Dedication of School District’s Purple Heart Wall of Fallen Heroes

Posted on May 5th, 2014 by

Dedication of School District’s Purple Heart Wall of Fallen Heroes

“Let it be known that he who wears the military order of the Purple Heart has given his blood in the defense of his homeland and shall forever be revered by his fellow countrymen.”

~ General George Washington, 1st President of US, 1782

Citrus Schools Wall of HonorToday Citrus County Schools is honoring our school district’s fallen heroes at the permanent Purple Heart Wall of Honor.  The event was attended by many local and state dignitaries, school district administrator and staff, community members and most honored, the family and friends of these fine Heroes.  Of the many great events I have been proud to participate in this was one of the ones I was so grateful to have been a small part of.

I had the very honor of sharing some remarks about this special day before then reading the names of the Fallen Heroes.

10309656_10152344839801259_2011295713753064979_n“These heroes are the dedicated defenders of what is good and just in our great country and community. When they answered the call to service, they did not ask about the citizens whose freedom they were defending. They did not ask if they were rich or poor, what God they did or did not worship or what the color of their skin was. They simply asked, “Where am I needed?” and then answered that call.

It is our hope that this Wall of Honor will remind us to think of each of them. Think about them when our children are playing on our schools’ playgrounds. Think about them when you enjoy a quiet walk on your neighborhood streets with your friends, and think of them when you and your family feel safe as you fall asleep at night.

10312451_10152344842666259_2879265288509176441_nThese heroes have given us a gift we can never pay back. We would like to thank each of their families as we publicly declare to our community how blessed we are for these heroes’ service, courage, and sacrifice.”

May 5th, 2014 Honored Purple Heart Fallen Heroes

  • Chief Warrant Officer 2 Aaron A. Weaver, USA (Citrus High School)
  • Corporal Stanley J. Lapinski, USA (Collier County, FL)
  • Sergeant Dennis J. Flanagan, USA, (Lecanto High School)
  • Sergeant Robert A. Surber, USA (Citrus High School)
  • Sergeant Dennis J. Boles, USA (Crystal River High School)
  • Sergeant Jonathan K. Peney, USA, (Crystal River High School)
  • Corporal Johnathan Taylor, USMC (Lecanto High School)
  • Private First Class Michael C. Mahr, USA (South Sumter High School)
  • Chief Warrant Officer 2 Randy L. Billings, USA (Oklahoma)

Additional Photos from the event

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Senate Agrees with House on Textbook Legislation

Posted on May 1st, 2014 by

Senate Agrees with House on Textbook Legislation

Legislature passes Instruction Material Legislation – Retaining the State Adoption Process

textbooksToday the Senate passed the House version of the Instructional materials legislation – the version of the bill retains the State Instructional material Adoption Process making a list of materials that have been reviewed at the State Level available for consideration at the local level.

I feel it is important for us to thank both our local legislators Senator Charles Dean and Representative Jimmie T. Smith for their support of retaining the State Adoption Process which will continue to save districts cost and resources and is the best decision for students and schools. Our Senator Dean appropriately voted against the Senate’s version of the Instruction Material Legislation (SB 864) and then only voted for it once the bill was revised to match the House’s version (HB 921). Rep. Smith supported the House bill which was what school district and educators were asking for.

I further want to thank those of you that took the time to contacted our Legislators and asked for their intervention and votes.

Next the bill will be sent tot eh Governor for his approval.

So what does this all mean? It means that largely nothing changes for school districts that want to adopt textbooks through the State Adoption Process. If school districts want to adopt a textbook not on the state’s approved list of materials then there is a defined process which includes public input. Further and perhaps the biggest change is that it moves up the digital adoption requirement by a year from 2015-2016 to 2014-2015. This means that the Citrus School Districts’ one to one individual digital device innovative (known often as the iPads) is and has been more appropriate and necessary then ever.

