Dear Families,
I hope this communication finds each of you safe and healthy as we journey through February. It’s so hard to believe there are only three weeks remaining until Spring Break. With this said, I challenge each of our learners to reenergize their efforts and focus on their academic courses over these next few weeks in order to finish the third quarter strong. As I visit classrooms, I see our students, teachers, support staff, and leaders giving best effort and I firmly believe my challenge can be easily met.
This past week, I had the privilege of taking part in our virtual High School Forum. It’s an annual event where each high school selects two students to take part in discussions with district leadership and our board members. These students come armed with one question or statement they feel is important to their classmates and the future of the district. I was blown away by the level of questions and concerns brought forward by our future leaders. Each interaction pushed district staff to think differently as we seek to improve student experiences and outcomes for every student.
The main takeaways from the forum:
- The overwhelming appreciation by our students to the teachers and administration that work hard to keep everyone safe and help schools remain open;
- The importance of school community and extracurricular activities;
- How eLearning has helped them become more organized and resilient;
- The desire for more information about Dual Enrollment and Technical and Vocational Programs.
Our dialogue was outstanding and I promise everyone that we are listening and we will work to make sure each one of their concerns are addressed. I encourage you to watch the Forum here.
Also taking place this past week was our CEOs in Schools experience in partnership with Hillsborough Education Foundation. Local CEOs were asked to adopt a school and spend their entire day shadowing a principal and learning the ins and outs of running a school. This annual event continues to prove to be beneficial for all parties as everyone obtains a better understanding on what it takes to build the intellectual, social, and emotional capacity of our students while preparing them for life. So many times, we have witnessed local CEOs form a lasting bond with the school and that bond further strengthens the school’s ties to the community.
A major “thank you” to all of the local CEOs who took part in this special event!
Finally, I know a lot of you are wondering what came of the Super Bowl wager between myself and Dr. Mark Bedell, Superintendent of Kansas City Public Schools. I’m excited to tell you, they are already making good on the wager! This past Friday, we received a barbeque lunch, delivered to our Teacher of the Year, Laura Meehan from Caminiti Exceptional Center. I’m told more delicious barbeque and baked goods are on their way from Kansas City as we speak! We appreciate KCPS for upholding their part of our wager and sharing a few of their local treasures.
I cannot thank each of you enough for your continued support of public education and trusting our district with your child. I hope you enjoy the rest of your Sunday evening and look forward to seeing you in the community soon.
Respectfully,
Addison Davis, Superintendent of Schools
Teacher of the Year Ms. Meehan enjoying her bbq lunch courtesy of Kansas City Public Schools!
 |  |  |
Congratulations to Lockhart Elementary Magnet School for participating in a reading challenge against Kansas City's West Platte Elementary the week of the Super Bowl. Although they didn't take home the trophy they got really close! More importantly, they read more than 80,000 pages and completed almost 3,000 books - in one week! Thanks to Media Specialist Angie Snow and all the teachers who helped achieve this goal! | Thank you Deputy Heaverin from Rodgers Middle Magnet School for all you've done for your school community. Friday was Deputy Heaverin's last day at Rodgers, as she'll be transitioning into a new role at the Sheriff's Office. Deputy Heaverin started the school's food pantry, and as a goodbye, students and employees donated more than 160 boxes of cereal to local food pantries in her honor! | Barrington Middle school "stands up" for music! Mr. Rosa and his students created a project to repair music stands and donate them to schools in need! Thank you Barrington for spreading the love and the music! |
Congratulations to Lockhart Elementary Magnet School for participating in a reading challenge against Kansas City's West Platte Elementary the week of the Super Bowl. Although they didn't take home the trophy they got really close! More importantly, they read more than 80,000 pages and completed almost 3,000 books - in one week! Thanks to Media Specialist Angie Snow and all the teachers who helped achieve this goal!
Thank you Deputy Heaverin from Rodgers Middle Magnet School for all you've done for your school community. Friday was Deputy Heaverin's last day at Rodgers, as she'll be transitioning into a new role at the Sheriff's Office. Deputy Heaverin started the school's food pantry, and as a goodbye, students and employees donated more than 160 boxes of cereal to local food pantries in her honor!
Barrington Middle school "stands up" for music! Mr. Rosa and his students created a project to repair music stands and donate them to schools in need! Thank you Barrington for spreading the love and the music!
 |  |  |
Congratulations to Shore Arts Magnet School! It was chosen by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Foundation for its incredible Bucs spirit during the Super Bowl run! The Foundation dropped off boxes of supplies for the school to thank them for Raising the Flag! | Congratulations Halei Murrell from Lennard High School. She was chosen first team All-Conference Player of the Year! Halei is not only a star on the court but off the court she maintains a 5.5 GPA! | Saturday Literacy Camp is going strong at Mango Elementary! Students are focusing on bolstering student skills in reading through intensive small group instruction and individualized support from HCPS teachers. |
Congratulations to Shore Arts Magnet School! It was chosen by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Foundation for its incredible Bucs spirit during the Super Bowl run! The Foundation dropped off boxes of supplies for the school to thank them for Raising the Flag!
Congratulations Halei Murrell from Lennard High School. She was chosen first team All-Conference Player of the Year! Halei is not only a star on the court but off the court she maintains a 5.5 GPA!
Saturday Literacy Camp is going strong at Mango Elementary! Students are focusing on bolstering student skills in reading through intensive small group instruction and individualized support from HCPS teachers.
