Tampa Bay News and Lifestyles. Odessa/Lutz/Land O' Lakes Magazine. Vol. 12, Issue 6, June 2021.

Vol. 12, Issue 6, June 2021

®

Your community. Your magazine. ™

The Premier “Shop Local” Community Magazine Directly Mailed To 20,000 Homes In Odessa, Lutz & Land O’ Lakes Areas This Independent Community News, Business & Dining Guide Is Directly Mailed Once Each Month To:

Ashley Lakes, Ballantrae, Belle Meade, Calusa Trace, Canterbury, Cheval, Citrus Greens, Concord Station, Devonwood, Dolce Vita on Lake Keystone, Echo Lake, Farmington Village, Fern Glenn, Grey Hawk at Lake Polo, Heritage Harbor, Ivy Lake Estates, Keystone Groves, Keystone Manors, Keystone Reserve, Keystone Shores, Lake Charles, Lake Church, Lake Parker Estates, Lakeside Grove Estates, Northlake Village, Northbridge at Lake Pretty, Northton Groves, Oakstead, Orange Blossom Creek, Reflections, Steeple Chase, Starkey Ranch, Stillwater, Stonegate, Suncoast Crossings, Suncoast Meadows, Swan Cove, Van Dyke Estates, Van Dyke Farms, Villa Rosa, Wyndham Lakes

Donna’s Cleaning Angels – From Small Business to Sparkling Success

By Joy Bergman

the cleaning business now 29 years later.

your way to a cleaner and happier home life,

Donna started and built all on her own, is

from the Bay-areas’ one-and-only Donna’s

Tampa Bay. Altogether, the impressive

house cleaning weekly, biweekly, or monthly,

including Pasco, Hillsborough, and Pinellas.

Angels are on the job! Since the founder of the

astounding feat for any small business, it isn’t

started cleaning homes back in the ‘90s, her

popularity. Donna’s

Tampa Bay, get ready to sparkle and shine

The successful cleaning service, which

with the help of some lovely cleaning angels

highly praised and regarded throughout

Cleaning Angels! Whether you need a general

company serves a total of three counties,

or a good team to scrub your kitchen, Donna’s

While serving such an expansive area is an

iconic cleaning service, Donna Ferrante, first

the only reason for the Cleaning Angel’s rising

company has built an impressive track record in

Cleaning Angels has

KnowledgePoints Helps Struggling Students Find Long-Term Success

By Deborah Bostock-Kelley

All tutors are not created equal. While some are content helping their students achieve short-term homework goals, KnowledgePoints is all about meeting longterm successes.

A family-owned tutoring business started by businessman Rocky Contreras and wife Monica, elementary school teacher, KnowledgePoints is celebrating 13 years in Land O’Lakes and six years in Trinity, FL. Catering to all ages of students enrolled in public school, Florida Virtual School, private or charter school, the knowledgeable tutors’ goal is to build a child’s confidence and skills

See “Cleaning Angels” on page 14

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Jacobson Culinary Arts.................4 From the Editor.............................5 SAT & ACT Improvement..........6-7 Powerstories’ Voices of Youth Theatre Festival.........................8-9 Tech Talk with Bob.......................10 Boating Safety Course..........18-19

See “Knowledge Points” on page 20

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JUNE 2021 3

JACOBSON CULINARY ARTS ACADEMY AT TARPON SPRINGS HIGH SCHOOL In the state-of-the-art kitchens students receive careeroriented instruction in both classical and modern culinary arts with an emphasis on the skills needed to succeed in the Hospitality Industry. The Chefs and student of JCAA are proud to have BergHOFF as a sponsor of our program and the student tested recipe of the month. If you would like to learn more about our program, please go to www.jcaachefs.com Bomb Bomb Chicken • 2 Medium boneless chicken breasts cut into strips • Tempura batter • Bomb Bomb sauce • Vegetable Oil (for frying) • Tempura Batter

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• 7 oz. flour, AP • 1 tsp. baking powder • 1/2 tsp. salt • 1/2 tsp. baking soda • 1 oz. milk • 10 oz. ice water or club soda Sift dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients separately.

Combine both mixes using chopsticks. Should be lumpy.

