The winners in each of four employee categories for St. Lucie Public Schools were announced at the annual Night of the Stars gala celebration at Lincoln Park Academy February 22, 2014. The recognition program is sponsored by the St. Lucie County Education Foundation and the school board.
Oak Hammock K-8 School media specialist Heather Bolitho was named 2015 Teacher of the Year, and Parkway Elementary School school nutrition manager Angelia Jean-Louis was named 2014 School Related Employee of the Year. Both of these district representatives will move on to regional consideration for the state honors in their categories. The Teacher of the Year distinction is historically for the year after the selection due to the year of service for the state in the following school year. The Morganti Group sponsors the award for Teacher of the Year, and the St. Lucie Education Foundation sponsors the School Related Employee of the Year award.
Self-described “new generation” teacher Leilani Ankiel, who teaches intensive reading at Treasure Coast High School, was announced as the 2014 Outstanding First Year Teacher, though she was accompanying her girls’ varsity basketball team at the state championships in Lakeland and could not attend the event. Robert Plowden, a middle grades social studies teacher at Samuel S. Gaines Academy, graduate of Lincoln Park academy and seocnd generation St. Lucie Public Schools teacher, is the 2014 Distinguished Minority Educator of the Year. These two categories are local recognitions. Seacoast National Bank sponsors the Outstanding First Year Teacher award, and Keiser University sponsors the Distinguished Minority Educator of the Year award.
Pictured, front row, from left, are Robert Plowden, Heather Bolitho, and Angelia Jean-Louis. Back row, from left, are Samuel S. Gaines Academy principal Traci Wilke, Oak Hammock K8 School principal Carmen Peterson, and Parkway Elementary School principal Carolyn Wilkins. Not pictured are Leilani Ankiel and Treasure Coast High School principal Denise Rodriguez, both of whom joined the celebration via video link.
Other finalists for Teacher of the Year were Fort Pierce Central High School chorus and band teacher Matthew Boswell, and Fairlawn Elementary School media specialist Kelly Ridle.
Other finalists for School Related Employee of the Year were Palm Point Educational Research School health paraprofessional Michelle DeGarmo, and Allapattah Flats K-8 School school office clerk Adela DellaCroce.
Schools and district departments annually may nominate an employee at their site for the appropriate categories. Selection committees comprised of former honorees, teachers, and school and district administrators reviewed applications of the nominees for each category and interviewed applicants for the state honors. Three finalists in the Teacher of the Year and School Related Employee of the Year categories were selected, and surprise visits announced those finalists.
From school sites, nominees included for Teacher of the Year (TOY), School Related Employee of the Year (SREY), Distinguished Minority Educator of the Year (DMEY) and Outstanding First Year Teacher (OFYT), were:
Teacher of the Year
NOMINEES
GREEN ZONE
C.A. Moore Elementary Katherine Christopher
Dan McCarty Robin L. Fillmann
Forest Grove MS Leigh Kimberly Bretherick
Ft. Pierce Central HS Matthew Boswell
Ft. Pierce Westwood HS Maureen Greenberg
