The

Advocate
Offical Newsletter of the St. Petersburg High School International Baccalaureate Program• December, 2006

St. Pete IB National Merit Semifinalists

Each year, the National Merit Scholarship Scott Lee excels in running and is a varsity captain
Corporation recognizes a small percentage of high school of the SPHS cross country team. Jenny Lin studied and
seniors in the United States who achieved high scores on traveled in France this past summer. Adam Rosenthal
the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholar Qualifying hopes to attend an Ivy League school to study physics,
Test that is taken early in the junior year. This year, the math, and economics with an eye on a career in business
eight students pictured above from the IB program at St. and/or medicine. He would like to continue participating
Petersburg High School received this honor by being named in hockey and ultimate Frisbee, his favorite sports,
National Merit semifinalists. A total of 43 semifinalists throughout college. He plays the piano and competitive
were named in Pinellas County, including two St. chess and has helped establish a local middle school’s
Petersburg High School students from the traditional chess program. This past summer, Adam taught
program, Zachary Bowers and mathematics to Guatemalan
Mark Selby. At Palm Harbor children and created a
University High School, the fundraising project to benefit
only other Pinellas County high their school. He is grateful
school offering an IB diploma, for the quality education he
10 out of the 12 semifinalists has received through the IB
this year are IB students. program, and he cherishes
Semifinalists may advance to the teacher and peer
finalist status by submitting an relationships he has
application that includes their developed. Evan Schwartz
high school transcript, SAT plans to study chemistry,
scores, achievements, political science, and business
recommendations, and essays. at a college far away from
Nationwide, of the 1.4 million Florida. He enjoys football,
students who took the PSAT in wrestling, running, and
National Merit Semifinalists
2005, approximately 16,000 weight training. Michael
Hayley Germack, Michael Sperber, Adam Rosenthal,
became semifinalists. About Han Zhu, Jenny Lin, Kyle Heironimus,
Sperber would like to study
15,000 will be selected as Evan Schwartz, and Scott Lee physics and math through
finalists who will compete for present their metaphor for IB life college and graduate school.
state, corporate, and college- He plays competitive chess
sponsored scholarships in the spring of 2007. and is a local tournament director. He enjoys following
Hayley Germack is planning an Ivy League sports and current events, especially through the eyes of
education and a career in neurology, including participation Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, listening to the Rolling
in medical missions to Latin America. Her interests include Stones, and playing ultimate Frisbee. He believes in living
the Spanish language and culture, political science, and a balanced life and has appreciated the camaraderie he
literature, and she practices yoga, t’ai chi, and Pilates. She has found among his IB peers. Han Zhu has represented
credits the IB program with providing a stimulating St. Pete High School as a member of the forensics team,
environment for personal and intellectual growth and the Model UN delegation, and the academic team.
encourages underclassmen to enjoy and explore the Congratulations to all of you for your
program’s opportunities. Kyle Heironimus plans to study accomplishments both in and outside the classroom!
at Georgia Tech next year.
From the editor’s desk
Last spring, when Sandra Rosenthal asked me to proctor the AP and IB exams, little did I know
that it would lead to this editor’s chair. Sandra, with her infectious enthusiasm, introduced me to
the IB Parent Advisory Council when she asked my daughter, Lauren, IB ’00, to be the alumni guest
speaker for her brother Michael’s IB pinning ceremony. Though the tradition of the pinning
ceremony at St. Pete High School began after Lauren graduated, I remembered how she and five of
her classmates had been recognized as National Merit semifinalists in a picture out by the old
marquee. After I gathered this year’s group for a photo, one article led to another and soon this
edition of the IB Advocate was on its way.
Thanks to thoughtful advice from IB office secretary Mary Lou Derrickson, who is this year’s IB
honorary initiate of the National Honor Society, I learned that three new teachers at St. Pete High
School were graduates of the IB program, including one of Lauren’s classmates, Alyssa Moody.
Though the paths that led them back to St. Pete High differed, they all agreed that they left the IB
program with excellent writing and critical thinking skills that prepared them well for the transition
to college. The IB teachers served as their first academic mentors and provided them with
inspiration that reached beyond the classroom. Those of us who have been helped and influenced by
mentors can attest to how much depth those individuals add to our education, career training, and
approach to life. Also new to the IB staff and an important mentor for all IB students is guidance
counselor Catherine O’Kelley. Her position has plunged her into the college admission activities of
the IB seniors.
The process of writing this newsletter has given me the opportunity to learn more about what
the IB students are doing and how much they pack into their busy days. It is clear that they do, in
fact, have a life outside of IB and are in the process of developing excellent time management skills.
I have also enjoyed getting in touch with some of the IB alumni whom I knew way back when they
were students and discovering how varied and interesting their lives are.
We hope to publish the IB Advocate in April and August and welcome input from parents,
students, and faculty. Bring your stories to the news box in the IB office, or, better yet, join the
Advocate staff!

