Pasco class notes for March 4

Calendar

• March 18: End of third grading quarter.

• March 21-25: Spring break.

• March 28: Teacher planning day. No school for students.

Art/Theatre/Music Events

• Mitchell High Mustang Theatre will present Horror at Homecoming, a murder mystery dinner theater, at 4 p.m. Sunday at Crescent Oaks Country Club, 3300 Crescent Oaks Blvd., Tarpon Springs. This is a fundraiser for the school's drama department. Tickets are $35 per person, $60 per couple or $300 for a table of 10. Purchase tickets online at jwmhs.pasco.k12.fl or at the Mitchell High office during school hours. For information, contact Mitchell High drama teacher David O'Hara at (727) 774-9358 or (813) 841-2580.

Center for the Arts at River Ridge, 11646 Town Center Road, New Port Richey, (727) 774-7381.

• Florida Bandmasters Association high school district assessments, today.

• Richey Concert Band performance, 2:30 p.m. Sunday.

• Crews Lake Middle concert, 7 p.m. March 8.

• Trinity Oaks Elementary concert, 7 p.m. March 9.

• Cypress Elementary musical, 7 p.m. March 10.

Center for the Arts at Wesley Chapel, 30651 Wells Road, (813) 794-8772, cfawc.pasco.k12.fl.us.

Library picks

• Dr. Seuss Birthday Party, 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday at Zephyrhills Public Library, 5347 Eighth St., Zephyrhills. Children are welcome to celebrate Read Across America Day with a special Seussian storytime and activities.

• Elementary Bunnies, 2 to 3 p.m. Saturday at Centennial Park Library, 5740 Moog Road, Holiday. Children in grades K-3 will make bunny crafts.

For information about events at all Pasco County library branches, go to pascolibraries.org. For information about events at the New Port Richey Public Library, go to nprlibrary.org

Briefly

• Pasco County high school girls who have no money for prom are welcome to choose a free ensemble with help from the Cinderella Project of Pasco. Since 2005, the project has supplied new and gently used dresses and accessories to more than 1,000 Pasco girls with financial need. Girls who bring a school ID can pick out an ensemble on these dates:

• 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday at Longleaf Town Center, 3104 Town Ave., New Port Richey.

• 9 a.m.-3 p.m. March 12 at the Youth and Family Alternatives Building, 38022 River Road, Dade City.

The Cinderella Project accepts donations of contemporary prom-style dresses and accessories in excellent condition. Dresses may be dropped off at Raymond James, 9040 Tryfon Blvd., Suite A-104, in the Trinity Town Center.

Maria's Bridal Connections at 9332 Little Road, New Port Richey, is offering women who bring in gently used formal gowns for donation up to $75 off when purchasing a new, regularly priced gown. Maria's will then donate the used dresses back to the Cinderella Project. For information or to make a tax-deductible cash donation to be used to purchase new dresses, call (727) 463-4306.

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•A Mitchell High band fundraiser, Drive 4 UR School and Carwash, will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the school, 2323 Little Road, New Port Richey. Karl Flammer Ford will donate $20 to the band for each test drive, up to $6,000. The event is open to licensed drivers, 18 years of age and older, and limited to one test drive per household. Car washing and detailing services will be available in the parking lot by the school tennis courts. Advance tickets are $10. Concessions will be available. Proceeds will help cover travel costs for the band's performance in April at the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade in Washington, D.C. For information, contact Joel Quina, director of bands, at Juquina@pasco.k12.fl.us.

• Pasco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano, as part of Clerk and Comptroller Paula O'Neil's Constitutional Officers Essay Contest, will accept entries in the contest for middle school students (grades 6 to 8) in public, private, non-public, charter and home schools. Entries will be accepted through 5 p.m. March 31.

In 500 words, participants must answer the question: "Do you think taxes are too high or too low? Why?" Entries will be judged by a panel of directors from the Pasco County Tax Collector's Office and will be reviewed on how well the student communicates his or her response to the question as well as overall essay structure, appearance and readability. The winner will be notified by telephone on April 13.

Students in public and charter schools are asked to submit essays to their principal, who will forward them to the Tax Collector's Office. Students in private, non-public or home schools may send their essays to Greg Giordano, director of customer relations, Pasco County Tax Collector's Office, 8731 Citizens Drive, Room 120, New Port Richey, FL 34654. For information, call Giordano at (727) 847-8179.

• 2016 Environmental Scholarship: Students who share a passion for protecting and preserving the world could receive $5,000 of $20,000 being granted for college scholarships. Winning students will have demonstrated their passion for animals and the environment through written applications and a short video highlighting their environmental achievements and goals. The Environmental Scholarship Program is available to Florida high school seniors who have a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher. Four students will receive a one-time award of $5,000 toward any college or university they plan to attend. The application deadline is March 31. The application can be found at SeaWorldOrlando.com/scholarship.

Send your school news to Michele Miller at mmiller@tampabay.com or fax to (727) 869-6233.