The list of reasons to share your joy with us are endless. Thank you to everyone who participated in the “Share Your Joy” campaign this holiday season. We learned about dozens of inspiring people, innovative programs, and heartwarming events in our school district. We hope you enjoyed them as much as we did.

Paul R. Smith Middle School

I would like to share my joy this holiday season by recognizing, Belynda Nelson for her amazing work as a Spanish teacher at Paul R. Smith Middle School. Her enthusiasm, positive attitude, dedication, strong work ethic, professionalism, and leadership are inspiring qualities of an educator, who goes the extra mile every day, to ensure that her students have the opportunity to build on their language skills and achieve success in their learning experiences. Belynda has a big heart. She is a caring, kind, giving and compassionate teacher, as well as a positive role model for her students. She loves her job, and even on those challenging days, she always presses forward and works towards making a positive difference in her students' lives. I have seen her stand strong during her recent cancer crisis and today she is a Breast Cancer Survivor. I admire her courage, faith walk and joyful spirit. I am blessed to know Belynda Nelson.

- submitted by Beatrix Pulido

East Pasco Education Academy - James Irvin Campus

Mrs Carrino (Principal) and Mrs Mitch (Assistant Principal) have just started their second school year East Pasco Education Academy, but they have made an enormous difference in the lives of the students, their families, and staff.

Both of them are caring leaders who are concerned with the success of the students as well as the well-being of the teachers and staff. They created a positive, and a motivating work culture that feels like family. Most of us here at EPEA are just as happy on Mondays as we are on Fridays, because we love what we do and the environment we work in.

Mrs Carrino and Mrs Mitch work endlessly to improve our school and to help every student succeed, and they inspire all of us to do the same.

- submitted by Natalia Brophy

Land O’ Lakes High School

Cameron Moody is an outstanding Guidance Counselor. Mr. Moody makes personal connections with the students he supports. Mr. Moody has positively impacted both of my children, despite their diverse needs. No matter what challenge today’s teenagers may have, Mr. Moody has the ability, desire, and gift to connect with them and support them. He is truly one of Pasco County’s best and our district is beyond fortunate to have him.

- submitted by Maggie Kraszka

Pasco eSchool- High School

The Pasco eschool teachers (ALL of them) are linked with parents. My high school grandchildren are off ADD meds since learning at home. They get the support they need from flexible and patient teachers. Some unexpected learning experiences are the phone conversations, articulating thoughts, returning to the lessons for understanding and a sense of what each subject offers to reinforce with conversations at home. 504 students deserve the extra support offered through the eschool program.

- submitted by Kim Valerio

Pasco Elementary School

Pasco Elementary School had standing room only during two holiday performances and our Cookies with Santa event. Seeing the pride the children feel when they stand on the stage all dressed up brings us all so much joy. My heart swells when our community comes together to celebrate our children. Thank you to our music teacher Jennifer Ferguson for helping orchestrate this event! And to all the staff members that stay to help support a full house, my appreciation is more than I can express!

- submitted by Donna College

Wiregrass Elementary School

Ms. Krutulis is everything we could ever want in a third grade teacher for our son Carter! She is intimidating, tough, but oh so loving! Carter thrives in her class. She has created a healthy, fun environment of competitive learning. He takes her assignments very seriously and so do his classmates! We love listening to their educational discussions at the bus stop. Ms. Krutulis even competes with them! The whole class competes in “Blooket” and Ms Krutulis plays as well, and sometimes beats them! We appreciate Ms. Krutulis’ sense of humor. Our son comes home everyday trying to communicate the hilarious conversations that occur, but always ends with “you just had to be there”. We feel so fortunate to have Carter with a gem like Ms. Krutulis!

- submitted by Carter Shaw & Family

Achieve Center at Richey

Miss Clark is a wonderful teacher. My son can be difficult at times, and she has all the patience in world. Everyone at that school is wonderful They're so carrying and passionate about working with the kids in that school.

- submitted by Heather

Woodland Elementary School

Woodland Elementary National Elementary Honor Society (NEHS) members held a Fall Family Dance in October. The students worked at the dance selling food, had a photo booth, took song requests, and sold flowers. NEHS students decided to donate $1000 the funds that were collected to two local charities. The Thomas Promise Foundation and the Samaritan Project of Zephyrhills each received $500.00. The students were very excited and said they felt like Santa. We presented the donations to the charities on 11/30/22.

- submitted by Stephanie Gardner

West Pasco Education Academy 

Harry Schwettman Campus

I could cry happy tears with the amount of improvements at the school with the staff. My sons been there for a few years and this is the first year he is thriving! The staff Mr. Dewalt, Mr. Astone, Mrs. Rey and the whole staff there this year are complete angels! They have been providing the students change that these particular kids needed, showing them to believe in themselves and that they can overcome their obstacles. Never ever giving up on the kids with all the children’s situations. Actually taking time to listen and positively help the kids. The whole staff even down to the SRO has all came together new to the school and students and have really given hope, so much love and understanding!

