Page 14 - Florida Sentinel 11-27-15 Edition

Local
Wharton Principal Meets With Parents Concerned About Fights At School
Officials with the School District of Hillsborough County alerted the principal of Wharton High School after they received information of a “fight club” at the school in- volving girls.
School District of Hillsbor- ough County spokesperson, Tanya Arja, said they are aware of fights going on at the school, and that someone videotaped hem using their phone and put the incidents on social media websites.
“There have been 29 fights at Wharton this year, and the motive appears to be petty dif- ferences, and neighborhood is- sues being settled on campus.
“We don’t consider the sit- uation to be out of control, and there have been 29 reported fights at Wharton this year.”
Arja said it was the parents of the students who brought it to the attention of the school’s principal, Brad Woods.
“Mr. Woods has met with about 30 parents to listen to their concerns, and come up with a plan to deal with the problem.
“Upper-class students at the school have started a men- toring program to deal with the problem. They don’t want their
WHARTON HIGH SCHOOL 20150 Bruce B. Downs Boulevard
BRAD WOODS Wharton Principal
school to have a reputation of being a place where a lot of fights take place.”
Arja said none of the fights are related and different stu- dents are involved in each inci- dent.
The majority of students who attend Wharton come from the New Tampa and Uni- versity of South Florida area.
One Church One Child Focuses Attention On Adoption
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
As we approach the holiday season, many individuals and organizations focus on fami- lies in need. But, one organiza- tion hopes to provide a gift that will last a lifetime.
November is National Adoption Month and One Church One Child hopes to draw attention to the hun- dreds of children who are in foster care and eligible to be adopted.
Ms. LaKay Fayson, Re- cruitment Coordinator for One Church One Child of the Florida Suncoast Region said, “On any given day, there are about 800 children in Florida’s foster care system waiting to be adopted. Over 50% of the children waiting are minorities.”
Rev. Beverly Hills Lane
is the Florida State Board of Directors President and Re- gional Vice President for Na- tional One Church One Child. Throughout the year, Rev. Lane encourages members of the community to open their hearts and their homes to chil- dren in foster care.
Rev. Lane said, “We
REV. BEVERLY LANE President, Florida State Board of Directors President
know that during this time of year, people open their hearts and focus on giving to others. What better gift can an adult give to a child that is better than a permanent home and a loving family?
“There is a great need for children, especially African American children, to be adopted. So during this holi- day, we are asking families to think about adopting a child.
“There are so many chil- dren out there who have had a terrible life and deserve a lov- ing and nurturing environ- ment. We need more African Americans to participate and get these children out of foster care and adopted.
“Some families are willing to serve as foster parents, but by adopting these children we are helping to provide them with a positive future.
“As we look at these chil- dren in foster care, we don’t know their potential, but we do know that they are going to be the adults of tomorrow and we can have a hand in helping them to reach their full poten- tial,” Rev. Lane said.
One Church One Child was founded in 1980 in Illinois. Its purpose then, as it remains today, was to help find perma- nent homes for children in state custody. It was imple- mented in Florida in March 1988.
One Church One Child partners with the Department of Children and Families, churches and community- based care lead agencies.
Anyone interested in learn- ing more about becoming an adoptive parent, a foster par- ent, mentor, partner or volun- teer, can contact Ms. Fayson at (813) 740-0210; visit the website at lakay_fayson@ococfl.org.
The website for One Church One Child of Florida is www.ococfl.org.
PAGE 2-B FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2015