Bomb Bomb Sauce • 2 TBL Yum Yum Sauce • 2 TBL Spicy Mayo • 1 TBL Eel Sauce • 1/2 tsp. Wakame, crumbled • 2 tsp. Peanut Butter • 1 tsp. Citrus Juice Mix all ingredients and reserve for use (refrigerate)

Method Dredge chicken strips in flour and shake off excess.

Dip chicken strips in tempura batter, drain excess and fry

at 350° F until crispy, golden and cooked through. Toss hot chicken in Bomb Bomb sauce and serve.

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Florida Re-Opening Right on Time For Summer 2021!

Summer 2021 starts on Sunday, June 20th, and Floridians and out-ofstate visitors alike will be crowding our gorgeous beaches and local establishments.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been criticized for prioritizing economic recovery at the expense of public health.

Still, the word on the street says that most people are ready for some level of normalcy.

Folks of all ages (with and without masks on) have been seen out and about at local beaches, malls, gyms, nail salons, barbershops, and retail businesses (Some fitting rooms may still be closed.

Please contact them before taking an unnecessary trip.) Restaurants and foodservice establishments may finally operate at full capacity with limited social distancing protocols.

Most business owners I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing this past month seemed excited about re-opening their small businesses yet are still very understanding of the obvious fear the pandemic has caused. Most will continue enforcing some CDC guidelines and mask mandates for their staff while allowing their guests to make their own choices on wearing one or not.

Sporting venues like the Amalie Arena are finally increasing the number of fans they allow in each game. And at a perfect time, because the Lightning team are on a roll, and hopefully will be moving on towards the next stage of the playoffs! Go Bolts!

Publix and other grocery stores continue their mask requirements for now, despite DeSantis’s executive order.

However, a lot of visitors can be seen shopping around without them.

Most businesses must maintain an adequate level of sanitation practices among employees and patrons during all hours of operation.

Wherever you and your loved ones decide to go, please make sure to follow and respect each establishment’s unique safety regulations during this pandemic, which is still far from over.

Remember, patience over panic!

Whether we agree or passionately disagree with Gov. DeSantis’ decisions to reopen this quickly, one thing we should all agree with; COVID-19 is no joke, and it should continue to be taken seriously.

Do not get irritated if business owners or their employees politely ask you to stand farther from other customers. Don’t complain about the service taking longer than usual. It’s been a rough year and a half for most of us, and everyone is doing their best to get back to “normal.”

In Need OF Small Business Assistance?

If you own and operate a small business and you’re looking for Coronavirus Relief, please visit www.sba. gov. You’ll find multiple resources to help you overcome the economic challenges created by this health crisis. They offer numerous funding options for those seeking relief.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed and would like additional information on how to stay afloat while safely and successfully reopening your small Tampa Bay local business, please visit sbdctampabay.com/coronavirus. They offer helpful resources, guides, tips, and templates on how to strategically reopen your business while adhering to Governor DeSantis’s phased reopening plan.

Stay safe, stay kind. Until next time,

Carla M. Dubis Tedeschi.

SAT AND ACT IMPROVEMENT: SUMMER PREP CLASSES

By Dr. Wayne Adams

Wow? Summer break has already started. Before we know it, high schools will be back in session in early August. How time flies, especially over the summer.

Upcoming Exams: ACT on Saturday July 17th and Saturday, September 11th; SAT on August 28th and October 2nd; and PSAT on Wednesday October 13th.

More and more students prefer to prepare over the summer. Rising seniors want to see if their scores are high enough for desired colleges and universities (and for Bright Futures), rising juniors want to see how they would score plus preparing for the PSAT in mid-October, and many rising sophomores incorporate preparing for these exams as part of their longer term strategy to be admitted to the best university possible and seek to maximize scholarships.

One of the great rewards of my helping my students have

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their best possible futures, including doing their best on the SAT and/or the ACT Exams.

A rising senior recently wrote, “I just got my SAT score from my last test, and I am pleased to report that I received a 1530 (this is 99th percentile)! Thank you so much for all of the assistance you provided me throughout your class!

A rising junior wrote, “Dr. A. I wanted to say thank you for all the time you spent with me and the knowledge you taught me.

Not only did you teach me how to do better on the test, but also how to be a better person with many valuable, life-lessons.”

