Howard W. Blake High School

Program Description

NEW FOR THE 2024-25 School Year!

Faculty

Rebecca Giangrasso, Creative Writing

Contact: rebecca.giangrasso@hcps.net

Rebecca Giangrasso has been a passionate educator at Howard W. Blake High School since 2021. Born and raised in the charming town of Pennington, New Jersey, Rebecca's journey into the world of literature began early, fueled by a love for storytelling and the written word. In 2018, she embraced a new adventure by moving to Tampa to attend the University of Tampa. Rebecca earned both her B.A. in Secondary Education and English and her M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from UT, equipping her with a strong foundation in educational theory and practice.

Her creative writing courses are a vibrant tapestry of exploration, designed to cultivate her students' unique voices and imaginative capacities. Through a deep study of poetry, prose, fiction, and creative nonfiction, Rebecca encourages her students to push boundaries, experiment with form, and express their ideas with authenticity and flair. Recognizing the transformative power of creative writing, she creates a supportive and dynamic classroom environment where students can engage in meaningful discussions, critique one another’s work, and share personal narratives. Rebecca believes that every student has a story to tell, and she is dedicated to helping them discover and refine their individual styles. Her approach not only develops their writing skills but also instills confidence and a lifelong appreciation for literature. 

Rex Gordon, Journalism, Yearbook

Contact: l.gordon@hcps.net

Rex Gordon is a Tampa native who majored in history at USF. Preeminent local historian, Gordon wrote the History of Hillsborough High School by utilizing over a century of school yearbooks and newspapers. This book would go on to win the Tampa Preservation in Education Award. Gordon believes that school publications and social media are crucial to chronicling the history and events of a school. He has found his home teaching at Blake since 2021. Gordon's philosophy comes from Virgil--"They can because they think they can."

Max McAllister, Digital Cinema, Media Studies

Maxwell McAllister, a Massachusetts native, graduated from the University of Tampa with a bachelor’s degree in Film & Media Arts. With a focus on script writing and editing, he was able to adapt these skills upon joining Howard W. Blake High School in 2018 as a permanent substitute in English Language Arts. McAllister’s passion for film and media are on full display in Media Studies. His students will not only gain the technical and planning skills required to create media of their own; they will also gain the required practice to critically analyze, encode, decode, and evaluate all forms of media and communication. McAllister strongly believes that media literacy empowers students to engage critically with information while amplifying their voices as creators, digital authors, and responsible consumers of media in all its forms.

Joe Papadopoulos, Television Production

As a 25-year veteran of live television, broadcast news and commercial production, Mr. Papadopoulos brings real world experience and knowledge to the classroom.  With over 20,000 hours of live news experience in the studio, control room and the field, Mr. Papadopoulos has the ability to go beyond the textbook and share actual industry best practices and know-how with his students.  While working at ABC Action News, Mr. Papadopoulos worked on award-winning Newscasts, Special Reports, Public Interest Segments, Sports Specials, Extended Coverage Events and Lifestyle Shows.  As a storm chaser, he followed Hurricane Rita into Beaumont, Texas.  During the 2009 Superbowl coverage, Mr. P was the remote broadcast technical lead for daily coverage of local events leading up to Superbowl Sunday.  During the 2012 Republican National Convention, Mr. P helped run a three-camera remote feed from the convention floor to the ABC Control center and then to the local studio in Tampa.  In set construction, Mr. P was part of a small team that hand built the current studio set for Tampa Bay’s Morning Blend.    His personal motto is: Shoot, Edit, Repeat.