Day care tampa: Northdale KinderCare | Daycare, Preschool & Early Education in Tampa, FL

Northdale KinderCare | Daycare, Preschool & Early Education in Tampa, FL

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Northdale KinderCare

Welcome to Northdale KinderCare

Welcome to Northdale KinderCare in Tampa, Florida! Located just off Dale Mabry Highway, our center offers a nurturing, educational, and safe environment that will inspire a love for learning in your child. Our curriculum nurtures growing minds, healthy bodies, and happy hearts through physical activity, early academics, and social-emotional learning. From the moment you walk through our doors, it is our mission to make you welcomed and like you are a part of our KinderCare family!

Our classrooms are places to thrive! 
In our safe and healthy classrooms, your child will be engaged in learning experiences that meet them where they are, both socially and academically. With fun daily activities, passionate teachers, and great friends, a lifetime of confidence starts here. Contact the center director to learn more about our child care options and schedule a tour! 

• Northdale KinderCare Programs
• Our Teachers
• Family Stories
• FAQs

AMERICA’S MOST ACCREDITED

We’re so proud!

Nationally only 10% of daycares are accredited – nearly 100% of our learning centers are. That’s a big difference,
and that means KinderCare kids are getting the very best. Here’s why.

SCHOOL-READY

What Learning Looks Like

Our talented early-childhood teachers set kids down the path toward becoming lifelong learners in a positive, safe, and nurturing environment.

Northdale KinderCare Programs

Infant Programs (6 weeks–1 year)

Leaving your baby in someone else’s care is a big step. Everyone at our
centers—most importantly, our naturally gifted infant teachers—will work with
you to make sure the transition goes smoothly. When you step into our infant
classroom, you’ll see how much we want your infant to feel safe, loved, and
ready to explore their world.

Toddler Programs (1–2 Years)

Everything in our toddler classroom is designed for little explorers. That’s
because a lot is going on at this age. When your child is wandering all over the
place, that means they’re learning and discovering new things every day. We’ll
help them explore their interests (and find new ones!) as they play and learn.

Discovery Preschool Programs (2–3 Years)

This age is filled with so much wonder and curiosity. That’s why we offer a ton
of books and toys and bring artwork down to kids eye level. Children in
discovery preschool also begin to learn how we all work together in a
classroom. Simple math and science, pretend play, and group play help them
get used to a more structured school setting.

Preschool Programs (3–4 Years)

This age is all about expression, when kids really start to form their own ideas
about what they want to play and how they want to create. Every day in our
preschool classroom, your child will explore science experiments, create
artwork, and play pretend—all the skills needed for their big next step:
kindergarten!

Prekindergarten Programs (4–5 Years)

When you walk into one of our pre-K classrooms, you’ll see artwork and
writing displayed around the room. Labels are everywhere to help kids connect
letters with words. You’ll also see pictures on the walls that reflect the families
in our community. Your child will also deepen their knowledge in language,
math, science, Spanish, and social skills.

Before- and After-School Programs (5–12 Years)

You can count on us to provide reliable care for your school-ager while you’re
at work, with safe transportation from our center to your child’s school and
back! Whether your child wants to start a drama club, build a volcano, or
create a comic book, they will have a place to follow their dreams. Your child
will start and end the day with a whole lot of fun!

School Break Programs (preschool, prekindergarten, and school-age)

Winter break, spring break, summer break—when school’s out (but you still need to work), you
can count on KinderCare to provide a safe and supportive learning environment that’s focused
on fun. We welcome children ages 5–12 during school break times and make sure they have a
sensational, screen-free experience they won’t forget.

Participating Child Care Aware Center

KinderCare partners with Child Care Aware® of America to offer fee assistance for
Active Duty military families and flexible support to fit their needs when care at a Child
Development Center on the installation is not available.

Florida Voluntary Prekindergarten Programs

Learning Adventures – Enrichment Program

Cooking Academy™ (3 – 12 Years)

In Cooking Academy, kids learn new recipes from cultures around the world and
develop a healthy relationship with food. They’ll whip up everything from Southwest
rainbow lettuce wraps to pumpkin muffins, building their skills in STEM, communication,
and more along the way. And yes—little chefs get to eat their culinary creations!

Music Explorers™ (2 – 4 Years)

KinderCare families are already giving a standing ovation to our newest Learning
Adventures program: Music Explorers! Kids will learn to sing, move, listen, play
instruments, and even create their own tunes. Our original curriculum blends math,
science, social studies, literacy, and mindfulness (think yoga!) for a uniquely KinderCare
way of learning the foundations of music.

Phonics Adventures® (2 – 4 Years)

Learning how to read is a whole lot of fun at KinderCare! We help kids grow to love
books and words (and get ready for kindergarten) in our Phonics Adventures program.
From discovering the basics of vowels to practicing poetry, kids learn all about letters
and sounds in small-group lessons made just for their age group. (Bonus: Kids who
attend our phonics program are more prepared than their peers for school—and we
have the data to prove it.)

Spanish

Spanish Adventures provides young learners with a foundation for later success with
the Spanish language. Music, games, children’s Spanish literature, and other tools give
children multiple opportunities to hear, practice, and see Spanish language to develop
vocabulary and conversation skills. Curriculum includes lessons on greetings, numbers,
colors, animals, family, body parts, and pets, as well as how to engage conversationally
during common scenarios at home, a restaurant, or at the zoo.

Our Teachers

We’re the only company in early childhood education to select teachers based on natural talent. Being a great educator isn’t enough though.
KinderCare teachers are also amazing listeners, nurturers, boo-boo fixers, and smile-makers. Put more simply,
we love our teachers and your child will, too.

Meet just a few of our amazing KinderCare teachers!

A KINDERCARE TEACHER WITH

An Artist’s Heart

“My classroom is full of art!” says Mary Annthipie-Bane, an award-winning early childhood educator at KinderCare. Art and creative expression, she says, help children discover who they really are.

We put our best-in-class teachers in a best-in-class workplace. We’re so proud to have been named one of Gallup’s 37 winners of the Great Workplace Award.
When you put great teachers in an engaging center, your children will experience
an amazing place to learn and grow.

Family Stories

Don’t take our word for it. Hear what our families have to say about our amazing center!

Share Your Story


If you have a story about your experience at KinderCare,

please share your story with us
.

Who Are KinderCare Families?

They hail from hundreds of cities across the country from countless backgrounds, and proudly represent every walk in life. What our families have in common,
though, is the want to give their children the best start in life. We are so proud to be their partner in parenting.

Hear from just a few of our amazing KinderCare families.

A Globe-Trotting Family Finds A

Home in Houston

Four young children, four different passports, two languages, two full-time jobs…oh, and a few triathlons thrown in for good measure.
Meet the globe-trotting Colettas—a family on the go.

Frequently Asked Questions

What accreditations does KinderCare have?

We are your trusted caregiver. Our centers are state-licensed and regularly inspected to make sure everything meets or exceeds standards, including child-to-teacher ratios and safe facilities. Our centers aren’t just licensed—most are accredited, too! Find out more.

Do you offer part-time schedules at Northdale KinderCare?

Everybody’s schedule is different. We’re happy to offer quality, affordable part-time and full-time childcare. Drop-in care may also be available. Reach out to your Center Director to learn more.

How does naptime work at Northdale KinderCare?

Our teachers meet every child’s needs during naptime. Our teachers know how to get babies to nap. In fact, they are pros at getting children of any age to nap. Visit our article on “10 Ways We Help Kids Get a Great Daycare Nap” to learn more.

