Pirates challenge others to walk for a cure

Posted on February 21st, 2020 by

Pirates challenge others to walk for a cure

CRHS’s club, Students and Teachers Against Cancer (STAC), is challenging every Citrus County School to bring the most attendees to this year’s cancer walk. The school with the most people will win this year’s spirit stick!!!!! Which school will win???

 

Are you a cancer survivor or do you know one? If so, we want to honor you this year at the “It’s All About the Cause” Cancer Walk on Saturday, March 14th from 3-11 PM at Lecanto High School. We will have a goody bag for each survivor and a free dinner for them and their caretaker. Just send your name, email, and phone number so we can get you registered or go to www.naturecoastcancercrusaders.org or Ncccrusaders@gmail.com.

What is this cancer walk all about?

Have you ever been to a Relay for Life? It’s very similar to that. Just imagine a carnival for a good cause. There are multiple events all-day and all-night long. There are games, LOTS of food, bands, dancers, drawings, and so much more. Each team must have someone walking for them at all times to show that cancer never sleeps. The main events are our Guns N’ Hoses Basketball game (Firefighters vs. Police Dept.) at 1:00 in the gym, our Opening Ceremony at 4:00, our Survivor Dinner at 5:00 (given to all cancer survivors and their caregivers free of charge), the Luminaria event at 9:00- lit bags honoring and remembering cancer patients around the track (this is my favorite part) which also includes a slideshow of the cancer warriors, then more games, food, and fun until the closing at 11:00. Any money, gift donations, and/or sponsors that you get are GREATLY APPRECIATED and helps local cancer patients while funding cancer research. We cannot wait to see you there!!!!!

To sign up a survivor, a team, or to donate please visit www.naturecoastcancercrusaders.org or email us at Ncccrusaders@gmail.com.

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2020 State Education Funding, still optimistic and hopeful

Posted on February 19th, 2020 by

2020 State Education Funding, still optimistic and hopeful

The 2020 State Education funding proposals for the 2020 legislative budgets have been outlined by Governor DeSantis, and both the Senate and House Chambers. 

I am asked continuously these days about what I think about the proposed education funding in the proposed state budget. I am still optimistic and hopeful but most of all appreciative of the Governor and the Legislature to the commitment and hard work that they have put into finding ways to fund and bolster teachers’ salaries and fund important educational necessities. While we share some concerns about what the details may include and some of the additional funding needs and operational costs requirements this year, make no mistake we are grateful for all the Governor and Legislature have been doing to support education. There are many details that the Senate and House will be working on together with input from the Governor, Florida Department of Education, and many other stakeholders, including school boards, to come up with a final budget for the Governor’s signature. I do not believe they have an easy task to achieve the many goals, requirements, desires, and needs for Florida’s students and schools. All of this must be done while also providing a balanced budget.  It is challenging balancing a multitude of funding needs for Florida, not just in education.

We are very blessed in Citrus County to have the Representation at the state level that we have. I am so thankful to our local state elected leaders such as House Representative Dr. Ralph Massullo, and Senator Simpson, who go out of their way to listen to our concerns and feedback about the local impacts of the funding considerations they will have to vote on. There will never be a perfect funding budget that will satisfy everyone concerned. As State elected leaders they will do their best. During my visits to the Capitol, I am continually impressed with the commitment of all our elected leaders. We may sometimes see things slightly differently but what I see over and over is genuine people that want to make the best decisions for our students and future.

I pray for them that they have the wisdom of Solomon as they continue to do what is best for our great state. Our students need all of us to work together and to be positive for them and their future, which is truly our future.

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Happy Presidents’ Day

Posted on February 17th, 2020 by

Happy Presidents’ Day

Happy Presidents’ Day a.k.a. Washington’s Birthday

Today we celebrate our United States Presidents. Presidents’ Day is an American holiday celebrated on the third Monday in February. Originally established in 1885 in recognition of President George Washington, it is still officially called “Washington’s Birthday” by the federal government. Presidents’ Day is now popularly viewed as a day to celebrate all U.S. presidents past and present. (source: http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/presidents-day)

A book on our U.S. Presidents that is a favoriate of my that I recommend is, ‘The Presidents Club: Inside the World’s Most Exclusive Fraternity’ by Nancy Gibbs. It is the inside story of the world’s most exclusive fraternity; how presidents from Hoover through Obama worked with—and sometimes, against–each other when they were in and out of power.

