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Let's Hear It For Leto High!

Tribune file photo by CANDACE C. MUNDY

Leto High School's culinary students (l to r) Alberto Algarin, Kayla Davis and Karla Davis make chocolate chip cookies in class.

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By COURTNEY CAIRNS PASTOR

cpastor@tampatrib.com

Published: March 18, 2009

TAMPA - Eighteen Leto High School staff members who work at their alma mater have formed the school's first alumni association.

Leto opened in 1965, but the school doesn't have the voice in the community that its supporters would like. Tucked away on Sligh Avenue in the Town 'N Country area, Leto is relatively isolated, said association President Derek Stewart.

Students have been splintered among other schools, including Alonso when that school opened and Jefferson or Hillsborough highs when their magnet programs debuted. Stewart fears the community also has a negative impression of Leto, with its high poverty rate and history of C's and D's on the state school report card.

Still, many of the teachers there are passionate about it.

"We believe Leto's really undergone a renaissance here in the last five years," said Stewart, who teaches driver's education.

The renaissance started with a $10 million renovation in 2003. Repairs were made to Leto's leaky roof and unreliable air conditioning, the courtyard was improved and a salon for cosmetology students was built.

A culinary program was formed in 2004, and a commercial-style kitchen was installed in a 2006 remodeling project.

The culinary students last month landed a second place in a statewide competition. The program is a source of pride for the faculty, Stewart said, and will be spotlighted at the alumni association's first event later this month.

The association is inviting graduates to attend a brunch at 11 a.m. March 31 in the culinary arts suite. Students will whip up omelets and pancakes, and proceeds from the $10 charge will benefit the cooking program.

Stewart, a 1991 graduate, said the faculty started talking about an alumni group over monthly lunches.

The efforts got the group thinking about how much more they could do for the school if they had more participation. The brunch will give graduates a chance to get to know one another and talk about how the association should function and other ways to improve Leto, Stewart said.

Teachers are pursuing $150,000 in grants for video equipment so students can join their counterparts at other schools and broadcast a morning show daily. The current equipment is outdated or broken.

They also want to strengthen Leto's sense of history. The group gathered trophies from sports championships dating back to the 1960s and had nearly 50 of them reconditioned. They want to display the trophies and photos of athletic teams.

They are enlarging photos from when the school opened and will establish criteria for selecting members of the Alumni Wall of Fame. A separate area will honor graduates who died in service, whether military, police or fire. The high school has a plaque now, but it has not been updated since the Vietnam War.

"Our job is to connect the past and present to the future," Stewart said.

HOW TO JOIN

For information about the Leto Alumni Association or to attend the brunch, contact Derek Stewart at (813) 872-5300, ext. 281, or derek .stewart@sdhc.k12.fl.us.

ACTIVE ALUMNI

Leto High has 18 staff members who graduated from the school. Their names, graduation year and subject area are:

Marcus Asgedom, 1990, assistant principal

Linda Cannon, 1980, vocational education

Carol Coon, 1977, math

Leesa Crescenzi, 1984, math

Cristina Exposito, 2000, paraprofessional

Michelle Garay, 2001, physical education

Christina Gibson, 1995, media specialist

Nayvi Hernandez, 1997, foreign languages

Bobby McConnell, 1996, social studies

Meredith McDermott, 1999, drama

Michael McManus, 1991, physical education

Kera Pask, 1994, exceptional student education

Deborah Prill, 1978, English

Darlene Sigle-Lam, 1996, social studies

Diane Spohr, 1981, administrative assistant

Derek Stewart, 1991, driver's education

Stephanie Tate, 1994, math

Melissa Thomas, 1993, exceptional student education

Reporter Courtney Cairns Pastor can be reached at (813) 865-1503.

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