VIN'S PEOPLE: A salute for Manatee School District teacher/employee-of-year finalists
Well done, finalists for the Manatee School District’s Educator of the Year and Support Employee of the Year.
The quartet vying for Educator of the Year are Joseph Baker, a Buffalo Creek Middle social studies teacher; Cory Bernaert, a Harvey Elementary kindergarten teacher; Christian Davis, a Sea Breeze Elementary STEM teacher; and Deelah Jackson, a Samoset Elementary fourth-grade teacher.
The four Support Employee of the Year candidates are Melissa Causey, Lee Middle’s senior secretary; Nora Jacoby, Parrish High guidance secretary; Kari Keech-Babcock, Lakewood Ranch guidance secretary; and Caryn Nussbaum, Rogers Garden-Bullock Elementary paraprofessional.
The winners will be announced in February at Manatee Technical College and will represent Manatee at the Florida Teacher and School-Related Employee of the Year award programs.
• Speaking of winners and educators, do vote for Southeast High’s Brett Timmons as Buccaneers High School Coach of the Year at buccaneers/com/community/high-school-coach-of-the-week. Voting ends Friday.
• Say it ain’t so! Shay Garcia hit the Big 4-0!
• Palmetto High’s 10th annual Dazzlers Holiday Show heats up the stage Friday, 7 p.m., at the school auditorium. Tickets are $8 at the door.
The Dazzlers, the new Jr. Dazzlers and Dazzlers alumni will share the spotlight with a sterling lineup including the Manatee School for the Arts Inferno, Strikers and Turning Pointe, the Bayshore Honeybears, Lakewood Ranch Silver Stars, Manatee Sugar ’Canes and Platinum Superstars Dance University.
Santa will also make an appearance and maybe bust a move, too.
The show is being put on by Dazzler coaches Shea Whidden Giltner, Cheyenne Thurman, Erykah Bazan, Samantha Thurman and Veronica Holley along with Dan and Michelli Whidden with an assist from the Palmetto High boosters and the Impact Community Church.
• Christina Crane is 39. Yet again.
• So is Carol Whitmore.
• Bob “Hurricane” Harrigan, too.
• And Mike Parrott.
• A bow to Me'khia Brunson, a Sugg Middle seventh-grader and Manatee County winner of the 2022 Art in the Capitol competition. Me'khia's watercolor painting of red onions in a bowl will be on exhibit in Tallahassee. Me’khia’s proud parents are Zena Stewart and Daniel Maisonet. Art teacher Karen Meinberg and Principal Ann McDonald are proud, too.
• Salutes to Lieutenant Robert Miller, Deputy Angela Alleyne and Community Service Officer Lora Brooks for 25 years with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.
• And good luck to Tim Geer, Bradenton's new fire chief. The 25-year veteran succeeds Chuck Edwards, retiring after 33 years with the city.
Vin’s People runs Sundays. Email Vin Mannix at vinspeople@gmail.com Or call 941-962-5944. Twitter: @vinmannix.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: VIN MANNIX: Manatee Schools name teacher, employee-of-year finalists
