Skip to main content

Tag: first day of school

AME, new principal preparing for first day of school

AME, new principal preparing for first day of school

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Community News, Schools.

HOLMES BEACH – As children stock up on supplies and pick out their perfect outfits for the first day of school, Anna Maria Elementary School staff, including the new incoming principal, Katie Fradley, are working to make AME the best it can be for an exciting year of learning.

The Sun spoke to Fradley about what is in store for students this year.

With the first day of school coming Monday, Aug. 12, what are you doing to prepare?

Fradley: We have been working all summer to prepare our campus for our students’ safe return on Aug. 12. Our playground has seen some updates this summer. We had a new back stop installed, repaired some sidewalk damage and will be replacing clay and grass on the field. We are also in the process of adding fencing to our car rider drop off area that will ensure a safe environment at arrival and dismissal. We are incredibly excited about our new teaching and learning deck. It will have been worth the wait! The deck will be completed this fall and will provide an outdoor teaching space that includes a portable touch tank for our students to complete marine biology lessons and experiments overlooking the bay.

Is there anything special planned for the first day?

Fradley: We will welcome our families to campus for Open House on Thursday, Aug. 8. During Open House they will meet their teacher and staff and visit with friends. Then we are so excited to welcome our students back on Aug. 12! On the first day of school, we will host a “Meet and Greet” for our kindergarten parents and the parents of new students in our auditorium at 8:30 a.m. This is an AME tradition and is a perfect opportunity to introduce our leadership team and share information about our incredible school with our newest dolphins.

AME has many annual events such as Peace Day. As a new principal, do you have anything new planned for this year?

Fradley: I am looking forward to continuing well-loved AME traditions such as Peace Day as well as bringing some new events to campus. Our school wide theme this year is, “Dolphins make a difference.” As a school community we will be exploring what we can each do to make a difference in our school, community and our world. We will be sharing more information on this exciting initiative after the students return.

What do you hope to bring to AME as you begin your first year as principal?

Fradley: As I look forward to my first year as principal of AME, I hope to bring positive energy and a passion for making a difference to our school. I look forward to strengthening our enrollment, continuing our history of strong academic achievement and helping our teachers to inspire our students to make a difference in their school, community and the world.

AME ready for first day of school

AME ready for first day of school

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Community News, Schools.

HOLMES BEACH – The first day of the school year at Anna Maria Elementary will have an added layer of excitement as it becomes the first home in the country to the Guy Harvey Academy of Arts and Science.

“The Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation (GHOF) has been creating a marine science STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) curriculum that will align with our school district’s curriculum,” AME Principal Michael Masiello said.

Teachers will be trained to implement the curriculum and use of materials prior to the Wednesday, Aug. 10 first day of school.

“Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation staff will conduct the trainings. Future trainings are planned as we move throughout the school year,” Masiello said.

Students will be introduced to The Guy Harvey Collection: Sharks, Introduction to Marine Science, Mangrove Science and Coding-Ocean Edition.

“We will be adding additional curriculum topics as we move throughout the school year,” he said.

One existing classroom will be converted into an aquarium research room.

“The aquarium research room will house up to four aquariums with different marine ecosystems and new furniture,” Masiello said. “Students will be able to visit the aquarium room with their class to learn about the marine life and ecosystems, which will align with lessons of study.”

Dr. Guy Harvey is a well-known marine artist and conservationist. The GHOF’s mission statement reads in part, “The GHOF conducts scientific research and hosts educational programs aimed at conserving the marine environment… (and) will help ensure that future generations can enjoy and benefit from a naturally balanced ecosystem.”

The GHOF also funds affiliated researchers working to better understand our ocean ecosystem and educators helping to foster the next era of marine conservationists, according to the GHOF website.

The agreement between the School Board of Manatee County and GHOF was signed and adopted on June 28.

Masiello said that school enrollment will be 189, approximately the same as last school year, and students are still being enrolled at different grade levels.

