The Advanced Placement United States History (APUSH) class at Admiral Farragut Academy recently attended their 10th annual Cannon School at the National Park Service Headquarters in St. Augustine, FL.

As part of the curriculum, seven students learned how to roll gunpowder into canisters, load, and fire them according to the field manual of Spanish soldiers who manned the Castillo de San Marcos. After spending one day in the classroom and one day practicing on the gun decks above Bastion San Pablo, the Farragut APUSH class donned the uniforms of 18th century artillerymen and performed 17 different cadences, all directed in Peninsular Spanish.

After completion of the classroom and practical tests, the Farragut students in attendance, Bianca DeSilva, Maya Cooney, Jolie Caya, James Bossard, Max Panfilov, Max Poliak, and Bat-Enguun Javkhlan, all received their historic weapons certification which will enable them to volunteer at any National Park Service living history demonstration throughout the US.

Mr. Panuthos takes his APUSH class annually to Cannon School, which the National Park Service holds especially for Admiral Farragut Academy students.

Picture source: http://www.adoptaussoldier.org

We are asking our community to give back to service members during the holiday season. Tina Henderson, the parent of AFA sophomore student Phillip Henderson, adopted a platoon through “Project Frontlines” which is a short-term/on-time-care package program to help support our troops. AFA and Mrs. Henderson is supporting a platoon that consists of about 15 service members, who call themselves the Death Dealers. Unfortunately, we have not been told their location but we have received correspondence from their platoon leader who shared what his soldier’s needs and likes are.  We are looking to send care packages as soon as possible and request our Farragut Family participation!

Please bring all items to Amy Stabile in the Upper School Office by Friday, December 8th.

Interests and Hobbies:

• Hiking
• Hunting
• Sports Cars

PS 4

• PS 4 games (they enjoy military games as well as sports games)
• Controllers (they need 2 PS 4 controllers)

Magazines

• GQ
• Tattoo
• Men’s Health

Sports Items

• Street Basketball
• Football
• Volleyball

DVD’s (they enjoy Marvel and DC movies as well as military TV series.  They have specifically requested the below)

• Band of Brothers Pacific series
• The Unit
• Big Bang Theory
• Game of Thrones
• Dragon Ball Z
• Marvel Agents of SHIELD
• Bones
• The Wire
• Marvel and DC movies

Adult coloring books

Card Games (They have many decks of cards but no other types of card games)

Not sure where to find that perfect gift? Come on campus and check out the Ship’s Store! There you can get everything from holiday ornaments to sweaters to stuffed animals and even bibs and onesies for your future cadet! Email shipsstore@farragut.org or call 727-384-5500 ext 245 about ordering and shipping.

Written by Senior Naval Science Instructor (SNSI) CDR Rick Schock

The AFA Competition Drill Team was in action last Saturday, the 2nd of December at Gaither High School in Tampa, Florida.

Competing against 24 other schools in the largest NJROTC Area 07 sanctioned meet ever hosted, the BlueJackets competed with focus and energy. Invaluable experience was gained by new team members as many competed for the first time.

Led by Unarmed Basic Drill Team Commander Melissa Price and Armed Drill Team Commander Chris Northup, the teams battled their way through a competitive field with good, solid performances resulting in mid-pack finishes. Our Academic Team, most ably commanded by Evan Schlifstein, finished in 10th place. The team left Tampa hungry to hit the grinder again in February when the team will compete at the University of South Florida, closing out the competition year.

The highlight of our Saturday may have been the new gear we had the privilege and joy of putting into action. Through the generosity of Mr. Frank P. Wendt our Armed team was able to purchase new, state-of-the-art drill rifles. Melissa Price and her family made a generous gift which allowed the team to buy embroidered garment bags, uniform tool boxes, and new t-shirts, all of which were used for the first time at Gaither. The new rifles, along with the attire and accessories, enabled our team to arrive and work their way through the competition representing Farragut like true professionals.

The team wishes to send their sincere appreciation and thanks to the Price Family and Mr. Wendt for their generosity and support of our Drill Team. A special thank you is in order to Coach Aaron Prather who encouraged some members of his track and fitness teams to compete and bolster our athletic team.

Next up – USF!

Please join the Aviation Department in congratulating Yuchen “Jack” Wang ‘18 for earning his solo endorsement on Tuesday, December 5, 2017, at Albert Whitted Airport on runway 7 in a Cessna 172.

