SCHOOL SHOUT
In our November edition...
Our district stands united with the community to respect the individuals buried in an area of the King High campus
"A meaningful life"—there are dozens of amazing resources available for our students with special needs
Reading can be RUFF—but Project PUP makes it just a little bit easier
LOST CEMETERY FOUND ON KING HIGH SCHOOL CAMPUS—OUR DISTRICT IS COMMITTED TO RESPECTING THE INDIVIDUALS BURIED THERE
"We will not put a dollar amount on respecting and memorializing the individuals buried there," said Superintendent Jeff Eakins.
Based on evidence from underground scans, leaders from Hillsborough County Public Schools announced they believe the historic Ridgewood Cemetery has been located on the campus of King High School in Tampa.
Last month, our district received information from a citizen who believed that a one-acre pauper's cemetery with primarily African American burials from the 1940s and 1950s was on the property.
Within days, our district hired a team of geophysical technicians from GeoView to begin mapping and scanning the campus.
The first area scanned was the southern edge of the King High campus. This is the area where technicians found clear evidence of burials. Ground-penetrating radar found approximately 145 coffins, buried 3 to 5 feet deep.
Our district is committed to respecting the individuals who are buried there, and their families.
This entire area has been fenced off since last month when the citizen first alerted us about the possible cemetery. In that area there are agricultural lab facilities and one building—an agricultural workshop built in the late 1970s. We are now making plans to remove that building.
Florida law outlines what happens next.
We have notified the county Medical Examiner and State Archaeologist. They will take the next 30 days to review the report.
We will also work with the local leaders and historians on our Historical Response Committee, who are pictured above with Superintendent Eakins and School Board Member Tamara Shamburger.
The committee will discuss ideas from our community around the proper way to memorialize these individuals, how best to care for the physical space and what learning opportunities exist for our students to learn about the history represented by these individuals.
OUR SCHOOL CHOICE EXPO 2019 WAS A HUGE SUCCESS! BUT THERE'S STILL TIME TO CHOOSE...
If you missed the Expo, there is still time to explore your options and apply. Check out our website, HillsboroughSchools.org/choice to check out all the Choice, Magnet and Career/Tech schools available.
The deadline to apply is December 31st!
NEW TUITION-FREE CHOICE PROGRAMS LAUNCHING IN 2020-2021 - OUR MOST EVER!
- Academy 2027 at Sumner High - Open to incoming 6th Grade students in 2020-2021. Students and teachers will move together through 6th, 7th & 8th Grades, all on the campus of our newest school. A learning environment driven by the internationally respected Cambridge philosophy.
- South Tampa Academy at Monroe Middle Magnet, An IB Candidate School - New IB Candidate program launching with full 6th Grade conversion in 2020-2021. Application only.
- Greco Middle, An IB Candidate School - New IB Candidate program launching with full 6th Grade conversion in 2020-2021.
- Rodgers Middle Magnet, A Cambridge Prep Academy Candidate School - Our newest world-class education option, developing students with an informed curiosity and a lasting passion for learning through the internationally respected Cambridge philosophy. Launching with all grades in 2020-2021.
- 3DE at Chamberlain High - Re-engineering high school to be more relevant, experiential and authentically connected to life beyond the classroom walls by unifying efforts of education, business and community leaders to transform the academic experience.
- Alonso High School, An IB Candidate School - New IB Candidate program launching with a cohort of 9th Grade students in 2020-2021.
- New Tampa Digital Academy at Liberty Middle & Freedom High - A seven-year overarching sequence of high tech courses in 3-D Animation, Game Design and Web Design. More business and tech options than any neighboring school.
- 3DE at Hillsborough High - Students participate in authentic project-based application that is integrated across all core classes, engaging with industries and connecting what they learn to the way of knowledge is used in the real world.
- Marshall Middle Magnet, An IB Candidate School - New IB Candidate program launching with a cohort of 6th Grade students in 2020-2021.
- Sumner High School, A Cambridge AICE Program - World-class Cambridge AICE Program will be an application-only option within Sumner High, our newest school, located at U.S. 301 & Balm Road.
NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW FROM OUR DISTRICT
Our School Board selected new leaders during its November meeting. Melissa Snively was elected as Chair of the Board and Steve Cona was elected Vice Chair.
The Florida Department of Education wants your student's insights on career and technical education. Please ask them to fill out this 10 minute survey and share their insights.
It has been just over a year since you passed the half-penny sales tax Education Referendum. In that time, our schools have received nearly $81 million. That money has gone toward 119 projects to improve our schools. THANK YOU!
OUR 5TH GRADERS ARE LEARNING TO SAVE LIVES!
"In that moment when you know you could save someone's life, I think they would get the job done."
Fifth grade students at Nelson Elementary School received a lesson of a lifetime. Each child learned hands-only CPR, a technique that could save a life.
Nelson fifth grade teacher Leslie Wheeler educated the children on when a person might need cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
"A lot of grandparents take care of grandkids while Mom and Dad are at work. They never know if they're the only ones at home with them, and something happens. Yes, they know how to dial 9-1-1, but if they don't know how to give those chest compressions, they could lose a grandparent," Wheeler said.
WHAT'S COOL IN OUR SCHOOLS!
PUPS prove to be perfect listeners to students at Reddick Elementary
Tony and Lauren Dungy are surprised with Superintendent Eakins' prestigious 'Lamp of Knowledge' award
Bing Elementary School's young artists win big... And earn cash prizes for their school
THERE ARE SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE TO OUR STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS
"I'm aware that one day I'm not going to be around to take care of her. She's going to have to get out on her own. That's why I'm here."
Earlier this month, our Exceptional Student Education Department, along with a state program known as FDLRS, held an event called "Creating a Plan for the Future."
Organizations from across the Tampa Bay area came together, in one building, to offer resources and hope to our families who have a student with a special need.
They brought with them information about:
- Post-Secondary Education
- Career/Job Training Opportunities
- Public Transportation Options
- Vocational Rehabilitation
- Health & Wellbeing Services
- Resources for Self-Advocacy & Independent Living
- Leisure & Recreational Resources
If you missed this event, please reach out to the ESE staff at your school or our district's ESE specialists. You can find their contact numbers here.
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR AWARD WINNING EDUCATORS
Congratulations to Robinson High's Tiffany Oliver! She received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics & Science Teaching. This is considered the highest honor given to a math or science teacher in the United States.
Congratulations to Fernando Guillen, Electrical Instructor at Plant City High, for being named the 2019 Klein Tools Electrician of the Year! Prizes include $1,000 in Klein Tools products and $1,000 in cash.
Congratulations to Apollo Beach Elementary for being named a 2019 National School of Character! Only 92 schools in the country received this prestigious award.
A MESSAGE FROM SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER CINDY STUART
As the newly crowned seventh-largest school district in the country, tens of thousands of Hillsborough County Public Schools students are on the road every morning and every afternoon to get to and from school.
It is our responsibility as a community to make sure they get where they’re going safely.
Because our school district only has authority on its own campuses—not on city streets—this safety effort requires a very close relationship between our schools, transportation agencies, planners and city and county governments.
I am a proud member of the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) and Chair of the MPO’s School Transportation Working Group.
The working group meets regularly to discuss safe routes to schools, traffic circulation, transportation legislation, school crossing guards and many other important issues.
But discussion is only one step of the process. It takes a community to put that discussion into action.
Recently, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor and Vision Zero—which is a traffic safety project—helped create Crosswalks to Classrooms! The very first in a series of new crosswalks was painted in front of Rampello K-8 in Downtown Tampa. It is a brightly colored work of art, making our city more beautiful while creating a safer path for our students.
The safety of our students is an issue that touches all our families in Hillsborough County Public Schools. Your School Board is committed to working with all our community partners to help students arrive safely at school each morning, ready to learn, and then come home safely to you each afternoon.
Hillsborough County Public Schools
Email: newsletter@sdhc.k12.fl.us
Website: HillsboroughSchools.org
Location: 901 East Kennedy Boulevard, Tampa, FL, USA
Phone: 813-272-4000
Facebook: facebook.com/HillsboroughSch
Twitter: @HillsboroughSch