Another rising senior wrote, “I wanted to let you know I received my test scores back and got a composite of 31 (super scored got a 32). Individually, I got a 32 on math, 28 on Science, 27 on English, and a 36 on reading. Who woulda thought, of all the sections I would get a perfect score on the reading section haha. Thank you for all of

your help!!”

I always ask my students at the end of our first class what they found most surprising. Their typical answers are, “I learned so much so fast,” “Our time went by so quickly,” “This is so different from what I expected,” “We really do work interactively,” and “I really enjoyed it.”

Often when I talk with parents, they ask: Question: “How do you keep my student’s attention for your normal three hour class?”

Answer: “That is not the

problem. As your student will tell you, the problem is that the time goes by so fast.”

Question: “How do you motivate students to do their best?”

Answer: “When my students quickly see they can rapidly improve, they motivate themselves to see just how well they can do.”

Question: “Do you help students aim for a specific score or score range?”

Answer: “No, because I believe this adds too

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much pressure and is counterproductive. Instead, I ask them to do their best with the time and priorities they have … and the score will take care of itself. They also learn how to ‘have fun taking the test’, which sounds like words that should never come together but … as they will learn … really do and can greatly help with their mental outlook and test performance.”

Question: “How much of a student’s performance do you believe is mental?”

Answer: “I believe half of a student doing their best is mental, and this means taking the pressure ‘off’ and helping them achieve and maintain their peak mental performance zone.”

This is one of my proprietary guides I give to every student about different ‘test-taking’ personalities and how to maintain peak mental performance during the exam(s).”

Question: “What makes the difference in how different students score?”

Answer: “For my students, the factors are the academic preparation when they come

to me, test-taking skills, special techniques that greatly help on the exam, how well they are guessing on test-day, and ‘curve balls’ (those questions you seldom see but, when you do, you either know how to answer them or you are guessing). We have special preparations for these ‘curve balls’.”

Question: “Can you help with other areas of college admissions and costs?”

Answer: “Yes, and I have for years. This includes writing outstanding college application essays; key information for the ‘Top 25’ colleges and universities, ‘Five More’, and ‘Top 5’ in Florida; locations of very helpful web sites; and my guide Negotiating with Colleges that has helped my families save $1,000 to $10,000 a year in college costs.”

Question: “Do you have anything that can help my student get off to the best start as a freshman in college?”

Answer: “Yes, I have written a book about How To Can Survive and Thrive as a Freshman at a Secular University which I give to

every family that has proven very helpful in parents and students preparing for the ‘college experience’ and then the student getting off to the best start. This includes tips from the first step on campus as a new freshman through the major decisions in the first week, taking ‘hypernotes’ that greatly enhance how quickly and how well a student prepares for exams, strategies and plan for handling the first set of semester exams, and much more.”

If you would like to talk more with me about your student, please give me a call at 727-253-0639 or send an e mail at wwa0811@mykolab.com.

Would be great to talk with you further.

Dr. Wayne Adams is one of the leading SAT and ACT tutors in the country. His students normally improve around 200 points on the revised Writing, Reading, and Math SAT superscore; and 4 – 7 points on the ACT composite. They have been admitted to 5 of the “Top 5”, 8 of the “Top 10” and 18 of the “Top 25” universities

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in the country, and many more schools in Florida. These schools include Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, Stanford, U Chicago, Duke, U Penn, Johns Hopkins, Cornell, Notre Dame, Emory, UC Berkley, UCLA, USC, UNC (Chapel Hill), NYU, Northeastern (Boston), Boston College, Georgia Tech, Naval - Air Force - Merchant Marine Service Academies, Penn State, LSU, Auburn, UF, U Miami, FSU, USF, UCF, Florida Atlantic, Florida Gulf Coast, Palm Beach Atlantic, FIU, New College of Florida, Stetson, and Julliard – Manhattan New England - and Berkley Conservatories of Music. Many have received academic, athletic, or music scholarships. He has also tutored three students who achieved National Merit Scholar Finalist awards. He is a former Dean of a Graduate School of Business and Full Professor, and began college teaching at the University of Maryland in 1968. He has degrees and advanced studies at Harvard, Yale, Vanderbilt, Columbia International, and Luther Rice.