“I was nervous in the beginning,” said Jack, “but we did several take-offs and landings prior. Then Mr. Ewing [Farragut Aviation Instructor] hopped out and said ‘good luck, have fun’ and I was on my own.”

Jack, a boarding student from Shanghai, China, who has attended Farragut since 7th grade and who has been taking Aviation for three years now, said that he plans to pursue a degree in Aerospace Engineering or Mathematics. His top college choices are his early decision of Boston University and his early action decision of Purdue University. “I would love to work for Boeing some day,” explained Jack, who has taken Aeronautical Science I, the Embry-Riddle Dual Enrollment course, and is now enrolled in Aviation Academy at Farragut. “I would like to become a commercial pilot or an aerospace engineer, but I definitely want to keep flying.”

“Jack has shown tremendous effort and preparation throughout the year, both in the classroom and in the aircraft,” shared Mr. Ewing. “He is a safe and proficient pilot on track to earn his private pilot certificate by graduation.”

In addition to Jack working on earning his private pilot’s license this year, he has also played tennis, the xylophone with the Admiral’s Own Band, and is an active member on the Math Club and Guitar Club. Jack also plays guitar with a five-man band called JOSPA.

Jack came to Farragut because he felt he did not learn well in the Chinese education system, and was looking to gain more knowledge in a new culture. When asked about his Farragut Experience, Jack responded, “It’s the place you can chase your dreams and achieve your goals. The teachers are nice and the classmates are supportive.”

On Friday, December 8th, 2017, Science Department Head and Biology and Marine Science teacher Sari Deitche was awarded the Florida Association for Water Quality Control (FAWQC)’s Environmental Education (E2) Fund grant.

The award was presented to Mrs. Deitche by Florida Association for Water Quality Control Vice President Scott Deitche and Treasurer Jon Hull. This $935.62 grant will be the ninth FAWQC grant and the 17th grant in general that Mrs. Deitche has been awarded. In all, she has earned $48,245.42 for her classes since she started at Farragut in 2002.

FAWQC is an association of professionals dedicated to managing, improving, and protecting the quality of Florida’s waters. The FAWQC E2 Fund was established to promote environmental education and awards grants for environmental projects at Florida schools, civic or community organizations, and awards prizes at Florida science fairs. E2 Grants are awarded based on the proposed project’s overall environmental value as to:

• Fostering awareness and understanding of a water related issue;
• Being cost effective;
• Basing the project on sound science principles;
• Promoting involvement of students or citizens; and,
• Promoting enhancement of a water resource or associated habitat.

“Out of the 26 schools that applied and the 13 schools that earned awards, AFA was ranked number one,” said Mr. Deitche.

“We score based on guidelines, such as science principles, budget, and how many kids will be affected,” Mr. Deitche continued, “and then those scores are weighted and automatically sorted in an excel spreadsheet.”

“We’re looking for measurable results and conclusions,” Mr. Hull added.

The grant will be used for an experiment, including all science classes in Lower to Upper school, to help them study and learn about the importance of mangrove habitats. “Applying the scientific method, students will perform an experiment to predict and evaluate how different conditions affect mangrove health,” explained Mrs. Deitche. “Discussions about climate change, water quality, pollutants, and human impacts, will illustrate real-world examples of shoreline erosion and mangrove degradation.”

For the project, students will grow red mangrove seedlings in tubs that are kept within a 16’ x 16’ school salt marsh nursery. Students will also design experiments to grow the mangroves in different water and/or substrate conditions, such as sand only and mud only.

First, Project Lead The Way (PLTW) and Engineering teacher, Gary Frost, and his STEM class will design a pump using CAD. Second, Science and Robotics teacher, Grady Heiss, and his Robotics class will build the pump and install it into the nursery.

“Then the pump will circulate the water to help simulate the natural tidal environment where mangroves grow,” said Mrs. Deitche in excitement. “My science students will be in charge of monitoring the water levels, salinity, DO, nitrate/nitrite, pH, and other parameters. They will also take and log all measurements of root length, root size (width), root weight, and stem growth (at top of propagule). The AP Bio students will then design data charts and help calculate necessary measurements. The older high school students will interpret the data and teach the younger students the importance of the data and what is being discovered through the data and calculations.”