Do you support alternative diets?

We strive to be as inclusive as possible. To that point, we provide a vegetarian option at mealtime, take care to not serve common allergens and can adapt menus based on your child’s food sensitivities. If your child has additional needs, we’ll work with you to figure out a plan.

Are meals included in tuition? Can I choose to send my child with lunch?

We provide nutritious meals and snacks developed by a registered dietician to meet the needs of rapidly growing bodies and minds. If your child has special dietary requirements and you would prefer to bring in their lunch, please make arrangements with the center director.

Does my child need to be potty-trained?

Every child begins toilet learning at a different age. Until your child shows an interest in toilet learning, we’ll provide diaper changes on an as-needed basis. When your child shows an interest, we’ll discuss how to work together to encourage toilet learning.

Primrose School of South Tampa Home

Primrose School of South Tampa Home | Daycare and Preschool in Tampa, FL

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Address

Hours
M-F 6:30am-6:30pm

See Inside Our SchoolVISIT US ON FACEBOOK

ADDRESS

(813) 876-1000

Schedule a tour

See Inside Our School >

VISIT US ON FACEBOOK >

(813) 876-1000

We’d love for your family to meet ours.

Schedule a tour

(813) 876-1000

Address

Hours
M-F 6:30am-6:30pm

Directions

See Inside Our SchoolVISIT US ON FACEBOOK

Schedule a tour

Introduction

Welcome to
Primrose Schools^®

Our teachers and caregivers are trained, ready and excited to help spark lightbulb moments for your child. We invite you to visit and see our Balanced Learning approach in action

Age Groups Served

• Infant
• Toddler
• Early Preschool
• Preschool Pathways
• Preschool
• Pre-Kindergarten
• Kindergarten
• After School
• Summer Adventure Club

staff
Franchise Owners
https://ucarecdn. com/d08596d4-7ae0-4af5-9c72-392bda12101c/-/crop/320×208/0,3/-/preview/
<p>License # CTA432695 Jana Radtke and Christy Blackard (mother and daughter) have worked together at Primrose Schools beginning with the first school they opened in Texas in 1995! After struggling to find a quality, early childhood education option for her own children, Jana decided to build a Primrose School. “I was surprised at how difficult it was to find trustworthy childcare and was overwhelmed with the waiting lists for high quality options. Like all parents, I wanted my children to have the best experience focused on early education. After having my youngest children on the waiting list of a Primrose School for 18 months, we built our first Primrose School and I changed careers! It was the best decision I’ve ever made!” Jana holds a Bachelor’s in Management &amp; Computer Information Systems and a Master’s in Business as well as an associates degree in early childhood education and a Florida Director’s Credential. In her former life, she spent 20 years as chief information officer, chief operating officer, and chief executive officer with financial and insurance companies in Texas and Florida. Despite success in the corporate world, she missed work-life balance, one of the primary reasons she left the corporate world to invest in her first Primrose School. </p><p>Ms. Blackard adds, “All four of my children (Jana’s grandchildren) attended Primrose! Now we are pleased that my granddaughter (Jana’s GREAT granddaughter) is a Primrose student!” The Radtke and Blackard families have made preschool education a way of life and have been dedicated to positively impacting children’s lives through the unmatched Primrose educational experience. Ms. Blackard holds a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing &amp; Communications and a Master’s degree in Elementary Education as well as a Florida Director’s Credential. “With deep roots in the Primrose community, we are incredibly devoted to bringing the best possible child care experience to our South Tampa communities. We understand the importance of instilling a love of learning during a child’s early years, and we believe this is essential to building a new generation of bright students!”, said Ms. Blackard. We are committed to delivering the best possible experience when it comes to your child’s education. We are excited to provide the high quality care necessary to prepare your children for future success in school and in life!<br></p>

Franchise Owners

Christy Blackard and Jana Radtke

FRANCHISE OWNERS

License # CTA432695 Jana Radtke and Christy Blackard (mother and daughter) have worked together at Primrose Schools beginning with the first school they opened in Texas in 1995! After struggling to find a quality, early childhood education option for her own children, Jana decided to build a Primrose School. “I was surprised at how difficult it was to find trustworthy childcare and was overwhelmed with the waiting lists for high quality options. Like all parents, I wanted my children to have the best experience focused on early education. After having my youngest children on the waiting list of a Primrose School for 18 months, we built our first Primrose School and I changed careers! It was the best decision I’ve ever made!” Jana holds a Bachelor’s in Management & Computer Information Systems and a Master’s in Business as well as an associates degree in early childhood education and a Florida Director’s Credential. In her former life, she spent 20 years as chief information officer, chief operating officer, and chief executive officer with financial and insurance companies in Texas and Florida. Despite success in the corporate world, she missed work-life balance, one of the primary reasons she left the corporate world to invest in her first Primrose School.

Ms. Blackard adds, “All four of my children (Jana’s grandchildren) attended Primrose! Now we are pleased that my granddaughter (Jana’s GREAT granddaughter) is a Primrose student!” The Radtke and Blackard families have made preschool education a way of life and have been dedicated to positively impacting children’s lives through the unmatched Primrose educational experience. Ms. Blackard holds a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing & Communications and a Master’s degree in Elementary Education as well as a Florida Director’s Credential. “With deep roots in the Primrose community, we are incredibly devoted to bringing the best possible child care experience to our South Tampa communities. We understand the importance of instilling a love of learning during a child’s early years, and we believe this is essential to building a new generation of bright students!”, said Ms. Blackard. We are committed to delivering the best possible experience when it comes to your child’s education. We are excited to provide the high quality care necessary to prepare your children for future success in school and in life!

See What’s Happening in Our School

• More than a Daycare

  Our Balanced Learning approach to child care makes us different than an ordinary Tampa daycare. Right down the road from The University of Tampa and Gorrie Elementary School, we are conveniently located on West Kennedy Boulevard.

• Programs for Any Age

  Infant Toddler, Early preschool, Preschool, Pre-kindergarten, Kindergarten, After school, Summer adventure club

• We bus to the following elementary schools:

  Mabry Elementary School, Grady Elementary School, Roosevelt Elementary School, Ballast Point Elementary School and Gorrie Elementary School

• How We Foster a Sense of Belongingness

  Children who feel valued and included are better equipped to show kindness and compassion to others, including those who are different from themselves.

• Welcome to Og’s Book Corner

  Each month we feature a classroom book that helps children feel a sense of belongingness. This month we sat down with Markette Sheppard to discuss her book “What Is Light?” and the message she wants to send to children.

• Caring and Giving: A New Record, over 7,000 lbs of Food Donated!

  Students, families, teachers and staff at our school donated 7,000 pounds of food items through our Caring and Giving Food Drive!

• An Introduction to ASQ®

  To better meet the individual needs of every child, we’re proud to implement Ages & Stages Questionnaires® (ASQ®-3 and ASQ®:SE-2) in Primrose schools across the country.

• Grounded in research, fueled by fun

  Our new exclusive Harmony & Heart® program integrates our proprietary music and books in a variety of thoughtful ways each day. Through learning about music, while simultaneously being exposed to concepts in math, language, and character development, your child will grow as a musician, a student, and a person.

• Health & Safety First

  Each Primrose school is held to high standards of safety and cleanliness while maintaining a caring and nurturing environment where children can thrive.