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Powerstories’ Voices of Youth Theatre Festival Accepting Submissions from Young People, Ages 8 to 18

Powerstories Theatre will Voices of Youth Theatre give youth artists live, in- Festival. person, and global virtual stage July 16-August 1, Following hot on the heels of its powerful 2021, for the debut of

15-night-long Voices of Truth Theatre Festival, Powerstories Theatre is launching the Voices of Youth Theatre Festival

on July 16-August 1, 2021, in its film-enhanced theatre.

With this youth-centric festival, Powerstories

continues to honor its mission statement of “opening hearts and minds.” Being wellknown in the community as a place for young people to find their voice, this inaugural festival will feature ten youth playwrights in the theatre or online and a virtual showcase of shorter original works.

Empowering children and teens is nothing new to the theatre celebrating its 21st birthday this year.

In 2010, Powerstories received the prestigious National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award for its Girlstories Leadership Theatre program, presented to founder Fran Powers by Michelle Obama at the White House.

Powerstories is reaching out to talented 8 to 18-year-old artists of all original plays, scenes, monologues, spoken word, songs, and dance

with original music, to be performed in the theater at 2105 W. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa, and using the latest technology, live-streamed.

“Children are the jewel of Powerstories.

Using a hybrid of inhouse theater and online digital productions, The Voices of Youth Theatre Festival gives our young people an opportunity to have their say. They can share what’s on their minds with both a local and global audience,” said Fran. “Working with youth is probably the most impactful thing that Powerstories does because we are working with the next generation.”

For the two-weeklong festival, guests have a choice of attending socially distanced productions of youth stories in the theater, following all CDC guidelines, or purchasing tickets to watch live

streams from the comfort of their home.

“We’re excited to reopen our doors after a very long intermission by showcasing the works of our young people in the community.”

The 2021 festival artistic committee for the Voices of Youth Theatre Festival is accepting submissions for consideration now through May 15.

Submission requirements are: • For play submission - the writer’s original story – Either a full production with a minimal set or a staged reading • For virtual showcase – shorter works of the writer’s original scene, monologue, spoken word, song, or dance with original music There may be a maximum of six characters on stage if selecting to use the theater. There is no

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limit on the number of characters if producing digitally. Artists must agree to have their production live-streamed and not have performed the submitted piece three months before and after production.

All selections will be announced on the Powerstories Theatre Facebook page and website on May 30, 2021.

Registration for the Voices of Youth Theatre Festival is $10 per submission and scholarships are available. Complete details and registration form are online at https://powerstories. com/voices-of-youththeatre-festival.

Powerstories Theatre is proud to be sponsored

by Hillsborough County Commissioners and Arts Council.

JUNE 2021 9

Tech Talk with Bob: Grammy Gets Hacked!

Grammy was so excited that morning. Her granddaughter Karla was coming to spend the day. Grammy had fun plans to entertain them both. They would play games, read books, walk to the park, and bake some cookies. After the cookies, Grammy started to clean up the kitchen. Karla was still full of energy and became bored. She asked Grammy if she could play on her computer. Karla went to a website that her mom lets her play games on.

Karla did not remember her login information and her parents were unreachable so Grammy appeased Karla by creating a new account.

The website only wanted Grammy’s email address and requested she set up a pass word. Well, Grammy never set up a web account before.

Her grandson had set up her email, banking, and investment accounts for her, so she only really knew how to login to them. Grammy was so happy when she successfully set up the account for Karla’s game on her own. All it wanted was her email address and to set up a password.

Karla was thrilled. Grammy, delighted.

Life goes on. Karla eventually loses interest in the game and Grammy forgets all about the credentials she used to create that game’s online account. Grammy always runs quality anti-malware software on her computer and keeps it up to date. Plus, Grammy doesn’t bop all over the web.

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She primarily sticks with her usual online banking and investment sites. Grammy is quite the good girl when it comes to her internet browsing habits.

A year later, out of the blue, Grammy’s bank account gets hacked. Grammy, her family, and even the bank, cannot figure out how it happened. They would later learn about the infringement that may very well been the cause of Grammy’s bank account getting hacked. Let me clarify, Grammy’s banking institution did not get hacked. It was Grammy’s personal bank account that was hacked. Someone had her password.

