You are invited to give the Tampa Bay Rays a hometown welcome tonight at the St. Petersburg-Clearwater Airport tonight. They are scheduled to arrive at the airport at 8 p.m. and fans can welcome them at the baggage claim. The airport is allowing fans to park for free in the short term and long term parking lots. The Rays are now the AL East baseball champions and are going to play in the postseason for the first time in franchise history. Go Rays!!!

More Information on St. Petersburg-Clearwater Airport welcome

Tampa Bay Rays at Tampa Bay Parent

Those that do not have the opportunity to attend the Tampa Bay Rays rally on Monday in St. Petersburg can attend a free “Party in the Park” for the Rays on Tuesday in Tampa. This event is from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Tampa’s Lykes Gaslight Park.

The Rays “Party in the Park” includes:

• The Ray Team and the Rays Street Team
• Free hot dogs, peanuts and Cracker Jack
• Interactive zone with the Rays hitting and pitching machines
• Free food from Smokey Bones

The players and coaches of the Tampa Bay Rays will also be at this event.

More Information about the Rays “Party in the Park” in Tampa

Tampa Bay Rays at Tampa Bay Parent

Overjoyed fans can celebrate the Rays and their first ever postseason with a rally in St. Petersburg on Monday September 29, 2008. The event start at 5 p.m. and will be held at Straub Park in downtown St. Petersburg. The event promises to have something for everyone.

The event will include:

• Rays players and coaches
• Family-friendly activities
• Free Mohawk haircuts
• SURVIVOR, whose hits include “Eye of the Tiger,” “High on You” and “I Can’t Hold Back,” will perform to conclude the event

The players and coaches of the Tampa Bay Rays will also be at this event.

More Information about the Rays Rally in St. Petersburg

Tampa Bay Rays at Tampa Bay Parent

Starbucks has been having a month long celebration called “Great Start for Great Teachers” During the month of September Starbuck has been giving away a 12 oz. cup of Pike Place Roast to a K-12 teachers every Monday. During the last Monday (September 29, 2008) of the promotion Home Educators are included and they too can receive the free cup of coffee. Proof of being a home educator must be presented.

Form of Home Educator Identification:

• Home School Legal Defense Association membership card.
• Membership card from a state homeschooling organization.
• Notification from a school district or state government recognizing compliance with compulsory attendance.
• Paperwork submitted showing intent to establish a homeschool program.
• Paperwork showing the establishment of a private school.

Starbuck “Great Start For Great Teachers”

Home Educators Free Coffee From Starbucks

Hillsborough County Public Schools has several new schools opening next school year and they want your help in providing names for theses new schools. I am sure teachers can make naming these schools a part of a class assignment, if they have not done so already. What kid would not love being the one to name a school?

Schools to be named include Elementary School “L,” Middle School “SS,”Elementary School “J,” and High School “UUU.” Elementary School “L” and Middle School “SS” are located on a parcel of land in the Lake Hutto area of southeast Hillsborough County. Elementary School “J” and High School “UUU” share a parcel of land in the Plant City area.

Anyone wishing to submit a name for consideration should send their recommendation in writing to Barbara Franques, Area Director for Area VI, 703 N. Thomas St., Plant City, FL 33563. Suggestions can also be emailed to mailto:barbara.franques@sdhc.k12.fl.us. The deadline for accepting recommendations is Wednesday, October 15, at 4 p.m. Any letters submitted after this date will not be considered.

It really will be interesting to see what names are ultimately selected for these schools.

Source: School District of Hillsborough County

Sapp will continue to dance on “Dancing with the Stars” for at least one more week. During elimination Tuesday night comedian Jeff Ross became the first star to be booted from the show. Jeff Ross was up for elimination against reality television star Kim Kardashian. It was Jeff who ultimately danced his last dance on Dancing with the Stars.

Pinellas County schools has been looking for a new superintendent since the previous one superintendent, Clayton M. Wilcox, Ed.D, left to join the private sector earlier this year. Julie Janssen who had been interim superintendent after the departure of Wilcox was named the new superintendent of Pinellas County Schools this week.

The position had previously been offered to Alberto M. Carvalho, but he declined the position and accepted the position of superintendent of Miami-Dade County Schools.