The STEM Program students will fly drones over the waterfront and take footage of the mangroves growing naturally at the school’s waterfront. “We plan to timelapse the footage so students can see how the shoreline changes,” explained Mrs. Deitche. “This project relates to the importance of mangrove shorelines from the habitat they provide to their role as shoreline stabilizers. Issues that may affect mangrove health, especially in Florida, include climate change, erosion, water quality and pollution issues. Students will do field research at the school waterfront, discovering many of the different marine species living in and among the mangrove habitats (e.g. mangrove crabs, oysters, juvenile fish, such as snook, mullet, sea robins, horseshoe crabs, etc.) There are also herons and pelicans that visit the mangroves frequently, building nests for their young.”

One other issue that affects mangroves and is apparent on AFA’s campus are invasive species. “On our own school-front property, we have issues with invasive species encroachment from Brazilian pepper trees,” added Mrs. Deitche. “Discussions can be added to the indoor and outdoor classrooms about how invasives can inhibit natural mangrove development, thus weakening shoreline stabilization.”

“The kids have been asking a lot of questions in class about these things,” Mrs. Deitche said. “Something that our school and all schools are struggling with is writing hypotheses. AP Bio in particular was scoring low on writing hypotheses. A new requirement this year in the AP curriculum is writing a null hypothesis ((in a statistical test) the hypothesis that there is no significant difference between specified populations, any observed difference being due to sampling or experimental error.) If the students are struggling with hypotheses then how can they write a null hypothesis? Something I worked on last year was how can we get stronger in writing hypotheses, and I’m hoping to work that into this experiment.”

“There’s a lot of different facets to this grant, and I think each class is going to run with this in different ways.”

“Unfortunately the grant is only running for a semester,” Mrs. Deitche continued. “We would have liked to have run the experiment for multiple seasons and see how it fluctuates.”

The effects of the experiment on the learning of the students will be long-lasting, not just in their findings but in the equipment Mrs. Deitche will be able to supply with the money.

“Another criteria is if you want to purchase equipment that is reusable versus just consumables,” Mr. Deitche said. “We like when there’s equipment that can be used for years.”

“We purchased a digital thermometer gun that we can point at the plants and get the temperature reading without disturbing the plant,” Mrs. Deitche said. “We’re getting a microscope out of it, as well as tubs and lamont test kits. Real laboratory grade equipment. The kids love it because they feel like they’re scientists.”

“We hope some of them do become scientists,” Mr. Hull said. “I was collecting samples yesterday, logging them this morning, and I’m going to drop them at the lab later. That’s the kind of thing we want the students to learn here so it’s not unfamiliar when they go to college and into a career.”

“We’ve had quite a few who have changed their minds when they come through our program and gone on into some sort of science-related field,” Mrs. Deitche said.

Mr. Hull believes he knows the reason why.

“I’ve sat in Mrs. Deitche’s classes before,” said Mr. Hull. “She’s a wonderful and engaging teacher.”

What is the best choice when considering a Religious Vs. Non-religious education in private schools? There are certain parameters parents should consider when choosing between a religious or non-religious school. The values your children grow up on will be the values that shape their adulthood. Does the school you decide to enroll them have to be religious to be good?

When it comes to education in private schools, there are usually two main streams to the religious approach:

Parents choose private school because it is religious.

• Most religious schools get students enrolled based on their parents’ religion. Children will not necessarily follow the same religious path of their parents, however many parents choose this for their children because they want to build a strong moral background.
• Some things you should have in mind include:
  • Is the curriculum rigid?
  • Does it inspire learning?
  • Is it designed in a way in which independent learning is encouraged?
• It’s important to understand that because religious schools are based out of certain guidelines set by the religion, they are allowed to select their staff – both teaching and non-teaching – on grounds of their religion. This could potentially hurt the school’s performance. A great instructor could be left out for not sharing the same religious views.

Parents choose private school because it is non-religious.

• Some of the things to have in mind when considering a non-religious school:
  • Make sure the school offers an environment that fosters a  sense of community.
  • Research has shown that supportive communities – whether religious or non-religious – help children generate ways to cope with stress and become better individuals.
• Some schools do not tie a certain religion to their title, however, the core values they abide by are pertinent to the development of well-rounded children and future leaders.
• If you decide to go the non-religious way, decide if the school has set values that will be needed for daily life. The core values that will be instilled in your children will transcend their time in school and will affect the lives they live in the future. The type of person they will become relies primarily on the mentors that shaped their path. Children learn best through observation and having mentors that provide the correct behaviors give them a role model they will look up to and learn from.

