Schools Select Teachers/Employees Of The Year

Highlands County Schools have a reason to be proud with the recent selection of the Teacher of the Year and School-Related Employee of the Year at each campus and the district office.

The School Board of Highlands County's top teacher and school-related employee of the year will be selected, from those recognized at each school, in April at the annual Summit Awards banquet.

Fred Wild Elementary School's Teacher of the Year is Denise Blonden

Principal Laura Waldon said Blonden started the school year as a third-grade teacher, but generously offered to move to fifth grade when teachers had to be reassigned due to shifts in the student population.

"She has worked with a number of the staff members for quite some time and we went through the voting process and they selected Miss Blonden as the Teacher of the Year," Waldon said. "I had the pleasure of notifying her after all the votes were counted."

She's very humbled and she has had a lot of wonderful feedback from the people she has worked with over the years who are letting her know how they feel about her earning this recognition, Waldon said.

Fred Wild Elementary's School Related Employee of the Year is Ana Guedes.

As the front office clerk, Guedes is always busy, but she always has a welcoming attitude from those visiting or working at the school, Waldon said. She has a warm personality.

Guedes said Friday, "we all work here as a family and I work with pretty fantastic people so it makes my job so much easier. It's an honor."

Guedes starting working at the school in September 2007 as a paperwork clerk where she went classroom-to-classroom helping teachers.

Each school determines the process for choosing its teacher and school-related employee of the year.

The Teachers of the Year from each school are:

• Kindergarten Learning Center - Brenda Shinholser

• Avon Elementary - Marcia Wills

• Cracker Trail Elementary - Kristin Haynes

• Fred Wild Elementary - Denise Blonden

• Lake Country Elementary - Laura Sherley

• Lake Placid Elementary - Dawn Campbell

• Memorial Elementary - Darlene Cloud

• Park Elementary - Julie Poucher

• Sun 'N Lake Elementary - Marsha Manley

• Woodlawn Elementary - Kendra Fout

• Avon Park Middle - Mason Whidden

• Hill-Gustat Middle - Chester Downing

• Lake Placid Middle - Barbara Piper

• Sebring Middle - Angie Spencer

• Avon Park High - Karen Respress

• Lake Placid High - Kevin Whitney

• Sebring High - Susie Whitehead

• District Office - Dwight Bowerman

The School Related Employees of the Year from each school are:

• Kindergarten Learning Center - Willie Chapple

• Avon Elementary - Gisel Bennett

• Cracker Trail Elementary - Mary Michele Fuller

• Fred Wild Elementary - Ana Guedes

• Lake Country Elementary - Darlene Nelson

• Lake Placid Elementary -Belinda Hodge

• Memorial Elementary - Betzaida Cruz

• Park Elementary - Doreen Pearlman

• Sun 'N Lake Elementary - Maryann Jewel

• Woodlawn Elementary - Kerr Williams

• Avon Park Middle - Mary Beth Brown

• Hill-Gustat Middle - Dean Parchment

• Lake Placid Middle - Jackie McKee

• Sebring Middle - Octavio Serrano

• Avon Park High - Julio Cubilette

• Lake Placid High - Darlene Martorella

• Sebring High - Kenneth Palmerton

• District Office - Wendy Bauer