Busy and rewarding times

Over the past few weeks, it’s been a busy and incredibly rewarding time. I apologize for not being able to post my updates more regularly, but I thought I’d take a moment to share some photos and highlights with you.

I attended several School Advisory Council (SAC) meetings, including those at Central Ridge Elementary and Crystal River Primary. SACs, as I’ve shared in the past, are made up of parents, community members, and school staff who work together to support the school’s goals and improve the educational experience for students. It was great to hear from parents and staff about the positive things happening at the school, as well as some areas where they’d like to see more support. The school administrative teams, teachers, parents, and students all shared about the innovative work to engage their students and create a positive educational environment. I was impressed by their focus on student-centered learning at the school.

I also served on the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Section 2 Appeal Hearings and completed our last hearings for the school year. These hearings are a complex and challenging process, but ultimately, we were able to make fair and informed decisions that I believe will benefit students and schools.

Of course, I also attended a number of Citrus County School Board meetings and workshops during this time. The Board voted and/or gave feedback on different decisions related to policy, budget, and other important issues. It’s always a busy and productive time, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve in this capacity. During one of our school board meetings, Citrus County School’s Robotics Team gave a presentation of their 2022-2023 robotic creation used to compete recently in their first major competition in Tallahassee. Students on the team come from CHS, LHS, and CRHS, and they shared about the important STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) skills they are learning building these robotics and programming/coding them to complete different tasks. Our robotics program was the work and passion of Rene’ Johnson, Citrus County School District Director of Federal Programs.

One of the highlights of the past few weeks was attending the Consortium of State School Boards Associations (COSSBA) and Urban Board Alliance (UBA) national conference and General Assembly meeting. I was there representing the Citrus County School Board and serving as the President of the Florida School Board Association. It was COSSBA’s first national conference and General Assembly meeting, which took place in Tampa, Florida. This was significant because Florida, along with several other states, left a national organization in 2021 after facing years of challenges and unified with a number of other states in creating COSSBA. The aim was to establish a truly nonpartisan student-focused organization that supports school board members from across the country. COSSBA now includes over 24 state school board organizations and continues to grow. The conference brought together school board members from across the country to learn from each other and share best practices on teacher retention and recruiting, school safety, and other important topics. It was inspiring to hear from so many dedicated individuals who are working to improve education in their communities.

It is also the 2023 Florida legislative session, and I have been communicating with our legislators and state leaders on proposed legislation. I am always appreciative of our state legislators and leaders who take the time to listen to our concerns. I especially want to thank our local leaders, Representative Ralph Massullo and Senator Blaise Ingoglia, and their respective staff.

Finally, I had the chance to visit several schools in the district. This is by far my favorite thing to do as a school board member. It’s always exciting to see the great work that our teachers and staff are doing to support students. I was especially impressed by the innovative approaches I saw in our schools, such as project-based learning and STEM initiatives.

These past few weeks have been busy but incredibly rewarding. It’s an honor to represent Citrus County students, families, staff, and schools. I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve in this capacity and look forward to continuing to work towards the goal of providing a high-quality education to all students in our district.

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Students make construction models for Legislators

Thank you to the Florida House of Representatives, Dr. Ralph Massullo Jr., and Florida Senator Blaise Ingoglia for meeting with us in their legislative offices today and for their genuine appreciation of the special construction models made by students in the Citrus High School Construction Academy, which Mr. Bobby Tester sent with us to present to the representative and senator. Senator Ingoglia, a construction contractor, put a level on the scale wall section and was impressed, declaring it “spot on.” We are so grateful for Senator Ingoglia and Rep. Massullo’s support for CTE in our local communities!

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2023 4-H Public Speaking Contest

I had the pleasure of attending the Citrus County Regional 4-H Public Speaking Contest for elementary 4th and 5th grade students, and it was truly inspiring to see these young students showcase their public speaking skills. The event was hosted by the UF/IFAS Extension Citrus County office, and featured 26 students from 13 public and private schools, each of whom had finished in the top two in speech contests at their respective schools.

Public speaking is an essential skill that is often overlooked, but it is a vital skill that students need to learn. It not only helps students to articulate their thoughts and ideas clearly, but it also helps them to build confidence and develop their communication skills. Giving students opportunities to practice public speaking at a young age can help them to develop this skill and give them a head start in their personal and professional lives.

The speeches delivered by these elementary students were truly impressive. Each student had chosen a topic that was important to them and had put a lot of effort into preparing their speech. The topics ranged from personal stories to science and technology, and the students’ enthusiasm for their chosen topics was evident in their delivery.

Some of the speeches topics included “The Kid Who Does It All” by Karson Roddenberry from Rock Crusher Elementary, where he talked about his many talents and how he balances them all; “Under the Sea” by Audriena Sapp from Seven Rivers Christian School, where she discussed the importance of preserving the ocean’s ecosystem; and “Medical Advancements” by Nikhil Pasupuleti from Forest Ridge Elementary, where he talked about some of the latest medical breakthroughs.

I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the judges Jennifer Jordan, Deb Reilly, and George Schmalstig for their time and dedication to this event. Their expertise and feedback were invaluable to the students and helped to make the event a success. I would also like to thank Citrus County Schools, Megan Furniss and Benjamin Davis at the District Office, Sheila James at Seven Rivers, Liz Lazars at Saint John Paull II, the teachers, parents, and contest participants for making this event possible.

Finally, a special thanks to the Citrus County 4-H Foundation and Crystal River Rotary for their generous support in supplying materials and awards for this program. It is because of organizations like these that students have the opportunity to participate in events like this and develop important skills for their future success.

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