Lakewood Park Elementary Jennifer Lusardi
Lawnwood Elementary Ashlay Parker
Palm Pointe @ Tradition Jade Alisen Joie
Samuel Gaines K-8 Christen McCray
St. Lucie Elementary Angela Ehrhard
Weatherbee Elementary Cindy Keesler Winterkamp
White City Elementary Rhiannon Myers
RED ZONE
Allapattah Flats K-8 Danya Etter
Bayshore Elementary Jennifer Archer
FK Sweet Elementary Cynthia Langel
Ft. Pierce Magnet School of Arts Heather Nesbitt
Lincoln Park Academy Sally VanDereedt
Manatee K-8 Dawn Montoya
Oak Hammock K-8 Heather Bolitho
St. Lucie West Centennial HS Carol E. Rondeau
St. Lucie West K-8 Michelle Fryer Dommel
Treasure Coast HS Grace Pierre-Louis
West Gate K-8 Kimberly L. Wolcott-Rappuhn
Windmill Pointe Elementary Stephanie E. Sakowski
BLUE ZONE
Fairlawn Elementary Kelly Ridle
Floresta Elementary Grace Duvelsdorf
Mariposa Elementary Theresa Delancy
Morningside Elementary Allison R. Hargroves
Northport K-8 Alexander M. Phillips
Parkway Elementary Laurie A. Farr
Port St. Lucie HS Shea Lodes
Rivers Edge Elementary Natasha R. Rodriguez
Savanna Ridge Elementary Andrea N. Rice
Southern Oaks MS Tiffany Barrett
Southport MS Maureen Dakin
Village Green Elementary DeeDee Bradley
Alternative Education Steven Michael Farley
School Related Employee of the Year
GREEN ZONE NOMINEE
C.A. Moore Elementary Linda Faye Gilmore
Dan McCarty Cynthia Gamble-Carrion
Forest Grove MS Theresa Shepkosky
Ft. Pierce Central HS Maribell Lein Beckham
Ft. Pierce Westwood HS Dura Loving
Lakewood Park Elementary Leon Peterson
Lawnwood Elementary Tamara Moore
Palm Pointe @ Tradition Michelle DeGarmo
Samuel Gaines K-8 Cequila J. Terry
St. Lucie Elementary Lorraine Walker
Weatherbee Elementary Pamela Ferentzy
White City Elementary Jill Figgiani
RED ZONE
Allapattah Flats K-8 Adela DellaCroce
Bayshore Elementary Amanda Adams
FK Sweet Elementary Donna Haynes
Ft. Pierce Magnet School of Arts Garry Athill
Lincoln Park Academy Karen Bausola
Manatee K-8 Joseph Share
Oak Hammock K-8 Denice Edge
St. Lucie West Centennial HS Cinthya T. Cordero
St. Lucie West K-8 Mary Catherine Park
Treasure Coast HS Terri Elias
West Gate K-8 Maureen A. Reimers
Windmill Pointe Elementary Deidra Legg
BLUE ZONE
Fairlawn Elementary Venus Burch
Floresta Elementary Viviana Gross
Mariposa Elementary Wesley Dessources
Morningside Elementary Mikea Jordan
Northport K-8 Cecil Smith
Parkway Elementary Angelia Jean-Louis
Port St. Lucie HS Donna Ney
Rivers Edge Elementary Laura Tidey
Savanna Ridge Elementary Ursula Biallo
Southern Oaks MS Pamela Post
Southport MS Eileen Kielbasa
Village Green Elementary Raul Silverio
SLCSB EMPLOYEES
Business Services
Information Technology Services Lori Winn
Curriculum Odessa Randolph
Student Services Christine Jordan
Superintendent’s Suite Sharon Taft
Facilities Diania Breakenridge
Transportation Nikki Collins Prince
Federal Programs Lilianna Tisheh
Alternative Education Bridgette Wilson
Student Assignment Angela Moreno
NOMINEES
NOMINEES
GREEN ZONE
C.A. Moore Elementary Jodi Morris
Dan McCarty Nicholas Berkely
Forest Grove MS Jessica Aljure
Ft. Pierce Central HS Jeffrey Rymer
Ft. Pierce Westwood HS Ltc Scott P. Caldwell
Lakewood Park Elementary Alma M. Mosley
Lawnwood Elementary Christine Ekstrom
Palm Pointe @ Tradition Chezare Reyes
St. Lucie Elementary Claudia Jackson
Weatherbee Elementary LaShawnda McNair
White City Elementary
RED ZONE
Allapattah Flats K-8 Laura Barnes
Bayshore Elementary n/a
