Academy at the Lakes - Premier North Tampa Private School » Clubs

Giraffe Club Assists Helping Hands Food Pantry

jfalby — Wed, 12 May 2010 14:02:48 +0000

“Sticking Their Necks Out for Others” – that’s what our students and families have been doing this year to assist Helping Hands Food Pantry. Located on State Road 54, Helping Hands, assists between 170-180 families each week. A food, clothing, and toy drive have given our students opportunities to help others in our own community.

The Giraffe Club’s final project of the year was to pamper the moms who come to the Pantry each week.

“We thought that giving the moms some items to pamper themselves might help to brighten their day.” The fourth grade students decorated gift bags for the generous items the Academy community contributed.

The Giraffe Club officers, along with Mrs. Szarko, distributed the gift bags on May 5th to all the moms who will came to the Pantry.

“We hope to continue our relationship in the coming school year and assist all the great people who work at the Food Pantry.”

Submitted by Debbie Szarko

Odyssey of the Mind 2010

jfalby — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 16:17:27 +0000

Submitted by Annie Kapentais

Competing for the first time against a field of 22 schools in their division, Academy at the Lakes received second place honors at the most recent Odyssey of the Mind Regional Competition. A team comprised of six children from grades 2 through 4 competed in Discovered Treasures. The students created a skit about an archaeological expedition that took place through several time periods and involved different artifacts and landmarks. In addition to making their own props, the team incorporated dance and song into their skit. The performance garnered one of two second place awards given for their division.

Odyssey of the Mind is an educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students of all ages. Children apply their creativity to solve problems that range from building mechanical devices to presenting their own interpretation of literary classics. Odyssey of the Mind provides children with benefits that reach beyond the classroom; students learn skills that will last a lifetime. We are thrilled that we can offer our students this valuable learning experience.

A big congratulations to our Odyssey of the Mind team.
Quinn 4th grade
Chance 3rd grade
Bilal 4th grade
Lauren 4th grade
Charvi 2nd grade
Anmol 4th grade

Key Club Works At Pasco Food Bank

Sapphire64 — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 13:38:43 +0000

Where do you find many teenagers on Saturday mornings? Perhaps curled up in bed or “vegging” in front of the TV set? Well, not these teenagers at Academy at the Lakes! How about in the back of a warehouse sorting and packing food items for distribution to families in need? Yep! That’s where Upper Division Key Club students spent the morning of Saturday, January 16, 2010. They were at the Pasco Food Bank sorting food by categories, labeling and packing boxes and relocating packed boxes for distribution to other centers.

This is one of many ways that Academy at the Lakes students give back to the community. This particular occasion was one of the Key Club’s many Saturday morning visits to local Food Banks to provide community service. On other occasions Key Club students have set up and manned tables where food was mass distributed. Sometimes students have gone to distribution centers extra early to pre-bag multiple food items and our strong boys have helped recipients carry these heavy bags to their cars. At other times students simply have handed out one item at a time. Our students are always pleasant and are rewarded by a smile and a “thank you” from the people receiving the food.

Academy at the Lakes encourages students to give back to the community and supports their efforts by awarding community service hours for time spent.

These opportunities for community service open our students’ eyes to the needs of less fortunate people living in our immediate area. Myrna Febles, Key Club Sponsor and Upper Division Spanish Teacher, also gets a kick out of hearing the students practice a bit of Spanish with some of the families that receive the food.

- Contributors: Myrna Febles and Del Garside

JSA Members Victorious at Fall State

Sapphire64 — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:12:59 +0000

When students enter high school, many doors open for them by way of academic, artistic and athletic organizations. Our incredible high school students wear many hats as they venture into young adulthood, adding a multitude of experiences to their resumes. One such opportunity afforded to Academy Upper Division students is membership in JSA, the Junior States of America. Thirty-five percent of our UD students belong to this esteemed club, where they explore the political side of life. JSA is a student-run organization that allows for an exchange of ideas through stimulating student debates, thought talks, problem solving, and a variety of simulations. Every year, thousands of high school students come together to debate and discuss pressing political and social issues at Junior State conventions and conferences. This year’s Fall State convention in Fort Lauderdale proved exciting and victorious for Academy’s chapter.

We were privileged to hear inspiring words from former Florida governor Bob Graham and Lobbyist Speaker Fausto Gómez. Some students registered for positions as main speakers and moderators for debate blocks, while others researched the debate topics for subsequent speeches and pro or con questions. Jon Berry ’10, Carly Harro ’10, and Jason Pitcairn ’11 took the podium as main speakers on topics such as legalizing public education for the children of illegal immigrants, holding special elections for vacant Senate seats, and ending the controversial “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, For the latter, Jason Pitcairn ’11 won a Best Speaker gavel, an honor bestowed upon him by his JSA peers.

Academy students also held several moderator positions, running the debate and maintaining order while the speakers faced off. Our incredibly sharp JSA members raised points about issues including the deployment of additional troops to Afghanistan, the legalization of gay marriage, the institution of a flat tax for our country, and establishing a public option for healthcare. Jon Berry ’10, Ali Buckman ‘11, Brad Englund ‘10, Michele Goodman ’10, Carly Harro ’10, Caitlin Hollander ’11, Michelle Emery ’11, Nader Issa ’10, Katy Kretzinger ’11, Jason Pitcairn ’11 and Alex Thompson ’11 proved that they are up on the issues, incredibly articulate and can hold their own in an impassioned dialogue on the state of our country.

Academy took home third place in the Southeast Fall State convention, an impressive victory for a young, private school in a sea of students from high schools in six different states. JSA provides a highly educational and exciting experience for our young, politically active minds, and we are proud of our students’ commitment to being active in the shaping of our future.