of this specific school, as our entire team is also committed to equipping our future generation with an understanding of how they can protect and preserve our precious natural resources.  We look forward to using this same eco-friendly design as we address future facility needs,” she added.

One of Pasco County’s newest schools, Fivay High School, is excited to offer incoming students and their parents the opportunity to participate in a special New School Orientation. Prospective students and their families can meet Principal Angie Stone, learn about the programs, services and extra-curricular activities that will be available and help to choose the school mascot.  Principal Stone will also be showcasing the architectural drawings of the school so students and parents can familiarize themselves with the lay-out and design. 

“Opening a new school is an exciting process,” stated Principal Stone.  “We hope our students and their families will join us for the orientation session to learn more about Fivay and become involved in the transition to the new school.  We look forward to working with all stakeholders and are eager to begin to build our identity in collaboration with the community,” she added.

Event details for the New School Orientation are as follows:

Wednesday, February 3, 2010
6:00 p.m.
Ridgewood High School Media Center
7650 Orchid Lake Road
New Port Richey, FL 34653

For additional details, please contact the District’s Communications Department at 727-774-2717.

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