Junior Achievement and entrepreneurship taught by students to students

Annual CRHS Academy students teaching at CRP

For over 25 years Kym McGee, Regional Director for Junior Achievement of Tampa Bay has partnered with the Crystal River High School Academy of Health Careers for JA’s “High school heroes” program. Once again, this year I came out to see this program in action.

This High school heroes program places the CRHS students in the leadership position where they become the educator for the day. The students teach Crystal River Primary K-5th grade students lessons that provide a strong foundation for making informed decisions later in life, as well as sound money management. The CRHS student leaders work in teams to become experts using Junior Achievement lessons around these valuable concepts while also developing valuable communication and creative thinking skills.

Both my own children had this opportunity of participating as student leaders by both learning and teaching these valuable lessons on community, entrepreneurship, and governance. These student leaders spend time learning the lessons that they will teach with help of the Junior Achievement volunteers. CRHS teachers then work with the student leaders on the materials and teaching strategies.

Thank you to Junior Achievement of Tampa Bay, CRHS teachers, CRP teachers, and our CRHS AHC students for their support and work in making this happen.

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Black History Month

Honoring Educator Zeola Germany Allston

As part of the honoring of Black History month, I wanted to share about a person from the education world who was also important to my family and my life.

Zeola Allston, her husband Tom, their two daughters, and two sons moved to the Stoneham, Massachusetts area a suburb outside of Boston in the 1970s when Mrs. Allston was hired as one of the first African-American teachers at the private Seventh-Day Adventist elementary/middle school which was part of the New England Memorial Hospital community in Stoneham, Massachusetts where my sisters, and later I, attended school. In a short time, the Allston family and our family became close, and Mrs. Allston became one of my mother’s closest friends.

Growing up in New England a young person would typically not refer to an adult by their first name, so it was not uncommon for close family friends to be allowed to call them “Aunt” or “Uncle”. and so, I always knew Mrs. Allston as “Aunt Zeola”.  We have always thought of the entire Allston family as part of our family. When I married my wife, Aunt Zeola came to our wedding and met my wife for the first time, she came up and gave her a big hug and said, “I am your new Aunt Zeola”. Thinking of that moment today still gives me a wonderful feeling because that is the heart of Zeola Allston.

Mrs. Allston is one of the most dynamic, upbeat, engaging, and inspiring individuals and educators you could ever meet. Mrs. Allston was a constant positive educator and lifelong learner. She took every opportunity to find teachable moments. While she taught for more than 36 years her students numbered far more than those from her classroom. Because any of us that knew Aunt Zeola became her students in one form or another. She broke down barriers while always honoring herself, her family, her community, her heritage, and her God.

God bless you Aunt Zeola!

Zeola Germany Allston Biography*

Mrs. Zeola Germany Allston, M.A., teacher-educator, a Seventh-day Adventist for many years, and a native of Birmingham, Alabama, has dedicated her life to the cause of Christian education.

Recipient of the Zapara Excellence in Teaching Award, 1989, Mrs. Allston’s career as an educator extends over a period of 36 years, 33 of which were dedicated to Christian education.

A specialist in elementary education, Mrs. Allston has served as Principal-Teacher, Oakwood Elementary school, Huntsville, Alabama; teacher,. Oakwood Academy; cooperating teacher, Oakwood College Education department; teacher, multigrade classroom; principal-teacher, Berea Seventh-day Adventist school, Boston, Massachusetts; Edgewood SDA in Stoneham, Massachusetts and in many other teaching positions. Mrs. Allston has also served as director of student activity, recruiter, dean of women, Oakwood College; director of inner-city programs, Metropolitan Boston SDA Church; director, Headstart program, Boston, Massachusetts; and assistant director, day care center, New England Memorial Sanitarium and Hospital, Stoneham, Massachusetts.

Mrs. Allston’s expertise in the field of Christian education is an invaluable contribution to the Adventist Church, Educational System and the committee which planned and developed this work. She has helped to give it the prominence which it hopes to achieve in the field of Seventh-day Adventist education.

A Star Gives Light Seventh-Day Adventist African-American Heritage Teacher’s Resource Guide. Office of Education Southern Union Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists, 1989.

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4-H Speech Competition at Citrus Springs Middle School

An important skill for young people to learn and be successful in is public speaking and 4-H competitions at the 4th, 5th, and 6th grade levels are an excellent opportunity to show those skills. And today they did! All eight students did a superb job sharing about issues, passions, problems, and solutions. Three students receive medals, and the top 1st and 2nd place winners move on to the District-wide competition. Thank you to CSMS Instructional Coach Muriel Burnett for coordinating the event, the teachers for their work and support with the students, and for the families for their support.

Congratulations to CSMS 1st place Noah Walker on his speech “Splash!”, 2nd place Sastia Mitchell on her speech “It Only Takes a Second”, and 3rd place Tyler Neveau on his speech, “Technology”.

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