District names support person of the year 2009
After reviewing the candidates for the 2009 Support Person of the Year, the Lee County School District is proud to announce that Zona Gale Burkhead, a Media Center Assistant at Bayshore Elementary School, has been named the 2009 Educational Support Person of the Year. Her dedication to her profession and the students of Lee County is what set Burkhead apart and made her the clear choice for this honor.
Background:
For nearly four decades, Burkhead has reported to work at Bayshore Elementary. And because she’s worked in the same school for 38 years, she is well known and loved by the community, children, parents and staff.
In her years in education, she has learned to make learning fun by entertaining students with her storytelling abilities, often creating a little rhyme, song or drawing to successfully make sense of the lesson at hand. She has worked hard to create an attractive, well-organized learning environment for the entire school. Her efforts help students find an inviting place where they can read and expand their literacy skills.
And this year, Burkhead took on additional responsibilities she is running the media center all on her own. The school had to reduce its staff last year and one of the positions lost was their Media Specialist. So now, Burkhead has stepped up and she’s meeting the challenges head on. Visit the media center today and you’ll see all of Burkhead’s touches.
She decorates the media center for each season. She selects books related to the current theme and places them in a way to entice students to check the books out and read. She even reaches out to the classrooms, working with teachers to see what lessons are being taught so she can identify books that will enhance those efforts.
Burkhead is a highly respected member of the school and community, and she is often sought out for her ability to be compassionate, fair and flexible. Her positive attitude and dedication to her job exceed the norm she’s a self starter who sees what needs to be done and then goes that extra mile to ensure it gets done.
It is clear Burkhead is a shining example of how our educational support staff contribute to the daily education of our most precious resource our children. She has truly set herself head and shoulders above her peers and is most deserving of being the Lee County Public Schools 2009 Educational Support Person of the Year.
The other Finalists for this year’s award were: Odette D’Antoni, Paraprofessional & ESOL Contact, Fort Myers High; Karen Dimock, ESE Paraprofessional, Colonial Elementary; Scott Fasenmyer, Building Supervisor, Caloosa Elementary; Tina Jara, ESOL Paraprofessional, Gateway Elementary.
Source: Lee County Schools