IN the land of Gal Gadot, Bar Rafaeli and Natalie Portman, 80 awesome women are competing today to be the next Miss Universe. On Saturday dawn Manila time were the preliminary evening gown (some clad in Filipino designs) and swimwear (in Gottex, founded by Lea Gottlieb, Israeli queen of fashion)…
Maude Graham, 40, a third-grade teacher at Rosabelle Blake Academy, was named Teacher of the Year for her incorporation of hands-on reading and writing activities, including scavenger hunts, rope climbing excursions and other out-of-the-box lessons. She also shares her life story with various groups, serves as a mentor, organizes parent/teacher events and spearheads a leadership program for third- through fifth-graders called “Leader in Me.”
Lisa Gill, a paraeducator at Jesse Keen Elementary School in Lakeland, was named School-Related Employee of the Year. She oversees the school s weekend backpack distribution program to make sure students have enough to eat. Following Hurricane Irma, she worked with First United Methodist Church to create a food and supply bank at the school and helped find housing for families whose homes were damaged.