Donna Sperber
icedoc80@yahoo.com

A Message from Dr. Linda McPheron

Welcome to The Advocate, the official parent newsletter produced by the IB Parent
Advisory Council.
This school year has brought many new beginnings to the St. Pete High IB Program.
There is a new look to the IB office and two new members are now housed in the office. The
IB Guidance personnel (Ms. O’Kelley and Ms. Johnson) are located in rooms 157 and 158.
We welcome them as new members of the IB family at SPHS! Mrs. McCoy, 9 th grade IB
Counselor, is still in room 221, the Guidance office. Three former IB students have returned
to St. Pete High to teach. Two of the IB alum are teaching in the IB program. Find out their
stories in the pages to follow.
I, too, am glad to return to St. Pete IB from my year as the North American Diploma
Manager in New York. What a thrilling experience it was for me! It opened my eyes to the
many ways IB Diploma Programs are implemented in schools all over the North American
region. It certainly solidified my opinion that St. Pete IB is one of the finest programs in
North America. When my time ended in New York City I was thankful for the opportunity –
but just like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, “There’s no place like home”.
WINTER-SPRING 2007 CALENDAR
January 8 ..... Senior eextended
xtended essay due

January 16 ..... IB Pinning Ceremony

IB students are formally welcomed into the program and receive a pin
from the International Baccalaureate Organization during this evening
event. This year’s keynote speaker will be Ralph Cline, the Deputy
Regional Director of IB North America. A current IB senior and an
IB graduate will also address the students, faculty, friends, and family,
after which everyone is invited to a reception with refreshments.

January 20 ..... County Magnet F air

Fair
This yearly event will be held from 10AM-2PM at Pinellas Park
High School. Students, faculty, and parents from the SPHS IB
program will distribute brochures and answer questions posed by
prospective students and their families.

January 23 ..... IB Discovery Night

On this evening, Dr. McPheron and the guidance counselors will present
an overview of the IB program to interested middle school students,
who will also receive a mini-tour of the school.

February 7 ..... Junior Night

IB guidance counselor Catherine O’Kelley will deliver essential
information to juniors and their parents regarding the college
application process and the important dates on the timeline for
the last year and a half of high school.

February 16 ..... Senior C AS hours documentation due

CAS
February 25 ..... National College F air
air,, Noon-3PM, Tampa Convention Center
Fair
April 6 ..... Junior C AS hours documentation due (75 hours)
CAS
April 20 ..... Seniors’ Bright Futures documentation due (to academic coach)
Futures
May 2-23 ..... IB eexams xams
xams and AP eexams
May 15 ..... IB Senior celebration
May 17 ..... School year ends
May 21 ..... Graduation

