When Land O' Lakes' girls basketball squad clobbered Ridgewood 70-23 on Jan. 23, Land O' Lakes coach Laurie Pacholke put a finger right away on why the score may have been lopsided. ...more

January 29, 2009

Thank you to Marc Valero for his article on the Career Academy. I want to add a comment that should go hand in hand with the quote from Mr. Lemler, "The academy is trying to prepare students, who don't plan to attend a four-year college." The national trend in career academies is to be an alternative route to a four-year college. ...more

October 13, 2008

Katie Sterling is a typical teenager. She likes to talk on the phone, hang out with friends, watch the Pasco High School Pirates on Friday nights and shop - for shoes and purses, especially. ...more

October 9, 2008

Advanced Academics will be offered for the first time in the first-grade in the upcoming school year. ...more

July 28, 2008

AVON PARK — Alaina Hobbs collected two degrees at South Florida Community College on Monday night –– her high school diploma and her associate of arts degree. ...more

May 7, 2008

AVON PARK –– Every child dreams of what they might become. Yet few actually know where their talents lie and what will realistically be required. Even fewer possess the energy and focus to pursue and achieve it. One of those rare individuals who differs is 16-year-old Jerry Lee Wright of Avon Park. "In middle school I knew I wanted to be in education," Wright said, "and every chance I got I'd help any teacher who needed it." He continued volunteering and kept track because he needed 15 service hours for National Junior Honor Society. For the Academic Bright Future Scholarship given by the state, 80 service hours from ninth grade to senior year are required. At Park Elementary School, second graders had an after-school tutoring program that fit with Wright's schedule. He'd arrive with the teacher and help students with timed readings and fluency. He'd read stories to them, grade papers, and involve them in activities. ...more

January 21, 2008

Watching Matt Cicanese dive is like watching a major-league ballplayer hit a home run. The movements are synchronized and appear effortless, as if in slow motion. ...more

December 28, 2007

These days, getting into a good college with –– and sometimes without –– scholarships is no mean task. Good schools have always been competitive but today's high school graduates have to arm wrestle for admission in a world where top graduating students muster a 6.0 GPA out of 4 and enough college credits to finish a bachelor's degree in two to three years. Some people may have reservations about dual enrollment and advanced placement courses but they have become a reality in our high schools. They also make financial sense for parents and students. The fewer college classes to take means more money saved in expensive tuition. ...more

November 26, 2007