How appropriate coming up on Teacher Appreciation Week May 3 to 7 to honor 44 Boca educators, especially this year. See the list of winners below.
The School District of Palm Beach County and The Rotary Club of Boca Raton Sunrise presented a virtual Teacher of the Year ceremony Thursday evening on the district’s website.
Usually held in Office Depot Global Headquarters, the live stream honored educators from 22 Boca Raton city and suburban public schools selected in 2020 and 2021.
As Office Depot sponsor speaker and public school dad Alex Price said: “This was the hardest year on record. To all our winners…our deepest gratitude for what you’ve done for our children.”
“They educate our future generation,” added Boca Chamber’s Golden Bell Education Foundation chairman Chuck Stout.
School board chairman and Sunrise Rotarian Frank Barbieri Jr. started this tradition in 1987 and saluted the club for keeping the event going and the winners for empowering their students.
Since then, 600 teachers have been honored, announced co-hosts, school district communications director Claudia Shea and Jim Gavrilos, who runs the Education Foundation. “These 44 classroom teachers are recognized as the best of the best,” they said. “Your influence goes beyond the classroom.”
Each winner had a moment in the sun and the co-hosts read their respective accomplishments.
Sunrise president Norman Matus reminded watchers that money raised goes to student and teacher scholarships for continuing education: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/9366
Here’s the honorees:
A.D. Henderson: Stephanie Anderson, Robin Barkes
Addison Mizner: Nicole Moeller, Lauren Jones
Boca Elementary: Marc Drautz, Jobi Bailey
Boca Middle: Victor Creighton, Rebecca Santolin
Boca High: Hernandez, Meghan Urbaniuk
Calusa: Jeri Fishman, Jamie Kshonz
Coral Sunset: Meghan Mooney, Elizabeth Lean
Del Prado: Ana Balboni, Kelly Urbano
Don Estridge: Stephanie Lapinskas, Thomas Simone
Eagles Landing: Kendra Gremaux, Allison Nelson
Hammock Pointe: Erika Dunlea, Alana Copeland
J.C. Mitchell: Cathy Brader, Sarah Fulk
Loggers’ Run: Myrna Arroyo Casilla, Diane Scala
Olympic Heights: Deborah Posner, Marta Sjovall-Brihammer
Omni: William Castillo, Amy Brookes
Sandpiper Shores: Amanda Kennedy, Jacqueline Steinberg
Spanish River: Amanda Hernandez, Rachel Ostrow
Sunrise Park: Sandy Woonton, Rhonda Falk
Verde: Christina Stansell, Christina Feraco
Waters Edge: Elizabeth Grecsek, Holly Kline
West Boca: Amanda Wanberg, Cheryl Sollin
Whispering Pines: Karina Constantine
By Marci Shatzman
