New Tampa student heading to Spain to study abroad

This school year, New Tampa resident Schuyler Robinson will attend his senior year at School Year Abroad’s school in Zaragoza, Spain. He will study with about 60 other students in an academically rigorous high school and second-language immersion program while living with a Spanish host family.

Schuyler’s sense of adventure was honed from an early age, listening to his parents’ tales of traveling and studying abroad.

“I’ve always been fascinated reading about and exploring foreign cultures," Schuyler said.

Sand Pine Elementary media center shows library has gone far beyond books

[KERI WIGINTON | Times]

Belinda Pope, head of the media center at Sand Pine Elementary, arranges the Sunshine State books on Friday.

With the increasing use of technology in education, the importance of a school's media center continues to grow. The Florida Association for Media in Education has recognized the media center at Sand Pine Elementary in Wesley Chapel as one of 26 to meet its highest standards. Media specialist Belinda Pope spoke with the Times about the award and the changing role of what the school system used to call libraries.

What is a Florida Power Library, and why did you want to have one?

Last year was the inaugural year for that process, and it all came about because of our district self-evaluation process that we have. Our school did real well on that, so the district personnel kind of challenged us to go for it. Because they knew it was coming up.

Pasco teachers head back to school to prepare classrooms

[KERI WIGINTON | Times]

Jessica Medina, left, a special education teacher and ESE coach, shows Angie Westbrook, the K-12 literary coach, how to input daily coaching logs at Sand Pine Elementary School. “I’m ready. Energized,” Westbrook said. “I’m ready for a new year.”

WESLEY CHAPEL — Paul Vassak spent a week of his summer break grading advanced placement exams in Nebraska.

He got insights for his students about how their AP essays get evaluated, and he met teachers from around the country who shared ideas on how to better present materials.

After revamping his curriculum and finding new class resources, Vassak looked forward to Monday's first day of work for Pasco teachers.

"It's nice to get back in the swing of things," the Wiregrass Ranch High School social studies teacher said. "I have 100 things in mind … I want to do different. I have another shot at it."

Many of the district's 4,862 teachers shared the sentiment.

After a summer spent relaxing and preparing for the new academic year, they said they were ready to return to their jobs.

Land O'Lakes librarian makes good on colorful bet with young readers

[KAINAZ AMARIA | Times]

“You look like Rainbow Brite!” says Luc Benoit, 15, as he playfully picks up Land O’Lakes youth librarian Alicia Diaz, 39, on Friday. Also appreciating her “I lost a bet” locks are, from left, volunteer Thomas Brinkley, 20, and Adam Backsman, 16.

LAND O'LAKES -- Alicia Diaz spent five hours in the chair Thursday as her stylist poured and rinsed, bleached and dyed, combed and smoothed.

The dye was applied in stripes, in every color of the rainbow, across Diaz's brunet bob.

The other patrons at Shepre Color & Hair Design on Cross Creek in New Tampa couldn't help but stare, puzzled, astounded.

When the do was finally done, Diaz's stylist proclaimed this was the most colorful head of hair she'd ever seen. Diaz checked the mirror for her new look.

"She did a great job," Diaz said. "I was very pleased."

Diaz, 39, had lost the bet. And she couldn't be happier.

Cooking and technology business now offering after-school care

Check out this clay animation movie created over the summer by members of the Young Chefs Academy's summer campers. Then read more about YCA's after-school classes now being offered.

Pasco County AD Bell's firm grip deserves a hand

From the Times:

By John C. Cotey

Phil Bell isn't the kind of guy who beats his chest.

So let me do it for him:

Not here.

Not now.

Not ever.

Of course, that sounds nothing like Bell, the soft-spoken, big-stick carrying Pasco County athletic director.

He is calm, cool and nice enough that if you stay on the phone with him longer than five minutes, you're tempted to ask him out to the nearest eatery for wings and a ball game.

But he is deadly serious about his job.

Bell and Zephyrhills principal Steve Van Gorden's decision Tuesday to fire Zephyrhills football coach Jerrell Cogmon wasn't done specifically to send a message, but it does.

While Hillsborough County has been awash in Transferpalooza this past offseason — more than 50 kids, many notable, have switched allegiances — Bell said he plans to keep a firmer grip on his county.