SAT and ACT Dates

January 27 ..... SA T I and II (registration through December 26, 2006)
SAT
February 10 ..... ACT (registration through January 5)
March 10 ..... SA T I (registration through February 2)
SAT
April 14 ..... ACT (registration through March 9)
May 5 ..... SA T I and II (registration through April 3)
SAT
June 2 ..... SA T I and II (registration through April 27)
SAT
June 9 ..... ACT (registration through May 4)
 Student Highlights
Two St. Petersburg High School IB students have been ranked among the top ten synchronized swimmers
in the United States. Junior Keeley Lawner, a SPHS varsity swimmer, and her duet partner, Andrea
Patterson of Largo High School, placed 4th in the finals of the 18-19 Age Group National Competition in
Synchronized Swimming. Senior Alceste Laurenti, SPHS varsity swim team captain, and her duet
partner, Brittany McCauley of Sickles High School took 5th place in the same division. More than 500 elite
swimmers ranging from 12-19 years of age converged in Seattle for the final qualifying competition of the
2006 season. Congratulations, ladies, and keep up the strong swimming!
• • •
SPHS IB student Rachel Silverstein was invited to compete in the 10th annual Rolex Osprey Cup, one of
only two Grade 1 women’s sailing events in the entire country. Rachel and her crew of three joined some
of the world’s most accomplished female sailors at St. Petersburg Yacht Club on October 18-22 to sail in
the prestigious match racing competition. They performed well and had some very close finishes with
the top teams.
• • •
If you ever wonder whether IB students have a life outside academics, look no farther than the St. Petersburg
High School Thespians, whose fall production of Hart and Kaufman’s The Man Who Came to Dinner was
outstanding, professional, and very entertaining. Fifteen of the twenty-two talented cast members included
IB students Kaylyn Brickey, Carson Zimmer, Valerie Cannon, Dayna Lazarus, Savan Shah, Drew
Towey, Lauren Growney, Eric Mennel, Katie LeBlanc, Kyle Futch, Kristen Perry, Mike Wolcott, Zack
Hartman, Nisarg Mehta, and Long Nguyen. Behind the scenes, IB’s Jenn Nguyen, Miriam Rochford,
Candace Ng, Long Nguyen, Kristen Perry, Christina Amaya, Nisarg Mehta, Alli Holder, Mary
Manchess, Andrew Nguyen, Melanie Herzhauser, and Victoria Yip each chaired one of the production
committees. Among the production crews backing up the cast and production chairs were 38 IB students.
In a demonstration of support for the theater and her students, IB English teacher Dr. Jan Adkins made a
guest appearance. Michael Vasallo, theater teacher and director of The Man Who Came to Dinner, noted
that the cast and crew numbering nearly 100 worked eight weeks in rehearsal to bring this classic comedy
to life. Stay tuned for the Winter One-Acts, December 12-15, and the spring musical Kiss Me Kate, April
18-21, 2007.
• • •

Another night full of drama was November 17, when 13 teams took the stage to compete in the annual
Gold Fever lip-synching contest. This is ever-so-much more than lip-synching, with costumes, complex
dance choreography, clever mixing of musical tracks, lighting effects, and lots and lots of energy. A
tradition for over 20 years, the 2006 production Gold Fever Goes to New York packed the SPHS auditorium
with an enthusiastic audience and plenty of school spirit. The award for best performance of the night
went to Coming this Summer for their eponymous act setting a coming of age theme to the music of
Michael Jackson and Fatboy Slim. IB seniors Eric Mennel, Michael Sperber, and Carson Zimmer, IB
junior Zack Davidson, and seniors David Margittai, Corey Horton, and Mike Perry jumped, spun, and
flipped to Corey’s riveting choreography. The best act by an independent group was IB Why Me?, a
musical representation of the trials and tribulations of an IB student, presented by IB seniors Kaylyn
Brickey, Allie Holder, Chelsea Minieri, Candace Ng, Kristen Perry, Miriam Rochford, Michael Sperber,
and Mike Wolcott. From the Indian Student Association, Dylan Dinesh and IB students Priya Panara,
Radha Patel, Radha Nath, Yamini Patel, Kavita Patel, Reema Shah, Bijal Patel, Kanica Him, Julianne
Martinovich, Mona Shah, Pooja Desai, Poorvi Desai, and Erica Patel, with their dazzling costumes
and traditional dancing, performed the best act by a school club, and the Men of Key, with Trey Henderson,
John Hendry, Frank Pavluk, and IB students Joe Lamb, Kyle Menke, David McLaughlin, Savan Shah,
Sunny Patel, and Chance Cadwallader, won the corresponding service club title for their dynamic
dancing and musical interpretation.
• • •
For those who aspire to compete in the College Bowl or Jeopardy, the St. Pete High academic team
provides a great opportunity to flex some intellectual muscle. IB senior Nisarg Mehta leads the team in
biweekly competitions against four other Pinellas County High Schools. Each meet has three rounds for
a total of 60 questions that are selected randomly from the areas of math, English, science, art, social
studies, and music.
Four members from each team, two of whom may be IB students, compete per round, consulting only
calculators, the periodic table, and each other. Last year, St. Pete High finished second among 16
schools. This season, which runs through February, the team has finished first in three of five matches.
Joining Nisarg are IB students Jazmin Davis, Chloe Josefson, Kayla Kappes, Kim Nguyen, Mary
Mott, Chris Ramos, Michael Sperber, Evan Schwartz, and Han Zhu. Second-year coach Peggy Wise
enjoys seeing the students so excited about learning and observes that in addition to weekly practices
they are constantly preparing through their curriculum coursework and outside reading and experiences.

