2010 Middle Division Volleyball Schedule

2010 Middle Division Soccer Schedule

2010 Middle Division Cross Country Schedule


Additional sports schedules, venue addresses, and directions to all events can be found at:

www.academyatthelakes.org/community/athletics

This session includes:
Around the World
Baseball Clinic
Basketball
Book Cooks
Flag Football
French Workshop
Guitar
Little Artists
Mad Science
Painting w/o Brushes
Sports Fun

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Published: August 13, 2010

LAND O’ LAKES – To know John Castelamare is to understand he’s a creature of habit.

Practice begins promptly with a session in the weight room. Twice every school year, his football players will participate in his Ironman competition. During practice, at times, he’ll dig into his pocket for a pencil and paper and begin scribbling notes. He still has those gold-brimmed glasses with the blue strap attached.

“Everything is the same,” Castelamare admitted. “Everything. I just brought it right here and it’s basically the same. It’s just people have to adjust a little bit.”

And then there’s that whistle attached to that black lanyard, which displays his beloved Nebraska Cornhuskers logo.

Same as it has always been.

You know what else doesn’t change? Castelamare’s desire for perfection.

Time to work

Despite the ominous, low-hanging clouds distributing large raindrops outside the Academy at the Lakes gymnasium on this Wednesday afternoon, it was time to work.

He partitioned off half the basketball court in the gym and ran his handful of football players through a series of plays and formations.

“One Offense!” he yelled, prompting players along the coaching box area of the sideline to shuttle onto the makeshift field. After running a play or two against a scout defense, they returned to the sideline.

“Punt team!” Castelamare shouted.

Out marched the punt team and a scout return team.

The repetitiveness of the session has one purpose — to ensure that those changes and plays are second nature come game time. They’ll find out tonight at 7:30 when they host Citrus Park Christian School in their season opener.

Sounds like business as usual, but it isn’t.

Castelamare is indeed coaching the Wildcats, but not the ones from Wesley Chapel High. Nearly three months after having the final year in the Deferred Retirement Option Program denied in December following the 2009 season, essentially forcing him out of a position he held for 11 seasons, Academy at the Lakes hired him as its football coach.

‘He doesn’t allow you to do anything less than that’

No longer is there a roster of 50-plus players to plug in here and there. At the Academy, he has roughly a dozen for his six-man football team.

He has immersed himself into the new world of six-man football — the new rules, offensive and defensive sets as well as new philosophy — all while still demanding his players’ dedication.

“He’s got that personality where kids just listen to him and kids want to work really hard for him, so that’s going to help,” Academy at the Lakes athletic director Tom Haslam said. “That’s going to teach our kids a little bit about dedication, commitment and hard work because he doesn’t allow you to do anything less than that.”

As Castelamare, 60, embarks upon his 39th year of coaching, he decided to add a staff member he has seen across the field for many of those years.

While players filed into the gym, Castelamare deliberately walked toward the window of the weight room.

“You know who that is?” Castelamare asked, pointing to a man exiting a truck in the school’s parking lot. It was former Land O’ Lakes football assistant and longtime softball coach Jerry English.

“You can add our years (of coaching) up and it comes to 80 years,” he said with a grin.

When English got the call in early July about joining Castelamare’s staff, he couldn’t help but accept.

“I coached at Land O’ Lakes for quite a few years and played against John quite a few times, and I’ve had a lot of respect for him as a coach,” said English, who coaches the defensive line. “When he called me and asked me if I’d help him out this season, I thought it would be a great opportunity.

“I respect the man. He’s a good character person and he’s a hard worker.”

Joining Castelamare in a volunteer role is Trevor DeGroot, a Florida State University junior studying sports management. DeGroot is familiar with Castelamare’s system and style of coaching because he played receiver at Wesley Chapel.

DeGroot, who will return to Tallahassee next week, has helped the Academy at the Lakes team since May. Coaching six-man football at a private school has been a unique experience.

“It’s a different atmosphere with these players because they’re not just high-schoolers, there’s middle-schoolers as well,” said DeGroot, a 2008 Wesley Chapel grad. “It’s like three schools in one, so it’s tough. Some of the kids still have a lot to learn, especially the younger ones, but that’s good for them because they get to learn his system. For the older guys, it’s just a chance to go out there and play and have a chance to play football for him.”