- submitted by Lizz

Pasco Middle School

Ms. Lori Larkin is my son's 6th grade ELA teacher. My son has a genetic disorder that makes everyday for himself, us as parents and his teachers a challenge. Ms. Larkin has gone above and beyond a typical teacher in order to try and keep my son up to speed. She has been the most helpful and kept the most communication with us directly regarding his status in the classroom. She is a true inspiration!

- submitted by ANGELA M ELLIS

Wiregrass Elementary School

Mrs. Abbott, a second grade teacher at Wiregrass Elementary is a gem. She is unlike any teacher we have had! She inspires us daily to better ourselves academically and socially. Ms. Abbott mentioned once in August that our daughter Hadley was such a great helper with logging students into the computer. Here we are in December and my daughter still talks about it! Ms. Abbott’s words of praise influence our daughter to be a better person. We love what Ms. Abbott’s impact has done for our daughter this year!

- submitted by Hadley Shaw & Family

Hudson High School

Coach Burgos hands down has been such an AMAZING mentor. Not only is he a great coach he invests in these kids and has personally made a difference in my son's life. Coach Burges is 100% dedicated to the success of his students and goes above and beyond to help each one succeed where possible.

- submitted by Janelle Josephik

Pasco Elementary School

My son joined Pasco Elementary after the beginning of the school year. I would like to commend all the staff in the car rider line for working with us to ensure a safe transition for my son to and from school daily. I would also like to commend Mrs. Susan Roberts for being so special to our family. The dedication she has to Max truly inspires me. We adore her so much and can’t say enough kind things about the work she’s doing in kindergarten.

- submitted by Kara Reeves

Cypress Creek Middle School

I want to give a shout-out to some of our outstanding staff that really go the extra mile every single day to support Cypress Creek beyond their normal duty.

Justin Santiago, Melisa Menz, Mitch Carr, Dani Sauerwein, Tabatha Whaley, Kristen Walters, Michele McNaull, Arielle Getz, Lauren Miley, Peter Nason, Cherylann Booker, Julie Beardsley, Terri Garcia, Tami Milner, Michelle Mudge, Corporal Flynn, Emily Tavarez, Marc Shanberg, & Tessa Melson.

Thank you for all that you do!

- submitted by Kayla Nieves

Cypress Creek High School

On Friday, November 18, 2022, the last day before we broke for Thanksgiving break my students and I celebrated my IA Mr. Keith Reily who turned 75 years young on November 25, 2022. Mr. Reily is an inspirational veteran who served his country and now serves the ESE students who are in the FAPE-22 OJT program at Cypress Creek High School. It is a pleasure to work and teach side by side with such a loving, inspirational man. Mr. Reily works tirelessly with passion and compassion for our students everyday.

- submitted by John Sousa

Cotee River Elementary School

Mrs. Ashley Grant is my son’s kindergarten teacher and he loves going to school every day because of the fun, loving and safe environment she provides her students. Mrs. Grant has helped Brandon grow tremendously in such a short amount of time. We are lucky to have her as our son's first teacher!! Thank you for all you do!

- submitted by Amanda Demarest

Crews Lake Middle School

Jimmy Bishop is such a great mentor. My son was on the basketball team at Crews lake 4 years ago. He will be graduating from Hudson High School this year. Jimmy has always kept in touch with him. He has encouraged him, came out to games to watch him play. He has been a great support for my son.

He has also looked out for my other children who have attended Crews lake.

Our family appreciates Jimmy!

I know he has done the same for so many children!

- submitted by Nancy Philhower

Gulf Middle School

Thirty five students from Gulf Middle School spent over 12 hours of their Saturday traveling to Fort Myers and back to help with Hurricane Ian cleanup. They worked on 3 different houses removing drywall, flooring, appliances, ceiling insulation, and more. The students were such hard workers and had to be told to stop to take a break for lunch. Even our district bus driver joined in to help after driving a whole bus load of students 4 hours to our destination on the beach. The devastation we saw was indescribable and the trip was life changing for all involved. The homeowners were beyond grateful for the help. It was amazing how much we accomplished in one afternoon!
 

- submitted by Liz Kuhns

Hudson High School

My son is in the ESE program and is a 10th grader. The administration,staff,teachers,and coaches have made my son feel like part of the gen-ed population! He can't do a lot of the things regular kids can do but cheer and football have made him feel like part of their teams! The kindest students always give my son the time of day and that matters when school is hard in the first place. Staff makes time to address his isssues and always include him!! Hudson needs to be acknowledged along with media showing kindness means the world to a boy who can't do what they do but feels a part of the teams!!

