DUNEDIN — Amber Geronimo was in charge of running an election at Garrison Jones Elementary School.
A very important one, Dunedin Library Director Phyllis Gorshe said at the City Commission meeting May 4.
"She encouraged the whole school to come vote for their favorite snack on election day," Gorshe said, drawing laughter from the audience.
Geronimo received the city's Golden Apple Teacher of the Year Award that evening among cheers and applause.Â
The fabulous things she does at the school would take the entire evening to discuss, Gorshe said.
"She is a passionate educator who injects just the right amount of humor and fun just to keep things interesting and engaging, especially when using her classroom character, 'Grammar Granny,'" Gorshe said.
"Who is Grammar Granny, you ask, or whom? Mrs. Geronimo is not afraid to dress up as Grammar Granny or a judge or a detective so you can learn about context clues," Gorshe said. "She loves to dress up and anything to get her students engaged."
When Geronimo, a third-grade dual language arts teacher, noted that her students were a little stressed, she did some yoga with them.
Her time as a teacher isn't limited to the classroom. Geronimo visits current and former students at sporting events in the community.
"And even when she noticed someone really struggling, she made the time to do some outside activities with that person, some pottery painting and other excursions with that student," Gorshe said.
She was noted by a fellow teacher to be an exceptional educator whose passion and dedication shines through in all aspects of her work, Gorshe said.
Wild applause and cheering followed as Geronimo expressed words of appreciation.
"I just want to say thank you much for the support ... Having the support of the city of Dunedin and obviously all of these wonderful humans behind me, supporting teachers and my job especially it makes it all worth it," Geronimo said.
Other awards announced that night were:
• Top Apple Schools: Curtis Fundamental, A ranking; Discovery Academy of Science, A ranking, and Dunedin High School, B ranking, rising from a C ranking
• Achievement in the Arts: Dunedin Elementary, Artists in Bloom, Julia Roberts
• Excellence in Technology: Dunedin Elementary, Media Magic, Tanya Abresch
• Health & Wellness Initiative: Academie da Vinci, Tara Kuk
• Visionary Leadership: Academie da Vinci, Andrea Bartelloni
The presentations were made as part of the 12th annual Dunedin School Awards program, also known as Mayor's Top Apple, to provide recognition for outstanding achievement by schools located within the city.
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