Good luck in your search to find the “right” school for your child and your family!

A few weeks ago, Erick Bennett ‘18 became one of the first students this year to obtain his solo flight endorsement.

Erick, who has attended Farragut since his sophomore year, has taken Aviation at Farragut every year and is now taking courses with the flight school at Albert Whitted Airport. In fact, aviation is what attracted him to Farragut in the first place.

“I’ve enjoyed aviation since I was a little kid,” Erick said. “My dad’s a pilot for American Airlines so I grew up around it. It’s what I love to do.”

Since aviation is his passion, Erick didn’t have too hard of a time earning his endorsement. “I had to do different flights around the pattern, know how to land and take off, and know all the specs of the airplane I’m flying.”

At Farragut, Erick is a member of the student government, and he played football his first two years here. Hailing from Columbus, OH, Erick knows what his future looks like.

“Ohio State University is my dream school,” he said. “I want to be an airline pilot like my dad.” He plans to earn his private pilot’s license this year, go to college and finish all of his ratings, and then become an airline pilot.

“I love the freedom of flying,” Erick said. “I love how it’s such a different hobby from what other people my age are doing.”

We wish you the best of luck Erick!

According to IMPACT Melanoma, Admiral Farragut Academy is the first school in Pinellas County to place sunscreen dispensers across campus and to provide additional education through their ‘Practice Safe Skin’ program for grades Kindergarten through 12th.

“We are very proud that we are acting as role models for our community,” said Parents’ Group President Denise Colangelo, who is also a registered nurse and mother of 6th grader Sophia Bourque. “It is so important to educate and provide a solution to help prevent and protect our students, families, faculty, and staff from harmful UV rays.”

You can find the Sunscreen Dispensers at the following locations across campus:

• Lower School Playground
• Tennis and Basketball Court
• Waterfront
• Pool
• Main Entrance to Al Ross Field near the Concession Stand

The BrightGuard Sport Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30 is specially formulated to withstand vigorous activities. It provides superior broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection that resists wear off from water, rubbing, sweat, or wiping. It is also water resistant for up to 80 minutes and is proven to not clog pores or cause breakouts. Learn more about practicing safe skin habits to lower the risk of melanoma at impactmelanoma.org.

In addition to the five sunscreen stations on campus, the Parents’ Group was also able to purchase large sunshades for the Lower School playground. “We are all really excited about the sunshades,” said 2nd-grader Sereen Shamseddine. “We will be able to play longer because we won’t get so hot!” The Lower School faculty and staff are also very excited because they spend a good chunk of their day outside during recess, extended care, and also over summer if they direct a summer camp.

These sun-protection additions were all made possible by proceeds raised from the 2016 Parents’ Group Poinsettia Sale, individual sponsors (see below), and individuals who raised their paddle during the 2017 Parents’ Group Auction.

We would also like to thank our sunscreen dispenser sponsors. These sponsors contributed to purchasing each dispenser and a one-year supply of sunscreen.

• Christine Rolfo-Fontana-Yern (two dispensers!)
• Dr. Alexandria Kongsiri, Visage Dermatology
• The Salebra Family
• The Covington Family and The Lewis Family

Every year we will be seeking new sponsors to reload the sunscreen, which is estimated to last a year. Please email parentsgroup@farragut2.org if you would like to become a sponsor for an upcoming year.

On December 11, author Haley Marguerite Mariano visited Admiral Farragut Academy’s PreK, Kindergarten, and First Grade classes to read her book, Charlie Takes An Adventure.

Mariano, a Lynn University graduate, holds a Bachelor degree in Multimedia Journalism. She is a self-driven entrepreneur who holds affiliations with the American Cancer Society, Boca Helping Hands, and Hospice by the Sea. She has several years of Toastmasters International experience and has been awarded the Advanced Communicator’s Bronze Award.