• What Are “QI Skills,” and Why Does My Child Need Them?

  There’s no question that parents want their preschoolers to grasp the basics of colors, numbers and letters to foster a lifetime of learning.

• How We Teach Math at Primrose

  It might seem odd to think about your preschooler exploring data analysis and algebra.

• Why Balanced Learning® Works

  It’s a fact: children learn better when they are engaged. That’s why purposeful play and nurturing guidance from teachers are key components of Balanced Learning. See how this time-tested approach with a strong emphasis on life skills and character development can help your child develop and excel.

We’d love for your family to meet ours.

Schedule a tour

Doggy Daycare Tampa, FL | Central Bark Tampa, FL

Healthy.
Happy.
Whole.

There’s no bond like the one we share with our furry best friends. We love our dogs and want to give them the best life. But it can be challenging to fulfill all their needs.

That’s why families trust Central Bark®, where dogs get the love and care to help them be healthy, happy, and well-rounded. When you bring your dog to Central Bark Tampa, you’ll have peace of mind knowing they’re having a great day with their friends in a safe and loving environment.

Our Whole Dog Care approach aims to nurture and enrich your dog’s whole health and well-being – throughout their entire life. The heart of this approach is our Enrichment Doggy Day Care program. We also offer dog boarding, baths, grooming, market, training, and more. All with the mission to help you and your dog share the best life.

We know that dogs aren’t just LIKE family – they ARE family. As dog parents ourselves, we take great pride in treating each and every dog like they’re our own. 

Central Bark

Tampa

14623 N Nebraska Ave,
Tampa, FL 33613Get Directions

(813) 979-1123

[email protected]

Open Today 7:00 AM – 6:30 PM

Enroll Now

Client Login

Myrna E.

My dog is always so excited to go to Day Care which makes me happy and gives me a peace of mind. The staff is really friendly and helpful with any question I might have. I absolutely love to see the pictures and videos in social media. The location is […]

Central Bark

^®Whole Dog Care

Our Whole Dog Care approach offers a full range of fun and personalized products and services to promote your dog’s physical, mental, and emotional health and happiness throughout their entire life.

Why do dogs

LOVE
Central Bark?

• It’s just for them – Every dog is special. We tailor each day to your dog’s needs and preferences.
• Whole health + happiness – They’ll get all the personalized attention, activity, and rest they need. To help your dog be healthy, happy, and well-behaved at home and in the community.
• We speak dog – Our people are dog experts specially trained in our science-based positive reinforcement approach.  
• Safe + clean – The safety and well-being of all our guests is our #1 priority. Our comprehensive safety policies and cleaning procedures help ensure your dog is safe and healthy every day they’re with us.
• Trusted loving care – For over 20 years, families have trusted Central Bark to enrich their dog’s lives with the right mix of personalized attention, play, exercise, socialization, training, rest, and love.
• A bond for life – It’s amazing how a day apart can bring you closer! Your dog will come home happy and healthy, and you won’t spend another day worrying about them home alone.

All dogs welcomeKissesSocializationHealthy. Happy. Whole.Play and exerciseBest friendsSpacious outdoor play areas

Doggy Day Care. Reimagined.

Central Bark Enrichment Day Care takes dog day care to a whole new level! It combines our industry-leading expertise with the latest dog behavior science and positive dog training principles. Your dog can enjoy a fun and healthy day tailored to them, with the proper amount of play, mental and physical exercise, socialization, training, rest, and love they need to be healthy, happy, and well-rounded.

Flexible Playgroups

Small and large playgroup options allow us to match better your dog’s personality, needs, and preferences with the social atmosphere and amount of play they can enjoy and benefit from most.

Group Play Skills

Group Play Skills are a fun and rewarding way for dogs to practice important skills like name recall, and behaviors like group sit and calmly going in and out of doors and gates.

Rest Period Enrichment

Rest Period Enrichment sessions help dogs achieve a healthy balance. They can relax and recharge in their own private space with calming enrichment toys and healthy foods tailored to their preferences and diet.

Enrichment Sessions

Personalized One-on-One Enrichment sessions give the extra attention dogs love and the freedom to use their senses and safely explore their instincts through interactive toys, puzzles, and games.

Learn more

September Dog of the Month

Tobin is a beautiful chocolate lab that will steal your heart in seconds! He always has so much to say at drop off and you can tell that he’s so excited to come in by his huge smile and wagging tail! He has so much fun with his training courses […]

XOXO,
Central Bark Tampa

Frequently Asked Questions

All categoriesDoggy Day CareMarketPartiesSafetySalon & SpaSleepoversTraining

How does Central Bark mentally stimulate a dog?

At Central Bark®, our goal is to provide a balanced day of play, learning, rest, and love. Learning and mental exercise can happen in various ways, including training activities, brain games, scent work, and more. Our playgroups offer several hours of active playtime paired with learning opportunities during Group Play […]

Do you offer dog parties?

Yes! We love to celebrate our friends’ special days. You can schedule space in our facility to celebrate important moments in your dog’s life, from playdates to birthdays to Barkmitzvas. You can rent the space or have us plan and run your entire event.  Contact us to schedule your dog’s […]

Can I see the complete facilities where my dog will be staying?

Of course! You are welcome to visit and tour the center before enrolling. Please visit our locations section to find the Central Bark Doggy Day Care location that is nearest to you.

What does dog grooming include?

Your dog deserves to be pampered. Our full-service dog grooming salon is fully equipped to include anything from a simple brush-out or bath to a full spa day, a grooming session.   All dogs are unique. Just like humans, your dog deserves personalized grooming for their size, breed, coat type, and condition. […]

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17 Best Tampa Preschools | Expertise.com

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• User Reviews
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Preschools FAQs 〉

Preschools FAQs

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Last updated: September 29, 2022

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Alphabet Learning Center is a preschool in Tampa, Florida, providing quality care and education for over 25 years. Their programs include toddlers, two-year-old class, three-year-old class, V.P.K., after school care, summer camp, Cornerstone food program, and Quality Counts for Kids. The Alphabet Learning Center is family owned and managed, with a professional staff that exceeds all state and local regulations.

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Ecopia Day School is a preschool in Lutz, Florida, with several programs to suit multiple age groups. For infants 3-15 months of age, they offer the infant classroom. The toddler group includes children from 15 months to 24 months of age. Their early preschool group includes 2 to 3 year-olds. The traditional preschool group is for 3 and 4 year-olds. The oldest group at Ecopia is their pre-kindergarten or pre-K class. They strive to be a collaborative community of children, teachers, and families, learning and working together.

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First Discoveries Academy is a preschool in Brandon, Florida, founded in 2008, serving the Brandon/Valrico areas and beyond. They serve children ages 2 to 12. First Discoveries Academy offers eco-healthy, nature-inspired early learning programs. Their programs include play-based learning, VPK and Pre-K, kindergarten/ primary class, summer VPK, summer camp, and explore and play. This great school has a staff of dedicated, knowledgeable teachers.

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First Discoveries Child Development Center, LLC is a preschool in Tampa, Florida, with an additional location in the Brandon/Valrico area. Their curriculum includes the “Discovery Club” school age, Voluntary PreK/ VPK, preschool programs, and toddlers. First Discoveries Child Development Center is South Tampa’s premier early learning program.

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Keystone Christian Preschool is a preschool in Odessa, Florida. They provide superior preschool and child care programs for young children, teaching them of God’s love in a safe, nurturing environment. Their well-qualified staff is eager to meet your child and be a part of his/her early learning experience. Keystone Christian Preschool builds a strong foundation for their students.

