PANAMA CITY — At an awards dinner and ceremony on Tuesday, one of five finalists will be selected to represent Bay County in the Florida Teacher of the Year program.
The five finalists were chosen from of field of 38 teachers from schools across the county. Dinner will begin at 6:30 p.m. The awards presentation will follow dinner with the naming the 2015 Teacher of the Year between 8:00 and 8:45 p.m. Title sponsors for the Teacher of the Year event are The News Herald and Innovations Federal Credit Union.
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The five finalists are:
- Beth Piccolo, A. Crawford Mosley High School
- Jeff Skipper, J.R. Arnold High School
- Catherine Rutland, Rutherford High School
- Kristen Samples, Merritt Brown Middle School
- Jenny Cimato, Deer Point Elementary School
In addition to complimentary dinners provided by title sponsors — The News Herald and Innovations Federal Credit Union — nominees will also receive cash and gifts from local businesses and organizations, which Panhandle Educators Federal Credit Union, Bay Education Foundation, Horace Mann Representative Wendy Varnum and the Association of Bay County Educators. A scholarship is also given by Florida State University Panama City in the name of the winning teacher to an undergraduate student in the College of Education.
Beth Piccolo, A. Crawford Mosley High School: She has a “can do” and “will do” attitude she applies to all aspects of her teaching, leadership and service. She integrates advanced teaching methods with high expectations and has earned superior ratings in curriculum implementation, leadership development and general program excellence. Personally invested in her student’s lives, Beth mentors and motivates her cadets to help them meet and often exceed expectations.
Because she believes in leading by example, Beth holds herself to strict moral and ethical principles and conducts her program with the utmost integrity. She even provides formal dresses and full dress blues to cadets who need them for prom and the Marine Corp ball.
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She has spent countless hours training her award-winning drill team and accompanies them when they participate in parades and special ceremonies. The team has volunteered in more than 60 school and community events. The success of her cadets is attributed to mutually earned respect based on the example she sets through her solid leadership practices.
Jeff Skipper, J.R. Arnold High School: Students respond to Jeff Skipper’s dedication by working hard to achieve their goals, whether it is passing an AP exam or winning a wrestling match. With his obvious passion for his subject, Jeff captivates his students with unusual and intriguing history facts, engages them with a great sense of humor and pushes them to do their best.
He tells great stories, uses interactive, engaging and challenging approaches and always gives his students more than what is found in the textbook. As a coach for the weightlifting and wrestling programs, he is a master motivator who willingly gives his time and energy to encourage and train his athletes to higher levels of achievement. He has a way of inspiring athletes to do their best, to give a little bit more and to compete at the next level.
Jeff mentors new teachers and teachers seeking National Board Certification and serves as a technology mentor, the history fair coordinator and the Social Studies department head. He has motivated, inspired and supported many former students in their after high school endeavors. Impacting lives and making the world a brighter place is why Jeff teaches. This is Jeff’s second nomination for this honor.
Catherine Rutland, Rutherford High School: Seeing herself as a guide, facilitator and coach, Catherine Rutland has created a truly student-centered English classroom. She sees herself as a sideline supporter as her students pursue knowledge and take charge of their own learning. Whether students are gifted or challenged, she guides them all as they build confidence and competence together.
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She is described by a fellow teacher as “fiercely devoted to making her students the best learners and finest human beings they can be.” As a leader among her peers, Cathy serves as the English Department Chair, coordinates the Middle Years Program, instructs in the International Baccalaureate program and has trained teachers across the district in the new Florida Standards for Language Arts.
She leads but never demands… collaborates and guides… and is not above asking for help and advice when she needs it. A three time nominee for this honor, Kathy is a caring, compassionate role model for students and a helpful team mate for colleagues.
Kristen Samples, Merritt Brown Middle School: “A ball of energy” is how Kristen Samples is described by her principal and it seems a perfect fit for this dynamic science teacher. She rarely lectures. Instead she involves her whole class in the learning process with hands on projects, group activities and lots of fun. For example, Moon Pies become edible phases of the moon for her kids making learning engaging, innovative and delicious.
She has an innate ability to connect with students who are disengaged or have negative images of themselves. Believing each child has hidden talents, Kristen strives with tenacity and kindness to help students discover and use their talents to find success. Kristen is current, inventive and ready to share with colleagues. Eagerly, she seeks new ideas and opportunities to learn and grow not only from her peers and professional development opportunities but also from her students.
She is the Science Department Chair, serves on the School Leadership Team, coordinates Science Fair and Science Night and sponsors her school’s Students Working Against Tobacco club. Outside of school, Kristen stays busy as the varsity Mosley High School cheer coach where she encourages community outreach and volunteer opportunities for her athletes.
Jenny Cimato, Deer Point Elementary School: Armed with an attitude that learning can and should be fun, Jenny Cimato is creative, innovative and a positive force for students. Students in her third grade inclusion class often do not even realize they are learning because they are having so much fun playing games, learning from each other and satisfying their curiosity with Jenny leading the way.
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Every student is special to Jenny and she is a master at identifying their strengths and weaknesses and finding the individual motivator. Jenny works hard to help her students develop good study habits and a strong work ethic so they will be successful throughout their educational careers. Students, parents and teachers look forward to the Vocabulary Parade she organizes each year.
Third grade students and their teachers construct costumes depicting a word and then they parade their words all through the school. Colleagues benefit from her collaboration as she informally mentors new teachers, and serves as her grade chair. She also volunteered to serve on the district math committee to formulate goals and scales for the new state standards.