Land O' Lakes High Gator Gazette

Happy New Year! As we get ready to start the second semester on Tuesday, January 14, I want to extend a warm welcome back to all our students and families as we all return to school on January 6. I hope you had a restful and enjoyable holiday season.

The start of a new semester brings new opportunities and a fresh start. Our dedicated staff at LOLHS is committed to providing a supportive and enriching environment for our students. We have exciting coursework and events planned, and we encourage you to stay engaged and involved in our school community.

Please remember to review grades from the first semester, which will be available starting Friday, January 20.

Thank you for your continued support. I look forward to making the remaining months of the school year successful and memorable for all our students.

RIc Mellin - Principal

During the last week before the winter break, over 30 students received gifts through the school's Secret Santa Program. The initiative was organized by Mrs. Stephanie Colon, Career Specialist. Her accounts include seeing tears, goosebumps, and MANY smiles. Some kids excitedly opened their gifts right away and others said they were bringing the items home to open on Christmas.

While their "Santa" remains a secret, they all were appreciative and said THANK YOU. We share their deepest gratitude with all of you that helped to make this such a success. You helped these students believe in the goodness of people and the value of being part of a strong community. Mrs. Colon talked with each student about how we appreciate them. You’ve planted a seed of caring within them, and those effects are immeasurable.

The start of a new semester and new year is a wonderful time to send in all unused LOLHS textbooks. If you have finished a class, dropped a class, or have re-discovered an old textbook, please return it to the Collaboratory (Media Center). This will provide future students with the necessary materials for their upcoming classes. Students can go before school, during lunches, and after school to check their library accounts. Textbooks checked out for the 2023-24 school year are to be returned by the last week of school.

We are happy to host our School Advisory Council (SAC) meetings on the fourth Wednesday of each month in the media center at 1:45 PM. This council talks about school data, student activities, and funding requests. This council is a great opportunity to share opinions, support, and concerns about our school with a group that is interested in making Land O' Lakes High School the best option for students in our community.

If you are interested in being a part of this community, please click this link to sign up.

The Land O Lakes National Honor Society has proudly organized multiple drives over the past few months. NHS hosted a Veterans Card drive, where members wrote over 120 cards which were given to Veterans at the Baldomero Veterans Home. As well, NHS organized a thanksgiving canned drive, collecting over 400 donated items which were given to a local charity center. For December, NHS organized a Toys for Tots collection, in which we received nearly 60 toys from the Land O Lakes High School Community. The LOLHS NHS is excited to announce more projects in the coming months!

In the months of January and February, we invite stakeholders to participate in the review of textbooks that are being considered for adoption for a number of middle and high school science courses. Digital access to resources is provided for families and community members who would like to review the options. Please access the textbook adoption website for resource access and information on how to submit your input for consideration.

The start of a new semester and new year is a wonderful time to send in all unused LOLHS textbooks. If you have finished a class, dropped a class, or have re-discovered an old textbook, please return it to the Collaboratory (Media Center). This will provide future students with the necessary materials for their upcoming classes. Students can return books before school, during lunches, and after school to check their library accounts. Textbooks checked out for the 2024-25 yearlong classes are to be returned by the last week of school in May.

Course selection information for the 25-26 school year will be coming out soon. Please keep an eye out for details about parent nights and class presentations.

Yearbook students are working hard creating a book that will keep memories for years to come. The yearbooks are still on sale on RYCOR for $75. The price will go up on March 1st to $85. Consider adding this as a gift for the post-holidays if you haven't already purchased one!

We have sold quite a bit of books so far, but there are still many to purchase. However, we usually sell out, just like we sold out of our ad space. Parents - if you ordered a tribute page, you will get a tribute page proof emailed starting the end of January. So, make sure your photos and completed order form were sent to Ms. Labarbara at llabarba@pasco.k12.fl.us.

Coming up! - Club photos and the senior panoramic will take place on Tuesday, January 22, 2025. There is not an opportunity to make up these photos.

Swamp Talk students are working to create new videos of electives offered at LOLHS to help parents and students make their course selections. These should be available by the end of January on our YouTube LOLHS Swamp Talk channel. There are already several videos from last year available on our YouTube channel under the "playlists" tab. Subscribe and Like our channel today to stay updated with any new videos added.

Semester 1 Grades: Semester 1 grades will be posted in January. It's crucial that seniors are passing their current classes. ALL students must maintain a GPA of 2.0 or higher to graduate! As we approach the final week of the second quarter, please be sure to check your student’s grades and encourage them to turn in any missing assignments.

GRAD Plans: Ms. Garcia has met with every senior to review their individual GRAD plan. This important document shows if they are on track for graduation. Please ask your child to share their plan with you, as it will highlight any unmet requirements.

