Citrus County School District

"Where learning is the expectation and caring is the commitment."

🏫𝐀𝐂𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐘 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒! Is your 8th-grade student interested in one of our special academic programs?

🖥️Academy of Computer Science

⚕️Academy of Health Careers

🎓International Baccalaureate

🎨Lecanto School of Arts

♻️Academy of Environmental Science

January 21, 2025 at Citrus High School from 6 - 7:30 pm
January 22, 2025 at Lecanto High School from 6 - 7:30 pm
January 23, 2025 at Crystal River High School from 6 - 7:30 pm

Your student will receive information in school as well as an in-depth presentation on each academic program that Citrus Schools offers. Parents and families are invited to one of our Academy Nights where you and your child will have the opportunity to meet program directors and ask questions.

*𝘌𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘦.

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Citrus High School Celebrates Big Wins in 2024 GC8 Awards

Written by: Student Bonnie Bunn

Citrus High School athletes and coaches were recognized for their outstanding achievements at the 2024 GC8 Awards, marking a year of resilience and triumph across multiple sports. The ceremony honored both individual and team successes, with Coach Karen Tyler of the cross-country team leading the accolades as Coach of the Year.

Reflecting on what makes a great coach, Tyler emphasized: “The most important quality for a coach to have in order to inspire their team is consistency. A coach must show up every day prepared and ready to work.”

Tyler’s proudest moment this season came when her team overcame adversity to win the GC8 conference championship: “We won in a tiebreaker, even with two of our top scoring runners unable to compete.”

Honorees from the 2024 GC8 Awards

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Football
Punter: Dominic Hensley
Utility Player: Waylon Williamson
Honorable Mentions: Tyson Phanor, Cole Palmeri

Girls Golf
All-Conference: Payton Sowell
Honorable Mentions: Dixie Corsi, Audessa Figueroa

Boys Golf
All-Conference: Walker Tyler
Honorable Mentions: Grant Wirthlin, Brody Doolittle

Volleyball
All-Conference: Savannah Schulz, Sophie Wood
Honorable Mentions: Rainie Grace Summers, Gracee King

Swimming
Girls Honorable Mentions: Sophie Albert, Baylie Inwood-Goodwin
Boys Honorable Mentions: Logan Kapiton, Andreas Dillersberger

Cross Country
Girls All-Conference: Rachael Chiles, Kathryn Budd, Kristen Vanlue
Honorable Mentions: Aleena Qaasim, Sara Kestler
Boys All-Conference (GC8 Team Champion): Tavin Houchin, Ronald Hudgins, Miles Thrift
Honorable Mentions: Clay Kearse, Aiden Forteau

Athletes Reflect on Their Journeys

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Cross Country
Tavin Houchin: “I just keep my eyes on the runner in front of me, and recently just the lead cart.”
Rachael Chiles: “My teammates and coach encouraged me to work hard every day in practice and do my best at every meet.”
Miles Thrift: “My personal goal was to improve as a runner. I achieved this by committing to the workouts, giving my best in races, and being pushed by others on and off the team.”
Ronald Hudgins: “Running with friends and having a fun time keeps me coming back. Winning is good too.”

Girls Swimming
Sophie Albert: “My coaches always supported me and gave me confidence, even outside of swim.”

Volleyball
Sophie Wood: “To mentally prepare for a tough match, our team goes over our goals. On game day, I listen to music, get hyped with my teammates, and stay calm.”

Golf
Payton Sowell: “Golf is a lifelong sport. The people I’ve met have helped me grow as a golfer and a person.”

The 2024 GC8 Awards demonstrated the dedication and talent of Citrus High School athletes and coaches, who brought pride and recognition to their school. Congratulations to all the winners for an unforgettable season!

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Students in Parenting Skills Class Taking Care of Babies

Written by Student: Makayla Butler

Students in the Crystal River High School Parenting Skills class have been taking care of baby dolls that mimic the behaviors and simulate taking care of an actual baby.

During the caretaking, students take the life-like babies to all of their classes and home with them; all while having to feed them, change their diapers, and keep them happy.

The dolls will randomly cry, which the students have to find the reason for the crying. Like real babies, students have to try out different things until they find out what soothes the infant. Whether it be in the middle of a lesson in class, in the halls, lunch, or in the middle of the night. Just like a real baby.

“We are fortunate this year, through the Perkins grant, to get five Real care Baby Infant Simulators,” said Early Childhood Education teacher Jessica Martin. “These are used to teach infant care to the students. They typically care for the infant for two to three days. Students learn proper head support, diaper changing, car seat safety, feeding procedures, and many other skills required to care for an infant.”

“The simulations are a fun experience for the students to gain real life practical skills. They are from the Realityworks company and their Baby Think It Over Program.”

The simulator isn’t just a class activity, it will teach the students how to take care of a baby while balancing obligations in their everyday schedule such as school, work, and extracurricular activities.

Mickayla Humphrey, a freshman student who is involved in the class said, “I feel like this is needed because this is going to help you learn how hard it is to be a parent.”

“One pro about having the baby is that it teaches you how to take care of a child when you have one in the future,” Humphrey said. “One con about having the baby is that you never sleep and barely have free time.”

The program is a great way to provide hands-on, real world experience through the simulators. Classes like Early Childhood Education give students a step beyond the standard high school diploma.