Staff bloggers

Below is the complete list of all the teachers named Teacher of the Year for their school. The list below has the name of the school with the selected teacher below it. 

SCHOOL

NAME

A. Philip Randolph Academies of Technology

Vivian Sharp

Abess Park Elementary

Kim Jones

Alden Road Exceptional Student Center

Barbara Jo Green

Alimicani Elementary

Leigh Proctor

Andrew Jackson High

Vivian James

Andrew Robinson Elementary

Sheila Hope

Annie R. Morgan Elementary

Dawn Mouras

Arlington Elementary

Linda Highsmith

Arlington Heights Elementary

Moises Ramos

Arlington Middle

Theresa Reinhardt

Atlantic Beach Elementary

Elizabeth Hullender

Baldwin Middle-Senior High

Rebecca Couch

Bank of America Learning Academy

Kathryn Hudson

Bayview Elementary

Robert Kelly, Jr.

Beauclerc Elementary

Sally Locy

Biltmore Elementary

Sally Faez

Biscayne Elementary

Raleigh Burney

Brentwood Elementary

Regina Rowan-Thomas

Brookview Elementary

Patrick Mercer

Carter G. Woodson Elementary

Mack Roberson

Cedar Hills Elementary

Melissa Bell

Central Riverside Elementary

Georgiana Graves

Chaffee Trail Elementary

Maggie Holloway-Kundert

Chets Creek Elementary

Deborah Cothern

Chimney Lakes Elementary

Catherine Motolenich

Crown Point Elementary

Pamela Jo Adams

Crystal Springs Elementary

Esther Wilder

Darnell-Cookman Middle

Angela TenBroeck

Dinsmore Elementary

Carly Bone

District Operated Programs - Hospital Homebound

R. Courtney Gullett

Don Brewer Elementary

Melissa Vann

Douglas Anderson School of Arts

Melanie Manuel-Webb

Duncan U. Fletcher High

Julie Durden

duPont Middle

Margaret Walters

Edward White High

Jordan Schemmel

Englewood Elementary

Vicki G. Joiner

Englewood High

Melanie Fierro

Enterprise Learning Academy

Pamela Vavruska

SCHOOL

NAME

Eugene Butler Middle

Ronaldo Crespo, Jr.

