For Immediate Release: October 5, 2011
Atlantis Principal and Saturn Literacy Team Selected as State Finalist for 2011 Just Read, Florida! Literacy Awards
VIERA— Atlantis Elementary School Principal Sherry Tomlinson and the Literacy Team at Saturn Elementary School have been named as finalists in the 2010 District Reading Leader of the Year by the Florida Department of Education. Following a comprehensive selection process, statewide finalists and winners were chosen from district nominations based on their commitment to literacy and their proven ability to promote and teach others about the fundamental skill of reading.
Tomlinson has been the principal of Atlantis Elementary in Cocoa, Florida for eight years and has enjoyed the privilege of teaching at all levels (elementary school, middle school, and high school), as well as serving as an administrator with Brevard Public Schools (BPS) since 1990. She is a product of BPS, attending Hans Christian Andersen Elementary School, John F. Kennedy Middle School, and graduating from Rockledge High School. Tomlinson was the recipient of the Florida Department of Education 2003's Brevard County Most Outstanding Middle School Assistant Principal Award and the Brevard Federation of Teachers Highest Ranked High School
Assistant Principal of 1999-2000 and 2000-2001. When asked about literacy at Atlantis, Tomlinson stated, “Atlantis’ strong literacy culture is a result of the entire Atlantis community, and I am most thankful and proud to be part of that family – reading is a JOY at Atlantis! As reflective practitioners, Atlantis values the reading leadership and training afforded to us from our district.”
Successful schools are places where people work together as a team, and no one knows this better than the Literacy Team at Saturn Elementary in Cocoa, Florida. The 15 member team’s focus is on issues of literacy instruction and curriculum. Saturn’s literacy team supports each other and their colleagues resolve every day, routine literacy issues, and they also work collaboratively to improve literacy school wide. “It has been a pleasure watching how this team has worked cooperatively to raise the reading performance of our students throughout the entire school,” acknowledged Michael Miller, Saturn Elementary Principal. “They have made sure that reading skills are built upon each year and they help to track those students who need enrichment as well as those students needing remediation. This progress monitoring has led to 82% of our students scoring proficient on reading last year on the FCAT test.” Saturn Elementary Literacy Team Members include Dr. Michael Miller, Laurie Wolfe, Beth Wareham, Joani Slawson, Jane Wright, Kim Ferris, Erin Rice, Linda Hansen, Emily Molina, Susan Myers, Brooke Hotaling, Virginia Neener, Heather Jaggers, Mary Clayton, and Julie Fletcher.
Florida school districts were invited to nominate outstanding literacy leaders in four categories, Reading Teacher of the Year, Literacy Leader of the Year, Literacy Leadership Team of the Year and Literacy Coach of the Year. Brevard Public Schools (BPS) submitted eleven district nominations for the 2011 Just Read, Florida! Literacy Awards. Following review of the nomination forms and documentation submitted for each of the candidates, finalists were chosen. The top two finalists in each category were identified from the list of finalists and a winner from each category was selected. Each state finalist will receive a commemorative certificate and statewide winners will receive a plaque in appreciation of their enduring commitment to literacy.
For a list of all the 2011 Just Read Florida! Literacy Award finalists and winners, please visit http://www.justreadflorida.com/literacy-awards.asp.