Remember that website where Karla wanted to play, and Grammy set up? We’ll that website’s online database with Grammy’s email address and password was hacked two months ago. Now, without her knowledge, Grammy’s information (her email address

and password) is exposed for sale on the internet. Criminals will buy this information and hack into banking sites hoping some of the combinations work granting easy entry into bank accounts of unsuspecting people. Grammy’s mistake.

She used the same password for Karla’s gaming website that she uses for her bank account.

Of course, Grammy has only the one email account, but she should have created a different password for the gaming website instead of using the same password she uses for her bank account. When the gaming site was hacked, scammers who bought the list of email addresses and passwords from the hackers, used this information to perform credential stuffing attacks on major banking sites.

Most people typically only have one email address. And that is fine. The moral of the story… Even though you may have to use the same email

address on every website, DO NOT use the same password on other websites. Oh, that’s bad; because if one website gets hacked, your other websites are at risk of being hacked too. Why? Because your email address with an accompanying “working” password is now available to online criminals.

We can help you find out if your email address has been exposed. If it hasn’t, we can and help you take the steps to head-off potential hacks to your accounts. If it has, we can help you with that too.

Call us now 727-534-4000.

It is your responsibility to protect your personal network, your computer’s operation, and your data. Whether you are a business or non-profit, even a home user, who keeps records about clients, customers, club-members, prospects, employees, vendors, sales, budgets, inventories, taxes… you get the idea; cyber criminals will exploit any easy, unprotected system.

How safe are you? My staff and I are here to keep your computer safer and keep you up and running. If you question your computer’s safety or performance, please have a professionally certified computer technician check it. Should you need a certified professional, call us now at 727-534-4000. We’ve been helping folks restore their peace of mind, and sanity, with their technology for decades.

We Keep You Safer In Your Digital World!

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JUNE 2021 13

“Cleaning Angels” story continued from page 1 won the trust of their customers because of their dedication to doing “the job

right the first time,” both openly and

honestly. In fact, some of Donna’s clients have been using her for over 20 years!

And as another result of the team’s hard work and dedication, Donna’s

Cleaning Angels has been voted by their customers as the top cleaning service

in the Tampa Bay area. No matter the

service or the situation, whether it be a last minute clean before you move out

of your house, or a clean for your brandnew home before you move in, Donna’s

Cleaning Angels are ready to help and do a thorough job. Or as they say, “We are obsessed with the details of clean!”

Diane Morris of Odessa, who was

particularly pleased by the angels’ work,

gave a detailed report of what the house looked like after the team left. She

wrote, “House is clean from baseboards to ceiling fan blades and a/c grates.

Good attention to detail. Kitchens and bathroom look great. Wood furniture looks great. Blinds, window ledges,

picture frames are dusted. Appliances

shine… The girls work in teams, this way they have a lot more energy together.

References and insurances provided

per request. Her team brings their own

supplies. Donna herself returns my calls,”

she continued. “Overall, I’m very pleased with this company, and understand why

they’ve remained in business for so many years in this area. I have referred them to many people.”

Why is it, you might ask, that Donna

cares so much about providing a quality service for her customers? Well, the answer lies in Donna’s family legacy

of going above and beyond for their

customers. Donna came from a mixed

14 JUNE 2021

Italian and French-Canadian family up

elderly woman on hospice. The two

their Italian restaurant of over 70 years,

point where Donna decided to give the

ethic in whatever she does. She also

a symbol of their friendship. The woman

in business, and when she needed more

thus referred to Donna as her “Cleaning

in New Hampshire, whose dedication to

quickly became close friends, to the

helped teach her to have a strong work

older woman a beautiful crystal angel as

learned the importance of serving others

was extremely grateful of the gift, and

money as a single mother after moving to

Angel.”

Florida, she knew what she had to do.

Back in 1991, Donna started Donna’s

And that’s how Donna’s Cleaning

Angels got its wings! Over time, the

Cleaning Service, in which she worked

company grew, and more angels were

leaving nothing behind but her angelic

customers. Years later, as a successful

work ethic making a difference in the

American Dream, Donna’s small-side

touching hearts along the way… At the

family, ended up growing over the course

entrepreneur began cleaning for an

success story that it is today. And now,

vigorously to clean homes and offices,

employed to swoop in and clean for

touch. But not only was Donna’s hard

entrepreneur and a true emblem of the

places that she cleaned, but she was also

business that she had started to help the

start of her business, the inspirational

of almost three decades, to the true

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germ-killing chemicals, commercial grade vacuums, and much more. Due to Covid 19, the Angels also wear masks and

follow CDC guidelines while cleaning your home. But the shine doesn’t just stop there – Donna’s Cleaning Angels also

offers commercial cleaning for offices,

such as real estate offices, doctor offices, and more!