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Land of Learning Academy is a private preschool in Tampa, Florida, established in 1981. Their classes include martial arts: tae kwon do, ballet classes, acrobatics classes, and tap classes. They became a nationally accredited school in 1996 and have carried a Gold Seal Quality of Day Care. Land of Learning Academy won 2015 Best of Tampa- Child Care Services Award.

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Learning Gate PreSchool is a preschool in Lutz, Florida, established in 1983. Their curriculum revolves around the natural world. Their programs and rates include full-time care – $180/week, afterschool care – $60/week, half day programs, and VPK. Learning Gate is a safe haven for children, building a fertile foundation for optimum learning.

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Lil Pal’s Preschool is a preschool in Tampa, Florida. The mission of Lil Pal’s Preschool is to provide a warm and encouraging atmosphere for their students. Their programs include one-year-olds, two-year-olds, three-year-olds, four-year-olds, VPK program, and after school program. Lil Pal’s Preschool is an Accredited Professional Preschool Learning Environment, and have earned the Quality Care Gold Seal.

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Montessori Early Learning Center is a preschool in Tampa, Florida. They are a privately-owned and family-run Montessori preschool, operated by Joyce Soukup and her daughter, Jackie Maczuga. For more than 3 decades, they have been nurturing and educating children with a great preschool education. Their programs include Montessori academic program, voluntary pre-kindergarten, toddler program, and preschool. Montessori Early Learning Center carries the child care license # CHC 431371.

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New Horizons Private School is a preschool in Palm Harbor, Florida. It is a developmentally appropriate setting, offering computers, field trips, and VPK. They accept elementary students, from kindergarten through fifth grade. New Horizons Private School won the 2012 Patch Reader’s Choice Award, and accept the McKay Scholarship and the Florida Pride Scholarship.

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Preschool Readers is a preschool in Tampa, Florida. They offer services the Hillsborough County and Pinellas County areas. Preschool Readers also serves the New Jersey areas of Monmouth County and Mercer County. Their preschool reading specialists are committed to developing confidence and a passion for reading in the preschooler by maximizing their potential through in-home accelerated reading instruction.

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Primavera Preschool is a preschool in Tampa, Florida. Their curriculum offerings include infants to VPK offering VPK, summer VPK, after school care, summer camp, infant care, and preschool ages 1-5. Primavera Preschool also offers an extracurricular enrichment program which includes APCO All-Pro Cheer and Dance, Tumbles Gymnastics Program, Build and Play, Webby Dance Company, Giggle Bytes, and Extreme Youth Sports. Primavera Preschool believes there is nothing greater than a sense of accomplishment and the satisfaction of a job well done.

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Sun Coast Academy is a preschool in Tampa, Florida, established in 1977. They offer infant care, PreK3 and toddler care, VPK programs, and an after school program. They also offer first-rate infant care, a warm and trusting environment, extended hours of operation- 6:30 am – 6 pm M-F, an effective physical education program, voluntary pre-kindergarten/VPK classes, a fully–trained staff in infant/child first aid and CPR, and more. Suncoast Academy is currently working on the Quality Counts for Kids program, which helps centers go above and beyond Hillsborough County Child Care Licensing standards.

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The Montessori House Day School is a preschool in Tampa, Florida. They offer toddler, preschool to kindergarten, lower elementary and upper elementary classes. Soccer, piano, art club, science club, dance, karate, and Spanish are some of the after-school activities that are also offered. The Montessori House Day School was the first school in the United States to gain accreditation by the American Montessori Society in 1982.

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Time of Wonder Academy is a preschool in Tampa, Florida, established in 1996. Time of Wonder Academy/ TOW is more than a preschool, it’s an early learning academy where they emphasize the well-being and education of the children in their care. In the center, parents will discover that their programs have been carefully designed for those precious early years. Their goal at Time of Wonder has always been to love, educate and inspire while serving children, parents, and the local community.

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Village Early Learning Center is a preschool in Brandon, Florida. Their programs include infant: 6 weeks–12 months, toddler: 12–23 months, twos: 24–30/36 months, young threes: 30–36 months, preschool: 3–4 years, pre-kindergarten | Brandon’s Premier VPK Program: 4 -5 Years, S. T.E.A.M. Adventure Club, and School Break Adventure Camps- summer, winter, and spring break. Village Early Learning Center is a Top Rated VPK in Hillsborough County.

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Westtown Christian Academy is a Christ-centered nursery and preschool in the Westchase area of Tampa, Florida. Their programs include infants, toddlers, preschoolers, nature’s classroom, and summer. Westtown Christian Academy utilizes a High Reach Learning curriculum approach that does not utilize typical drill and practice with paper pencil activities in early childhood education. Their goal is to ensure the achievement of each individual by providing meaningful learning opportunities.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How much do preschool teachers make?

A: As of 2021, the average hourly wage for preschool teachers is $12. 60. Preschool teachers with higher levels of education typically earn more than the national average. In 2018, top preschool teaching positions paid a median annual income of about $30,000.

Q: How long does it take to become a preschool teacher?

A: The time needed to be eligible for a teaching job at a preschool depends on the educational requirements. An associate degree takes two years and a bachelor’s degree is typically a four-year commitment. But in states that only require early childhood education certification with a high school diploma, preschool teachers may complete the ECE course in as little as six weeks. 

Q: Do you need a degree to be a preschool teacher?

A: Some states require a college degree for preschool teaching positions, while others accept a high school diploma and early child education certification. To work for the Head Start program, aspiring teachers must earn at least an associate’s degree, and many positions in the federally funded program require a bachelor’s degree in an education field.

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Tampa Bay child care industry faces pandemic struggles

Click here to read this story in Spanish.

Shanoah Washington-Davis didn’t know the little boy she was caring for had tested positive for COVID-19 until she started feeling sick.

The longtime licensed child care provider was forced to temporarily shut down her Largo home business in April. She ended up in an intensive care unit, on a ventilator, as she fought the virus. When she was released weeks later, many of the children she cared for had transferred to other providers.

Washington-Davis said she understands why the boy’s family hadn’t said anything. The child was asymptomatic, and his mother was desperate to keep working as a nurse.

Still, the 28-year-old caregiver said she and other providers are often having to make difficult decisions amid the pandemic.

“The world does not function without child care providers,” Washington-Davis said. “But I’ll tell you, we are in a crisis. The crisis of our life.”

The nation’s private child care industry was already struggling with high turnover and tight margins before the pandemic. Now, it is dealing with staffing shortages, constant disruptions from coronavirus quarantines and threats to workers’ health from the virus.

Worsening issues have meant even fewer open seats and continued uncertainty for parents searching for care.

“We are seeing less access,” said Lindsay Carson, CEO of the Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas County. She said she’s heard stories of desperate parents having to drive across town to find an available child care spot.

Carson and others say the industry’s woes could have a profound economic impact by keeping parents from going back to work.

Data provided by licensing agencies in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties shows that the total number of child care facilities has not changed much during the pandemic. That may be in part thanks to federal grants and other aid aimed at propping up child care providers during this tumultuous time, experts say.

But Carson said the number of providers who say they are on the verge of insolvency is on the rise.

One of the biggest problems, she said, is finding enough workers.