- submitted by Wanda

Pine View Elementary School

My son was new to the district and struggling in his school performance with his ADHD without medication. This staff of teachers have been so welcoming and set up a meeting with us to discuss his needs, performance plan and accommodations. I couldn't be more appreciative to them taking the time to go beyond their everyday duties for my son. They really know their students well. Especially - Mrs. Tedeschi who spends time with him on extended day studies to help him focus on his reading and math. These teachers have been beyond welcoming and very helpful - Mrs. Tedeschi, M Riggle, S Steffens, A Schneiderman, E Carter, B Filippelli, and J Encarnacion. I'd like to thank them for their efforts and kindness.

- submitted by Pineview Middle School 2nd Year Teaching Staff

School Principals

In Pasco County we have the most dedicated, passionate and highly skilled principals leading the efforts of our schools. Their plates are beyond full with the amount of responsibilities and tasks they are charged with accomplishing for their students, staffs and communities. One day each month we bring these folks together to grow their leadership skills, build their network and share the success stories that they are experiencing. In December, we took time to fill their "plates" with words of encouragement, phrases that represent their skills and notes that are intended to keep them inspired in their daily work. Our mission driven leadership movement is alive and well and we are so proud of our school leaders.

- submitted by Lea Mitchell

Hudson Academy

I would like to spotlight Ms. Kat Foley who is a physical education instructor at Hudson Academy. Ms. Foley is a sponsor of the Ecology Club and brings her puppy Puck (Ecology Club Mascot) to all the clean ups. Also, I admire Ms. Foley because she is an active duty member of the armed services and still manages to be an educator!!! AMAZING (WONDER)WOMAN!!! :0)

- submitted by Shamsher Lamba

Bexley Elementary School

Our son Alexander is in 2nd grade SBC class in Mrs. Lilly Nalls class. He had a rough year last year and it was very difficult at times for him (and us). Since Lilly has taken the role of being his teacher he has been doing 100% better and she’s been so patient with him, we are so happy with the outcome so far. Also Mrs. Cindy has assisted him since Kindergarten and she is absolutely fantastic, such a sweet and caring person! We can’t say enough about her. She has made a great impact in all our lives. ❤️

- submitted by Kristina Cummins

Pasco eSchool- Elementary

The compassionate team of educators at Pasco eSchool have been an answer to prayer for us. Going to school in person full time is not an option for our family for many reasons but not having access to GREAT educators isn’t an option either. My children need them as much as my oldest son needs his extensive medical team. My children came into this school district 2 years ago with a foundation of enthusiasm to learn and this team has gone out of their way to ensure that is not lost despite the unique challenges we may have. They’ve worked tirelessly and have lovingly partnered with me to ensure my boys have everything they need to succeed and that their love for school and enthusiasm to learn continues to grow. The attached photo is just one example. I reached out to one of my son’s teachers to let her know we were stuck on a math lesson. Her response? She came to out home to help. The one-on-one support he received meant the world to me and him. He was so excited and it boosted his confidence to work through the hard. My youngest son’s teacher is constantly available whenever we need her whether it be for extra help or encouragement. Just today one of our teachers took time out from his busy afternoon to talk about ways we can better assist my son with accommodating some of his unique needs to help him feel more comfortable with school projects. A lot has changed for my family in the last two years and some of those blessings are the people who help educate my kids. This season I’m thankful for our awesome team of educators who I absolutely could not do this without. It brings me great joy to see the love and support my kids have. Pasco eSchool teachers rock!

- submitted by Stacia Ennis

Student Support Programs and Services

Starkey Ranch K-8 and Cypress Creek High School received national banner recognition as a Special Olympics Unified Champion School for demonstrating commitment to inclusion through meeting 10 standards of excellence. They are two out of only 13 Florida schools to receive this honor. We are very proud of their commitment to unified sports, inclusive youth leadership and whole school engagement.

www.Facebook.com/SpecialOlympicsPascoCounty

- submitted by Jennifer Hykes

Wiregrass Elementary School

Mr. Hamlin, the STEAM teacher at Wiregrass Elementary, deserves high recognition this school year! My son was lucky enough to win a raffle where he got to create/print a 3-D printed key chain with Mr. Hamlin and he contacted me ahead of time to ask what Carter would like to create so he could have it ready to go. I chose a spaceship, as they have both bonded over NASA. Well, not only did Mr. Hamlin print the space ship keychain, he also printed Carter a Philadelphia Phillies keychain because Carter’s favorite baseball team was in the World Series! This took a lot out of Mr. Hamlin, as he is not a fan of the Phillies. This keychain made Carter’s day. He sent me a picture which I immediately sent out to all our Philadelphia family. Carter’s 90-year-old great grandmother called me to say she is thrilled Carter has such a wonderful, thoughtful teacher here in Florida! Mr. Hamlin is one of the best!

