Lutz Student Looks Forward to New Beginnings

A new school year means a fresh start. That’s what Rebecca Gaschler, 11, enjoys most this time of year.

“You get to start over with new teachers, hang out with all of your friends and meet new people,” Rebecca said.

She’d like to see the school day start a little later, though.

“I have to get up really early to get to school by 7:30,” she said.

The Lutz native is now a seventh-grader at Stewart Middle Magnet School. But her love for learning has its roots in a hometown classroom.

Her fourth-grade teacher at Lutz Elementary helped Rebecca master her writing skills. To this day Ronald Meiczinger remains her favorite teacher.

“He did lots of fun stuff, which made me enjoy going to school,” Rebecca said.

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Rebecca’s favorite subject is math, and when she’s not studying, she enjoys playing softball, basketball and golf.

And that’s not all.

“I like programming Mindstorm robots, playing piano and trombone,” she said.

Rebecca took a trip to New York City this summer, where she got to check out the USS Intrepid and the Space Shuttle Enterprise.

But if she could travel anywhere in the world, it would be Australia, she said, “because they have lots of cool animals and they have the biggest coral reef in the world.”

 Know a cool Lutz kids we should profile? Email keli.sipperley@patch.com.