MacDill Happenings

Drivers Edge will be presenting a free driving class for drivers under 21 years of age in Tampa on 20 & 21 March. Driver’s Edge provides a free educational program for young drivers (aged 15-21) teaching real life emergency avoidance and response techniques and overall driver safety. However, donations can be made to support the program. Over 70,000 young drivers have been educated so far! Every student has a chance to get behind the wheel of a car with a true professional instructor sitting next to them at all times. Taught by professional racecar drivers and professional performance driving instructors from some of the world’s most famous and respected driving schools, each student has a behind the wheel experience that includes evasive lane change maneuvers, ABS and non-ABS braking exercises and comparisons, panic braking instruction and skid control instruction. Students will also learn about vehicle maintenance, tire safety and preventative vehicle care as elements of safe driving. Registration is offered on a first-come, first-served basis. The class is open to anyone age 21, or younger, and they must have a valid learner’s permit or driver’s license. The class schedule is Saturday, March 20, 8:00am - 12:30pm, and Sunday, March 21, 8:00am - 12:30pm. The afternoon sessions are already full for Saturday and Sunday, so hurry up and register before the morning classes fill up! Driver’s Edge is a non-profit organization only funded by charitable donations,public grants and corporate sponsorships. This is class is taught behind the wheel and in the classroom with an “MTV” flavor to appeal to young drivers. Driver’s Edge was developed to fight the larger number of automobile accidents and fatalities that so many young inexperienced drivers are involved in. The class will taught at Derby Lane at 10490 Gandy Boulevard in St. Pete.

Take your Valentine to the Lowry Park Zoo on Sunday! Admission to Lowry Park Zoo on Sunday 14 February is only $5! Admission is price is good all day long. Zoo hours are 9:30am to 5pm. Located in the northern part of Tampa off of W. Sligh Ave, it is easily accessible from I-275. Lowry Park Zoo has been named the #1 zoo in America by “Parents” magazine and “Child” magazine. There are more than 2000 animals on 56 acres of natural habitats in seven main exhibit areas. There is a combination of natural habitat exhibits and caged exhibits in each area. The seven exhibits are Asian Gardens, Primate World, Manatee and Aquatic Center, Native Florida Wildlife Center, Free-Flight Aviary, Wallaroo Station children’s zoo and Safari Africa. At some exhibits you have the opportunity to feed the animals. There are two water play areas and you can see educational shows. There are also rides for an additional fee. Expect to spend at least 4 hours to see all exhibits. You can bring a picnic basket to enjoy before or after the visit at Lowry Park. Of course, there are plenty of restaurants in the zoo. Parking is free.

On Sunday 24 January, the Patel Conservatory at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts will be offering free introductory classes in Dance, Theater and Music. These classes are for children ages 5-9. Ballet clases for grades Pre-K4-1 offers an introduction to movement and ballet training. Children learn dance vocabulary, participate in stretching and strength-building exercises, and use what they’ve learned to move across the floor and participate in creative dance activities. Creative Drama mini-classes give children a chance to play, explore and create through foundational theater exercises. Activities stimulate their imagination, spontaneity, and expressive use of the body and voice as characters and stories are invented. Children can have the opportunity to try a violin, guitar and piano in a special Music Petting Zoo. Children learn a couple of basics on each instrument, and then try making music themselves. SCAP is in downtown Tampa along the beautiful eastern bank of the Hillsborough River. It is easily accessible from I-275 or the Crosstown or a 15 minute drive from MacDill AFB. Parking is available in nearby lots or on the street on the northside of TBPAC.

