Ravens Win Top DECA Awards
In a fall competition, a number of Ravens were recognized for their marketing skills.
Ms. Harmon and Ms. Alonso, Club Advisors for the Distributive Education Career Association (DECA) from Marketing and Fashion/Sports, would like to congratulate the 32 DECA members who competed at the District 8 DECA competition on Nov. 30. There were over 800 student competitors in 30 marketing events and a number of Alonso Ravens returned with top prizes.Michael Rankin won first place for Human Resources Management. Stephanie Habryl and Shane O’Shannon won first place for Sports Marketing Team. Izzy Brookman and Michael Snow won third place for Finance Team Event. John Hawes won first place for Sports Marketing Promotion Plan, and Joe Gainey and Jamie Smith took fourth place for Sports Marketing Promotion Plan. These DECA members will be representing Alonso High School at the State Career Conference and Competition March 1-4 at the Disney World Hilton Resort in Orlando. Go, Ravens!
Another club that is making Ravens proud is the Robotics Team, led by Alonso science teachers John Carnahan and David Price. The 2011-2012 team is comprised of three teams with approximately ten members each. This is the fourth season for Massive D (Defense), FTC Team 3073. Forced Applied, FTC Team 3837, is in its third season. SWAG (Students with Awesome Game), FTC Team 5416, is in its first season. All three teams competed at the Hillsborough School Qualifying Tournament on Nov. 12.
SWAG finished as the fourth-ranked alliance captain but ended up losing in the semi-finals. SWAG also set an Alonso robotics milestone by being the first team to earn a judged award.
The coaches would like to thank the following people for their contributions to the team’s success: Alonso alumni Silas Potter and Blake Burton, who were volunteer assistant coaches and college mentors; parents of the team members; Rockwell Collins for providing a FTC Rookie grant that provided the third team with a $1,000 kit of robot parts, and Clanton Welding, who generously donated over $200 of galvanized steel sheet to aid in the construction of the robots.
By Jean Keelan; Photo by Patricia Alonso
Jean Keelan is a resident of The Greens. She thanks John Carnahan, Jean Harmon, and Patricia Alonso for submitting the information for this article.
Alonso Baseball Tournament Jan. 8
It’s not too late to help make Raven baseball stronger! The Eighth Annual Alonso Baseball Tournament will be held Sunday, Jan. 8, at the Westchase Golf Club. The official tournament sponsors are Shriners Hospitals for Children and the Kevin Carter Foundation.
Other sponsorship packages are available. To participate in the tournament, the Golfer Package is $100 and includes dinner and awards banquet. Dinner packages for adults are $15 and children under 13 are $10. To be sent an electronic copy of the registration, please contact Coach Landy Faedo at 356-1525, Ext. 291.
Congratulations to the Alonso Theatre Department for doing a fantastic job at the District Individual Events competition held in October. Alonso brought home 18 superior ratings. The overall district average of superior ratings was 30 percent and Alonso was at 58 percent. In addition to the 18 superiors, six acts were chosen as Critical Choice Showcase winners: Cameron Garrett for solo musical; Calen Croweder for monologue; Atlanta Foskey, Cameron Garrett, Abby Daner and Justin Lynch for small group musical; Abby Daner for solo musical alternative; Abby Daner and Jenny Totcky for duet musical alternative; and Kenya Broadnax, Ilexis Holmes, Alisa Davis, Robyn Stephens, Karla Soriano, Geena Addison and Jasmine Murrell for ensemble acting. Stay tuned for The Little Mermaid running in the spring semester.
The other shining stars at Alonso are the JROTC Female Raiders. They finished third overall at the State Raider Challenge Competition in December.
Are you wondering who won the Race Trac Rivalry Bowl and its $3,500 award? Alonso did! The winner was announced at the football game on Nov. 11. Go Ravens! Way to show your school spirit!
Seniors, get ready for your final semester at Alonso. Save these dates! Rehearsal for graduation will be held on Saturday, June 2, at 11 a.m. Graduation will take place on Wednesday, June 6, at 9:30 a.m. at The Fairgrounds Expo Hall. Remember, seniors, finish strong!
By Jean Keelan
Alonso Opens Preschool Program
Alonso High School is looking for Little Ravens! Alonso has started a preschool program for children ages 3-5. It is open Tuesday through Thursday, from 8:45-11 a.m.
