. SILHOUETTES

 by Lauren Jones


 Roy Moral, principal of
Cypress Creek Elementary
School, has had a blessed life.
 His father is from Cuba and
his mother from Honduras.
He has one younger sister. In
1980, he moved with his fam-
ily from New York to
Miami.
 In. 1995, Moral
moved to Tampa to
go to USF. He eamed
his master's degree at
Nova Southeastem. He
is currently working on
his doctorate degree
and says he always
wanted to be a teacher.
 He went to cooking
school and had hoped.
to go further in the
restaurant business.
To make ends meet,
he worked in restau-
rants until his wife of
13 years told him to go
and pursue teaching,
they would figure out
the money later.
 Moral and his wife
started dating when
they were 16 years
old. "Due to her pa-
tience, we are still to-
gether," Moral said.
She stays at home with
their three children of
eight, three and less
than a year.
 His wife played a
supportive role in get-
ting him to where he is
today. He wanted to be
a teacher because he
liked the people part
of it. He also said there
Were'teachers through-
out his school career So
who saved his life. He
admired that quality.
 "So I wanted to, give back
and help others," he said.
 He saysliving in Tampa has
been great. He enjoys the sense
ofcommunity that comes with
his kids being involved .in so
much. He also loves being close
to the beaches.
 .He spends his free time with
his family doing activities such
as judo classes and weekend
campouts.. -
 He took from his parents
their work ethic. His father
always worked hard and had
more than one job, because he
wanted his kids to have a great
life. He still works for a small
aviation company and Moral's
mother works as a supervisor
for a company. It.was always
about hard work with Moral's
family. They valued what they
earned, and so made the deci-
sion to leave Cuba once the is-
land state turned Communist.
 "My dad used to say, 'It
doesn't matter if they are richer
than you, smarter than you
bigger than you, or whatever.
You can always work harder
than them and they can't beat
you."
- His father also taught him
how to play chess when he was
young and he still carries that
onto the.children at his school.
 He says the time he got to
teach chess was great, because
as a principal, he isn't able to
be one on one with the chil-
dren as much as he would as
a teacher.
 Moral was first a teacher,
then an assistant principle at
Palm River. He then became
principal.at Wimauma.
 He says a day in the life of
Principal Roy Moral is pretty
busy. He usually gets to work
around 5:30 a.m. and starts
on his paperwork. He says
paperwork is his least favorite
part of the job, but it is also
a huge part of it. He gets his
emails and paperwork done
before 7:30, which is when
the children arrive to school.


He says that is when the fun
part starts. He actually gets
to talk to parents and their
children and is able to interact
with them more than he would
sitting in his office with a pile
of paperwork. Then when the


Roy Moral
 '.*'  s-
 'i .,L._


)metimes, you just got to do wh
 enjoy to do."

 children are gone at the end
 of the school day, that is his
 time to meet with teachers and
 discuss curriculum and other
 duties.
 He says he is grateful that,
 at the end of the day, his wife
 is home with his children,
 who are asleep for their nap.
 So when it is time for them to
 wake 'up, he can spend time
 with them and take them to
 their'activities.
 He says he values running
 into the parents and children
 he once taught at dinner or at
 the grocery store, so he can see
 them as older students. Those
 parents-and students remem-
 ber him and his teaching, so
 he knows he left some sort of
 impact on them.
 He says that he never knows
 how his life will play out. He
 never saw himself becoming a
 principal in the past either. He
 would like to retire'as a princi-
 pal, but you never know where
 your career will take you.
 He says that, of course,
 there are teachers more valu-
 able than the pay they receive.
 But he says, most of the time,
 the value of -the job doesn't
 come from the pay. It comes
 from the children and parents
 who take care of the teachers
 and have a positive impact on
 them.
 "Sometimes you just got to
 do what you enjoy'to do."
 He says there is not just
 one teacher or person whom
 he has learned from. He learns
 things from everyone in his life.
 He has taken things from new
 teachers at his school who he
 has observed and even from
 custodians and cooks.
 Moral said there is a cook
 he used to work with in the
 restaurant industry who al-
 ways had a great attitude,
 despite what was going on.
 When people weren't running
 food out to the tables on time
 from the kitchen, he would
 say, "Hey, it's time to run food


for Jesus, you can't say no to
Jesus." Moral says the whole
kitchen would laugh, and that
made things better and more
efficient.
 "I learned from that cook


