Page 6 - new direction newsletter Spring 2019

6
Rock Star Employees!
We would like
to congratulate Matt Cammarata (left), one of our school secretar- ies, for winning the Employee of the Year Award this year. Not only does Matt handle registrations and basic secretarial duties, but he
also serves as a mentor and motivator. In adult educa- tion, students may feel a bit unsettled about school, and he enjoys being a calming presence and helpful support for them. He contributes to the school’s re- laxed and open learning environment each day. Matt is also a high school football coach for Holy Trinity Epis- copal School; as such, he is deeply involved and inter- acting with our community every day. Thank you Matt for your service to our community and congratulations!
We would also like to recognize recognize, Lissette Firpo, one of our rock star teachers! Lissette was recognized with the Part-Time Teacher of the Year Award this school year. Lissette Firpo was born and raised in Puerto Rico. She has lived... in South Caro- lina, Spain, Germany, Panama, and finally Florida as a member of the Air Force. Stepping into civilian life in Brevard County, she taught at Rockledge High School three years before teaching at Brevard Adult Educa- tion Melbourne for 18 years. She also taught Spanish at Heritage High School as well as Spanish and world history at Space Coast Junior/Senior High School. She has taught social studies and focused on facts and key figures; more importantly, she helped students appre-
ciate why they matter and how they influence us today. In ESOL, her goal is to teach language skills needed in everyday, real-life situations. Her philosophy revolves around practical applications of knowledge and skills. Her life of travel, inquiry, and helping others makes her a most valuable presence in our school, our communi- ty, and in her family where her sons Rafael, Julio, and Jamie are
her pride.
Lastly, we
would like
to recog-
nize KC
Townsend
for winning
the full-time
Teacher of
theYear
Award at
Brevard
Adult Edu-
cation. KC
is a graduate of the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor’s in Business Education and began teaching in 1994 at Space Coast Middle School. After 2 years, she took a summer job with Brevard Adult Education and set up the program’s first 100 computers. The rest is history, she was then offered a full-time position as the Technology Specialist which she eagerly accepted. KC, then transitioned from Technology Specialist to Data Collection and Online Program Specialist. She acts as the system administrator for FOCUS, which is the adult student information management system for state re- porting. Additionally, she has 50 to 60 online students in Adult Basic Education and GED Prep!
When KC is not at school, she works at her cattle ranch on the St. John’s
River rounding
up and caring for
cattle. She also shows cutting horses all over Florida and the southeastern United States. Thank you for your many years of service!