Polk County Public Schools
Seven Bartow Middle students recently won awards at a regional Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) organization. HOSA is a national student organization whose mission is to promote career opportunities in healthcare and to enhance the quality of healthcare. The Bartow Middle students compete in a region composed of schools from Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk and Sumter counties.
Bartow Middle students winning awards are listed according to competition category with place won in parentheses. All the students are Bartow Middle eighth graders. Brett Wasden earned first place in two different categories. Stephen Cassick earned top three places in two different categories.
Medical Terminology: Kelly Hazen (first), Elaine Rivera (third).
First Aid/Rescue Breathing: Brett Wasden (first), Stephen Cassick (second).
Job Seeking Skills: Wasden (first), Arlisha Broome (second), Cassick (third).
These students are part of the school district’s first pre-medical academy for middle school students to introduce them to healthcare occupations including nursing and first responder fields. The Bartow Middle School Pre-Medical Academy is currently the only middle school to offer the courses. Bartow High Medical Academy students visit the middle school pre-academy to teach skills related to the healthcare field.
Kathyrn Phillips and Olivia Williams, Lakeland residents and seniors at Harrison School for the Arts, won writing awards in 2008 from the Florida Council of Teachers of English (FCTE). Their work was published in the FCTE’s “Gulfstream 2008” anthology. Their writing teacher is Conni Shelnut.