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Joseph Buccheri Golf Tournament

Posted on April 15th, 2014 by

2nd annual Joseph Buccheri Foundation Charity Golf Tournament

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The 2nd annual Joseph “Coach” Buccheri Foundation Charity Golf Tournament will be held Saturday, May 17th, 2014 at The Oaks of Citrus Hills.

Joseph a coach was with the St. Louis Cardinals from 1972-1982. Joseph taught and coached for fifteen years at Valley Park High School. In 1985 Joseph and his wife Marie joined the Citrus County School system as teachers. Joseph was also a guidance counselor and baseball coach at Crystal River High School, guidance counselor at Withlacoochee Technical Institute, baseball and softball coach at Dunnellon High School, guidance counselor at CREST, and a guidance counselor at Citrus High School. Joseph also volunteered with the Dunnellon Little League, assisted, and mentored many of Citrus County’s youth athletes and students with a pure passion to help and develop them in sport and life over the past twenty six years.

Coach BuccheriPre-Register by May 10th, 2014 online at www.JoeBuccheri.org

Registration begins at 7:30 am with a Tee Off at 8:30am

Don’t have 4 – Don’t miss the Fun – We will pair you up!

Cost of $60.00 per person includes; 18 holes of golf, riding cart, food, beverages and all proceeds from the tournament go to the Joseph Buccheri Foundation.

  • Grand Prize for Winners
  • Second and Third Place Prizes
  • Longest Drive – Taylor Made R1 TP Driver
  • Closest to the Pin – Ping Putter
  • 50/50 Tickets
  • Mulligans – Can be used anywhere on the course
  • Complimentary Beverages
  • Raffle Tickets – Items include Taylor Made Supreme Lite Bag, Nike gear, Cleveland wedge, clubs, balls, and much more!
  • Plated Award Lunch will be provided at the completion of the Tournament

Can’t make it? That’s OK, Donate Today!

Joseph Buccheri Foundation
www.JoeBuccheri.org
JBuccheri@joebuccheri.org

 

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National Technical Honor Society at WTI

Posted on April 15th, 2014 by

National Technical Honor Society at WTI

NTHS“CTE provides the high level skills necessary for the 21st century workforce and integrates academics as a significant portion of the curriculum.” ~ Paul Galbenski, 2011-2012 Michigan State’s Teacher of the Year and the first Career and Technical Education teacher in Michigan to earn this prestigious award

Last Wednesday, April 9th, 2014 was Withlacoochee Technical Institute’s National Technical Honor Society 2014 Induction Ceremony where I was the guest speaker. NTHS honors the achievements of top Career & Technical Education students, provides scholarships to encourage the pursuit of higher education, and cultivates excellence in today’s highly competitive, skilled workforce. For over 30 years, NTHS has been the acknowledged leader in the recognition of outstanding student achievement in career and technical education.

WTI NTHSOne of the educational areas in Citrus Schools I am so proud of is our Career & Technical Education programs at WTI and at our three high schools.  Programs that teach job skills and often earn career certifications, some of these examples are the Culinary Arts & Food Services, Drafting Academies, and CRHS Health Academy. But it is our flagship technical school WTI that is the center piece of CTE in Citrus Schools.  WTI has a completion or graduation rate of 91%, a licensure exam rate of 94%, a job placement rate of 91%, and last year WTI students earned 415 industry certifications.

Why am I such a strong proponent of CTE? Because I am a third generation Career & Technical Education student whose family members benefited because Career & Technical Education (or what was then referred to as vocational or business classes) were available to them. My father held over 20 certifications and was the Director of Environmental Services for a large metro hospital outside of Boston along with being a successful business owner;  my mother was a licensed practical nurse who became the Director of Risk Management & Quality Assurance at that same hospital; and  my maternal grandmother was an LPN who owned & operated her own convalescent home.  For me CTE training and certifications greatly contributed in my success in real estate, construction, and computer technology.