The cost is $40 per month (cash or money order only) along with a one-time $5 insurance fee. The curriculum focuses on kindergarten readiness and socialization skills delivered in a nurturing, developmentally-appropriate environment. The adult staff is fully certified by the Florida Department of Education and the high school students have been partially certified and are working towards their four-year certification through the Department of Children and Families.
If you are interested in this program, please fill out an application in Alonso’s main office. Contact Ms. Swati Jani at 356-1525, Ext. 554, with questions.
It’s time to start thinking about ordering your Alonso yearbook and securing an ad for your senior. The yearbook will be created under the supervision of Laura Pratt, English 1 Honors and Journalism teacher. To order your student’s yearbook, go to yearbookordercenter.com or contact Ms. Pratt at laura.pratt@sdhc.k12.fl.us.
If you’re in the mood to buy other books, Alonso’s Media Center will hold an online book fair from the end of November to the second week of December. With the cold weather just around the corner, why not cuddle up with a good book? Check out Alonso’s Web site for more information or contact Ms. Tasha Lohman at tasha.lohman@sdhc.k12.fl.us.
Want to know everything there is to know about the Alonso Girls’ Volleyball team? Check out www.maxpreps.com, which contains all the statistics about the team. Coach Francesca Chupela is leading the girls’ volleyball team and it’s a close year with eight wins and eight losses as of Oct. 11. Hang in there, Ravens! We’ll be cheering for you!
Another Alonso organization we are very proud of is the Alonso High School Army JROTC. Alonso’s JROTC is one of the top battalions in its program and the sixth largest in Florida. It has consistently scored above others in the rigorous three-year inspections, both times receiving the highest possible decoration, Honor Unit with Distinction. If you have any questions, please contact Major Charles Organ at charles.organ@skhc.k12.fl.us.
If you would like to contribute to Alonso’s news for WOW, please contact Jean Keelan at jmkeelan@verizon.net. We would like to support all happenings at Alonso.
By Jean Keelan
Alonso Needs Support in Race Trac Rivalry Bowl
Braulio Alonso High School is off to a great start as academics, athletics, clubs, and organizations are already filling the calendar. By mid-September, the Alonso football team already had three wins under its belt. Go Ravens!
Please visit Alonso’s Web site (http:alonso.mysdhc.org) to read more about all athletic events.
Appearing at the Sept. 9 football game was Jeff Meeks, Development Supervisor with Race Trac. He was there to promote the Race Trac Rivalry Bowl, a friendly competition between area high schools to earn money for them. Alonso and Sickles are the paired rivals for our area. To support Alonso, all you need to do when you get thirsty is go to the Race Trac on Linebaugh Avenue and Wilsky Boulevard and purchase a soft drink or bottled water and tell the associate you would like to support Alonso in the Rivalry Bowl (other Race Tracs may be participating, so please ask when you go to the counter). The contest will run until Nov. 7 and the winner will be announced at the Alonso-Sickles football game on Nov. 11. The school with the most purchases will win $3,500 and the other school will receive $1,500, so it’s really a win-win competition.
The Alonso Theatre Department has exciting events planned for October. On Friday, Oct. 1, a car wash fund-raiser will be held at the 7-Eleven at the corner of Countryway Boulevard and Linebaugh Avenue. It will help support this year’s productions: I Love You Because (November), Avenue Q (December), and The Little Mermaid (February). To help watch your kids during an upcoming teacher planning day, the Theatre Department will provide a Kids’ Camp on Oct. 21. On Oct. 22, come by Tanya and Matt’s Froyo (next to Stone Chase in Westchase) to enjoy some frozen yogurt while you listen to karaoke singers. The entertainment will last from 7-10:30 p.m. We thank Tanya and Matt for donating 20 percent of proceeds to the theatre department. On Oct. 29, look for the theatre department’s booth at Westchase’s 20th Anniversary Party, where food and drinks will be sold. To learn more about Alonso’s Theatre Department, visit their Web page; a link to it can be found on Alonso’s home page.
If you would like to contribute to Alonso’s news for WOW, please contact Jean Keelan at jmkeelan@verizon.net.We would like to support all happenings at Alonso.
By Jean Keelan