"Principal in a class by himself" St. Pete Times Article
Longtime educator Gary Hocevar has found new life in charter schools. And Terrace Community Middle School has found new life with him.
Another Piece Of The Puzzle
Published: February 9, 2008
THONOTOSASSA - Terrace Community Middle School students broke apart a colorful giant ribbon to reveal their personal puzzle pieces that made up the large memorial.
Each eighth-grader had written a letter on the back of his or her piece. They were personal messages to men and women who had become heroes.
Now, it was time to deliver those pieces. One by one, they scoured the grounds and found their subjects. The students placed puzzle pieces by tombstones, finally meeting their fallen soldiers.
The Terrace Community students recently took a trip to Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. It was part of the eighth-graders' annual trip to the Washington area, and the culmination of a classroom study.
Before they left for the trip, each student was assigned a member of the military from Section 60 of the cemetery, the area designated for those killed in the most recent Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts.
The students used the Internet to research as much as they could about their people. Then, they decorated their puzzle pieces and wrote personal letters on the back, thanking them for their service.
"It brought history alive for the students," said Judy Turner, one of the teachers involved with the project. "They learned about people, not just facts."
Taylor Martin, 14, said the project was unforgettable.
"It was interesting to see all those tombs and to know something about someone who was buried there," Martin said. "We wanted to pay respects to these people who served their country."
Some of the students met friends and family members of the fallen heroes. Cole Turner, 14, met Juan Casiano while placing a puzzle piece at the grave of Army Capt. Maria Ortiz. Casiano was engaged to Ortiz. She was killed in July 2007 by a mortar attack in Baghdad. She was the first Army nurse killed in combat since the Vietnam War.
"I liked hearing about her life and how she affected the people around her," Turner said.
Casiano said he was moved by the project.
"It was so wonderful to see that these students had taken the time to learn about Maria and others," he said. "I think schools need to do more projects like this to teach young people to respect the military and the sacrifices made throughout history."
Casiano was so impressed by the project he decided to sponsor five students to go on the Washington trip next year, costing about $5,000.
"Education was very important to Maria, and she understood the value of it," he said. "She spent much of her life giving back to people, and this is just another way she can."
Terrace Community Receives Blue Ribbon Award
Published: November 8, 2007
But the stars of a recent award ceremony were the students.
A collection of the community came out to the school Thursday to watch Terrace Community earn the No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Award. The award is the highest honor a school can receive. Terrace was one of 287 to receive the award this year, and the only site in the Tampa Bay Area.
The Blue Ribbon Award honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools that are either academically superior or demonstrate gains in student achievement.
Schools are selected based on one of two criteria. Schools must have at least 40 percent of students from disadvantaged backgrounds dramatically improve their performance on state tests. Schools also must have students, regardless of background, achieve in the top 10 percent on state tests.
The U.S. Department of Education sent Anne Hancock, a regional representative, to the school Thursday to present the award. Terrace is one of only two Florida schools to receive its award on campus.
"So why did I choose you?" Hancock said to the students. "I chose to come here because I knew there was something special here. I know all of this isn't for me. This is an everyday occurrence."
Terrace Community leaders let students plan the award ceremony. The students decided to have the school band and step team perform and to present student testimonies.
Former Terrace Community student Dylan Scaglione told the crowd about how his alma mater gave him an edge in high school.
"My teachers now tell me they can always determine which students come from Terrace Community," the King High ninth-grader said. "My teachers not only gave us the information but allowed us to use it. My only disappointment with the school is that it doesn't continue through high school."
Principal Gary Hocevar said the award was thanks to the students, teachers and community.
"You're the reason I came out of retirement," Hocevar said. "When I walked down the school halls, I could feel something special I hadn't felt in a long time. I felt a sense of community."
Hocevar will attend a second ceremony in Washington, D.C., next week to receive the school's official award and a Blue Ribbon flag.
School In National Spotlight
Published: October 17, 2007
Terrace Community Middle School received the 2007 No Child Left Behind Blue Ribbon Schools award. The charter school was one of 287 schools to get the award this year and the only one in the Tampa Bay area.
The Blue Ribbon award honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools that are either academically superior or demonstrate gains in student achievement. Schools are selected based on one of two criteria. Schools must have at least 40 percent of students from disadvantaged backgrounds dramatically improve their performances on state tests. Schools also must have students, regardless of background, achieve in the top 10 percent of their state on state tests.
'These schools are proving that when we raise the bar, our children will rise to the challenge,' U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings said in a written statement. 'It takes a lot of hard work by teachers and students to become a Blue Ribbon School.'
Terrace Community has repeatedly been ranked among the top middle schools in the state for Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test scores.
'We've really come a long way in a very short time,' Principal Gary Hocevar said. 'We rose to the top.'
Ann Hancock, Spellings' regional representative, is expected to visit Terrace Community on Nov. 8 to present the award. School officials also will attend the official ceremony in Washington on Nov. 12 and 13, where all the schools will be honored.
Hocevar said he is letting the students plan the campus ceremony.
'They were so excited when I told them they could plan it,' he said. 'This is their day. This is about them.'
Hocevar said word about the Blue Ribbon award is leaving an impression. The school has received 42 applications from teachers who want to work at the school since the news was announced.
School officials credit the back-to-basics curriculum, focused teaching plans and parent and community support for its success.
