Two Dunedin students took a National History Day school project all the way to Washington, D.C., last week, and came home with a nod from the Ancient Order of Hibernians, a national Irish Catholic organization. "They must have spent months on the research," said judge David Ring, vice president of college administration and student affairs at Dowling College in Long Island, N.Y. "It blew me away." Jessica Hamacher and Jaime Kay, best friends and rising seventh graders at Dunedin Highland Middle School, put together a one-act, 10-minute, original Irish-American history musical for National …

Whiz Kid of the Week: Name and Age: Adam Zeph, 16, junior School: Dunedin High School Whiz Kid's Accomplishment: Adam Zeph is one of 29 finalists in the Pinellas Education Foundation Walker’s Rising Stars scholarship competition, a prestigious and highly coveted performing arts scholarship ($7,000). More than 100 students countywide auditioned in six different performing arts categories (vocal, drama, dance, instrumentals, visual arts and movie making). Zeph received a callback for his performance in the drama and vocal categories in February. He advanced to finals in drama.“It’s the best of …

Whiz Kid of the Week Name and Age: Natalie Bowman, age 6 School: Curtis Fundamental Elementary Whiz Kid's Accomplishment: Natalie made fresh, hand-squeezed lemonade, which she sold at her lemonade stand to raise money for her Dunedin Relay for Life team.  Key to Awesomeness: This 6-year-old entrepreneur came up with a fundraising idea to help her Relay for Life team, Virginia Street Dermatology in Clearwater. About two months before the Dunedin Relay for Life at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium (May 6), Natalie made fresh, hand-squeezed lemonade, and sold it at a stand (along with some hot dogs…

Whiz Kid of the Week Name and Age: Thomas Cerniglia, 6, kindergarten School: Acadamie Da Vinci Charter School Whiz Kid's Accomplishment: Thomas raised $655, to date, for the Palm Harbor American Cancer Society Relay for Life event on April 8 and 9. His $655 figure was higher than all the team members combined. Key to Awesomeness: A gifted class community service project spurred Thomas to lead his mother’s Palm Harbor Relay for Life team “because my Mamie had cancer,” he explained. After beating lung cancer, his maternal grandmother succumbed to uterine cancer when he was about 2 ½ years old. …

Whiz Kid of the Week Name and Age: Joe Nash, junior School: Dunedin High School Whiz Kid's Accomplishment: Joe organized and facilitated an anti-bullying conference with about 50 students at Dunedin High School in November. He is recruiting and training young facilitators to take the conference on the road to area middle and elementary schools next year. Key to Awesomeness: Joe said his inspiration came from being teased throughout middle school. “I finally got to the ninth grade and I was like, you know, this is who I am…” and then one day, “I woke up one morning and I said, I’m going to do …

Whiz Kid of the Week Name and Age: Aubrey Wollett, 20, college junior School: Belmont University, Nashville, TN; 2008 Dunedin High School graduate Whiz Kid's Accomplishment: Aubrey Wollett is one of 1,000 contestants who created a Folgers Coffee commercial for the shot at $25,000 and a chance to become the face of the next Folgers Coffee jingle. Key to Awesomeness: Wollett's commercial has been on YouTube for the past month, in hopes it can attract a large number of viewers — enough to really catch judges’ attention. Wollett said, generally, when she thinks of Folgers, she thinks of an old …

Whiz Kids of the Week Name and Age: Dunedin High School International Thespian Society School: Dunedin High School Whiz Kids' Accomplishment: About 20 DHS drama students showcased their skills at the Florida State Thespian Festival at the Tampa Bay Convention Center from March 17 through 19. The aspiring actors brought home the group's highest cumulative ratings ever. Key to Awesomeness: The International Thespian Society, which is sort of an honor society for thespians, performed at one of the biggest state conference for thespians in the world. An estimated 15,000 attend. “We brought home …

Whiz Kids of the Week Name and Age: Jessica Hamacher and Jaime Kay, 11, sixth grade School: Dunedin Highland Middle School, Center for Gifted Students Whiz Kids' Accomplishment: Jessica and Jaime wrote and performed a 10-minute play about Ireland's potato famine, which began in 1845 and lasted six years. The famine caused more than one million Irish deaths and another million to flee the country. The play won a countywide National History Day competition, and now the girls move on to represent Pinellas County among 25 other counties at the state competition in Tallahassee on May 1, 2 and 3. …

Whiz Kid of the Week Name and Age: Virginia, age 9, third grade School: Acadamie Da Vinci Charter School Whiz Kid's Accomplishment: Virginia sells handmade friendship bracelets to raise money for an animal shelter in Largo.  Key to Awesomeness: Virginia learned to make friendship bracelets in her Brownie Scout troop and received a friendship bracelet kit for her birthday last year. She said she really enjoyed the new craft except that her threads usually became tangled. She recently received a friendship-bracelet maker, which helps keep the threads organized while she weaves them into …

Whiz Kid of the Week Name and Age: Teagan, age 8, third grade School: Academie Da Vinci Charter School Whiz Kid's Accomplishment: Teagan is collecting food for the RCS Food Bank as a community service project for his gifted class.  Key to Awesomeness: Teagan has collected one whole bag (the size of a green, reusable Publix bag) of non-perishible food items since Feb. 21. His brother helped him make fliers soliciting donations of canned meats, fish, vegetables and juices and other items such as peanut butter and nuts, rice and pasta and bottled juices. He put a donation drop box in his school'…