On Saturday 23 January, the Gasparilla season starts with the Children’s Gasparilla Extravaganza on Bayshore Blvd. The event starts at 11am and concludes at 7:30pm. At 11am, vendors and children’s activities will open along Bayshore Blvd., from Bay to Bay to Watrous/Orleans Avenues. From 11am to 2pm, there will be a Bicycle Safety Rodeo located along Bayshore, between Albany & Gunby (near Rome Ave.). The Bicycle Rodeo is free to everyone interested in learning how to bicycle safely with traffic. Children will be fitted with a free, brand new bicycle helmet they can keep (while supplies last), and then use one of the Rodeo’s bicycles to ride through a fun course which teaches skills that may one day save their lives. From 2pm to 3pm,the Gasparilla Preschooler’s Stroll will beginning at Bay to Bay Blvd. and end at Howard. Children five and under have their own chance to strut their stuff along beautiful Bayshore Boulevard. This new Gasparilla tradition gives the youngest pirates a chance to show their best pirate attire and specially decorated wagons, bicycles and strollers. At 3pm, the Gasparilla Air Invasion will features a precision parachute jump from the United States Special Operations Command Jump Team. From the 3:30pm to 6pm, the Children’s Gasprilla Parade takes place from Bay to Bay and Bayshore, proceeds north along Bayshore, and ends at Watrous/Orleans Avenues & Bayshore. To end the event, the Piratechnic Extravaganza runs from 7pm to 7:30pm with the largest “Piratechnic” display of the year re-creating the imaginary sea battle between the pirates of Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla and the City of Tampa. Admission is free, but reserved seating can be purchased for $16.  Parking is not easy, because this is a huge event.  Plan to get there early to find parking. Expect tens of thousands of people to attend this event.

The Hillsborough Choice Options application period for magnet programs, School Choice, and Career & Technical Education programs for the 2010-2011 school year is open from January 12, 2010, through January 25, 2010. Learn about the magnet program on 21 January at Tampa Bay Tech High School at parent information meetings. The meetings will take place from 5pm to 7:30pm. For elementary magnet, middle magnet and School Choice information the meeting will be in the Tampa Bay Tech cafeteria. For high school magnet program sessions, individual room numbers will be posted on boards near the cafeteria. Under Hillsborough Choice Options, students can apply for a magnet school, a Career & Technical Education program, or another public school with available space within Hillsborough County. Students who wish to remain at their current magnet or choice school, or prefer to attend their attendance area school, do not need to complete an application. Normally, students attend a school based on their home address. However, HCPS has more options available for students who wish to attend other schools. The Magnet School program allows students to attend schools that are in line with their academic interests. The School Choice program allows students to chose up to 3 other schools not in their normal school assignment area but acceptance is dependent on space availability. The Career and Technical program allows students to attend specialized technical schools. Applications can be completed on line by current students. New students need to complete a paper application.

To start the Week of the Family in Tampa, MOSI is offering free admission. The Week of the Famioy started in Orange County in Florida in 2003 as a way to bring the community together. It has now spread to Tampa. Families in the Tampa Bay area can enjoy family friendly events, offers and promotions so that they can sprend more time together. There will be events held throughout Tampa. Here is a great opportunity to experience more than 450 hands-on, a standard IXAM Dome film, “Kids in Charge!” and a 3-D film in the Coleman Science Works Theater. Take a ride on the High Wire Bicycle! You can take a chance on pedaling a bicycle on a 1-inch steel cable suspended 30 feet above the ground. See one of the largest dinosaurs ever discovered! The sauropods that are in the lobby are 3 stories tall! See the permanent exhibit on health, wellness and prevention. Or experience hurricane force winds. The Saunders Planetarium now features a new projection dome, new seating arrangements and a state-of-the-art star projector—the GOTO Space Simulator Chronos projection system—capable of recreating the night sky from any time in less than 20 seconds from the past, present, and future from anywhere on the planet! In addition, the new interactive planetarium is capable of playing movies, ultra 3D graphics and live videos from NASA. Kids In charge! is a designed for children 12 and under and emphasizes the value of learning through play. Parking is always free at MOSI. There is a museum shop in case you want to bring home a souvenir and a restaurant to keep you going through the day. Plan on 4 hours to see all the exhibits.