Castelamare understands things aren’t exactly the same.

Inside the weight room and above the double doors is the same Ironman leaderboard, which hung inside the Wesley Chapel weight room. That board displays the times and amounts lifted by each participant of the Ironman contest. At Wesley Chapel, that board with 25 slots would be filled. At Academy at the Lakes, there are only nine names.

He considers that a foundation.

“I’ve been doing this a long time and it’s still fun,” Castelamare said. “I look forward to it every day. It’s another challenge. Our goal is to get to 11-man football. I don’t know how long it’s going to be, but it’s our goal to get there, but with a competitive team — not just have 25 kids.

“Also, the goal is to make them competitive now, so they understand what this is all about.”

Reporter Eddie Daniels can be reached at (813) 259-7066. You can also follow him on Twitter @edanielsjr.

Ingredients:

1 Student (any age)
Parents (as many as it takes)
Teachers (of varied styles and talents)
Administrators/School Leadership (with great ears and eyes)
Curriculum (both apparent and hidden)
A Place (with the attributes described below)

Combine the student and the Place. Blend in healthy doses of Curriculum, Teachers, and Administrators. Be sure to sift in frequent and honest communication between Parents, Teachers, and Administrators. All parties should knead in both good and bad information. Do not simmer! Remain open and flexible. Understand that no experience is perfect. Keep the temperature from getting too hot or too cold for approximately ten months, and Voila! – A Great School Year!

All kidding aside, school starts up again soon, and I want to wish you and your family the best for 2010/11. If we examine the ingredients for every school experience, we hope it will help you and your child(ren) to enjoy a first class year!

Parents
All schools encounter and serve a broad range of parents: those who are absent; those who are involved; and those who are over-involved. If you are reading this article, it’s not very likely that you will fall into the first category. Most likely, you fall into the middle category, which does a fine job of being involved and aware, questioning when necessary, remaining polite, and praising great teaching, guidance, and problem-solving when appropriate.

If, however, you fall into the third category, please consider that parental over-involvement can have a negative impact on your child’s ability to cope with the challenges that will arise later in life. Allowing children to “fail,” whether it is something minor such as a poor grade or something potentially more significant such as a bad choice, results in a valuable learning opportunity that all children must experience. Shielding children from all unpleasantness or not allowing them to grapple with important issues or conflicts will generally result in college-age students who do not have strong problem-solving or coping skills. Fight the urge to be over-involved by knowing that too much parental intervention robs children of important learning opportunities.

Teachers
The teachers who are most successful are those who teach students and not merely subjects. To be highly effective, teachers must build relationships with their students. This requires an investment of time. Great teachers always have time for students. They understand that they must strive to reach the individuals in front of them. Those who teach to where the class “should be,” often miss the mark by failing to connect to the class where it is, in all of its diversity. Teaching every individual is very, very hard but also very necessary. Look for teachers who have both passion for what they teach and passion for whom they teach. Look for teachers with both high IQ and high EQ (emotional intelligence).

Curriculum
This is the ingredient that has probably the least variability upon first glance. What students learn in school subjects (reading, mathematics, science, etc.) is not widely different between schools of many different types. But great differences exist in the ways in which content is presented and, most importantly, in all of the “non-content” content of school – how children learn to deal with each other, with the adults in their community, and with the world. This is often called the “hidden curriculum,” and it varies tremendously from school to school.

A school’s choices in its hidden curriculum can become deeply imbedded in the school’s culture, and that culture is crucial in shaping your child. Do the children in your child’s school, particularly middle and high school, regard adults as “the enemy” or as sources of guidance and assistance on the path to independence and maturity? Does your school provide meaningful opportunities for children to grow in important ways through experiences in athletics and the arts as well as leadership opportunities? How does the school community deal with both success and adversity?

Administrators/School Leaders
According to the list of ingredients above, Administrators need great ears and eyes. They need to cultivate a genuine openness to truly hearing parents. Sometimes that’s difficult because of the heat of the moment, but I have always been influenced by a wise colleague who taught me that “Every parent is only as happy as their least happy child.” This adage reminds me of the place parents are generally coming from when they lodge a complaint or question an action, and it helps me to help everyone in the situation move forward when I can validate the feelings that have risen to the surface.