“If anyone is looking for a great

cleaning service then call Donna’s

Cleaning Angels at 727-942-8289,” Bob

Fortin of Tarpon Springs advertised about the company. “I have been using this

service for about three years. Attention to detail and professionalism is what is very important to me and I have been

very satisfied each time the ladies come

to clean my home. Customer service has been wonderful and they are extremely dependable.”

Over the course of almost 30 years,

all it took was one determined individual to turn a small business into a sparkling

success with many loyal customers. Just as she touched the heart of her elderly you can welcome your own pair of angels

over time, “is that the only way you can

coming home to a sparkling clean home

Never let up. Keep going and do the

every time!” JoAnne Peters of Palm

Donna has done just that. The Cleaning

and her attention to us as her customer!”

program that can offer either a free clean

enjoys getting to meet her clients while

family.

residences. People are impressed with

cleaning, or a regular cleaning, Donna’s

both in cleaning and in managing her

versatile tools needed to uncover your

an entrepreneur, let alone a caring

rental property or two, there’s no need to

for almost thirty years! However, the

angels perform every job with the finest

inside your home! “I love the feeling of

be successful is you have to keep at it…

and Donna’s Cleaning Angels deliver

right things.” And it’s no doubt that

Harbor rejoiced. “So thankful for Donna

Angel company also has a Refer-A-Friend

As a true businesswoman, Donna

giving them a free consultation for their

or a discount once you refer friends and

Whether you need a deep-house

the long-term business owner’s skills,

angels will provide your home with the

angels. After all, it isn’t easy being

place’s natural shine. And if you own a

businessowner with a stellar reputation

stress! The experienced and well-trained

biggest lesson that Donna has learned

cleaning products, including high-quality

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friend in hospice, so does Donna bless

her community every day, by managing her team to care about helping others

and to provide the best service they can.

But don’t just take others’ word for it -

give Donna’s Cleaning Angels a chance to sparkle up your own home or commercial space today! After all, to many people in our area, they really are “Simply the Best.”

Dust your home ownership

worries away with a sparkling clean from Donna’s Cleaning Angels! Call

Donna’s Cleaning Angels now at (727) 942-8289. Don’t forget to check out

Donna’s Cleaning Angels on FaceBook!

References provided upon request.

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JUNE 2021 17

Coast Guard to host boating safety course U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary 11-10 Dunedin Flotilla will conduct the Boat America Safety training program designed to appeal to fishing enthusiast, personal watercraft operators, and all recreational boaters.

Because of COVID-19 personal safety issues, all classes are conducted online via Zoom at this time.

The classes will be taught by certified instructors.

Classes are $42 per student and include the books, supplemental materials and course completion certificates.

The Dunedin Coast Guard Auxiliary will of-

18 JUNE 2021

fer Boat America on four weeknights, Monday thru Thursday. These classes run monthly from 7:00 to 9:00pm. The Weekend Navigator will be offered once a month on Saturday s from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM for $40. This includes a parallel ruler.

Topics covered include current boating laws and the environment; safety equipment, both required and optional; safe boat handling; aids to navigation and navigation rules; potential boating problems; how to safely trailer your boat; and safety guidelines for fishing, water skiing, and

river boating. The weekend navigator focuses on chart plotting, learning how to calculate distance, speed and time for your boating trips.

The National Association of States Boating Law Administrators and Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission have approved this course for content. Successful

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completion of the course satisfies the requirement in Florida for anyone born after January 1, 1988, to complete a boating safety course if they want to operate a motor vessel. Certificates are awarded to all graduates. The USCG Auxiliary teaches the basic rules

of safe boating to thousands of students in multilesson courses annually.

For more information or to register for classes, please email Buddy Casale at publiceducation1110@ gmail.com or call 631-3791110.