Student Resources
To access Student Resources, you simply go to our website www.HillsboroughSchools.org and click on Students across the bar on the top. Once there, you will see dozens of important resources for our learners.
They include:
- Canvas & Clever login information
- Mental Health Resources
- Report a Bully
- Scholarship Opportunities
- Breakfast/Lunch menus
- Graduation requirements
We encourage you to take the time to look through these helpful resources! You can navigate directly to the Student page here.
 |  |  |
In celebration of Black History Month, more than 700 books were collected for students at Edison Elementary School in Tampa. Thank you to Jack and Jill of America, Greater Tampa Associate Group, local attorney Jon Philipson and numerous affiliated groups for collecting and donating the books! Each student at Edison was gifted two books to take home! | Students in Mrs. Wilbon's class at Sessums Elementary created these amazing Black History Month projects! The students are learning so much about Black History and are using what they learn to create amazing works of art! | In honor of Black History Month, Walker Middle Magnet and IB school students learned Google Drawings to create artwork about influential individuals. One 8th grader went above and beyond by creating 23 portraits from the Harlem Renaissance era. |
In celebration of Black History Month, more than 700 books were collected for students at Edison Elementary School in Tampa. Thank you to Jack and Jill of America, Greater Tampa Associate Group, local attorney Jon Philipson and numerous affiliated groups for collecting and donating the books! Each student at Edison was gifted two books to take home!
Students in Mrs. Wilbon's class at Sessums Elementary created these amazing Black History Month projects! The students are learning so much about Black History and are using what they learn to create amazing works of art!
In honor of Black History Month, Walker Middle Magnet and IB school students learned Google Drawings to create artwork about influential individuals. One 8th grader went above and beyond by creating 23 portraits from the Harlem Renaissance era.
HART sponsors Black History Month contest for HCPS students
Attention students! You're invited to enter HART's Black History Month contest. Create a video, essay, or drawing around HART's 2021 theme of "The Black Family"
"The Black Family" theme can include heads of the family, types of family relationships, and various family backgrounds.
All entries must be received by Sunday, February 28, 2021 and will be entered into a raffle to win a HART 31-day pass. Four winners will be chosen!
Thank you to HART for creating this opportunity for our students!
Read about the partnership formed during Kenly Elementary School's air conditioning replacement when three businesses rolled up their sleeves to get the job done while putting students, families, and staff first.
Eighty percent of the referendum projects are awarded to local businesses and 25% are awarded to small and minority-owned businesses.
Magnet Application Window: Mark your calendars! Our next Magnet Schools Application Window runs from March 5 - March 25. Get ready to be part of wave #2 as we continue to prepare for the 2021/2022 school year!
Learn more about our extensive Magnet options!
Math Homework Hotline: We are so excited by all the students taking advantage of Math Homework Hotline this year! Math Homework Hotline offers a free service to students for math help. On select Thursdays, the live show is broadcast from 6pm - 7pm featuring a specific math topic while students call in with ANY of their math questions. The tutors will begin taking calls at 5:30pm. The hotline number is 813-840-7260.
You can watch Math Homework Helpline on Spectrum channel 635 or Frontier channel 32.
 |  |  |
Irish 31 is once again accepting nominations for its "Cheers to Public Service" awards! These awards celebrate our most deserving teachers. Irish 31 Pub House & Eatery invites friends, family, fellow educators, parents, and students to nominate a teacher that has made a difference in their life, or the life of a loved one. Twenty teachers will win $1,000 to spend on whatever brings them joy! Click here to nominate a teacher or find out more about the award process The deadline to nominate a teacher is April 15. | Looking for a great way to stay healthy? Check out the Memorial 5k run/walk event in support of mental and physical wellbeing. The event is Saturday, April 17 in Plant City. You may see some familiar faces from the school district there! | February is Career and Technical Education Month! CTE includes middle and high school students taking courses in one of 17 career clusters. CTE offers students opportunities to earn highly valued industry certifications and to develop a multitude of skills while experiencing rigorous curriculum with real world applications. |
Irish 31 is once again accepting nominations for its "Cheers to Public Service" awards! These awards celebrate our most deserving teachers. Irish 31 Pub House & Eatery invites friends, family, fellow educators, parents, and students to nominate a teacher that has made a difference in their life, or the life of a loved one. Twenty teachers will win $1,000 to spend on whatever brings them joy!
The deadline to nominate a teacher is April 15.
Looking for a great way to stay healthy? Check out the Memorial 5k run/walk event in support of mental and physical wellbeing. The event is Saturday, April 17 in Plant City. You may see some familiar faces from the school district there!
February is Career and Technical Education Month! CTE includes middle and high school students taking courses in one of 17 career clusters. CTE offers students opportunities to earn highly valued industry certifications and to develop a multitude of skills while experiencing rigorous curriculum with real world applications.
We love seeing the love you have for your schools on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram! One post in particular caught our attention this week. A mom posted in a neighborhood page what she loved about Collins Elementary in Riverview. Hundreds of people liked the post and chimed in on what they love about the school and staff! Below is just a glimpse of what the mom wrote!
And today! My daughter threw a tantrum just when she had to get out of the car. Not at home, not on our way, but just when we stopped! So, there he was, Coach Wells. Patient and caring. Calling her by name (I didn't say her name, so he knew it, which surprised me because there are so many kids). He helped her out of the car but I could see through the mirrors how he was talking to her, helping her put herself together. He made my morning."
Hillsborough County Public Schools