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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Alonso Presents ‘Arsenic and Old Lace’

The school’s production hits the stage tonight and runs through Saturday.

Fans of dark humor and live theater can combine both passions in a single visit to the Alonso High School auditorium. The school’s drama department raises the curtain on “Arsenic and Old Lace” tonight, May 2 at 7 p.m. The production has repeat performances set for Friday, May 3 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, May 4 at 7 p.m. “Arsenic and Old Lace” is a dark comedy originally written by playwright Joseph Kesselring in 1939. It focuses on Mortimer Brewster and the trials and tribulations he faces in dealing with his family – including a pair of spinster aunts who amuse themselves by murdering men using a concoction of wine, strychnine, cyanide and, of course, arsenic. Tickets for the play range from $5 to $20 and can be purchased online. The …

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Local Skate Park Could Open by Summer’s End

Hillsborough County says the new feature at Jackson Springs Park could be ready in time for the kids to go back to school.

If the reaction of two Alonso High School students is any indication, Hillsborough County’s new skate park in Town ‘N Country should be a hit with teens. “It looks awesome,” sophomore Chase Spriggs was quoted by The Tampa Tribune as saying after he saw final design plans for the $600,000, 13,200-square-foot park during a recent county meeting. Spriggs and Angel Vasquez, a fellow Alonso student, hope to form a skateboard club at their school in the fall. If all goes as planned, the two will have a place to skate by then – a place they won’t get kicked out of. The county has been working with residents and a consulting firm to put final plans for the park in place. It’s going to become a permanent feature at Jackson Springs Park, 8620 …

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Sherri Lonon

1:19 pm on Sunday, May 5, 2013

C, my understanding is the county pitched the park for Northdale first, but residents didn't want it there. They moved on another area and eventually settled on Jackson Springs Park. Alonso High kids seem to be rallying behind it. Not sure how much use Carrollwood kids will have for it, but it's not much of a drive from Plantation and other neighborhoods.   more ›

Alonso High School Locked Down Following Threats

Authorities were on the hunt for an 18-year-old they say threatened to kill an Alonso student.

Alonso High School was put on lockdown Friday, April 26 while Hillsborough County Sheriff deputies searched for a suspect they say threatened a student. Michael Alessandrini threatened the victim, an Alonso student, via text message and voice mail message, according to a media release by the sheriff's office. He threatened to "kill" the Alonso student via text message, according to the release. Deputies came in contact with Alessandrini, 18, around 12:30 p.m. on Friday when he was taken into custody. Alessandrini lives at 6700 N. Rome Ave. in Tampa. He was booked into the Hillsborough County Jail on a charge of making a written death threat. His bond was set at $7,500. Alessandrini was also arrested in January on a domestic violence charge…

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Westchase Area Teachers Win Grant For Water Study

The teacher was one of 34 awarded a Splash! grant from the Southwest Florida Water Management District.

Two Westchase area teachers have won grants from the Southwest Florida Water Management District to study the health of area waterways. The teachers are: Lindback and White are among the 34 Hillsborough educators to receive a Splash! grant from the SWFMD. Let Patch save you time. Get great local stories like this delivered right to your inbox or smartphone everyday with our free newsletter. Simple, fast sign-up here. Each year the agency awards grants to teachers across the district's 16-county region to educate students on water resources. Splash! grant projects include student monitoring of local water quality, environmental field studies and school or community outreach campaigns designed to encourage water conservation. This year, 94 …

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Troopers Blitz Westchase Area Schools

Students at Westchase high schools got a lesson in safe driving.

SAT Scores: Westchase Schools Fail To Crack Top 40

The top 40 area public high schools are highlighted in the rankings, which were compiled by the Tampa Bay Business Journal using statistics from the Florida Department of Education.

When it comes to 2012 SAT scores, neither of Westchase's high schools ranked among the top 40 in the Tampa Bay area. The top 40 are highlighted in the rankings which were compiled by the Tampa Bay Business Journal using statistics from the Florida Department of Education. Palm Harbor University High came in fourth. The maximum possible SAT score is 2400.  There are three parts to the SAT tests: math, verbal and writing. Each part is worth a maximum 800 points for a maximum total SAT score of 2400. Sickles High School's average 2012 SAT score was 1,439. Alonso High School's average 2012 SAT score was 1,349. Here's a look at the five top-ranked high schools in Tampa Bay- See the full list and search the rankings in Tampa Bay Business Journal…

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Alonso Theater Troupe Acheive Blonde Ambition

“Legally Blonde” had a successful weekend run at Alonso High School.

From the first unison squeal of “Oh My God, You Guys” to the last pitch perfect note of “Legally Blonde,” the multi-talented members of Encore, Alonso High School's theater troupe gave a Broadway worthy performance. The performance had its opening weekend Oct.5-6. The musical “Legally Blonde” is about a seemingly air-headed blonde named Elle who follows her boyfriend to Harvard only to realize her own self-worth and success. Theater instructor Lisa Vorreiter led the performance by the Encore cast of 35, a crew of 23, plus additional cast and two four-legged performers. “Of the 58 in this production, only 13 have been on the stage before,” said Vorreiter. “There’s a lot of new people this year.” Now in its fourth year, Encore offers …

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Alonso Ravens Rally to Help Principal Battle Cancer

Assistant Principal Brian Grantham was recently diagnosed with stage four colon and liver cancer.

When Erika Nunez was a sophomore at Alonso High School Assistant Principal Brian Grantham helped her through a tough personal time. "My mom and him had each others personal cell phone numbers," recalled Nunez, who graduated from Alonso in May and is headed to St. Petersburg Community College. So when she found out Grantham was battling stage four colon cancer, she wanted to return the favor. On Thursday, Sept. 6, a fundraiser will be held for Grantham at TGI Friday's, 11705 W. Hillsborough Ave. From 2 to 6 p.m., 20 percent of all regular priced entrees, sandwiches, desserts and alcohol will be donated to the Grantham's family for medical care expenses. Grantham, who is married and the father of two sons, was diagnosed with colon cancer …

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Morning School Bus Accident Causes Major Traffic Delays

A bus headed to Alonso High School was rear-ended by a motorist. No students were injured, officials said.

A motorist rear-ended an Alonso High School bus traveling on Sheldon Road near Old Linebaugh Avenue this morning causing severe traffic woes, authorities said. Two cars were following the school bus headed south on Sheldon Road when it went to stop at a railroad track. The vehicle immediately behind school bus, a 2003 Chevy Cavalier, slowed down, however the car behind the Chevy, a 2006 Nissan Murano, did not and struck the back of the Chevy causing it to rear-end the school bus, according to Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office officials. The Chevy was pushed under the rear of the school bus causing its air bags to deploy. The school bus driver evacuated the 30 kids on the bus. No children were injured in the crash, authorities said. The …

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