Great administrator eyes are for developing and communicating a vision of what school can and should be. The leaders who have vision and who effectively articulate that vision create culture and community. They make a difference for all stake holders.

Place
The abiding culture of every school is crucial to every student’s and every family’s experience.

Students and their families thrive when school is a place . . .

• Where You Are Known and Valued
  The road to disengagement and lack of success is paved with anonymity. To grow to be their best, kids must feel that they matter, to their families, to their schools, and to their communities. Students who have authentic and appropriate relationships with engaged adults stand the very best chance of becoming happy, independent, connected, and skilled young adults. Relationships require investments of time and care. They are hard, but they are worth it.
• Where Adults Have Time For You
  Time for students and time for parents. Time to celebrate a success. Time to lend a helping hand. Time to listen.
• Where Trust is Built and Evidenced in Countless Daily Interactions
  Essential for a true sense of community.
• Where Adults Model the Virtues we Hope to Instill in Our Students
  Purpose and Perseverance, Humility and Humor, Care and Character

As parents, we have the opportunity and the responsibility to both seek and shape the best possible environments for our children. We hope this exploration of the ingredients necessary for a positive educational experience helps you provide the very best for your child(ren). Have a great school year!

August/September Lunch Menu

Click on the links below to see the appropriate list.

• Upper Division List
• Middle Division List (7th and 8th Grade)
• Middle Division List (5th and 6th Grade)
• Fourth Grade Supply List
• Third Grade Supply List
• Second Grade Supply List
• First Grade Supply List
• Senior Kindergarten Supply List
• Junior Kindergarten Supply List
• Pre-K3 Supply List

Lower Division News Letter 06/04/10

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Reading assignments for Middle Division and Upper Division students by grades are also posted.
These assignments guide the reader to a better understanding of the works, and serve as a basis for discussion in the first days of class. The assignments must be completed by the first day of school.

The Middle Division Assignments can be downloaded here.

The Upper Division Assignments can be downloaded here.

The lists are also posted in our Community section under Information – Forms.

Academy at the Lakes invites all children in the Tampa Bay community age 3 -14 (rising 9th graders) to join us for a summer of adventure, sports, creativity, and friendships. Summer at the Lakes is conveniently located near many of north Tampa’s suburbs, including Land O’Lakes, New Tampa, Lutz, Odessa, Carrollwood, and Wesley Chapel.

Our summer camps allow the children to have fun, broaden their horizons, and learn something new in a caring, supportive, and safe environment. Academy’s staff of teachers and counselor assistants always have great activities planned for the campers. Activities vary each session and many are offered several times during the summer.

This summer’s camp offerings will include archery, arts & crafts, baking, baseball, basketball, cheerleading, Chinese, dance, drama, field trips, flag football, math review, model rockets, movie making, photography, reading club, recreational games, SAT prep, sewing, soccer, tumbling, volleyball, and writing skills!

Summer at the Lakes Day Camp will be open for 8 one-week sessions from June 14 through August 6, 2010. Camp hours are from 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Campers can enroll in either full or half day sessions. Extended care is available from 7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

If you have any questions or would like to join our mailing list, please contact our camp director, Barbara Soulé, by e-mail at: bsoule@academyatthelakes.org.


The full brochure and all forms are available for download. Click on the links below for:

Full 2010 Summer Camp Brochure

2010 Registration Forms Only

2010 Camps-at-a-Glance Charts

About our camp director: Barbara Soule comes to us with 23 years of summer camp experience. Previously, she built and ran one of the largest day camps in Tampa. Barbara’s love of children and her enthusiasm for day camp is evident to all who know her. Barbara has taught school for 37 years and has a master’s degree in education.

Academy artists in grades JK through 12 featured their works of art at the annual exhibit. The Art Show Reception was held on Sunday, May 16th from 1pm-3pm. Student artists, families and faculty joined together to view our aspiring artists’ works of art, enjoy refreshments and mingle with the other artists’ and their families.