First Coast High

Marjorie Nolan

Fishweir Elementary

Patricia Ciccarello

Fletcher Middle

Sharonette Shaw

Fort Caroline Elementary

Dawn Wiles

Fort Caroline Middle

Mary Hines

Frank H. Peterson Academies of Technology

Dr. Jayne Phillips

George Washington Carver Elementary

Michelle Medows

Grand Park Career Center

Paul Davis

Greenfield Elementary

Jessica Bush

Greenland Pines Elementary

Sandra Reeder

Gregory Drive Elementary

Christine Bryan

Hendricks Avenue Elementary

Melissa Buchanan

Henry F. Kite Elementary

Alice Smith

Highlands Elementary

Olivia A. Young

Highlands Middle

Evelyn Harding

Hogan-Spring Glen Elementary

Phalda Morris

Holiday Hill Elementary

Erin Dye

Hyde Grove Elementary

Crystal Taylor

Hyde Park Elementary

Laura Cruz Robinson

J. Allen Axson Montessori

Kathleen Maida

J.E.B. Stuart Middle

Alyssa Halliday

Jacksonville Beach Elementary

Pam Farrell

Jacksonville Heights Elementary

Anna Elkins

James Weldon Johnson College Preparatory

Paul French

Jefferson Davis Middle

Latisha Harvey

John E. Ford K-8

Staci Pendry

John Love Elementary

Cristina Gonzalez

John N. C. Stockton Elementary

Allison Cooke

Joseph Finegan Elementary

Wanda Womack

Joseph Stilwell Middle

Marvin Robinson

Justina Road Elementary

Michael Williams

Kernan Middle

Sonya Bennett

Kernan Trail Elementary

Clyde Lamberson

Kings Trail Elementary

Kathryn Tinsley

Kirby-Smith Middle

Roderick Broussard

Lake Forest Elementary

Meghann Van Hise

Lake Lucina Elementary

Wanda Boucher

Lake Shore Middle

Pamela Motes

Landmark Middle

Sheryl Lee-Stevenson

Landon Middle

Kathleen Flynn

LaVilla School of Arts

Shawn Pendry

SCHOOL

NAME

Lone Star Elementary

Jacqueline Shifkey

Long Branch Elementary

Christopher Bacca

Loretto Elementary

Iris Latman

Louis Sheffield Elementary

Ortrud Forster

Love Grove Elementary

Peggy Akers

Mamie Agnes Jones Elementary

Christine Lippelman

Mandarin High

Shelli Rogers

Mandarin Middle

Paula Evans

Mandarin Oaks Elementary

Lani (Kuu Ui Hokulani)
Montemayor

Marine Science Education Center

Nathan Shoemaker

Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary

Estella Dixon

Matthew Gilbert Middle

John Garman

Mattie V. Rutherford Elementary

Barbara Battle

Mayport Elementary

Amy Bumpus

Mayport Middle

Tess Polhemus

Merrill Road Elementary

Diane Brown-Smith

Mt. Herman Exceptional Student Center

Terri Collier

Nathan B. Forrest High

Althonia Small

Neptune Beach Elementary

Glenn Jefferys

New Berlin Elementary

Sara Hadden

Normandy Village Elementary

Marsha Meyer

North Shore Elementary

Gaetane 'Tina' Grant

Northwestern Middle

Shanda Westmoreland

Oak Hill Elementary

Radonna Tyler

Oceanway Elementary

LaTonya Parker

Oceanway Middle

Melvin Franklin

Ortega Elementary

Susan Fish

Palm Avenue Exceptional Student Center

Janice Williams

Parkwood Heights Elementary

Kinna Costello

Paxon Middle

Mozella Raines

Paxon School for Advanced Studies

Jon Nerf

Pickett Elementary

Christine Elmore

Pine Estates Elementary

Sadie Milliner-Smith

Pine Forest Elementary

Kathleen Behrens

Pinedale Elementary

Latonya Mitchell

R.V. Daniels Elementary

Christin Leggett

Ramona Boulevard Elementary

Lisa Inman

Reynolds Lane Elementary

Donneise Thompson

Ribault High

Kenneth Chin

Ribault Middle

Shawn Gomez

Richard L. Brown Elementary

Angela Saffle

SCHOOL

NAME

Robert E. Lee High

Kenneth Shacter

Rufus E. Payne Elementary

Teresa Smith

Ruth N. Upson Elementary

Kim Randich

Rutledge H. Pearson Elementary

Augena Sapp

S.P. Livingston Elementary

Melba Joslin

Sabal Palm Elementary

Sarah Shelby

Sadie T. Tillis Elementary

Darlene McCloud

Saint Clair Evans Academy

Jeanette Hawthorne

Sallye B. Mathis Elementary

Carol Mele

Samuel A. Hull Elementary

Audrey Dixon

Samuel W. Wolfson High

Jacquelyn Tinsley

San Jose Elementary

Alexis Paul

San Mateo Elementary

Bria Robbert

San Pablo Elementary

Hallie Spooner

Sandalwood High

Matt Campese

Seabreeze Elementary

Brooke Axler

Southside Estates Elementary

Amber Day

Southside Middle

Carlos McDonald

Spring Park Elementary

CarolAnn DePiro

Stanton College Preparatory School

Carrie Santa Lucia

Stonewall Jackson Elementary

Tracey Brown

Susie E. Tolbert Elementary

Teslin Malpress

Terry Parker High

Sherrill Day

Thomas Jefferson Elementary

Carroll Penderleith

Timucuan Elementary

Eden Payton

Twin Lakes Academy Elementary

Ruby Hayes

Twin Lakes Academy Middle

Brett Hartley

Venetia Elementary

Linda Hegdal

Wesconnett Elementary

Kerri Tuttle

West Jacksonville Elementary

Amy Bright

West Riverside Elementary

Pam (Cheryl) Vandergriff

Whitehouse Elementary

Pamela Milton

William H. Raines High

Le'Titia Silas

Windy Hill Elementary

Angela Hancock

Woodland Acres Elementary

Ali Roberts

Youth Development Programs - TIGER Success Center

Karen Patterson

From Thursday, September 4, to Saturday, September 6, Episcopal Honors Science Seminar students will participate in a field trip to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s campus in Boston, MA. This research-based MIT-led tour will take students into the photo-voltaics lab, plasma science and fusion center, co-generation facility, fluid physics lab, nuclear reactor laboratory, mechanical engineering lab, and the Picower Institute for Learning and Memory.

Episcopal’s competitive two-semester Honors Science Seminar teaches students proficiency in the research processes and gives them the skills necessary to solve scientific problems; students are then linked with mentors in the field of their choosing. Working under the direction of Marion Zeiner, Episcopal science department chair, the students and qualified scientists work together to design and conduct a controlled experiment in a local university or private laboratory.

The students’ investigations are all founded on topics of current interest in the global scientific community. The researchers at MIT are completing work in the same fields, so through this trip Episcopal students will gain knowledge which will provide a foundation for their own research. As the students design their own methodology, conduct experimentation, and analyze results during the school year, they will continue communicating with the MIT researchers to gain additional insight and to aid in problem-solving. Potentially, the development of a relationship with researchers at MIT could provide a wide range of educational opportunities for Episcopal students in the future.

