New help for your college search, and other Pinellas education news

District opens centers to help college-bound students

The Pinellas County school system and the Pinellas Education Foundation have launched a program this week to help students and families with the task of choosing and applying to colleges. The program features newly christened “College and Career Centers” at five high schools, with the goal of expanding to every high school in the district in the future. The centers are at Boca Ciega, Clearwater, Gibbs, Largo and Pinellas Park high schools. Officials kicked off the program Friday during a ceremony at Clearwater High. In addition to helping select and apply to colleges, staff at the centers will help with preparation for SAT and ACT exams, point to events such as college fairs, offer guidance with financial and scholarship planning, and assist with college essays. For more information, visit pcsb.org/Page/31226.

Read to the kids, win ice cream

Families with children in a Pinellas County public elementary school are invited to enter the “Elementary Family Storytime Challenge” by Feb. 10. To participate, they can submit a video no longer than 10 seconds and no larger than 25 MB that shows them getting ready to read a book aloud to their child. The video must show the book and state its title. It also must contain the name of the parent and the student in video, and the name of the student’s school. In addition, parents are asked to say whether they want to allow the video to be used on school district media sites. Videos can include more than one student. They should be be emailed to kanes@pcsb.org. Participants at the school with the most videos submitted by the deadline will win an ice cream social and a visit from the Book Bus.

SPC offers spring ‘Express Session’

Registration is still open for the 12-week Express Session at St. Petersburg College this spring. The session begins Feb. 10, with classes available at all SPC campuses. The college’s Midtown Center in St. Petersburg is offering a slate of classes that will allow students to complete 12 hours of core requirements during the session, with courses in humanities, political science, speech communication and English communication. Over the 12-week session, students attend classes for about four hours a day. For more information, contact Takita Cuthbertson at cuthbertson.takita@spcollege.edu or visit spcollege.edu.

Honors and awards

The Pinellas County chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union is honoring the work of student journalists at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg with its annual Irene Miller Vigilance in Journalism Award. Reporter Nancy McCann and The Crow’s Nest newspaper were cited for “courageous and probing coverage" of campus issues, including USF’s controversial consolidation process. The 20-year-old award has never before gone to a student journalist ... Six Pinellas schools were honored recently by Magnet Schools of America. The Magnet School of Excellence Award went to Richard O. Jacobson Technical High for a variety of programs it offers, Gulfport Montessori Elementary for its Montessori Academy and Ridgecrest Elementary for its gifted program. The organization’s second-highest award, Magnet School of Distinction, went to Jamerson Elementary for its math and engineering program, Sanderlin K-8 World School for its International Baccalaureate program and Perkins Elementary for its arts and international studies program.

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Elementary school lunches

Monday: Hamburger or cheeseburger, fruit and yogurt salad plate with Apple cinnamon bear grahams, bologna and cheese sandwich, salami and cheese sandwich, vegetables, Tater Tots, fresh veggie dippers, fruit and fruit juice.

Tuesday: Pork or beef tacos with chips or taco shells, Cheesy Bread, grilled chicken caesar salad with croutons and saltines, Jamwich Kit (grape or strawberry), vegetables, refried beans, marinara sauce, romaine side salad, fruit and fruit juice.

Wednesday: Mandarin orange chicken over rice, macaroni and cheese, yogurt and fruit parfait. ham and cheese croissant, steamed broccoli florets, cucumber side salad, fruit and fruit juice.

Thursday: Student choice menu — students choose the hot entrees and vegetable options. Apple-A-Day Salad with apple cinnamon bear grahams and Nabisco saltine crackers, grilled chicken caesar wrap, vegetables, mixed side salad, fruit and fruit juice.

Friday: Pizza variety, teriyaki beef dippers over rice with whole grain roll, chef salad, turkey and cheese hoagie, vegetable medley, fruit and fruit juice.