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JUNE 2021 19

“Knowledge Points” story continued from page 1 and, by doing so, help him succeed.

Rocky explained that many people think all tutors do the same thing, “homework help” to improve, short-term, and increase a grade in the classroom.

“We look at that as a Band-Aid long-term. The way they teach in the school system is building skill on skill, one on top of the other, building on what they already know. When you see a child who struggles year after year in the same subject, especially, the issue is not what’s going on in the classroom today. The issue is that the child is missing fundamentals that the teacher is building on with the lesson. When you have these learning gaps, that’s when kids start running into trouble and when you have enough learning gaps, it becomes hard to keep up with what’s coming to them in the classroom daily. They start to slide further and further behind.”

Add in an unprecedented year and a half, and even the most accelerated student may have fallen behind.

Educators teaching a hybrid model are overburdened, simultaneously trying to give a sense of normalcy to their students in the classroom and their students learning in a virtual setting.

“I feel for those teachers. They have a nearly impossible task, and they

20 JUNE 2021

are working so hard to deliver. What happened last year and this with Covid only exacerbated the issue for struggling students.

We’ve got so many kids dealing with this very difficult year. When you look at school stopping and then returning online, or kids in quarantine. The class hasn’t stopped, and they come back and try to catch up.

More kids are struggling now than ever before. For the majority of kids, it has been a challenge.”

A floundering student can easily fall in between the cracks. Studies have shown that students have lost six months to a year of math and reading skills during the pandemic on average.

“Though there needs to be a recharge in the summer, for a lot of kids, this can be a critical time to help them catch up, get back on track, and experience more success next year and beyond.”

Called the Summer Slide, a child loses the achievements, generally two months, he gained during the previous year. When the previous school year has been as unpredictable as 2020-2021, tutoring helps the student to catch up where he has fallen behind.

During the pandemic, the centers have followed CDC guidelines, including tutoring stations spaced out and separated by plexiglass dividers, regular sanitizing, and sanitizer stations.

With the new guidelines announced, masks worn by students and tutors may

become optional.

KnowledgePoints offers tutoring year-round and recommends your child continue tutoring through the summer to keep the information fresh, get ahead of the curve, and prepare your child for the next school year when most, if not all, will be returning to the classroom. During summer, the student can focus on building up those fundamental skills needed to make the next year a better school year.

KnowledgePoints addresses the underlying issue that is causing the student’s struggle.

“We use a diagnostic approach to tutoring.

Instead of being focused on ‘homework help,’ we start with a diagnostic assessment that uncovers his learning gaps and where his weaknesses are. We design a plan to address those, individual to each student, for what he needs.

It’s really attacking those learning gaps and building up a foundation that not

only helps the student achieve today but long-term and develop the skills to succeed on their own.”

The center makes recommendations as to what areas of tutoring would benefit him, and the amount of tutoring depends solely on the child’s individual needs.

Unlike many other tutoring services, where it is the same process for everyone, at KnowledgePoints, a plan is custom-developed specifically for your child to address those skill deficits.

The center also provides ACT and SAT preparation services. Now that testing is available during the summer, students can prep and not wait for months to take the exam, risking forgetting everything they studied.

At KnowledgePoints, learning is stress-free, fun, and rewarding. Students earn success points for giving their best effort, which translates into shopping at Success Central for toys for the younger

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ones and gift cards for teens.

“Skills and confidence go in hand. Our system is designed to build both. When the kids feel confident and believe in themselves, it just fuels the effort needed to continue building and growing,” said Rocky. “We understand the impact that self-confidence makes, and of course, as parents, we love to see our child’s self-confidence and self-esteem rise.

KnowledgePoints equips each student with the tools needed to be successful on his own.”

KnowledgePoints is located at 2201 Collier Parkway, Land of Lakes.

Hours of operation for the summer are 9:30 am7:30 pm Monday through Thursday and 9:30 am to 1:30 pm Friday. For information, call (813) 9090781 or visit landolakes. knowledgepoints.com.

Rocky has a second KnowledgePoints location in Trinity. For information about KnowledgePoints in Trinity, located at 10720 State Road 54, Suite 110, call (727) 484-6178 or visit trinity.knowledgepoints. com. Affordable payment options are available at both locations.

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