Friday, May 18, 2012
Writing scores tracked with state averages.
Every high school in Pasco County has reported gains in the reading proficiency section of the ninth and 10th grade FCATs, according to the Pasco County School District. “This accomplishment is particularly impressive considering the fact that the state increased the rigor of the assessment last year and increased the minimum score required to achieve proficiency this year,” district officials stated in a press release. Statewide scores on the writing FCAT were so low that the state authorities lowered the passing score. The writing test is taken by fourth-, eighth- and 10th-graders. However, the Pasco School District exceeded the state average in reading proficiency on the ninth and 10th grade FCATs, according to the district. Fifty-four …
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Public input on how to close the gap is being sought in a series of town hall meetings.
The Pasco County School District is facing its fifth consecutive year of multi-million-dollar budget shortfalls. That’s why school board members are once again turning to the community for assistance. The board will play host to a series of town hall meetings this month that are designed to garner input on how to close the funding gap. How would you handle cutting the school district's budget? Let us know in the comments section. Board members "value the input of all stakeholders and felt it was an important part of the decision-making process,” said Summer Romagnoli, the school district’s spokeswoman. The town hall meetings were introduced last year when the district faced a funding gap of more than $55 million. “They would like this same…
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Kimberly Davis is a new addition to Gulf High School, but she's a familiar face in the district.
Kimberly Davis started a new job this month. Davis officially assumed her role as Gulf High’s new principal May 7. An experienced educator and administrator, Davis has worked for the Pasco County School District since 1998. She replaces Dr. Steve Knobl, who recently took a job with Rasmussen College. Davis, who lives in Land O’ Lakes, met with New Port Richey Patch to chat about her job at the New Port Richey school and herself after a busy week of meeting teachers. Patch: You came to Gulf High from a job at Anclote High, correct? Davis: I was the assistant principal at Anclote. I actually started my career in Pasco County as a teacher in Zephyrhills. Then I opened Sunlake High School (in Land O’ Lakes) as assistant principal. I was …
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
The passing grade for Florida's standardized writing test has been lowered by an emergency rule, keeping the failure rate basically unchanged, TBO.com reports.
Was this the right call? What are your thoughts on the FCAT? Post your comment below. The passing grade for Florida's standardized writing test has been lowered thanks to an emergency rule instituted Tuesday, keeping the failure rate basically unchanged from a year ago, TBO.com reports. "The State Board of Education unanimously passed the rule today after preliminary results showed only about a third of students would pass this year," according to TBO's story. That would have been down from 80 percent or better on last year's writing portion of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT), TBO reports, a decrease that came after the test was made more difficult. The FCAT writing test is taken by 4th-, 8th- and 10th-graders. Read more …
Educators have proposed reducing the FCAT writing passing score to increase passing rates. A discussion is scheduled for Tuesday morning.
Less than 30 percent of fourth graders in Florida passed the FCAT writing test this year, according to preliminary results released on Monday, as reported by the Tampa Bay Times today. That's a steep dip compared to last year when 81 percent scored a passing 4.0 or better. The plummeting scores have prompted extreme concern among educators and state officials. On Monday, Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson proposed reducing the FCAT writing passing score from 4.0 to 3.5. Under that standard, 48 percent of fourth-graders would have passed the test with a 3.5 or better, along with 52 percent of eighth-graders and 60 percent of 10th-graders, according to the Times story. Florida education officials will hold an emergency conference call …
Friday, May 11, 2012
Brian Singletary is well-known for giving back to Gulf High School and the West Pasco community at large.
Brian Singletary started working for Publix at a store in Tarpon Springs in 1962. He was a bagger and stock clerk, and he thought “That was not what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.” It turned out to be a temporary stop on a career with Publix that has spanned 50 years and multiple locations in the Tampa Bay area. His time at Publix has earned him praise for his service to the community and his customers, and a scholarship given to Gulf High students in his honor. “Selecting Publix as my employer was one of the greatest things to ever happen to me, certainly in my working life,” said Singletary, who is now 71. Singletary is now store manager of the Publix branch in the Southgate shopping center on U.S. 19 in New Port Richey, where …
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
So far, less than 100 kids have signed up for the program, which is slated to begin next month.
Last year, the New Port Richey City Council proposed raising the fees for the recreation center’s summer program to a level that was unaffordable for most families. Due to intense media coverage and public outcry, the council wisely backed off the plan. However, there was little in the press regarding the council’s decision to drop the proposed increase and remain at the rates that were in effect at the start of the 2011 summer camp. When registration for the 2012 summer program opened in April, it became evident that not many people were aware that the fees remain the same as last year. Normally the recreation center has a line out the door on the day registration opens with people rushing to fill the approximately 170 open slots before …
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
The students are getting recognized in a civics textbook that will be used in seventh-grade classrooms throughout Pasco County.
Students at Seven Springs Middle in Trinity led an effort in 2008 to protect sandhill cranes that frequented the school campus and nearby roads. They were concerned that the birds were at risk of being hit by traffic. With the help of a state senator, they eventually convinced Pasco County officials to install “Wildlife Area” signs on local roads. The school principal also installed three "Sandhill Crane Crossing" signs on the Seven Springs campus. The students' accomplishment is being used an example of civic engagement in a textbook that will be used in seventh-grade classrooms throughout Pasco County this upcoming school year. The textbook is called Civics in Practice Integrated: Civics, Economics, and Geography for Florida and is …
New Port Richey Patch would like to honor the special teachers that make our community so great and we need your help!
They’re there to inspire, guide and mentor. They make sure we know our ABCs and 1, 2, 3s. They’re teachers and we at Westchase Patch think they are pretty darn special. In honor of National Teacher Appreciation Week, May 7-11, we’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the teachers that helped shape our lives and yours. We’d also like to recognize the special teachers in our community that have made an impact on you and your children. To show our teachers that we all care, we invite you to share your stories about teachers who have gone above and beyond to help guide you or your children. Just share your stories in the comments section below. You can also upload photos right to this story of your favorite teachers or favorite school …
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Constantina Pantelius, the daughter of a New Port Richey man, earned honors and will continue her education at Florida State University.
Patricia Pantelis, a Crawfordville woman, wanted the community to know about her daughter's recent academic acomplishment. She sent us this announcement about Constantine, whose father is a longtime resident of New Port Richey. Constantina Pantelis, daughter of George Pantelis of New Port Richey, graduated from Tallahassee Community College with honors on Saturday, April 28th. Having achieved a straight A average, she is on President’s List and a member of Phi Theta Kappa. Majoring in Middle East Studies, Constantina will continue her education at Florida State University this summer. Her interests include mathematics, foreign cultures, diplomacy, and writing. She is the mother of a 3-year old daughter, realizes the importance of …
Joe
2:30 pm on Friday, May 18, 2012
The first thing I would do to save money is turn up the thermostat! I have volunteered at Pasco County Schools and see that they keep the thermostat set at 70 inside a locked box so nobody can touch it. The teachers and students have to wear sweaters inside the classroom all year long and my daughter complains about it constantly. Must be nice to be able to afford such a luxury! Second, keep in … more ›