Fast Times in Citrus Schools

I must first apologize for the lack of blog postings these past couple of weeks.  It has been a busy time in our schools and district.  I will be blogging about many of the individual happenings but I wanted to share with you a preview.

Last week and this week included several visits to our schools.  School visits always provide me with great insight of the needs of our students and teachers and I look forward to sharing about the visits with you.

In addition to the school visits, I will be sharing about our school board meeting, committee meetings, a Family Festival, a Career & Technical Task Force meeting with Rep. Smith and a special visitor at the Marine Science Station with the Regional Director for U.S. Senator Bill Nelson.  We also had the announcements by Principals retiring.

Look for these and other blogs soon!

Comments Off on Fast Times in Citrus Schools
Filed under: News & Updates

Camp Citrus 2013

Marine Science Station Summer Camp

for 7th* – 12th graders

The Marine Science Station will be hosting a summer camp experience, Middle schoolers will be June 3^rd through June 7^th 2013 and high schoolers  June 10^th through June 14^th, 2013.  Camp will be limited to 30 students per week.  (*Eligible students will have successfully completed the 6th grade and will be enrolled in Middle School for the 2013-2014 school year.)

The Marine Science Station facilities are located on a fifteen-acre marsh hammock that fronts the Salt River to the north with the remaining sides facing the tidal marsh.  Improvements to the site include two dormitories, dining hall, student classroom/wet laboratory with aquaria, assembly room with computer lab and an office.  A fifty-foot observation tower and a library are also available for student use.

Students enrolled in camp will live at the Marine Science Station for one week.  During that week the students will participate in various activities while exploring the unique coastal habitats of West Central Florida.  Daily boat excursions will take students on exciting explorations of the fresh water spring systems of the area, the estuary system as well as into the Gulf of Mexico, where they spend time snorkeling and swimming in order to experience these unique areas first hand.  The station has three 23-foot boats and one 27 foot boat, each capable of carrying 15 passengers for field studies and excursions.  All boats meet and exceed U.S. Coast Guard safety requirements and are operated by USCG licensed captains.  Also available are canoes, nets, trawls, and other collecting gear.

Fees
Summer Camp fees are $350 per student.  This fee includes all needed supplies, housing meals and an afternoon snack.  Also included are all daily trips, nighttime activities and a camp T-shirt.

Housing
Campers will reside in an air-conditioned dorm.  Campers will need to bring a sleeping bag or bedding (bunks with mattresses are provided) and a pillow.

Program Staff
The experience that students have during a visit to the Marine Science Station is enhanced by the fact that they are under the supervision of certified teachers 24 hours each day. The permanent staff includes the program director, resource teachers, custodian, secretary and food service workers.

Application
Applicants must be enrolled in Middle School for the 2013-14 school year. Interested students should complete the application packet and return it to the Marine Science Station at the address printed on the top of the application. Application review will begin April 1st and continue until all positions are filled.

For more information
Contact the Marine Science Station
352-795-4393
www.citrus.k12.fl.us/mss

Comments Off on Camp Citrus 2013 at the Marine Science Station
Filed under: News & Updates

Education continues after high school

“We’re at a point where going to college shouldn’t be an automatic decision for all students coming out of high school” — Rob Port, newspaper columnist.

Re-post of Article published in the Citrus Chronicle on Wednesday, February 20, 2013 – www.chronicleonline.com/content/education-continues-after-high-school

Currently, the push is underway for all high school students to be college ready upon graduation. I staunchly defend the right for all students to have the opportunity to go to college. With the cost of college rising, is going to college immediately after high school always the best option for all students?

A report, American Dream 2.0 — funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation — found 46 percent of those who enter a U.S. college fail to graduate within six years. That’s 46 percent! Many start college, take out loans and then fail to get the degree, but still are saddled with loan payments.

Mario Lozoya, director of government relations for Toyota of Texas, in San Antonia, notes not everyone in high school wants to go to college, but each graduate still needs a high-quality education, according to an article on the KUTX Texas website. He said Toyota needs more of them.

“Over 80 percent of our employees require a high school diploma or less, but still need the cognitive skills of science, engineering, technology and math to be successful,” said Lozoya.

Good jobs are currently available that do not require a four-year college education. Unfortunately, with the push to make every student college-ready, emphasis on career and technical education gets pushed aside. By focusing only on getting students ready for college, we are hurting both students who prefer a non-traditional track and businesses that need qualified employees, but cannot find them.

Recognizing this growing disconnect, state Rep. Jimmie T. Smith started a task force on career and technical education in 2010, and then expanded the task force with school board member Thomas Kennedy in late 2012, with a specific mission: for all students to graduate high school and have post-secondary career options that include job-ready skills or continued studies that develop job-ready skills and lead to workforce opportunities.

For this reason, Rep. Smith has introduced House Bill (HB) 133. The intent of this bill is to gain knowledge of what skills specific businesses need and then provide regional flexibility to school districts to allow them to prepare students for the workforce, while simultaneously giving them the rigorous education necessary so these students can further their education in the future if they desire.

So far, this task force has heard from Dr. James Stone, the director of National Research Center for Career and Technical Education at the University of Louisville; has visited the Health Academy at Crystal River High School to see successful career education in practice; and has solicited input from all sectors of Hernando and Citrus County.

Citrus County has jobs available. We need to make sure our school system has necessary flexibility from the Florida Department of Education to make sure we can give high school students the opportunity to get these jobs and still further their education in the future.

If you would like to add to this task force discussion, please do not hesitate to contact either Thomas Kennedy at the school board or Rep. Jimmie T. Smith.

Darrick Buettner is the coordinator of the International Baccalaureate program at Lecanto High School and a member of the CTE Task Force.­

Comments Off on Education continues after high school
Filed under: News & Updates