“Students zoned for Anna Maria are automatically approved to attend,” he said. “Students outside of the Anna Maria school zone can apply for ‘hardship’ and must be approved prior to enrollment. ‘School choice’ will become available again in December.”

AME registrar Amy Slicker said that approximately 65% of students at the school live off-Island.

Temporary mask ‘mandate’ in effect for students, staff

Written by Jason Schaffer on . Posted in Community News, Health, Schools.

HOLMES BEACH – The Manatee County School Board passed a temporary mask mandate for all students and staff – with an opt-out provision – in an emergency meeting today.

A regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 24 at 5 p.m., and while the agenda has not yet been released, it is likely that an extension of the mandate will be discussed, among other COVID-19-related issues.

According to the School District of Manatee County, there have been 129 confirmed COVID-19 cases among students and 50 staff cases countywide since Aug. 10. No cases at Anna Maria Elementary have been reported so far.

As parents lined up to pick up their children on Tuesday, Aug. 10 after the first day of school, AME looked very much like any other first day before the pandemic changed everything.

Some children were wearing masks, but the majority were not. It was the same for faculty as they assisted children to get on the bus or line up the children for parents to pick up.

Kids
Students board the bus on the first day of school at Anna Maria Elementary. – Jason Schaffer | Sun

According to Principal Mike Masiello, many activities such as school plays will return this year after being canceled last year due to COVID. Students and parents also got to attend a live orientation prior to the start of school, something that was done virtually last year. In-person meetings between parents and staff are slated to return this year, at least for now.

“Because of COVID last year, we could only communicate through text and email, but this year we’ve been able to go to parent night and go see the classroom and meet the teachers. Fingers crossed it will stay that way, but we know that could change at any moment,” said Lori Zaworski, while waiting to pick up her first grade daughter on the first day of school.

Zaworski said the decision to wear a mask was left up to her daughter, who chose to go without the mask, but did ask her mother to put one in her backpack in case she changed her mind once she got to school.

School
Anna Maria Elementary students are dismissed on the first day of the 2021-22 school year. – Jason Schaffer | Sun

“Personally, I feel that every parent should have their choice regarding the masks. Personally, it hasn’t hit close to me or my family; we haven’t lost anybody close to us. Maybe if we had lost a family member I would think differently, but it appears that if you are young and don’t have a compromised immune system, you’ll live through it. If me or my daughter were to get it, we would take the appropriate precautions and quarantine, but I think we’d be OK,” Zaworski added.

According to Principal Masiello, the school hasn’t had many calls or messages from parents on the mask issue as of the first day of school, but there are parents who feel strongly on both sides.

“We’re perfectly happy to do what the teachers are most comfortable with,” said Scott Hagen, who has a daughter in the second grade. “This whole thing has avalanched into political finger-pointing that everything seems to avalanche into nowadays. I would prefer a mask mandate. I would prefer sending my kids to school knowing they’re safe. I would prefer that my second grade daughter didn’t have to look around the school and see some people wearing them and some people not wearing them.”

Hagen’s daughter is wearing a mask at school. He said they talked about it as a family and given the information, she made the choice to wear the mask.

“I understand the talking point of giving parents control, but if parents don’t like sending their kids to school when masks are mandated, then maybe they can find other options,” Hagen said. “This is about a village, a collective, a group, and we’re trying to keep everybody safe. We are a family that believes in science, and the science is pretty clear on this issue.”

The county has updated its COVID-19 protocols to include the following:

  • All students who are sick or have symptoms will be sent home until they are symptom-free.
  • Take temperature checks daily for all employees and randomly for students.
  • Reinforce and practice proper handwashing techniques among students and staff.
  • Provide and encourage the use of hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
  • Deep clean schools and busses daily, or in between uses as needed.
  • Make every effort to social distance as much as possible in schools.
  • Provide plastic shields in elementary classrooms and cafeterias where possible.
  • All employees will answer COVID-related questions daily upon arriving at work.
  • Limit non-essential visitors and volunteers to school campuses.
  • Everyone who is eligible to be vaccinated is strongly encouraged to get vaccinated.

