Official Crooms Academy of Information Technology

06/08/2026

Let's give a warm welcome to new Spanish teacher, Ms. Veronica Garay!

¡Hola! Soy la Señora Veronica Garay! 🎉

Born and raised in beautiful Puerto Rico, "La Isla del Encanto," I am excited to join the Crooms Academy family as your new Spanish teacher!

Teaching is more than my profession, it is my passion and calling. This year marks the beginning of my 26th year in education, and I continue to love helping students discover the value of learning languages and embracing different cultures. In today's diverse and interconnected world, I believe language learning opens minds, hearts, and doors to endless opportunities, helping us become true citizens of the world.

I am a woman of faith, a proud wife, a super mom, and what I proudly call a "cool nerd!" I love learning, reading, writing, movies, poetry, music, dancing, traveling, and experiencing new cultures. I am also an animal lover. Our family shares our home with 8 dogs, chickens, ducks, and turkeys... oh my!

Most of all, I love spending time with my family and building meaningful connections with students and their families. I am excited to bring energy, creativity, technology, and plenty of fun to the Spanish classroom while helping students discover that learning a language can be one of the most rewarding adventures they will ever take.

¡Nos vemos pronto, Crooms Panthers! 💙🐾

06/08/2026

Time to welcome our new Math teacher, Mr. Tim Kaufman!

Hello, I’m Tim Kaufman, and I will be the new algebra and geometry teacher at Crooms! I am excited to have a new start at Crooms in my seventh year of teaching. I have spent almost 3 years in Orange County and 3 years in Seminole County teaching various math subjects. With recently obtaining my master's degree in secondary mathematics education, I am excited to use what I have learned more about my specialty to Crooms. Students learning mathematics is difficult and I sympathize with them. That’s why I take great care and pride in doing my best to simplify the topics as much as I can and see the “a-ha” moments from the kids understanding it. That part is the most rewarding aspect of my job. Whenever I am not occupied with work, you can find me doing various activities with family and my husband. Building Lego, collecting vinyl records/K-pop albums, and playing video games are the best things I love to do. I could talk about it all day. You can also find me at theme parks and concerts to have new experiences. I’m excited to be a part of this new school year with the staff and community.

06/04/2026

Crooms Community! Say hello to our new English teacher, Ms. Taylor Hughes!

I’m Taylor Hughes, and I’m thrilled to be joining Crooms Academy as a ninth and twelfth grade English teacher! For the past decade, I’ve taught ELA, developed aspiring creative writers, and produced educational theatre. After earning my degree in English from the University of Central Florida, I built my career around the purpose of helping young people find their voices and, by extension, their way in this world. My goal is to drive ELA instruction that equips learners to understand themselves, connect with others, and imagine new possibilities. In my classroom, students read thoughtfully, think critically, and are emboldened to share their ideas with the world. When I’m not teaching, you’ll usually find me reading a big, fat, fantasy novel, or playing
with my three kids. Here's to a positive and productive school year!

05/28/2026

Congratulations to senior Xavier Benjamin who was honored with the Bo-Key Riders Motorcycle Club scholarship at Dr. Velma H. Williams Westside Community Center this evening!

05/26/2026

Celebrated a few stellar Panthers today at our end of year awards luncheon. We recognized Ubi Patel as a Gold Yearbook Sponsor. Mr. Donnan presented his Orange and Maroon Awards to Keith Wright and Skyler Swiderski. Ms. Hebel presented Orange and Maroons to Takisha Arrington and Celeste Hudson, and Ms. McIntyre presented Orange and Maroon Awards to Blake Scherr and Kelvin Hodge. Dr. Hanshaw then presented the Principal’s Award to Michael DiNapoli.

Special thanks goes out to Mrs. Dr. Hanshaw for organizing the Pub Sub lunch!!

05/15/2026

Kudos to Mr. Carr, Mrs. Hebel, Mrs. Hill, and Ms. Holderness for their incredible teamwork and dedication to the Nuclear Hallway project! Their collaboration and creativity helped make the project a success.

A special thank-you also goes to the Crooms PTSA for generously sponsoring the lunch for the winners of the voting process. We appreciate your continued support!

04/27/2026

Congratulations to Mr. Rob Fusco on his graduation from the UF Instructional Coaching Program! Crooms Academy is proud of your hard work!

04/24/2026

This just in! Your Crooms Varsity Boys Volleyball team just defeated Cornerstone for the DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIP! The first team district champion at Crooms in well over a decade.

04/15/2026

Celebrating our seniors this week with a new tradition. Locking in the Memories! Seniors painted padlocks and hung them up to have a permanent piece of themselves at Crooms. A portion of the fencing near the railroad has been set aside for Crooms Academy and Crooms AoIT grads to leave their mark.

04/14/2026