In Mariano’s book, an adventurous penguin named Charlie is bored in his hometown of Pickering Wharf, Antarctica.  Charlie has no one to play with, nothing to do, and winter lasts a really long time.  Charlie sets off on a plane to Florida hoping to find the missing piece of his happiness.  Throughout his journey, several events do not go as well as he had planned and hoped, leaving Charlie disappointed. As Charlie is approaching the exit of Happy World, he spots a sign that reads, “Fortune Teller – ALL wishes granted.”  Charlie decides to walk down the path to pay a visit to the fortune teller… to tell her what has been going on and why he decided to leave his hometown. Enlightened by the Slovakian proverb, Charlie comes to the realization about the true meaning of life and he understands what he must do in order to be happy.

“I am Charlie,” Mariano said in response to a question from one of our students. “When I was young, my family left Massachusetts to move to Florida. I was so excited because I thought Florida was gonna be so fun. It was warm and there was so much to do. I learned when I was there, though, that not everywhere is perfect.”

Mariano was only 11 years old when she wrote Charlie Takes An Adventure. “It was for a school assignment initially,” she said. “One night, after brainstorming ideas for the assignment with my dad, I had a dream that basically was Charlie Takes An Adventure. I ran the idea past my dad, and he encouraged me to write it for the assignment. Seeing my finished book in hardcover form was so cool that I wanted to publish it for real!”

Haley Marguerite Mariano at 11 years old

As excited as Mariano was about publishing her book, it took 13 years for it to get there. She was met with discouragement from all sides. “It wasn’t the publishers that discouraged me. It was my teachers and parents and friends. They all said that I was too young, that it was too expensive, and that I was too inexperienced.” The straw that broke the camel’s back, however, was an ex-boyfriend. “He told me, ‘darlin’, you’re just not smart enough to publish a book!’ It was then that I decided that if nobody else was going to believe in me, then I would have to believe in myself.”

Two years later, Charlie Takes An Adventure was a hit. Mariano has toured all over the southeast and visited over 1,000 schools to read the book to children. Our PreK, Kindergarten, and First Grade students were entranced with the story of Charlie, and they were full of questions and stories afterward, ranging from asking if there were elephants in Happy Land to saying that they saw penguins at Sea World once.

As for Charlie? He will be visiting his author’s home state of Massachusetts in Mariano’s next writing venture.

“What I’d like the young children to take away from my visits is to not lose sight of believing in themselves, and always follow through,” Mariano said.

Competing in their first competitive NJROTC Orienteering competition ever, our BlueJacket team brought home a 3rd place trophy on the intermediate level Orange Course.

Orienteering is basically an over land navigation skill which requires knowing how to read and use a compass, interpret a topographical chart to remain on course while locating designated points in the woods, all the while racing against time and other competitors. The discipline requires mental as well as physical toughness and will, at times, humble even the most competent.

Having only had a single practice event to test their skills, this trophy represents a major success for the school’s most recent team addition. This achievement is made all the more impressive given that Farragut competed at Lake Louisa State Park in Clermont against 16 other schools and over 300 cadets, including the state champion team from South Sumter who took 1st place.

Led by seniors Jason Chen and Chris Northup, juniors Steven Smiley and Gianni Defelice, along with sophomore Ashton Raymer the team shocked the field of seasoned competitors who had never seen Farragut in action. Facing cool temperatures, difficult terrain and occasional rain, the team was able to find their points and sprint to the finish wet, tired and satisfied.

The team looks forward to more competitions in 2018 and welcomes new members to join. Interested students should see CDR Schock or Team Commander Steven Smiley for more information.

All boarding prep schools have a never ending responsibility to look for ways to enhance the living experience of their residents. Leaving home, often for the first time, presents many challenges for students particularly as the holiday season is upon us.

Not everyone is anxious to open their home to 140 teenagers armed with soda, snacks and other goodies for an evening of fun, family and games. Thursday evening, December 14th, Commandant Todd Wallingford and his wife, Kim, opened their home and did just that in their ongoing effort to improve the quality of our residential life community and show just how much they care for our students.

With a bonfire blazing and enough food to feed the “navy” that arrived, a great evening kicked off at 1900 with games and classic holiday movies. The Wallingford’s hospitality was overwhelming, helping even the most shy feel at home and in the mood to interact with their fellow students. It was a great opportunity to have a great time and further build relationships with our awesome kids. The evening was a perfect way to kick off the holiday break with our cadets leaving feeling just a little bit more appreciated. Please enjoy the photos and we wish everyone a joyous holiday season. See you in 2018!