• • •

On November 11th, IB students Erika Hval, Evan Schwartz, Taylor Hoel, Maddy Sembler, Tabitha
Schofield, Nemi Shah, Bijal Patel, Nikki Sanderlin, Shelby Begany, Gia Pabalan, Nick Vitrano, Jennifer
Winter, Kim Ferris, Morgan Kevorkian, and Eve Sembler joined Ms. Vann at the St. Petersburg Saturday
Morning Market to raise $1428 for the charitable organization Beadforlife. Visit the website, beadforlife.com,
to find out how this money buys AIDS medicine, food, housing, and schooling for families in war-torn
Uganda.

Alumni News
Where are they now and what are they doing?
Emily Mathews, ’97, graduated from Emory University with a degree in biology and is in her sixth
year of the M.D./PhD. program at the University of California at San Diego. She is studying how decreases
in neurogenesis in the hippocampus of mice influence the development of depressive or other maladaptive
behaviors. Her clinical interests include psychiatry, neurology, internal medicine, and pediatrics, and she
is presently supervising the psychiatry division of the UCSD Student-Run Free Clinic. Emily also enjoys
camping, backpacking, rock-climbing, surfing, gardening, photography, needlecrafts, raising animals,
and attending cultural events. Her brother, Joseph Mathews, ’02, earned a Bachelor’s in English literature
at the University of Virginia. He is working for the D.C. law firm of Williams and Connolly, Inc., which
specializes in trial litigation, and is planning to enter law school next year. He enjoys fly fishing and been
a trip leader in Colorado.

Lauren Sperber, ’00, sister of senior Michael Sperber, was recently consulted about the reluctance of
contemporary students to discuss their achievements and aspirations. She claims that IB students in
general tend to be a little snarky. A little what? It’s not as bad as it sounds, though. According to
Merriam-Webster, snarky means sarcastic, impertinent, or irreverent in tone or manner. Maybe it is a
natural consequence of all that critical thinking. Lauren reminds us of the ’00 breakfast for the National
Merit finalists, when MIT-bound Jamie Hope declared, before teachers, family, and friends, that he was
most proud of having passed the high school competency test.
Lauren lives in Manhattan and is working for Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions as an editor of its
website, www.kaptest.com. She is completing a Master’s degree in English literature at NYU and plans a
career in information architecture, which is the presentation of information on websites. She hosts
www.kenspeckle.net, a blog with cultural, literary, and linguistic content, and welcomes visitors, both
virtual and live.
Alumni News cont’d next page
Alumni News cont’d

Freshman Marc Uber, ’10, comes from a long line of IB graduates. Kristie Uber Blum, ’91, earned a BS in
biology and her M.D. degree at the University of Miami. After completing a residency in internal medicine at
University of Virginia, she received specialty training in hematology/oncology at Vanderbilt University and
Washington University in St. Louis. She has been an assistant professor of medicine at Ohio State University
since 2003 and is married with two children. Chad Uber, ’94, holds a BA in business administration from the
University of Florida and has worked as a software quality assurance engineer in San Francisco and more
recently as automated test lead engineer in Clearwater, Florida. He is married with two children. Holly Uber,
’04, is a student in architecture at the University of Notre Dame and is currently spending her junior year
abroad in Rome. She is expecting a visit from her family over the winter holidays.

