Become Involved In The Guardian Ad Litem Program
The foster care system touches every part of society. You can help, take action and make a difference in a child’s life by joining the Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office Child Advocacy Team. Although every child appointed to the Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office is assigned a guardian ad litem attorney and a child welfare professional, not every child has a volunteer on their team. National research shows that children with a guardian ad litem are likelier to earn better grades, enroll in postsecondary education, receive more services while in foster care and be less likely to reenter foster care.
Through the collaboration of a national best-practice, multidisciplinary team that always includes a guardian ad litem attorney, a child welfare professional and hopefully a trained volunteer or pro bono attorney from the child’s community, the team provides legal representation while assisting the child in expressing their needs and wishes.
Learn how to get involved at https://guardianadlitem.org/ or by calling 813-272-5110.
Kappa Kappa Bingo Fundraiser
Join the Kappa Kappa Chapter of Kappa Delta Phi for an evening of fun at its bingo fundraiser at Bullfrog Creek Brewing Company on Tuesday, August 15 from 7-9 p.m. Bingo will start promptly at 7 p.m. so please come early to order food and drink and to get your table; there are no reservations for this event.
Bingo is $20 for five games, and there will also be a 50/50 raffle and silent auction prizes available. Bullfrog Creek Brewing Company is located at 3632 Lithia Pinecrest Rd. in Valrico.
Free Beginning Reading Class For Adults
The Center 4Life learning at the United Methodist Church of Sun City Center, located at 1971 Haverford Ave. in Sun City Center, is offering a free Beginning Reading for Adults class. If you know an English-speaking adult who grew up in the United States but never learned to read, please tell them about the class. An adult who never learned to read possesses a vast knowledge base through day-to-day living and working, which is used by the highly qualified instructor to teach each student to read. This will be a small class of one to four students.
For more information, contact Sue Holter by calling 813-634-8607 or email center4life@sccumc.com.
Hillsborough County Public Schools Students Demonstrate Achievements
Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) students demonstrated impressive achievements in newly released statewide algebra and geometry assessment results, outperforming the state average. In addition, HCPS students throughout the district showed improvement over the course of the school year in English language arts (ELA) and math.
This was the baseline year of the FAST (Florida Assessment of Student Thinking), a statewide progress monitoring tool given to students three times a year, in grades three through 10 in ELA and grades three through eight in math. Between the first administration of the tests in the fall of 2022 (PM1) to the third administration (PM3) in spring 2023, HCPS students showed growth and understanding of the B.E.S.T. (Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking) Standards.
The FAST progress monitoring assessments provide teachers, students and parents with real-time, immediate and actionable data at the beginning, middle and end of the school year to drive student improvement.
Virtual Neighborhoods Expo
Hillsborough County is set to host the 2023 Neighborhoods Expo virtually, meaning you can enjoy it from your computer or mobile devices. The theme is ‘Healthy, Safe, and Engaged Neighborhoods,’ showcasing the services and programs that the county provides to engage and positively impact the health and safety of our communities.
The Neighborhoods Expo will be held from 7:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 19 and offers residents the opportunity to virtually meet with staff to learn more about county departments and ask questions about their government through informational sessions and virtual exhibit booths. Sessions are one hour long.
Register now to learn more about Hillsborough County departments and the many programs and services that they offer to assist neighborhoods every day. Visit www.accelevents.com/e/2023-hillsboroughcountyneighborhoodsexpo to register for the event and to view the information sessions. Registration closes on Thursday, August 17 at 11:59 p.m.
