Posted on April 28th, 2022 by
Thomas E Kennedy
Kennedy speaks at Kennedy Space Center AMF new STEM curriculum launch
What a great honor it was today to represent Citrus County School District and the Florida School Board Association (FSBA) and speak at the launch of a new no-cost innovative “STEAM” (Science-Technology-Engineering-Arts-Math) initiative and curriculum. NASA Astronaut Captain Winston Scott, former Florida Senator Bill Montford, and Florida Representative & The Astronauts Memorial Foundation Executive Director Thad Altman announced the Mission One STEAM initiative and curriculum.
Mission One STEAM initiative is being developed in collaboration with many Aerospace and Community Partners. It will be made available in the future to public, private, and home schools. In addition, the Mission One STEAM project will offer onsite special activities, events, and competitions at the AMF Center for Space Education in the Kennedy Space Center.
Inspiring space exploration, aerospace engineering, and STEAM is not new for Citrus County Schools. Citrus has helped produce a number of former Citrus Schools students that work in the air-space industry including NASA Engineer Dr. Eric Stewart. (Read more about Dr. Stewart at https://thomastalks.org/citrus-students-conference-with-nasa-engineer-and-former-alumni/.)
Thank you to The Astronaut Memorial Foundation, Mark III, Rotary International, The Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay, and NASA Hunch for their support of the Mission One STEAM Initiative and this event. Special thanks to The Astronauts Memorial Foundation, Florida Representative Thad Altman, and Matt Susin, Brevard County School Board Member for making this event possible.
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Filed under: Blog Posts, News & Updates
Posted on April 26th, 2022 by
Thomas E Kennedy
Scuba coming (back) to CRHS NJROTC, shared at SAC
Some exciting news coming out of yesterday’s Crystal River High School’s School Advisory Council (SAC) meeting that I attended. CRHS’s Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) looks to begin this coming fall a certified divers option for cadets. CRHS NJROTC Senior Chief Maurice Perine and Tom Gotterup a local Rotarian, AES Board Member, and scuba instructor presented the program which will be modeled off of the Academy of Environmental Science program. Cadets would participate in an eight-week program and if they pass will be Naui certified as an Open Water Scuba Diver.
Cadets will have to qualify to be eligible to enter the program with both academic and behavioral requirements in order to participate. It will be a greatly reduced fee-based program, and scholarship options are being looked at to accommodate all students that qualify.
This actually is not the first time CRHS has had such a program in their NJROTC. The school’s NJROTC previously had one of the county’s first school based scuba program a number of years ago. In addition, funds will be raised to address scuba equipment needs for the program.
Underwater exploration fits right in line with the objectives of the CRHS NJROTC Naval science program. CRHS NJROTC is a nationally recognized as a Distinguished Unit.
Parents, community members, school staff, and administration were very excited about the presentation and supported it.
There are still many details to work out but this was exciting news and just another example of the valuable work for students that comes out of the school advisory council‘s.
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Filed under: News & Updates
Posted on April 25th, 2022 by
Thomas E Kennedy
Upward Bound Wraps for the school year
Today was the last Upward Bound for Elementary Awards for the 2021-2022 school year. Today’s ceremony marks over 30 years of the Citrus County Rotary Ray Darling Upward Bound Awards and Ceremonies. Nearly 20,000 students have been recognized as Upward Bound recipients for individual successes.
Today’s inspirational guest speaker for our students was James “Boe” Anderson a personal friend of the late Ray Darling founder of the Upward Bound’s Award Ceremonies and who the Award is now named for. Mr. Anderson is a fourth-generation Floridian who at age 15 attended Tampa Bay Tech High School where he learned the printing trade. He later began his commercial experience in printing and in 1980 Gemini Graphics Printing, Inc., which remains in operations today. In 1995 the company moved from Tampa to Homosassa where Mr. Anderson started the Olde Mill House Gallery and Printing Museum. Mr. Anderson inspired the students to continue to persevere.
Ray Darlings’s vision that every student is worthy and can be successful and should be acknowledged for that continues because of the support from each of the Citrus County Rotary Clubs in Citrus County. Upward Bound students have gone on to become successful and our community continues to benefit because of the work of the Citrus County Rotary Ray Darling Upward Bound Awards and Ceremony.
While this school year’s Upward Bound ceremonies are over, the work of our students, their families, our schools, our educators, our community, our Rotaries, and Rotarians continue.
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Filed under: News & Updates
Posted on April 24th, 2022 by
Thomas E Kennedy
Congrats to Damon selected as FHSAA’s new Exec. Dir.
Congratulations to Craig Damon on being selected as the new Executive Director of the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA).
I have had the honor and privilege of working with him for the last three years as he facilitated FHSAA Sectional Appeals for the entire state of Florida as part of his responsibilities as Associate Executive Director for FHSAA. I sit as a member of the Section 2 Appeals hearing Committee with Mr. Damon. I have watched how student-focused Mr. Damon is, and I have learned a great deal from him. I look forward to continuing to work with Mr. Damon in this new role.
I am so grateful that FHSAA Board selected Mr. Damon to lead FHSAA. I feel he is the right person for this critical role. Mr. Damon is well respected by coaches, athletic directors, administrators, parents, and student-athletes.
Once again congratulations to Craig Damon!
You can read more about the FHSAA Board of Director’s special meeting to elect the new Executive Director by reading this article at https://floridahsfootball.com/2022/04/23/craig-damon-to-be-named-the-11th-executive-director-of-the-fhsaa/.YmVW-tPMKM8.
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Filed under: News & Updates
Posted on April 21st, 2022 by
Thomas E Kennedy
FSBIT BOD Meetings
I am at the Florida School Board Insurance Trust (FSBIT) board of directors’ meetings this week in Tampa representing both Citrus Schools and FSBA. These are critical meetings to understand the current and future risk mitigation, liabilities, financial impacts, and more facing our school district. Citrus County Schools is one of 12 Florida School Districts (trustees) that make up the not-for-profit FSBIT. Because Citrus School’s insurance needs have been covered through FSBIT for decades, it has resulted in significant cost savings and no commission insurance rates, and risk coverage has been at or better than the open market.
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Filed under: News & Updates
Posted on April 20th, 2022 by
Thomas E Kennedy
Volunteer Week
Thank you for all you do!
Thank you so all our volunteers who volunteer in our schools, at after-school activities, and with our community not-for-profit organizations that impact our students’ lives. We are so grateful to each and every one of you!
One of those special volunteers is Nurse Becky Beattie who was recently recognized by the Citrus County School District for her work with our district in the development and implementation of curriculum and skill development for high school students learning and performing Cardiopulmonary resuscitation. As a result, students are not only learning the minimum required in Florida Standards, but I get hands-on life-saving skill practices.
Thank you, Nurse Beattie, and thank you to ALL our amazing community volunteers!
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Filed under: News & Updates
What a great honor it was today to represent Citrus County School District and the Florida School Board Association (FSBA) and speak at the launch of a new no-cost innovative “STEAM” (Science-Technology-Engineering-Arts-Math) initiative and curriculum. NASA Astronaut Captain Winston Scott, former Florida Senator Bill Montford, and Florida Representative & The Astronauts Memorial Foundation Executive Director Thad Altman announced the Mission One STEAM initiative and curriculum.