Cogmon is gone for a few reasons. But most significant: A volunteer assistant coach who left Wesley Chapel for Zephyr­hills had inappropriate contact with one of his former Wildcats via phone, text messages and MySpace pages.

One of those former players decided to transfer to Zephyr­hills. And apparently, Cogmon knew all this was going on.

The rule on that is pretty simple: You can't follow one of your coaches to another school, for whatever reason, without losing athletic eligibility for one year.

"It's the toughest decision I've ever had to make,'' said Van Gorden.

But in some ways, the easiest.

Principal chosen for Wesley Chapel

Carin Nettles, most recently an assistant principal at Mitchell High School, has been chosen to be principal of Wesley Chapel High. Nettles emerged from a field of four candidates to replace Andy Frelick, who was abruptly transferred across Pasco County two weeks ago to run Ridgewood High School.

Frelick had been under pressure recently for his role in a misapplication of district grading policy that led a star Wesley Chapel athlete to ask for a release from his scholarship acceptance at the University of South Florida.

Nettles, 35, has been the administrator in charge of several high-profile projects for Mitchell High, including its medical program and its new ninth-grade academy. She has worked in the district since 1996.

*

Former Wesley Chapel QB Jenkins to enroll at Troy

From the Times:

By Joey Knight

Former Wesley Chapel quarterback Greg Jenkins, who enjoyed a breakthrough junior college season in 2008, has committed to Division I Troy University.

Jenkins, entering his sophomore season at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, said he settled on Troy last week. He plans to complete his associate of arts degree at MGCCC in December and enroll at the south Alabama school in January.

"I feel like it's the best situation for me right now," Jenkins said by cell phone Wednesday morning. "It's basically the same offense (as MGCCC's) — spread, no-huddle, but they throw a lot more than we do. I like that."

A 2008 Wesley Chapel graduate, Jenkins walked on last year but quickly won the starting quarterback job. He threw for 1,407 yards and 14 touchdowns, leading his team (10-2) to a juco state title and bowl victory.

Jenkins (6-2, 210 pounds), who said he was a science credit shy of signing with a four-year program out of high school, will join another former North Suncoast star — ex-Central tailback DuJuan Harris — at Troy.

MGCCC coach Steve Campbell was a lineman for the 1987 Troy team — then known as Troy State — that won a Division II national title.

Seven Oaks Elementary kindergarten camp gets children ready

[From left, Sophia Kline, Amberleigh Munn, Lily Ecker and Sophia Gulisano do “hips and lips,” a technique teacher Ginny Lanpher used to keep the girls from talking during kindergarten camp at Seven Oaks Elementary on Monday. KERI WIGINTON | Times]

From the Times:

By Jeffrey S. Solochek

WESLEY CHAPEL — Brandon Maldonado sighed as he watched his daughter Isabella march out of the Seven Oaks Elementary School media center.

"This is my second," Maldonado, a teacher himself, said wistfully Monday as his youngest headed off to begin a week of kindergarten camp. "It still gets to me."

Other parents, too.

They wanted their kids to get acquainted with the place where they'll spend so many waking hours over the next six years. Yet they felt the angst of letting go.

"I don't want to," said Christine Gulisano, who is sending her first child, Sophia, off to school. "Kindergarten is so advanced now. A little 5-year-old is not ready for it."

Maybe. Maybe not. (Two cried for the first several minutes.) But don't try to tell the little guys they're not up to the task.

Sweetbay to host back-to-school festivities

The Sweetbay store at the corner of Bruce B. Downs and County Line Road will host a variety of activities for parents and students as kids prepare to return to school.

The event will take place on Saturday Aug. 8 and Saturday Aug. 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Here's what's on tap:

• Meet The Hungry Housewife and watch her whip up some easy recipes
• Sign up for Kids' Cooking Workshops
• Take a nutritional store tour for a "How to Pack a Heahtly lunchbox" segment
• Get a $20 back-to-school physical provided by the USF Health Neighborhood Care Center
• Sit in on a Kids' Cooking Workshop feature "How to Make a Healthy Snack"
• Receive complimentary 1-week memberships and watch aerobic demonstrations by LA Fitness.