- submitted by Shaw Family

Wesley Chapel Elementary School

Ms. Jones, the school clinic assistant goes above and beyond for the students, staff and families. She always makes sure the students needs are met with clothing, food or holiday help.

- submitted by Makayla Wilson Bahr

East Pasco Education Academy - James Irvin Campus

We would like to share some wonderful and exciting news about our school. Thanks to our administrators, this school is experiencing many positive changes. To list a few: rewards for students for both academics and behavior, block scheduling, team teaching, guest speakers, community involvement, gardening, and increasing family involvement through various programs and activities. If a stranger visits our school, the first thing that they notice is the morale and camaraderie among teachers and staff. It is a joy to work here!

- submitted by Jill Mink, Jane Rudolph, Cheryl Salyer, Adela Blaz

Shady Hills Elementary School

The staff at Shady Hills are absolutely phenomenal. From the Teachers, janitorial staff, bus drivers, to administrators I have not found one person who has not treated my children like their own. I know my girls are in great hands and cared for while at school. The staff are always welcoming with smiles of their faces and take the time to know me and my children. It feels like home at Shady Hills. Thank you to all the great staff! You all are appreciated.

- submitted by Lindsey Prater

Wiregrass Elementary School

Mr. Ballish, the art teacher at Wiregrass Elementary, is going above and beyond to connect with students! He is making stickers and custom Pokémon cards that students can earn as positive behavior initiatives. Not only do my second and third grader love all things stickers/Pokémon, but they love the opportunity to have a “Ballish-original” sticker! Mr. Ballish even makes Pokémon stickers that resemble students! He also does Disney and Super Hero’s. In addition to the stickers, he also made funny caricatures of the whole specials team. He also designed a Spider-Man/Wiregrass Elementary crossover magazine cover. My children are eagerly awaiting his next creation release. We are so grateful for his creativity and kindness towards our kids.

- submitted by Shaw Family

LAND O' LAKES HIGH SCHOOL COOKS UP CONNECTIONS

We have hit the ground running here at the Academy of Culinary Arts at LOLHS. We are offering the "Brew 4 You Cafe" which gives our Juniors and Seniors an opportunity to come up with cafe style goodies (sweet and savory) along with practicing their beverage skills with lattes, hot coffee and hot tea.

We hosted a local Girl Scout group recently. They were learning about Healthy Foods in their troop, so we made our own granola and built our own acai bowls!

Our "Catch You on the Flip Side" tee shirts have arrived and we have them available for sale. If you would like one, please send an email to jblythe@pasco.k12.fl.us with your quantity and size preference.

- submitted by Jeremy Blythe

JWMHS ALUMNA SHARES ACCOUNTING KNOWLEDGE

Former J.W. Mitchell High School Accounting student, Emily Lawrence, is graduating from the University of South Florida Lynn Pippenger School of Accountancy. She returned to JWMHS as a guest speaker in Mrs. Glaves' Accounting classes. Students were so excited to have her share her experiences as an accounting major in college who has studied here and abroad. She discussed topics such as campus life, college courses, scholarships, networking, internships and accounting careers. She wrapped up her talk with a question and answer session with the students.

- submitted by Aschell Glaves

K-TECH STUDENTS LEARN BIOTECH SKILLS

Students in the Biomedical program at Wendell Krinn Technical High School leverage various diagnostic techniques to determine the cause of disease and trace an outbreak! Second year students performed an ELISA, to look for an antigen of Neisseria meningitidis (simulated with whey protein). They used this data to trace an outbreak and determine the appropriate course of treatment. Third year students learned to streak for isolation and then gram-stained their plates as a quality control check. All of these skills will help them earn the Biotechnician Assistant Credentialing Exam (BACE).

- submitted by Sarah Kumar

Pine View Elementary School

My son was new to the district and struggling in his school performance with his ADHD without medication. This staff of teachers have been so welcoming and set up a meeting with us to discuss his needs, performance plan and accommodations. I couldn't be more appreciative to them taking the time to go beyond their everyday duties for my son. They really know their students well. Especially - Mrs. Tedeschi who spends time with him on extended day studies to help him focus on his reading and math. These teachers have been beyond welcoming and very helpful - Mrs. Tedeschi, M Riggle, S Steffens, A Schneiderman, E Carter, B Filippelli, and J Encarnacion. I'd like to thank them for their efforts and kindness.

- submitted by Pineview Middle School 2nd Year Teaching Staff

MARCHMAN TECH MAKING A DIFFERENCE

As Marchman Technical College's Early Childhood Education students continue their education, it's wonderful to see them already making an impact in the community. The photo below is of one of MTC's students working at a local childcare center.

- submitted by Kari Dittman