🗳 Juniper Worthington, Blake High School
🗳 Angelica Pertab, Durant High School
🗳 Simran Wadhera, Wharton High School
The designs will be reproduced as a 2" by 2" round sticker and given to voters who vote early or drop off their mail ballot during the two weeks leading up to Election Day for the 2026 Primary and General Elections.
Each student will also receive a prize from this year's sponsors Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and The Florida Aquarium.
🏈 Christine Wasylkiw, principal of Sumner High School
🏈 Christine Milius, 4th-grade teacher at Limona Elementary School
🏈 Priscila Cedeno, secretary at Pride Elementary School
They were recognized during tonight’s board meeting.
Principals in Practice: Family & Community Engagement - Celebrating Principal Otis Kitchen from Twin Lakes Elementary.
We’re proud to celebrate outstanding principals across Hillsborough County Public Schools who are leading with purpose and heart. Nominated by their peers, these leaders bring families, staff, and community partners together to support student success.
They show us that strong family and community connections make a real difference in our schools every day.
Otis Kitchen is the proud principal of Twin Lakes Elementary.
Belonging is not a feeling you stumble into; it is a culture you build. Principal Kitchen has earned the 2026 Principals in Practice Excellence in Family and Community Engagement Award, recognizing his remarkable commitment to cultivating a school community where families are warmly welcomed, deeply engaged, and celebrated as essential partners in student learning. At Twin Lakes, every family belongs, and that makes all the difference.
Congratulations, Principal Kitchen!
Principals in Practice: Family & Community Engagement
We’re proud to celebrate outstanding principals across Hillsborough County Public Schools who are leading with purpose and heart. Nominated by their peers, these leaders bring families, staff, and community partners together to support student success.
They show us that strong family and community connections make a real difference in our schools every day.
We begin with Principal Elizabeth Padilla Garay from Pierce Middle School.
Principal Padilla Garay has earned the 2026 Principals in Practice Excellence in Family and Community Engagement Award, recognizing her extraordinary commitment to empowering families as expert advocates and true partners in their students’ education.
At Pierce, every family belongs. Every voice matters. And every student benefits.
Alongside his team of volunteers from the VooDoo Chef Foundation, plus instructors and students from the Hillsborough Culinary Academies at Erwin Technical College, they served up incredible food and shared hands-on learning experiences with nearly 5,000 attendees. 👨🍳✨
Students from Armwood High School’s agriculture program got a behind-the-scenes look during a tour of M&B Dairy in Lecanto! Led by Armwood graduate Leon McClellan, students explored every aspect of dairy farm operations—from milking cows and processing milk to safety protocols and how waste is sustainably reused in on-site hay and corn fields.
They also got hands-on experience working with a veterinarian to check if cows were pregnant, giving them a real-world look at animal care and herd management. 🐄
Students learned just how much milk is produced daily—around 150,000 pounds from roughly 700 cows.
Students also heard from Citrus County Sheriff’s Agricultural Deputy Bo Gallant, who shared career opportunities at the intersection of agriculture and law enforcement.
Congratulations to our students who were recognized this week during the Hillsborough County Tax Collector’s Office Kids Tag Art Awards Ceremony!
This program, led by Nancy Millan in partnership with our district and the Hillsborough Education Foundation, gives fifth-grade students the chance to design their own vanity license plates while learning about local government.
Proceeds from Kids Tag Art sales will go directly back to each participating school's art program to fund various resources and supplies. The online store features license plates, keychains, mugs, and mousepads, all showcasing our students' designs!
Visit hillstax.org/shop to browse the collection. You can even search by student name or school to find specific artwork.
The event celebrated the following seniors who are continuing their education in the performing and visual arts:
Andre Lane
Erin Nakamura
Faythe Grayson
Isabel Geskey
Lucia Redner
Madelyn Hubbard
Ty’Driana Attis-Brock
Una Blenke
Amelie Heine
Anika Das
Jakob Stinson
Delaney Kane
Ryan Leahy
Emma Laitinen
Jayden Vega
Hayden Wahlgren Brown
Pearl Dolce
Elijah Turner
Sarah Glenn
Zane Polins
Calvin Van Pelt
Wade Richards
Evangelyn Rodriguez-Almague
NadyaMonet Adams
Nathaniel Johnson
Jaelin Borders
In total, these students earned over $1 million in scholarships!
"It was worth letting the students know that we wanted to celebrate them and how proud we were of them, and we felt that it would also empower them as artists as well as young learners." - Kandace N. Johnson, Blake High School's Magnet Lead.
Bright Futures: College and Career Pathways - Listen on your favorite podcast platform and subscribe so you don’t miss upcoming episodes! 🎙️
For this episode, we’re talking about a big question many students — and families — are asking: What comes next after high school? For some students, that path may include college. For others, it may be a technical program, military service, or entering the workforce. The important thing is that students have guidance, support, and a plan that reflects their goals and interests. Joining me today to talk about how students can navigate those choices is Ansberto Vallejo, Supervisor of Adult and Community Education.
Our students had an incredible time enjoying the game, making memories, and experiencing a day at the ballpark. We’re grateful to the Tarpons for being such great partners in education and for supporting our students both on and off the field. 💙🙌
Watch their feature story here >>> https://bit.ly/48M23kj
Hillsborough County Public Schools is committed to preparing students for success in a world where artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies are increasingly common. We know you may have questions about how AI is being used in your child’s education, and we want to provide you with clear, transparent information about our approach. Visit our Parent Resource Guide to learn more.
Visit the Artificial Intelligence (AI): A Parent Resource Guide>>
The HCPS RAISE High School Tutoring Program is now accepting applications for the summer! This initiative is designed to train, equip, and support juniors and seniors as they tutor kindergarten through 3rd-grade students in early literacy skills.
Participants will earn volunteer service hours and may qualify for the New Worlds Scholar award from the Florida Department of Education.
For FAQs or to apply, visit https://bit.ly/Su26_HCPS_RAISE_HS_Tutoring_FAQ.
They recently had the opportunity to meet Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, who congratulated them on receiving this award, which honors projects focused on water conservation and real-world solutions to protect and manage our water resources.
Be sure to wear your favorite Bolts gear this Friday, April 17, to celebrate the start of the Stanley Cup Playoffs as the Lightning take on the Montreal Canadiens.
Voices from the School Board - Member Lynn Gray
Listen on your favorite podcast platform and subscribe so you don’t miss upcoming episodes! 🎙️
In this episode, we focus on an issue that is more important than ever—protecting our students and helping them stay safe in an increasingly digital world. We’re joined by School Board Member Lynn Gray, a long‑time advocate for student safety, who brings important perspective on topics such as human trafficking awareness and online protection. Together, we explore why these conversations matter, what families and schools should be paying attention to, and how education plays a critical role in prevention and awareness.
During their trip, students explored the zoo, discovered career opportunities in animal care and conservation, and even got an exclusive behind-the-scenes experience—participating in a training session with Sdudla, a male African elephant.
The event welcomed drivers from Sarasota, Manatee, and Gadsden counties to compete in a series of precision driving and safety challenges.
And once again, HCPS showed up and showed out!
🥇 Juan Maldonado (Area 1 driver)
🥈 Cassandra Varnes (Area 5 driver)
🥉 Romy Taju (Area 7 driver)
All three champions will now represent Florida at the International Roadeo Competition this summer in Austin, Texas! We’ll be cheering them on all the way! 👏
