We Are in the Hope Business
The Head of School at Academy at the Lakes is sharing why school must be about Hope during a time when we’re fed a steady diet of negativity and fear.
Education
Middle School at Corbett Prep: Building Strong Foundations for Emotional and Academic Success
The middle school years can be…awkward. But, as the Runyan family of Tampa discovered, it’s actually quite the oppositive after sending their kids to middle school at Corbett Prep.
Local Students Learn the Science of Monster Trucks During a STEM Field Trip to Monster Jam in Tampa
Imagine Monster Jam colliding with the first week of school and your classroom for the day becomes Amelia Arena. TGIF had a whole new meaning for these junior high school students!
Advice for Incoming 6th Graders – From Those Who Have Been There!
Hillsborough Co. Public Schools rising seventh and eighth graders are sharing practical (and adorable!) advice they have for incoming sixth graders.
The Clock Starts Yesterday: 8 tips to kick off the college application process for high schoolers (or middle schoolers)
I remember being at Gymboree with my oldest (many moons ago) when a mom asked me, “Where do you think your son will go to high school?” In the sleep-deprived era of toddlerhood, I wanted to say, “Lady, I am so tired and I don’t even know what we are having for dinner, much less…
Turning the Paige on Literacy in Hillsborough County Public Schools
Meet Paige. She’s fun, she’s engaging and she’s filled with books! She is Hillsborough County Public Schools’ newest literacy resource—Paige the Literacy Bus! Paige’s mission is to provide early access to resources and promote literacy beyond the classroom. She is geared toward our younger learners up to age 5. When children step onto the bus,…
5 Reasons It’s Good to Go Global
We love to ask little kids what they want to be when they grow up. But the truth is that the world is changing so quickly that students today will enter a future filled with jobs, challenges and opportunities we are yet to imagine. As adults, we have witnessed the transformative power of technology from…
Stopping the Summer Slide with Just 2 Books!
What do you think of when you hear “summer slide”? Is it a super cool water slide at Adventure Island? Or how about sliding into home plate during a summer Rays game? Actually, the summer slide has to deal with learning loss over the summer. Research suggests students lose about a month’s worth of learning,…
Teacher Appreciation Week: May 6-10th, 2024
Celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week by showing gratitude to those shaping our children’s futures. Discover heartfelt ways to thank educators beyond the classroom essentials, from personal notes to thoughtful gifts, and make their week truly special.
Finding Math in Unusual Places with Corbett Prep’s 8th Grade Class
Discover how eighth graders at Corbett Prep are exploring math in the most unexpected places, from bee farms to baking, transforming traditional lessons into real-world adventures that stick.
The “Magic” of Teaching a Child to Read! Hillsborough County Public Schools’ New Literacy Curriculum, UFLI
Discover the transformative power of UFLI, Hillsborough County Public School’s new game-changing literacy curriculum. With heartwarming success stories and practical tips for parents, learn how this approach is making reading magical for kids.
Lab Coats and Moon Soil: A Peek at Hillsborough County Public Schools Magnet Programs
While Dunbar Elementary Magnet is creating future doctors, Stewart Middle Magnet is shaping future scientists!
5 Fun and Easy Ways to Prevent Summer Slide
It seems that each year as students return from spring break, there is a sense of anticipation in the air. Summer is nearly upon us, and families are penciling summer camps and family vacations into their calendars. (Or, if your family is anything like mine, you are just beginning to plan your child’s summer activities. No…
They’re Ready… But Are You? (It’s time to sign up for kindergarten!)
Alright mamas, hold onto your heartstrings … especially if you have a preschooler! It’s time… To register them… For KINDERGARTEN! (And the sobs were heard round the bay.) Don’t worry; Hillsborough County Public Schools makes getting ready for kindergarten easy for you and fun for them! Schools across the district will hold Kindergarten Ready Open…
Best Places to Host School Spirit Nights in Tampa Bay
We’re sharing some of our favorite Tampa Bay area businesses that support local school Spirit Nights!
Hillsborough County Public Schools Celebrates its Education Rock Stars
Have you seen the commercial where employees keep calling each other rock stars, and then actual rock stars show up and shut them down?! Well, we challenge Ozzy Osbourne, Billy Idol or Joan Jett to step in one of our schools and shut US down – because our employees are as close to rock stars as you…
Kids to Know: Bayshore Christian School’s Fourth Grade Class
Every fall at Bayshore Christian School, the fourth grade classes gather to plan for a market. The products, packaging and prices are determined individually by each nine and ten year old student. However, they decide collectively how the profits from the project will be used. While they learned how to execute a successful business, they…
How Corbett Prep is Building a Bridge to Middle School in Fifth Grade
It’s elective day in fifth grade, and the Forensic Science class is seated in Corbett Prep’s Middle School lab with mysterious red vials and tiny plastic trays for a lesson on blood type analysis. The synthetic blood will react differently depending on the blood type when mixed with an antiserum, so the fifth graders carefully…
Countdown to Kindergarten: 3 Expert Tips to Prepare Your Child Now
Parents and caregivers of preschoolers may notice time has a way of slowing down and then speeding up with the hustle of trying to make sure you capture each last moment: the last first day of preschool; the last time your child needed help tying their shoe; the last holiday celebrations you will attend at…
The Great American Teach-In Helps Students Explore Future Careers
The Great American Teach-In is an annual nationwide event that helps kids discover future career opportunities.