Michelle Butts, St. Pete College intern, left, talks with Rashaan Stone Jr., as they work through an exercise during a preschool class at the Lew Williams Center for Early Learning, 901 34th St. S, on Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2021 in St. Petersburg. In background in center, assistant teacher Charisse Gahagan works with students. The nation’s private child care industry, already struggling before the pandemic, is being pushed into an even more precarious position as providers deal with staffing shortages and constant disruptions from coronavirus quarantines. R’Club Child Care has raised employee wages and offered referral bonuses. But there are still times that classrooms have to be kept closed due to insufficient staffing. [ DIRK SHADD | Times ]

Like employers in other service industries, child care providers say they’re having trouble recruiting employees to lower-wage jobs that require face-to-face interaction, in this case with unvaccinated children.

Nationally, the median wage for child care workers is a little more than $12 an hour, according to 2020 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Hillsborough’s Early Learning Coalition estimated that its providers are seeing about a 10 percent shortage compared to normal staffing levels.

Citrus Park Day School in Tampa has a waiting list of more than 100 children, and two empty classrooms sitting ready, said Surely Moreno, director and co-owner. The problem is finding enough workers to staff them.

“Parents are calling, requesting tours. Everybody is going back to work,” Moreno said. But she has to turn them away, though she could sorely use the income. “I’ve never had a problem before with not being able to staff.”

Many job applicants have never worked with children, she said, and are still asking for more than the $12 an hour she can offer. Workers could make more at Walmart and Wawa, but raising pay would likely mean raising tuition, something she worries her families can ill-afford.

“As an owner, I’m not making money at all,” Moreno said, noting that her costs for things like a gallon of milk or cleaning supplies have risen during the pandemic.

Deb Ballinger, executive director of R’Club Child Care Inc. in Pinellas County, said her organization has raised its starting hourly rate by 50 cents to $11 and has offered referral bonuses to staff and parents. It’s advertised job openings on billboards and buses.

Still, she said, there have been times lately that she’s had to keep a classroom closed due to staffing.

A September survey of providers that work with the Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas County found that 52 percent reported having waiting lists of children due to staffing scarcity.

Sixteen percent of those surveyed reported being at risk of insolvency or closure because of inadequate staffing.

Carson said she’s heard of facilities that have closed infant rooms amid staffing shortages to move workers to the sometimes more profitable 4-year-old rooms. Families of the youngest children, infants through age 2, already are the most likely to be on waiting lists for care, she said.

Allison Hornbeck, VPK teacher, in center, and assistant teacher Charisse Gahagan, dance with their students during a movement exercise in their preschool class at the Lew Williams Center for Early Learning, 901 34th St. S, on Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2021 in St. Petersburg. The nation’s private child care industry, already struggling before the pandemic, is being pushed into an even more precarious position as providers deal with staffing shortages and constant disruptions from coronavirus quarantines. R’Club Child Care has raised employee wages and offered referral bonuses. But there are still times that classrooms have to be kept closed due to insufficient staffing. [ DIRK SHADD | Times ]

Meanwhile, coronavirus cases among children and staff and the resulting quarantines continue to plague the industry.

Between June 2020 and mid-September, Hillsborough County recorded about 2,200 coronavirus cases in child care facilities, said Lisa Bragano, the manager for child care licensing. That’s likely an undercount, because the county relies on providers to self-report.

Unlike public school funding, Carson noted, which is relatively static even when students are not in class, private child care providers may lose crucial tuition when they have to shut down a classroom due to COVID-19. As they do in K-12 schools, those quarantines also place stress on parents, particularly those without the flexibility to work from home.

Imagination Station Preschool in St. Petersburg has had six coronavirus cases among children so far, said owner Jackie Lang. She counts herself lucky that she’s had to do classroom quarantines only twice in this most recent wave of infections.

“It’s been an emotional roller coaster for us,” Lang said. She and other providers described frustration with conflicting or little guidance from the health department and other agencies on how to handle quarantines and how to find out when families at their facilities test positive.

Worries about the virus and possible quarantines put workers like Catina Bell on edge.

“We’re at risk every day as well as the kids,” said Bell, who has worked at Imagination Station for three years and been in the business for two decades. Bell said her employer can’t afford to pay her if she has to leave work and be quarantined.

“We don’t know from day to day if we’re going to have a job, if the school will close. The anxiety really kicks in,” Bell said. “We just put our best foot forward and go for it.”

The preschool has instituted a two-week waiting period for prospective families wanting to enroll. It’s a deterrent, Lang said, to keep parents whose kids have been sent home to quarantine from bringing them to her center instead.

She recently had a grandparent drop off a child whose mother and brother had tested positive for the coronavirus. The family was stressed, telling Lang they didn’t know what to do when she called to tell them the child couldn’t stay and had to be quarantined.

Lang understands the desperation parents feel. But she needs to protect those in her facility, too, even if it means a loss in needed revenue.

“We’re overwhelmed at this point with decisions that have to be made,” Lang said.

Child care is already an expensive proposition for many families, making it all the more difficult for providers to raise tuition rates to better pay their workers or cover pandemic-related costs.

Nationally, more than 60 percent of families are paying a higher percentage of their income toward child care than what is considered affordable, according to a recent report from the U. S. Treasury Department.

In Hillsborough County, 37 percent of families with children are living below 200 percent of the federal poverty level, noted Gordon L. Gillette, CEO of the Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County. That means, he said, that a large proportion of families are struggling to pay for rent, electric bills and child care.

“I think that in the best of times, child care is a business that runs on very narrow margins,” Gillette said. “When you have a crisis like this, it’s even more challenging.”

Ballinger, of R’Club, said the pandemic has at least raised awareness of the value of child care for families and the economy.

“Child care providers are really essential care workers,” Ballinger said. “They are there to help families and our community get back to work and recover.”

Shanoah Washington-Davis, 28, holds 8 week-old Alexis Lezama as Washington-Davis works with her students at her home Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2021 in Largo. [ CHRIS URSO | Times ]

Washington-Davis said her business was closed for more than a month after she got sick. After she left the hospital, she was on an oxygen tank for a while, leaving her husband — who also had the virus but fared better — to largely care for the remaining children.

Before the pandemic, her home child care facility was always at capacity with 12 children, plus a waiting list. At the beginning of the pandemic, she dropped down to about three kids and was driving for Uber Eats after hours to make ends meet.

These days, she cares for eight children, she said. She’d love to get back up to 12 but is worried about protecting the safety of the little ones in her care.

“I don’t know how long I can stay at eight,” she said. “But God has taken care of us every step of the way. I have to say that it’s just going to work itself out.”

Creative World Cross Creek/ New Tampa, FL

Creative World School

at Cross Creek

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Welcome to Our Preschool at Cross Creek!

Creative World is dedicated to the education and development of young children. Families who have visited a Cross Creek, FL preschool, childcare, or daycare center will immediately see the difference when they visit a Creative World School.

If you are looking for a quality learning experience, staffed with amazing teachers, look no further! Our Creative World School in Cross Creek, FL is more than just a daycare facility. Our unique Exploratorium® is where discovery and iSTEAM come to life for our preschool and pre-k students. Our fully equipped classrooms and state-of-the-art playgrounds for every age group enhance our curriculum to provide the best learning opportunities for your child in Cross Creek, FL. 

Come visit our school to see our curriculum in action!

Our Creative World preschool at Cross Creek is located at 10693 Cross Creek Boulevard Tampa, FL 33647 right next door to the Dance Theatre. Much more than just a daycare, our preschool offers learning opportunities and child care for all ages and we are enrolling new little ones every day in our part-time and full-time programs!

