Citrus County Schools

Citrus High School Honors 9/11 with Patriot Day Tributes

Written by Delaney Laurence Student Writer

For the past 16 years, students and staff at Citrus High School have taken time during the week of September 11th to honor the lives lost and the heroes who responded to the tragic events of that day. This year, several departments across campus participated in heartfelt tributes as part of Patriot Day commemorations.

The ESE (Exceptional Student Education) department decorated their hallway with patriotic colors and student-made artwork to honor those who lost their lives, as well as the first responders involved in the 9/11 attacks. Ms. Oliver, a CHS teacher, shared the impact of this tradition:

“Decorating the hallway in remembrance of 9/11 means a lot to me because I get to have discussions with the students about the special memories of people who went through the tragedy that they never experienced.”

For students involved, the activity offered more than just an art project—it was a hands-on learning experience and a way to show gratitude. CHS student Kaley Gatlin reflected on the emotional impact of participating:

“Bringing everyone together so everyone can bond and help each other out on such a memorable and important day,” she said, was the most powerful part of the experience.
The hallway decorations became a symbol of how small acts of remembrance can unite a community.

In addition to the ESE hallway display, the Citrus High AFJROTC program held a solemn and moving flag ceremony. At 8:46 a.m.—the exact time the first plane struck the World Trade Center—AFJROTC cadets and students gathered at the flagpole to honor the lives lost and reflect on the events of that tragic day.

Sgt. Brown, the CHS AFJROTC instructor, shared the motivation behind the ceremony and how cadets prepare each year:

“The mission of AFJROTC is to develop citizens of character. To meet this mission, I hope to inspire cadets to be better citizens and educate them about impactful events in history such as Patriot Day. Leading up to our ceremony, I 'tell my story' to my cadets—how 9/11 impacted me and reshaped the United States.”

Sgt. Brown recalled his own experience on 9/11 while serving as a technical training instructor with the U.S. Air Force at Lackland AFB in Texas:

“I remember a coworker telling me the World Trade Center was on fire and that they thought a plane had hit it. When we heard the Pentagon was attacked, the base went on lockdown. For the next month, I was working 16-hour days with Security Forces, providing extra security to protect the trainees and base resources.”

He emphasized the importance of passing on that history and responsibility to the cadets, saying:

“Our cadets are often the first face the public sees at parades and patriotic events. They represent CHS through our core values—Commitment, Consistency, and Community.”

Citrus High also extended its Patriot Day tributes off-campus. The Honors Social Studies classes, taught by Mr. Tremante and Coach Estep, took a field trip to the Valerie Theater to view a special 9/11 exhibit.
Coach Estep reflected on the importance of commemorating the day:

“It’s important for students to understand the history and the consequences of the event. America has changed because of it.”

He also shared his personal memory of the day:

“I was in fifth grade at Pleasant Grove Elementary, in Mrs. Kirby’s class, when we were pulled into a room and saw the twin towers on fire and smoking on the TV. It’s important to learn the bravery of Americans and how it changed our foreign policy.”

The students on the trip demonstrated respect and maturity during the tribute.

“They were extremely well-behaved and receptive to the first responders who were there,” Coach Estep added.

Together, these efforts from the ESE department, AFJROTC, and the Social Studies team created a meaningful week of remembrance at Citrus High School—honoring the lives lost on 9/11, celebrating the bravery of first responders, and educating the next generation about the importance of unity and reflection.

Service - a defining characteristic of
Lecanto High School’s Student Government

Another school year has just begun, and the National Student Council (NatStuCo) of Lecanto High School is ready to serve the community!

What exactly is NatStuCo? NatStuCo is the Student Government of Lecanto High School and plays a major role in the planning and organization of events around the school, such as homecoming and prom. I am currently the executive secretary of NatStuCo, but I was also the Class of 2026 secretary. I can attest to the hard work that both the students and the class sponsors, the teachers who volunteer to advise their respective classes in their own spare time outside of the classroom, demonstrate in ensuring the success of every event and every project done by the NatStuCo, which has won the National Gold Council Excellence Award for two consecutive years.

The Newcomer’s Election

There were elections recently held to select the class officers for the freshman Class of 2029. Campaign posters lined the halls around the school, and social media posts flooded the feed, urging the freshmen to vote for the desired candidate.

The results were posted this past weekend, and the freshman Class of 2029’s voice was heard. The results were as follows: President: Deborah Brunk, Vice President: Maddison Staten, Treasurer: Lexi Daniels, Secretary: Joy Lin, Historian: Morgan Yates, with the positions of representative and parliamentarian to be announced.

Deborah Brunk, the duly elected President of the Class of 2029, is excited for the new “big responsibility.”

“My vision is to unite the Class of 2029 in having a fantastic high school experience and a positive impact on our community, and prepare us for success,” remarked Brunk.

Brunk also mentioned that she aims to organize clothing and toy drives for the foster children, as well as food drives for the community; moreover, she hopes that communication allows her peers to recognize SGA as a “fun and welcoming community they can join.”

Beyond the School Walls

Outside of the school, the NatStuCo, also known as the Student Government Association (SGA), has been active in engaging students with the local community in Citrus County.

Last November, members participated in the Lake Hernando Dragon Boat Festival as part of the 20-paddler team, together with the Lecanto High International Baccalaureate (IB) program, and won the silver medal. Devin Pulham, who was then a junior, called her experience in the race “absolutely amazing.”

“Everyone’s energy was just so amazing and everyone was so comforting,” voiced Pulham, adding, “and the best part was that we were just doing it for fun, so of course it was a competition, but it was just so much fun and I enjoyed literally every second of it.”

Devin also pointed out that the race provided an impactful lesson on “teamwork and leadership,” which are qualities that members of the SGA strive to exhibit in their daily lives, not only in a school setting.

During the holiday season, students visit the Reserve, an assisted living facility, and socialize with the residents by playing games with them, making arts and crafts, or just conversing with them, providing intergenerational contact between the students and the residents; the SGA calls this event “Reindeers for Residents.” Rafe Nichols was very ecstatic about attending “Reindeers for Residents,” calling his meeting with the residents “a heartwarming experience.”

“One of the highlights for me was meeting so many interesting elderly folks from all over the United States, and even some who immigrated from other countries. Hearing their stories was incredibly rewarding and definitely the best part of the event,” reflected Nichols as another holiday season approaches.

One of the newer activities by the SGA is Adopt-a-Highway. This past school year, the SGA “adopted” a section of West Grover Cleveland Boulevard in Homosassa, and now organizes quarterly cleanups of their section. The upcoming cleanup will be on Saturday, September 20.

Izabel Clemens, senior, is organizing the cleanup as part of her IB CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) project in connection with the SGA. She sees the cleanup as “a very unique opportunity,” adding that the cleanup displays that “SGA considers more than themselves when helping out and not receiving anything in return.”

SGA Now

Members of SGA reflected on the past year’s activities at their first general meeting, which took place in the new and improved “Student Union” of Lecanto High School, a newly- refurbished section of the school where any club can hold their meetings. In the same meeting, members envisioned the incoming events for the new school year.

Lecanto High NatStuCo is now preparing for homecoming week, scheduled for next month. Dress down day themes are being discussed, and each individual class is meeting together to plan for the decoration of their float and hallway with the theme “Around the World.”

Student participation in the National Student Council is what makes the SGA thrive and shine amongst the student governments of the high schools of the United States of America. If you are a student in Lecanto High School and want to help out your school community and the outside community, join the National Student Council. The current leaders of our school are being molded right now to be the inspirational torchbearers for a brighter future.