Testing Requirements: If your senior has not yet met the testing requirements for graduation, time is running out! Students must pass the 10th grade ELA test and the Algebra 1 EOC exam to graduate. Those who haven't passed have been given ongoing opportunities to meet these requirements. We are offering study sessions, boot camps, and study guides to all students still needing to pass these tests. Upcoming CLT Dates: January 25, 2025, and February 20, 2025. Study Session and boot camps will be offered for both dates!

Cap and Gown Orders: All cap and gown orders must be placed by Feb 1, 2025. Orders can be made through the Herff Jones website. If you purchase a graduation package that includes a cap and gown, the walking fee is also included. On the order form, Line 41 covers both the cap and gown as well as the walking fee for this year. The walking fee includes the cap and gown, diploma, diploma cover, a medallion given at graduation, and the use of the Yuengling Center. All students must purchase a new gown this year, as the students have designed a new gown that will be unveiled at graduation. Gowns from previous years cannot be borrowed. For questions about cap and gown orders, announcements, or tassels, please contact Herff Jones directly.

Class of 2025 Dates

Grad Bash April 5, 2025

Prom April 26, 2025

Graduation June 5, 2025 at 6:00 pm

Please reach out to Mrs. Wall, senior class assistant principal if you have any questions. hwall@pasco.k12.fl.us

Congratulations to Sebastian Sanchez and Caleb Garza for placing 3rd in the Second Annual Cattlewomen's Burger Bash. They won $400 for the culinary program with their delicious Tropical Burger. They are pictured with culinary instructor Chef Cooper.

Character is the resiliency focus for January. During the month students will have lessons based on character integrated throughout their regular content area curriculum. By focusing on character, we will encourage students to use effective and respectful communication skills and strategies. Student will learn to practice empathy in a variety of contexts and situations and will be shown ways to adapt their behavior to respect the needs of others.

Developing resilience is crucial for students to navigate challenges and thrive both academically and personally. Here are some effective strategies:

1. Set Brave Goals: Encourage students to set specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely (SMART) goals. This helps them focus on their objectives and build the determination to overcome obstacles
2. Adopt a Growth Mindset: Teach students that abilities and intelligence can be developed through hard work and learning. This mindset helps them view failures as opportunities for growth rather than insurmountable obstacles
3. Build a Support System: Encourage students to seek support from friends, family, teachers, and mentors. A strong support network provides emotional backing and practical advice during tough times
4. Practice Emotional Regulation: Help students learn to manage their emotions in stressful situations. Techniques like mindfulness, deep breathing, and positive self-talk can be very effective.
5. Encourage Optimism: Foster a positive outlook by helping students focus on their strengths and past successes. Optimism can boost their confidence and motivation to tackle challenges
6. Teach Problem-Solving Skills: Equip students with strategies to approach and solve problems effectively. This can include breaking down problems into manageable parts and brainstorming possible solutions

Additional resources for families can be found at

https://www.buildresiliency.org/

The school's Science Showcase will take place on January 6, 2025. Winners from this event will represent LOLHS at the 2024-2025 Pasco Science and Engineering Showcase, scheduled for February 8, 2025 (date change) at the Angeline Academy of Innovation.

Open conditioning will be held on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays through the first three weeks of January.

Try-outs will be held on January 27th, 28th and 29th. Location to be determined.

To stay up to date on practices and information, please follow:

@lolhsflagfootball on Instagram. Times and locations of open conditioning and tryouts will be posted there.

Arm Care and Conditioning begins Jan. 6. Varsity @ 2:15 and JV @ 3:15

Tryouts begin Jan.13. Varsity @ 2:15 and JV at 5:00.

Tryouts will be held from 3:30-5:30 PM from January 20th through January 23rd. No experience necessary and all athletes welcome who have completed their athletic paperwork. Come root us on at our first home game against Tampa Prep on Friday, February 14th.

Tryouts will be held Monday, January 20th & Tuesday, 21st from 2:30pm-4:30pm. Please meet on the back football field by the opposing bleachers. All athletic paperwork must be submitted on Home Campus prior to attending. No previous playing experience required! If you have any questions, please contact Coach Alix, abaldini@pasco.k12.fl.us.

Please congratulate Annabelle Bokor, the 2024 Peek Family Scholarship recipient. This $2500.00 scholarship is presented to 1 male & 1 female from the one of the 16 boys & girls teams competing in the Tampa Bay Champions League. The scholarship is the 12th man scholarship. It is for a player that is the heart and soul of your team. The one that may not be a starter but does all the little things that help the team.

Conditioning will continue until the start of the season. The first day of tryouts is January 20th at 9am (optional). The mandatory tryout is January 21st starting at 2:30 pm.

Consistently recognized as one of America's Best High Schools. Rated B by the Florida Department of Education. An International Baccalaureate and Cambridge World School.

Website: lolhs.pasco.k12.fl.us
Location: 20325 Gator Lane, Land O' Lakes, FL, USA
Phone: 813-794-9400
X: @lolhsprincipal