that you can motivate peo-
 ple without being
 harsh or domi-
 neering. You don't
 need fear. You just
 .. have to get people
 - to want to work," -
 Moral said.
 "I also attribute
 my success as an
 administrator to my
 dad. He always told
 me, 'Remember you
 used to wash dish-
 es for a living.' And
 I learned that I am
 no better or worse
 than anybody in my
 school. I just hap-
 pened to be blessed
 enough that I was
 able to go college,
 get a degree and get
 into some positions
 to get some raises.
 We are all in the
 *same boat. We are
 working for kids."
 He is grate-
 ful for'his college
 education in that
 it taught him the
 theoretical part of
 teaching. He said
 -. when he got to his
 interriship, he was
 able to apply those
 -'. theories.
 H is H rece'irvng
 m anaward for Princi-
 pal of the Year from
tat you the Love and Hope
 Foundation, Inc.,
 a nonprofit orga-
 nization dedicated to helping
 the children of Hillsborough
 County.
 "This award is not [only] me.
 I can only do so much," Moral
 said. "The quarterback doesn't
 win the game, the whole team
 does."
 He attributes this honor to
 all the people he works with.
 They have helped him get to
 where he is.
 He feels truly honored to be
 this year's recipient' because
 of the great respect he has for
 the foundation. Love and Hope
 Foundation Inc. has always
 given to his school and donated
 supplies when needed.
 Moral was raised to be an
 independent person. When he
 was 16, his parents sent him
 on a trip on his own to Eng-
 land. He stayed with a cousin
 but traveled alone as a tour-
 ist. He learned from traveling
 that people all live different
 lifestyles but all seem to want
 the same things in life.
 He also goes to Honduras
 to see his mother's side of the
 family. After he and his wife
 were married, they went to
 Hawaii for a month. He liked
 that they are all so laid back
 there. He noticed that there
 were never any men with ties
 on except for chauffeurs. They
 don't feel the need to dress up
 in Hawaii and they are very
 comfortable. He also noticed
 in Hawaii that the media neyer
 made comments about some-
 one's race.
 "If someone robbed a bank,
 it was two [men] who robbed a
 bank, not two black or white
 or Hispanic [men] who robbed
 a bank," Moral said.
 He loves Hawaii and would
 move there if it weren't so ex-
 pensive.
 "Who knows, I could retire
 there," Moral said.
 But for now, Moral is happy
 to work with kids and keep
 alive the spirit of giving back
 that he leased from his father.


ARIES (March 21 to April 19)
This is a good week to look at
healing bruised feelings and
re-establishing weakened rela-
tionships. It's also a good week
to start new projects and make
new job-linked contacts.
TAURUS (April 20 to May 20)
Music and art dominate the
week, giving the sensual Bovine
a lot to appreciate. On the prac-
tical side, deal firmly, but fairly,
-with those who might try to un-
dermine yourwork efforts.
GEMINI (May 21 to June 20)
Good feelings continue to
flow from your recent efforts
to reconnect with family and
friends. But be ready to defuse
a dispute before it can disrupt
all that peace and harmony.
CANCER (June 21 to July 22)
A practical view of a rorianti-
cized situation could help to
clarify some of its more confus-
ing aspects before you make a
decision that could be tough to
undo later on.
LEO (July 23 to August 22)
Pay more attention to what
a recent spate of work place
criticism might say about your
performance and not what you
think it implies about you per-
sonally. Some flexibility might
be called for.
VIRGO (August 23 to Septem-
ber 22) With new information,
and new promises of support
(not to mention growing self-
confidence), this could be a
good time to restart a project
you couldn't quite handle be-
fore.
LIBRA (September 23 to Oc-
tober 22) Before you decide to
close down a problem-lbaded


project and make a fresh start
with someone else, try once
more to reach a compromise
with your balky partner. He or
she might surprise you.
SCORPIO (October 23 to No-
vember 21) While you continue
earning points for your sharp
negotiating skills, be alert for
an attempt to undercut your
efforts. You'll need to provide
solid facts and figures to stay
in the game.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22
to December 21) A minor health
problem might cause you to
ease up on your usually busy
schedule. But you'll soon be
back in the saddle and ready
to pick up the reins and charge
ahead.
CAPRICORN (December 22 to
January 19) The adventurous
Sea Goat might be eager to
take on a new challenge. But
before you do, you might want
to take some time to check out
previously overlooked factors.
AQUARIUS (January 20 to
February 18) A feeling of be-
ing overwhelmed by all that
you have to do can be eased
by setting priorities. Del with
the most urgent and time-sen-
sitive situations first, and then
work down the line.
PISCES (February 19 to March
20) Creating a calm, peaceful
place for yourself in the middle
of a roiling emotional whirlpool
this week .starts when you,
and no one else, decide how to
make decisions about your life.
BORN THIS WEEK: Your de-
termination to stick with your
principles wins the admiration
of everyone who knows you.


Humane Society Receives Check


 Subaru ot America, Inc. presented a cnecK tor ,uuu
to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay at the Spring Pet
Adoption Expo on Saturday, April 25, at the Florida
State Fairgrounds. The check presentation, as well
as the delivery of a colorfully-wrapped 2009 Subaru
Forester, which will be used by the Humane Society
through 2011, is the result of Subaru's sponsorship of
the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals (ASPCA). The sponsorship supports local
communities and regional animal welfare organiza-
tions in the ASPCA's goal of increasing adoptions and
reducing euthanasia of homeless animals.
 Pictured, from left to right, are Sherry Silk, execu-
tive director, Humane Society of Tampa Bay; Stepha-
nie Mastro, Mastro Subaru, on behalf of Subaru of
America, Inc.; Holly O'Brien, president of the board,
Humane Society of Tampa Bay; Bill, who was up for
adoption at the event, and Sophia Mastro.



le In the Know..Rcad La $accta




 1 U1URRY CLIFTON C. CURRY, JR.
 ^R uP ATTORNEY AT LAW






 LaViva Professional Center CLIF.CURRY@CURRYLAWGROUP.COM
 750 West Lumsden Road WWW.CURRYLAWGROUP.COM
 Brandon, Florida 33511 813-653-2500


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