All About Adum K-8: The Hype Surrounding Hillsborough County Schools’ Newest K-8 School
There’s always a lot of excitement when a new school opens. However, the hype surrounding the new Kenneth E. Adum K-8 surpasses all expectations!
It Makes Cents: Shorecrest Prep Teaching Important Life Skill of Financial Literacy
Shorecrest believes that a challenging, college-preparatory curriculum must extend beyond academics to include a solid grounding in real-world applications. The newly launched Ross Roeder Institute for Financial Literacy, Entrepreneurship and Economics (RRI) is just one example of how the school provides that preparation.
Academy at the Lakes: We Must Teach History
Today’s public square includes much debate about the teaching of history in school. As both a school leader and a history teacher, I offer this: We must teach history in order to create active, engaged citizens. In doing so, we can also promote patriotism. Teaching History to Promote Patriotism History We teach history because history…
The Power of Play: How Corbett Prep is incorporating PLAY in the classroom
There’s serious play happening in Corbett Prep’s PreK4 class on “Not a Box” day. Piles of craft supplies—stickers, glue, ribbons, markers, colored paper—are scattered around the classroom suite as students transform cardboard boxes into cars, rockets, houses, tunnels and even a unicorn. The Study of Play: Not a Box Inspired by the book “Not a…
A Little Change – A Lot of Heart at Roland Park K-8
One of the beautiful things about the International Baccalaureate Program, especially in the younger grades, are the pillars of compassion and empathy. So, when the students at Roland Park K-8 heard about the wildfires in Maui, their first thoughts were, ‘How can we help?’ From there, an idea was born. “At Roland Park, we are…
Reengaging Teens with Reading
“I went through a phase in middle school where…I loathed [reading] because I was being forced to do it…I think that books are like amusement parks, and sometimes we have to let the kids choose the rides. And I wasn’t being given that opportunity to ride, to find my groove.” Kwame Alexander, author of The Crossover….
Raising Them Ready: Preparing kids to handle life on their own
When bestselling authors and co-parents Erica and Jonathan Catherman decided to write their next parenting book, they asked themselves a question: “How well had we done to prepare our “adulting” kids to leave home?” Knowing other parents were likely asking themselves the same question, they came up with “Raising Them Ready,” a guide for parents…
Keeping Cool in School
Hot, humid and muggy! Those are just a few of the words to describe the intense heat the Tampa Bay area has been experiencing this summer. It’s probably tough for the air conditioning in your house to keep up! Now imagine how hard it is on the air conditioning in our schools. Hillsborough County Public…
A Place to Call Home: Corbett Prep Helps Tampa Transplants Find their Village
Over the past few years, we have welcomed numerous new families to the Tampa Bay area who were seeking the warmth of not just the sun, but of our community too. Diving into a new city can be a tad overwhelming when your quest is not only to find a house, but a home; not…
Local mom shares expert tips on how to homeschool your child in Tampa Bay
Local mom Denise Taylor shares expert tips on how Tampa Bay area families can find abundant local resources to kick off their homeschool journey.
Advocating for your Child: Tips from Hillsborough County Public Schools
As parents, we are the number one advocate for our children when it comes to their educational journey. Ensuring that your child has all the resources and support they need to be successful is our top priority as well in Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS).
Hillsborough Strong: Trailblazing Students Doing Incredible Things in Music, Media and Technology
These four award-winning students from Hillsborough County Public Schools are sharing their successes and advice for doing the things they love. Justice Jones Rising fifth-grader, Hunters Green Elementary, Tampa Award: Hillsborough County Elementary Fine Arts Festival, All County Modern Band Drummer On his passion for music: “I love to do what I do because I…
How to get free eBooks and admission to museums, tutoring help, and more through your local library
We want to welcome you and your children back to school for the 2023-2024 school year! The Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library is always available online as a resource for students throughout the year. Here are some of our favorite resources to share for the new school year: eBooks at the Library eBooks are accessible through…
Getting Young Learners Ready for a Successful School Year: 7 Tips to Prepare
Corbett Prep shares pro tips on how to prepare your young kids for the first day of school.
Worldschooling: A Family Summer Sabbatical Abroad
Tampa mom Michelle Schomp is sharing her family’s journey with worldschooling and is showing you how you can do it too!