For the first year, Admiral Farragut Academy Upper School students are participating in Sea Perch, an innovative underwater robotics program that equips teachers and students with the resources they need to build an underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) in an in-school or out-of-school setting.

On Thursday, December 14, students put their ROVs to the test during an obstacle competition in the pool at Farragut.

“All of the students did a fantastic job designing, building, and driving their rovs through a difficult obstacle course,” said STEM instructor Grady Heiss. “We had five teams competing for the top three spots for the next round of competition.”

The top three teams were:

#1 “Electric Crabs”

• ROV Driver, Ryan Green
• ROV Observer, Alex Zacharias
• ROV Mechanics, Jason Chen and Kestler Wilbur
• Course time: 2:42:49

#2 “Megalodon”

• ROV Driver, Luke Matsuyoshi
• ROV Observer
• Konrad Hart, ROV Mechanics
• Shi Wang, and RayJohn Dacres
• Course time: 7:20:28

#3 “Drone/Robotics Club Team #1”

• ROV Driver, Sean Tang
• ROV Observer, David Wei
• ROV Mechanic, Roman Stott
• Course time: 7:53:55

These three teams will move on to the Florida Suncoast Sea Perch Regional Challenge in Dunedin, Florida on March 24, 2018. The three remaining ROVs will be retasked, redesigned, and rebuilt for Marine Science ROV operations in Spring/Summer 2018 and beyond.

Special mention to Naval Science Team #1 ROV Driver, Liam Carney, ROV Observer, Sam Nolin for navigating a difficult course and building a working ROV.

If you would like to participate in Sea Perch, please contact Mr. Heiss at gheiss@farragut.org. Learn more at www.seaperch.org.

View More Pictures

Grab your big hats and bowties and join us for our Kentucky Derby-themed 19th Annual Parents’ Group Auction!

Invite your family and friends to this fun evening of dinner, drinks, and dancing with silent and live auctions that will benefit Admiral Farragut Academy.

Online registration coming soon.

Date: Saturday, April 21, 2018

Time: 6:30-10:30 PM

Location: The Club at Treasure Island

Proceeds benefit the Parents’ Group and their fundraising initiatives. The goal of the auction is to raise funds to enhance the educational experiences and lives of our children that are beyond the realm of their daily academia and beyond what tuition alone can cover. YOUR support will make a difference in the lives of the students at Admiral Farragut Academy. Your support is greatly appreciated!

By Valentina Fornaro Galliano ‘19, international student from Argentina and Public Affairs Officer for the regiment.

On Marther Luther King Day, Monday, January 15th, Admiral Farragut Academy took us, the boarding cadets, to Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, FL. The Kennedy Space Center is one of ten National Aeronautics and Space Administration field centers where astronauts are trained and spacecrafts are launched. There, we were given the opportunity to train like astronauts and learn about space in a very unique way.

There were many different attractions that we got to experience along with the Residential Life staff. The Space Center Bus Tour offered us a closer look to what happens behind the gates.

Heroes and Legends, which is a 4D attraction, offered a mix of 4D multisensory theater and actual artifacts including a Redstone rocket suspended overhead, along with the Sigma 7 capsule and the Gemini 9 capsule. This led us into the U.S. Astronauts Hall of Fame where American astronauts are remembered and honored. A highlight of the Hall of Fame was when we got to see the statue of Alan B Shepard, who is an alumnus of Admiral Farragut Academy’s class of 1941.

Visiting the Kennedy Space Center was an experience that not many people get to have, and it was really fun to be able to share that experience with all of our friends.

On January 21, 2018, Admiral Farragut Academy 2nd grade teacher and avid swimmer, Maren Lynch, swam 3.1 miles across the Tampa Bay for the Tampa Bay Frogman swim “Never Leave a Man Behind” charity event benefiting the Navy Seal Foundation.

Each swimmer represented a fallen soldier.

“I swam for 22-year-old Navy Seal Tyler Trahan EOD2 from East Freetown, Massachusetts,” said Maren. “Tyler was deployed with his east coast-based seal team in Taqaddum, Iraq and was killed on April 30, 2009, while conducting combat operations. Two marines were also killed during this operation.”