Thomas HonoredWhy is CTE critical to our community, state and country? In Walter Isaacson’s biography on Steve Jobs he writes that President Barack Obama asked Jobs what it would take to move manufacturing of Apple Products from China to the United States. Jobs explained that it could not be done.  His answer again speaks to the importance our educational system plays in the development of jobs in our country. Jobs went on to urge that a way be found to train more American Engineers. “Apple had 700,000 factory workers employed in China”, he said, “and that was because it needed 30,000 engineers on-site to support those workers. You can’t find that many Factory Engineers in America to hire,” he added. These Factory Engineers in China did not have to be PhDs or geniuses; they simply needed to have basic engineering skills for manufacturing. Tech schools, community colleges, or trade schools could train them. “If you could educate these engineers,” Jobs said, “then we could move more manufacturing plants here.” This is what WTI’s CTE studies are doing each school day and HTHS is honoring.

On this evening I was honored to receive an Honorary Membership into the National Technical Honor Society by WTI Director Denise Willis and WTI’s NTHS Advisor Victoria Sleighter.

I will continue to be an advocate for CTE in our schools and community because job skills, training and certifications have a direct correlation to personal and community economic success.

*******

It’s been said, “The person who’s on the top of the mountain, did not simply fall there by accident.” CTE students choose to learn today so that they may be successful in a job tomorrow!

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Regular Board Meeting Recap for April 8th, 2014

Posted on April 13th, 2014 by

Regular Board Meeting Recap for April 8th, 2014

10151969_10152287671591259_79870341862242428_nDuring the meeting Superintendent Himmel presented the Superintendent’s “Making a Difference Award” to Crystal River High School student Tyler Phillips and to Lecanto Primary School teacher Dianna Bandhauer. Tyler was awarded for his selfless commitment and work in helping the Crystal River High School campus remain the beautiful campus it is. 10151252_10152289281536259_8037167312473512213_nMs. Bandhauer was awarded for her work on the school’s, “Fuel Up To Play 60”.  Ms. Bandhauer  gave a presentation to the  school board about the  Fuel Up To Play 60 program LPS students have been involved in. Fuel Up To Play 60 is a nationwide movement focused on encouraging kids to eat healthy and be active for 60 minutes a day.

School district staff presented the bid results for the districts’ before-and after-school programs. The recommended bid was the Citrus YMCA of the Suncoast.   The YMCA won the bid process ; the  Y already has been operating the before-and- after-school program at Homosassa Elementary School. YMCA Executive Director Joanna Castle gave a presentation on the Y’s before-and- after-school and explained that the Y partners with the Early Learning Coalition and is  licensed through the state of Florida and the Department of Children and Families.  The Y will offer financial assistance for the before-and- after-school programs, something that the school district previously could not.  Ms. Castle shared that the Y has been  the nation’s largest before-and- after-school care provider for the past 30 years.  She went on to say that currently the Y offers before-and- after-school programs to about 5,000 youths at 51 child care sites already. After Ms. Castle’s presentation the Board voted unanimously to award the bid to the Y.

1798031_10152289277036259_3650297717728970538_nAlso during the meeting Citrus Springs Middle’s Assistant Principal Jason Koon and AVID English Language Arts teacher Dan Koch gave an excellent presentation to the board about “Flipped Classrooms” and other strategies they learned  while they were at the Florida Educational Technology Conference in Orlando in January.

If you would like to see more of the board meeting  follow this link to the video stream: http://new.livestream.com/citrusschools/events/2901929

Our next board workshop and meeting is April 22nd, 2014.

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DO NOT DELAY!!! Camp Citrus at MSS

Posted on April 11th, 2014 by

Camp Citrus at MSS

DO NOT DELAY!!!

For only $249, a middle or high school student can attend Camp Citrus for 5 days and 4 nights of outstanding aquatic educational activities, delicious meals and overnight lodging at the Marine Science Station in Crystal River! Go to www.citrus.k12.fl.us/mss for more information and to apply for this excellent opportunity! The deadline is May 9th! Thanks to the Southwest Florida Water Management District for their generous grant to help make this camp more affordable for students in Citrus, Marion, and Hernando Counties!

Camp Citrus at MSS

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