FK Sweet Elementary n/a
Ft. Pierce Magnet School of Arts Yanet Garcia
Lincoln Park Academy Jillian Rozycki
Manatee K-8 Mari Stokes
Oak Hammock K-8 Lindsay Ham
St. Lucie West Centennial HS Amy Chumney
St. Lucie West K-8 Anne W. Mack
Treasure Coast HS Leilani Ankiel
West Gate K-8 Amy Glauber
Windmill Pointe Elementary Kelita Johnson Singleton
BLUE ZONE
Fairlawn Elementary Cori Jones
Floresta Elementary Jillian Wagner
Mariposa Elementary Erica Morales
Morningside Elementary
Northport K-8 Candice Zablotny
Parkway Elementary Leslie Garcia Williams
Port St. Lucie HS Deborah Garcia
Rivers Edge Elementary Jennifer Vazquez
Savanna Ridge Elementary
Southern Oaks MS Brittney Sapp
Southport MS n/a
Village Green Elementary Felicia Smith
Alternative Education Debbie Shalaew
Outstanding First Year Teachers
NOMINEES
GREEN ZONE
C.A. Moore Elementary Jodi Morris
Dan McCarty Nicholas Berkely
Forest Grove MS Jessica Aljure
Ft. Pierce Central HS Jeffrey Rymer
Ft. Pierce Westwood HS Ltc Scott P. Caldwell
Lakewood Park Elementary Alma M. Mosley
Lawnwood Elementary Christine Ekstrom
Palm Pointe @ Tradition Chezare Reyes
St. Lucie Elementary Claudia Jackson
Weatherbee Elementary LaShawnda McNair
White City Elementary
RED ZONE
Allapattah Flats K-8 Laura Barnes
Bayshore Elementary n/a
FK Sweet Elementary n/a
Ft. Pierce Magnet School of Arts Yanet Garcia
Lincoln Park Academy Jillian Rozycki
Manatee K-8 Mari Stokes
Oak Hammock K-8 Lindsay Ham
St. Lucie West Centennial HS Amy Chumney
St. Lucie West K-8 Anne W. Mack
Treasure Coast HS Leilani Ankiel
West Gate K-8 Amy Glauber
Windmill Pointe Elementary Kelita Johnson Singleton
BLUE ZONE
Fairlawn Elementary Cori Jones
Floresta Elementary Jillian Wagner
Mariposa Elementary Erica Morales
Morningside Elementary
Northport K-8 Candice Zablotny
Parkway Elementary Leslie Garcia Williams
Port St. Lucie HS Deborah Garcia
Rivers Edge Elementary Jennifer Vazquez
Savanna Ridge Elementary
Southern Oaks MS Brittney Sapp
Southport MS n/a
Village Green Elementary Felicia Smith
Alternative Education Debbie Shalaew
Distinguished Minority Educators
NOMINEES
GREEN ZONE
C.A. Moore Elementary Robert L. Suggs
Dan McCarty Latricia Stubbs
Forest Grove MS Erika Macedo
Ft. Pierce Central HS Peter Crespo
Ft. Pierce Westwood HS Jesus R. Rivera
Lakewood Park Elementary Alexandra Laoutas
Lawnwood Elementary Mary Keith
Palm Pointe @ Tradition Jessica Gutierrez
Samuel Gaines K-8 Robert Plowden
St. Lucie Elementary Tiffany Owens
Weatherbee Elementary Norma Marie Miller
White City Elementary Lynette Viruet
RED ZONE
Allapattah Flats K-8 Renee Adderly-Clark
Bayshore Elementary Trisha Budhram
FK Sweet Elementary Alice Parks
Ft. Pierce Magnet School of Arts Gerard Saltus, III
Lincoln Park Academy Veryl Moore
Manatee K-8 Michael Torres
Oak Hammock K-8 Diane Aristide
St. Lucie West Centennial HS Daisy Diaz
St. Lucie West K-8 Venda Renee Taylor
Treasure Coast HS n/a
West Gate K-8 Narvelene T. Lucas
Windmill Pointe Elementary Rosa Myles
BLUE ZONE
Fairlawn Elementary Vanessa Solomon
Floresta Elementary Stacyann Rolle
Mariposa Elementary Quotaysha Jones
Morningside Elementary
Northport K-8 Victoria Frazier
Parkway Elementary Erikka Trabal
Port St. Lucie HS Demetrius Jamille Lane
Rivers Edge Elementary Romie Guffey
Savanna Ridge Elementary Sharline William
Southern Oaks MS Joann Campbell
Southport MS Kerry Parks
Village Green Elementary Actavis McQueen
Alternative Education