Everyone is getting ready for a fun night of Trick or Treating! To make sure that you have fun make sure that you follow a few basics steps. You can never be too cautionous. Trick or Treating can start at dusk. If you have young children, make sure you go out before it gets too dark. Make sure that that your kids have an escort. Never let your child go out alone. Have everyone carry a flashlight. Try to have light colored costumes. Cross only at intersections and not between parked cars. Halloween is a great time for parties, so be extra careful and look out for that drunk driver. Check all treats before letting children eat them. Make sure that your pets are under control especially when you have to open the door to Trick or Treaters. If you are driving, make sure you watch for children in neighborhoods who are going to be excited, running around and may not be able to see you if they have a mask on. Fireworks are illegal in Florida so don’t use them and watch out for people who are using them. If your children are going to wear a mask, have them remove them as they walk the neighborhood so that they can see and hear what is going on around them. Halloween can be a lot of fun, but just be careful so that you don’t have to spend it in an emergency room!

For free school help, stop by your local library! Use your local library to help you writing a school paper or study for an upcoming test or research on any college. The library will provide you access to live assistance from Tutor.com and NetLibrary. Those online services provide professional tutors in math, science, English and social studies. Help is available 7 days a week from 2pm to midnight in English and Spanish. Studying can be challenging at times, so why not use every resource available to help you succeed! Reserach habits learned at a young age at the library will help a student be prepared for future academic success. Use the Hillsborough County Public Library website at www.hcplc.org to fing archived newspaper articles, current events, online encyclopedias or research tools with information on science, literature and art. The library’s periodical databases are designed to help elementary, middle and high school students. There is help to work on the FCAT, SAT and AP tests. Check out the website or stop by your local library and ask the librarian about the resources available to help your child.

Get ready for Halloween with ZooBoo at the Lowry Park Zoo. Shriek Peek Weekend is the first weekend of ZooBoo on 25 and 26 September. Admission on these nights only is $10 for ages 3 and up. ZooBoo is a family-friendly Halloween time event. It gives kids and adults alike a fun, spooky and safe place to celebrate this time of year. It features top-notch haunted houses and trails, animal encounters, light displays, music, free rides and more! One admission ticket per person will provide entrance to the entire ZooBoo event. The cost of admission includes unlimited select rides! The regular price of a ZooBoo ticket is $17 for 12 and up and $14 for ages 3-11. Rides included in the price of the tickets are Haunted Carousel, Treetop Skyfari ride, Pony Rides, Boomer’s Flyin’ Bananas, Gator Falls flume ride and the all new Tasmanian Tiger family roller coaster. The “Hidden In The Mist” horse-drawn carriage ride is $4 per person, per ride. Most animals will have gone to bed during ZooBoo. The Asian Gardens, Primate World and Safari Africa will be closed. Don’t miss the special exhibit called “Creepy Crawler Lane,” the Flying Fox Bat House and the new ” Halloween Animal Show ” featuring a variety of animals. Little boys and ghouls are welcome to wear their favorite costumes (ages 11 and under please). Adults (ages 12 and up)–no costumes, make-up, wigs or masks allowed at this event. Guests wearing costumes will be turned away at the front gate. No toy weapons of any kind (children’s or adult’s) will be allowed into the Zoo. This event will be open from 7pm to 11pm each night. Parking is always free at Lowry Park Zoo. Located off of I-275 in Tampa, Lowry Park Zoo is easily accessible and easy to find.

On 12 September, the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) in Tampa is having a special admission fee of only $5!  Here is a great opportunity to experience more than 450 hands-on, a standard IXAM Dome film, “Kids in Charge!” and a 3-D film in the Coleman Science Works Theater.  Take a ride on the High Wire Bicycle!  You can take a chance on pedaling a bicycle on a 1-inch steel cable suspended 30 feet above the ground. See one of the largest dinosaurs ever discovered!  The sauropods that are in the lobby are 3 stories tall! See the permanent exhibit on health, wellness and prevention.  Or experience hurricane force winds.  The Saunders Planetarium now features a new projection dome, new seating arrangements and a state-of-the-art star projector—the GOTO Space Simulator Chronos projection system—capable of recreating the night sky from any time in less than 20 seconds from the past, present, and future from anywhere on the planet! In addition, the new interactive planetarium is capable of playing movies, ultra 3D graphics and live videos from NASA. Kids In charge! is a designed for children 12 and under and emphasizes the value of learning through play.  Parking is always free at MOSI.  There is a museum shop in case you want to bring home a souvenir and a restaurant to keep you going through the day.  Plan on 4 hours to see all the exhibits.