In order to participate in this charity event, swimmers were asked to raise a minimum of $1,500 with a total fundraising goal of $700,000. Maren used a fundraising website where others could donate and she could share her thoughts as she prepared for the race. Overall, Maren was able to raise $2,510 for the foundation.

“This was the most emotional event I have participated in and the most difficult swim I have ever done,” said Maren who, in the past, has participated in the Lido Key race that was 7-miles long and a 12-mile relay around the island of Key West. “It was not the longest swim, but the cold water, the wetsuit, and ridiculously-strong current made this more challenging to me than any I have done in the past. I even asked for Tyler’s help when I got scared.”

Along with Tyler figuratively by her side, Maren also had the help of a kayaker and close family friend, Craig Mallon. “Craig was in charge of keeping me in line, both directionally and mentally,” explained Maren. “He is a long time friend, best friend to my husband, and God Father to my one of my children; I am so grateful for him.”

Although the conditions were tough, Maren swam well and arrived at Picnic Island with a time of 1:26. Out of 175 participants, 25 of which were female, she earned 4th overall female and 34th overall.

“I am humbled and honored to have swum for Tyler, and proud that I was able to give back to his family and other families who have lost their loved one,” said Maren.

On Saturday, January 20th, the Lego Robotics team, The Coding Cadets, traveled to Palm Harbor Middle School to compete in a Lego robotics tournament.  

The Lego Robotics team is made up of six students: 7th graders Calli McKee and Jillian Aprile, 5th graders Saige Jeffers, Isabella Reynolds, and Zachary Vaughn, and 4th grader Katie Lynch. Out of 30 teams, our students tied for 2nd place in the Robotics section, scoring a whopping 150 points! 

During the competition, students were judged in several areas:

Robotics – Students were given a specific course with several Lego related missions to complete, a project which took three rounds plus a practice round. 5th grader Zachary Vaughn was recognized as not only the first but the only student to complete the water pipe placement mission.

“My job was to take the pipe back to the base and then back again,” Zach said. “I had a robotic arm on there to get the pipe out. I figured out that the pipe wasn’t going far enough to go into the hole, but Mrs. LoRusso helped me by showing me how to add a couple of pieces so it wouldn’t slide back as far.”

Technical – Students showed off their best programs and explained the technical/coding part behind it.

“I don’t get to be in the room for that part,” said Shannon LoRusso, Lower School STEM Teacher and coach of the Lego Robotics team. “They’re judged entirely on their own. They had a few notes from the judges that they are working on, but overall they did a great job.”

Project – Students had to come up with a project to complete that related to the First Lego League (FLL)’s theme, Hydro Dynamics. Our students completed their research and came up with the idea of creating a water-saving music app to use while in the shower.

“The average person uses about 2.1 gallons of water per minute,” said Calli McKee, who partnered with fellow 7th grader Jillian Aprile to spearhead this aspect of the project. “This app would measure how much water the user is using based on how long the songs they select are. For example if it’s a 2 minute song, that would be 4.2 gallons of water. It would even have an option to adjust the showerhead for different amounts of water that is put out.”

Core Values – Students were given a team-building task when they walked into the room and were expected to work together as a team to complete the task while using the FLL’s set of Core Values.

The core values were as follows:

• We are a team.
• We do the work to find solutions with guidance from our coaches and mentors.
• We know our coaches and mentors don’t have all the answers; we learn together.
• We honor the spirit of friendly competition.
• What we discover is more important than what we win.
• We share our experiences with others.
• We display Gracious Professionalism® and Coopertition® in everything we do.
• We have FUN!

“They were judged on how well they worked together as a team,” said Mrs. LoRusso. “The final product isn’t as important as the teamwork.”

The students will travel to the Trinkle Center at Hillsborough Community College in Plant City on Saturday, February 17th to compete in the regional tournament.

On Friday, January 19th 5th-grade students spent the day at Enterprise Village by the Stavros Institute. Enterprise Village is a self-contained economic education program that provides a hands-on learning experience unlike any other.Our students spent six weeks in their social studies classroom with Mrs. Rowe studying economic education objectives that taught them about writing checks, using a debit card, keeping a checkbook register, applying for a job and working in a group.

These educational objectives were put into action as the students spend one day at Enterprise Village. The layout of Enterprise Village is similar to a shopping mall. During their business day, students worked in one of the 20+ businesses, took three breaks, received paychecks and had the opportunity to be consumers by making purchases in one of the business-sponsored storefronts. Without a doubt, this is considered by most students to be their best educational experience while in lower school.