We provide bus transportation to and from nearby schools including Hunters Green Elementary, Pride Elementary, Heritage Elementary, and Turner Elementary, keeping your kids at the center of attention. There is no daycare center around that will protect your children as well us.

Here at our Creative World School Cross Creek location, we are proud to offer childcare and early education services to our surrounding Tampa area communities of Heritage Isles, Arbor Greene, Cory Lake Isles, Easton Park, Live Oak Preserve, K Bar Ranch, Hunter’s Green, West meadows, Meadow Pointe, Grand Hampton, Tampa Palms, Pebble Creek, Lakes at Northwood, Windsor Club, and New River Lakes. Please stop by today and check out our top-of-the-line early education facility!

Much more than just a daycare, our preschool offers child care and iSTEAM learning opportunities for all ages. We would love to have you stop into our preschool in Cross Creek, FL for a tour today!

You will see iSTEAM in action when you visit our Creative World School Exploratorium™. Our hands-on approach integrates STEAM learning opportunities to develop critical thinking skills and investigate real-world ideas. Investigating real questions through inquiry learning is the foundation of our curriculum. Inquiry is the “i” in iSTEAM and encourages a student’s curiosity as they develop problem solving skills and build a foundation for lifelong learning.

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Bobby and Sara Singh

Bobby and Sara are both originally from South East Asia and came to the United States to pursue higher education in their respective fields. Their daughter, Ajuni, is in elementary school. She is an energetic little girl with insatiable curiosity! Sara is a Speech and Language Pathologist who graduated from the University of South Florida with a concentration in neuroscience, voice, and swallowing. Bobby is a Telecommunication and Software Engineer who graduated from the University of South Florida with a concentration in systems architecture, database design, and network administration.

The Singh family loves the outdoors and spends most of their leisure time outside exploring nature and wildlife. They are also quite active in sports- namely tennis and volleyball, with traveling being their next big passion. They have explored, backpacked, and camped in most of the US national parks. Both of them are very passionate about the world and environment, and love the idea of organic living and going green. Bobby and Sara are very willing, as members of this amazing community, to lend a helping hand with the skills they possess and give back as much as they can. They want to make a difference in the lives of every family and child who walks through the doors of their prestigious preschool. They are very committed to educating children and love to see them get excited by asking questions, testing their questions, and embracing their curiosity, initiation, creativity, and self-esteem.

The Singh’s strongly believe that early learning and education through enriching and imaginative play, as is provided at Creative World School Cross Creek, is a stepping stone for facilitating and instilling curiosity and the love of learning throughout a child’s life. This helps to make children successful lifelong learners which is the ultimate goal. Bobby and Sara are so excited that their dreams and passion for a unique state of the art early education school for the children in this community has finally come to fruition!

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The best school ever, great teachers, great curriculum. -Milena Vila

Cross Creek

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Blanche Armwood

Blanche May Armwood (1890–1939), educator, activist, and first African American woman in the state of Florida to graduate from an accredited law school. Armwood is also known as Tampa’s first executive secretary. Urban League and as the founder of five home art schools for African American women in five different states. Armwood High School in Seffner, Florida is named after her. ^{[1] [2]}

Contents

• 1 early years
• 2 careers and activism
• 3 Death
• 4 Recommendations

early years

Blanche Armwood was born on January 23, 1890 in Tampa, Florida, in the family of Levin Armwood Jr. and Margaret Holloman. She was born into a prominent middle-class family and was the youngest of five children. Her mother was an accomplished dressmaker and her father was Tampa’s first black police officer in the late 1870s and county deputy sheriff in 1895. ^[3] He was also a county road inspector and Mt. Zion School. ^{[4] [5]} Her father and her brother Walter owned the only black-owned pharmacy in Tampa called Gem. ^[1] Walter Armwood was also a Bethune-Cookman University professor and State Supervisor for the US Bureau of the Negro Economy.

Blanche Armwood’s father and grandfather, Levin Armwood Sr., were both born into slavery in Georgia and North Carolina, respectively. The family moved to Hillsborough County in 1866 when Levine Jr. was eleven years old. ^[3] Her great uncle, John Armwood, was an early landowner who occupied 159 acres in Hillsborough County and acted as an intermediary between Seminole Native Americans and white settlers along the Florida border. ^[1] Her maternal grandfather, Adam Holloman, was a freeman who spent his entire life in the Tampa area. ^[3] He owned citrus groves and was Hillsborough County Commissioner from 1873 to 1877. ^[2]

Blanche Armwood’s parents, unable to complete her formal education, sent her to a private school, St. Peter Claver Catholic School. ^[3] She graduated with honors in 1902. That same year, at the age of twelve, Armwood passed the State Unified Pedagogical Examination. Because Tampa did not have a high school for black students, she attended Spelman Seminary (later Spelman College) in Atlanta, Georgia. She excelled in English and Latin courses. At 1906, at the age of sixteen, graduated with honors from Spelman School with a teaching certificate.

Career and Activism

Armwood returned to Tampa where she began teaching at Hillsborough County Public Schools where she will remain for the next seven years. In 1913, Armwood put her teaching career on hold when she married attorney Daniel Webster Perkins and moved to Knoxville, Tennessee. The next year the marriage was annulled and Armwood returned to Tampa. ^[1] Armwood’s service to the community began in 1914 when the Tampa Gas Company, in conjunction with the Hillsborough County Board of Education and the Alliance of Colored Ministers, commissioned it to establish an industrial arts school designed to educate black women in home science. ^[2] Out of this union was the Tampa School of Home Art, which was founded around 1915. The school taught black women and girls how to use modern gas appliances and other skills that would enable students to excel at homework. ^[2] More than 200 women received graduation certificates in the first year of the school’s operation. Armwood would later open similar schools in Roanoke, Virginia; Rock Hill, South Carolina; Athens, Georgia and New Orleans, Louisiana.

While living in New Orleans between 1917 and 1920. Married to dentist John C. Beatty, Armwood received state and federal recognition for her work in training domestic workers. In 1918 she published Food Preservation at Home is a cookbook that has been popular with women of all races. A cookbook published in World War I had a particularly poignant introduction, stating that: “Every pound of white flour saved is equal to a bullet in the defense of our nation.”

In 1922, Jesse Thomas of the National Urban League appointed Armwood as the first executive secretary of the Tampa Urban League. ^[6] Under her leadership, the Tampa Urban League created a community playground, preschool, and preschool for black children and played a significant role in developing a division that offered decent and affordable housing to blacks. ^[7] Throughout her league career, she served as an assistant director in Tampa. Harlem Academy School.