“Dear Community… Thank you. Sincerely, Hillsborough County Public Schools”
Thank you. Sometimes, you just need to say thank you. Especially when you receive $653,000,000. That is how much money our school district has received, so far, from you, taxpayers, through the Education Referendum, which voters approved in November, 2018. The money is earmarked specifically for improvements to our schools such as air conditioning renovations…
Distinguished Programs Equal Huge Opportunities in Hillsborough County Public Schools
The Academy of Finance Program: Sounds like some fancy course at the college level, right? Did you know five of our high schools in Hillsborough County offer The Academy of Finance Program? And, even better, there are big scholarship opportunities available to students who complete this prestigious program. “The Academy of Finance is one…
What to Know About Florida’s VPK Program and the Benefits of Early Learning
Lindsay Carson, Chief Executive Officer of the Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas County, shares details about optimal start times for learning, and how every parent can find the right Early Learning Center (ELC) for their budget.
Involved Yet Invisible – Volunteering in Middle School
When your child is in elementary school, volunteering is easy. When your child gets to middle school, it can be a different story.
Beat the Heat with Streaming Services: Meet Kanopy
Kanopy Kids is a free (with your library card) streaming service that’s accessible on any device with curated content, parental controls and no ads!
Summer Camp Keeps Tweens and Teens Active and Engaged
From outdoor adventures to pickleball games to escape rooms to playwriting, preteens and teens can fill their summer days with camps that reflect their interests.
How You Can Help Save the Monarch Butterfly
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recently put the migrating monarch butterfly on its Red List for Endangered Species.
Kids to Know: Emma Campbell, 2022 Hillsborough Co. Anti-Bullying Recognition Award Winner
Meet the 5th grade recipient of Hillsborough County’s 2022 Anti-Bullying Recognition Award and find out how you can nominate a child or teen who has gone above and beyond to battle bullying.
How to Find Books Your Kid Will Love
Experts with the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library are sharing some ways to make navigating the sea of books a little smoother to find books your kid will love.
Florida VPK options for your child in Pasco and Hernando counties
Learn more about the many VPK options for your child through the Early Learning Coalition of Pasco and Hernando Counties.
Join the Library’s Summer Reading Challenge to Keep Kids Learning
The Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library is hosting a Summer Reading Challenge for all ages from June 1 – July 31, 2023!
Have You Considered Taking Time to Play with Your Child Today? It’s Simple!
Playing with your child supports early brain development. Learn how to make playtime meaningful with just five minutes each day.
The Strongest Bond: Seminole Heights Elementary’s Peer Mentoring Program
Learn how the peer mentoring program at Seminole Heights Elementary is building communication, empathy, and kindness between groups of students.
The Best STEM, Science, and Coding Summer Camps in Tampa Bay
We’re sharing the best STEM summer camps and science summer camps in Tampa Bay.
The Amazing Benefits of Reading Out Loud to Children, Audiobooks Included!
Reading aloud anything—a picture book, a comic book, a fairy tale, books about insects, anything your child is interested in—will yield benefits, including for our neurodiverse and non-English speaking listeners.
Black History Takes Center Stage in Hillsborough Schools
Teams from each Hillsborough Co. public school are buffing up on their trivia to compete in the Black History Brain Bowl on Feb. 11th.
Shorecrest Preparatory School: A World-Class Education Right Here in Tampa Bay
Learn how an education from Shorecrest Prep can ensure your child is ready to thrive in university life and beyond as a self-directed learner.
Corbett Prep Shares 3 Ways Your Family Benefits When Giving Back
If you resolved to do more for your community in 2023, here’s how including the kids in your commitment benefits the whole family.
Building a Love of Learning Through STEAM at Shorecrest
STEAMfest returns this January to Shorecrest Prep, where families can enjoy a variety of fun activities centered on STEAM subjects.
A New Year Welcomes a New Journey: Preparing your Child for Kindergarten
Did you know that 90% of a child’s brain is developed by age 5? The Florida VPK Program can help prepare your child for Kindergarten.
Expert tips on how to get your kids to communicate in 2023
Hillsborough Co. Public Schools Teacher of the Year Finalists offer questions for parents to ask their kids to encourage opening up.
Q&A with Alice Santana, Straz Center for the Performing Arts Vice President of Education and Community Engagement
Alice Santana talks about the transformational power of the performing arts and how she balances parenting with her rewarding career.
Stronger than the Storm: Hillsborough County Public Schools
Transforming schools into Hurricane Ian evacuation shelters is no easy task, but one that staff and community partners took in stride.
Teachers Work on the “Hope” Team Every Day
When educators focus on Kindness, Information Literacy, Problem-Solving Mind-Sets and Optimism we are answering the needs of society.
It’s School Tour Season! Here’s what you need to ask yourself as you decide
Background research combined with on-campus visits will help you narrow down your school options and identify a good match.
