Cops Coming to Westchase Schools?

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and School Board are teaming up to apply for a federal grant that might help pay for at least 24 new law enforcement positions for local campuses.

The question of whether or not to post deputies on Hillsborough County elementary school campuses has been a hot-button issue ever since the Dec. 14, 2012, Newtown, Conn., massacre rocked the nation. While Hillsborough has never witnessed an attack that compares to Newtown’s slaying of 20 children and six adults, fears have run high that it could happen here. Bullets found on Hillsborough buses in the wake of the attack and other subsequent lockdown situations, including Brandon’s recent pepper spray incident, have given rise to a desire to see security increased. Hillsborough County Sheriff David Gee thinks he has a solution that could bolster the security measures already put into place by the school board. In addition to the $1 million …

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Alonso, Sickles Make Newsweek's Top 2,000 High Schools

The two local high schools joined 113 other Florida campuses on the magazine’s 2013 list.

Westchase area parents and students have reason to be proud. Both of the area’s high schools made it on Newsweeks’ Top 2,000 list of the best high schools in the country. Schools selected for the honor are “those that have proven to be the most effective in turning out college-ready grads,” the magazine’s website says. Honorees are judged on such factors as graduation rate, college acceptance rate and test scores.  Alonso was 1,836 on the list of 2,000. Sickles came in at 1,784. The top school in the state is the International Baccalaureate School at Bartow High. The No. 1 school in the nation, according to Newsweek, is in Bowling Green, Ky. Other area schools on the list include Chamberlain, Gaither and Plant. What do you think makes …

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Thank a Teacher on Patch for Teacher Appreciation Week

It's Teacher Appreciation Week! What do you want to say to that educator who meant the most to you? To the teacher who makes your child's year the best ever?

The first full week in May, every year since 1984, has been designated as Teacher Appreciation Week by the National PTA, which this year is holding a contest for parents who deliver thank-you letters to teachers May 6-10 (See contest note below). Signs at schools throughout the area give a nod to this year's appreciation celebration, as PTA volunteers, school administrators, students and parents gear up to recognize teachers who make a difference. As noted on the National PTA Web site, Teacher Appreciation Week is "a special time to honor the men and women who lend their passion and skills to educating our children." PTA events at the national, state, and local levels celebrate the outstanding contributions teachers make. Is your school, …

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What's Tampa Bay Saying?

Paddling in Schools: Would You Support It?

One Florida County has given elementary school principals the green light to paddle misbehaving students. What do you think about this, Tampa Bay?

A trip to the principal’s office in Marion County elementary schools might mean more for misbehaving students than a call to parents and possible detention detail. Principals there have been given the green light to paddle unruly pupils. The county’s school board decided April 23 that it was high time this once banned practice was brought back into the educational system. Citing repeat disciplinary problems with students where nothing else worked to get kids on track, board member Carol Ely, a retired principal, put the idea on the table. While the measure passed, principals don’t have carte blanche to paddle kids. Principals must first obtain standing written permission from parents, and they must get verbal permission before each …

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Deer Park School Roof Repairs Approved

The school will undergo repairs this summer.

Deer Park Elementary is getting repairs to its leaky roof, according to a decision made by the Hillsborough County School Board this week. The board approved just over $1 million to repair "water intrusion" problems with the school's roof at its Tuesday, April 23 meeting. The funds will pay for removing the problematic roof, reconstructing and painting it. The roof repairs are taking place near the school's media center. Deer Park Elementary opened in 2006. The school, located at 11605 Citrus Park Drive, is among the newer schools in the community. Work would begin on the roof repairs in May and should be completed by mid-July before school begins.  

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Westchase Elementary Hosts Food Truck Festival

The food truck festival will benefit the American Cancer Society.

If you love food trucks and helping out a good cause, Westchase Elementary School is where you'll want to be on April 19. The school welcomes the community to enjoy 10 food trucks with a wide variety of food to chose from. So far, the list is: Funds raised from the rally will benefit the American Cancer Society and Relay for Life Westchase, which is scheduled for 6p.m. on May 10 at Davidsen Middle School, 10501 Montague St. in Westchase. For more information about how to particpate in the Relay for Life visit their website. If You Go: What: Westchase Elementary Food Truck Festival When: April 19, 5-9 p.m. Where: Westchase Elementary School, 9517 W. Linebaugh Ave.

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GED Testing Goes Digital

Do you think this is a good idea, Westchase?

Hillsborough Releases 2013-14 School Calendar

The new academic year begins Aug. 20 for Westchase students.

Westchase parents hoping to get a jump on planning activities around next year's Hillsborough County school calendar are in luck. The school district has released its list of important dates for the 2013-14 school year. As a bonus, it’s also released a tentative academic calendar dates for 2014-15. This school year (2012-13) ends Friday, June 7, 2013 with a release time that’s 2 ½ hours earlier than normal. Students only have one more day off before the year ends. That's Monday, May 27 in honor of Memorial Day, according to the district's website. Here’s the calendar for 2013-14: For more information about the 2013-14 academic calendar or to get a sneak peek at the dates for 2014-15, visit the school district's website.

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GED Goes Digital: What Do You Think?

Westchase students who opt to take the test in 2014 rather than finish high school by attending classes will soon be able to leave their pencils at home. We’d like to hear your thoughts about online testing in general.

The days of bubbling in the answers to complete a GED test are all but over. Starting in 2014, Westchase students who opt to test out for their high school diplomas will find themselves taking the exam online, according to the Tampa Bay Times. The new computerized test format is part of a national overhaul of the GED that’s set to go into place next year. In Florida, that overhaul also means harder test questions and a near doubling of the $70 fee to sit for the exam. While many students are applauding the move to computer-based testing, some are concerned it could be daunting for those who are less computer savvy. “There are people out there to this day that aren't comfortable with electronics and computers,” 27-year-old Samantha …

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