Armwood was appointed as the first superintendent of black schools by the Hillsborough District School Board. ^[2] During her tenure, 1926-1934, ^[5] she was instrumental in helping the school board create five new school buildings, improve old schools, provide a vocational school for black students, raise wages black teachers, organizing parent-teacher associations in every school, and extending the school year for black students from six to nine months. ^[8] She is also credited with founding the 1925 Booker T. Washington School. ^[9] Originally a junior high school, the first for black students in Tampa, was quickly expanded to include black high school students, another first school. ^[10] and was the first accredited school for black students in the district. ^[7]

In addition to her leadership positions in Tampa, Armwood has held positions in several national organizations, including chair of the National Association of Colored Women’s Home Economics Department, National Campaign Speaker for the Republican Party, and state organizer for the Louisiana chapter of the NAACP. She has frequently spoken at national and international lectures on voting rights and racial inequality. ^[7]

Armwood was involved in suffrage and anti-lynching crusades. ^[3] She worked closely with an anti-lynching lawyer. Mary McLeod Bethune, including helping raise funds and other resources for Bethune-Cookman College and other black schools. She was a close friend of Clara Fry, a black nurse who provided the first black health care in Tampa. Armwood raised funds for Fry and helped create the first licensed black nurse training program and one of the first black blood banks in Florida. ^[7]

Her keen interest in politics and equal rights for blacks and women led her to pursue a career in law. In 1934, Armwood entered Howard Law School. She received her doctorate in law in 1938, becoming the first black woman from the state of Florida to graduate from an accredited law school. ^{[2] [6]}

Death

During a conversation in Medford, Massachusetts, Armwood fell ill and died unexpectedly on October 16, 1939 years old She is buried in her family’s plot at L’Unione Italiana Cemetery in Tampa, land purchased from the Armwood family by the Italian Club. ^[11]

In 1984, Congressman Michael Bilirakis and the Florida House of Representatives paid tribute to Armwood’s legacy. That same year, Blanche Armwood High School, known today as Armwood High School, was opened in Tampa in her honor. ^[2] Armwood is also memorialized in the Booker T. Washington School of History. 9 “Site plan”. Encore! Tampa . Archived from the original on 2017-08-27. Retrieved 2017-08-27.

“It’s a hell of a game!”. Kucherov’s miracle pass brought victory to Tampa 4 seconds before the end of the match

05/20/2022

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• #Hockey

The Russian team took a 2-0 lead in the series.

Tampa Bay beat Florida Flames 2-1 for the second time in a row tonight in the second round of the Stanley Cup with 4 seconds left in regulation. Made it Nikita Kucherov , who gave a chic pass to his partner and created beauty for the second match in a row.

Kucherov moved the puck back to Ross Colton, and the American threw Sergey Bobrovsky into the upper left corner of the goal. For Kucherov, this transfer was the 11th (3 + 8) point in the playoffs – just like last season, he continues to drag his team to win the Cup. “When you are on the ice with Kuch, be ready for anything. He has eyes in the back of his head and I didn’t even know that he sees me at the goal, ”Colton said after the match.

The Russian striker often makes such amazing passes. In the first match, he beat Aaron Ekblad with an incredible fake move, lured Bobrovsky out of the goal and gave the pass to an empty net. “This is a world class game! A hell of a game, ”Kucherov’s partner Corey Perry admired after the game. “It was easy. What we’ve always said about Kucha is that he knows what his opponent is going to do before the opponent does. He made this game easy,” said the head coach of “Tampa” John Cooper .

Nikita Kucherov / photo: Dirk Shadd/ZUMAPRESS.com, globalookpress

At the end of October, Kucherov suffered a groin injury, due to which he missed almost three months. He spent only half of the regular season, but this does not prevent him from remaining the best and continuing to demonstrate his level. At the same time, we should not forget about other Russian players who shine in this round. Andrei Vasilevsky and Bobrovsky are among the top three players today – the first was recognized as the third star of the match, despite the defeat, and Andrei – the second. Bobrovsky repelled 26 shots and 4 minutes before the end of normal time “stole” a goal from Ondreja Palat , who clicked on the empty gates. Vasilevsky, on the other hand, saved 35 shots out of 36 and won his sixth match in this playoff.

Bobrovsky is nervous before the next game: “We must make a difference in the future, not in the past. Throughout the season, we fought hard for where we are now. The upcoming game will be another test for our team,” said the goalkeeper. With Kucherov’s skill, it is hard to predict what he will be able to do, and now you will definitely not envy Florida. Although they are quoted higher by bookmakers.

In today’s match, due to the injury of forward Braden Point , the Tampa coaching staff had to release 11 forwards and 7 defensemen for the game. Although usually there are 12 forwards in the application, in the NHL they play in three pairs of defenders.

Stanley Cup. Eastern Conference. 1/2 finals. 2nd match

Florida – Tampa Bay – 1:2 (0:1, 1:0, 0:1)

0:1 Perry (Hedman, Stamkos, 12:45)

1:1 Luostarinen (Giroux, Forsling, 38:01)

1:2 Colton (Palat, Kucherov , 59:56)

Goalkeepers: Bobrovsky – Vasilevsky

Score in the series : 0 – 2 (1:4, 1:2)

Timur Sakhapov

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Road to Tampa. America from the back door

Road to Tampa

From Miami, our path lies on Tampa – a city located on the western coast of the Florida peninsula. You can also get there by rail, but we choose the bus. We are attracted by the fact that the bus driver, taking into account the requests of tourists, makes stops at several interesting points.

We start early in the morning, cross Miami from east to west, and finally pass the outskirts. Now along the road there are only rare farm plots. Soon they disappear from view. The bus rushes through a completely deserted area. It becomes obvious that man here has won back from nature as yet only a narrow border of land on the ocean coast.

We’re on the Tamamiami Trail, the 400-kilometer highway that links Tampa to Miami. It’s quite modern, though not a first-class highway. Its construction took an extremely long time. It began in 1916, but only eleven years later the tract was opened, and even then not along its entire length. It had to be laid through dead wetlands, and the firms that took the construction contract cared least of all about creating a more or less normal environment for work. The construction parties had to fight not only with the insidious unsteady soil, which required more and more masses of solid ground, but also with living enemies in the form of poisonous snakes and alligators, which teem with swamps adjacent to the road, and with the most terrible of enemies – the malarial mosquito . The fever ravaged the ranks of the road workers, driving them to their graves in droves. It is not surprising that the rest of the workers, unable to withstand the terrible working conditions, for which they, moreover, received a pittance, fled at the first opportunity. As a result, one contract after another failed. Predatory construction methods have resulted in the Tamamiami Trail being considered, by cost, the most expensive highway in the United States.

On both sides of the tract, massifs of swamps overgrown with grasses and small shrubs stretch to the horizon. In places, small groups of trees rise in huge tussocks above the endless marsh plain, huddled on a patch of solid soil. These gigantic wetlands that take up a good half of Florida are called the Everglades.

At the request of passengers, the driver stops the bus in the middle of these bleak swamps. Immediately, discordant flocks of birds rise into the air from everywhere.

The driver takes on the role of a guide and explains. According to him, in these swamps, in addition to a myriad of birds, crocodiles, poisonous snakes and all other evil spirits still live. Among the reptiles there are many large rattlesnakes. Often they crawl out to bask on the road. Then the drivers practice in., a special sport, which consists in, without slowing down, crushing with wheels a harmful beast, reaching nine feet in size.

Listening to the talkative driver, I remember that thousands of square kilometers of the Everglades have long been planned to be turned into a state reserve or, as they say in the USA, into a national park. The fauna and flora, typical of Florida’s untouched areas, is of exceptional scientific interest. However, the project, put forward by leading US scientists, is met with fierce resistance from the state authorities, acting, of course, at the behest of local businessmen. The latter see no direct benefit for themselves in this project and look to the Everglades as a possible source of future speculative profits. This is one of the most striking examples of how science in America, if it does not directly benefit business, inevitably clashes with it and, as a rule, fails.

The driver briefly names among the birds found in these parts the crane, the pink flamingo and the ferocious predator – the bald eagle, which takes prey from small predators that have caught it. A passenger standing next to me mutters under his breath:

– Isn’t that why we chose this bird as our national emblem?