Daniel Wallace, 04, is majoring in English as a Harvard junior. His main extracurricular focus during his
freshman and sophomore years was the rowing team. He has now taken a managerial position with the
Harvard Student Agencies, the umbrella organization of Harvard’s student-run businesses. Daniel’s sister
Hannah Wallace, ’06, joined him at Harvard this year as a freshman and is interested in the study of English
and the Romance languages. She shares Daniel’s love for rowing and has earned a position on the second
freshman boat of the Radcliffe rowing team.

IB Graduates Return to Teach at

St. Petersburg High School
At the beginning of this academic year, three alumni from
the IB program of St. Petersburg High School joined the faculty,
and all are very enthusiastic about their decisions to return to
their alma mater. Alyssa Moody, ’00, is a biology teacher for
pre-IB, traditional, and honors classes, Sara VanDuyne, ’99,
teaches pre-IB English, and , ’97, teaches courses in American
Government and Critical Thinking for the traditional program.
Sara VanDuyne • Ryan Halstead • Alyssa Moody
Ms. Moody graduated from Stetson University in 2004 with a
major in biology and minors in French and religious studies. She taught physical science, chemistry, and pre-
IB biology for two years at DeLand High School, but when offered a position at St. Pete High, she jumped at the
chance to work with colleagues and students of such a high caliber. She credits her phenomenal IB teachers
with challenging her to live up to her potential and inspiring her to continue the tradition as a teacher herself.
She is especially grateful to Mrs. Moore, her academic coach and mentor for four years, who always went the
extra mile and helped her sort out what was really important in life.
Thanks to her IB experience, Ms. Moody arrived at college with excellent skills in organization and critical
thinking, making her workload manageable and leaving her with time to enjoy extracurricular endeavors. She
feels that the IB education prepared her to appreciate the complexities of the world and to develop good
perspectives on life. Her advice to IB students is simple: give up procrastination. Break the cycle and stop the
insanity! This, she believes, is the key for being both successful and happy. When not in school or preparing
for classes, Ms. Moody enjoys classical and swing dancing, cooking, gardening, and bird-watching. Her
daughter and future IB student, Kira, is 3 years old.

Ms. VanDuyne earned a Bachelor’s degree in English literature and a Master’s degree in the Art of Teaching
English at the University of South Florida. She is grateful for the opportunity to work with her former teachers
and to contribute to the school and the community that gave her so much. Her IB education made the
transition to college life smooth because she was already accustomed to writing papers and balancing studies
with social activities. In addition to learning how to learn in IB, she became more aware of and sensitive to
cultural issues. In her eyes, the St. Petersburg High School’s IB program is outstanding and earning the IB
diploma is worth all of those long hours of homework and study.
Continuing education is important to Ms. VanDuyne, who is active in the Pinellas Council of Teachers of
English and attended the National Council of Teachers of English convention in Nashville over the Thanksgiving
holiday. She also serves as a consultant for the Tampa Bay Area Writing Project. Her interests include reading,
traveling, and working on home projects, and she enjoys spending time with her husband, Donnie, and Amber,
their three year old Shepherd mix.