The five students involved in the course and their chosen projects are as follows:
•    Nathan Monroe: polymer photo-voltaics (year four)
•    Morgan Monroe: inexpensive source of hydrogen for fuel cells
•    Meredith Boulos: phyto-degradation of tricholorethylene (year two)
•    Satchel Siegel: neuron tracking in the brain
•    David Drew: neuron tracking in the brain

During the 2007-2008 school year, the nine students enrolled in the seminar earned the following awards:
•    Two academic scholarships
o    $120,000 to Drexel University
o    $10,000 to the University of Central Florida
•    Cash prizes totaling $10,500
•    State science fair (every participating student from the class earned a place award, including two first-place and two second-place winners.)
•    First-place award in the Florida Junior Academy of Science competition
•    First place award in the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association High School Competition, which included an all-expense paid trip to the AFCEA Conference in Virginia for the student and parents.
•    International Sustainable World Science Olympiad (ISWEEP)
o    Two first-place awards
o    Four special awards
•    Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (no other school in the world had as many awards as Episcopal High School)
o    One second-place award
o    Four third-place awards
o    One second-place special award
•    Two semifinalists in the Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology
•    Involvement in the Intel Talent Search

Do you think you know football more than the pros? If so, make sure to participate in the Florida Times-Union and Jacksonville.com's Pro Football Pick-Em contest. Each week, you can pick the winner for each Jaguars game up to 15 minutes before kickoff. To play, click here. Good luck!

Tropical Storm Fay caused Duval County Public Schools’ students to miss three days of school at the beginning of this school year.  The District currently has five days built into our school calendar in order to makeup any days missed due to weather. 

Makeup days for students due to Tropical Storm Fay will be on November 10 and December 18 and 19.  The storm also required us to move the end of the first quarter, changing the date for Teacher Planning Day from October 20 to October 24.  Students will need to now attend school on October 20, not on Teacher Planning Day, October 24.

-Information courtesy of DCPS

All the votes have been counted, and W.C. Gentry will face Jack Daniels in a runoff election on Nov. 4 to represent Southside schools. Here are the results of the other elections in Duval County:

State Attorney-Fourth Judicial Circuit

Angela Corey- 64.42 percent

Jay Plotkin- 35.58 percent

City Council- At Large Group 2

John Crescimbeni- 25.93 percent

Dick Brown- 24.56 percent

Theresa Graham- 19.55 percent

Circuit Judge C4, G11

Adrian G. Soud- 52.57 percent

Mark Hulsey- 47.43 percent

Circuit Judge, C4, G28

Virginia Norton- 63.49 percent

Rick Buttner- 36.51 percent

For more primary election results, visit jacksonville.activote.com.

All-

For the latest Fay coverage, visit Jacksonville.com

We will post news here on MySouthsideSun.com as we get it in, but Jacksonville.com will have the most current news. If you're a Twitter user, check out our Jaxdotcom Twitter feed. 

As always, let us know if you have any questions or comments. 

The FCAT grades for all of the area schools have just been released. Here's are the grades for Southside schools:

Click here for the full list of schools.

Elementary

Alimacani Elementary-A

Bank of America Learning Academy-A

Brookview Elementary-A

Chet's Creek Elementary-A

Englewood Elementary-A

Greenfield Elementary-B

Hogan-Spring Glen Elementary-C

Holiday Hill Elementary-A

Kernan Trail Elementary-A

Kings Trail Elementary-A

Love Grove Elementary-A

Pine Forest Elementary-A

San Jose Elementary-A

Southside Estates Elementary-C

Spring Park Elementary-C

Twin Lakes Academy Elementary-A

Windy Hill Elementary-B

Middle

Alfred I. Dupont Middle-A

Julia E. Landon Middle-C

Kernan Middle-A

Twin Lakes Middle-A

High

Douglas Anderson School for the Performing Arts-A

Englewood High-D

Sandalwood High-D

Samuel W. Wolfson High-C

Hey users, let's hit this one out of the park: 

We want to know how you feel about the parks in your part of Jacksonville. Are there enough? Are they big enough? Is there enough to do in them, or do they need more programs and equipment? What about maintenance and cleanliness? Be specific about what's needed and where.

Give us your thoughts and let's get some real feedback and ideas generated that might help where help is needed - and give a shout-out where one is needed as well.

Terra Herzberger of the YMCA of Florida's First Coast tell us that MRSA, an antibiotics-resistant form of staph infection, has shown up haphazardly around Northeast Florida and that this winter the YMCA of Florida’s First Coast is taking no risks with its threat.
She writes: "YMCA members will start seeing hand sanitizer dispensers in all the YMCA public areas, like on the wellness floors, in the lobby and in the Kids Zone. Many people overlook their hand sanitizers assuming that it will kill all germs.  What they don’t know is that they are not protected against MRSA unless the sanitizer is proven to kill Staphylococcus Aureus. “We chose this specific sanitizer because it was proven to prevent MRSA and because it was alcohol free, which is safest for our children,” said Christine Colemer, Purchasing Director for the YMCA. The First Coast YMCA is also acquiring in new fitness spray for all exercise equipment which has been proven to kill the MRSA causing bacteria."