Flowers awarded 2009-10 Golden Coconut
Beach resident Pam Flowers has been chosen as the recipient of the 18th annual Beach Elementary School Golden Coconut award. The Grade “A” school’s Teacher of the Year was honored by the Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce.
The ceremony featured dignitaries from the Beach Chamber, past and future award-winning teachers, Principal Larry Wood, the school’s tireless staff and the entire student body from the kindergarten through fifth-grade classes.
Chamber Board Member Fran Myers announced past winners, who are still teaching at the Beach school, before calling Flowers to the stage to accept her certificate: 1994- Kathy Brindise; 1999- Joy Rockwell; 2001- Lori Zamniak; 2002- Becky Reed; 2004- Alicia Catlett; 2007- Tina Cribbs.
“I am completely shocked,” said Flowers. “I have to first thank my family and my sons who are here. I also have to thank Tina Cribbs because without her I would not be here. She taught me absolutely everything I know.”
Flowers, who also expressed gratitude to all of the school’s staff, graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of West Florida in 1990. Before moving permanently to Florida, she taught school for seven years. She is married with three children.
Flowers was very instrumental in organizing and directing the school’s inaugural Read on the Beach event, an educational celebration of reading which involved the entire Beach Elementary staff and student body and featured guest readers from the FMB Town Council as well as help from the Beach Fire Department and Lee County Sheriff’s Department.
“This is a very special day where we get to honor all of the teachers and the staff,” said Fran Myers. “The whole community, all the people that live on this Beach and the business community are so proud of this school.
Myers gave kudos to D.J. Petrucell for his 53 years of serving as a director of the Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce by calling him “the longest, continuous, certified chamber director in the world.”
FMB Chamber President John Albion thanked the school staff and congratulated everybody present by saying, “You’re the ones that makes our island stronger and makes us very proud. That’s why you’re the best school in Lee County.”
Myers lastly presented a $1,000 check to the teachers of Beach Elementary which Woods said would be split up between all the school’s teachers to be spent in the classroom.
“We’re very proud of all of our teachers,” said Woods. “All of our teachers are outstanding. The community supports us in so many ways.”