[Janssen will be] paid $200,000 annually, which may increase in July 2009 and subsequent years but only by the same percentage raise classroom teachers receive, not to exceed 5 percent. The contract with the Pinellas County School Board, which approved it unanimously, runs through June 2011.

Benefits in the contract include contribution of 6½ percent of Janssen’s annual salary into a tax-sheltered plan she selects; a $250 monthly communications allowance for a cell phone and such costs; a $900 automobile allowance to cover lease or purchase, gas and maintenance (Janssen has to buy her own $1-million-per-claim liability policy naming the board as an additional insured); reimbursement for out-of-county travel; no-cost health insurance for her and her dependents; long-term disability insurance equal to two-thirds of her starting base pay; a $500,000 term life insurance policy; vacation and sick leave the same as any other administrative 12-month employee, and reasonable time to attend professional meetings plus payments of dues to professional organizations.

Details of the contract are similar to that with former superintendent Clayton M. Wilcox, Ed.D., who was being paid $204,000 when he left in June 2008. The board had set a $200,000-$240,000 salary range for the new superintendent.

Source: Pinellas County Schools

On Monday’s premier of “Dancing with the Stars”, Warren Sapp showed he had not only the moves for the football field but also for the dance floor. He shook and moved his body better than many thought he could. One asset of Warren’s that really is not mentioned as much is his beautiful smile; it really lights-up the whole room. He was definitely one of the best dancers and I would be surprised if he does not make it dance tonight.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers cameback after a 10 point deficit to tie the game 224-24 at against the Chicago Bears. When the game went into overtime it was a field goal by Matt Bryant that seal the win for the Buccanners. The Bucs are now 2-1. Next week the Buccaneers take on the Green Bay Packers at Raymond James Stadium.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Is this just the beginning for the Miami Dolphins; are they starting to rise out the depths of failure?
Granted Tom Brady is out for the season for the Patriots, but this is trully a win worth celebrating. The Dolphins can have the moment in the sun once again. This is the sunshine state and the sun does shine on a Florida team every now and then.

Look at what the Tampa Bay Rays have done this season when many thought that it would be impossible.

Miami Fans still have the Miami Dolphins #1 song playing in their heads and they still believe.

There were several helpful comments stating that some of the Free Printable Letters were not available via their links on Tampa Bay Parent. Those links should be fully functional and all the letters should now be available.

Thank you to everyone that made us at Tampa Bay Parent aware of the error.

The day that the Rays hoped would happen and many doubted for years would happen has come to be. The Tampa Bay Rays have now made it to the Major League Baseball Postseason. There was definitely a lot of celebration in the stands as a sold-out crowd at Tropicana Field relished the moment when their hometown team beat the Twins 7-2. The Rays have played the regular season better than all the sport commentator ever thought they could. In the beginning many thought that the wins by the Rays was a fluke, but the Tampa Bay Rays proved them all wrong and now they have a MLB playoff spot.

GOOOOoooo Rays!!!

Tampa Bay Rays

The Buccaneers won at home at against the Atlanta Falcons. The Buccaneers 24 points and beat the Falcons 24-9. This week Brian Griese was the starting quarterback while Jeff Garcia watched from the sidelines during the game. Garcia was the starting quarterback for the Buccaneers when they lost to the New Orleans Saints last week. Griese is also scheduled to start against the Chicago Bears next Sunday.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

It has not taken Chris Simms long to find a new team. Simms has now signed on as a back-up quarterback for the Tennessee Titans. Simms had played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers since becoming a 3^rd round draft pick in 2003.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Source: The Tennessean

The first game of the regular season was not a great one for the Buccaneers, but it gave the folks in New Orleans something to cheer about. After a hard fight the Buccaneers lost to the Saints 24-20. It was a close game and a former Buccaneer, Martin Gramatica (now a kicker for the Saints), helped to clinch the Saints win with a 34-yard field goal.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers have their season opener in New Orleans this Sunday. Earlier this week, Hurricane Gustav made it uncertain where the New Orleans Saints and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would play this Sunday’s game. Hurricane Gustav was not severely devastating in the Gulf region and that has allowed the Saints and Buccaneers to play their first regular season game in New Orleans.

Last season the Buccaneers played the Saints twice during the regular season and beat the Saints both at home in Raymond James and at the Louisiana Superdome. The Buccaneers are looking to continue their winning streak against the Saints.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers