Crystal River Middle School

Achieving Greatness. Every Panther. Every Day. It is The Panther Way!

Caption: Graduating Class of 2024 Senior Photo (Photo: Bryant).

Harlan Riley Smith, 10^th grade Student Writer- At Lecanto High School (LHS), the students exemplify resilience, determination, and achievement in a year marked by challenges and uncertainties. As the academic year draws close, the Lecanto High School community reflects on a year filled with notable successes and milestones across various facets of school life. 
 

In 2023-2024, LHS continued to transform the educational landscape of Citrus County by exploring dynamic electives and innovative learning approaches. Through programs such as AVID, International Baccalaureate, Lecanto School of Arts (LSA), AJROTC, and FFA, students were offered enriching experiences beyond the traditional curriculum. These programs have broadened their academic horizons and fostered personal growth, resilience, and determination, making teachers and parents proud of their children's development. By integrating captivating lesson plans and hands-on projects, the Lecanto staff cultivated an environment open to exploration, collaboration, and personal discovery, empowering students to thrive creatively and academically. 
 

“Lecanto High School has achieved unique milestones that set us apart this year. From our student government's recognition as one of only two schools in the state to be a National Council of Goals Excellence, our incredible performance by FFA at this year's County Fair, to our sports teams' triumphs, including two state champion in weightlifting and a multitude of teams reaching state, regional, and district playoffs, we've excelled in both athletic achievement and sportsmanship,” shared Athletic Director, Peter Rausch. 

The daily cheers and conversations reverberated through the halls each morning as the announcements recapped the success of the LHS sports teams, academic teams, and clubs; the Panthers displayed their prowess on the field, courts, and classroom all year long. From exhilarating victories and hard-earned championships to academic brilliance and recognition, the school's athletic teams brought home many accolades, uniting the school community in a shared sense of pride and celebration. This strong sense of community, fostered by the hard work and dedication of Lecanto’s faculty, is a testament to the integral role they play in our students’ success in and out of the classroom. This year, Lecanto sports teams won the County Championship, Gulf Coast Eight Conference Championship, or District Championship in 16 of the 22 sports programs. In addition, Lecanto would bring home two highly sought-after individual FHSAA state champions.

“Every inning, every pitch, every play – [this was a] season of growth, resiliency, and teamwork; memories made, lessons learned, bonds forged. Here's to the journey, the sweat, the joy – a season to remember, a journey to cherish,” said junior varsity baseball player Jason Lloyd. 

LHS continued its tradition of academic excellence, with students demonstrating outstanding performance in state assessments, Advanced Placement course exams, and academic competitions. Lecanto earned the highest school grade issued by the FDOE in Citrus County, a ‘B.’ The class of 2024 was awarded five of the seven Citrus County Golden Scholars, which included the overall winner—eight of ten teams placed at the Citrus County Math Field Day. Lecanto’s Environmental team advanced to the State Finals, along with the Panther TSA computer coding team, science fair participants, and history fair competitors. A true example of academic excellence at Lecanto is found in the number of National Merit Scholars and finalists from within the class of 2024. The dedication of students and faculty to scholarly pursuits has resulted in commendable achievements, reinforcing the school's reputation for educational excellence. 

“The club involvement that helped me grow personally was being able to help others in IB and professionally by being held obligated to stay on top of any work that came to me. One lesson I would carry forward is to keep pursuing your dreams no matter how hard or crazy they may look,” said IB student council member Mikeal Sasser. 

Beyond the classroom and athletic arenas, LHS has always celebrated its rich cultural diversity and artistic talents. Students have dazzled audiences with captivating music, theater, and visual arts performances and underscored the importance of creativity and expression in our vibrant tapestry, making everyone feel included and appreciated. Lecanto offers over 70 different specialized clubs to foster its students’ interest. These clubs have excelled in competition, advancing to state and national events. Organizations such as Army JROTC, Odyssey of the Minds, Health and Occupational Service Association, Civics and Debate, Thespian Society, and Future Florida Educators all advanced to the highest level of competition and earned numerous championships and recognitions. The Army JROTC, for example, won not one but three State Championships. The Lecanto FFA dominated the Citrus County Fair, winning multiple county Grand Champions.

Lecanto High School anchors itself in service leadership to the school and the community. This commitment is notable, as Lecanto High School students earn positions within statewide organizations. Lecanto students are the governor, president, or lieutenant governor of Florida in prominent organizations such as Key Club, Youth In Government, National Association of Student Councils, and Florida Boys State. Students proudly take Lecanto’s version of Leadership to the state and share the Panther core values.

“I feel like I have helped bring some people out of their shells. Being a section leader, you can help people get out more, understand how to sing, and be more lively. I have also taught them how to use their diaphragm rather than their throat while singing,” said chorus section leader Saunders. 

As LHS bids farewell to another successful academic year, the spirit of optimism and ambition permeates the air. With eyes set on the horizon, the school community eagerly anticipates the opportunities and challenges ahead, confident in their ability to overcome obstacles and achieve greatness together. 

“Each year serves as a foundation or building block for the next year. The way Lecanto works is by building towards greatness. It's hard to achieve perfection because there's always one next step we can do. So that's what we're going to continue to do next year. We will continue to have great coaches, great athletes, great students, great programs, and great effort to achieve our goals. It is about being better every day and what the Panther Nation knows as The Panther Way.” said Rausch.

Citrus High Hurricanes Makes a Creative Effort.

Written by student Purshia Allotey

At Citrus High School, artists are collaborating to beautify the school’s courtyard. These artists make up all the Art 2 students and even some of the Art 3 students. Their goal of finishing up by the end of the school year has transpired their continuous hard work, as many students, teachers, and staff have already made numerous positive comments about the creativity behind the artwork. Citrus continuously displays an effort to celebrate all aspects of their school, now the artists have let their work speak for them as it illuminates the school. The theme of the paintings is nature, all artists who are working on the piece must design a vine - some of which are purely imaginative, and some based on actual plants. These diligent artists accredit their motivation and influence on Mrs. Klark - who teaches all levels of art at CHS - has proven to be there for her students while fueling them with encouragement to keep going. CHS principal Mr. Kahler, - who approved the activity – sees fine arts as a token subject. As for it allows many people from all backgrounds to enjoy something at CHS. When asked about the importance of fine arts regarding core classes, Mr. Kahler said “We’ve made a focus this year to engage different people, different sports, and different activity groups. Well, it goes beyond that, it goes beyond making the school feel more welcoming. We are satisfying two needs: we’re allowing kids to be creative and creating a more nurturing environment.” Mrs. Klark will be retiring at the end of the year and her passion and love of art and students will continue with the beautiful murals created in the courtyard.

Photo Credit: Student Chloe Dunn

Here students at CHS are painting unique paintings of vines, plants and even a castle. What a wonderful way to brighten up our school.

Stanley Cups: Just a Trend?

Written by Re’Lynn Hamilton

In 2009, hydro flasks were one of the biggest things to become a trend. Now with it being nearly five years later, another trend is on the rise: Stanley cups.

Stanley cups are 16 - 24-ounce cups that have aluminum insulation to keep your drink either hot or cold. The original style mug came with a handle on the side, a lid, and a straw. But now they can also come in different shapes, colors, and sizes. Even special, limited-edition colors.

“After drill practice I’m always hot,” said junior Ruby Washburn. “Especially after the days we handle the rifles. Stanleys help to keep my drink cold longer.”

Some people think that Stanleys are overrated and overhyped, while others buy them so often as if they are collectible items, which completely defeats the purpose of them being “reusable” cups that cut down on environmental waste.

According to ABC News, in January a 23-year-old woman in Roseville, CA was caught stealing almost $2,500 worth of Stanley cups and hiding them in her trunk. Some people even go as far as sleeping outside of a Target to wait for the next shipment to be stocked first thing in the morning. People who waited in line did not always keep their merchandise either. Stanleys popped up on eBay and Facebook Marketplace for almost quadruple the original cost.

Having a Stanley myself, I can vouch for the fact that it is just like having another reusable cup.