By Cristina Cabrera Jarro -
FORT LAUDERDALE | It was a learning experience they won’t soon forget: St. Jerome School’s student council members had the opportunity to interview Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis during a groundbreaking ceremony for the largest stormwater project in the city’s history.
Photographer: CRISTINA CABRERA JARRO| FC
Jan. 14, 2022 FT. LAUDERDALE City of Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis speaks with student council members at St. Jerome School, who also doubled as student reporters at the groundbreaking for a stormwater project on Jan. 14, 2022. From left to right is Jaedin Slaick, Adriana Zumbado, Kaitlyn Foley, Sabrina Dohert, and Mason Rayfield.
Photographer: CRISTINA CABRERA JARRO| FC
Father Joseph Maalouf, administrator of St. Jerome Church, invokes a prayer during the groundbreaking for a stormwater project for the neighborhoods of Edgewood and River Oaks, both a part of the City of Fort Lauderdale, on Jan. 14, 2022. Next to Father Maalouf is Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis.
Representatives from the city, commissioners, local media, and residents of the Edgewood neighborhood, where St. Jerome is located, and River Oaks, gathered on school grounds Jan. 14, 2022 for the event.
Prior to the press conference, eighth graders Jaedin Slaick, Adriana Zumbado, Kaitlyn Foley, Sabrina Dohert and Mason Rayfield, who make up the student council, received a tutorial on reporting from staff of the Archdiocese of Miami’s Office of Communications. They helped the students prepare questions for the mayor regarding construction, the environmental benefits of the stormwater pipes, flood relief, and more.
At the groundbreaking, the students, wearing their reporter’s badges and with written questions on index cards, stood at the front row with other local media, waiting for their opportunity to meet the mayor. They also watched as Father Joseph Maalouf, administrator of St. Jerome Church, led a prayer for the success of the works ahead.
Following the press conference, those in attendance moved to the street on the south side of the school, where ceremonial shovels had been placed for the groundbreaking. Mayor Trantalis, Commissioner Ben Sorensen, and other representatives picked up the shovels, dug into the dirt, and threw out the first mounds of dirt for the work. The mayor then invited the students, as well as their principal, Tara Marino, and Father Maalouf to shovel the next scoop of dirt.
“It was a great day,” said Marino afterward.
Prior to the groundbreaking ceremony for the largest stormwater project in Fort Lauderdale history, Ross Palombo, reporter and senior specialist in strategic communications for the city of Fort Lauderdale, greets student council members from St. Jerome School in Fort Lauderdale.
St. Jerome School student council members, from left, Jaedin Slaick, Adriana Zumbado, Kaitlyn Foley, Sabrina Dohert, and Mason Rayfield looked at the map overview for the groundbreaking for the largest stormwater project in Fort Lauderdale history, right outside their school at the entrance in the Edgewood neighborhood.
Father Joseph Maalouf, administrator of St. Jerome Church, invokes a prayer during the groundbreaking for a stormwater project for the neighborhoods of Edgewood and River Oaks, both a part of the City of Fort Lauderdale, on Jan. 14, 2022. Next to Father Maalouf is Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis.
Mayor Dean Trantalis and Commissioner Ben Sorensen are joined by student council members from St. Jerome School, their principal Tara Marino, and Father Joseph Maalouf as they shovel dirt at the groundbreaking for a stormwater project that will be going through the Edgewood neighborhood, where St. Jerome Church and school are located. The event took place on Jan. 14, 2022, and aims to aid with flooding and sea level rise in the area.
Mr. Mayor, meet the president ... of the student council: City of Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis shakes hands with Jaedin Slaick, president of the student council at St. Jerome School. Jaedin and the rest of the student council were invited to a groundbreaking for a stormwater project on Jan. 14, 2022 right outside school grounds. They also had the opportunity to interview the mayor.
City of Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis speaks with student council members at St. Jerome School, who also doubled as student reporters at the groundbreaking for a stormwater project on Jan. 14, 2022. From left to right is Jaedin Slaick, Adriana Zumbado, Kaitlyn Foley, Sabrina Dohert, and Mason Rayfield.
After doing some reporting of their own, St. Jerome School student council members are interviewed by local Channel 10 regarding the groundbreaking of the stormwater project in the neighborhood of Edgewood, where the school is located. The school and residents in the area endure major flooding during storms and the rainy season in South Florida.
Photography: CRISTINA CABRERA-JARRO | FC