'This is the icing on the cake,' said Gil Schisler, chairman of Terrace Community's board. 'This tells the board what we've done and that we're doing it better than any other school in the district.'
No Old-School Approach
Published: August 18, 2007
NORTH TAMPA - They moved furniture, cleaned classrooms and unpacked boxes.
Staff members at three local schools scrambled this week to get their new facilities ready for the start of school Monday.
The opening of the new building for Terrace Community Middle School and the new MOSI Partnership Elementary and Brooks-DeBartolo High prove there is a push for new approaches in education.
Each school represents a new way of thinking about schools, and each plans to use nontraditional approaches with students.
Phildra Swagger, principal for Brooks-DeBartolo, said she wants her students to know they are someplace special from the moment they walk in the door. The charter school, partly created and run by Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Derrick Brooks, will serve college-bound high school students.
The school is on Fowler Avenue in what was a Circuit City store. With winding staircases, vibrant colored walls and the latest technology, the space was transformed into a high school haven.
'I think it's appropriate that our school sits next to a railroad track,' Swagger said while peering out a newly installed school window. 'Many of our kids come from the other side of the tracks. But they all have a dream, and we're going to make that dream happen.'
In addition to the construction and unpacking that typically happens at a new school, an additional worker added his gift to Brooks-DeBartolo during the past month. Artist Jason Hulfish painted a mural across the media center. The mural would normally cost about $40,000, but he donated his services.
'When I heard about this school, I wanted to do my part to help out and give something to this community,' Hulfish said.
'It's just fabulous,' Swagger said. 'We wanted to do something that would show our kids that we've put a lot of thought and work into this school all for them.'
New Ideas, New Approaches
Because Brook-DeBartolo is a charter school, its curriculum will follow state standards. Charter schools are public schools paid for with public money but are free from some of the state restrictions placed on traditional school districts.
The school will offer many of the traditional high school courses, but teacher Jeffrey Mitchell said both the curriculum and physical building are designed to give students something different.
'I'll be teaching the students about time management and study skills,' he said. 'I'll be giving them the tools that will help them get into college.'
The building also has no outdoor hallways or courtyards, and classrooms are close together.
'That cuts down on our passing times and creates less time for discipline problems,' Mitchell said.
Spaces are still available at the school. School leaders predict the school will open with about 250 students Monday, with plans to grow to 300 this year. The high school eventually will grow to 500, still much smaller than the 2,000 students found in a traditional high school.
Small School, Big Plans
MOSI Partnership Elementary is another educational institution using the small-school approach this year. The new elementary school is expected to open with about 300 students in the Museum of Science & Industry. That makes it one of the smallest elementary schools in the school district.
School leaders decided to open the site to relieve crowding at Shaw Elementary, which was projected to be about 200 students more than its capacity. Principal Cheryl Dafeldecker hopes an overcrowding solution turns into much more.
'We are truly in a partnership with MOSI,' she said. 'Our students will get free admission to MOSI. We're going to be able to use the museum resources, and it's going to let our teachers think outside the box.'
The small-school environment also will give extra attention to students, many who struggle academically.
'We're still going to follow the vision and mission of the school district,' Dafeldecker said. 'I think it's going to be an exciting school year.'
MOSI Partnership took the space once occupied by Terrace Community Middle School. The charter school outgrew the space and is opening its own campus at Fowler Avenue and Jefferson Road.
The growth experienced at the school is due to its popularity with parents because of its academic success. For the past six years, the school has earned an A grade from the state and is one of the highest-performing middle schools in Florida.
Principal Gary Hocevar said the new campus marks the next chapter for the school, which will open with about 500 students this year.
'We'll finally have athletic fields for our physical education classes,' he said. 'We can finally expand our wellness programs. We are partnering with the water district to use our surrounding wetland to enhance our science programs. I've never seen our faculty and students so excited.'
Terrace Community was one of the early charter schools in Hillsborough County, opening in 1998. The district has 27 charter schools, with applications to open 13 more. Hocevar said it's a sign schools have changed.
'Education is not static; it's constantly flowing,' he said. 'The world is more competitive, and parents want their children prepared. They want choices in their schools. What has happened with charter schools has now carried over to the traditional system. I think it's crucial we change our programs and give parents choices.'
Reporter Michele Sager can be reached at (813) 865-4843 or msager@tampatrib.com.
Campus Keeps Joint-Use Goal
Published: June 9, 2007
The charter school had requested $2.25 million in state funds to help turn its new campus, opening in August, into a joint-use facility for the community. Gov. Charlie Crist vetoed the request.
The school is housed at the Museum of Science & Industry and is in the process of transitioning to the new campus at Fowler Avenue and Jefferson Road.
'It's disappointing, but I certainly understand the budget concerns of the state,' said Principal Gary Hocevar. 'It's still a long-term goal to make this happen, and we plan to keep putting in requests for the money. Hopefully, in better economic times, we can make this happen.'
Hocevar said the money would have paid to build an outside nature center, track and walking paths that the community could use during nonschool hours. School leaders also wanted to extend the gymnasium and add a multipurpose room where the community could offer day care programs or other classes.
'We're not going to give up,' Hocevar said. 'We still want our school to be a place the community can come.'
Hocevar doesn't expect any progress on the community center plans until at least the 2008-09 school year.
Reporter Michele Sager can be reached at (813) 865-4843 or msager@tampatrib.com.