 

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Career Technical Education Month

Posted on February 4th, 2020 by

Career Technical Education Month

So grateful for the amazing Career Technical Education (CTE)/Vocational/Workforce Education opportunities our students have available to them.

Citrus County Schools offer approximately 140 separate CTE courses covering approximately 75 industry certifications, through 28 different Program of Study Pathways available to our high school students.

To learn more about the CTE opportunities in our school for our students visit: http://www.citrus.k12.fl.us/departments/curriculum_and_instruction/career_technical_education

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FL Senate and House separately say ‘wages yes, bonuses no’

Posted on January 31st, 2020 by

FL Senate and House separately say ‘wages yes, bonuses no’

Very encouraged by Florida Legislature education budget proposals

On Monday this week, the Florida Senate Appropriations Subcommittee released their proposed education budget, and then on Wednesday the Florida House Appropriations Subcommittee released their version of the education budget for the 2020 Legislative session.

While there are differences between these initial budgets there are several common themes. The biggest has to do with following Gov. DeSantis’s request to increase teachers’ base salaries. The other is that both the Senate and House proposed budgets that focus on increasing teacher annual salaries, rather than offering teacher bonuses. Bonuses that have often tied to students’ state assessment test scores and/or schools’ grades that are also tied to students’ state assessment test scores.

While each chamber’s plans have specific positives and differences, I applaud both chambers for understanding the importance of salaries increases for teachers. Much of the differences and specifics are still to be worked out, and I would expect some issues to even have to be conferenced before we have a final budget. 

We need to thank Gov. DeSantis for setting the tone, and state leaders in both chambers for working very hard to try and help increase salaries for teachers, provide flexibility, and recognize that each district has different needs.  

For details of the two chamber’s budget versions follow this link to a good side-by-side comparison from the Florida School Board Association: https://fsba.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Summary-Comparison-January-2020-1.pdf 

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Phil Royal EMT Program

Posted on January 28th, 2020 by

Phil Royal EMT Program

at the CRHS Academy of Health Careers

Citrus County School board members unanimously voted on the new name just a few minutes ago, alongside CRHS Principal Dr. Linda Connors, April Royal and Phil and April”s daughter Brelyn.

It is official! Today the Citrus County School Board unanimously approved officially naming the new EMT program at Crystal River High School to be the “Phil Royal EMT Program at the CRHS Academy of Health Careers”.

What brought this about was something that was shared to me by a special individual. Shortly after I was first elected to office, the leader of our Law Enforcement Academy at the time, Phil Royal, talked to me about the need and his hope that someday the CRHS’s Health Academy’s Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) program could improve to be an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) program. Over the years I helped encourage us to explore the possibility, but there were many obstacles.

This past year we tried again and with Superintendent Himmel, her team, District Post-Secondary Coordinator Debra Stanley, and CRHS Principal Dr. Connors, CRHS Head Guidance Counselor Trudee Mason, CF Associate Professor Rodney McGinnes, along with the College of Central Florida.  This was not an easy task and I am so thankful for the commitment of all involved to make this a reality.

April Royal holds a photo of new Royal EMT Program instructor Wendy Barton who as a former EMT student herself of Phil Royal’s.

As a result of this team, two weeks ago, 10 students began the Royal EMT Program. The students will complete their training before the end of this school year and will then take the National EMS Certification. If they successfully pass the certification, and after high school graduation, these students will be EMT Certified. I am so grateful to Superintendent Sandra “Sam” Himmel and our Citrus County School Board for supporting this great program.

What also makes this all even more special is that when we were working with CF EMS Professor McGinnes in developing the program we learned that he had worked with Phil Royal in the EMT training program. The CF EMT instructor he chose for CRHS was none other than, Wendy Barton, a former EMT student of Phil Royal’s.  The perfect person to help our EMT students not only be prepared for the work they will be doing but someone that learned from Phil Royal himself how to be a model EMT.

Lastly, I want to thank April Royal for allowing us to use Phil’s name for the program and for her support of this program!

For more information about the Phil Royal EMT Program at the CRHS Academy of Health Careers visit: https://crh.citrusschools.org/clubs_organizations/academy_of_health_careers

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