“I liked that you could be with your friends and have an experience of what your parents do,” said Cole Raymer, whose job was to make pens and price products as the Bic Mechanical Engineer. “I assembled a total of 96 pens for everyone at Enterprise Village. I also learned how to do checks and balances.”

The Enterprise Village program assists students by allowing them to:

• Develop basic economic concepts
• Understand relationships between businesses and consumers
• Use quality concepts in business and consumer planning
• Develop a basic understanding of checking and savings accounts
• Understand a simple decision-making process
• Work together to satisfy customer’s expectations

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Earlier in the school year, Upper School history teacher Scott Singleton had students in his American History Honors class submit essays to the George S. & Stella M. Knight Essay Contest, which is run by the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR).

The students submitted an original 800- to 1,200-word essay based on an event, person, philosophy or ideal associated with the American Revolution, Declaration of Independence, or the framing of the United States Constitution.

After returning from Winter Break, the class learned that Admiral Farragut Academy students had swept the awards, taking 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place at the local chapter level of the contest.

Gianni Defelice took 3rd place and was awarded $50 for his essay titled “The Build up to the Revolutionary War”. Alyssa Rano took 2nd place and was awarded $100 for her essay titled “The Foundation of a Country”. Dylan Miksch took 1st place for his essay titled “Thomas Jefferson; Author, President, Founding Father”.

Dylan will be awarded $200 and honored for his paper at the Sons of the American Revolution luncheon meeting at the St Petersburg Yacht Club on Saturday, May 19th. Dylan’s essay is now entered into the state contest where he could be eligible for additional awards.

Admiral Farragut Academy would like to announce the addition of Tony Sloan and Victoria Raymer to our Development and Alumni Department.

Tony Sloan

Tony, our new Chief Development Officer, holds a B.A. from Indiana University and an M.P.A. from the University of South Alabama. He began his professional fundraising career in 1989 as a consultant with Ketchum, Inc. Since that time, he has served several non-profit organizations including UMS-Wright Preparatory School, Indiana University, University of South Florida, Tampa Preparatory School and Cambridge Christian School having raised over $100 million during his career.

Prior to that, Tony served as a staffer on Capitol Hill, an assistant to the Indiana Lieutenant Governor and owned a small business. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2011 after a distinguished 30-year Air Force Reserve career including stints in Iraq and Afghanistan. Tony is also a NCAA College Football Official.

Victoria Raymer

Victoria, our new Director of Alumni Giving and Engagement, brings over twenty years of experience in strategic marketing, communications, and community relations to AFA. She started her career in Tallahassee working as an intern for the Governor’s Press Office which led to the position of Affiliate Marketing Coordinator for the Florida Association of Broadcasters, coordinating national media conferences. Victoria moved to the Tampa Bay area to manage and syndicate a lifestyle radio show and secured over 300 radio stations nationwide. Her career advanced to TV, as a Senior Manager of Affiliate Marketing with HSN, she was honored to support the development of an award-winning retention campaign with drove $13.4 million in revenue. Prior to joining the Farragut Family, Victoria served as the Senior Brand and Communication Manager for Bisk Education, a technology provider for online degree programs with top accredited universities. She was the first leader in the company who developed a corporate philanthropic program which engaged employees to give over $150k in goods, services, and in-kind donations to local charities.

We are excited to have Tony and Victoria join the AFA team to strengthen our development and alumni engagement efforts.

We also want to announce the retirement of CAPT Tom McClelland and the new role Jeff Ogden ‘00 will serve after 10 years in the Alumni and Development Department.

CAPT McClelland

CAPT Tom McClelland, USN (Ret.) has retired after 20 years of service to Admiral Farragut Academy. He plans to continue his world travels with his wife, Dona. We thank him for his dedication to the Academy, the Naval Science Department and his devotion to our past and present students, for whom he did so much.

Jeff Ogden ’00

Jeff will be transitioning to a role that will assist the Headmaster in both directly managing initiatives as well as serving as a liaison from the Headmaster to those responsible for strategic initiatives. He will leverage his considerable knowledge of Farragut, insight into outreach, and experience with logistics.  

We are excited with our changes and ask our community to welcome our new additions.