We make our next stop at a tiny Seminole settlement near the tract. The life of this village is even more primitive than what we saw in Miami: its inhabitants, apparently, do not derive much benefit from tourists. Here the same pattern of begging is repeated as in Miami.

Mr. Wilkins, the passenger who made a sarcastic remark about the US national emblem, turns out to be a professor at the University of Tampa. His views are perhaps too radical for his position. He knows well the history of the colonization of the southern states. I discover this when I ask him a few questions about how the relationship between the Indians and the American authorities developed in Florida.

“Oh, that’s quite a dirty and bloody story,” Mr. Wilkins replies. – But, on the other hand, where in America was colonization not dirty and bloody?

He says the Seminoles are not Florida natives. They are the descendants of the Creeks, the Indian tribes of the state of Georgia, most of whom fled to the southern forests and swamps from the oppression of the American colonialists in the middle of the 18th century. Then the peninsula was still under the rule of the Spaniards, who did not show much interest in it. Therefore, for the time being, the Seminoles felt at ease there. However, at the beginning of the 19th century, Florida passed into the hands of the Yankees. This immediately led to a fierce struggle in which the Seminoles stubbornly resisted and, rightly distrusting the American authorities, for a long time rejected all their peace proposals.

“The peacefulness of the US military authorities was just a ploy,” says Mr. Wilkins. “In 1838, Seminole chief Ossola, along with other chiefs, finally arrived at Fort Marion with a white flag. The Americans treacherously captured them and imprisoned them in a casemate, where Ossola died at the age of thirty-four. After this, the Seminole refused to continue negotiations for peace. Legally, they are still “at war” with the United States.

This is, of course, a curious incident for specialists in international law. But its practical significance is clearly determined by the fact that in the whole state of Florida there are now less than a thousand Seminoles, including here those Indians who hunt for tourists. This is all that remains of the once numerous tribe, numbering several tens of thousands of people. In the last quarter of the 19th century, an all-Indian reservation was established in Oklahoma, and the Seminoles were ordered to leave the wilds of the Florida swamps in order to settle in the hot and arid desert. Many of them have abandoned this prospect. However, the US government still managed to achieve the resettlement of twelve thousand Indians. It was so “organized” that over four thousand people died on the way and during their stay in the camps. The rest of the government provided the opportunity to slowly die out in the unusual conditions for them in Oklahoma.

“If you,” Mr. Wilkins concludes, “are interested in knowing what the Indians think of Americans, remember their most famous saying: “No one lies like an American.” Not very flattering, is it?

When we passed the Indian village, thickets of forest began to appear along the road, and the swamps gradually began to recede deeper. But the trees were withered, without a single leaf. They were only the skeletons of trees, strangled tenaciously wrapped around them with parasites – lianas.

By noon, the bus enters the first town on the western coast of the peninsula, slightly away from the Tamamiami Trail. The town is called the Everglades. This neat place, immersed in palm groves, looks very modest compared to Miami. At one time, it began to flourish, but the competition of Miami and other large resort centers suppresses the Everglades with almost the same force as creeper parasites strangle the swamp forest.

“It’s annoying,” says the teacher. – In the Everglades, the climate is no worse than, say, in Miami, since it is located on the shores of the warm Gulf of Mexico. In addition, it could be a cheaper resort, because there is no need to build artificial islands here. There is already a whole archipelago here. See for yourself!

From the embankment where we are standing, it is a stone’s throw to islands densely covered with green vegetation. Their improvement would probably cost a relatively small amount. There are so many islands here that they are collectively called “Ten Thousand Islands”. It is easy to get lost in their intricate labyrinth without a guide. But it is the cheapness of the new resort that makes the resort bosses from the east coast slow down the development of the Everglades. Speculators are afraid that tourists, in pursuit of economy, will head to these modest but attractive regions.

The bus enters the Tamamiami Trail again. The route now goes generally to the north, parallel to the coast, in accordance with its outlines. To the right of the road, swamps still stretch for some time, but then they retreat into the depths of the peninsula and are replaced by meadows and forests. Increasingly, farms and small towns are beginning to come across that sell fruits, fruit juices, and handicrafts made from porcelain and shells. As you move north, the area becomes more and more populated, and outside the city of Fort Myers, having crossed the bridge over the river with the Indian name Calusahacchi, the bus honks almost continuously warning horns.

We finally reach Sarasota, the capital of the uncrowned circus king, the late John Ringling. Here is the main headquarters of the Ringling circus enterprises and the museum of fine arts, built by its founder on his colossal income.

In Sarasota, we leave the bus, as we intend to spend the night here. The next day we will take another bus to Tampa.

At the street intersection near which the hotel stands, our attention is drawn to a road sign. This is no ordinary sign that can be seen on every American road and with which you can find out the distance to the nearest settlement, dro is a special sign that informs about the location of Sarasota, if not in the entire universe, then at least on the globe. Arrows pointing in different directions indicate the distance to many cities in Florida and the United States in general, and then to some foreign cities. The top of “originality” are two arrows, which are marked:

To the North Pole – 4333.4 miles To the South Pole – 8096. 1 miles I still don’t understand what it is: the attempts of wits from the municipality or the result of the immoderate patriotic fervor of the Sarasota people? In any case, the case here could hardly have done without the circus headquarters with its staff of professional wits.

Unlike most other cities in Florida, Sarasota is a relatively old city. It was founded under the Spaniards, and it is still dominated by the Spanish population. In little Sarasota, there are beautiful palm parks, on the lawns of which flowers of bright colors are planted. Well-maintained beaches stretch along the bay. There are many other attractive places in the city, which the generous southern nature has endowed these lands with. But we stopped here not for the beauty of nature.

We are interested in the Museum of Fine Arts, formerly the private collection of John Ringling, and after his death passed into the hands of the state authorities. At first glance, Ringling’s gift to the state is very generous, for the museum and the treasures it contains are valued at many millions of dollars. But generosity and disinterestedness have nothing to do with it. Such “generous donations” are nothing more than one way to evade progressive income taxation rate. At the same time, they reserve the right to use the benefits acquired for the “donated” amount for life. If the corresponding amounts were not bequeathed to the state or the state, they would still have to go to the treasury in the form of taxes.

The Ringling Museum, built in the Renaissance style, contains one of the largest collections of works by old masters of the Flemish, Dutch, Italian, Spanish and French schools after the Louvre in Paris, dating back to XIII centuries. Large canvases by Rubens, Rembrandt, Titian, Van Dyck, Greco and Murillo are placed in a suite of rooms specially equipped for the museum. In the spacious courtyard, formed by the premises of the art gallery, there are sculptural groups – originals or reproductions of the well-known masterpieces of ancient sculpture. It also exhibits wonderful works of decorative art, such as the famous Turtle Fountain brought from Rome, marble vases and bowls, hanging bronze lanterns. Beautiful colonnades and many other wonderful pieces of art have been brought here from Italian palazzos.

Admiring these magnificent exhibits, imported for dollars from Europe, one cannot help but think of the skinny works of American art of the th and 20th centuries that are in the museums of Washington and New York, and the flat trickery of modern Formalists. On the other hand, it is impossible not to think about how the notorious “60 families”, satisfying their vanity, plunder the treasuries of Western European art. After all, this beautiful museum, before becoming available to the public, was in the sole use of the Ringling spouses for twenty-five years. And now only a handful of rich Americans can see all these masterpieces of great masters.