Updated information regarding changes in policy and protocols is available at www.manateeschools.net.

Anna Maria Elementary Lauren Sato

Another school season starts at AME

Written by Tom Vaught on . Posted in Community News, Schools.

HOLMES BEACH – Motorists got a bright reminder that another school year had begun Monday morning from emergency lights on a patrol car and Police Chief Bill Tokajer’s vehicle in front of Anna Maria Elementary School. As a bus pulled up, Tokajer greeted the kids as they stepped off. Inside, AME School Resource Officer Josh Fleischer was watching the parents and their children. With the advent of new security steps, visitors to the school won’t be admitted without some identification, and they will be required to wear a visitor’s pass as long as they are inside the school.

Anna Maria Elementary back to school
Parents and kids wait to get into the school Monday morning. – Tom Vaught | Sun

For now, all doors are locked and those who want in will have to use a call box on the entryway wall. A staffer will then come to the door and let the visitor in.

“We’re getting a buzzer soon, so they can let the visitor in without having to go to the door,” said AME Principal Jackie Featherston.

Lauren Sato and her husband, Jason, dropped off their son, Dylan, in the crowded hallway.

“He’s a little worried, but he’ll be okay,” she said. This year, the parents of kindergartners dropped their children off at their classrooms and there were some tears on the parents’ cheeks and worried looks on the kids’ faces, but everybody was greeted by the teachers and many of the parents headed for the auditorium to attend an AME tradition: the “Boo hoo Breakfast.”

ame Karaline Berzowski
Karaline Berzowski wears a bright belt as she helps with parent drop off and pick up. – Tom Vaught | Sun

One concern is the presence of red tide in the Gulf of Mexico three blocks away and possibly in the bay. Will they keep students inside?

“If we can smell it, we’ll limit their outside access,” said Featherston. “The students will have gym in the auditorium.”

There was no smell Monday and no dead fish were visible in the bay behind the elementary school.

Excitement abounds at school year’s start

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Community News, Schools.

HOLMES BEACH – A lot of excitement and a few tears mark the first day of the new school year at Anna Maria Elementary.

The school opened its doors Aug. 10 to welcome students and faculty. While the return to the classroom was old hat for some of the older returning students, new students, particularly the incoming kindergarten class, had some mixed emotions with both parents and students tearing up as the bell rang to start the day.

“I’m trying to hold it together,” Tammie Cryer said, waving goodbye to her daughter Sophia as she entered Kelly Crawford’s kindergarten class to begin school.

First grader Teigan Fleischer was all smiles on the first day, greeting Holmes Beach Code Enforcement Officers James Thomas and Nate Brown with high-fives on her way to class.

“I’m excited,” she said.

AME back to school Crawford
Kindergarten teacher Kelly Crawford receives an enthusiastic greeting from a former student at AME’s back to school night. – Kristin Swain | Sun

Several first responders were on-hand to help greet the students and their guardians while also drawing attention to the 15 miles per hour speed limit in the school zone, including Manatee County EMS workers and several members of the Holmes Beach Police Department. Chief Bill Tokajer was the first to greet students as they stepped off school buses, helping teacher Gary Wooten and School Resource Officer Josh Fleischer escort students into the building.

There was one change for the new kindergarten class this year. Parents of kindergarteners brought their children to class where they said goodbye rather than meeting in the auditorium for the annual boo-hoo breakfast. Crawford said the change was to help students get adjusted to the schedule they’ll have for the remainder of the school year, hopefully decreasing confusion.

“I love the first day of school, it’s exciting,” Crawford said, greeting students both new and old with a hug. “I love being with the kids.”

As a reminder for motorists, Tokajer said HBPD officers will be monitoring drivers in the school zone along Gulf Drive where the speed limit drops from 35 to 15 mph 45 minutes at the beginning and end of school days.