Mr. Halstead studied telecommunications at the University of Florida as an undergraduate and stayed to
complete a Master’s degree in education. While he was in Gainesville, he became a basketball coach at the
Oak Hall School, working side by side with the excellent and experienced coaches on the faculty. From these
inspiring individuals he learned much about the many facets of coaching and motivating students and athletes.
He is returning to St. Petersburg High School as both a teacher and a coach, and he has enjoyed seeing that
many of the traditions he remembers as a student continue on today. He believes that the students at SPHS
have a school spirit that enhances their performance in the classroom.
When Mr. Halstead was in the throes of his IB experience, he often longed for a less stressful high school
program. However, when he arrived at college and saw how prepared he was to handle the workload, he was
thankful for his IB background. The skills in critical thinking, writing papers, and time management that he
developed during high school greatly helped him adjust to college life. Each of his teachers influenced him in
some way, but he credits his teaching style to Mr. Davis, Mrs. Tewksbury, Mrs. Ruch, Mrs. O’Brien, and Ms.
Hoffman and their amazing commitment to their students’ academic growth. Among his IB mentors he also
counts his mother, who is on the faculty of Palm Harbor University High School and has always been passionate
about her career as a teacher.
Mr. Halstead’s interests include sports, especially basketball, music, and cinema. He was just married last
May. He also enjoys continually expanding his education in the field of history so that he can bring new ideas
and theories to the classroom. His advice to IB students is this: “Time management is key! Do not get behind.
If you can learn to manage and schedule your time effectively, you will have time to finish everything and still
have a relative stress-free high school experience.” He also notes that the learning process rather than the
grades will be the major influence on students as they move into college and beyond.

PARENT COMMITTEES
IB Parent Advisory Council
The IBPAC supports the teachers, students, and parents of the IB program by
• producing and publishing the IB Advocate Newsletter
• assisting in the orientation of new IB students
• coordinating the IB pinning ceremony
• providing parent volunteers to represent the IB program at the Magnet Fair
and Discovery Night and to proctor the IB and AP exams
Contact Chairperson Sandra Rosenthal at arosenth@tampabay.rr.com
IB Senior Celebration Committee
This committee provides volunteer and financial support to the IB program by
• planning the Senior Celebration banquet that honors graduating IB seniors
• providing juniors with their IB pins
• funding two pages in the SPHS yearbook that feature IB faculty and students
• assisting the IBPAC in their volunteer activities
• supplying IB faculty with small grants
Contact chairpersons Kim Towey and Lynn Porterfield through the IB office
893-1842 extension 1012
Both committees work hand-in-hand to provide IB students with the best possible school experience. It is enjoyable to
meet and work with other IB parents, exchange ideas, and view the big picture beyond the daily homework issues.
Please consider donating your time and/or money to help these committees. Aside from our taxes, we pay no tuition
for this high quality education!

Volunteers and dollars needed and welcomed!

 Non-Profit Organization
International Baccalaureate Program
U.S. Postage
St. Petersburg Senior High School
2501 Fifth Avenue North PAID
St. Petersburg, FL 33713 Permit #5793
ST. PETERSBURG, FL

Catherine O’Kelley Joins IB Guidance Department

St. Petersburg High School welcomed Catherine O’Kelley as IB guidance counselor at
the beginning of this school year, and she immediately immersed herself in helping seniors
assemble their college applications and meet their deadlines. She comes with extensive
experience in the IB curriculum, having previously served as guidance counselor at two
other IB programs that have a strong emphasis on college admissions. She believes that
IB graduates are well-prepared for college and that the emphasis on global learning and the
world-wide curriculum standards and consistency of the program contribute to its excellence.
Ms. O’Kelley graduated from Tampa’s Plant High School, and she and her mother still
remember watching Plant’s football team play the Green Devils. She graduated from the
University of Georgia and earned a Master’s degree in education at Harvard. She
subsequently earned a Master’s in counseling from Oregon State University and became a
high school counselor in Oregon, where she raised her son and daughter, both IB graduates. She is happy for the
opportunity to return to the land of sunshine, since her favorite activities include biking, swimming, kayaking, and
going to the beach. She also plays the ukulele!
As counselor for the IB sophomores, juniors, and seniors, Ms. O’Kelley is responsible for writing the composite
letter of recommendation from the IB program for each college-bound senior. She encourages each student to schedule
a get-acquainted visit and adds that counselors are good at listening and can help students with problem-solving. She
works out of the IB office: phone 893-1842 ext.1066 and email okelleyc@pcsb.org.

Special Thanks
Funds donated by Delores Walker and the Odyssey of the Mind team helped to underwrite this publication and
Mike Blowers, owner of Print City in Largo, has provided his expertise in the layout of the Advocate and excellent and
timely printing services.